MY USA TODAY COLUMN: Obama’s Legacy: Paranoid Conspiracy Theories Aren’t Crazy Anymore.

PAY FOR PLAY: Fracking Foes Crassly Bought Support Of Indian Chief.

AT AMAZON, New Year’s Deals on Cardio and Fitness Gear.

Also, New Year’s Deals in Patio, Lawn & Garden.

I’VE MENTIONED THIS TIME-MANAGEMENT ADVICE BEFORE, BUT HERE IT IS:

A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, he wordlessly picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was. The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles roll ed into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was. The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full.. The students responded with a unanimous ‘yes.’ The professor then produced two Beers from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar effectively filling the empty space between the sand.The students laughed.. ‘Now,’ said the professor as the laughter subsided, ‘I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things—-your family, your children, your health, your friends and your favorite passions—-and if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full. The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house and your car.. The sand is everything else—-the small stuff. ‘If you put the sand into the jar first,’ he continued, ‘there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff you will never have room for the things that are important to you. Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Spend time with your children. Spend time with your parents. Visit with grandparents. Take your spouse out to dinner. Play another 18. There will always be time to clean the house and mow the lawn. Take care of the golf balls first—-the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand. One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the Beer represented. The professor smiled and said, ‘I’m glad you asked.’ The Beer just shows you that no matter how full your life may seem, there’s always room for a couple of Beers with a friend.

Good advice.

TWEET OF THE DAY: Wendy Davis needs a man like a fish needs a rich bicycle that will pay its way through fish law school and take full custody of its spawn.

IPHONE CASES: I’ve upgraded my Mophie (after I dropped and broke the old one) to a JuicePack Plus. I’m getting an honest two days of battery life out of it, which is great.

After I dropped the old one, I tried out the Otterbox Armor case for a while. It’s waterproof and extremely tough. It still fit in my pocket (barely) but after a while it just felt too big and clunky. However, if you’re someone who’s hard on phones, it might give yours a fighting chance. . . .

HOMESCHOOLING: Nobody cares as much about your kids as you do.

JUST LIKE IT DID WITH THE TEA PARTY, the IRS harassed Martin Luther King, Jr.

KURT SCHLICHTER: Conservatives Embrace Fancy Book Learnin’!

CHALLENGES OF BEING SINGLE: Finding Comfort in Sadness. I was never particularly sad when I was single.

SPACE PHOTO OF THE DAY: An X-Class Solar Flare.

A MARTIN LUTHER KING DAY REMINDER: Bull Connor Was A Member Of The Democratic National Committee.

IS CHINA’S HISTORIC CREDIT BUBBLE about to pop? “What happens if the shadow-bank boom turns to bust? Bad, bad things.”

TAXPROF ROUNDUP: The IRS Scandal, Day 256.

TECHNOLOGY: Chasing The Dream Of Half-Price Gasoline From Natural Gas.

HIGHER EDUCATION BUBBLE UPDATE: Matt Walsh: Thank God I wasn’t college material. “Something has to change. Listen to me on this one. Something HAS to change. This can’t continue. It is not a sustainable model. There are millions of kids with no assets, no plans, and no purpose, taking out enormous loans to purchase a piece of paper they’ll likely never use. It can’t go on this way.”

AT AMAZON, bestsellers in Military History.

Also, coupons galore in Vitamins & Dietary Supplements.

SMART CAR SHOPPING, circa 1934.

THE SAME WAY POLITICIANS DID, I IMAGINE: How Did Insects Evolve To Feast On Your Blood?

VICTOR DAVIS HANSON: The Last Generation of the West and the Thin Strand of Civilization. “Most of the problem is cultural.”

A LOVELY PICTURE OF The Milky Way As Seen From Earth.

SOME HUMOROUS AMAZON REVIEWS for the Nicodemus Coffin Bed.

I’M PRETTY SURE THIS IS THE YEAR VAGINAS JUMPED THE SHARK: “Armpit Vaginas.”

NTSB: We Need Automatic Braking On All Trains.

IT’S POTEMKIN VILLAGES ALL THE WAY DOWN: Wendy Davis autobiography underwent some … revisions. “Other missing details have included: her second husband paid her way through law school and she divorced him the day after the last payment was made; her ex-husband accused her in initial court filings of adultery, and was awarded custody of their two daughters; and she first ran for city council in Fort Worth as a Republican.”

Related: Wendy Davis Gave A Different Story About Her Divorce Under Oath In 2012.

Meanwhile, Emily Zanotti is not amused. “At the core, she’s a woman in power because she used a man’s money and influence to get her there.”