Laziness Vs. Dishonesty

The bottom line for me is Trump reeks of Corruption. It is obvious to anyone with eyes that see. Trump just comes right out and reveals his nature. He doesn't even try very hard to hide it. That is a sign of laziness. Which is worse, the dishonesty or the laziness? That depends on the situation.

There are many who see that Trump is Corrupt, and then rationalize that "everyone is corrupt, so what does it matter, and Trump says the things I believe, so he is all right." This is not surprising. It is to be expected. Selfishness is common, base, whereas Ethics is a real stretch for H. Sapiens, a recent innovation that we are gradually adopting.

Trump's Corruption

James Comey's testimony is damning of Trump, painting a picture of a vain, corrupt buffoon--exactly the person Trump appears. Comey's words have the ring of truth about them.

The Paris Climate Accord

I think Trump may be right to pull out. I see two alternatives.

One, we continue buying oil from terrorists and criminal states. They will give us a haircut. They are colluding right now to raise the price of oil to make the U.S. pay more. Russia is an evil, war-mongering kleptocracy, pure and simple. Saudi Arabia finances global terrorism, Islamic fanaticism, and religious intolerance, as do many other oil-producing nations. That results in more crime, more war, and trillions spent overseas bombing towel-heads. Global warming drastically increases as bombs and intentional destruction release carbon into the atmosphere, and the people on the ground obviously don't give a hoot about emissions.

The second alternative is the one I prefer: the U.S. produces the carbon-based fuels we need, and we quit transferring so much of our wealth into the hands of criminals and terrorists. This will, in the long term, reduce global warming, because there will be less crime and less conflict in the world, as the criminals and fanatics lose funding. The only reason ISIS was ever a problem was because the Arabs had too much money in their hands, and they don't know what to do with it. Cause trouble is the only thing they know how to do. Same with Russia. More money, more trouble.

Anything that keeps wealth in these United States and out of the hands of the ne'er-do-wells of the world is a good thing. Saudi Arabia in a thousand years has not freed women from slavery, and Russia, given a hundred years, still has a greedy tyrant at the top who starts wars of aggression to acquire territory. Anything to starve those nations and their fellow-travelers is, on balance, good for the world, and will help to stop global warming.

Party's Over, Blitches

I moved my money from stocks to balanced funds, only because a part of me still hates bonds with their lousy < 3% rate. But party's over for stocks. I was warned, now you are too. This is the high water mark. Tide comes in, tide recedes.

Hay hay hay! In May, go away, baybay!

Iran and Rouhani

I'm pleased Rouhani, the supposed "liberal, women's rights reformist" in Iran, won. But he's held back by the same forces that hold back the U.S. in the thrall of Trump and the Republicans. Conservative, ignorant, lazy, do-nothing, learn-nothing, never-crack-a-book folks opposed to education, opposed to ideas, opposed to thinking, opposed to anything that does not involve delusional religion, alcohol, sex, or sugar. These people just want to kill, maim, torture their perceived "enemies", and if they win, then America and Iran will go to war at some point in the future.

Whenever I get down about the U.S., I just browse the information we have on Iran, and that scenario is far more depressing. In Iran, suicide is justifiable, even rational, given the prognosis, a nuclear holocaust, and the current state of affairs, a police state where torture is the norm. To procreate in Iran is evil, and only an evil person would want to have children there. Death is moral and ethical in Iran.

Automation Nation

Driverless cars, driverless trucks? Pilotless planes? There aren't going to be many jobs left for our ever-increasing population. Which means warfare must decimate the people. We are going to have to kill every third person, some way, some how, in order to maintain the standard of living. Perhaps the government can mandate a cyanide pill lottery. If Americans can't stomach forcible birth control, then people are going to have to die anyway. The Republicans have signaled at every turn, they're for people dying, so that's probably where we are going to go. Can't pay a minimum level of taxes? Cyanide pill for you. Either that or forcible organ donation and medical experimentation on the one thing left with any value--the human body. In the end, we will just be livestock for the rich, the Trumps and Trump-wannabes of the world.

Ubuntu Going Public

Understanding arrived for "Rocketvalue" that he doesn't really know what he's doing, based on Unity's flop, Mir's crash, and the mobile phone fiasco. That's what happens when you close your mind against those that have seen a thing or two in their day and go off half-cocked thinking you're going to change the world. Change nothing, except your bank account for the worse. Sure, with today's overheated stock market, cash out. You're guaranteed to claw back those losses, because there are fools a-plenty buying stocks these days, with about 40-to-1 being the average P/E ratio among the Mid- and Small- cap U.S. stocks, as though disaster never occurs in human history.

