7/31/23 – Humans are idiots. Worse. Humans are narcissistic idiots. Pope Francis said, “The church is a love story, not an institution.” It’s true. The church is a love story with God, with Jesus Christ, and he needs to say this for the clergy even more than the laity. If there is one group of people who should be free of narcissism, it should be the church’s leadership, but it’s not. It is male-dominated, hierarchical, and they can be as ambitious and proud as anybody else. They can also be quite sinful, as we’ve all seen. This is why Pope Francis feels compelled to routinely dress them down, especially during Holy Days. That said; at least the church has a mechanism for this necessary recalibration.
Unfortunately, the rest of us don’t. We have to do it ourselves, and it requires constant monitoring and intervention. It is hard. The spark of the divine in human beings, it turns out, is quite dangerous. It was the source of original sin, and it has plagued us since. We are the only species on the planet that has this problem. For example, many birds love to preen, but one would be hard pressed to call them narcissistic. It wouldn’t make sense. They need to maintain their feathers for practical reasons, and if they take it to excess, well, it is what it is. Narcissism is a human trait, and we all suffer from it.
We are also stupid, and part of the reason we’re stupid is related to the narcissism. We accomplish something, for example, efficient food production or the invention of something, and we think we’re the greatest. We are so proud of ourselves. We talk about the genius of this person or that person. In the grand scheme of things, it’s nothing, and it invariably comes with negatives consequences that we are too stupid to foresee. Why can’t we foresee them? Because of the narcissism. If one is so enamored of every little or even relatively bigger accomplishment, it prevents a critical assessment of the thing.
A healthy self-love is rooted in a love for God. God created everything. He knows everything. He is all powerful. He is so “rich,” he doesn’t need money because it is meaningless to him. He is so “beautiful,” we don’t know what he looks like. In fact, thinking about God in these terms “rich” and “beautiful” seems a bit ridiculous because it is. They are also human inventions. In God’s world, none of these things exists. Power and knowledge aren’t ephemeral qualities, as they are with us, confined, at a minimum, by our own mortality. Power and knowledge are God’s constant state of being. He simply is, and because he is, he is these things as well. If we are to escape the narcissistic idiot trap, we need to center ourselves in God’s love, not in our egos. If we can do this, we will be truly free.
7/30/23 – As you watch this episode, hopefully, one of your takeaways will be that when humans engage with nature in unhealthy ways, we end up replacing its God-given heterogeneity with homogeneity. For as brilliant as we think we are, we’re actually incredibly uncreative and destructive. It is God that is creative and lifegiving. He created life and in glorious richness and diversity. We have consistently reduced the diversity he created into a small number of “chosen ones.” Why do we do this? Why do we choose certain ones: money, convenience, subjective ideas of beauty or taste, arbitrariness, etc.? What risks come with these choices? For example, under climate change conditions, diversity is not only healthier for the planet but, like an investment portfolio, it mitigates risk and makes our survival more likely. We did this in the context of beauty as well. There are so many beautiful people in the world, but only one standard of beauty, Barbie and Ken. Respecting God and his creation means respecting diversity. It is also the smart thing to do for our own survival. We need to expand our minds and our tastes. Let diversity flourish as it naturally would under God.
Human Footprint: The Replacements
7/30/23 – God made his creation free. He didn’t make them his slaves or his puppets. Even children, who are under the supervision of their parents, have certain rights and freedoms because they are given to them by their ultimate parent – God. Children are not their parents’ property, and parents cannot do anything they want to them. Almost all countries have laws reflecting this divine order. In the Bible, Jesus pays particular attention to children, effectively saying that they are closer to God because they are. I was very young when I badgered my parents into giving me a bike. It was the only thing I wanted because I intuitively understood something very important – the value of freedom.
Freedom is often as much about your psychological as your physical state. A simple test for the wisdom of a decision can be framed as such: does it make me more or less free? Am I forming an unhealthy dependence, emotionally, spiritually or physically, on something or someone? Am I looking for external validation, which will always remain elusive and conditional, or am I looking for God’s unconditional love? God doesn’t need anything from us. He just wants us to love him and love each other. Today, consider walking into the Lord’s house, and saying to him, thank you God for the freedom you gave me. You created me as a free person, perfect as I am, and I’m going to honor it and you as much as I can through my thoughts, words and deeds. Happy Sunday!
7/29/23 – Apparently, Barbie is on the brain of a lot of people. I’m very much looking forward to everyone moving beyond it. I haven’t seen it, and I have no intention of watching it. I have no nostalgia or feelings about Barbie or any other toy because I was always on my bike. Fundamentally, I don’t even understand what Barbie and Ken are. What is one supposed to do with them? Does one need toys to exercise the imagination? I didn’t. They don’t do anything. A bike, on the other hand, it’s a ticket to freedom. My advice to all the boys and girls out there, skip all the toys; ask your parents for a bike, and then say, “see ya later, suckers,” and spend as much time as possible in nature. The best antidote for neuroses and for pretty much any issue you’ll ever encounter at any stage of your life is some quality time with your best friend and the best “toy” possible, God’s perfect creation, nature. If you develop a healthy relationship with it, no Barbie, no Ken will matter. They aren’t perfect. They aren’t real. What is perfect and real is the life that is all around you. God gave it to us as a necessary complement to our own life and as a faithful companion. Enjoy it (while you still can). Nature, books, and God. It’s all you need.
7/29/23 – It is easy in this polarized political environment to take simplistic positions and to lose sight of how profound and complex some of the underlying aspects of these debates actually are. True Christians have some core values, such as: all people are created equal, we are to be stewards of our gorgeous planet that teems with life, life has an inherent value, we have free will, and God loves us. Some of these political debates end up pushing against or testing these core values.
A society that says that the only thing that matters is individual autonomy is dangerous, both for the individuals and the collective. At the same time, individuals do have free will, and democracy is built on its exercise. The citizens of a country are, as a collective, determining the fate of their nation. Even within Christians’ core values there can be tensions: such as the value of the life of the fetus, and the rights and free will of the mother. A society, usually patriarchal, that says the one and only thing that matters is the life of the fetus effectively strips women of their rights and their free will. This tension deserves to have serious debate and a reasonable compromise to be found. Instead, as usual, we have “culture war” crap.
More broadly, we need to have an honest and productive conversation about the nature of self-worth, and how people are deriving this. The Atlantic piece below talks about this in the context of church attendance, but this is a much broader problem. There is a sickness in our society because we are not grounded in a healthy self-love. For Christians, this kind of self-love comes from knowing that God loves us. We are reflecting his love of us back to him and to others. The message the secular world sends is that you are loved conditional on a bunch of other things: money, power, beauty, status, professional success, etc., which often warp people psychologically and spiritually.
We also need a serious discussion about how we’re spending our time. Why are we in this situation where we’re working – all the time? Why are we doing this to ourselves, and can we find healthier ways to live both in terms of building community but also in terms of our relationship with the planet we need for our survival? It’s a lot. More to come.
7/29/23 – This is a great piece! Just one of the many wonderful passages: “This is, admittedly, an extreme example. But this community was thriving not because it found ways to scale down what it asked of its members but because it found a way to scale up what they provided to one another. Their way of living frees them from the treadmill of workism. Work, in this community, is judged not by the money it generates but by the people it serves. In a workist culture that believes dignity is grounded in accomplishment, simply reclaiming this alternative form of dignity becomes a radical act.”
The Misunderstood Reason Millions of Americans Stopped Going to Church
7/29/23 – Who needs female infanticide when girls can just change their sex to boys, relieving their families of the burden of their sex, right? Hey Asians, not only can you inject mercury to become as white as paper, have plastic surgery to look more Caucasian, but you can also change your sex. Nothing is beyond your human control. Forget how God made you. You can definitely do better. Isn’t that right, WaPo and you other virtue signaling hypocritical, immoral liberals?
7/29/23 – Black people around the world are not inferior on any metric, in any way, shape or form. They are beautiful, talented, smart people who often have a deep connection with God. In the United States, they have lived the Christian faith in truth to the tenets while other ethnic groups have often betrayed God’s covenant. Instead of the lie of their “inferiority” that many of them have unfortunately internalized after incessant repetition, let’s pray that the world sees them and, more importantly, that they see themselves as they actually are. To our beloved black brothers and sisters, hold your heads high. God loves you as you are. He has blessed you. Know this. Go forth with this knowledge, and be his hands and feet.
