Astrology and All That

I listened to the learned wizard DuQuette in a video. He seems good, and I like him. He yammered on about the Qaballah, Tarot, Archangels, and Crowley. I just about dropped out of my chair. He's actually a great speaker, with humor and energy, but I find all that numerology business a hard slog, always have. Pretty bland stuff, numbers and diagrams and tetragrams and pentagrams. I don't know how Ducky could possibly spice it up. I appreciate math, but associating cosmic forces and energies with numbers and geometry seems suspect, like slanted science, ghetto science, a dilution and perversion of science. I just don't get it. I don't like it. Something doesn't seem right.

Maybe Qaballah is too ancient Hebrew for my tastes. I remember that I wrote a long time ago, before I knew what Qaballah was, that I was a spirit of fire, then changed to one of air. Well, per Ducky, per the Qaballah, my astrological sign corresponds to Mutable Fire, which is open to change to another element. Also, one my nyms from long ago coincided with one of the planets in my zodiac. Well, all of that could be coincidence or was it prescience?

I shall continue with his video series because I like watching Adorable Ducky, even if what he is talking about flies over my head. I rather wish Ducky had cast a fireball or two, or changed someone into a frog, or forecast the near future. Now, that is what I call real magic. That is what I want a proper wizard to show me. But he sat there, in his coat and tie, and just seemed a dear old professor, lively and vivacious and huggable.

John McWhorter @ CNN

I really liked McWhorter's piece on Trump and Chicago crime. It may be a good thing for Trump to send the Feds in to Chicago. Stop the gang violence, by martial law if necessary. Ordinary citizens have a right to live their lives without the threat of crime and violence.

I feel the same way McWhorter does about Trump: "Even a stopped clock is right twice a day." Trump spouts so many words that a man is bound to agree with some. He is like a shotgun. Yeah, a couple pellets are going to hit the mark.

Trump talks too much, for one thing, and engages his mouth more than his brain. He is not the ideal leader. He is going to make a lot of horrible and costly blunders with that angry mouth and hot head of his. The best that I hope for is that he corrects at least some of the blunders of his predecessors, and that his blunders prove to be correctable by his successor.

Due to Trump, Putin, and Xi, I do not have any hope that humanity will do anything to reverse climate change. Anyone living on the coast anywhere in the world is in for a rude shock, and those in the interior are also in for neat experiments like desertification, violent storms, flooding and violent and hungry refugees from the coast. Trump can be wrong, but ninety-nine per cent of world scientists can't be wrong.

On the other hand, is it right that the U.S. and Europe make all the sacrifices in an effort to reverse global warming, while India, China and Russia pump out maximum carbon emissions? If climate change is really inevitable anyway, and it probably is, given the geopolitical reality, then the U.S. might as well do whatever is expedient, because Russia and China represent evil in our world, and must not be permitted any advantages. Putin and Xi are evil incarnate and will never do anything that is good. If the U.S. committed suicide en masse, resulting in the elimination of all man-made carbon emissions, then China and Russia would continue with business as usual, and colonize our space and replace the lost carbon emissions with their own. Therefore, global warming is truly inevitable. It is impossible that China and Russia should cooperate with the U.S. They prefer global catastrophe and large-scale reduction of the world population to cooperation. Perhaps a reduction in global population is the real solution to global warming. There is not as much need for people nowadays, with automation in so many facets of business. The world could get by quite well with a million, let alone the seven billion currently in existence. This is the sobering reality foreseen by the elite, such as Trump, Putin, and Xi. It is my grim prediction for the future. I do not see a future with populous countries, but a future of war and strife, nuclear exchanges, massive pollution (including radioactive), dictatorships, and overall a long-term reduction in the global population. A "Mad Max" future.

Zero Sympathy for Google, Microsoft

Microsoft and Google appear uncomfortable with Trump's order restricting immigration from the terrorist-producing regions of the world. Seems they feel that their foreign eggheads will be impacted by the order.

My view is, tough titty. They can hire a bright young fellow from Iowa, train him, and keep their workforce 100% American. There is nothing a foreigner can do that an American can't do ten times better. We have a country with 300 million people, a well-educated workforce with a high number of college students, and these tech companies say they can't find enough eggheads? Hogwash!

