Via Instapundit:  Illinois is like Venezuela now, a fiscally broken state that has lost its will to live, although for the moment, we still have enough toilet paper.

But before we run out of the essentials, let's finally admit that after decade upon decade of taxing and spending and borrowing, Illinois has finally run out of other people's money.

Those "other people" include taxpayers who've abandoned the state. And now Illinois faces doomsday.

So as the politicians meet in Springfield this week for another round of posturing and gesturing and blaming, we need a plan.

And here it is:

Dissolve Illinois. Decommission the state, tear up the charter, whatever the legal mumbo-jumbo, just end the whole dang thing.

We just disappear. With no pain. That's right. You heard me.

The best thing to do is to break Illinois into pieces right now. Just wipe us off the map. Cut us out of America's heartland and let neighboring states carve us up and take the best chunks for themselves.

"We're thinking of building the wall as a solar wall"

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"We're thinking of something that's unique, we're talking about the southern border, lots of sun, lots of heat. We're thinking about building the wall as a solar wall, so it creates energy and pays for itself. And this way, Mexico will have to pay much less money, and that's good, right?"

"Toothpick crossbow craze has China quivering"

Via Drudge:  Handheld crossbows that can fire out needles and nails are the latest must-have toy in China but anxious parents want them banned before a young child gets blinded or worse.

Selling online and in shops for as little as seven yuan ($1), so-called toothpick crossbows were originally designed to shoot out just that -- toothpicks.

But if swapped out for needles they are potent enough to crack glass, said the Shanghai Daily newspaper, quoting shop owners as saying they were selling out of the "toys" fast and struggling to meet demand.

Other Chinese state media said the mini crossbows can fire at a distance of more than 20 metres (65 feet) and shoot iron nails in place of toothpicks.

"The 'Toothpick Crossbow' toy has spread across China like wildfire among the nation's primary and middle school children," said the Shanghai Daily.

"The unusual shooting toy may be very small but it is powerful enough to puncture a balloon and pierce cardboard. And when the toothpick is swapped for a metal needle it becomes a dangerous weapon."

Police in Chengdu, a major city in China's southwest, have reportedly stopped sales of the product and concerned parents across the country want the government to issue a nationwide ban.

"Hurry up (and ban them), pupils do not understand and are just shooting people for fun. It will cause accidents sooner or later," one parent wrote on Weibo, China's Twitter-like website.

Another worried onlooker wrote: "Our primary school began to investigate this from Monday and they're very dangerous."

Florida teacher allegedly alerted drug dealers about her cheating husband investigation

Via Drudge:  A Broward County elementary school teacher who tried to get revenge against her husband by tipping off drug dealers that they were under investigation should spend the next eight years in federal prison because the consequences of her actions were so serious, prosecutors say.

The undercover investigation was compromised and an insider informant who was secretly working with federal authorities was “outed.” He died of a gunshot wound a short time later under suspicious circumstances that were officially ruled a suicide, prosecutors said.

The defense for Porsha Session, 31, of Boynton Beach, says she acted naively to retaliate against her then-husband — a Lauderhill police detective who was involved in the investigation — because he was cheating on her.

Session told prosecutors she wanted “revenge against her philandering police officer spouse,” according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. She said she snooped in her now ex-husband’s work email and found memos containing sensitive law enforcement information about the investigation, the suspects and the fact that agents had an informant working inside the group.

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What is the most depressing truth that you've had to accept?

Reddit top voted comments....

Loyalty to a company means nothing to the company.

Elderly people really once were the same excited child I was not all that long ago.

Life will never be fair. You can do the right thing for your entire life and still get shit on around every corner.

Just because you think someone is "the one", doesn't mean they think you are.

There are people in this world who are going to live ruined, miserable lives they don't deserve, and there is really nothing I can do about it.

I peaked in high school, or maybe early college at best.

I thought I could be happy being alone.

Sometimes old friends don't want to reconnect.

