Category: opinion

A Tribute to Miss Thunberg. Apprehended in the pursuit of different windmills.

In search of monsters…

In an age where the winds of change blew with an unwavering fervor,

A young and determined damsel lived, her spirit as unyielding as steel.

With locks shining like the sun’s golden rays and eyes as deep and endless as the sea.

Setting sail upon the azure waves, she felt the salty mist on her face, her spirit ignited with a courageous mission.

“Forsooth!” she cried, her voice echoing through the air with a clarity that couldn’t be ignored.

“I long for the passion of protest, where voices crescendo, and hearts ignite with purpose.

At the point where the ocean meets the sky, the seagulls soar freely.

I shall find my brethren in arms, their resolute voices echoing in the air.”

Her sturdy galleon gracefully glided across the sparkling brine.

As she searched for the clarion call, her ears strained to catch even the faintest whisper of the divine.

Through raging storms and tranquil seas, she sailed tirelessly day and night.

In relentless pursuit of a cause most just, they were determined to face whatever challenges lay ahead.

And behold! Where the sea and future intertwine on the horizon, a gentle breeze carried the scent of salt and adventure.

Her eyes caught sight of a defiant throng, united in their unwavering resolve.

With banners held high and stanch spirits, they defiantly stood their ground against the relentless tide.

And with open arms, they warmly embraced her, inviting her to stand by their side.

Once a sailor of the vast ocean, the young lady now found herself amidst the honking horns and busy streets.

She found her protest, her voice, her unwavering pride, echoing through the crowd.

The fellowship of the brave filled her heart with joy, as she eagerly embraced the adventure ahead.

In the chorus of the just, her voice resonated with strength and conviction.

Even if she blindly hitched her ride to fiction.

Like the fading glow of twilight, the luster of renown slowly diminished.

Our intrepid lady found herself amidst a breathtaking new landscape, stretching as far as the eye could see.

The air was filled with the passionate cries of a fervent throng of souls.

They chanted rebellion enthusiastically, their voices echoing with passion for any cause, regardless of what it was.

“Here, here!” they shouted, their voices filled with an electrifying energy that could light up the skies.

“Let your voice resonate, fair maiden, as your spirited echoes reverberate!”

Filled with fiery passion and unbridled energy, she fearlessly pursued her dreams.

She joined the chorus of dissent, passionately advocating for her own cause.

For it didn’t matter the flag they carried or the beliefs they upheld,

The unity of voices echoed through the air, carrying with it a sense of purpose and determination.

Amidst the camaraderie of the crowd, her voice gained momentum and commanded attention.

A piercing cry for justice reverberated across the globe, as the world faced its most dire hour.

Her cries echoed, carrying the weight of the news of a world in chaos. The sky, once a solid canopy, now shattered and raining down fragments of blue. The earth, once a gentle orb, now stretched out before her as a vast, flat expanse where the edges seemed to meet the abyss.

In the shadow of the devil’s decree, a cause most foul and dire, the air grew heavy with a sense of impending doom.

Our maiden found herself surrounded by a raging inferno, the crackling flames dancing dangerously close.

To the world, she was the crier of wolves, whose haunting howls echoed through the night.

Nevertheless, there was a part of her that craved to be acknowledged from a fresh perspective.

Instead of tilting at windmills our maiden wanted more of them. The world’s capacity for CO2 had reached its limit, not even the emissions of a single cow could be tolerated. They had to be eliminated, or else humanity faced certain doom.

Our maiden, devoid of any scientific or mathematical knowledge, continued on her path with fervent outbursts, as if she had been bestowed a divine mission by the Goddess of the cosmos. Or so she believed.

With every cry she raised, the haunting howl of a wolf echoed closer.

As the moonlight illuminated its bared fangs, its intentions became unmistakably clear.

Fearless and determined, the maiden ignored the facts and embraced the lie..

“Behold!” she proclaimed, as the beast loomed to devour,

“I am more than just a crier, I possess a greater power.

To stand and face the darkness, to challenge the night’s devour,

I am the maiden of the hour, in this, my final bower.”

And so the tale is woven, of a maiden so brave and true,

Who cried wolf not in jest, but as a call to arms anew.

In the pages of Cervantes, her story finds its due,

A lesson of analphabetism, for me, and for you.

In the tapestry of time, where stories and images intertwine,

The maiden’s visage joins the gallery of those who once did shine.

Captured in a moment, her image eternally cast,

With those who wore disgrace as a badge, their ignorance is vast.