You may be too late, though. A crash could happen any day now, with Trump's amateur hour, and you're still not public. Should have done this months ago. I completed my migration from 100% stocks into balanced, 60-40 funds, but feel that bonds might even be the better choice. I'm just not sure the moment is right for bonds, with their low rates. Maybe in late 2018?

Prescience

When we arrived at T.J. Maxx, a thought formed of a crystal ball. Sure, I had seen them there before. Soon I found a really nice big one, perfect really, at a mere $30. Now it lies covered upon a blue table with other artifacts for proof against dust.

It is beautiful, beside its utilitarian features, and even if were never used for anything in particular, it makes a good shelf piece. I intend to use it, but not now. Later, maybe even many years from now.

Indonesia

Indonesia is a sorry fanatical Muslim country, which sentenced a Christian governor to two years for merely giving an opinion on a passage in the Koran. No immigration should be allowed from Indonesia. Goods from Indonesia should be taxed at a rate of no less than 100% to reflect the cost of terrorism, which Indonesia exports. Trump is definitely right about the need to wise up about hostile foreign countries. A large number of Muslims have committed their lives to murdering or converting all non-Muslims. To pretend otherwise is willful ignorance, in the face of a stream of media reports that prove the intent to do harm. Indonesia is by no means the most radical Islamic regime, it is merely the one with the least excuse for being so, because it is outside the Middle East.

Four Things About Me

1. I believe that sex is O.K. and also "no big deal," which means, we should not make a big deal out of it. Homosexuality, heterosexuality--neither is very important in the grand scheme of things, and the gods do not care. We can take it or leave it. In the future, it is likely that the human species, barring some catastrophe, if Progress continues and the Zombie Apocalypse is averted, will procreate in the laboratory rather than the womb. Romantics shudder, but realists rejoice. Sex is rather inefficient and problematic, if one is honest.

2. I believe that it is possible to love and understand most, if not all, human beings, and to pity those that one does not understand nor wish to understand.

3. I believe that kindness is a better policy than cruelty, even for pragmatic reasons, let alone ethics.

4. I believe in the System, but realize that it goes berserk sometimes, like any machine. It is berserk against marijuana and prostitution. It is berserk against the Middle East. We have no truck with the Middle East. We have truck with North America and, to a much lesser extent, South America. Our interests are in the New World. Our leaders need to glue their eyeballs to a globe and ponder the wisdom therein. This is the United States of America, not of Afghanistan, thank you not at all. So why did we blow a trillion dollars in that dump?

The Failure of the Establishment

Putin-aligned governments arise in the West due to two key failures of asinine establishment governments. In a spasm of Kumbaya loving-thy-neighbor myopia, they opened up their national borders to hostile outsiders from alien cultures, inviting trouble, and neglected to take meaningful action on jobs. They had to do only two things. Close the borders and expel the Islamists by any means necessary. Stop importing cheap stuff from Asia, and start employing your own workers. It really is as simple as that. Due to the failure of the establishment to grasp these political necessities, Putin's dark star ascends.

In the final analysis, evil intelligence will triumph over good incompetence, ten times out of ten. The only reason good prevails is that is the only way that does not lead to self-destruction. Evil vanquishes itself--intelligent or not. The very nature of evil works against it.

If mankind is, on balance, evil, then the next conclusion is self-evident.

Love Versus Despair

Do I gloat over bombs dropped, souls lost? I acknowledge the blood of my ancestors and don't fight it because I think they were right in some wise, because I am here.

What I want is universal love in the final outcome, as conflicts cease and nations unite to resolve the real problems facing mankind: global warming, disease, poverty, pollution. Kim Jong Un barks up the wrong tree, lives in the 1950s, does not live in the same time we do. Whether he goes or not is irrelevant, but he must cease disturbing geopolitics and shut the hell up. When global media cease trumpeting his nonsense, then his prognosis for continued breath improves. That is my advice for the regime of N. Korea, and I hope they don't take it.

Universal love is not such a far-fetched hippy notion; it is achievable, even now, with Putin and Xi and Trump dominating the headlines. There is yet hope.