7/28/23 – If you want to understand how sensitive the human body is to (endogenous and) exogenous hormonal changes, a good place to start is the history of hormone replacement therapy for menopausal women and the risks of cancer. It is a challenging balancing act because different hormones increase the risk of different types of cancer. And these are modifications to women using naturally occurring female hormones but simply changing the proportions.
7/28/23 – Has WaPo captured enough of the extreme (and often loony) NYTimes audience yet? Not yet. Immorality doesn’t just come in yachts. It comes in various forms. One of them is pandering. Don’t think it isn’t transparent.
7/28/23 – Have members of the press made enough money off of the destruction of young people’s health? Apparently not. Know this. They won’t be there to pay the health bills when the kids get, for example, cancer.
7/28/23 – F—king with one’s hormones isn’t healthcare. It’s health destruction. Don’t screw up your otherwise healthy bodies. Love yourselves as you are.
7/27/23 – The miraculous melanin. It’s not just about skin color.
7/27/23 – One might be wondering whether there is a relationship between melanin and another common neurological disease, Alzheimer’s. Since neuromelanin, a type of melanin, plays an important role in mitigating the effects of free radicals and toxins in the brain, could increasing neuromelanin prevent or reduce the effects of Alzheimer’s, which is characterized by a buildup of toxins in the brain? Here’s an article that talks about that. “Recently, dopamine-derived melanin-based polydopamine nanoparticles (PDA), which are highly biologically relevant to natural melanin, have been suggested as safe and potent antioxidants and metal chelators in biomedical applications [51,52]. To our knowledge, melanin-like nano-antioxidants or metal chelators have not been investigated in AD applications…. Once they enter the brain, PDA@K [modified PDA] bind to amyloid plaques and greatly enriched at the lesion site, lowering the metal ion level and promoting amyloid plaque depolymerization.”
Pathological BBB Crossing Melanin-Like Nanoparticles as Metal-Ion Chelators and Neuroinflammation Regulators against Alzheimer’s Disease
7/27/23 – All mini-humans everywhere, outside of community, which includes family, should develop three main relationships: nature, books and God. Good to know that others do this too. “Except for beautifully printed or rarely found books, I read almost everything with a pencil in my hand…. [M]y books are for use, not ostentation.”
Paperback or hardcover? Used or new? Let’s talk about our book habits.
7/27/23 – Don’t let other people tell you what you should think. Think for yourselves.
7/27/23 – If you think you’re “inferior” because you have darker skin, read this survey article and think again. Melanin, which is what gives skin its pigmentation, is an amazing substance. So much so that researchers want to use it in other applications. “Subjects with white skin are approximately 70 times more likely to develop skin cancer than subjects with black skin…. Other important properties of eumelanin [black-brown melanin] include its function as a free radical scavenger reducing the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) (Meredith and Sarna, 2006)…. the incidence of uveal [in the eye] melanoma was highest in non-Hispanic white followed by Hispanics, Asians, and Blacks (Weis et al., 2006). Although the relationship between iris color and AMD [age-related macular degeneration] is not so conclusive as that in uveal melanoma, AMD is an order of magnitude more prevalent in the white population than in darkly pigmented races…. [Humans have more neuromelanin than any other species on the planet.] In PD [Parkinson’s disease], a preferential loss of SN [substantia nigra] dopamine neurons containing NM [neuromelanin] occurs with respect to non-pigmented neurons…. The synthesis of NM is itself a protective mechanism that traps excessive cytosolic quinones and semiquinones in an inactive form, thereby blocking their toxicity (Sulzer et al., 2000). Moreover, the dihydroxyindole groups of NM pigment are able to bind several potentially toxic metals forming stable complexes (Zecca and Swartz, 1993; Zecca et al., 1994, 2008a), and in particular, the redox-active ferric ions, mitigating the formation of hydroxyl radicals (Zecca et al., 2008b). NM pigment can initially play a protective role also by sequestering several toxins, such as 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium ion (D’Amato et al., 1986) and the herbicide paraquat (Lindquist et al., 1988).” Who gives a flying f—k what some delusional white people think, or more importantly, what they want nonwhite people to think. Look at the, what’s the word again, science. The science is not subjective. What is beautiful is.
Melanins and melanogenesis: from pigment cells to human health and technological applications
7/27/23 – To all nonwhite people, stop f—king with your skin.
7/27/23 – The same cells that produce melanin, which is what makes skin darker and protects against UV radiation, also release dopamine, which makes the body sensitive to heat. Thus, darker skinned people are better protected and better warned under climate change conditions. Also, dopamine, body temperature regulation and metabolic rate are all related. Additionally, neuromelanin has been found to be lower in patients with Parkinson’s disease. Skin is not just about a color. It is the largest organ in your body. These cells affect how well protected you are against UV radiation but also perform other critical functions.
7/27/23 – The climate itself will convince a lot of climate change deniers about the reality of climate change. It will just be too late by then. This is the problem smart people have in sharing the planet with stupid people. And remember, the average person is an idiot, so there are a lot of stupid people.
7/27/23 – There seem to be more dead trees than usual, likely because of inadequate rainfall. This is a real problem because when plants and trees die, they release carbon into the atmosphere. We’re in a downward spiral for climate change.
7/27/23 – On average, white people, especially Americans, have more mass (fat and muscle) than the average Asian. In addition, they have lighter skin than many Asians. Outside of Japan, they also have the oldest populations. How are they going to hold up with the hotter temperatures due to climate change? They have weight, skin color and age all working against them. Probably not well. In general, being smaller and darker skinned instead of bigger and lighter skinned is fast becoming a physical advantage. The world is going to see “survival of the fittest” play out in a way it never expected. Get ready. It’s here, and it’s coming.
Why extreme heat is more dangerous than many realize
7/26/23 – The thing to understand about the average person is that they’re a f—king idiot.
7/26/23 – Apparently, a quarter of the country thinks the evil one, trump, is a moderate or liberal.
A quarter of Americans see Trump as moderate or liberal
7/26/23 – If Africa doesn’t want a “paternalistic” relationship with the US, it can start paying us for all the aid we send it. That should solve the problem. Let’s just make it transactional. “Africans respect it [Russia] more because there’s not the same feeling of paternalism.”
Putin courts Africa at summit, but many African leaders stay away
7/26/23 – We were all better off before we had all this crap. Much of the “progress” we’ve made isn’t progress at all. It’s simply opportunities for self-destruction.
7/26/23 – All adults have responsibilities to children, whether they are one’s own or not. Selfish, irresponsible virtue signaling is not fulfilling those responsibilities. How did kids not that long ago deal with these same issues before all this stuff? They actually dealt with them better. Just because an option exists doesn’t mean one should take it. Do your jobs!
7/25/23 – A lot of white people are so “white,” they aren’t actually white. Pink would be a more accurate description. George Orwell, among others, have used this description. Should we all, across the world, want to be pink? A planet full of pink people. Many of the whitest people in the world, for example the Scandinavians whom hitler glorified, have blond eyelashes and blue eyes. Should we all have pink skin, blond eyelashes and blue eyes? Should we all become androgenous by manipulating our hormones? A planet full of androgenous, pink people with blond eyelashes and blue eyes. If we all engineered ourselves to look and be like this, is this the height of superiority? Where is all of this going exactly? What are the world’s people actually seeking, and does it make any sense?
7/25/23 – If there is one thing we need to succeed at as a society is instilling in all people, but particularly young people, that they have tremendous self-worth as they are. They are beautiful as they are. They are children of God who have an unconditional inherent value that nobody can take away from them. Don’t send them the wrong message.
7/25/23 – Everybody needs to pause and consider what they are promoting, particularly for impressionable young people. Young people, including young adults, generally have terrible to poor judgment because their brains, particularly their frontal lobes, are still developing. It is incumbent on the adults in their lives to exercise better judgment on important matters on their behalf where they can. (I still remember and am grateful for the adults who did this for me, often overriding the decisions I had made.) If a young person of color came to you and said, “I want to change my skin color to white,” what would your response be? “Yes, great, you’re exercising bodily autonomy,” or would you, like a responsible adult, try to steer them away from this unwise and unhealthy decision? Yet, when transpeople want to change the most dramatic thing they could possibly change, their sex using hormones, the response is suddenly so different. Why is there this double standard? In addition, this response sets a poor example for people in other countries who are literally dying to meet irrational beauty standards that are, at a minimum, indirectly influenced by white people. Why not change any and all aspects of your person simply because you can and you want to no matter the health risks associated with it? See, this is related to David Brooks’s thoughtful article about assisted suicide. At a certain point, you’re actually helping an otherwise healthy person commit suicide instead of helping save the person’s life. It is an abdication of your moral responsibility under the pretense of respecting bodily autonomy.