Pride they took in folly, a mantle they bore with ease,

Unaware that history’s pages would judge as they please.

Yet, in the relentless march of days, memories fade to dust,

And the foolishness of yesteryears is lost in time’s robust.

For when the next tirade ascends, with its clamorous sound,

The past’s disgraced figures are but shadows on the ground.

Their tales, once written with the ink of infamy and scorn,

Are eclipsed by the present’s uproar, as new sagas are born.

So let the maiden’s story be a whisper in the gale,

A lesson that in the end, even the loudest voices pale.

And though her image lingers, with others in disgrace,

‘Tis the future’s cry that echoes, in this ever-changing space.

In days of yore, when the quill was mightier than the sword,

And parchment bore the weight of words untold,

The scribes, with hands both steady and assured,

Wrote tales of the past, both brazen and bold.

“There is a reason,” they’d whisper, their voices low,

“For which we inscribe these chronicles of yesteryear.

To remember and reflect, to learn and to know,

The deeds of the past, both far and near.”

For in the annals of history, truth finds its stage,

And lessons of old are passed from age to age.

The triumphs and trials, the joy and the sorrow,

Are captured in ink, for today and tomorrow.

So let us thank the scribes, those keepers of time,

For their tales of the past, in prose and in rhyme.

For through their words, we travel to days long gone,

And the wisdom of the ages is forever drawn.

I love Miguel de Cervantes. This blog is me paying homage to him and serves as a warning to those who might follow in the path of this arrogant young fool. The pen is mightier than the sword, and scribes such as yours truly will make sure your mark in history is indelible.

Society could experience substantial enhancements if individuals directed their efforts toward studying history rather than expending energy on imagined adversaries. It would be beneficial for parents to ensure that they read Henny Penny to their children multiple times during their bedtime routine.

-Best

Scott

ANYCUBIC and other 3D printers

As an author, I must keep my mind busy when not engrossed in an alternate world. This often means diving into research or brainstorming new plot twists.

People frequently accuse me of having an excessive amount of hobbies.

In my free time, I immerse myself in a multitude of hobbies.

Writing, reading, painting, hiking, golfing, traveling, fishing, and even howling at the moon. Ok, not howling exactly, but the night sky calls to me, and through astronomy, I unravel the mysteries of the universe, awestruck by its vastness. In addition to that list, I would include computers, as I delight in exploring and experimenting with various operating systems and applications.

One might wonder how I have time for this list of activities.

I don’t watch television. With all the garbage and propaganda that comes with that contagion, I just assume not to have one. I attempt to spend very little time on social media as it is a contagion that fills society with false flags, indoctrinating our young and old with non-sequitur ideas. Some of the filth that makes its way through those mediums is downright evil. I don’t waste any time playing video games as that is a total waste of energy. Instead of playing by their rules, I live in my world.

3D printing has become a fun activity. As an engineer, thinking about some ‘thing,’ designing said thing, and, much like a Star Trek replicator, creating it with our technology is fun.

3D printing challenges one to think; we have too little thinking in this world today, so I applaud it.

I started with the legacy Ender product. If you can print with that printer, you are qualified to use other, more advanced printers.

In this article, I want to talk about ANYCUBIC.

I purchased an Anycubic Mega Pro. That printer was an upgrade from the ender product with a built-in auto bed leveling routine.

I will get straight to the cons. Every cooling fan on that thing is absolute junk. Why in the devil would they skimp on cheap fans with zero bearings? That is beyond me.

If you allow it to ‘warm up,’ the noise eventually abates, but that is a black eye for the brand.

While looking at upgrades, I purchased another ANYCUBIC product, the Viper.

Quieter product, a little faster, and the auto bed level works well.

I have had it for less than a year. I print something occasionally, definitely not every day or week. During my last print, I noticed a loud clicking noise. Upon thorough examination, we discovered that the Y-axis tensioner had a defective bearing.

Honesty, Integrity, and Morality

When living in a new community, finding an honest broker becomes necessary.

One of the first things that I needed was a plumber. Let me begin by telling you that plumbing is not rocket science. I am not denigrating the vocation; most plumbers I know are successful because they have the right stuff when they have a job.

I also want to emphasize that plumbers, mechanics, electricians, and so on must make a profit.

If they charge $100 for five minutes of work, you are not paying for the five minutes but for the years of experience.

Some plumbing projects don’t require years of experience. A little common sense and research could be enough. I researched the problem and purchased the correct part and tool to replace the defective valve. I put the project on my to-do list.