The Mother of All Bombs

I am rather pleased Trump permitted our military to bomb the hell out of ISIS. An 11,000 pound bomb sounds like perfect medicine for Islamic fanatics. Let them incinerate. That is what they crave, deserve, are destined for: annihilation. Worshippers of Thanatos, whom you name Allah, meet your god! If there is a representative of absolute evil in the world, then that is ISIS, which tortures and slays the innocent out of depravity. And compounding their evil is their usurping the name of an Egyptian goddess. I hope the ISIS bases get completely obliterated, with no survivors at all. The main imperative will be that there are no survivors and all of their equipment and infrastructure is reduced to rubble. It is the only way to eradicate a disease. Perhaps sending a strong message to North Korea is helpful as well. Kim Jong Un deserves death a thousand times over. The very stars sing for his death. Even if Kim did manage to lob a nuclear bomb, it may be worth the fallout to get rid of his regime forever and leave nothing to take its place, because North Korea will no longer exist as a habitable land, for the next thousand years. North Korea is the sorriest country in the world and a long-term threat to peace and stability in the world.

Hope for the Best, Prepare for the Worst

I hope for the best, but prepare for the worst. I hope that the U.S. economy improves, that the world improves, that humankind enjoy peace and prosperity. In the brooding hours of the late evening, I suspect otherwise, and am reminded of the old slogan, "what fools these mortals be." Look at Syria, North Korea, Iran, China, Russia, and even our beloved United States. There are many problems, and some problems are beyond our capacity, morally and intellectually, to deal with, such as global warming. We are neither intelligent nor ethical enough, collectively, to deal with global warming. What will happen, will happen. That, I feel, is a given. Also, nuclear weapons--I think that in my lifetime, the mushroom cloud will arise once more over a major metropolitan area. It strikes me as unrealistic, given our history, to suppose that feeble Man, given a mighty weapon, will refrain, out of mere reason, or ethics, from using it. We use the tools at our disposal, all the time, for a variety of reasons, with barely a thought to the consequences; such has been our history. Thus, Earth is going to be a pretty hostile place for living creatures at some point in the future, and I see that as a given, again based upon history. To know history is to gain the ability to predict the future. Earth's end as a happy, pleasant breeding ground for humans saddens me, because good planets like this are depressingly scarce. We can't just up and move to Mars, now can we?

Oldcastle is Oldfashioned

I'm going to single out Oldcastle, but they are by no means the worst offenders to incur my wrath.

I am talking about companies that torture the job-seeker/hunter/browser with endless questionnaires and tests, and topping it off by forcing the applicant to regurgitate the entire contents of his painstakingly crafted resume.

Dear Mr. Corporation. If you make applying for a job a fool's errand, you will employ fools.

I opted against Oldcastle because they want me to perform long thankless arduous work for free just to apply for a job. Make it easy, and I might grant you twenty-five seconds of my time. If you're lucky. Otherwise, I really don't see the point in applying for a job with a company run by fools.

Stockholm

The incident in Stockholm, where a man from Uzbekistan used a heavy truck to murder random Swedes, reminds me of the Muslim problem. The politicians that let them come over need to reconsider. Why is it the duty of Europe? How about the wide open spaces in Africa? Why is Africa not good enough for all these refugees? Why do the crowded cities of the West need to take on more people that do not share the language, culture or history? Certainly, the right in Europe is enjoying a resurgence due to the idiocy of the left's open door policy when it comes to all these Islamists that hate the West and want to kill the maximum possible number of Westerners. Every incident like this plays into the hands of the right and the nationalists. A single incident is enough to sway hundreds of thousands of voters, depending on the proximity of the election.

Ugh, Syria

I hate to say that there is an area of agreement between myself and the alt-right. I really don't want the U.S. getting tangled up in more Middle East shenanigans. It seems to me we have had our fill of that rot, ad nauseum. A trillion-plus down the road, and what do we have to show for it? I would rather stay the Hell out of the Middle East. If that means finding alternatives for fossil fuels, so be it. If that means developing fossil fuel production in the New World and elsewhere, so be it. I think that the countries in the Middle East are a mess, and we are not going to be able to make them any better.

Let's say we did overthrow Assad. Would the next guy be better? I doubt it. There is always going to be problems over in that neck of the woods, and it is unlikely that those people are going to love us. The best we can hope for is they forget us, after we stay out of their hair for about a hundred years, if our leaders learn wisdom, which I hope they do.

Prime Minister Theresa May is O.K.

How come the U.S. can't have Theresa May as President? She is well-spoken. Instead we get saddled with that ignoramus, Trump, the "businessman" who can't pitch deals, can't turn a profit, can't manage, can't lead, and does not understand the economy. One thing he can do is bankruptcy, and that's probably what we are looking at not too far down the road.