David Brooks, The Outer Limits of Liberalism
7/25/23 – The Biden administration’s foreign policy has not been good. It is weak. This would normally be an opportunity and strength for Republicans. The reason it’s not is because they are saddled with the traitor-in-chief, the evil one, trump. To make up for this self-imposed disadvantage, they have nudies of Hunter Biden and a possible impeachment of Biden for, um, we’re not sure. It doesn’t matter because impeachment. That’s all that matters. Tit for tat. This is what you, the American people, who pay their salaries are paying for.
7/25/23 – If you are a healthy person, it is the height of foolishness to do things that might make yourself unhealthy. Health is not something to be taken for granted. Thank God for your blessings, and respect this gift. As you age, you will inevitably become unhealthier. You can then turn to various remedies, eastern and, if you must, western. Don’t create unnecessary problems for yourself either with the misuse of legal or illegal drugs or of any product that alters your healthy body. Love yourself as you are. Be wise. Be healthy.
7/25/23 – To the nonwestern world, understand this about white people. They are some of the most psychologically unsound people on the planet. They are a people who are uncomfortable in their own skin, yet they love to promote the myth of the superiority of their own skin color. They like to perpetuate other fallacies as well. They like to perpetuate the fallacy that there is a fine line between genius and insanity, counting themselves in the collective in this category. This is a convenient association if you’re part of the most psychologically unsound group of people. However, the association is not true. As one example, Einstein – a Jew, meaning not white – was one of the smartest people in the world, and he was perfectly sane. Do not let a group of people that have a paradoxically unbounded regard and disregard for themselves be the barometer for your self-worth unless you want to end up in a psychological mindf—k.
The truth is that behind every brown eye is a blue eye. (Don’t undergo this procedure!) Lighter-colored eyes are genetically recessive for practical reasons. Also note that many (but not all) white people can get quite brown when exposed to the sun for extended periods of time. This biological self-protection is also practical. As the climate continues to become more extreme, it is more important than ever that your body can actually protect itself from relentless exposure to the sun. However, you also do need exposure to the sun to produce vitamin D, which is necessary for your health. All human bodies are designed for exposure to the sun because we need it for the sustenance of life, but like all good things, too much of it can be damaging to your health. Also understand that your skin is the largest organ in your body. Its health isn’t merely an aesthetic matter but is an integral part of your overall health.
Specifically to Asians who have taken this obsession with fair skin to deadly extremes, in fairness to white people, some of the obsession with light skin is related to same prior drivers in Europe. Historically, the wealthy lived lives of leisure while everybody else toiled in the fields, and who doesn’t want to look rich, right? Right? Over time, the inverse happened in western countries, with hoi polloi toiling in office buildings, and therefore, looking quite fair, while the rich, obviously still living lives of leisure off the fruits of others’ labor because that’s what they always do, sunning themselves in exotic locations.
This reversal of the aesthetical ideal has not occurred in nonwestern countries, among people who aren’t white. The reason is because much of the obsession with fair skin in Asia is also related to the exploitation of others by white people, such as via colonization. Understand that white people’s dominance was achieved by might makes right, and this is neither anything to be proud of nor should it be rewarded by others by making their skin color the standard for everyone else.
Also, darker skin is healthier because it provides more natural protection from the sun, and aesthetically, it is beautiful. Darker skin is usually better preserved as one ages. It also reflects the sun well and looks warm as opposed to bright. On an associative level, skin color with occupation, people who work outdoors can end up healthier than those working behind a desk. They get a lot of natural movement and cardio that is often better than what one can get at the gym. (Who doesn’t want to look rich, right? What do rich people look like again? It’s all so confusing.)
As one ages, “age spots,” which is really just (cumulative) damage from sun exposure, is quite common. It is one thing to try to mitigate this damage. It is quite another to try to change the color of one’s skin. In any case, use natural products. Don’t use any products that are potentially harmful! Love the skin you’re in both literally and figuratively. Respect God’s creation of you as you are. Humans are diverse in every respect because God is the master of creation. Love him, love yourself, and love the diversity of all his creation. It is divinely beautiful!
7/24/23 – The west, supposedly the nurturers of Christianity, hasn’t been following Christian tenets as it relates to respecting the human body or the stewardship of the planet. The left, having turned away from Christianity and with its worship of science and evolution, treats human beings like just another animal. Everything is an experiment to them. The right treats the planet as just another thing to exploit, in addition to humans. Everything is commerce to them. So, where are we? The rest of the world that doesn’t abuse the body or the planet will end up paying the price for the west’s irresponsibility, hubris and greed one way or another. That’s where.
7/24/23 – Hormones affect every single part of the human body, from reproduction to cognitive function. Manipulating them is not a trivial matter, and there are serious health risks that can come with doing so. Know this.
7/24/23 – Western medicine is often too aggressive. Before one uses it, it’s better to try to find natural alternatives, which are often used in eastern traditions. If there is no other option, it’s generally best to choose the mildest western medical intervention first, using progressively stronger ones if the weaker ones are inadequate. A healthy regard for the human body, maintaining a natural state, is generally not the west’s strength. It tends to treats humans as guinea pigs. (This is the same part of the world that treated human beings as chattel and has the worst record of genocide, so given this context, perhaps it’s not surprising.) Western cultures consume both pharmaceutical and street drugs with abandon. The former is likely related to the legacy of humanism and an irrational belief in science to cure all ills. Modern medicine, a discipline which started in the west within the charitable context of Christianity, has become perverted. It is now very much driven by profit, and doctors, who are generally well-trained, can also be not as ethical or restrained as they should be. Let’s hope that eastern traditions hold the line, and don’t adopt these bad practices and cultural norms. Eastern traditions tend to be more natural. Let’s keep them that way.
7/24/23 – Just because rice is gluten free doesn’t mean it’s healthy, and eating excessive amounts can lead to diabetes. The world really should eat less of it. The people and the planet will be healthier.
7/24/23 – We need more direct democracy.
7/23/23 – Solar panels on top of crops and canals are such great ideas! Having solar panels that rotate to give the plants exactly the right amount of sun would be amazing! Solving problems, yes!
“California isn’t first with this technology. India pioneered it on one of the largest irrigation projects in the world. The Sardar Sarovar dam and canal project brings water to hundreds of thousands of villages in the dry, arid regions of western India’s Gujarat state…. Back in California, Harris took note of India’s experience, and began a search for a better solution. The project there will use better materials and sit higher.”
Solar panels on water canals seem like a no-brainer. So why aren’t they widespread?
“‘Maize is grown by about 50% of farmers in Tanzania. Maize is also a sun loving plant. So the fact that we had an 11% yield increase in maize … is a phenomenal result,’ he said. And Randle-Boggis said these projects can continue to be replicated around the world for many different crops, as long as systems are ‘designed with the local context in mind.’”
Hops for beer flourish under solar panels. They’re not the only crop thriving in the shade.
7/23/23 – You’re beautiful the way God made you. There are lots of natural ingredients one can use to enhance their natural beauty and also help manage the inevitable aging process. It’s also healthier and often cheaper. To all the women and girls out there, don’t wear too much makeup, and don’t do too much with your hair. White, black and other women end up damaging their hair with all of that treatment, whether heat from blow dryers or other stressors. Take a page out of Indian women’s playbook. They just use oil, maybe henna, and call it a day. Let your hair airdry. It’s healthy and not damaging. And it’s not good for your mental health to focus on how you look. Don’t do lots of selfies and videos. Instead, just focus on learning, helping, and being a good person. Be natural!
7/23/23 – God loves you with a deep and abiding love. Happy Sunday!
7/22/23 – It is everybody’s responsibility to be actively and positively engaged in building community. How does one build community? You have to invest in it: time, talent and treasure. Show your city and community some love. Not only did the JSW Foundation, whose founders are Hindu, invest in the dynamic city of Mumbai, but they also invested in the restoration of this gorgeous building, the Keneseth Eliyahoo synagogue and the David Sassoon Library and Reading Room, and honored the Jewish people who have enriched India through the millennia. India has one of the richest religious histories in the world. These actions help preserve its venerable history and contribute to the world’s religious heritage. It’s a beautiful thing to see. Let’s do more.