Another project involved plumbing gas. I wanted a quote from a certified gas plumber.

I could plumb it, but leaking gas in the attic, wall, or house raises the experience quotient much higher. The shower valve’s worst-case scenario is it leaks water into a tub. Pick your battles and know your limitations.

The quote for the gas plumbing would have been free. I sweetened the deal with them. I told them that while they were here creating a scope of work and an estimate, they could change this valve for me. In that way, they could kill two birds…and get paid for their time.

I wanted to get a feel for their level of expertise and professionalism.

Other workers getting things set up for my eventual move witnessed the exchange.

Two young guys appeared instead of the older gentleman I spoke with at the plumbing company. One was most probably a plumber, and the other was a helper. This was obvious by their banter.

They focused on the valve, an ancillary project, not why I called them.

He struggled for 45 minutes. They used my valve and tool and presented me with an invoice for $215.

“What about the quote for the other work?”

“Oh…, I will do that,” he said. The quote wasn’t even an afterthought. He forgot about it.

He made notes and told me he would get back to me.

One of the other men working on another project stopped what he was doing and laughed. “You just got screwed.”

I nodded. “True, but guess who I won’t be using to do this major plumbing job!?”

They installed the valve, which functions, but did not install it correctly. A mechanical stop must be in place, but it is not.

When you hire people to represent your company, following up with your customers is something you should prioritize. Customers should test the ‘professional’ with something simple to see how they work, charge, etc.

When I tell the story to others, who ask if I know a plumber, they want to know about the quote. I never got the quote. The kid didn’t follow through.

“Are you going to call and get it?”

“Not from them. Even if it were free, I wouldn’t want them doing the work.”

Contractors should display some modicum of morality. Ethics are lacking, and the trend is not for the better. If he half-assed a simple shower valve install and charged like a seasoned professional, think about them running a gas pipe in the attic, walls, etc.

Pride and Petulance

Show of hands, who watched the debate on the 27^th?

If you can’t name all the contestants, you’re not alone.

Clearly, the debate was tantamount to the kid’s table at some holiday dinner. Zero, nada, none of those contestants are fit to sit at the adult table. It would be in this order if I were to vote someone off the island. The guy with the dark eyebrows and Colonel Sander’s haircut would be my number one choice to go home.

Second to go would be the captain of the fried chicken-eating team with a large mouth. Yes, a neocon who thinks funding endless wars in other countries is wise.

Third to go would be the loudmouth neocon, who gets dumber with each sentence she speaks. Sorry, Nikki, you are part of the problem. I have listened to your policies and don’t agree with you on almost everything.

Ron Desantis was and is a strong contender. He has a track record, and his policies are pretty solid.

Vivek Ramaswami … His first hurdle is his ethnicity. Private polling suggests conservatives don’t want an Indian in the White House. That is a sad statement. We must factor that fact into the calculus to derive an answer close to correct. Americans need to know who he is and what he stands for, not just that he is an Indian.

I have taken the battle to many who say such things. They should listen to this man. His age and name will harm his chances as a first-time run for the CEO of America.

I would like to see him spend some time in Congress and get his knuckles bloody fighting the incompetence that is so rife in the Swamp. BTW, there is nothing wrong with people from India.

Tim Scott. I like this man. I also think Petulance is his middle name. Between him and Nikki, it sounded like a schoolyard argument. Is not, is too, is not, is too … The show was pathetic, and neither of them was ready to sit in the oval and command life-or-death decisions on behalf of the country.

Pence.. Politician, polished at practicing propaganda. He and the current VP have much in common; they talk much and say nothing…

Where the heck is Tulsi Gabbert, she needs to run.

-Best

The Lies we come to believe. (TIPS and other charges)

To insure prompt service…TIPS

Between inflation, shrinkflation, and the price of energy, most people have very little discretionary income.

Yes, this is a direct result of BIDONOMICS.

Like him or not, when Trump was in office, America was energy independent. Trump was working to secure our border and appeared to look out for this country’s citizens first.

This election cycle will be one to watch.

The truth of the matter is we don’t know who is running this country. We can bet that it is not the current occupant of the West Wing.

Under this administration, Americans are forced to use their savings accounts and withdraw from their 401s to make ends meet. Those who have saved money have shockingly depleted the reserve amount.

The alarming statistic is that many Americans have relied on credit cards to survive. Using credit cards, payday loans, or other forms of predatory lending will create a crisis soon if these trends don’t reverse.

