Books, Uncategorized

Do you need a break?

At a time when chaos seems to rule our society it is easy to feel anxious and the need to escape for a bit. Widespread corruption that seems to go to the top of our government, climate change leading to incredibly hot days and forest fires, and no one intelligent seeming to be in charge. I have a remedy for you. Read my new book “Centurion Crew: A Mack Johnson Novel”. You will be taken to a world where men and women actively defend the constitution. Where bad actors run into the limits of evil doing, and the good guys make a stand using intelligence and guile. I wrote the book considering what could happen if an amoral fascistic person became president and there were persons with a mission to defend the republic. I think you will enjoy the book which is available on Amazon as an Ebook for $9.99.

Uncategorized

The Search for Truth and Meaning are the Bulwark for living well

Thanks for joining me!  Our world is currently drowning in information.  We are bombarded with it.  This website is dedicated to providing tools, insights, and questions to analyze what we are seeing in our world today.  To live well we need to be able to determine what is important, and make meaning of that information.  This website is meant to be a place for engagement, communication, education, and empowerment.  Knowledge and understanding are not useful if we do not take action so we will be sharing what actions we can take to improve our world in a principled way that is respectful of human dignity and value.

Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton

 

Opinion

Anyone but Biden

Anyone but Biden for your 2024 election vote is likely high risk and low reward. A vote for an alternative candidate either helps Trump or is a waste. To help Trump or the Republicans who enable him and support oligarchs (whether Russian or American) is a massive mistake. To maintain our Republic there is only one candidate who is a rational choice: Joe Biden. Protect your rights and citizenship; vote Democrat up and down the ballot every time until we have two parties who bow to the will of the people. Research and act to protect a decent country and future.

Opinion

COP28 – Did it make a difference?

A global existential issue like the climate crisis requires honesty, clarity, and large scale commitment from citizens and governments around the world. We need lots of facts and information to create the public will to make difficult decisions. What we have instead are global interests trying to protect themselves while not focusing on the threat. Mass media still holds back on the facts because they don’t want to create panic or feed dysfunction. Markets are the biggest factor working to save humanity, but they may not be enough to overcome mass ignorance and lies. Electric vehicles, wind turbines, and solar panels are in demand and producing more sustainable solutions, but we have to do more in the time we have. Let’s demand coverage of the climate crisis that inspires hope while alerting us to the truth of tipping points that cannot be undone once started. We have more power than we think. With action and faith I believe humanity can save itself from mass destruction. Vote based on facts and science that you have taken the time to understand.

Opinion

Multiple threats and opportunities

We live in interesting times that amaze and terrify thinking people who seek wisdom and truth. Growing threats in politics and climate are representative of continuous destructive behaviors that have been warned about. Politics in America has become awash in lies, criminality, denial, and hatred for those not in the tribe (these behaviors describe the Republican Party). We find ourselves in a climate crisis that can hit a tipping point of no return at any time. While the scientists tell us negative effects of atmospheric carbon are accelerating; many Republicans running for President in 2024 say climate crisis is a hoax. With the leading candidate on the Republican side facing dozens of felony charges you have to wonder if Americans know the difference between right and wrong, or if they care. Many say we are headed toward civil war, but our system has held together (so far) – while domestic terrorists and insurrectionists are facing accountability. Scientists and engineers are developing technologies that will help humans survive in a warmer world; provided tipping points are not triggered leading us to possibly civilization destroying levels of heat. Act, communicate, and vote to keep hope for humanity alive because time is increasingly valuable.

Opinion

Lots of reasons for hope in the Climate Crisis

We have a lot of reasons for hope in the battle for human civilization to survive the crisis we have triggered in our planetary climate. Reasons for hope include available technology to produce water, create clean energy, grow food, and build affordable housing. This does not include artificial intelligence and other breakthroughs. The challenge for humanity is to move fast enough to avoid climate tipping points that will trigger uncontrollable warming of the planet. We don’t know exactly what temperatures will trigger the tipping points but scientists are increasingly alarmed by our current situation. I have read that a doom mentality is as big a problem as denial. We need to be active and focused to save future generations and potentially ourselves. Let’s vote and act to accelerate government and private industry acting to reduce carbon emissions ASAP!