JSW Group completes restoration and conservation of David Sassoon Library in Mumbai
7/22/23 – A strong argument can be made that a loving family is more important than money in terms of raising children who are well-formed. Family is basically a small community (connected by genetics), and community is everything.
The solution to youth crime? It has always been strong families.
7/21/23 – The way to lose elections is to alienate the average person/voter. It is that simple. The coming presidential election, 2024, shouldn’t even be close. So, how did we get here? Is it really all Biden? No, it definitely is not. There are issues within the Democratic party.
7/21/23 – People, the thing to understand is that the average person/voter lives and wants to live a beautifully boring life. They just want a decent job so that they can buy a home and raise a family. They want their kids to get a good education, job, find a nice guy or gal, get married and have kids. This has been the goal for lots of people for a long, long time. Don’t try to reinvent the wheel. Don’t try to create new goals for them. In other words, don’t try to social engineer something exotic. Just figure out ways to get them this wonderfully boring life. This is how you win elections.
7/21/23 – Apes, so crazy, and it’s glorious. “Zurn, writing for Delaware’s Chancery Court, stressed that her ruling didn’t concern the myriad market manipulation theories—’about synthetic shares, Wall Street corruption, dark pool trading, insider trading, and RICO violations’—raised in letters sent to her by nearly 3,000 stockholders.”
AMC Shares Surge as Judge Denies APE Deal in Surprise Ruling
7/21/23 – Look at the same-sex marriage map. It’s almost all majority white, western countries. We have a lot of immigrants in the USA that come from the rest of the map. They tend to be conservative in many respects, especially as it relates to family and the way they raise their children. Even white liberals are often this way. Protect LGBTQ+ people. Don’t promote a position. Don’t promote traditional values. Don’t promote nontraditional values. Just be neutral.
7/21/23 – It should go without saying. Don’t burn people’s sacred texts. It’s just basic respect. Also, be respectful of houses of worship. They are not museums or entertainment venues. People actually worship in these buildings, and their faithful make pilgrimages to them.
7/20/23 – Many liberal voters – Democrats – don’t want their kids manipulating their hormones to change their sex. They don’t want their kids doing drugs, including smoking weed. They don’t find these things to be healthy. They don’t want them dressing inappropriately or being promiscuous. And every single parent we’ve ever known wants grandkids, which requires a man and a woman for 50/50 gene expression. They don’t have anything against others doing what they want (live and let live), but they don’t actually want certain things for their own kids. Understand this. Democrats need to be cleareyed going into 2024, possibly one of the most consequential elections in American history, or risk being surprised by the outcome.
7/20/23 – We have a female VP, who’s black and Indian. We had a black president for two terms, who’s still quite popular. We had a woman, who almost won, and a gay guy run for president. Etc. Liberals, is this losing the culture wars? Does winning look like having everything one wants all the time, or can anybody compromise anymore? We have more to do more on several social issues, but relax. It will come. It doesn’t have to dominate everything all the time, and nobody should get everything their way all the time. Calm down and compromise. We need to focus on solving our serious problems.
7/20/23 – The United States was the 19th country in the world to legalize same-sex marriage, before many other countries in Europe, including Germany. (There are almost 200 countries in the world.) Are liberals losing the “culture wars”? What’s happening is that there is an obsessive focus on the culture wars that is leading to a misperception of the reality.
Same-Sex Marriage Around the World
7/20/23 – “Buttigieg [who is gay] said the focus on such culture war issues isn’t reflective of what’s a major priority for communities across the country. He alluded to fights over drag shows and ads by beer companies that have led to boycotts.” It’s not. It’s also just theater or virtue signaling for a lot of people. Companies throw up a Pride flag or a BLM symbol while they screw over their employees. Our enemies are laughing at us and exploiting our misdirected energy any which way they can. This needs to stop on both sides.
After Hill funding fight, Buttigieg calls culture wars, drag show focus ‘maddening’
7/20/23 – There have been so many people who consider themselves liberal who have privately said that they don’t agree with some or even many of the things other liberals push, but they are too intimidated to say so. So, be careful. They might say so at the ballot box. If liberals keep pushing it, it’s going to cost us our democracy and much more.
7/20/23 – Public service announcement: A healthy coping mechanism isn’t avoidance or detachment from reality. Right now, we have an epidemic of avoidance and detachment from reality, likely as a response to our many serious problems, some of which have risen to the level of existential threat. One of the things humans need to force themselves to do when they are under stress is to not avoid the problems, but to calmly take inventory of what they are (lists are great), prioritize them, and then create effective plans to address the most pressing ones. It’s not hard, but it does require emotional control. Escapism doesn’t solve problems. Exercise self-control, or die.
7/20/23 – Simply put: we are facing one great immediate existential threat – the reelection of the evil one, trump.
7/20/23 – One of the dangers of the human mind is that is can revert to self-destructive behavior as a response to stress. Parenting is obviously stressful. There is a good example of a South Korean couple who ignored their real baby girl, who died of neglect, while being addicted to taking care of their “online baby.” MAGA is a real threat for the rest of us. They are addicted to self-destructive behavior fueled by online sources while ignoring the real threats we face. The fact that someone as dangerous as the evil one, trump, is the leading GOP candidate is an existential threat for us as a nation, not just in terms of our democracy but also for our national security and our ability to function on the most basic levels as a country. We are facing real existential threats, particularly from our enemies and climate change. The evil one’s reelection will tip us into national self-destruction, and MAGA will be the reason for it. He must be stopped.
7/20/23 – NATO is a paper tiger. That’s a danger for everybody, including the United States. “But those plans, and the dollars, euros and political will to fulfill them, remain in doubt. And nowhere are those doubts deeper than in the Baltic states, where Russia’s threat is existential.”
NATO’s most vulnerable front-line states face a rising Russian threat
7/18/23 – If f—khead MAGA had more than a single brain cell, even just two cells, they would stop thinking about the evil one, trump, and start thinking about their own survival.
7/18/23 – Russia will want the freshwater in the Arctic. Some country will claim Antarctica. “2.1% [of freshwater] is in glaciers.”
How much of the Earth’s water is stored in glaciers?
7/18/23 – “Water, water, every where,
And all the boards did shrink;
Water, water, every where,
Nor any drop to drink.”
Coleridge, The Rime of the Ancient Mariner
7/18/23 – We should have all just continued living in agrarian communities. We would have been healthier and happier, and the earth would have been much better off. Instead of the new tech whatever, impress us by creating water. That’s what we need to live. We don’t need the rest.
7/18/23 – We’re in solidary with labor. We want a world that is equitable and fair. We also want a world in which we can breathe the air and have water to drink and food to eat. If it sounds like we’re asking a lot, then you don’t understand the requirements to sustain life and to live in the modern world. We support the planet and the workers who want to make a living wage. Union proud. Union strong. Climate strike.
7/18/23 – No demagogue can save you. They will make all kinds of ridiculous statements catering to your fears, anxieties and anger, and if you fall for it, all you will do is make your problems worse. They are not serious about solving anything. They are just preying grifters and scam artists. Know it now.
7/18/23 – We won’t be able to call the Amazon rainforest a rainforest anymore because it won’t be raining in it. In fact, it won’t be raining in many places around the world. So, get ready. It’s here, and it’s coming. The apocalypse is nigh.
7/18/23 – Take it all in. All of it. And let us know when you, climate change deniers finally get it: when you finally understand that nothing short of the survival of the human species is at stake. Now. Not in the future. In the present.
7/18/23 – Let’s all take in the morons we’re dealing with. What’s the Republicans’ strategy? Plant trees. Yes, planting trees, good. But do they understand time? It’s an abstract concept, so it’s quite likely they don’t understand it. It takes a few minutes to completely destroy a forest. It takes years to grow a forest. And where is the water for these trees going to come from? Because it’s not coming from the sky. You don’t just flip a switch and magically fix the planet. Let’s look at the Amazon – the earth’s lungs. It is not raining in the f—king Amazon! Are people actually understanding the gravity of the situation we’re in?
How the Forest Dies
House Republicans propose planting a trillion trees as they move away from climate change denial
7/17/23 – If the evil one, trump, is elected, he will pull us out of NATO. We will be vulnerable to an attack from our enemies. It is likely that it will come, and we will be alone. They will also attack us on our necessities, such as water, food, and infrastructure. It will be a dark place for us as a country in many more ways than just the reelection of his great evilness.