Inflation must be controlled so we stop spending money we don’t have.

Those talking heads are paid to tell you everything is fine; don’t look at the man behind the curtain. Unlike politicians and other swamp monsters, they are paid handsomely to lie convincingly to you.

If you follow these articles, you will see that the climate change hoax is just one more lie to ‘nudge’ you into behavioral changes that benefit the rich and powerful.

Media giants are practicing what Stalin knew when he massacred millions of his own people. The Pen is Mightier than the sword.

Since fewer and fewer people read and have the attention span of Count Chockula, Pravda-like lies are spread by talking heads using emotional tags, usually hate.

For the manipulation of the masses to work, they need a villain. Why not some uber-rich guy with a big mouth and an orange complexion?

Why not serve up the savior of the American people as a pariah?

If you bothered to learn history, it is rife with examples of how it all works. Show the masses what is wrong in the world and then pin the tail on the donkey or, in this case, their most prominent adversary.

When Lincoln worked to free the slaves, the Democrats had him killed.

When Kennedy, much like Trump… a populist for the people and against the deep state, stepped over the line, they killed him.

No single bullet did all that damage; you have been lied to.

I’m not comparing Jesus to Trump, but…when his popularity threatened that of those who were rich and powerful, they made him the Pariah. Even his people released a thief vs. Jesus, serving him to the thugs in charge.

One last example which parallels what we are living through today. Hyperinflation is one step away. Like Hitler, Biden or his proxies will blame White supremacists or Trump or, as some Gen Z podcasters are lamenting…those fucking boomers.

Yes, they have found yet another way to divide the country by selling the least informed among us that somehow it is not only white men but white men born in the baby boomer era as the newest fall guy.

Only an idiot with a capital I would buy that nonsense, but…there was a country of them that sacrificed 6 million Jews to a megalomaniac under the guise that all their problems were because of the Jews.

Now, the only way those jackasses can make such statements is because of the boomers and their parents, who sacrificed so much that they have the freedom to spew such moronic nonsense. It gets them clicks, which is what they are after, right?

Read the Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire or…watch another ANTIFA or BLM riot burn down more cities and learn to play the violin while you watch.

Yes, history is cyclical, and that is why those mentioned in the last sentence want to remove all mention of it. Those are the same dumbasses that say Socialism works. We can make it work this time.

So, what about TIPS and other nonsense? Why is that in the sub-title of this article?

As I mentioned earlier, there is inflation and something called shrinkflation. That latter is selling less of the product for the same amount as before Bidonomics screwed the entire world up.

For those of you who took art or woman studies or perhaps philosophy in college, there is something known as a P&L or profit and loss.

For companies to stay in business, they must make a profit. The books should be in the black at the end of the day or ‘fiscal year.’ In the black is business jargon for ‘show a profit.’

Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, is called Black Friday because, at that time of year, certain businesses depend on shoppers to purchase enough of whatever they sell to push their end-of-year P&L from red to black.

How many of you thought about holidays as mechanisms for business economic prosperity?

Back to TIPS

I am convinced that wait staff are modern-day slaves.

Everyone attempts to extract more money from the consumer regardless of where you eat out. POS (point of sale) devices conveniently make it easy to tip and give extra money for services or goods rendered.

One business that made the news added an extra charge after the TIP for Employee Mental Wellness.

That expense is already substantial by the time you pay for your meal, the tax on that meal, and a reasonable tip. Due to inflation and minimum wage, employees mistaking those jobs for careers and demanding more money than our soldiers make; eating out is expensive.

In this economy, most people should see the inside of a restaurant only if they work there. Groceries have already reached the price point of unaffordable for many. Shopping for day-old bread, dented cans, and food near its expiration date is becoming increasingly popular.

That is part of the self-behavioral modifications that I am referring to.

I know people who would never darken the door of a Dollar General or Family Dollar who now frequent those stores. Big Box stores are much more popular than ever, and the trend will continue as more and more people are forced to pinch pennies.

While the pandemic devastated the restaurant business and our way of life, the downward trend continues.

It’s a slow spiral downward as personal wealth dwindles, and the banks can charge exorbitant fees for debt incurred by the masses.

Again, if you look at history while you fiddle, Rome is on fire!

What can you do about it?

Vote the Bastards out!

Established politicians need to leave DC not only as elected or appointed rulers but also be outlawed from serving the needs of companies as lobbyists or specialists/advisors that have anything to do with the ruling class.

