I can’t claim to fully understand the politics in the Middle East. I’m not sure any one can, including the Middle East(1). However… I have to say that — if the reports of civilian hospitals being used for war headquaters are true — the behavior as reported(2) is reprehensible and Read more…
Back in 1965 first class postage was $0.03 (3 cents!) for one ounce. We also had two deliveries — to the house or business — each week day, plus one on Saturday. You could send a letter in the morning and get an answer back by the afternoon post. So, Read more…
The Senate voted down a bill that would have put a price cap on insulin. Specifically the Republican party-line blocked the bill. Insulin, of course, is the primary treatment for all forms of diabetes, which, due to the nature of the standard food supply, is among the leading health disorders Read more…
“Neither Left nor Right, I’m just staying home tonight, Getting lost in that hopeless little screen” ~ Leonard Cohen Democrary is Coming to the USA Besides “rules,” I also don’t do political parties or political affiliations. “A Pox on Both Your Houses!” ~ William Shakespeare Romeo and Juliet I’ve Read more…
Yesterday was a bad day. I believe future history books(1) will show 24 Jun 2022 as the day America finally died. The dream is dead. A government of, by and for the People has been replaced by a religious oligarchy(2), using illegal tactics, coercion, lies and propaganda to stack the Read more…
Here’s one “easy” partial solution to the problems of government everywhere. World Wide, really, but in America in particular. To get into any public office (elected, appointed, hired, doesn’t matter, city, county, state or federal) you first have to pass a test. A basic competency test for Public Office in Read more…
I get (a little) annoyed with Americans and especially American Politicians (who ought to be professionals in their craft) who talk about their “democracy.” It’s not a democracy. It never was. It’s a Constitutional Republic. Completely and totally different animal. My opinion is that any one who doesn’t know that Read more…
There are two books that stick in my mind when I think about the year “1984.” One book (obviously) is the one by that very title, written in 1949 as a warning about where we were heading, both as a nation and as a planet. George Orwell gave us such Read more…
No opinion on these is being expressed here. Just suggesting these ought to be thought about… by everybody. Why are spies treated differently during war than is every other participant in that war? All sides have spies. All sides have soldiers. All sides have guns. All sides have Old Men Read more…
I was just reading an article (perhaps a rant, but the author’s numbers and facts seem to check out) that is really very scary in several ways. He brings up some things I wasn’t aware of. But I’ll just touch on a small part of it and then do my Read more…
I have had it… just totally had it. I just sent a message to my state representative (imagine that?) over some thing important to me, trying to ensure that it’s important to him as well. (Or at least that he’s aware of it; the best that can be done most Read more…
No slur on the Japanese, here; none at all. They are good, creative, hard working people, with a rich national identity and great sense of Business all over the World. However… I was looking through eBay for some World War II model sets: ships, planes, whatever. After a while it Read more…
This is taken from Frank Herbert’s magnificent Dune series, specifically The Children of Dune [the third of six books]. The story and the series have never yet been done properly in video, perhaps never will be. Frankly, the work is too broad, too deep and too all encompassing as a commentary on Read more…
So, someone “got all over me” the other day for using the English neutral pronoun “he” — which is distressingly like the masculine pronoun(1) — and said (this person said), “I don’t do gender identification and I take it personally that you do.” Words to that effect… So I said Read more…
There was once a rather important part of politics and Good Government, called the “let’s get a report card,” or telephone polling. You can see it in some of the episodes of West Wing, for example and other political / pseudo-political fiction and docu-dramas. BUT… that was before all this scam Read more…
My favorite John Adams quote (used in the play/movie 1776, and also appearing in his diaries) I have come to the conclusion that one useless man is a disgrace That two are a law firm and that three or more are a Congress! 240+ years ago, more or less, and Read more…
You can’t tell me we you didn’t see this coming… I mean the times we are living in. The craziness(1), the near-civil war hysteria of “it’s your fault (and never my fault)” that’s going round and round. Don’t tell me you are surprised. Don’t do that. Ulysses S. Grant, General Read more…
Sometimes I use words that are perfectly ordinary words — to me — defined in any quality dictionary(1), but some listener / reader comes back all offended. How dare you use that word!? How dare you? Don’t you know blah-blah-blah? Well, golly gee wiz, Mrs. Grundy(2). You find certain words offensive? Alright… Read more…
There’s a weirdness in our society(1): the subject of IQ. I just got hit by a(nother) stream of emails and posts on the internet about the ranking of US Presidents by IQ. This happens about this time each election cycle — about 4 months in to the new president’s term Read more…
On the subject of climate change, I get a little irritated (to put it mildly) at folks who still insist it doesn’t exist or that it’s a “liberal conspiracy” or some other silliness. I’ve been watching it happen all my life. Any one who looks out the window now and Read more…