Low Expectations

The way to never be disappointed is to never expect much out of other people. That way, they can never let you down, because you're already there.

401(k)

We had a lunch-n-learn conference out at work explaining all the wonderful advantages of letting a bank nursemaid us through our 401(k) mutual fund investments.

No thank you, Mr. Bank, you charge 1% for the dubious privilege of your pedestrian expertise, consisting of what is the difference between a stock and a bond, and your mutual fund selection is full of funds with expense ratios through the roof, an astronomical 1 - 2%. I will stick with my IRA and the only good mutual fund family, VANGUARD, thank you not at all, except for the free lunch, which was basically junk food, by the way, just like your entire product offering. What, are you trying to give us a heart attack with the food?

Some doofus raised his hand asking what the expense ratios were. The saleslady replied they were what the bank pays the mutual funds, which was a bald-faced lie, because the customer pays the mutual funds out of his principal. Nothing but lies in this meeting. They were telling us 401(k) was the only tax shelter, ignoring IRAs altogether, because they don't make money from that. After the meeting, I considered calling up Johnny to let him know the real scoop. I know my way around investing. But then I remembered back when I first started at the company. One day, when I was green on the job, Johnny sneered at me because I carried a heavy toolbox to fix a little problem that required just a single cable. Well, hey, you know what, expense ratios are Johnny's toolbox. The expense ratio's on him. That's his heavy toolbox he's lugging around, looking like a fool. Me, I'm with Vanguard. Let him pay that 1-2% for the next ten years.

Maybe I'm All Wrong

Perhaps I am impudent, but I dissent from Tyson and Duquette. I know, they are learned occultists with ump-ixty years of experience compared to my rather limited background, but I just don't like the numerological, Hebrew-centric approach. My blood rebels against Hebrew letters. I feel there is a better way, aside from cramming textbooks and following precise formulae based upon ancient culture that lacks relevance in today's world. If indeed, as Tyson and DuQuette appear to concur, magic is all in your head, then there are no rules, and they are self-confessed charlatans. Their books retain value, because they offer experience and guidance, but I think the solitary practitioner may, if he so chooses, forge his own way. The masters have already granted permission and left the door open, so I see no reason not to open it.

And I see no reason to add a "k" to the word "magic." Shakespeare didn't, so why should we?

Trump Would Rather Be Bombing A-rabs

Trump would rather be bombing A-rabs than paying for any medical care for the poor. Billions more for bombs, on top of and above the billions we already spend, but "Let 'em die!" seems to be the Republican motto when it comes to low-income citizens. Now, instead of Obamacare, the poor will discover that Trump-Doesn't-Care. I saw this one coming a mile away. What's interesting is that a lot of people that voted for Trump will be losing their health insurance. Contrary to Reason, I think Trump supporters will be O.K. with suffering and dying due to Trump, because he is a white man, and better yet of their own tribe. All they want is a white man of proper pedigree to call the shots, even if they and all their loved ones suffer and die. They will vote Republican in the next election as well, and this time they want to lose Social Security and everything else and hopefully get a world war out of the bargain. I recognize that Thanatos is a profound human need; people crave death, suffering, and resent those that want to forestall the inevitable. "Gxx-Damn Liberals" is what we are, communists, traitors, what-have-you. Thanatos indeed is the overriding impulse in some people. Human history is outlined by wars for a reason. Humans procreate and at the same time, find ways that they and all their kin might be annihilated; so the circle achieves completion. Reason ain't in it, only spiritual mumbo-jumbo that is hard to fathom.

As for Trump's increase of defense spending, although that sounds good in principle--we all want to be safe--the ugly truth about defense spending is that a huge amount goes to waste, up in smoke due to pure negligence, corruption, schmoozing, parties, kickbacks, gifts, you name it. Generals retire to become salesmen for the very firms they used to purchase from. In any case, this is the real reason that Trump wants to increase defense spending--to enrich his cronies the easy way. They don't have to work hard or think at all. They just collect checks from the government. Welfare for the rich.

