'Super Straight'?

 I was reading through a fair number of articles today, and this one just kinda stood out.  It involves a new sexuality....guys (or gals), who only want to date (hook-up would work as well) with someone of the opposite sex, and NOT trans-folks.

The scenario?  Fred is 30 years old, and his friend wants to set him up with a date.  Somewhere in the discussion....the problem comes up....this is a former guy who has done the full-operation and converted over to a female (well, as female as you can be).  Fred thinks over this, and then says 'no'.  At that moment, by the folks talking about 'super-straight'.....he's a bigot.

I sat there for a while.  This is not one of those problems that you'd run into twenty years ago.  You might worry about the gal being 'chunky', overly intellectual, a weird religion gal (like handling snakes or speaking in 'tongues'), having a glass-eye, having a piercing in a unmentioned body region, having a seventeen weapon collection, having a Harley, or locally known for having shot a guy for questioning her judgement.

Where this is going to lead onto?  Well....these trans-gender 'gals' are going to complain at some point that as they put out opportunities to date.....the only guys they seem to be able to find....well....are gay guys who suggest they can be 'bi' but only with a trans-gender gal.  

This leading to a mess?  Some PhD folks will talk about the phenomenon, and write studies to explain that for each thousand trans-gender gals.....there's only 500 regular guys who are willing to date with them.  

The thing here....is this really a PROBLEM?  Is it something we should ponder upon or worry about?  To be frank, I can think of 20-odd thousand problems I'd rate at a higher level as a society.  

Do I Care Much Over the Prince Harry/Meghan Interview With Oprah?

 No.

I know that Oprah paid around $7-million for this....but frankly, it's worthless chatter.

All of this....to get the two into some reality TV show 'gimmick'?  More or less.  

If you look at their lifestyle, just on rent alone for the California spot....it's $275k a month.  If you figure cars, food, etc....it's probably $300k on top of that.  So they need near $600k a month to present themselves.

Neither have any real talents that lend to the idea of an income of $7-million a year....at least under present circumstances. 

I just don't see where this goes....other than them becoming some Kardashian-type reality show. Then add to this....neither have any talent to draw people to a 'circus' environment.  

Deceit

 There was a good piece off RedState this weekend, and the topic was....."'Pro-Life Evangelicals for Biden' Say They Were Betrayed, and Confusion Abounds".

Various religious folks were given a political message in the months leading up to the November election, and they were told in simple terms....if you just had a President Biden, things would be better, and that he would not dare go and start up an abortion-path.  Well....yes, he did.

You can imagine this scene at some Baptist Church.   A number of couples showed up in the past three Sundays....fairly dismayed and asking pointed questions over what they were told.

'Brother Jim' talks over things with 'Brother Bob', and 'Sister Candy' is pretty riled up while talking to 'Sister Mindy'.

So they are confronting 'Preacher Morty'.  He's at a loss of words.

He does remember getting this funny 'invite' to a spiritual week (four days at a fancy resort) in North Carolina....all expenses paid.  He hung out with forty-odd ministers, and this group of four spiritual-talkers, who were moderating the whole week.

In the midst of this Moses-chatter and Simon-chatter, there were these odd moments where Trump-chatter and Biden-chatter came up.  

Then 'Preacher Morty' remembers that 9-page reference sheet, which he used for three or four sermons in October.  He goes to review it, and finds that 50-percent of it...is anti-Trump propaganda.  

'Preacher Morty' gets all riled up, and tries calling Dee-Dee (one of the spiritual advisers), but the phone is disconnected.  He tries the other three idiots....same thing.  He calls up the hotel, and they reference some organization in Minnesota....that line is disconnected as well.

It's at this point that 'Preacher Morty' realizes that he's been deceived in a very bad way.    Up and down the aisle.....various folks are peeved, and wanting answers.  The preacher can't say much....just admitting he was fooled in a royal way....but he should did enjoy the four days of leisure (with cocktails) at the fancy resort.

So quietly over the next year....various folks will realize that the church is the wrong place to get propaganda, that ministers can easily be deceived, and that some serious manipulation took place.  

Human or Algorithm: Who Do You Want to Run Your Life?

 This week, I watched a discussion unfold on YouTube where two fairly smart PhD-level guys talked about this strange situation of the past five years....where 'tech-saviors', social crusaders, and reality were all colliding in front of us.  

In the end, the general question of this focus meeting....who do you really want to run your life?  An artificial intelligence algorithm, or a human?