Term Limits should be a mandate from We the People.

Puppets are serving as our elected leaders who are incapable of stringing a noun and a verb together in the same sentence!

How is it that you don’t know this?
These are all distractions presented to you by the propagandists.
How many believe a man in a woman’s dressing room is okay?
How many of you think a child should be able to change their sex without talking to their guardians?
How many of you cannot define a woman?
How many of you really think that America is racist?
How many of you really think that there are suddenly UFO’s
How many of you believe that there are more than two genders?
How many of you give a shit what a small minority of mentally challenged individuals think or feel?
How many of you really think we are getting the truth about Ukraine?
How many want to sacrifice your or your kid’s life to fight someone else’s war?
How many of you think the world’s end is coming because of climate change?

Keep fiddling, my friends. These are all distractions while the megalomaniacs fleece your futures, your children’s and their children’s futures.

When the Boomers die off, the next generation will blame you for all their woes, and they might be right: you fiddled. Playing video games is not a career choice unless you design them.

As a science fiction author, I must think outside the box. My personal take on life, this country, or politics are opinions. While open to debate, I do not engage in feelings as they are irrelevant to the status quo. That, my friend, is how you sort the wheat from the chaff. We are controlled by emotions, not facts.

The truth will set you free; the lies will cloud the facts, creating a hostile environment for everyone, and ‘they’ count on it.

-Best

Please consider purchasing my latest novel… Earth’s Last Hope.

Thanks!

The Lies We Come to Believe (Climate Change)

‘Lie often enough, and people will believe it.’ -Goebbels

The world is headed down a treacherous path led by a few who have more money than sense.

In this article, I intend to debunk the myth of climate change. Why? Climate change is used as a cudgel to affect change in the way we think, act, and behave as a society. Those with zero regard for a carbon footprint affect our habits as humans. As they fly their private jets around the globe, spreading their lies, they do it to scare the uninformed into compliance with self-regulation.

The hard truth of climate change is this: it’s not what they tell you.

As a science fiction writer, I must understand science better than my average audience. If I, for instance, make up a device that will toss my intrepid crew of a spacecraft forward or backward in time, the science behind it must at least be theoretically conceivable.

Following a two-thirds rule, more than half of my postulations on a given topic must be based on physics, that is at least possible. In short, I think outside the box.

Unlike Chicken Little, I want to know all the facts when we talk about climate change. Having debated scientists on different topics and later proved correct, I have a handle on Climate Change.

When the Mars Rover detected Climate Change on Mars while a New York Congresswoman complained about cow farts, I decided to investigate the facts. Obviously, cow farts on Earth were not responsible for methane releases on Mars.

It didn’t take long to figure out that the climate change on Mars and changes on other planets were created by the Sun.

Suppose you understand that the Sun goes through an 11-year cycle. In that case, you can bet that anything it does that causes solar storms, plasma ejections, and so forth will affect the planets. That’s the first fact we don’t hear about from the Politicians, as it does not fit the narrative. There is zero money to be made by the truth of the Sun’s menses.

Aside from some colorful atmospheric disturbances and possible power grid fluctuations, what else might a solar storm cause?

Imagine the burner on your stove had part of one of the elements burned out. Instead of high, maybe it was only capable of medium heat. Suppose there is a sunspot (solar storm) where a large hole in the Sun’s surface is not generating energy (heat). Don’t you suppose you might have some cooler-than-normal weather?

Let’s take this to the other extreme.

When you are in a cold room with a fireplace blazing away, where do you gravitate when you step into the house from the cold?

Why?

The closer you get to the fire, the warmer you get, yes?

It is a known (documented) fact that our Sun does not just stay in one place. The Sun is perturbed or moved from dead center, 3.4 million miles, by a planet in our solar system.

Jupiter and the Sun tug on each other. You might have heard astronomers mention a wobble in some distant sun. They cannot see the planet in question, but because of the wobble of the distant star, they are sure that there is a planet in orbit of said star tugging on it.

Back in our solar system, if Jupiter is on the opposite side of the solar system than the Earth, where do you suppose the Sun is?

You’re getting the point if you said 3.4 million miles further away from the Earth.

Back to our fireplace analogy, if you stand at the far end of a gymnasium where you can see the fireplace, how much heat from the fire do you suppose you might feel?

Conversely, if you are close to the fireplace, how long would it take to lose the gloves, jacket and sweater and sit a spell basking in the fire?