Opinion

El Niño and the long hot summer

As we move into the summer months and hopefully have the ability to stay cool; think about where our climate is heading. People who pay attention to climate news have been receiving warnings to act for a long time – decades. We have more technology and choices to reduce our CO2 footprint today than ever before. Making choices that help reduce carbon will impact everything from catastrophic storms to migration, federal budgets, and wars. No one will care about budget deficits when out of control climate issues are creating wars, mass migration, and widespread die-offs. The dreaded outcomes of failure to reduce carbon are accelerating, but knowing we can act to make survival more likely should motivate us all. Whether the news is directly about climate or not, don’t forget the reality of the climate crisis cannot be escaped. Humanity will be defined by what we do or fail to do in this decade. Research and act to avoid a horrific future that will become increasingly apparent in the coming days, months, and years.

Opinion

Another mass shooting, but no info on weapon again

I have noticed another failure in the news media. An inability to identify weapons in mass shootings. The details of a young shooter and police officers injured in Farmington NM, but nothing on the type of weapon used at a time of concern about assault rifles. I had this feeling after Uvalde; it was a horrific story of Texas leadership and gun laws. We need our news media to be worthy of our time and inform us of realities that are a threat to our safety; regardless of political implications. I read stories that analyzed the Farmington, New Mexico shooting by suspect, victim, location, and time, but failed to mention type/s of weapons used. The story only said the shooter had multiple weapons. Three dead and many wounded including officers but no weapons details. Maybe an assault rifle was used and maybe it was not, but we deserve to know in this time of mass murder. Be alert to reporting that is afraid of the facts. Assault rifles are designed to kill and maim a lot of people quickly; they are weapons of war and do not belong on our streets. Research and act to preserve decency, dignity, and respect for all of humanity.

Opinion

America 4 sale?

The stories of our times include dark money allowed in our politics by a Supreme Court with many members appearing to be corrupted by the same phenomena. Money magically appears to pay bills for judicial relatives, supply large paychecks for spouses, purchase languishing real estate. America is in the lonely position among democracies of believing that money equals speech, but we take it a step further in not even wanting to know who is speaking, Dark money can come from inside and outside of our country and we will never know if the source wishes us good or ill. Americans increasingly do not trust institutions; mass media, social media, politicians, banks, etc. We are a country unmoored from the truth as corruption, and pursuit of money over civic duty dominate. We spend a lot of time talking about politicians who are symptoms rather than systems assaulting good citizenship. Americans are more ignorant, confused, and angry than ever due to institutional failures from public schools to news networks. Take a stand and act to hold organizations and individuals with power accountable. Use your rights to create a tide of righteousness that brings truth, hope, and justice.

Opinion

Is America flirting with fascism, or are the idiots taking over?

Jesus effectively told us ‘we will know the truth and the truth will set us free‘, but Republicans like Ron DeSantis and Glen Youngkin don’t want instruction in history based on truth. Why not? The Republican governors say that truthful history will hurt young white people’s feelings, but they say nothing about the feelings of African-American children. Truth and history are not about feelings; they help us to be strong and intelligent people. The same Republicans worried about feelings also attack people they call “Woke”, but they do not explain what they mean by this. Do they want American citizens to be “Sleep”, and if so why? Fascist do whatever they can to achieve power. The classic move of fascists is to pit people against each other while lying and claiming to be victims; their intent is to victimize others. The Republican leaders pushing fascism claim to be for freedom, but the only freedom they are concerned with is their own to abuse, harass, and threaten the other. Americans must be ready to choose in upcoming elections between dignity and respect for all, or power for some at the expense of others. The fascist Putin has been quoted as saying that he will “do anything for his friends and for his enemies the law.” Fascist in America will sell a similar message of law and order in the streets, but the crime wave will be in the halls of power. Research and act to preserve our republic.

Opinion

Fascism and the new Racism in America

America is still a country relying on truth as the bedrock of our republic but increasingly we are under attack by lies and selfishness. Ron DeSantis seems to be the replacement for Trump should he face conviction for his legion of alleged felonies. DeSantis pushes attacks on marginalized groups like Blacks while claiming to defend traditional values. He offers ideas like more power for police over civilians, and centralized state control of education. Everything would be routed and controlled by DeSantis and those he would pick to defend what Professor Eddie Glaude Jr has called the Big Lie of White Supremacy. Using tribalism to achieve strongman status is not a new trick. People like Trump and DeSantis love the poorly educated as they seek to achieve the power of a Putin so they can pillage and loot America. Truth has never been more important for the American republic to have a future. Research and act to protect the decency and dignity of American citizenship. President Biden and Democrats cannot save us on their own. We need two parties based (predominantly) on truth and integrity; not just Democrats. After the Trump assault on the law and democracy don’t buy the “both sides do it” lie. Republican practice lying and deception far more because they dupe the poor with tribalism while selling out to corporations and the wealthy. Vote Democrat until Republicans return to policies and ideas that put improving American society for all citizens first.