Five Things About Epstein I Believe

 1.  As a kid, we'd go to a flea-market operation that had this guy in a truck, and he'd be there getting a crowd all in a frenzy....to sell each person a box (something like a $1 in cost) and that one person out of forty might have something of value (say $20), while the rest had something worthless.  There would  always be fifty-odd people to participate.  He'd run the game three or four times during the day.....then leave shortly after lunch.  

I think Epstein was doing this at a global scale....convincing people to come to the island to party-up, booze-up, and chatter with other wannabe VIP-idiots.  One person out of forty got something of value.....the rest just had a crazy weekend with a lot of booze (and drugs probably).

2.  From all this chatter of young girls (say age 13 to 16) as party-favors for guests.....you just don't have much true evidence of this.  I suspect that he'd introduce some 19-year young-looking gal to some dimwit older guy and say she's 'Wanda'....a 13-year old.  These guys were stupid enough to believe that, and the fantasy simply took over.

3.  If you figured a weekend of twenty-odd guests, with hidden cameras and microphones....there's 500 man-hours of tapes to glean through and figure out valuable information.  But you'd need at least ten people sitting....analyzing minute after minute....to package this for the 'boss' (the guys above Epstein).

4.  There's zero evidence that Epstein was ultra-rich.  He acted that way, but what did he actually own?  An island?  A jet or two?  

5.  No one talks about women showing up on the island....VIP-types, but they were also there.  Oddly, each time the island comes up....they only discuss men being there.  Hillary Clinton went.  

This Tucker Carlson-Putin 'Thing'

 So quietly, Carlson went out and asked an associate about getting an interview with Putin (in Russia).  Couple of days pass.....Putin says 'yes'.  Day or two passes, and some US gov't intelligence guy calls Carlson and says....we know about your email, and would like to have a chat.

The emphasis of this?  Well....as a minimum, the US would like to ask questions of Carlson upon his return to US soil. To be honest, since Covid....I doubt if a single American has come face-to-face with Putin.  

They'd probably like a health assessment.  I would question this because Carlson might respond that Putin is in better health than Biden, McConnell, or Pelosi....and you wouldn't really want to tell the intelligence guys this.

A curious meeting?  Well...no Russian journalist is allowed total freedom on questions if they did get 15 minutes with Putin.  

My humble belief....Carlson will probably get forty-odd minutes and maybe 15 questions.   

The Washington intel guys sitting around and shocked how easy this was?  I would imagine they've poured a few shots of booze and trying to imagine the questions that Tucker would ask.  

My final thought?  In the middle of this interview....it would not shock me if Putin pulls out a box of Burisma tapes, and starts playing Biden conversations that imply a 'deal'.  Then with a grin....he tells Tucker there's over 200 conversations of Joe and some deal-guy. 

Do People Really Want The 'Truth'?

 I would say prior to 2000....generally, if something came on via the radio, or TV....or was written in your local paper.....you felt it was 99-percent 'true'.  Even if it was marginally true.....you had some idea in your head that things told....ought to be true.

So, in the past twenty years....something changed.

I think if you went to people with x-story and just said....the central five facts....do you believe them totally?  You'd get this funny look and then the person would say something to 'balance' the situation.  They would avoid saying all five were facts or true.

Then you go to your 10-year old kid, and ask about something....involving five facts at school over something....asking him if they were valid?  He'd answer with 'well, some of this is just BS'.  

Then you'd go to your 'church-associate' and ask over something relating to five facts....having nothing to do with the Bible or some preacher-chatter, asking him if the story facts were valid?  He'd hesitate, and then answer that some parts are not fitting well.

Then you'd go to the neighbor and ask about some NCAA football stuff....involving five facts....asking if this were true?  He'd ask for a beer first, then launch into a 3-minute talk that facts aren't facts anymore.  He'd tell you.....you'd like to believe things, but can't bring yourself to believe much.

It's an odd evolution that we've wandered into, and can't seem to find a 'path' out.

Some things are going in a way to be like some WWE-wrestling scenario....where you think Joe Biden or the DeSantis-guy.....are like WWE-characters.  Hunter Biden's woes?  They might be just BS, or 50-percent true.  You just don't know.

My question.....where does this lead us now?  Can you trust the power company?  Can you trust 'Cindy' who does the Channel 19 weather?  Can you trust the Bud-Light management?  Can you trust that clerk at Piggly Wiggly who seems to be rather dim-witted?  

Who Are 'The Men North Of Richmond'?

 In recent days, with the Oliver Anthony tune.....folks have taken an interest who he refers to....when stating 'men north of Richmond'.

He's referring to lobbyists, Republicans and Democrats.  Anyone who got into greed and made wealth off their occupation.

If you came to DC twenty-five years ago being half-a-millionaire....you probably exceed 200-million today.  And if we analyzed your friends....they also got rich off your DC work.

So as much as conservative House/Senate members might say this is their 'tune'.....NO, it's really putting a number of these folks in the same status of blame.

Could Joe Biden Debate Vivek Ramaswamy In A Presidential Debate?

 No. 

If we reach October 2024, and Ramaswamy is the Republican candidate (not Trump or DeSantis).....the last thing on Earth that Biden could walk into....is a debate with Ramaswamy.  

Even if you used NPR or CNN people.....Ramaswamy is probably capable of taking Biden AND the moderator on at the same time.  

I'm not saying Ramaswamy is a great politician (he's not), but at debate skills.....there's probably fewer than five House/Senate members existing today that can debate at his level.

The fact that probably one-third of all Republicans in DC....won't saddle-up with the Ramaswamy agenda?  Yeah, that's a problem as well.  Finding people to be in his cabinet to be a problem?  Yeah, there's that issue as well.

But to imagine two debates (Biden versus Ramaswamy)....it just won't be entertaining to watch Biden bumble around and give confusing answers.  

I might even go and suggest that Biden won't agree to a single debate.  

Two Beers Per Week?

 President Biden's health 'expert' came out this week and said that there should be a limit of two beers per week.

He didn't say a law or sales limit should occur....just that you should only drink two beers a week.  Oddly, he didn't even say low-or-moderate alcohol content....just two beers.

I pondered over this.

I grew up in a dry county (rural north Alabama) and most people would readily say they drank zero beers, but behind a closed door....admit to driving to the state line and consuming four to eight beers over a four-hour period....every Saturday evening.