Personally, I hope that treacherous Microsoft and Google lose a couple billion for depriving Americans of jobs. If they don't employ Americans, they are better off going bankrupt. Executives need to learn that what comes around, goes around. They enjoy the safety and comfort of living in America, yet transfer most of the jobs overseas. Is it a big surprise that American workers are not sympathetic?

Nomi Marks

I dreamt about the above character in Sense8, a great Netflix sci-fi show. I did not associate her with the show and could not place who she was. She was this highly-placed, important woman at a company that I also worked for and was very busy, just like in the show. She may have worked in HR or R&D or been an executive. She seemed nice and helpful to me and gave me water, followed later by grapefruit juice. I can't remember much that is specific to the dream other than a pleasant exchange, not a conversation exactly, but some kind of shared understanding. What we actually said to each other, if anything, is lost. The esoteric writer DuQuette opines that drinking in a dream is like drinking the waters of Lethe, but what is true for him may not be the same for me. The Nomi Marks entity was good, trying to recharge my batteries through these beverages. Offering drinks was a kindness, nothing more.

Through Wikipedia, I learned Nomi Marks is played by Jamie Clayton, a transgender woman. I like Clayton's work in Sense8. She appears interesting and genuine somehow. That is why my mind has incorporated the character in my dreams.

The Feds' Sense of Humor

With Obama departing the White House, Snowden remains "snowed-in" in Russia.

I'm a Stakeholder

If I weren't a stakeholder in the U.S. and in the world, I'd be politically ambivalent, above it all. There is great amusement in the spectacle of Trump and the Republicans. One thing I like is how Trump has played all the Republicans like a violin. He even got his former Republican critics to lavish praise upon him, making them look like lap-dogs while he sits drinking his tea and smiling like a fox, his expression so easy to read. He has exposed many prominent Republicans for what they are. All their talk of principles take a backseat to Power. I could laugh, but then Trump makes mean, petty remarks that reflect poorly upon him--and upon us. The sobering thought arises, oh damn, this is my country we're talking about, and bad things may happen, like war. Trump seems a child in many ways. His ideology is of less concern to me than his temperament. We can certainly endure a conservative Republican administration like Bush, Bush Jr., or Reagan. This has been proven to my satisfaction. Those administrations were costly, adding to our national debt, but at least they kept things together. Will Trump keep things together? What sort of blunders, gaffes, and indiscretions must we expect?

Poor World

The billionaire boys club runs the world: Trump, Xi, and Putin. How those bozos are going to deal with global climate change, I don't know.

Skull Sweat

If something is not thought through ten times ten times, then it is not right.

Not just sometimes, but all the time.

This is the law of Creation and cannot be repealed.

The only reason we have electricity is men burning the midnight oil with sweat pouring down their forehead worrying the details through to completion.

Genius is ninety-nine per cent perspiration and only one per cent inspiration.

L.A. Times and Pot

The Los Angeles Times has been down on pot since time began. Their argument is dope makes people stupid. Well, all right. No one says pot is health food. It impairs the Reasoning mind, same as alcohol. The L.A. Times has zip to say about alcohol, because of the alkies in charge advertisers.

A greedy beer, wine or liquor tycoon fears pot as a competitor, because pot is better for people than alcohol. People might wise up and stop drinking his poison. So he buys a rag like the L.A. Times and tells them what to print in their little editorials and "news" articles.

The L.A. Times not only says marijuana is bad, but they want to lock all the pot smokers up. Hard time for high times! Let us examine this evil logic. Lock the potheads up, and just maybe, they will embrace a new path in life, the demonic. For what sort do we find in prison, but the violent and maladjusted? What better mentors? Pot smoking is but a feeble half-measure, and Blood is the final--and inevitable--product. Convert the passive do-nothings into do-somethings. The something is unspecified. Pesky details. Always and forever, no one wants to get into the details, to the detriment of mankind.

In this world, men take a simple thing that is on balance good, like marijuana, and through wickedness, twist it into something horrible, associated with crime and violence. An intelligent creature of higher moral standards could exist in large numbers on this planet and not have any problem whatsoever with the herb, but use it for its [intended purposes].