"We may never know his true motive"

"Evacuation at Bishop International Airport in Flint after stabbing"

Via Instapundit: A police officer has been stabbed at Bishop International Airport in Flint, Michigan, prompting security precautions elsewhere in the city, local officials and witnesses say. It is being investigated as a possible terrorist attack. (more)

The incident happened at about 9:45 a.m. on Wednesday when emergency services responded to reports of a stabbing at the airport, which is the state's third busiest. It happened on the second floor of the main terminal.

An airport police officer, identified as Lt. Jeff Neville, was confirmed to have been stabbed and was rushed to an area hospital, where he was initially reported to be in a critical condition. His condition was later described as stable. "Please keep the officer in your prayers," Michigan State Police said.

A witness told MLive that the officer was seen bleeding from the neck.

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"5.7 million noncitizens may have cast illegal votes"

Via Instapundit: A research group in New Jersey has taken a fresh look at postelection polling data and concluded that the number of noncitizens voting illegally in U.S. elections is likely far greater than previous estimates.

As many as 5.7 million noncitizens may have voted in the 2008 election, which put Barack Obama in the White House.

The research organization Just Facts, a widely cited, independent think tank led by self-described conservatives and libertarians, revealed its number-crunching in a report on national immigration.

Just Facts President James D. Agresti and his team looked at data from an extensive Harvard/YouGov study that every two years questions a sample size of tens of thousands of voters. Some acknowledge they are noncitizens and are thus ineligible to vote.

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"State Department probes Clinton handling of government emails"

Via Drudge: The State Department has opened a formal inquiry into whether former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and her aides mishandled classified information while she was the nation’s top diplomat, Fox News has learned. Despite being under investigation, Clinton and her staffers still have security clearances to access sensitive government information.

The department’s investigation aims to determine whether Clinton and her closest aides violated government protocols by using her private server to receive, hold and transmit classified and top-secret government documents. The department declined to say when its inquiry began, but it follows the conclusion of the FBI’s probe into the matter, which did not result in any actions being taken against Clinton or any of her aides.

Depending on the outcome of the current State Department inquiry, Clinton and her aides could have their access to sensitive government documents terminated.

Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, confirmed to Fox News the department’s formal inquiry.

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Georgia Voters Tell Trump To Oss-Off

Intercepted email from Hillary Clinton:

Tonight's hard fought victory shows three important things: First and foremost, outside contributions are and will be crucial going forward in taking back the House next year and, more importantly, returning the White House to its proper stewardship in 2020; Terry will be contacting you individually to tell you how you can help. Secondly, the results show that real men can and should stand up to braggadocious bigots. Third -- and my advisors tell me this is the most important point -- we did this in the South! We connected to African American voters!   

Onward Together!

Did Colorado make texting while driving legal?

Via Drudge Tweet:  The electronic signs above Colorado highways offer a warning to drivers who reach for their cellphones: “New texting law fines increased to $300.”

What it doesn’t mention: Texting while driving is now legal in Colorado as long as it isn’t done in “a careless or imprudent manner.”

The little-noticed provision softening the state’s standard is part of a new law that increased the penalties for a texting while driving carelessly citation from $50 to $300 and from one to four points on a driver’s license.

Before now, any text messaging or manual data entry by a motorist was prohibited. “The simple fact is that if you are texting while driving but not being careless, it’s no longer illegal,” said Tim Lane at the Colorado District Attorneys’ Council.

"Daniel Day-Lewis Quits Acting"

Via Drudge: The 60-year-old star, who has played presidents, writers, and gang leaders in a career that has spanned four decades, has one final film awaiting release, an untitled drama set in the world of high fashion. It is scheduled to hit theaters on December 25, 2017 and reunites him with Paul Thomas Anderson, who directed Day-Lewis to a best actor Oscar in 2007’s “There Will Be Blood.” Day-Lewis intends to help promote the movie, according to a person familiar with his plans.