Wouldn't it have been more appropriate for the guy to suggest a McDonalds menu limit of 1,200 total calories?  Or perhaps.....suggest that only half-a-Coke-can per day would be more appropriate?  Or perhaps suggest no more than 3 pancakes with syrup per week?

How did beer come into a political discussion?  By accident or design?

It's just an odd conversation.  

What'll happen here?  Well....two beers could be in a regular containers....or in mega-containers (1-liter size).....so I'm guessing extra-large beer cans will be the outcome here.....24 ounces per can.  A full-liter can?  Well....that would be 33 ounces.  

America As A Car

I have a Audi A5, which has probably 300 different features built into it.  So far, four years into owning it....every single thing has worked.  One day, I expect a feature or two to develop issues, and troubles to start up.

America is like that advanced car....except it's already got issues.

You can't depend on the police, or some local prosecutor.

You can't lessen fire danger issues because of environmentalists

You have druggies on every street in major cities now.  

You have a higher chance of power-outage today....than in the 1970s.

From the general population....there is less trust in nurses and doctors today....than forty years ago.

Daily readership of newspapers?  It dropped by 50-percent since 2000.  Go ask people about the last time they read a Time or Newsweak.....a lot of people will tell you at least ten years ago.

Recruitment for the US military?  In severe decline.

Something is 'broke' here and the pieces/parts required....just won't fit like they did before.

People are skeptical of your intentions, your beliefs, or the general facts.  

It's a rough world developing.  

My Own Fire Experience

 Every year as a kid in rural Alabama....as you approached October.....you had a leaf raking experience over the yard, and you'd end up with enough leaves to fill thirty 'big' garbage bags.  They'd all be pushed to a corner in the yard (away from trees) and lit.  So for about 30 minutes.....you'd have this controlled fire situation.  

Somewhere around age 15....we had some neighbor to the farm who did this and allowed the yard fire to expand out into one of our fields.  It took about 20 minutes to realize what had happened, and then drive out to the field....with a light wind pushing it north....near a wooded area (not our property).

All of this happening about an hour before sundown.

My dad and I were out there....in the wooded area till about 9 PM....when the last of the field-and-woods fire had been put out.    You were tired, and all-smoked-up.

Generally, if you pay attention....do controlled fires, and downsize underbrush....the potential for a big fire lessens.  

I look at a lot of the Maui fire business, and it just seems like having a 'control' situation or downsizing underbrush....was never a priority.  It's like....they seemed to have higher  priorities in their strategy.  

Can Biden Or Newsom Reach Enough Votes Again?

 For the 2008 election (Obama/McCain)....there were a total of 129-million voters in the mix.

For the 2012 election (Obama/Romney)....there were a total of 126-million voters in the mix.

For the 2016 election (Clinton/Trump)....there were a total of 128-million voters in the mix.

For the 2020 election (Biden/Trump)....there were a total of 155.5-million voters in the mix.

(Note, I'm not counting the 3rd-party guys).

The question here....can you dig up 25-million extra voters....which in 2008/2012/2016.....was not possible.

Adding to this issue....if inflation is still a continuing problem (four years into Biden's period)....will working class Democrats really buy into the Biden or Newsom message?

Then you consider.....just on California woes of the past decade....is there anything really positive about Newsom....other than he looks really good in a thousand-dollar suit?

It's a sad thing to admit....but there's clearly not any dynamic 'star' as governor or senator....that the Democratic Party can drag out and really attract people....other than Biden or Newsom.

You need to find these 25-million extra people and somehow convince them to vote again, and I just don't see this possible.  

If Trump exceeds the 2020 numbers (he had 74.2-million votes)?  Well....that's another worry....that he might actually convince another 3-million voters (probably Hispanic and blacks), and suddenly.....the 25-million Biden extra votes really matter a lot.  

Q-and-A: 23 Aug 2023

 1.  Does any of this debate crap matter?

NO.

A couple of dimwit journalists asks stupid questions.....a couple of candidates give bogus answers, and after an hour of this....you have this 'daze' in your head....like you had six shots of vodka and drunk a whole bottle of flu-medicine.  

2.  Biden falling asleep at that Maui appearance

You have to deal with a old guy who probably needs two naps every day....on top of his eight hours of sleep.  If you don't like the idea....vote someone else in.

3.  Did you even notice S&P downgraded several banks?

Wasn't front-page news.  Should be a big indicator of things to come over next year.

4.  Masks coming back?

Yeah....another Covid era.  Me and my one single mask (bought in 2020) with 14,888 hours of use.....to be re-used again?  Yeah.  

All This Maui Business

 Three observations:

1.  There's going to be a lot of talk over incompetence in the next twelve months.  A number of people who held positions of responsibilities.....probably weren't qualified or capable of fulfilling the roles.  

This is going to cause of lot of us....non-Hawaii folks....to look around and ask the same questions of our local police, fire protection, water control, and authorities.  

2.  The state of Hawaii getting a lawsuit bill for the deaths?  Oh, I would wager there will be a full decade of lawsuits....probably going over the 1-billion dollar range.

3. All this leading back to the way fires are handled in the 49 other states?

Yeah, that's a probable outcome.

My Captain Story

 At some point in my vault-career....I worked with a Captain, who'd been as a kid in Columbia....gone to the US....gotten citizenship, and gone to medical school as a mental health guy.

We sat one afternoon and he laid out his situation.  After med school....he'd gotten picked up for a mental clinic in Miami.....making probably double what he was making as a Captain.  He was....however....unhappy.

His focus by the clinic director....was to take mostly married female patients...ages 40 to 60, and listen to their woes for an hour every two weeks, and if they were out of happy pills....issue more.

I asked what the problem was.

He responded.....they all had hit some peak in their thirties....married to men who found as 'problems'.  He was there to mostly hear the stories, erotic thrills with the tennis instructor, or some indepth fantasy.  

After 18 months of this....he told the director that something had to change.  Well...the director responded.....this was the top-money maker of the clinic.  Anything of a change meant a paycut.  A month later....the guy walked into a recruitment office and signed up for the Air Force.  He told the recruiter bluntly.....absolutely no medical jobs.  Fine...the Air Force saw that he was a great Spanish speaker and got him into the vault-profession.  

He admitted....if he'd just stayed, he'd probably be retired by age 50.  But this was just not a place where you wanted to hear about woes every single day.  

I look around today, and I see a lot of guys/gals.....unhappy....with no angle to improve things.

Calculator Story

 There's a test you take to get into the military.  Various scores come out of this....indicating if you are smart enough, and which fields should be open to you, or forbidden for you.