Trump is Refreshing

I actually find some of Trump's tweets refreshing, and I hope he is not just full of BS. The American people have been let down so many times. I like when he calls out companies for screwing the American worker by building plants overseas. I like when he calls out U.S. companies for screwing the government, which they do far too often. I wish he would keep focused on that, and especially target waste and corruption in Washington, D.C. If he did those things, then that would forgive an awful lot of bad karma he has generated with his less virtuous remarks. He needs to keep the peace, focus on jobs, and strive to be compassionate to minorities. The Angels will record his good works on the same ledger as his bad, and if he does enough good, then it might just possibly cancel out the bad. But he had better keep busy, night and day, and keep an eye affixed on some of his less than savory associates.

Here is hoping that Trump is really a Heart. A blind hope, at this point in time, but nonetheless. Why does a billionaire want to be President? Does he really, is he really so insanely driven that he wants more money through corruption, or is he, could he be... genuine, in some shape or form? Let us all hope Trump is a Heart, for the sake of the country.

Republicans Say, "Make it Rain!"

The House Republicans decided they need free reign to indulge in an extended four-year orgy of cheating, sexual harassment and stealing, so they gutted the ethics oversight watchdog, which they considered a damned nuisance. Now that crooked Trump is in, let the good times roll! Forty-eight per cent of the electorate can't be wrong. Stealing is in! I expect trillions of dollars to get diverted to corruption on a massive scale never seen before.

It's always amusing when people vote against their own interests. The low-income folks that voted for the Republicans or did not vote at all or sent in a stupid protest vote or voted for the Green Party nitwit need to to learn how to deal with untreated disease. Take some Bufferin to ease your sufferin. There certainly is not going to be any Obamacare to help you in this world. Got cancer? Take Bufferin. Heart disease? Bufferin. Mental illness? Bufferin. Remember to say "Thank you!" to the Republicans for denying you medical care.

The reason the poor won't have medical care is Republicans need to steal all that money to get richer. Instead of being millionaires, they need to become billionaires. The Republicans say, "Make it rain!"

The Daily Stormer

The ugly troll behind the Daily Stormer, a Trump cheerleader, imagines he has a monopoly on ultra-violence, hate and psychological warfare. The truth is, everyone keeps the full enchilada in reserve. The only thing keeping the masses from indulging their base instincts is a noble aspiration for a higher state of existence. We do not wish to live as base animals. It is commendable aspiration and was difficult to achieve. He argues we should revert to insects. To see the world in terms of skin color is stupid. He thinks his words are impressive because they are extreme. The reality is, the majority of mankind could say and do all the horrid things he thinks he has the sole rights to. The majority could do far worse than him. Want to be like ISIL, worse than dogs? Want to be worse than ISIL? If he were on the receiving end of what he advocates, he would change his tune in a few seconds, reverting back to the Noam Chomsky-reading liberal he said he used to be. All his hatemongering blather is just a smokescreen for his insecurities. Not impressed.

Back in the day, there were similar creatures in Europe. Some committed suicide, while others were shot or hung, after the war. There is meticulous documentation about their activities. He is parroting them. The forces he draws upon are not congenial for human beings. It is in their nature to betray the summoner.

Stocks are the Only Investment Vehicle with Wheels

I just don't see any future in bonds right now. I doubt whether they will even outpace inflation. Not with Trump. Stocks, maybe, and money market or, just maybe, an ultra-short term bond fund. There are going to be gyrations in the stock market with Trump. He drops clunkers all the time. Just doesn't sit down and think about things long or deeply. I'm not really sure he will keep us out of war, either. He seems pretty gung-ho about racking up another ten to twenty trillion in national debt. Basically that's what our overseas adventures are, another way to transfer wealth from the U.S. to China. We should have gotten free oil for a century from Iraq, but instead all we get is gimme more, gimme more, gimme more, and blame, derision and disrespect all around. War sucks as foreign policy. I hope somebody on Trump's team secretly understands that, because from the way they talk, seems like they hit a lot of trees in the Stupid Forest.

Dungeon Crawl Script, Two Years Later

I haven't touched the Dungeon Crawl script in two years, until now. It still works like a charm. I am quite pleased with it. Perhaps others are as well. It remains one of the most popular pages on my blog. I play in Linux now. The game works great in Linux. And if you aren't using Linux, my question to you is, why not? It's free. It does not require an anti-virus or much of anything else. It will run fine on a Pentium 4 with a gigabyte of RAM--or less. Again, why not? Download Linux Mint today and see what you think.

