Category: Society

The First Trump Conviction (Actually, 34 Convictions)

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Riveted to the TV, were you?

 

This Trial Has Been Talked About Ad Nauseum. Focus on Just 4 Key Points to Take Away

The System Worked, Darn Near Perfectly

In spite of delays, distractions, lies, threats, and more, the system did what was needed to be done. Twelve citizens (and six back up jurors) took the oath, took the time took the risks, and did the right thing. The judge was the model of patience, decorum, and fairness.

In some ways, this reminded me of the last presidential election and the midterms after that.

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Six for Today

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A Range of Very Different Topics To Fill Our Basket This Week

First, A Moment to Reflect Upon Memorial Day

Yesterday was Memorial Day. This is being published a day after Memorial Day. Hope yours was a meaningful one and that you reflected at least a little on what they day means and the service members who sacrificed it all. Of all our national holidays, this is one of the  most purposeful and thoughtful. I had the opportunity to participate in a local service yesterday; it was a powerful thing to be in the midst of a large group that absolutely understood what this day honors and commemorates.

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It Turns Out That We Need Each Other

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Lessons in Community and Human Interaction

Things Change

 The funny thing about writing something like this blog is that life, despite our best plans, often ignores our feeble planning and whispers in our ear that we should write about something else, not what we planned for this week. That happened to me this week, so now you get something different. Hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed experiencing it.

I had a really fun discussion in my head, ready to go to print this week, when a couple of intersecting things happened that told me this was the time to talk about something else entirely.

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Well, That’s Good News

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A Short Break from Politics for Good News in Other Sectors

I Promised a Break

We ended last week with the promise of talking about some lighter, more good news items, and so we shall this week. There certainly is no shortage of political and related news (both good and bad) but it seems healthy, every once in a while, to walk in another garden for a while. Shall we?

 The Blind Shall See

I saw an encouraging article recently in the Washington Post about several companies experimenting with a type of gene therapy called optogenetics.

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April 30, 2024

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A Lot of Different Topics This Week, All with Key Legal Elements (Except the Last One)

Tik Tok’s Pending Death?


Well, the legislation passed, and the president signed it, so the countdown begins. This one has some really interesting aspects about it. Let’s see how it unrolls.

First, as noted before in this space, I am not much on the government banning communication in about any form, but I think the case can be made for this one. The amount of personal information Tik Tok tracks on users is substantial and it certainly would not be hard to use it as an entry point to more of your computer data.

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Safety Looms Large, Presidents Gather, and Disinformation Abounds

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This Week We See an Interesting Mix of Subjects in the Physical and Political Worlds

Safety First!

 Two interesting and compelling reminders about safety in transportation in recent days.

The first reminder is the sorry story about safety at Boeing. It is important to remember that commercial aviation remains one of the safest possible ways to travel, but the Boeing sage reminds us of a couple of points not to be overlooked.

First, as safe as flying can be, when you think about it, it can be dangerous when systems fail. We are packing a large group of people into a thin aluminum tube,

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March 26, 2024

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Today a Look at Trump, Health, & Journalism

If (When) Trump Loses, What’s Next?

What about the MAGA “movement?” What about the Republican party? I have long felt that Trump had strong possibilities of flaming out and crashing before (or during) the coming election, and that seems to be coming about. Never write off this guy’s survival instincts, but FINALLY a growing list of well-known Republicans are beginning to speak out and to say they cannot support Trump. We might not be where we are had they found the courage to stand up earlier, but perhaps better late than never.

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Hey! That’s a Good Idea!

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We Should be Doing More With These Winners

Have You Ever Noticed?

Sometimes a good idea rises to the surface, gets into use, has good results, but for one reason or another does not spread as quickly or as far as might be expected. Herein are half a dozen of such ideas that I think have proven out fully that really should be much more in use everywhere. Let me know if you have an addition to such a list.

Transportation

Traffic circles work like a champ. They are not very common in the USA,

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A Connected Set of Observations on Guns, Addiction, and Alexei Navalny  

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Three Very Different Yet Connected Realities

Guns

One of the latest mass shooting to hit America just occurred, in Kansas City, in an area where people gathered to celebrate their Super Bowl win. People were shot because they were in a place where someone else came to hurt people.

Shortly thereafter, police and first responders in a small town in Minnesota answered a call for help in the wee hours of the morning; a family was in danger. Shortly thereafter, two policemen and a fire rescue member were shot dead.

And so it goes,

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Politics, Technology, Middle East War, and Super Ants

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Something for Everyone Today

Taylor Swift Rigs The Super Bowl!

By now, you have surely heard about the Right Wing conspiracy theories that Taylor Swift has somehow conspired to right the Super Bowl for her boyfriend’s team to win and, according to one version, she will then appear at half-time to endorse Biden.

How nuts can these people get?! It really is amazing how this mindset has established itself among a lot of people. If something happens or is pending that I don’t like, there MUST be a conspiracy to blame, no matter how outlandish it seems.

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