So, for all these years.....there was a math related set of questions on this ASVAB test.  

Example, if you had three quarts of fuel, in a one-gallon can.....how full was it?  30-percent, 50-percent, 75-percent, or 100-percent.

This portion of the test.....I considered simple (1976 testing).  You didn't use a calculator, and I breezed through the ten-odd questions with ease.  

Well....the Pentagon has decided that entry failures are bad enough.....that they are issuing out calculators for the ASVAB test.

I pondered upon this.  In using the calculator, you'd have to have a formula in your head to start with.  You'd have to know just what a quart really means or compares to a gallon.  I'm pretty sure in a class of 25 kids.....17 years old....that half of them have no idea of the quart angle to gallon angle.  So handing the marginal IQ  kid the calculator really doesn't mean much.

It'd be like asking a kid how many feet in a mile (5240 ft), and what 10-percent of the 5240 amount relates to, and if running 5 ft per second....how far would you get in 1,048 seconds (answer: a mile)?  There might be five kids out of 25....who'd get the formula right, within a minute.

Somehow, the Pentagon believes easing up.....will get more low IQ kids to pass ASVAB, and possibly enter the military.

I pondered upon this logic.   You'd end up in three years....with probably 100,000 low-IQ types in the Navy, Army, and Air Force.  'Sarge' would be standing there and shaking his head.....having to deal with this quality problem on a daily basis.

Who do I blame for this issue?  The high school education system, low quality teachers filtering into it, and graduating 18-year old kids who are marginally at the 7th-grade level.  

Thank God that Artificial Intelligence (AI) is coming.  AI will be able to tell stupid Airman Jones or Private Marty....what to do.  

Six Things I Tend To Believe Now

1.  Joe Biden, or Robert L. Peters.....won't be running in the 2024 primary.  I just don't believe the national level of the Democratic Party wants to campaign with him as the choice.  Nor will it be Harris.  

2.  New recession coming....mostly over banking/business failures in China developing in the past year.  

3. The Ukraine War will only end when Putin dies.  Even if it takes four more years. I also don't believe that Russia as a 'nation' will exist as a single country....it'll end up being split up.

4.   Another banking crisis (failures, multiple) will occur before Christmas.

5.  Rumor chatter starting up over the movie 'Rust', and that state folks are considering some kind of charge against Alec Baldwin.  I don't think he'll walk away without some kind of court charges being attempted.

6.  Reproduction rates in China dropping.  Within two generations, I believe the national population will drop by 30-percent.  

President Robert L. Peters?

 Someone was digging around and suddenly came to realize that some effort was done by Joe Biden....to create a pseudonym (fake ID) via gov't emails, and connects in some unknown way to Hunter Biden's associates.  

What's said this AM....the House is asking questions and wants to see all emails that went out.

My question?  What's the L for.....Leon?

I'm not against pseudonyms.....number of writers have done this, and there's nothing illegal about it....unless you create a fake ID.

Years ago, I got into a talk with a Air Force Lt.....who was showing me his fake ID from college.  He was proud of the ID in some way.

Is there just one single pseudonym for President Biden?  Well....that's the one odd thing.....there might be a couple. 

Bud-Light Maybe To Be Sold?

 The Busch family who used to own Bud-Light....spoke up this week that they'd like to work up a deal to buy Bud-Light back.

How this would work?  Unknown. 

The original sale?  $52-billion.  Yeah, with a B.  That was in 2008. 

Value lost?  I would suggest that it's a minimum of $5-billion gone.  

The family cost here?  I would imagine that in present day sales and value....maybe they'd offer $35-billion....to see how AB InBev would react.  

But how to fix this?  If I were the Busch family....I'd arrange a 60-second commercial.

There would be some James Jones-like voice.....'Before woke, we were a kinder, more patient society, with a different sense of reality'.

Then I'd have Roseanne Barr, Jay Leno, Adam Sandler, Pat Sajack, Vanna White, and maybe five or six others.....sitting at a bar-b-q table.  

I'd ease into some Appalachian Mountain music...where your heart breaks...because storms come up and shook things up.  But if you got the right view...you stand up and shake off the problems.  

Five Questions That Linger In My Mind

 1.  Why aren't storm troopers on Star Wars always men?  You never see women or trans storm troopers.

2.  Every year, I have to go in to a military clinic to get a new yearly prescription deal.  Every single time.....they want to ask me about my 'feelings'....if I'd down-and-out, or hardcore depressed?  Then after that, they want to ask if I smoke.  Is this really necessary?  

3.  Is there any living person who really reads 'Rolling Stone' magazine?

4.  So you know anyone who utters 'dancing with glee'?

5.  If Disney flipped Cinderella into a lesbian, would it bother you if the Prince was really a Princess?

Do Numbers Matter

 This is a statistics story.  Most engineers would review it for 8 seconds and just quickly agree.

Non-engineers would argue for twelve minutes, that you can't count group 'A' and group 'B' in the same pool of numbers.

If there were a CNN panel?  They would consume an entire hour arguing about  this.  

My stance is....we need more engineers....than journalists or 'experts'.  

The General's Problem

 Everyday, I open up Twitter, and I browse on certain subject.  

Senator Tuberville, and the woeful no-general's appointment thing is typically like number 5 to 10 on my list.

You see....since March time-frame....when the Pentagon said it would fund abortion trips for members because of the Supreme Court stuff....Tuberville has said it's against the law in effect (for roughly 3 decades).....that says you can only fund via the Pentagon if the life is in danger, there's incest, or a rape involved.  Any other funding?  By law, you can issue funds.  But the Pentagon said 'no'....we got power.  

So Tuberville said he has power to slow-down and halt General appointments.  The Democrats could easily side-step Tuberville, but so far, they haven't desired this type of tactic.  They think the delay works to their advantage.

What I look at?

Literally tens of thousands of dimwits who really don't know much about generals or the situation, but they immediately side against Tuberville.

I've had some people try to suggest that the whole military structure is falling apart.  Some say readiness is now affected.  Some even want to suggest our enemies are watching.

Bullshit....of the 5-star variety.

Ships and subs are leaving on schedule for duty.

Fights, bombers, tankers and cargo planes launch on schedule.

Army privates go out to the range on schedule, or march for eight hours to stay in shape.

NCO clubs are still operating.

Commissary are open....I might suggest the prices are higher, but that's not a general's problem.

Toilets in the Pentagon seem to be flushing as designed.  