I Didn't Approve of Stephen King

When I was growing up, horror was just becoming a thing. It was wildly popular, and Stephen King dominated the bookstores. He was described as a young rebel, an upstart taking over the bestseller list. My friends read his stuff. I was appalled. It seemed, well, horrible, all this talk of the supernatural and worse, the evil supernatural. But that is where my world went, and in time, I followed, although I was one of the late adopters. I later learned King drank mouthwash to get drunk. He was a chronic alcoholic, ready to down a case to finish a book. Perhaps, indeed, it is how he managed channeling the spirits that wrote his books; but that is speculation on my part. I do think King is a good man, probably a very good man, and a very gifted writer. His presence among the canon can be undisputed; no library would be complete without him. I have read most, though not all, of his books. Besides his tendency to dwell upon the negative, another thing I dislike about him is repetition. His books do seem the same. I think any author, after a time, repeats himself, because being human, he has a finite number of thoughts and ideas. In summary, I wish to clarify that I do approve of Stephen King, now; I didn't, when he first came out, because I'm a biological conservative, that is, conservative in nature, if not politics, or at least modern politics.

To Be Old in America

Did I ever imagine, in my wildest dreams, that a United States President, a right-wing, conservative Republican at that, would play the Manchurian Candidate? No... not even while under the influence of cannabis. In their totality and simplicity, the signs are damning, to anyone that watches and listens, to anyone that is not blinded by partisan fervor. No matter the outcome, there will remain a stench of corruption around Trump's dealings with Russia. It may well fall upon patriotic conservative Republicans, of which there are many, to impeach a conservative Republican President, only for the good of the country. If his whole Administration has to go, as indeed it may, the rot extending from the roof to the floor, including Pence and all the others, then perhaps we will have Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) as President.

One thing is sure. These United States cannot ally with Putin. Then we would be evil and so much worse for this poor old world.

Hypocrisy

Now that the Republicans are in power in Washington, D.C., it is plain as day they are total hypocrites. All the little things they criticized the Democrats for, they have already done. Republicans are just hypocrites that want to get their way any which way they can. "The ends justify the means"--except in this case they really don't. The Republicans are going to pile up additional debt increasing an already over-sized military and giving tax breaks to corporations, while at the same time depriving people of health care and ignoring the environment. The reason they want to expand the military is simple and clear--they want a war with Iran.

Goodness and Strength

Goodness alone is insufficient in this wicked world. A middle ground lies between Goodness and Strength, their Union being superior to either. This world needs Silver Dragons, sons of Light that breathe fire and have armor to withstand the swords and arrows of wicked men.

Who can define a dragon? I know one when I see one.

Amicability

It is true that I do--at this juncture in my life, although it was not true in my younger years--find myself capable of liking everyone, every living human being, in some form or fashion, even if only by virtue of their being in the same world that I am in and observing the same things. I find that they don't resent my promiscuity in liking everyone, but are rather relieved to discover that I am not one of the many hostiles, for this world can be such a hostile place. I wish people would place greater value upon cooperation, because it is only through teamwork that we can resolve the problems of today and tomorrow. Do I sound like a politician? Nay, I am a corpse, a skull snapping its jaws for anyone that will listen. And if no one listens, so be it. All threads are equal in length and lead to the same result.

Unleash the Stereotypes

In the fashion of Trump, here are my stereotypes:

The problem with gays is alcohol. Drinking stops thinking.

The problem with blacks is crime. Solve crime, and the blacks will be better off.

The problem with whites is war. An obsession with war between nations has reduced the white race more than anything else.

The problem with the Middle East is religion. Atheism, which is shunned, offers an antidote for the muttering puppets of dark powers.

The problem with Chinese is corruption. Everything gets sacrificed for money: environment, aesthetics, freedom.

The problem with racists is group-think. Your group doesn't even like you that much, and wishes you were in another group.

The problem with homophobes is they are homosexual. Straight men really don't think about gays and appreciate not having to compete with gays for women.

The problem with Jews is fear. They are afraid of being the last Jew standing and of Judaism disappearing from the world.

The problem with atheists is boredom. They are missing out on a lot of fun that the believers are in on.

The problem with Christians is they owe everything to a Jew, and the Muslims believe similar things they do.

The problem with women is men. Men are horrible.

The problem with men is other men.

The problem with Republicans is they have to operate in the real world of today, not their fantasy world of 1950 television sit-com.

The problem with Democrats is business as usual. The party bosses think they can just arrange everything without taking into account the voters.

The problem with the Greens and other minority parties is they don't understand winner-takes-all and what it means.

The problem with people that don't vote is they want to complain, but not do anything about it.

The problem with North Korea is Kim Jong-Un.

The problem with Trump is Twitter can't solve every problem in the world.

The problem with religious people is gullibility.

The problem with people that believe in magic is gullibility.

Is that enough problems for you?

The problem with human beings is that they are human beings!