As for the new Stone Soup team, well, I like what they've done. Gozag is my "go-to" God for Mummies. The devs have made some rather controversial changes. I do wish that they would do something besides adding a new God every other release. Polytheism is cool, but you know, new content is best, in particular for the higher levels. Let us expand the divine astral realms and allow the player to contend with the gods themselves. Also, there are more Hells to conquer, more demons and devils. What about Lovecraft's mythos? Nyarlhotep, oh my, and Cthulu! These would be interesting challenges to place before the high-level player. Do note that Lovecraft is long since dead, and copyright issues should be null, but of course, I am not a lawyer, and publishers are greedy. In my opinion, there are enough gods as it is, and some gods, such as Sif Muna, cry out to the gods for an overhaul. I can't think of any reason anyone would want to worship Sif Muna when Vehumut offers so much more to the spellcasting faithful.

My Dungeon Crawl Cheat page is laden with dust. Frequent references to Windows XP betray its antiquity. I could edit and add guidance for Windows 10, but why? I like the patina. I will never use Windows XP in this life. I tossed my last Windows XP install DVD. XP is best buried. It was good in its day, but its day is past. There are too many limitations and vulnerabilities. I remember frequent problems with Windows XP and more particularly, Windows 2000, which kept having Registry problems. I read all about the "hive," but still did not understand it. In the end, we must heed Microsoft when they say upgrade. It is their product, after all.

Will Dungeon Crawl survive? Probably not. At some point, the Devs will age to a point when they cannot be bothered anymore. It is the same with Wesnoth and other old games. The younger generation has very high expectations in terms of graphics and whatnot. I hope the Devs continue as long as they possibly can, because I think the game is awesome, but there are many who grow accustomed to modern gaming with high-resolution graphics. I prefer slow, turn-based gaming over realtime, with its emphasis on hand-eye coordination, and I believe there will always be a market for that, so perhaps there is a slender hope for Dungeon Crawl into the future.

Bonds Suck So Bad

I just can't get over how bad bonds suck right now. Unless interest rates increase by 2 to 3%, bonds are all, every one of them, a bad deal, and high-yield most of all, with its pathetic 5% yield. Look, inflation is on the rise, okay? The Fed's quarter-point touch up doesn't do the trick. Prices are creeping higher, and the usual Christmas bargains just aren't to be found.

Merkel Embraces Thanatos

The Christmas market bombing in Berlin brings to mind the foolishness of Europe's stance on immigration. Germany's Merkel invites death and destruction upon the Germans. I think she should be impeached through whatever parliamentary process is available to the Germans.

There is no acceptable level of terrorism. Stop the so-called refugees at the door and tell them to go fix the problems in their own land before bringing their problems to our door. Why are these folk not fighting for their own land? All they want is a free ride in a rich nation. They shirk their duty and then want the West to fix all their problems for them. Europe does not need a bunch of fanatic know-nothings who do not even speak the language of their host country. They care nothing about the culture of Germany. They will ruin Europe and turn it into the same hell-hole they came from. They want sharia law, the rape of women, beheadings and public floggings. That is all they know for a hundred generations.

If the refugees belong anywhere besides their own land, then it would be in neighboring countries, not in Western Europe. The people of Europe are awakening to this truth, and it will not be long before the foolish politicians are cast out in elections.

Merciful Trump?

I was puzzled by Trump's seeming change of heart regarding the prosecution of Hillary Clinton for emails. He said he didn't want to hurt Hillary anymore, that she had suffered enough. He struck a kind, fatherly, merciful figure, and that set my head a-spinning.

I figured things out today. The new king hesitates to establish a precedent of prosecuting another king.

For the day may come when Trump, too, fears prosecution. He is likely to do all the things Hillary did or is alleged to have done and far more.

* - I italicized the word "precedent" because our president-elect proved to the world that he did not know how to spell the word. He called the Chinese seizure of our underwater drone "unpresidented" when he meant "unprecedented." The Republicans have a terrible time with grammar, history, and science. Why is that? I will tell you, a lot of people, and not just Democrats, arrive at the obvious conclusion.