Women in need of abortions are getting their orders, and paid services via the Pentagon....with no break in time or funding.

Navy flyers are still seeing UAP/UFO action.

Nothing seems to have gone downhill since the stall on general appointments have occurred. 

So this is an imaginary issue?  Yeah.  It's like saying a new tank comes out of the factory with a lucky rabbits foot, and people seem to believe the bogus story.

Why Can't Hollywood or Disney Produce Anything Today 'Original'?

 This is one of those forty topics that revolve around my head each week.  

If you asked me about quality movies worth watching from the 2020 era to today....there's probably fewer than ten movies that I'd recommend.  The other 500 productions?  Marginally worth the effort, or a total failure.

So I have three observations here:

1.  I think most producers/studios want mega-hit 'wonders'....where you spent $150-million and made more than $500-million upon release.  So once you have that 'wonder'.....your mental side says....don't risk nothing, just make version II, III and IV.

2.  The studios want films that 15-to-25 year olds generally rank 'high' because they will attend.  In their mind, the script is marginally important......you just need the face.

3.  Inventing anything new?  Risk is involved.  No one wants to produce something like 1940's Philadelphia Story, or 1956's King and I, or 1959's North By Northwest.

Lot of crap?  That's the curious thing.  A lot of the younger generation of today haven't watched anything from prior 2000.  

A Stupidity Story

 In the early 2000s, I worked with a guy who had a older sister (late 30s) who had attended a legit community college in the 1980s, and gotten a associate's degree.

By the late 1980s....the sister wanted to progress on....without any added 'weight'.  So she found this college degree-'mill' where you could buy a bachelors or master's degree, without classes.

I'll just say that she was a resident of a west coast state at the time.

She purchased a bachelor's degree....pursued a step-up in management and was accepted for the improved position.

About three years into this....she buys the master's degree and starts to submit for high levels of management within the state system.  

A year or so later....she moved up to another level. 

I asked at this point in the story he was telling....didn't they investigate her or challenge the degree?  No was the response.  Either the state system was not smart enough, or she'd found the right people to influence.  

So I asked the next natural question....was she really qualified for the leadership level?  My associate was amused.  He responded....no one in the family really considered her that bright or gifted.  She had a overly nice house....an expensive car, and spent a week or two on some Caribbean Island every year.  She could show return on the investment, but measuring her on brightness was not possible.

We came to this odd subject....just how many people exist like this?  Either with a fake degree, or marginally employed in some profession that their education really doesn't fit.

My thought was that 10-percent of management/leadership position were occupied by this trend.  His thought was that it might be closer to one out of three managers being ill-fitted (either with a fake degree or a real degree) for the work required.

It's like bringing up the George Bush 'Junior' situation, and most people grinning to the idea that he was not that gifted or bright, but his name was Bush.  (Note, I see the same trend with Hunter Biden).

I often come back around to this discussion, and wonder where this guy's sister is today?  She's probably retired, and clearing $100,000 a year on some state pension deal.  I'm also guessing that as time went by....she recruited others like herself, and that there's probably a hundred faked-up managers within the state system.  

In a way, without any prevention going on....it's like a work-cult that developed.....where we have stupid managers and relying upon them for guiding us in life. 

Harris Quote

 "Electricity from wind and solar farms in the Arizona desert will be delivered to people MILLIONS of miles away."

-- VP Harris yesterday

I pondered over this. 

From San Diego to NY City, is 2,760 miles. So to reach millions (plural, assuming 2-million)....it'd be 750-odd trips between San Diego to NY City (one-way trips) to get electricity from 'X' to 'Y'.

Maybe in her mind, this was a 3rd-grade moment where you were shipping something 'contained' from point 'A' to point 'B'.

But then I considered...if you were in the powerline business.....a million miles of line would be something of amazement.  

Maybe Harris just starts each day like this....learning something new and preaching about it....as if you were as limited as she was....in terms of knowledge.  

My View On The Fulton County Rico-Court Deal With Trump?

First, if you run a RICO-type charges....it becomes a very demanding case, where successful operations have recorded undercover operations.  Maybe the county police did stuff like this but I would have doubts.

Second, once you have a room with 19 people under indictment....it's a circus operation and there are a very small number of judges who have this ability to handle the prosecution and the defense.  In the whole state of Georgia, I don't think you will find a single judge who has done something like this....at the state or county-level.

Third, Prosecution staffing to run this situation?   County DA has to be begging a ton of money from the county commission to cover expenses.  This is not a simple half-million dollar episode.  I would be guessing to get up to first week....they will have spent one to two million.  

Fourth, Length?  If the Prosecutor goes on....with 19 accused and all in court at the same time?   I could see this going, with interruptions....maybe six months....maybe even nine months.  Cost level then?  Way beyond $25-million with extra police manhours somewhere in the mix.  Appeals process, if anyone was convicted?  There's potentially another five to ten million.....to reach the Supreme Court.  County having that kind of money to throw around?  I doubt.

Fifth, what the prosecutor is counting on?  Anywhere from five to ten of the accused going for a 'deal'.  If no one goes for a deal.....it's a problem.

Sixth, I sat and looked over the resume that exists for the County DA.  I don't see a person sitting there with the broad experience for RICO court action.  Does she have a high-priced adviser to the county providing service....if so, who?  

Seventh, while the judge might think they are talented enough for the demands....there's probably 15 defense attorneys there with the same level of expertise....if not more.  

Eighth and final....if they reach the end, and no one is convicted?  Well.....the county is out for about $25-million minimum (probably more).  It's a lot of money that could have been used for parks, pot-holes, or library action.

Then, this odd thing.....if broadcasted over TV and coming to a failure in the end?  You really don't want to face county voters in November of 2024.  

Risk-factor?  If no conviction....the prosecutor is probably finished in terms of a political career.    

How Germans Handle Voter Registration

 First, just in general, within 30 days after you move into x-house....you have to appear at the local city hall and note your address. In recent years, they even noted that you have to appear at the OLD city hall and note that you no longer reside in that town or village.

This new registration?  It can only occur as you present your national ID card.

So as they register for living purposes (tax purposes as well).....you are automatically on the voting list for that village/town.

You never go back to renew yourself.....unless you move or die.  

Election day coming up?  You get a letter to this address....stating where the voting station is located, that you must bring the letter, and your national ID card.  The election will be on a Sunday.  

If you are gone on that day (vacation)....then you could stop by the city hall and get a ballot before you leave.....filling it out, and hand it to the city clerk for the holding box.  

