I'm nothing if not persistent in my effort to define the visions that these two political groups appear to use as guidance in both their approach to government and to attracting voters to their vision. And, I'll try once more. As I've said in the past, there are very few "new" ideas in the world. Most of what I'm going to say here has been said before, and I'm merely trying to make it as understandable as possible.

On 10/7/2023, Hamas struck inside Israel, killing men, women, and children with a viciousness seldom seen. Israel responded, perhaps understandably, by killing Palestinians at a ratio of about 6:1, and they don't seem to be finished as I write this on 11/10/2023. We're coming up on the second anniversary of Russia invading Ukraine and, again, the indiscriminate killing of thousands of innocent people in an apparent effort to gain some territory they believe is rightly theirs. The U.S. is striking targets in Syria as part of a murky strategy to kill terrorists in the region. In Sudan, an estimated 9,000 people have been killed, and another 5.6 million have been forced to flee their homes. Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso are rattling their swords. Armenia and Azerbaijan are roiling again. Pakistan, Afghanistan, and India seem always to be on the verge of a shooting war. Close your eyes, put your finger almost anywhere on a world map, and you will find violence, the threat of violence, or oppressors of one kind or another.

A word of caution, in case you didn't get it from the title, I'm going to talk about death. If that topic upsets you or causes you stress, you might want to click away from this post. Otherwise, enjoy.

I'd love to say that my title represents the first time for humans to be looking at the skies and asking that question. But, full disclosure. One such example exists in Polynesian myth in the islands of the Pacific. The idea of Supreme Deity manifests in divinities that Māori people call Rangi and Papa, Native Hawaiians Kāne, the Tongans and Samoans Tagaloa, and the peoples of the Society Islands call Ta'aroa. A native poetic definition of the Creator relates: "He was; Taaroa was his name; he abode in the void. No earth, no sky, no men. Taaroa calls, but naught answers, and alone existing, he became the universe. The props are Taaroa; the rocks are Taaroa; the sands are Taaroa; it is thus he himself is named."

I suspect we have all whined and sniveled about our judicial system. Maybe you feel like you got the short end of the stick in court. Or, you've been called for jury duty and hated having to perform that civil service. And then, there are judges, some good, some bad, but all of them adjudicating arguments, presumably without letting their personal opinions to influence their decisions — right!

I like to think I have a good grasp on technology, perhaps better than the average old guy, but I can tell you that over the years, I've had a number of websites hosted on several of the major hosts like GoDaddy and Webnode, and while I made them work, it wasn't as intuitive as I would like. I've never been sure whether it was a problem with the invisible techies on the other end, or my deteriorating old brain that was the problem.

A.I., it's all over the place, like a dog's breakfast. Experts, people none of us knew existed, are sitting in front of cameras expounding on A.I.'s benefits and dangers. So, what the hell? Why shouldn't I jump in and blab some bullshit?

The goals of Project 2025 appear to be taken from the pages of history. Trump and his acolytes are the ignoble emperors such as Caligula, Nero, and Commodus. The GOP supporting Trump is the modern-day equivalent of the Roman Senate.

   I voted today, but it was a different approach than I've ever taken.

I'm a big probability guy; I'm all about looking at the odds when making choices in life and politics. Now that the table is set with the players for the 2024 election and the future of this nation, possibly for the next decade, we're faced with a big decision.

We're going to hear both parties use the word freedom in this presidential campaign. But what do they mean when they say that word?

The Fourth Estate or Fourth Power refers to the press and news media’s advocacy and implicit ability to frame political issues and originated in Britain. In the United States, the phrase "fourth estate" is contrasted with the "fourth branch of government,” a term that originated because no direct equivalents of the estates of the realm exist in the United States. The "fourth estate" is used to emphasize the independence of the press, while the "fourth branch" suggests that the press is not independent of the government.

There is a legitimate reason to be concerned about AI. Like any new technology, there are shitheads out there who will misuse and abuse this new tool that will revolutionize modern life. The list of how they might try to do that is a long one, but my focus is on the 2024 election.

A word of caution, in case you didn't get it from the title, I'm going to talk about death. If that topic upsets you or causes you stress, you might want to click away from this post. Otherwise, enjoy.

I'd love to say that my title represents the first time for humans to be looking at the skies and asking that question. But, full disclosure. One such example exists in Polynesian myth in the islands of the Pacific. The idea of Supreme Deity manifests in divinities that Māori people call Rangi and Papa, Native Hawaiians Kāne, the Tongans and Samoans Tagaloa, and the peoples of the Society Islands call Ta'aroa. A native poetic definition of the Creator relates: "He was; Taaroa was his name; he abode in the void. No earth, no sky, no men. Taaroa calls, but naught answers, and alone existing, he became the universe. The props are Taaroa; the rocks are Taaroa; the sands are Taaroa; it is thus he himself is named."

I'm nothing if not persistent in my effort to define the visions that these two political groups appear to use as guidance in both their approach to government and to attracting voters to their vision. And, I'll try once more. As I've said in the past, there are very few "new" ideas in the world. Most of what I'm going to say here has been said before, and I'm merely trying to make it as understandable as possible.

On 10/7/2023, Hamas struck inside Israel, killing men, women, and children with a viciousness seldom seen. Israel responded, perhaps understandably, by killing Palestinians at a ratio of about 6:1, and they don't seem to be finished as I write this on 11/10/2023. We're coming up on the second anniversary of Russia invading Ukraine and, again, the indiscriminate killing of thousands of innocent people in an apparent effort to gain some territory they believe is rightly theirs. The U.S. is striking targets in Syria as part of a murky strategy to kill terrorists in the region. In Sudan, an estimated 9,000 people have been killed, and another 5.6 million have been forced to flee their homes. Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso are rattling their swords. Armenia and Azerbaijan are roiling again. Pakistan, Afghanistan, and India seem always to be on the verge of a shooting war. Close your eyes, put your finger almost anywhere on a world map, and you will find violence, the threat of violence, or oppressors of one kind or another.