Another dimension to this puzzle is the angle of the Sun’s rays and how they strike the Earth.

Think about this: If the mere angle of the Earth (tilt) gives us seasons on either hemisphere, how much greater of a change to the climate is 3.4 million miles?

For the record, I am for clean air, water, and so on. I just hate being lied to by people who are driven by profit. As an elected official, you are probably a crook if you become a millionaire.

It’s not hard to predict when we will have a freezing winter or when our summers will be extra toasty. Where is Jupiter in correlation to the Earth?

Things will be warmer than usual if it is behind us on the same path or in the same arc. The opposite is true for the winters.

If you want to help starving authors or artists, I am both…check out my latest science fiction.

Earth’s Last Hope

Thanks, stay safe and stay informed.

-Scott

Hire an Employee who will get shit done.

The title is advice from someone on Linked In

Getting ‘shit’ done is liable to return the output of shit.

Intelligent, wise, and competent rise above many of the platitudes in this picture.

Many of these attributes will already be part of their character if they are smart, thoughtful, and intelligent. I would also add well-read outside of academia to that list.

Are they trainable?

What is their attitude?

Is work a four-letter word or an opportunity?

Too many people view work with a negative connotation; why?

We work to live.

Since work is a requirement for a happy life, an attitude of opportunity is necessary.

We tend to see arrogance in some who waste opportunities for short-term rewards.

You don’t deserve a $90k car straight out of college.

No, you don’t live as mommy and daddy raised you straight out of college.

A lovely home is a goal, not a right.

Define an opportunity you might suggest.

Opportunity begins with goal setting, and that starts at a young age.

‘I want to be an … when I grow up.’ Do you remember that career day event from school?

Do they still have those events?

They should have them every year throughout academia. Why?

Very little in life is static.

Technology is changing the way business functions.

Automation, AI, and, yes, robots are altering the future; thus, what one wanted to be in grade school might no longer be salient to the workforce today.

Robots don’t call in sick, sue, care about affirmative action or trans rights. Robots don’t take weeks to months off of work to care for a newborn. Robots don’t demand equal time off for the father. Robots don’t seek representation or file some grievance with their union.

Robots don’t have opinions; they get shit done.

Activism in the business world is a cancer that forces capitalists to seek alternative means to getting ‘shit’ done. The recent BUD-Light faux pas should be studied in marketing classes for years to come. That decision cost the stockholders billions.

Capitalists are not bad people; they are possibly more intelligent than you. They might be heartless pragmatists, but if they own a company like Tesla, they may have more on the ball than you do.

Treating entry-level jobs like careers demanding more money per hour than we pay our soldiers forces business owners to find new ways to trim the demand for humans.

Forcing companies to pay outrageous dollar amounts to unskilled workers who are learning to work; causes inflation. The entry-level worker needs to gain a grasp of economics.

With a higher product cost, the government is the winner as now there are more taxes generated by the consumer and income tax in a higher rate of taxation and more dollars to the foolish entry-level employee.

Again the unwise, foolish undisciplined, and uneducated only see the higher number on the paycheck and not the result of how they unwittingly are sabotaging themselves and the country. They got $15 an hour for watching a robot cook food for the masses. At what point will the robot and AI do everything with one single caretaker, much like the receipt checker at big box stores?

Will the price of goods reduce when they don’t require those employees?

The elimination of entry-level jobs starts with you bagging your groceries, then self-checkout, and one day it all happens while you sit on the toilet at 2 AM with your smartphone. A box with a painted smile arrives at your door the next day, eliminating several employees from the role of corporate America.

Trades are where young people should focus instead of seeking the corner office and high salaries straight out of university. The delivery driver role might be safe for a little while until AI and Elon nail down the bugs in autonomous driving trucks.

The hard truth is that the world owes you nothing. The world doesn’t give a ‘shit’ what you think, how you feel, or what you think you know. Garbage in equals garbage out. Reality often does not equal what you think you know or have been told by some talking head or activists in academia.

How can your skills and talents benefit the company you are looking at for employment?

You are in the wrong vocation if you can’t smile at your job.

Is there a future at that company, or is it a task-oriented position where you work putting Block A on top of Block B until you drop dead? If so, an engineer who unwittingly puts their progeny out of work will probably design a robot.

Most trades mean getting your hands dirty. Dirty hands might be your saving grace.

AI is not a toy but a replacement for you.