7/17/23 – We believe in Ukraine! We are inspired by Ukraine! No matter what, just keep fighting. It will feel bleak sometimes. Keep fighting. Ukraine will win!
Zelensky – Ukrainians
7/17/23 – Whatever happens next, it doesn’t seem like it’s going to be conventional warfare. It seems like our enemies want to attack us not just using social media but also using necessities like food, water and infrastructure.
7/17/23 – Very interesting. “Members of the Russian Orthodox Church, which has historic ties to Russian intelligence services, he wrote, also were also interested in studying Kirkenes’s water supply.” So how many Russian spies are interested in our and our allies’ water and agricultural supplies, or infrastructure?
An Arctic ‘Great Game’ as NATO allies and Russia face off in far north
7/17/23 – Russia has used food as a weapon of war before, the Holodomor. This time they are imposing it on the Global South. Read up on Ukraine’s experiences. They resorted to cannibalism (literally) of their own children, and then ask yourselves, how did you get here? If you still blame Ukraine, you’re a f—king idiot.
7/17/23 – Russia is using food as a weapon of war because they understand exactly what has been going on. They also understand climate change while Republicans and some others deny it. While everybody was focused on sanctions, the Russians understood the economics perfectly. Unlike the rest of the world that got conned, they have been the ones conning. They are not confused about the value of anything. Know it now.
7/17/23 – We need to start growing more sorghum (milo) and other less thirsty grains. Rice is the worst. The world needs to start eating less of it. Also, clover can be used to fix nitrogen and as a natural weed suppressant. We need to get much better at managing our natural resources and at sustainable agriculture. (Clover should also be the new multi-purpose groundcover. We put this under Necessary Changes to the Law sometime back.)
7/17/23 – Hey Arizona Republican voters, remember these words for the rest of your life: “The real value of the land lies in the water underneath the desert terrain.” When your children or grandchildren are dying because they don’t have enough food or water: remember those words. Then remember that the demonic MBS was laughing with the satanic s—t putin like they just made out like bandits because they did. They were laughing at you because of the election of the evil one, the traitorous, treasonous grifter-in-chief, donald trump. Trump conned MAGA and others, but MBS and putin also conned MAGA and others. When your progeny has been cheated out of their birthright, the water under their own land that they need for their very existence: remember those words, and then understand how f—king stupid you are. The rich Saudis, the rich Russians, and yes, the evil one, trump, they are all laughing at you while they steal from you whatever they can, including one of the most precious things you need to sustain your own lives – water. Remember those words.
7/17/23 – Well, some people enriched themselves on this grift. The state of Arizona should sue Ducey, his administration and other Republicans for abuse of power, malfeasance and corruption. What everybody needs to understand and stop doing is being a schmuck. The grifters are baiting you to be outraged over ridiculous things, to debate whether the sun is hot, the earth is round and revolves around the sun, while they steal right out of your pockets. This is the same tactic that has stripped Russians of their wealth. The media, the politicians, the American people, everybody fell for it.
“In a 2014 corporate report, Almarai celebrated that Fondomonte’s expansion in Arizona put the company on track to import 100 percent of its animal feed — part of a ‘strategy for conservation of the Kingdom’s water resources.’ By contrast, Arizona groundwater is unregulated across rural swaths of the state…. [Ironic, isn’t it?]
Because of minimal natural recharge and scarce rainfall, water pumped from the basin is essentially mined, with no replacement…. [This aquifer is essentially a nonrenewable, finite natural resource, more valuable than oil in an area starved of water.]
The state was receiving about $50,000 a year by leasing the land to Fondomonte, the memo noted, but could make at least $1.2 million a year by selling the water to thirsty Phoenix…. [Who won in this deal? Was it any of the residents of the state of Arizona? No, it was Saudi Arabia. That’s who these elected American officials are working for.]
Kelly, the Fondomonte manager, said the company installed meters of its own accord but has not disclosed its consumption because its leases do not require such reporting…. [Who on God’s green earth is so f—king stupid to allow any company or anyone to access an aquifer and have no reporting requirements? It amounts to aiding and abetting theft of a natural resource that is not theirs to give because it belongs to the American people.]
Fondomonte’s leases entitle the company to reimbursement from taxpayers for certain upgrades — a sum that stands at about $7.4 million in the Butler Valley, company representatives say…. [This is unbelievable! They are being paid for the exploitation of our natural resource.]
A 2018 study commissioned by the land department found that the market price per acre in La Paz County was $125, five times the amount Fondomonte was paying, according to a copy of the study, which was first reported by the Arizona Republic last year…. [Pure grift.]
Repeatedly, they faced stiff opposition, not just from Fondomonte, but also from domestic farming and ranching interests, and from conservative state lawmakers, who believe water is a commodity controlled by individual property owners, not a resource to be managed collectively…. [Large underground aquifers are a natural resource that are the common property of the American people. They do not belong to any single property owner. Also, refer here to the tragedy of the commons.]
Schneeman, the state planner who first raised his concerns about Fondomonte in 2015, said he feared that any move now may be too late, after the state failed for years to put the water to its best use. ‘That use,’ he said, ‘would have been to conserve for the future.’ [Of course, it’s too late. It’s nonrenewable! Cue our enemies, including the evil one who is an enemy of the state, laughing and laughing and laughing all the way to the bank.]”
How a Saudi firm tapped a gusher of water in drought-stricken Arizona
7/16/23 – Certain things deserve a torrent of cursing, and given it’s Sunday, they’ll have to wait until tomorrow. Try to enjoy your Sunday even though we’re destroying the most precious gift God gave us – life. We’re destroying our perfect blue planet that we need for our survival. Before anybody of any political persuasion wastes their time and energy on stupid arguments that solve none of our real problems, consider whether we’ll have enough food and water in the near future because this is the dire straits the world – including the United States – is in. It is not hyperbole. It is reality. Understand it now.
7/15/23 – Desalinization on a large scale would require a lot of energy and produce tons of salt, which would pose other environmental problems. One idea is to require each building to harvest rainwater; however, this solution depends on rain, which has become less dependable. Could we – safely – create water on a mass scale somehow? This would be the ideal solution, but scientifically rather challenging.
7/15/23 – In addition to this, we need to save our democracy and bolster our military. As climate change takes a toll, people will get more desperate. The world will get more dangerous, and we need to be able to protect ourselves. We really have a lot of serious problems. We don’t have time to f—k around.
7/15/23 – The two things humans need more than anything else are oxygen and water, what we breathe and what we’re made out of. The most precious thing we take out of the earth is not fossil fuels, precious stones or metals, or rare earth minerals. It’s water. We take it for granted because we’ve historically had so much of it. That’s no longer the case. It isn’t raining the way it used to, meaning even a generation ago, because of climate change. We need rain to water our crops and to replenish our aquifers. Without adequate rain, underground aquifers, which we use for drinking and agriculture, will run dry. We’re basically running out of the thing we’re made out of. In fact, we’ve removed so much water from our aquifers that it’s shifted the earth’s tilt. “Rampant removal of groundwater for drinking and irrigation has altered the distribution of water on Earth enough to shift the planet’s tilt, according to a sweeping new study. The finding underscores the dramatic impact that human activity can have on the planet. Humans pump most of our drinking water from natural underground reservoirs called aquifers. Researchers calculate that between 1993 and 2010, we removed a total of 2,150 gigatons of groundwater — enough to fill 860 million Olympic swimming pools. According to the new study, published on June 15 in the journal Geophysical Research Letters, moving all that water has shifted Earth’s tilt 31.5 inches eastward…. To Seo’s surprise, modeled polar drift only matched the observations when groundwater pumping was included.” We need to find solutions to this existential problem.
Humans have used enough groundwater to shift Earth’s tilt
7/15/23 – Part of what makes the tragedy of the commons a tragedy is that’s it’s preventable if people would only coordinate. We need to control the use of underground aquifers now before it becomes a tragedy.
Tragedy of the commons
7/15/23 – We have multiple factors contributing to food insecurity. The situation in Ukraine was completely unforced and caused by Russia. It is one of the world’s breadbaskets. Its agricultural production has been adversely affected, and its land has been damaged. There are other serious problems related to agriculture, generally caused by climate change, around the world. It’s a bleak picture and a very serious situation. We need to focus on it.
Rice crops are being threatened by El Nino after grain supplies were disrupted by the war in Ukraine
7/15/23 – Rainfall hasn’t been adequate for our farmers for a while now, and our underground aquifers are running out of water. Climate change and El Nino are going to keep getting worse, meaning less and less water.