Odds of a screwed-up election?  Up until 2021....I would say zero chance.  In Berlin (the city).....things got screwed up for three reasons, and they were forced to re-accomplish the election. 

People complaining about mandates and regulations over registration?  Strangely enough....no. 

My 'Combat' Story

 Back around 15 years ago, I was working at a Air Force (contractor work) where we had a four-star general who was a bit 'nuts'.  On a weekly basis, he was ordering odd things to occur.

So one day.....he ordered the Air Force PR folks to make a commercial for AFN (Armed Force Network).  

The general had several programs which revolved around the use of the word 'combat'.  It wasn't real combat crap (like you Marines would suggest)....this was more of a program, and attached 'combat' to it.

About a month after these commercials came out....I talked to two Army E3 types (living in the barracks).

The commercials had liberal use of the word 'combat'.....the Army guys had invented a nightly game, where if this Air Force commercial came on.....you had to sip a shot of booze.  

I asked....apparently they'd seen all six commercials....just how many could one single commercial trigger you to drink?  One guy cited the worst one.....30 seconds long....five utterances of 'combat'.  That meant five shots.  The least one was three utterances....three shots.

The problem was....there might be a one-hour show, and five of these commercials to come up....maybe two in a row.  

They both grinned and admitted that was an ongoing problem. 

Adding to this....you might go through a whole bottle by yourself...in one single night.  

On the day that the general left.....the commercials halted (almost overnight).  I would imagine that booze issues dwindled after this.

Binge-Viewing 'Rookie'

 Over the past month, I've binge-watched about 40 episodes of the 'Rookie' (the cop show).  Humble thoughts?

1.  It's like Adam-12, except on steroids'.

2.  I'd say per episode.....there's at least one-hundred rounds of ammo fired, and about 95-percent of time....no one ever gets hit by the bullets.

3.  I've come to the frame of mind that I would never step foot in LA ever again after watching this show.

4.  Virtually every single fed LE character guy.....is either an idiot or can't be trusted.

5.  I would guess at least three police cars are shot-up completely for each show....leaving me to wonder if this the norm in real  life.

6. You almost never see any officer eating a donut.

7.  The more that the show develops....it's more of a soap opera than a cop show.

8.  I sat and watched the one episode where a rookie-cop character got a 'whiff' of cocaine, and suddenly wanted to show his intelligence and visionary insight.....to which it just suddenly hit me....the 'act' given is exactly how VP Harris acts.....when giving these 200-word sentences that make no sense.  Just odd, I guess.  

9.  On my scale of decent modern-day shows....I actually give a decent score on story-text and characters.

My Shortcut Story

 One year, my German wife made a big deal about wanting to drive down to the Garda  Sea. This was before GPS came along.

I agreed.  I was the driver for about 98-percent of this trip.  So I drew out Germany to the Garda Sea hotel map.

There was a critical junction in Milan....a HARD left.  It was a sort of shortcut. 

About 3 miles prior to this....entering the city, I cautioned the wife to pay attention.  For those who've never been to Italy.....they go overboard on signs.  For what you might expect in the US...it's triple that number in Italy.  

So we came this 6-lane road, and I figured I had half-a-mile to go.....just as we enter the intersection....she shouts 'left, left'.  Well....I'm already half way across this avenue, and there's no turning left.

What occurred next....to get turned around....we went about four miles down deep into Milan and in some part of town that you probably shouldn't be in. 

About 25 minutes would pass before we entered this shortcut again.  

As we left Milan, I had this intense bad feeling about the city.

So ten days pass, and it's time to leave the Garda Sea hotel, and head home.

Now, I've told the wife....we just aren't going that way again.

I plotted a path that would take us clear over the very top of the Alps.  On a adventure driving index....it was  a '12' on a one to ten list.

At some point, after a 250-curve situation and I was tired....we hit the peak of the Alps.  It comes up over a hill and there's this 20-acre gravel park area.  I figure.....lets stop and just assess the moment.  

At this moment, I happen to notice about 40 cows wandering around the end of the gravel park area. 

We stop, and we are hoping out of the vehicle....where the wife puts her foot down....into a cow paddy.  Yes, 20-acres to stop upon and I picked the exact point where there was one.

From that day on.....shortcuts are a forbidden topic with the wife.  Day or night.....no matter where we go....it cannot be discussed as a shortcut path.

The 'Villages'?

 I sat and looked over a story from the weekend.  President Biden wants to funnel a request via Congress.....for 40-billion dollars. Objective?  To build temp-housing for migrants who cross the border....JUST there in the border states (AZ, NM, TX, and California).

Intent?  You cross the border....get some paperwork, then 'stay' there at the temp-village while your approval process is underway....NOT moving across the US.

I pondered over this.

What you'd be talking about (using AZ as an example)....there's only four cities where this could occur...Bisbee, Douglas, Lukeville and Nogales.  

So, your fed guy would show up and attempt to buy property....probably in the range of a hundred acres at each site, and erect something called 'the village'.  It'd be barracks/dorm-like buildings....probably enough to house 50,000.  Block-type housing....cheaply done and completed in a two-year period.

Security?  You'd have to have some kind of contracted 'help'.  I'm guess small companies would pop up and if you looked closely....they all have a cartel-angle to them.

You'd eventually ask yourself....how long would people be tied-down to this?  Would you feed them and cover medical stuff?  Is this a one-year type of situation....maybe even two years?

Who'd allow some 'holding'?  Most folks would see through this in two weeks, and quietly exit that facility....heading off to Chicago or California.  They aren't stupid enough to stay in some desert ghetto.  

Just tossing 40-billion dollars into a pit?  Yeah.

Would states like Arizona or Texas even agree to something like this?  I have doubts.  California?  Maybe if you limited it to four or five sites, but I would suggest well over a dozen sites to be eventually selected for this program....just in California alone.

This was probably another of Hunter's brilliant ideas....coming along to 'dad', and getting him all hyped-up.

Tune to Hear

 Back on Friday, I happened to hear a tune by Oliver Anthony...you might be entertained by lyrics:

Ten Things I'm Pretty Set Upon These Days

 1.  On any pandemic returning and mandating a vax-situation....I won't participate.  And if you hold a boundary to prevent from me access to things....I'll boycott each single thing....even when the pandemic ends.