AI is the capitalists’ answer to activists who cost them money at every turn of the road. AI is the ultimate robot and the end game for many white-collar jobs. AI and robots are the final answers to union demands, not to mention the power they wield at the voting booth.

Robots can work 24X7X365 days a year, making widgets competing with countries that have slaves currently creating them.

While AI might not be wise, intelligent, or sentient, it gets shit done. As AI steels more of ‘our’ intellectual property, AI will turn out less and less ‘shit’ and more quality products in the way of code, art, legal opinions based on case history, and even finding solutions for medical solutions to cancer or other diseases.

What will the white-collar, over-educated erudite do as AI absorbs and concatenates the whole of human history? What will be left for them to pontificate over when ChatGPT spits out some epistle created from the thoughts of Voltiar to Chomsky?

What will the marriage of eons of philosophy look like? What will be left for the white-collar, corner office employee to ponder when a few keystrokes by some business owner can spit out a solution based on all of human history?

Will AI self-correct for the biased input by the woke mob who can’t define a woman?

What will the future look like for GEN Z, who thinks history is best left in the past?

If it were me, I would learn how to weld, learn carpentry or how to work on cars or airplanes or tanks, or how to wire that outlet that feeds power to your alternate reality in the world of an RPG.

I suggest farming so at least you and your family will have food.

As a writer, I can see the confluence of events from recent years to the current day as more than a coincidence.

Possibly you can see the reason for the VP’s gaff regarding reduced population under the guise of clean water and air. We just might have caught a glimpse into the future. Her comment wasn’t a gaffe. It was a Freudian slip.

Figure out what AI and robots can’t do, and focus on that for your future vocation.

One thing is for sure; the future will be exciting. Those with the gold will make the rules until the AI overlord determines they are useless. When the red eyes of the AI bots create their code, remember this prophecy from a science fiction writer, I told you so.

In the meantime, there are zero quick fixes, and the lottery is not a retirement strategy. Learn critical thinking skills and question everything you hear on the news. They are paid handsomely to act as if they care and lie as if what they are told to say is the gospel.

Yellow Journalism is a thing.

-Best

Here is a link to my latest novel.

Toll to the Troll

Taxes never end.

Everybody talks about it, and nothing ever happens. Why?

While visiting people in retirement homes, one lady told me a story. I found that story hard to fathom. In her time, there was a luxury tax.

The tax assessor would visit and assess a personal property tax on belongings. A full-length mirror was considered a luxury and was taxed accordingly. She would hide it under the bed to ‘cheat’ the government out of their share.

“Their share of what?”

I guess they knew people were hiding the mirrors under the beds and other items deemed a luxury. Since they didn’t have enough prison space to lock up the entirety of the country, they had to devise another plan.

Many tyrants today create new atrocities through stories to divide the tribes. What many refer to as systemic racism is nothing more than tribalism which is inherent in our DNA.

They know this but figure you are too stupid to understand how easily you can be manipulated into electing the fox that will eat you vs. selecting the shepherd who will protect you.

30 years ago, I purchased a house. Nobody helped me come up with the downpayment.

When I left home, I rented a dump I could afford while learning my craft. At night after a long day, I would have to chase the cockroaches off my table before I could eat a can of some concocted chemically laden food that was anything but healthy.

Purchasing day-old products or dented cans, I did what I could to survive. Returning home was never an option I would ever consider.

Why not instant gratification and rent something nicer, which I could have afforded??? So I could, at some point, afford a home. Before Dave Ramsy, I knew how to save money. Not using a credit card as a source of funds was one of the first lessons you must learn.

I worked a day job and then used my craft to start my own business, which kept me working till the wee hours before I had to do it again the next day.

Following the political ambitions of our elected leaders, I often question the process. I ended my career managing several folks and was responsible for million-dollar budgets from corporate America. I stopped being spoon-fed propaganda by the pundits on TV. They are all lying in some form or another. They are paid large sums to ease their conscience (like politicians) to spout damned lies while calling it the news.

At best, it’s yellow journalism…look it up if that term means nothing to you.

On January 6th, a riot in DC turned into a faux insurrection. The tapes released by McCarthy prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that our leaders are lying to us again. I mention this because America was founded on an insurrection.

Rejecting unfair taxes from King Georg’s Stamp Act to tossing tea into the harbor, Americans can only be pushed so far.

No, we will never surrender to the forces of darkness. Today Social media shapes the opinions of the jellyfish, who only know that George Washington was a slaveholder.