7/14/23 – One of the main reasons people’s grocery bills are higher is climate change. It’s only going to get worse, and you can blame Republican politicians and voters who are climate deniers among other deniers. The Atlantic’s Progress Summit hosted a great speaker who shared valuable information on the topic of food insecurity.
Gro Intelligence
7/14/23 – We need a truce on this cultural war s—t, or we’re all going to die. It’s hard to imagine, but our food security is becoming more and more threatened by climate change. We don’t have enough rain. Also, our military is being compromised by the culture wars. We need water, food, shelter and defense. Let’s stick to basics. All of this madness needs to stop – now!
7/14/23 – Dear Ukraine, The words of our children, our collective future, are stronger than any NATO statement. We will stand with you until you win. God bless you and your beautiful, brave people. Love, the American people
Dear Ukraine – Postcards
7/13/23 – And let’s not memory hole that doom loop Biden bailed out the banks as VP and as Pres. He’s likely the only president in US history to hold that prestigious title. The American people are collectively banging their heads against the wall as 2024 approaches. It will likely be one of the most miserable elections in recent American history.
7/13/23 – Is Biden exchanging love letters with dictator modi, as the evil one, trump, did with kim jong un?
7/13/23 – The American people deserve better leaders. Biden is a weak dotard, and the evil one, trump, doesn’t even deserve comment. Putin is vulnerable, and Biden still can’t figure out how to take the f—ker out. This is the person who is going to have a rematch with the evil one. This is a miserable situation.
7/13/23 – The Midwest is not getting adequate rain. This is a serious problem for the world.
7/13/23 – Instead of pandering to the extreme wings of their parties, all politicians of all parties need to focus on solving our many real and serious problems: climate change, healthcare, education, our military preparedness, etc. A good percentage of the population doesn’t even understand the “culture wars,” but understands well the real problems we’re facing. Instead of counting how many angels can dance on the head of a pin while the Ottoman empire is bearing down on us, solve our problems! This should have been fixed yesterday, but the dominance of culture war crap is preventing these kinds of topics from getting attention. “Military spouses like me are agile, talented and diverse. We are highly educated and motivated to work. It’s time for the U.S. government to recognize and value such a robust resource — and avoid undermining the readiness of our fighting forces.” We need to strengthen and support our military, and these proposals make practical sense. We need to do more.
On hiring military spouses like me, the U.S. government has work to do
7/13/23 – To those arguing that gender is strictly a social construct, it’s not. For gender to exist as a concept, it has to have an underlying physical factor. You can’t separate the physicality of the differences between genders (the sex) from any “cultural” understanding of it. Also, the cultural understanding, such as the expectations of genders, is inevitably going to vary by culture. What doesn’t vary depending on the culture is the biological determination. Also, nobody can have things both ways. If there aren’t actual differences between genders/sexes, then anything related to LGBTQ+ is basically rendered moot. Stop with the illogical crap. It’s exhausting and annoying, and we simply don’t have time for it.
7/12/23 – If one thinks they’re superior to God, they are going to find out the hard way that they’re not. We can’t recreate the planet. It’s simply not possible. Our only option is to fix the one we have – our gift from God that we had no role in creating. We can’t change procreation. It is divinely designed. F—k with it, and one risks screwing up the entire human species. If we have any hope of continuing to survive as a species, just stick to respecting nature and God. Have some humility.
7/12/23 – What does it take for people – both right and left – to attach themselves to reality? When will the climate change deniers get their heads out of their a-ses? “‘We’re seeing temperatures exceed those that can support life,’ said Francis, a senior scientist at the Woodwell Climate Research Center. ‘Certain places are becoming uninhabitable.’ ‘All of these records are being broken left and right, and my hope is people will start to put this together in their heads,’ she continued. ‘These things shouldn’t be happening. It’s all connected to the fact that we’re warming the planet.’” This detachment from reality also happens on the left, who claim to worship science (like it’s a god), but then deny basic scientific facts, such as there are two genders and that they have biological differences. (Do we really need to argue about women having vaginas and men having penises that obviously fit together to make babies? Really!) In the same breath, the left will support transgender. If there aren’t two genders, then what would one be “transgendering”? It would be rendered moot. Are all of these people bored? Are there not enough real problems for them to focus on? We can’t continue like this and actually make progress on our many serious problems.
Floods, fires and deadly heat are the alarm bells of a planet on the brink
7/11/23 – Let’s imagine the war in Ukraine has been resolved. Ukraine has won and regained all of its lost territory. In other words, let’s set it aside. Just curious. If a European member country were under attack by say Russia or China in the future, would it then want Ukraine, which has the best military in Europe, as a NATO member? Would the present nonexistent timeline suddenly advance to immediate membership? For example, if one of the Baltic states, which don’t seem anywhere as militarily capable as Ukraine, were attacked, how would NATO feel about Ukrainian membership and the timeline then? Also, what would NATO be actually prepared to do given this scenario? Would it go to war with Russia or China, or would it have nice words and “guarantees” for the Baltic states? Is NATO a paper tiger?
7/11/23 – One of the great contradictions of liberals is that they keep talking about how much they love diversity while actively working towards eliminating diversity.
7/11/23 – While on the topic of toxic masculinity, apparently, it needs to be said, all masculinity isn’t toxic. “I’m convinced that men are in a crisis. And I strongly suspect that ending it will require a positive vision of what masculinity entails that is particular — that is, neither neutral nor interchangeable with femininity. Still, I find myself reluctant to fully articulate one.” There is no single definition of masculinity (or femininity) or one way to be masculine (or feminine). There are differences between men and women, the most obvious being those related to reproduction. Biologically and otherwise, men and women are intended to be complementary. (This is how God intended us to be.) So, if both men and women work toward being complements rather than substitutes, that should resolve this issue. It’s not a competition. It’s a partnership. To the boys and men out there, if you want to have positive relationships with girls and women, don’t worry about whether you’re being “masculine,” however that might be defined. Instead, just be a good partner, which is, unsurprisingly, very similar to being a good person.
“Real men protect other people.” True, but does anyone believe that a mom’s natural instinct to protect her child is any less strong than a dad’s? Wanting to be protective, healthy, strong, capable, successful, and above all, needed, these desires and others can be found across the sexes. However, women are generally not as physically strong as men. Mama might not be as effective at protecting her child because she might end up being physically outmatched, especially if her opponent is male. Strength is not a weakness for women but a complementary feature of men. “But despite a push by some advocates to make everything from bathrooms to birthing gender-neutral, most people don’t actually want a completely androgynous society. And if a new model for masculinity is going to find popular appeal, it will depend on putting the distinctiveness of men to good use in whatever form it comes.” No, we definitely don’t want an androgynous society. It’s nice to have differences between the genders. It’s also nice for us, no matter our gender, to be our own people.
Men are lost. Here’s a map out of the wilderness.
7/11/23 – It is a lot easier to sit on one’s purist pedestal, preening in one’s perfection, than to do a thorough examination of conscience and take the time and effort to understand the complexities of people as they are and the human condition. The reason great literature is great is because it does justice to the latter. Stop scrolling and go read something worth reading. You might actually learn something. Thank you, and have a nice day.
7/11/23 – F—k the liberal elite, and f—k MAGA. Denigrating our military or our country is not cool. It is a sign of one’s insecurity. Secure people recognize their weaknesses and work on becoming better. They also take a healthy pride in their strengths and what they do well. On the opposite side, there is nothing “manly” about committing war crimes. It is the opposite of manly. Manly militaries actually win wars on the battlefield instead of terrorizing civilians, committing genocide or crimes against humanity. MAGA is into toxic masculinity because they too, like the liberal elite, are insecure.
America Is Doing Just Fine
7/11/23 – There is no moral dilemma regarding cluster munitions for Ukraine. It’s their land. It affects them, and they’re asking for them. Stop with the BS and with the virtue signaling. Also, give the Ukrainians, who are the best military in Europe, space and time. United we will win! Ukraine will win!
7/11/23 – MAGA, don’t bother to vote. Your votes aren’t going to count anyway.
7/11/23 – So, we’re going to do this with the evil one, trump, as president again, the Make Russia Great Again guy. “As it happens, that’s also the minimum time [three years] the alliance will need to reinforce units in the front-line states with the brawn, numbers and infrastructure that would convince the Kremlin that future aggression would fail.”