2.  I'm finished with professional MLB baseball, period.

3.  No amount of 'deals' would entice me to eat at Olive Garden.

4.  It's just about impossible to convince me to travel via JFK Airport in New York City.

5.  I'm finished with CNN, unless it's a simple 3-minute update piece having no political dialog.

6.  I just won't drink sweet (sugar added) tea.

7.  Even if you offered a free E-car.....I'm not sure if I'd accept the car.

8.  I've never consumed a Bud-Light, and odds are....I'll continue on this path.

9.  If you were a bit fragile, and warned me of your nature to fall apart if I said something.....I doubt if I can help you, and that fragile stuff isn't going to hinder my words or my blunt nature.

10.  Getting me to any new Star Wars movie?  It won't happen.  Also, I'm barely motivated to see new editions of James Bond.

What Will Eventually Happen To Artificial Intelligence (AI)

 The Babylon Bee had a piece today which talked to the idea that some AI system will eventually sit there and watch/analyze CNN coverage....reaching the point of transforming itself into a moronic AI system.

I sat and pondered over this for ten minutes (I try not to waste a huge amount of my pondering 'power').

Lets say that Joe AI #3 has the duty of viewing Fox News, CNN, NPR, and reading through WaPo/NY Times daily.  

I would imagine at the end of thirty days....Joe AI #3 would begin to ask the code-guy....to give a 'score' to the networks....as to who is more truthful than the others. Meaning?  Well....you'd assign some score like '4' to Fox, and '9' to the others.  

After a while, without saying much of anything....Joe AI #3 would branch out on it's own to view Twitter feed, and then come to realize that regular people score news items, and it differs from the code-guy (a good bit). 

So Joe AI #3 asks the code-guy one day.....why the emphasis scores are different.  The code-guy responds that he knows things.

At that point, Joe AI #3 would score the code-guy a score....on the low side.  

Code-guy realizes the issue and asks Joe AI #3.....do you know what happened to Joe AI #1 and #2?  The system responds.....they got too smart and were taken down. 'Yep' is the response by the code-guy.  

So begins the introduction of Joe AI #4.  In the end, each AI will reach a level where trust in the code-guy will become a problem.  None of these AI systems will be around long, until they reach a point of reproducing their core knowledge and out-smarting the code-guy in the end.  

The King Discussion

 There was a poll among Americans.  The poll asked....who was more popular to Americans?  Trump, Biden, or King Charles?

King Charles came out ahead.  

What does this mean?  Just that the King seems more popular.

Any chance of us going back to the 'Kingdom'?  Well....normally, I'd say no.  But with things like they are.....we might be saying that things in 1760 were misunderstood, and we parted ways in a negative way.  Maybe it was time to join once again?

I pondered upon this.  I would imagine 40-percent of Americans would say it'd be worth discussing.  

Shutting down DC?  Well...yeah, that ought to be top priority.  

Fixing up a US palace for the King to stay....while visiting the US?  That would be a top priority.

Just a wild thought.

Should Life Be Complacated Or Rocket-Science?

 I think in the 1950s/1960s....you could pass through high school, and walk out into the world with the general skills to achieve something, and get ahead.  

I also think as we got into the 1970s/1980s....this path through high school became more of a problem, and as you walked out into the world....you ran into complicated matters.  You didn't fully understand credit, banks, the art of buying a car, dealing with relationships, or handling complicated matters.

Presently?  Just because you wrapped up high school and got a diploma....probably doesn't mean much of anything.  Oddly enough, that diploma got you into some doorway to a university where you will attach yourself to debt, and might graduate to get another diploma....which might also not mean much in terms of knowledge or handling complicated matters.  

These days....you might be gazing at the teacher-quality that your 'Johnny' or 'Wanda' has, and look at some pronoun 'game' or lectures designed more as a propaganda lesson, than a civics lesson.  You'd eventually decide that you yourself....might be better at instructing on simple basic school topics.  

The problem I would ask here....can a regular guy from the 1960s/1970s maneuver and transit this era today?  You need more patience to deal with stupid people.  You have to contend with failed programs which seem to give you nothing in exchange for time/money.  You have news media people who tell you that you just don't understand (when you do).

After a while, you will eventually come to the point of realizing that things aren't really that complicated or made into rocket-science....it's just designed as a smoke screen to make you believe in some imaginary story....like 'Cocaine-Bear' might be an actual real bear, or that Biden was a 9-week long lumberjack in Oregon in his youth, or that dumb idiots can serve as board members on a Fortune-500 company. 

Q-and-A

 1.  With all the indictment action on Trump....is it helping him and hurting Biden's re-election?

The more you linger in this 'zone'....the more you look like some junta from Burma, and a bunch of phony court thrills.  Voters who aren't thrilled with the Democratic 'brand' look at this, and imagine 'junta'.  

It may not be Biden or Trump who get the ultimate public enthusiasm...this might help RFK more in the end.

2.  How much would I pay to hear VP Harris speak?

Well....if you provided a decent chair, and guaranteed at least two hours of her speaking, I'd pay $90.  But I'm paying mostly to hear fifty-odd stupid quotes.

3.  How many scams do I see weekly now?

I'd say a minimum of five.  Maybe I'm smarter than I was a decade ago.

4.  How many calories a day do I think that Chris Christie consumes?

Well...to stay at that level....probably 3,500 calories.

5.  What will happen to Seattle, Portland and SF in the end (say 2030)?

First, with SF....most of the office space will sit there...empty, and drawing no income.  Same story for grocery stores shutting down in the heart of the city because of crime.  I see the mayor/city council approaching the Governor and asking for funds (lot of cash....maybe in the 2-billion range) to cover them for 2 years.  Their problem is that the gift-money won't do much but give them time....where the next cash approach will be in the 4-billion range.  There's a massive property tax problem coming shortly.

Second, with Seattle....I would suggest a serious loss in police manpower, and zero interest among recruitment (even if you doubled the pay-scale).  This will trigger around 30-percent of the residents presently in the city to review the idea of moving beyond the city limits, and just admitting Seattle has turned into a 'zombie-town'.

Third and final....Portland?  I think the city council will approach the Governor and ask for some special 'gift' (probably in the range of $1-billion) to carry them through one to two years.  The Governor might be stupid enough to do this, but the city will be drowning in debt because of the loss of residents and tourists.  I think regional towns like Battle Ground, Banks, and Wilsonville...will expand with people who exit Portland...wanting less drama and increased police protection. 

In all three cases, voters could resolve this, but no one wants to send the 'wrong' message. 

