I was reading through statistical BS this weekend.
In terms of 'holding' mental ill folks....our peak year was 1955, with 559,000 in a closed-off facility.
Today? The number held in a closed-off facility? Around 35,000.
I asked Grok (the AI) from state and federal prisons....how many in prison have some element of mental illness? Answer: 558,000 roughly.
1. My humble thought on Bitcoin?
Look, there's no logical reason to explain one Bitcoin is worth $120k, or $110k, or even $1. You can't base value off the stupid coin.
2. Is there one single California 'leader' that I'd recommend?
No. It's like some mental hospital were holding 10,000 folks, and released them....then thirty years later....they were all holding mayor or governor jobs.
3. Letitia James and what happens to her?
Some settlement with the judge....pays a $100k fine....cleans up the paperwork mess (probably requiring $500k), and avoids any jail. Judge will call it a misdemeanor.
4. The BS with the NO-KINGS event on 18 Oct?
If you really need it....fine. But I'm wondering....maybe we should start a NO-IDIOTs or NO-DIMWITs or NO-LOW-IQs event as well.
5. The fact that 40-percent of Gaza Strip residents are married to their cousins?
Yeah, this fact probably shapes about half of the mess going on there.
In 1980, I got assigned to the Air Force base in Tacoma, WA (14 months). So on one of those weekends, I decided to check out Portland, OR (roughly 2.5 hours away).
The best description of Portland in 1980? It was a working-class town....built on logging, shipping, and manufacturing. Almost 400k in population. It had a unique 'brand'.....rough characters, artists, blue-collar wage-earners. The city was probably on it's third revitalization of the century.
Walking around for eight hours on a Saturday, and five or six on Sunday....I came away with this odd feeling. The city had lumberjack characters, hippies, intellectuals, and some abundance of something called 'forward-thinking' (I must have heard or read the expression ten times over the weekend).
About three years after this trip....I noted that someone in Portland had started the expression....'keep Portland weird', and they'd made bumper-stickers for the slogan.
For a number of years after the trip....I had this idea of returning and just settling down there. The climate....the characters....and job-potential were plus-ups for me.
Portland today? Over the past 50 years, the city has faced escalating challenges leading to perceptions of "decay".
It's evident in downtown store-front vacancies, homelessness camps, open drug use, and business exodus. This isn't a straight-line collapse but a story of early successes breeding unintended consequences. Policy choices by the mayor and city council....created ripples of economic shocks, and social crises.
Somewhere in the 1990s.....job growth stopped, with exodus-migration starting up.
The city Wal-Mart? It closed two years ago....mostly over shop-lifting.
The past five years? Decriminalized small drug possession was staged by city leaders.....redirecting funds to treatment of junkies. Fentanyl became a major problem.
Drug overdose deaths per year? Count-wise....the suggestion is that it's up to near 700.
It is a epic saga in some ways....a city that had a five-star 'brand', and managed to bring it down to one-star.
I noticed in Air Force news....they are looking at some way to SAVE money, and the topic of frequent transfers/PCS's...came up.
If you talk to any NCO/officer....at the 24th year point....most all will admit that the 10 transfers/assignments....were a pain in the ass.
So the discussion going on? They want to find some way to lengthen your time at bases. They aren't saying five or six year assignment, but it's pretty much accepted that this idea will be accepted in some way.
After basic, and tech-school....over a 22-year period....I moved eight times (the last move consumed five years). To be honest....if you asked me....most of the locations were nice enough that I would have stayed five years (the three years in Louisiana were a pain because of cockroaches, and terrible heat/humidity).
The day coming where you do twenty-two years, and only move three times after boot-camp and tech-training? I might say it's possible.
Three observations over the meteor/alien craft story:
1. If it were a craft (aliens)....the route would have brought it near Earth.....not near Mars and then the sun. So I believe it's just a big chunk of rock.
2. The craft story? I think it only works if it'd been sent to do one single pass through our solar system. Automated vessel....just to collect data, and return.
3. If it does NOT emerge from the back-side of the sun...(November) just 'hiding' there? Then all bets are off, and its some alien craft lingering in a hiding position.