NATO’s annual summit could define a decade of Western security
7/11/23 – “Well, the evidence suggests that anyone who expects the court to function as a mere extension of legislative power is bound to be disappointed.” Right, in the controversial, high-profile cases, which are small in number but big in impact, the Supreme KKKourt is not extending legislative power. It is legislating from the bench. It is overriding the democratically elected Congress, thus, overriding democracy.
Mitch McConnell: Neither party can count on the Supreme Court to be its ally
7/10/23 – Biden likes to say, “Don’t compare me to the Almighty. Compare me to the alternative.” Don’t compare economic outcomes to the ideal. Come them to the counterfactual. There are always tradeoffs, in life and in economics.
7/10/23 – Economics is generally not most people’s strong suit, but consider the alternative. Had our stimulus not been enacted, would we, like China, also be facing deflation, which is worse than higher than normal rates of inflation? (Note that China’s zero-Covid policies were also more draconian and in place for longer.) “China has big problems at home. Official data published today show that the country is teetering on the brink of deflation, as consumer spending slows and weak global economic growth hits exports. It’s the latest sign that China’s post-Covid recovery hasn’t materialized, prompting renewed calls for new stimulus measures.” NYTimes Dealbook
7/10/23 – Seems like Biden’s political strategy is to talk up the economy. Actually, the economy is in pretty good shape, at least, for now. The reason so many economists were forecasting a recession was because of the way the Fed was raising rates. In fairness to them, the pedigreed idiots at the Fed triggered a banking crisis, and there very well could have been a recession had not the same morons at the Fed intervened to stem the bleeding. (This is a counterfactual, so we won’t really know. As an aside, if you raise rates in such a way that you trigger a crisis, you did the monetary policy and/or the macroprudential policy wrong. Will the Fed be humbled and change? No.) The real questions are: were all those large rate hikes necessary and in such quick succession, and would the inflation rate have naturally moderated over time? If so, to what degree? Also, can people get out of their economic funk or what? Inflation is a part of life. People just got overly comfortable with 2%, which some economists argued was too low since it doesn’t allow enough policy space. We came out of Covid (that’s good!); we’re helping Ukraine (that’s good!), there was fiscal stimulus (that’s good!). It’s way more important to have employment options, not to mention – a job, than slightly higher than normal inflation. Get a grip, people!
7/10/23 – All people need to get better at sharing. That’s how we live as a beloved community.
7/10/23 – At a minimum, all Native students should be able to go to all of these land-grant/”grab” institutions for free, and as public or private colleges close due to lack of enrollment, if it was land-grant/”grab” or taken from indigenous people, the land should be given back to them. We need to help Native Americans gain economic strength while maintaining their sovereignty.
Amid a reckoning, some Native Americans call for reparations
7/6/23 – The conservatives push for “school choice” has nothing to do with education and everything to do with undermining labor. Also, this guy is a yahoo. His ulterior motives are so transparent. He has no integrity.
Affirmative action can’t fix racial disparities in education. This can.
7/6/23 – One of the changes many liberals have to make is to stop glorifying Europe and vilifying the United States. Instead, let’s celebrate our country. No country in Europe is a utopia, and none of their countries boasts the breadth of diversity in their people that we have. If you hate our country, what does it say about you that you hate the most diverse country in the world?
For the many immigrants, past, present and those seeking to reach our unparalleled land, the Statue of Liberty represents freedom. No country in Europe represents freedom as clearly we do. It was given to us from France, our first ally, for whom we provided a model of liberation and self-governance, and in spite of our various challenges, we continue to be a model for democracy.
We have since made many more allies, most recently Ukraine. We will have more allies in the future. Europeans observe that Americans are friendly. We are, both as individuals and as a collective. We have a free, open, and inclusive spirit.
As a country, we have chosen to invest in other countries’ future like no other country in the world has. We have been leaders since the birth of our nation, and we have chosen to lead even though it’s often a hard, thankless, and expensive role to play in the world. We have chosen to sacrifice for others in spite of the obvious costs it bears.
Should we be more inward, as Europe is, and as the evil one, trump, suggests? Should we ask our citizens to just focus on themselves, tell them that the state will take care of them, and have no expectations of them to do for others? No, we shouldn’t. That’s not a culture that motivates its citizens to be their best.
Part of the frustration conservatives feel towards liberals is related to a perceived lack of appreciation for the sacrifices our military makes for our country and others. This is one of the reasons they don’t think liberals are patriotic. Liberals need to right this wrong. Liberals need to make it clear that they deeply value the people who sacrifice for us above all others. Liberals often elevate celebrities, the wealthy, the elite, tech entrepreneurs, etc., who are often quite narcissistic, self-centered and selfish. What message does this send about liberals? These people also aren’t the ones on whom this nation’s continued existence depends. Our freedom and democracy directly depend on our military who pledge allegiance to our Constitution, not to any man or to mammon.
Our freedom and democracy also depend on us, on our ability to see ourselves clearly, not as our enemies want us to see ourselves. Our enemies don’t want us to value the people we need the most or to value ourselves more generally. They want us to be divided, disillusioned with the important role we play in the world and to lack self-confidence in who we are. Americans need to get our mojo back!
We’re a great country that can reach our full potential by recognizing both what we’ve accomplished and what we have left to achieve. We won’t reach our full potential by looking to be more like European countries or any other country. The first European settlers, the Puritans and the Pilgrims, left the continent for many good reasons. Those reasons persist. Europe is no longer a place of religious strife. Instead, it is now godless. It is also dying because, out of the pragmatism that often animates the godless, its people have decided that it’s easier to not invest in themselves than to do the hard work of building community, not just in Europe but also around the world. This is a penny-wise, pound-foolish calculation.
Let’s not make those same mistakes. We have to continue to invest both in ourselves and in other countries. It’s the right thing to do. It’s the smart thing to do. Let’s not look to Europe or anywhere else as a guide. Let’s look to our unique national character and history and to our own people. We are a great country and a great people. All of us, Americans, need to believe it and in ourselves.
7/5/23 – “Mathias, who previously served in the U.S. Coast Guard. ‘As a military veteran, I think a lot of people disagree on what it means to be devoted to America. I think a lot of people think that blind devotion is the same thing as patriotism. I don’t.’”
What is true love: To love knowing the real person or to pretend the real person, with all of their inevitable flaws, is perfect? Did Jesus love his disciples because he pretended that they were perfect, or did he love them in spite of their imperfections? His disciples betrayed him, which he knew they would do, and he still loved them.
The black soldiers who fought in WWII for Europeans’ freedom and rights, while being denied them in the United States, came back to fight for their own freedom and rights here. They reflect the kind of love that Jesus had for us. They are a beautiful expression of devotion to and love of mankind and of country. They are patriots in every proper sense of the word.
Yesterday, we honored our Revolutionary War patriots, as we have traditionally done. We wouldn’t have a country if not for them. We also honored our Civil War patriots because we wouldn’t have a more perfect union if not for them. In all of these examples, these patriots sacrificed for our nation. If anyone is confused about who is a patriot, ask yourself: is the motivation selfish, such as the preservation of white supremacy or of wealth by the greedy rich, or is it selfless? Only a selfless love can be a true love of country, and we need to nurture this honest, genuine love in all of our citizens.
Given the critical juncture we find ourselves in our 247-year history as a democracy, let us each ask ourselves: how can we be true patriots? How can we sacrifice for our country as prior generations have done for us? Through no merit of our own, they gave us the gift of their sacrifice, which was often their lives. We owe it to them, to ourselves and to future generations to put our country above ourselves. Let us be the next generation of American patriots who sacrifice to protect the democracy we inherited.
In a polarized US, how to define a patriot increasingly depends on who’s being asked
7/5/23 – We’ve all learned a lot about white people. We could all use to learn more about black people.
7/5/23 – Absolutely, and beautifully said! “Now, McNeil believes racial justice is not merely a social cause; it’s also an eternal reality Christians are called to embody. ‘At the end of all things, we all stand before Jesus and we all worship together from every nation, tribe and tongue,’ said McNeil. ‘And I think Christians, in my opinion, should be the most outspoken people for racial justice because it’s literally our inheritance through our faith.’”
Brytni McNeil brings anti-racism to Christian home schooling
7/4/23 – This past Sunday, at church, we sung America the Beautiful, which I somehow managed to do without weeping. As we were singing the lyrics, I kept praying to God that we wouldn’t lose our democracy. As you watch this video, take in the diversity and majesty of our gorgeous land and the equally beautiful tapestry of our people who have come here from everywhere. Americans, we make each other better, and we make our country great. So, let’s have a healthy pride in who we are and a hopeful posture to where we’re going. Happy Fourth of July! God bless the United States of America.