Win at All Costs

Win at all costs dismantles all the rules. It is easy to win a game with no rules. Just grab the prize and walk off. Done. Trump is win at all costs. He is going to break a lot of rules. Bull in a china shop ain't in it. I predict a war somewhere along the lines, probably with China, and probably of the trade-war variety, with some hot-fire traded on the high seas. He has stocked his administration with generals for a reason. There is going to be a lot of nail-biting and a lot of losers, too, among those heavily dependent upon imports from China. They probably deserve to suffer, seeing as how they sold out American workers. I hope Trump does do a trade war with China. That would be just the thing to jump-start the manufacturing base here in the U.S. Let the big boys sweat a bit, but make them bring back those jobs. I wonder whether Trump can pull that off. Sometimes the Fool is possessed by Divine Light. He blunders and farts around, and is really a Fool, but actually wins in the end.

What Do I Believe in Politics?

I read about what Trump, the Republicans, and right-wingers in general think about what "the left" thinks. I consider myself a part of "the left," but I am not really sure what "the left" is, and I don't think anyone else knows, either.

I can't speak about "the left." All I know is that I like what I read in The Guardian (UK), most of the time, if not all of the time.

I believe government should let individuals alone for the most part, save when they may interfere with the rights of other individuals. A man's home is his castle, pure and simple.

I believe that racism is nonsense. To see a man as part of a group only, based on skin color, is really stupid. People vary. They are individuals. They are not all the same. One must keep an open mind, informed by love, compassion, and kindness. To harden one's heart against an entire group, particularly based upon something like skin color, is folly and nonsense. We are commanded to love. It is our duty.

I believe that homophobia is nonsense. Gays have been with us from the beginning. Many will deny it, but gays have founded religions. In this veil, we do see as through a glass darkly. Some things are hidden in plain sight. Kindness is all that is required. Be kind to one another. Perhaps being different from all the others teaches one the importance of being kind.

I believe that bullies are evil. It is easy to harm the weak. We should look out for one another and attempt to create a kinder, gentler society not only for ourselves, but for future generations. Enlightenment is the goal. Liberate this human race from petty squabbles, from desperation, from despair. That is the liberal agenda. Perhaps it is unfeasible, sometimes. One must be pragmatic. But it is the long-term goal.

Sometimes, but not always, organized religion can be a bully. Other times, big corporations. Sometimes entire nations. I believe the world is a better place because the United States sacrificed an entire generation. We bled profusely and paid vast sums of treasure in order to stop Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan. If we had taken the easy way out, the way of Trump, then we would have reached an accommodation with fascism. We would have struck a deal. Trump is a deal-maker. That is sometimes helpful, but there are moral imperatives. If one does not believe in good and evil, then there are no boundaries at all. I believe there is absolute good and absolute evil. I say that the world is a better place by far without the ideas of Hitler holding sway. Mankind can be reduced to insects, and if we are, we are doomed. The earth will be rid of us. Is that what you want? I would prefer that we improve ourselves. There is much to be improved, let us be candid with ourselves. Let us ameliorate. All that is required is patience, love and intelligence. We must use the higher faculties, while keeping the lower ones in check.

Now, I know very well that some will read all this and think liberals are all heart and no brain. That is what I hear all the time. But I am pragmatic. I want things to work. Fundamentally, things have to work. It is not possible to be good without intelligence, without correcting imbalances, imperfections. I write code. Sometimes the code has bugs. Am I perfect? No, I am flawed, and I create buggy code sometimes. I realize that mistakes must be corrected. The division between good and evil is like the serpentine dance of the dragon. It is not easy. Sometimes, with good intentions, we do wrong. That is acknowledged. Therefore, intelligence is required. We must learn from previous mistakes and listen to the other side, including the right-wing, which sometimes is going to be right. The right-wing also is composed of Americans who love their country. I acknowledge that and hope and trust that they, too, acknowledge my own loyalty. We are all on the same side and probably want the same things and are only divided by semantics, the power of words that are woven by politicians. If peace, prosperity, preparedness, longevity, and happiness are the goals, then we want the same things.

Abandon Self

I like to imagine my death, because I have no regrets. There are no things left undone. There are no grave errors. I was good. A crime would be a torment to me. I prefer to fade into nothingness without a stain. This preference has been with me since the earliest age that I can remember. I don't know why. Perhaps there is good news beyond comprehension. I think that the Universe is One, and that all beings are one, although few of them accept it. The illusion is strong. Really, there is not separation, not of any significance. Separation is an illusion. We were one. We will become one again. So it was, and so it will be. Time distorts reality. All that separates a man from the truth is Time. Were he to live long enough, he would see all in fullness and understand.