Trump, Conservatives,
Rejection in romantic relationships
Failure at work or school
Loss of a loved one (death or estrangement)
Financial instability or poverty
Social isolation or loneliness
Public humiliation or embarrassment
Bullying (in-person or online), fat-shaming,
Job loss or unemployment
Chronic stress from overwork
Divorce or breakup
Physical or emotional abuse
Childhood neglect or trauma
Discrimination based on race, gender, or identity
Body image issues or societal pressure to look a certain way
Academic pressure or failing exams (to the point that you fake-graduated from High School and attending college with no success)
Fear of failure
Social anxiety in group settings
Criticism from peers, family, or authority figures
Betrayal by a friend or partner
Chronic illness or health diagnoses
Caregiving for a sick or elderly loved one
Post-traumatic stress from accidents or violence
Constant exposure to negative news or media
Fear of missing out (FOMO) from social media
Online harassment or cyberbullying
Comparison to others’ success or lifestyle
Lack of purpose or meaning in life
Moving to a new city or country
Cultural displacement or homesickness
Infertility or struggles with family planning
Parenting stress or feelings of inadequacy as a parent
Perfectionism and self-imposed pressure
Addiction (personal or in a loved one)
Legal troubles or lawsuits
Natural disasters or loss of home
Witnessing violence or tragedy
Survivor’s guilt after a traumatic event
Relationship conflicts or arguments
Feeling misunderstood or invalidated
Loss of personal autonomy or control
Workplace toxicity or harassment
Fear of aging or mortality
Unresolved grief or suppressed emotions
Chronic pain or disability
Identity crises or questioning self-worth
Lack of sleep or poor sleep quality
Overwhelming responsibilities or multitasking
Uncertainty about the future
Phobias or irrational fears
Feeling trapped in a situation (e.g., job, relationship)
Public speaking or performance anxiety
Loss of trust in institutions or authority
Political or ideological conflicts
Fear of being judged by others
Struggles with mental health disorders (e.g., anxiety, depression)
Lack of access to mental health resources
Social pressure to conform
Failure to meet personal goals
Rejection from a job or opportunity
Loss of a pet
Family dysfunction or estrangement
Guilt over past mistakes
Feeling overwhelmed by technology or information overload
Lack of work-life balance
Insecurity about physical appearance
Peer pressure in adolescence or adulthood
Fear of abandonment
Coping with a partner’s infidelity
Struggles with sexual orientation or gender identity
Pressure to succeed in competitive environments
Experiencing or witnessing injustice
Loss of a sense of safety or security
Financial debt or bankruptcy
Major life transitions (e.g., marriage, retirement)
Feeling unappreciated or undervalued
Coping with a loved one’s mental illness
Fear of global crises (e.g., climate change, war)
Lack of personal boundaries
Being ghosted or ignored
Struggles with addiction recovery
Feeling powerless in systemic issues
Religious or spiritual crises
Coping with miscarriage or pregnancy loss
Fear of vulnerability or intimacy
Being scapegoated or unfairly blamed
Chronic indecision or fear of making mistakes
Loss of a long-term dream or goal
Feeling disconnected from community
Parental pressure or expectations
Coping with a toxic friendship
Fear of being exposed as a “fraud” (imposter syndrome)
Lack of emotional support
Overexposure to violence in media or entertainment
Coping with a loved one’s incarceration
Feeling trapped by societal norms
Loss of cultural or personal traditions
Struggles with self-discipline or motivation
Fear of change or the unknown
Coping with a terminal illness (self or loved one)
Feeling overwhelmed by existential questions
Primary election. ALL candidates for a given office, regardless of party, appear on a single ballot for the primary.
The top two vote-getters advance to the general election. So if Democrat #1 and #2 have more votes than Republican #1....those two advance, and the Republican is NOT on the ballot in November.
Reasoning? The state says this encourages broader voter participation and can lead to same-party matchups in heavily partisan areas like California.
General Election: A head-to-head runoff between the top two primary finishers. The winner is determined by plurality (most votes), with no runoff if no majority is required.
So for Porter (up until this week)....she figured that it'd be enough votes to spread around....where she would get votes...along with the second place Democrat....to edge out the Republican.
After the disaster of a interview....I'd say Porter lost easily lost 40-percent of her support for the primary. The remaining Democrats? They have to now worry.....if they get into a bad interview.....will they destroy their odds.
This whole game built to only have two Democrats in the November election? Yeah, it's an odd way to build the system.