He did not give a reason for his retirement. In a statement, Day-Lewis’ spokeswoman, Leslee Dart, confirmed the news: “Daniel Day-Lewis will no longer be working as an actor. He is immensely grateful to all of his collaborators and audiences over the many years. This is a private decision and neither he nor his representatives will make any further comment on this subject. ”

Day-Lewis is the only performer to ever win three best actor Oscars. He was honored for the title role in Steven Spielberg’s “Lincoln,” for his turn as a rapacious oil man in “There Will Be Blood,” and for his performance as writer and artist Christy Brown in “My Left Foot.” He earned two other Academy Award nominations for “Gangs of New York” and “In the Name of the Father.”

from the unbearable lightness of being (1988)

What was your favorite "Daniel Day-Lewis roll?

Japanese Robot Sumo

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Via Reddit

Something uniquely personal.

Yesterday I was doing my usual thing. Chatting it up a bit at usual places. Avoiding the kitchen for some reason, most likely the heat. I'm just flat not into cooking right now for awhile and especially not making messes that I must clean up myself. I'd rather somebody else do all that. It's a phase.

My backpack is already filled with two large Philadelphia style cheese and steak sandwiches, and from the corner bodega a large prepared salad and a half gallon of milk. So there is not enough room in the backpack for a 12-pack of Coke. That must be carried separately back home. The whole thing is an experiment in carrying things. The experiment went poorly. The effort needs work.

Everyone at the bottle shop, the last stop, are newly employed there. Lurch is gone and it's taken three people to replace him. I sign the electronic charge pad on its slippery surface inside its tiny frame, the whole thing is bogus and a poor way to sign things. My signature slags off to mere scribble.

"Oh Jeeze. My signature gets worse every year."

I always say that. It's the charge card pad, not my handwriting deteriorating, but I blame myself anyway just to be conversational.

"That's okay. It's not important. The more idiosyncratic the better. That's what thing looks at." 

How odd. I had just used that word on my last post elsewhere.

"Well, look at you."

"What?"

"Idiosyncratic." As if that were an unusual word. Because it is an unusual word heard in that shop in that situation.

"Hey, I may be just a liquor store clerk but that doesn't mean I can't read my Word-A-Day calendar." 

The idea struck me as hilarious. Is he joking or what? No, he's serious. I was not expecting anything so funny. The image of this young man learning words from a calendar, opposed to, say, reading, then using newly found words conversationally was exquisitely amusing. And charming. I chuckled at that the rest of the way home. Somebody gave him the calendar and he actually uses it.

I thought you might like this. It seems to me such a calendar would be cute and rather useless to you. To all of you. The sort of thing a friend or family might give you thinking, "Oh, they like words so they'll certain to like this word calendar." Not quite understanding, and no arrogance intended here, you could easily write such a calendar.

Camille Paglia Says Puberty Blockers for Transgender Kids Are ‘Criminal Violation of Human Rights’

Via Instapundit:  In an interview with The Weekly Standard, Paglia broke another liberal taboo this week by saying parents and doctors who give transgender children puberty blockers are engaging in “a criminal violation of human rights.”

A number of articles have appeared in recent years detailing the experiences of parents whose children undergo hormone blocking therapy in order to stop the onset of puberty. Slowing these changes, the thinking goes, gives the child more time to think about whether he or she truly wants to transition and can make any feelings of gender dysmorphia milder. One doctor compared a child who blocks puberty as starting from “a blank slate.”

Paglia disagrees. Citing the fact that the “long term effects [of puberty blockers] are unknown,” she told TWS‘s Jonathan Last that the transgender fad is in part a marketing ploy by the pharmaceutical industry “in order to create a permanent class of customers who will need to take prescribed hormones for life.”

“It is certainly ironic how liberals who posture as defenders of science when it comes to global warming (a sentimental myth unsupported by evidence) flee all reference to biology when it comes to gender. Biology has been programmatically excluded from women’s studies and gender studies programs for almost 50 years now. Thus very few current gender studies professors and theorists, here and abroad, are intellectually or scientifically prepared to teach their subjects,” she said.

Even disputing the very possibility of gender reassignment surgery, Paglia told Last that “the cold biological truth is that sex changes are impossible. Every single cell of the human body remains coded with one’s birth gender for life.” That pronouncement, however, didn’t stop her from saying she describes herself as transgender.

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