Southern Artisan Spirits Barrel-rested (“rested”?) Gin is craziness. A mix of aquavit, absinthe, wood, and gin. My first sipping gin.

http://www.southernartisanspirits.com/index.html

http://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2018/09/american-democracy-is-in-crisis/570394/

The price of liberty is eternal vigilance.

«In 1787, after the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, Benjamin Franklin was asked by a woman on the street outside Independence Hall, “Well, Doctor, what have we got, a republic or a monarchy?” Franklin answered, “A republic, if you can keep it.” That response has been on my mind a lot lately. The contingency of it. How fragile our experiment in self-government is. And, when viewed against the sweep of human history, how fleeting. Democracy may be our birthright as Americans, but it’s not something we can ever take for granted. Every generation has to fight for it, has to push us closer to that more perfect union. That time has come again.»

https://twitter.com/living_marble/status/1039240776067104768?s=17

Cav the Knife (@CombatCavScout) Tweeted:
RT @living_marble:
HIM: How was the party?
HER: Epic
HIM: Ugh. not to be that guy, but people calling everything “epic” is kind of a pet peeve of mine, it’s such an overused… wait, what the hell is that?
HER: The sword I used to slay Grendel at the party

https://www.dallasnews.com/news/education/2018/09/14/history-curriculum-texas-remembers-alamo-forgets-hillary-clinton-helen-keller

😒 Texas.

«The board also voted to keep in the curriculum a reference to the “heroism” of the defenders of the Alamo, which had been recommended for elimination, as well as Moses’ influence on the writing of the nation’s founding documents, multiple references to “Judeo-Christian” values and a requirement that students explain how the “Arab rejection of the State of Israel has led to ongoing conflict” in the Middle East.

The vote Friday was preliminary. The board can amend the curriculum changes further before taking a final vote in November.»

https://twitter.com/Sifill_LDF/status/1040405302510841856?s=17

Sherrilyn Ifill (@Sifill_LDF) Tweeted:
I just watched Ben Sasse this morning vote down every motion by Democrats seeking the full record on Kavanaugh. He voted for repeal of ACA. Voted for every Trump-nominated judge – including the one the ABA-ranked unqualified & those who refuse to embrace Brown v Bd. He’s w/Trump. https://t.co/hbSbrF8LEd

(But Roll Call has a piece headlined “With John McCain gone, Nebraska Sen. Ben Sasse might be the closest thing left to a GOP never-Trumper“.)

This, in a nutshell, is why I have a problem with the entire Republican party.

https://twitter.com/jonathanchait/status/1040575973366935552?s=17

«Adam Davidson (@adamdavidson) Tweeted:
RT @jonathanchait: Steve Bannon accurately making the case for one of the Republicans Bush is supporting: “He’s a vote for Donald Trump and that’s all you have to think about.” Yup.»