If you tell your kids there's a Santa, you're lying to them, and they are going to later find out that you lied to them and realize that you may again lie to them in the future.

I don't know why parents do this (although mine didn't), but it's a good indicator of bad parenting… https://t.co/8Weyx6QUl6

— i/o (@avidseries) December 7, 2025

Children are traumatized by the truth about Santa in only one situation. If they perceive that there’s a foundational lie in the fabric of the family and don’t know how to verbalize it, they use Santa as a way of showing their discomfort with the actual lie.

For example, if one of the parents is cheating. That’s the trauma. The child intuits it but doesn’t know what it is that is bothering him. When he says “You lied to me!”, it’s not about Santa. It’s the actual, terrible dishonesty in the family that is bothering him.

It’s the end of the semester, and students started sending me messages of gratitude. I inspired them, I changed their lives. And it’s nice.

But it doesn’t give me anything like the feeling I get when people tell me here on the blog that they’ve read a book I recommended and loved it.

Teaching is a profession that loves me. But my true love is something else.

Of course, none of it comes anywhere near to the pleasure I derive from being a mom. That’s obviously in a category of its own. And a wife. I love being a wife. But beyond that, it’s talking about books that is my thing like nothing else in life.

Klara’s teacher sent me a long missive which, due to its length, I mistook for her autobiography.

Turns out it’s a list of Very Important Assignments that Klara missed in the 5 days we were away in Florida.

People take things way too seriously.

Karaganov: We’re at war with Europe, not Ukraine — and the war won’t end until Europe is defeated.

🔗 Source: https://t.co/H9hCOPY0ky pic.twitter.com/CVO1GOPtfb

— Russia Direct (@RussiaDirect_) December 8, 2025

Why? Because “Europe exports wars, colonialism, and racism.”

Where have we heard these denunciations of European colonialism and racism before? Hmm, I wonder.

Who is this speaker?

A Russian political scientist who heads the Council for Foreign and Defense Policy, a security analytical institution founded by Vitaly Shlykov. He is also the dean of the Faculty of World Economy and International Affairs at Moscow’s Higher School of Economics. Karaganov was a close associate of Yevgeny Primakov, and has been Presidential Advisor to both Boris Yeltsin and Vladimir Putin. He is considered close to Putin and Sergey Lavrov.

Russia is fighting against colonialism and racism. When people tell you something, it’s a good idea to listen.

Reminds me of Soviet scholars who argued that Stalin was the greatest linguist, physicist, and mathematician of all time.

People who believed that Biden was “sharp as a tack” and Kamala Harris was “the most qualified candidate in history”, please sit this one out.

This is funny because recently Candace Owens argued that Americans don’t use the word vehicle. This was one of the most important points in her conspiracy theory.

Borges changed world literature like probably nobody else in the twentieth century. It’s all split into before and after Borges. Which is why I recognize his importance and absolute greatness.

But I don’t read him. I personally find his stories insufferable.

It’s like root canals. They are extremely important. They help people save their natural teeth. I’ve had several. But while I’m very grateful to modern dentistry for the root canals, I didn’t enjoy them.

Of course, root canals are enjoyed by nobody while Borges is read by many people who love his books. As all analogies, mine stinks. But that’s how I feel about Borges. Deeply respect, recognize his greatness, and would consider reading him again if the only alternative was a root canal.

Here’s a very short post from the past that gives a glimpse into why Borges is so important.

I told you, my friends. This is population replacement. Clear as day.

I feel bad about those poor Indians because the climate alone will be a shock. But how stupid did those Russians have to be to allow themselves to be sent off to war against fellow Slavs in order to be so joyously replaced? Because they’ll continue signing up to die even after this announcement, leaving their wives with large government payouts and all ready and open for new husbands from India.

How do they still not have a problem with it, is what I don’t get.

Russians put a kebab stand amidst the ruins of the Ukrainian town of Avdiivka. This is close to where my mother is from.

This is very symbolic of what Russia brings. Garish, ugly kebab vans amidsr the most abject ruins.

Folks, I promise it’s the last quote from Twitter I’ll post today but please listen to this preacher. She’s giving the exact same argument verbatim that we were given in anti-religion classes in the USSR. I felt a jolt of recognition because I heard all this before in classes called “Scientific Atheism” that were obligatory in Soviet education.

The most stunning sermon I may have ever heard.

This is diseased Christianity. pic.twitter.com/B7RTIdOzLJ

— Bree Solstad (@BreeSolstad) December 6, 2025

The only difference is that in the USSR it wasn’t fashionable to be this emotional but the argument is identical. It’s so weird to hear it in English, you have no idea.

Another big difference is that the Soviets were very open about wanting to eradicate religion. So at least they were honest in this regard.