Ray Charles – America the Beautiful (Official Video)
7/4/23 – To our free press and all of the journalists around the world, you’re doing the Lord’s work. You bring us the truth, often at great risk to yourselves. Democracy would die without you. We appreciate all of you! “This Editorial Board often highlights ways in which America falls short of her ideals. A newspaper’s role is to hold leaders accountable and to measure America against her promises and potential. The unfettered freedom to do so is one of many reasons we’re extremely proud to be citizens of this country.”
Beneath the July 4 fireworks, remember America’s light
7/3/23 – These two articles are despair and rage inducing. They are hard to read, but Americans need to be a people who can and care enough to read hard things. We need to be a people who are willing to do hard things. We need to care about each other and others around the world – always. This is one of the great gifts we give the world. Know that this gift that we give freely won’t always be appreciated. There are many jobs, for example, teacher or journalist, that are not as valued as they ought to be. Someone once shared a story of a nun who was serving soup to the homeless. One homeless man threw the soup in her face. She simply wiped her face and offered another bowl, which might be surprising until you recall that she had Jesus as her model.
As Americans, we do a lot for the world, out of compassion, generosity and a sense of duty even though it’s not required of us, and it is not always appreciated. Where does this sense of obligation come from? How can a nation that has so many internal divisions and problems, a nation born out of genocide and slavery, also be the same country that has come to Europe’s, if not the world’s, rescue at least three times now, WWI, WWII and Ukraine, the same one that sends food to starving countries around the world, the nation that is a perennial beacon of hope to the world? Our southern border doesn’t reflect our weakness. It reflects our strength.
Americans, tomorrow, let’s remember that people don’t come as packaged perfection. Therefore, a country, which is ultimately nothing more than its people, can never be perfect either. Because people are walking contractions, our country’s contradictions are also not uncommon. What is uncommon is that despite all of this, we stand for the highest ideals of what a country can be and persevere in realizing a more perfect union.
Ukrainians are in a dark hour, and we need to be a light for them. We need to support them until they win. As we celebrate our Independence Day tomorrow, let us keep them in our hearts and minds, as they fight for their own freedom and democracy. We know bitter battles. We know the pain that comes with defending democracy. In their struggle, let us recall our own, past and present, and that we need to live up to our divine calling as a city on a hill not just for ourselves but for the world. There is too much at stake for Ukraine to fall or the American experiment to fail. We must win.
Hold Russia accountable for its war crimes
Ukraine says Putin is planning a nuclear disaster. These people live nearby.
7/3/23 – A prerequisite before anybody from the general public, parents, journalists, politicians, etc., gives prescriptions on how to “fix” the public education system is that they actually try to teach in them. Teach in several public schools, particularly the toughest ones. Until then, don’t waste our time or your breath.
7/2/23 – ChatGPT would make an ideal student for the elite schools, and one won’t have to deal with such thorny issues such as race. These schools should have classrooms full of ChatGPT bots. Oh wait, they kind of already do, don’t they.
7/2/23 – Many elite schools want cookie-cutters coming in and for their students to be even more cookie-cutter going out. If one thinks that going to these schools that are really just extended networking experiences is an opportunity for a person to grow personally, or even truly intellectually, they’re misguided. That’s just not what they are about. “When I asked ChatGPT to write me a college essay, it gave me boilerplate filler: My journey as a half-Chinese, half-Italian individual has been one of self-discovery, resilience, and growth. That sentence is broadly true, perhaps a plus for an admissions officer, but vapid and nonspecific—useless to me, personally. It doesn’t push toward anything meaningful, or really anything at all.”
The Supreme Court Killed the College-Admissions Essay
7/2/23 – MAGA college essay: Dear Ivy League admissions committee, The libtards discriminate against me because I’m white. I can’t help it that I’m rich because my ancestors robbed blacks of their earnings by enslaving them or stole natives’ land. It’s not my fault that I’ve benefitted by my unearned wealth and my ancestors’ theft. I’ve had to overcome great adversity because the crazy libs think that we think that it’s great to be white. Just because we want to restore this country to its former greatness: make America great again!, doesn’t mean I’m a racist. My feelings have been deeply hurt because they think that we are racists, and I’ve had to go to therapy to heal from their racially motivated aggression. We’re not racists. We’re MAGA. We fly high the Confederate flag because it’s our heritage not because we’re racists. I showed great leadership by carrying the Confederate flag into Congress when they tried to steal our election, and then I was discriminated against because I was put in prison for my whiteness. Accept me because I’ve experienced great trials and tribulations all caused by the racist low-IQ libtards, who definitely don’t have the intelligence that I have because they have inferior non-white genes so they should definitely not be accepted into this prestigious Ivy League institution. Yet in spite of all of these adversities related my whiteness, I fight every day because I’m a patriot for our savior, the great redeemer of the white race, Donald J. Trump. I have shown great resilience and perseverance despite these terrible disadvantages. Accept me because I embody the character traits and have the superior genes this fine ivory, which is very close to white, tower seeks.
7/2/23 – “Affirmative action should be illegal — not unconstitutional…. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 provided just such a statutory ground: It forbids any institution receiving federal money from subjecting any person to discrimination based on race.” So, the author is arguing that white people (perhaps among others) are being discriminated against because the race of the other applicants is being considered as one of several factors. (Note that the post-secondary institutions are not saying because the person is white, they are not gaining admittance, which would be the direct interpretation of a violation of the law.) Yet in the ruling, Chief Justice Roberts wrote, “A benefit to a student who overcame racial discrimination, for example, must be tied to that student’s courage and determination. Or a benefit to a student whose heritage or culture motivated him or her to assume a leadership role or attain a particular goal must be tied to that student’s unique ability to contribute to the university. In other words, the student must be treated based on his or her experiences as an individual — not on the basis of race.” So, if the applicant includes this language, and it is considered a favorable factor, would white applicants still be “discriminated against” since they wouldn’t have the great privilege of overcoming these disadvantages? At a certain point, this is a ridiculous farce inviting all manner of absurd essays…from white people.
Affirmative action should be illegal — not unconstitutional
Why the right’s affirmative action victory is empty
7/2/23 – We end minority rule or end in civil war – a civil war the majority will win. Again. God is good. God is great. Never despair. Faith. Hope. Love. Happy Sunday!
7/2/23 – To everybody who thinks it’s hard here in our incredible country, the United States of America, look around. Really, objectively, look around. We face one big threat right now, the evil one, trump, destroying our democracy and our future. The other threat is less acute but also an erosion of our democracy: minority rule. On every other level, we’re doing well. Really, we have almost everything going for us. Although half our country is amoeba-brained MAGA morons, the rest are great people, who work hard and care for each other. (A country is only as good as its people. Let’s keep being great people!) For now, we have freedom and democracy. Even though the Supreme KKKourt is garbage (elections have consequences; the conservative majority didn’t just happen), in general, we do have the rule of law. We hold each other accountable. We can criticize anybody we want. And we do, and it’s glorious. If we don’t like how something works, we can try to fix it, and we can keep trying until it’s fixed. We are strivers. We are entrepreneurs and risk-takers. Nobody should discount our country, especially not ourselves. God bless America.
7/2/23 – This is what MAGA wants for their children. ChristoFascism: “I’ve been stunned by one statistic ever since I read it: A 15-year-old Russian boy today has the same life expectancy as a 15-year-old boy in Haiti.” No, wait, they want this. Communism: “On social media, they’re often accompanied by hashtags like ‘zombie-style’ or ‘lying flat.’ The unconventional graduation photos are a response to the ultracompetitive environment that Chinese graduates face as they venture out into the world of work.” If you want your children to have no future and to be controlled by the state, you will go down this authoritarian path: premature death or zombie. Those will be the two options.
Russia’s biggest problem isn’t the war. It’s losing the 21st century.
Chinese college grads are ‘zombie-style’ on campus. Here’s why.
7/1/23 – Rich, white people have superior genes. That’s why their progeny need legacy admissions. When does this lie that has been forced down everybody else’s throats for centuries, that people of all races have internalized to varying degrees, become absorbed and exposed by the global population as a lie? Also, where are the lawsuits about legacy admissions?
Affirmative action for white people? Legacy college admissions come under renewed scrutiny