For example, if you walked into a Burger King of the future, and swiped your card...it'd know your general health 'numbers', and preferred category of food....giving you only two potential food choices (a low-cal salad, or a zero-beef vegan-burger).  The AI would limit your choices....with the priority being to extend your life.

AI might step in and note the location of your vehicle....the parking lot of some honky-tonk bar, and mandate you give a 'huff' into the alcohol monitor before cranking up.  

AI might profile the blind-date set for you tonight, and wisely predict to skip it.

AI might evaluate your messages of the past five years, and send you a message that your marriage is failing.  It might go and recommend three potential divorce lawyers, and then make a 32-percent probability that your spouse is cheating.

AI might step in and predict that 'Junior' (your 13-year old son) is hanging out with trouble-makers, and needs to be sent to a military academy in Florida, with sixteen recommended choices given.

AI might do a weight evaluation of your spouse, and recommend you put the guy on a diet.

AI might evaluate your political stance, and recommend only news to soften your feelings....guiding you to the opposite side of the spectrum.

The problem here...is that AI ends up being programed with priorities.....which you can't be sure about the original intentions or the goal of the AI in the end.  You might even wake up one day to find that some AI system is geared to go in one direction, and that some new AI has arrived....to guide you to the opposite direction....which makes you ask for a third AI to determine if AI number one or AI number two are correct.  

20 March: Next Worry Date?

 About a week ago, there was a lot of hype with Washington DC security folks...over the 4th of March, and some massive thug-army arriving to make trouble.  

Capital Police, FBI, and various groups were all 'tuned-in' to this hyped-up story. 

What happened on the 4th?  Nothing.

Now?  Starting yesterday....a new date has been established by the QAnon folks....20 March....when the thug-army will appear.

What'll happen?  Capital Police, the FBI, and the DC regular police will probably cancel all leave for the 19th and 20th....in anticipation of 'trouble'.  

When nothing happens on the 20th?  QAnon will quietly predict that the 1st of April is the next arrival of the thug-army.  

It's almost comical what this group of QAnon folks have been able to accomplish.  

After my suggestion of the 1 April thug-army day?  There could be twenty announcements made, and the leave schedule for 2021 will be crap.  Cancellation of Senate and House business for each suggested day?  Yes....that's part of the whole landscape as well. 

It's comical how this whole thing has developed.

Observations

 1.  With all this wokeness going on.....can big three TV networks even deliver any legit entertainment?  I've pondered upon this.  If you tried to drag 'Dallas' up today and produce the series....is it possible?  If you were to produce 'The Flintstones', would it be possible?  

I see the fall line-up of new TV shows arriving, and wokeness forcing a dismal situation....where people are stepping away from regular TV.  

2.  I noticed that the city of SF went out and purchased 262 tents for homeless folks in the region.  Now, if you'd gone to Wal-mart....running for a 'fine' tent....you'd pay around $120 (add tax onto this) for a simple two-person tent.  So it would come up to around $35k to $40k....depending on the luxury style of the tent.  

Well...the SF program...which also provides 'toilet boxes' in certain areas for the crowd is also included in this package.  Total cost?  $16-million.  Yes....tents and toilet services....$16-million.

3.  A survey done on the mass of teenage immigrants at the border....the 15 to 17 year olds?  They are jobs-ready and that's their full aim....get employment and move on....no BS school crap.

All of these fast-food places with employee attitude problems?  If you give 'papers' to the incoming Hispanic group (even the 15-year old kids)....they are going to take up these jobs, and the bad attitude crowd will suddenly be sitting at home and asking where their job went.

4.  A group of California high school boys are preparing for the upcoming baseball season.  So naturally pictures of team players needed to happen.  They all removed their masks....to pose.  School reaction?  Two-week suspension upon each player.  

Is There An Actual Need for the State of the Union 'Message'?

 No.  

It's basically a theatrical production to give the President time to appear before Congress/the Senate, and have either radio or TV giving the 'message' across the nation.

The first radio address? 1922, by President Harding.  It should be noted for the next fourteen years....it was a day-time situation, and few Americans heard it.

In 1936....under FDR, things changed and it went to a night-time event, and was blasted across the entire US.  That fundamentally changed things, and it became a free 'advertisement' by the national news media.

What is the value today?  Mostly zero....just forty-odd promises, and half of them will never occur.  Some will occur, but the price-tag will shock you.  Some will occur, and make your life more miserable than it was before.

You could probably better use the time to wash and wax the pick-up, or chat with the neighbor over NCAA football frustrations.