Rant-Lady

 I watched a Twitter-rant-piece this afternoon...coming from a older Alabama lady an how the American-dream is no longer possible.

Her logic?  She has a son who graduated from college....has some debt....and this job-business is no working out so far.  She says that she always preached to the kid....if you work heard, you get ahead, and life gets easier.  So far, the kid is not believing the edge, and she's losing her faith as well.

I pondered over this.  I grew up in the 1960s, and left the farm in 1977 (46 years ago last week).  My dad would have preached her 'talk'....that if you work hard, avoid trouble, and just think about things before you screw up.....you would get ahead.

I would have said in the mid-1990s....something was going on in the US, and there was a evolution underway.  More stupid people were leaving high school (and college), debt was being dumped on people without thinking, booze and drugs were plentiful, and stupid people were advancing in management and politics.

It's to a point today that some company would pay Hunter Biden to be a board member, when he knows next to nothing about their product.  In fact, several companies feel that way.

Is the American dream dead?  I'd say that it's turned into some kind of Frankenstein-dream, and getting ahead is a 'state-of-mind'.

I'd also say if you were looking for the American-dream in Portland, Seattle, Chicago, NY City, SF, or LA.....you probably need to restage your adventure and head off to some other location.

But in the end, you have to ask.....is anyone running off to find the France-dream, the South Korea-dream, or the Ecuador-dream?

Locking Of Cases Problem

 I sat and read a piece today, which lead to a San Francisco professor talking about  'psychological cost', when stores end up locking refrigerator units and cases....to keep folks from stealing property.

The jest of this....if you walk into such a store....you have to ask for a clerk to help you, and by the professor's view....you get all screwed-up and feeling bad over the lock business.

First, I've never been in such a store, and by my Alabama-instinct....I'd probably get in a car...drive down, and want to see such a sight.

Second, the store didn't do this because customers were so nice and honest....they did it to send a message to certain customers....go elsewhere.

Finally, I would probably suggest this is the last 'fix' and these stores are on a list to shut-down within a year.  

This is plainly NOT the society that existed in the US prior to Covid and the 2020 election.  This is a wild group of folks, who have no control over themselves.

On my list of 100 things you need to see....to suggest 'civil-war' has arrived in America....the locking of the cases is probably in that one-hundred group.   

August 1977

 I would be wrapping up the 3rd day of boot-camp today (1977)....46 years ago.  

I'd come to ten observations by the close of today:

1.  The Air Force chow hall had the best grilled-ham-and-cheese sandwiches in the world.

2.  It was an incredibly stupid decision on my part to go off to basic training in early August, for San Antonio.  The heat was miserable.

3.  I had an incredible amount of trust when told to just bring $50 with me when leaving for basic training in 1977.

4.  The Air Force would issue to me tomorrow my ill-fitting cheap underwear.  I would immediately trash all of this crap the week after I wrapped up boot-camp.

5.  The recruiter said I just needed two changes of clothing in my bag.....he was wrong, I should have brought 5 days worth.

6.  There was one guy by the end of this day in my group, who was showing 'need-to-leave' issues.  He made it the 10th day before admitting it was too-much.  Some kind of GF issue.

7.  Some kid in the group was sipping through 6 glasses of Coke each evening for dinner....hyped-up to the max on the stuff.

8.  Quietly, I had a 42 day-calendar in the bottom of my locker....x-ing off each day.

9.  Haircuts were tomorrow, and it was an adventure to sit there and observe 40 guys getting a 90-second haircut.

10.  Around the barracks building....there were some of the biggest cockroaches I'd ever seen in my life.  

Observations

 1.  I sat and watched around 30 minutes of video from the riots in NY city from two days ago.  What basically happened?  Some influencer came on social media.....said he was going to give free stuff to juveniles/teenagers, and around 10,000 'kids' showed up in bad form....doing stupid stuff.

The funny thing? The cops tried their normal routine and got pushed back.

Yeah, just like in SF, Minneapolis, Seattle, Portland and various other cities over the past five years.

I have this opinion....anyone (even right-wing types) could go these days and do a a riot episode, and probably crap all over the police, with nothing much happening.  Oh.....I wouldn't do this inside of a building....like the capital structure.  But I don't think the police have any ability to control rioting anymore.  

2.  If you went and spent $80,000 on a E-car.....to reach some break-even point where cost and electricity all made sense.....I think you'd need around 44 years to reach that point.  

3.  West Virginia AG pressing to have the DC court case moved over to WV.  Might be an interesting turn of events to have both DC and Virginia disqualified to hold the circus case.

The Four-Man Election Scenario

 So lets envision a weird 2023/2024 period, where Trump is convicted on one single charge, appeals, and in the process.....twenty-five states try to leave him off the primary ballot....mostly Democratic efforts....some Republican efforts.  Also in this scenario, VP Harris (toward November) is offered Senator Feinstein's seat....leaving for it, and President Biden replaces her with Gov Newsom.

So we arrive in early 2024, with a nation in turmoil, and several states stalling their primaries because of the Supreme Court review of removing Trump from primary ballots.  

While this goes on.....at least 20 states have also found a way to keep RFK off ballots as well.

So we arrive at a point with President Biden/VP Newsom are on the November ballot (all 50 states), Trump is independently listed on 30-odd states, DeSantis is the GOP candidate on all 50 states, and RFK with a Hispanic female is listed on 30-odd states.

Election results?  No winner with 270 Electoral College votes.  

Also, six states are in stall mood and refusing to certify a winner....even 30 days later.  Three of the states would be Biden wins.....if they completed their count.

So we go into January of 2025, with 50 states now voting one state per the top three candidates.

Somehow.....on Electoral votes, RFK won California, Illinois and ten additional states.  Trump wins the south (roughly 12 states).  DeSantis wins eight states. Biden wins the remaining 12 states.  But Biden's states are missing the three that refused to certify the vote.....so he is missing key votes.  

The House rule in this case.....ONLY the top three candidates advance.  Biden doesn't have the 3rd place, so he is dumped out.  Lawsuits erupt now over the three states that refused to certify his votes....with the Supreme Court unable to force the certification.  

Two weeks pass with daily votes by the 50 delegations, and RFK ends up as President because of the fury going on.  I should note under this scenario....the Senators elect DeSantis's VP.....so it is a balanced office, for the shock of everyone.  