Trump the Grump

The trouble with Trump is he is an intellectual lightweight. He surrounds himself with sycophants because he is insecure. Such a narcissistic man as Trump has a fragile ego, always harassed by enemies, real or perceived. His ideology may even have some good points, but flawed execution dooms his Presidency, like his raid in Yemen based upon "inadequate intelligence" (such an apt phrase). I am not sure how much damage Trump will do to the U.S. economy. It all depends on whether he starts a war and with whom. His Republican predecessors all waged war, so I suppose he feels obliged to follow through to "Stand Tall" and "Show Strength" ([C]opyright G.O.P.) If he picks Iran, there is going to be a strong feeling of deja vu in this country. If he picks China, then I suspect the U.S. will be in for a rude awakening on many fronts.

The U.S. needs about ten years to recover from its addiction to crack cocaine outsourcing. All those jobs and factories left the U.S. for China, and now China really has more manufacturing capacity. My bets are on China winning any kind of war in the long run, although the U.S. would likely score some short-term victories. Trump needs to stop talking and get to work. He spends all his time criticizing the media, and that is not going to produce any results.

Probably Trump is going to wage war in Yemen, because that would please Saudi Arabia, an old Republican ally, and seems a safe bet and a way to get back at Iran.

I am parking money in a money market fund, because although inflation is cranking back up as I expected, Trump seems unfocused, unprepared and unprofessional, and he has hatched some major goofballs. Amateur hour all around with Trump in office. He is still campaigning. I don't think he ever stopped being a candidate. He does not know how to be President. I keep wondering when he is going to shut up and start thinking things through before he acts.

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.

Federal Bankruptcy?

Trump presided over bankruptcies in the past, and I see no reason to assume he will change colors overnight. Trump plans to do the classical Republican shenanigans: cut taxes while at the same time increasing spending. It is just like if I decided to quit working and just live off my credit card, while dining out every night and buying a couple new cars. That is the easy way to spur economic growth. Trump loves easy fixes. Who cares about the future? Enjoy today. That is the Republican way. Reagan did it first, then Bush, and now Trump. All of them getting high at the wheel as the ship gets progressively loaded down with debt. What is it now, over twenty trillion? Remember, Trump wants to spend more on defense, not less. That means more new planes, tanks, and ships, all of which we apparently need in order to keep China in check.

Meanwhile, Trump antagonizes our chief debt holder, China. For better or worse, China holds our national debt. If tensions rise between the two nations, as we have every reason to expect they will, the United States may default on its national debt for the first time in modern history. Now, Trump has defaulted many a time before, and this would be in character. What will happen is that no one will want to buy U.S. bonds, and anyone holding them is going to be holding Monopoly money. That would include retirees, dear old grandma and the like. There will be a lot of collateral damage, and suddenly the U.S. will have no way to meet obligations such as Social Security and so forth. There will be unhappy people gathering in the streets.

Trump may be cunning, but he is not half as smart as he thinks he is, and he is going to find that global politics is a lot tougher than it seemed at first. There is a reason that Putin backed Trump, and that reason is not to help America or the American people.

Predictions: the federal minimum wage stays the same or is abolished altogether. 2017 inflation rate of 3.5%, 2018 inflation rate of 7%, 2019 inflation rate of 11%, and 2020 inflation rate of 14%. Bonds look like a poor investment right now. Pollution gets worse. The capital spending that Trump envisions will not actually improve anything in the country. He is going to build a wall and spend more on military gadgets for overseas adventures. Spending on scientific research will stagnate, with the one exception of weapons research. The infrastructure will remain as it is, although prison building will expand and become increasingly privatized. Marijuana will become illegal again nationwide, if Trump's Attorney General has his way. Trump is going to put a lot more people in prison as part of the traditional Republican "tough on crime" thing. Most of the new people in prison will be for non-violent offenses like marijuana. The largest per capita prison population in the world is just going to get larger and may even double. The Trump Presidency will be all about culture wars, stocking the Supreme Court with right-wingers, and expanding the military and doing a lot of bombing missions against third world nations to show everybody that Trump stands tall. There probably is going to be some hot fire traded between China and the U.S. in the South China Sea as well, and then an unexpected peace mission resulting in symbolic, empty "concessions" from China that make Trump look good while changing nothing. Trump is all about appearances. All he wants is to look good in the moment. If a world leader understands that, as Putin does, then it is easy to deal with Trump. Give America nothing but a kick in the teeth, but lie and agree with Trump and say the things that make him look good. That is all you have to do with Trump.