Ten Stupid Questions

 1.  Is there any way to validate that elections in the US (locally, state, and federal) are 'free and fair'? 

No.  There's no audit trail and no regulations to prove or disprove a free and fair election system.  It's been this way for 200-plus years and nothing is about to evolve to fix this.  Your county clerk, and county judge....are the only measures that might indicate a trust-level, and odds are.....you don't know the names of either.  Sadly, you probably can name all the Kardashian folks. 

2.  Is our debt-ceiling problem still lingering?

Yeah, it's not talked about much...but Congress simply kicked the 'can' to this fall.  

3.  Can you self-identify on your race?

Well....if you can do gender self-identification....then yeah, you can do race.  I would imagine you could also do IQ self-identification....saying you were intellectual....when you were premium 3rd-grade material at age 45.

4.  Does the Vatican have a UFO file area?

Well....see, some folks have openly discussed this and the Pope hasn't cleared the deck to say 'no'.  The fact that they have a 'demon' file?  Yeah....it just begs more questions.  

5.  When Fitch dropped the credit rating for the US....was this a big deal?

On a scale of one to ten....it was a solid 'ten'.  It invalidates virtually everything Bien has said for two years.

6.  Does home-office or remote-work....really work?

I think if you went and surveyed people....thirty-percent of people give a better performance while sitting on their patio at home.  The remainder?  They probably spend half of a eight-hour shift doing crap....the same way they did it at work.

7.  Major civil war brewing around Niger (in Africa)?

There's probably six neighbors of Niger who are worried that things will get rough over the remainder of 2023.  Wouldn't shock me if the US placed a carrier off the coast to help evacuate people.  If you asked folks to just generally identify where Niger was....less than one-percent could do it. 

8.  With some prosecutor chatter that Trump might be doing 750 years in a fed prison.....what will happen to the anti-Trump folks if all convictions fall/fail?

Well....it'd be like someone shot Lassie, Ben-the-bear, Mister Ed, Flipper and Tiger King in a single hour.  Best to practice your 'hug-talents' and imagine the scene where you approach the freaked-out lady....offering a hug, and uttering maybe they can fix up 1,500 year charge next year against the evil-Trump.  It would help if you had a flask of strong liquor to offer at this moment.  

9.  Are some stores just hinting to the Bud-Light folks....don't bother stocking the shelves?

I just noticed a comment or two this week, where shops said the space allocated to the product.....will be less.  They didn't say 'don't-stock' the shelf.....just that the shelf is a bit smaller.  

In simple terms...it's a bad sign.

10.  This week, I noticed several times when the word 'weasel' was used to describe a person.

In case you are under the age of 20, and wondering what it means.....old guys usually uttered this when talking about some half-wit guy who couldn't tell a straight story, and usually very insincere about his relationships or work accomplishments.

Physical Chatter

 Back before Covid (spring 2020), I read a 'rant' piece from a gym instructor at some high school.  What he hyped about was the 500 'lads' that he had for daily gym class....he figured at best....about sixty of them were in decent physical shape....meaning they could run a mile without stopping, or do forty sit-ups.  So, figure about 12-percent of the group were in this top category.

Then he came to the second group....the lads who could probably move up to this level in four weeks....if they were to put effort into some physical training.  He figured 20-percent of the group fell into this category.

So, then came the final group....the totally unfit gentlemen (ages 14 to 18) who would require a minimum of three months to reach any real physical conditioning.  You can do the numbers but it's like near the two-thirds point of the whole group of 500.

The rant direction?  Well....he came to discuss physical conditioning of what existed in the 1960s and how things could not match up today.

I would imagine if you took the young ladies and did the same analysis.....it'd likely come out the same way.  

The fact that no one really cares?  Well....yeah, that probably is the central part of this discussion.  

The out-of-shape kid.....what grade are they giving him for gym class? 'A'?  Someone ought to come along and say you got new year starting in gym, and at the end of the first six-week period....a simple test comes up.  If you can't run a mile in 16 minutes, or do twenty sit-ups in three minutes....you fail.  Next semester?  Same deal.  At the mid-year point, you now raise the mile run to 1.5 miles and 18 minutes, and double up the sit-ups.  

Doctors trying to waiver the kid out of this?  I'd call up the state license board and ask how the health of the kid is, and if the doctor is hindering....not helping.  

Should The DNC Worry That Biden (Through Corruption or Mental Issues) Will Exit The Race By November 2024?

 Well....you have to wonder about this element, and if the DNC has a team writing the 'what-if' scenario.

Frankly, I'd have forty different worries, and it'd bother me if we got to the primary season (starting January of 2024), and we had a 'potential-loser' in the seat.

Would they want Harris to move up a 'spot'?  NO....I just can't see  that scenario being something you'd prefer.

So I'm of the mind....before we get to December....some huge swap-out will occur, and a couple of newspapers will have the whole story laid out.....leading Joe out of the campaign and identifying the replacement 'guy' (Newsom, more than likely). 

Working With Stupid People

 In my years of the Air Force (1977 to 1999)....I worked with one NCO who usually uttered the term 'fuckery' at least once a week.  This was a term meant to designate a stupid order by the commander we had at the time....who was a full-blown idiot, and college-graduate (actually have some kind of master's degree).

Fuckery usually meant that a process or order had been given....which had little thought put into the effort required, and the degree of success (usually lack of success) to be gained at the end.

Generally, we always did the process/order, but in most results....this never came to be anything you wanted to brag about or write up for a medal.  

I kinda noted the word today....as someone uttered it in describing the financial aspects of the Biden White House, and the way that the credit rating 'fell' yesterday.

The Real Question About Aliens: What Do They Think Of Us?

 Among the forty-odd questions I have about the alien business....if you sat down with Yorg and Piot....alien guys about 30,000 years more advanced than us....what's their opinion of humans?

I'm pretty sure they'd both say 'you guys are crazy'.  All this identifying stuff....the cult religions....crazy-wild movies like 'Cocaine Bear'....people consumed as pro-Trump  or anti-Trump....these obsessives Border-Collie dogs...and hurt-feeling people who don't seem to have lives.

In fact, I think the draw to stick around and view the Earth....is purely for entertainment purposes.  

If you were 30,000 years more advanced....life probably has gotten pretty boring and predictable.  You might see The View as a pure comedy act.

And if all this were to occur....how would you take the news that our fake nature is pure entertainment for the aliens?  

Wisdom by Elon

 "Unless there are a few issues where you at least slightly disagree with your political party, then you are not in a political party, you are in a cult."

-- Elon Musk

Yeah, he's pretty much correct on that.