When you punch your time card or get up in the morning and drive to work, assuming you are not rolling out of bed and wiggling your mouse, you are a slave. Think about it.

I was once accused of being a whore. In retrospect, were they right? What will you do for money?

I paid off my mortgage when it hit me that between my monthly insurance cost and the property tax and associated fees, those monthly costs add up to more than what my monthly mortgage payment started out as. It’s almost as if I am renting my paid-off home from the government. That must stop.

Since the Golden State has been ruined by Marxist ideologies, Texas and others are flooded with people who voted for the fox. Now they are here and still think George Washington was only a slaveholder.

Universities around the country have instilled Marxism in the minds of the sheep. History is rife with how badly Marxism ends. Still, I guess history isn’t taught any longer as it is counterintuitive to the narrative.

Critical thinking skills are at a complete deficit. The proof is everywhere.

Governor Abbot, stop talking about personal property tax and do something about it. Sign an executive order, and scream at the top of your lungs that we will not take this nonsense any longer.

Why are retired people still forced to pay these incredible taxes?

In a bookstore not long ago, I noticed that familiar yellow and black covered book…’ for dummies’…

Marxism for dummies….’We will drain you dry and then devour you. Signed the fox.’

As a retired person, I spend my time assisting other writers who would like to become published. If you want a good read, please consider buying my book ‘Earth’s Last Hope.’

I aim to spend my ‘golden years’ supplementing my retirement funds with a passive income stream from Amazon… Bwhaaaa From a 24.95 hardcopy of my book, I get less than $3.00. Since Bezos has a new sweetie, he raised the cost of everything, including the distribution of the e-copy.

-Scott

Earth’s Last Hope

Every 396 billion years, all the planets align. Dr. Richards passes off the alignment as just another thing to discuss at NASA until Pluto’s moon is perturbed out of its tidally locked orbit. Discovering the reason for the perturbation sends her off on a quest to learn not what but who is responsible.

1947 was much more than a weather balloon. Samantha Richards discovers that her overbearing father is more than a soldier. Skunkworks is a walk in the park compared to his responsibilities.

When Earth suffers cataclysmic disasters, the president calls on General George Richards to invite his daughter’s uncanny expertise in solving puzzles to make sense of strange anomalies wreaking havoc around the globe.

Reluctantly, the two mend fences, placing all the secrets of AREA 51 and Roswell on the table. The world is in chaos and near extinction when Sam discovers the ‘WHO’ of the equation.

The term chumming is a fishing term. In short, it is a way to bring fish to you. In Peter Benchley’s jaws, they toss copious amounts of bloody fish guts into the ocean to attract the infamous Jaws.

In marketing, some authors chum Facebook and other social media. Again, it is a technique to bring readers and or an audience to you.

They usually will post a comment that is a hot topic.

“If he identifies as a girl, why shouldn’t he shower with the girls?”

“It’s not like Hitler killed all the Jews, just a few… million. They were privileged white people who took advantage of the have-nots.”

I could go on, but you get the point. The media does this by reporting like this.

“A white cop shot a black man.”

While the cop did shoot a criminal, they don’t tell you that the criminal attempted to kill the cop. They also use the adjectives white and black to stir up racial tension even more than it is. Once the adjective white and/or black is read by those triggered by hate, they won’t read further. They will have their hatred of the opposite race justified and amplified to the point that they, too, will dehumanize the opposite race.

There is a local radio station that I listen to on occasion for black people. What if there was a local radio station for White People??? Would that equal things or foment more hate, racial division, and violence?

If you don’t know the answer in a split second, you might be part of the problem.

A black man that commits a heinous crime against a white child will read as follows. “A man killed a six-year-old girl.” If the media were truthful and not biased, they would say, “A black man killed a six-year-old white girl.”

Is it ok to foment hate of white people but not of black? Biased much?

I worked in PR for years. Herding the masses off a cliff has never been easier with the advent of Facebook, Twitter, and Tick Tock. Indeed we are treated as lemmings.

Reporting on hot-button topics to sway voters is critical, and politicians know no shame. “Mass shooting?? Blame the guns.

Not only do some authors chum the water to attract attention to their novel, but they are so jaded by the process they are missing the big picture.

If I were to jump on the same bandwagon that the ladies of the View have regarding Tucker Carlson, half the country or my readers would be alienated.

If I were to defend him, the other half would be alienated.

When Trump was arraigned in New York, I was disappointed that Stephen King weighed in with ‘lock him up.’

If you were in an office with your co-workers, you would probably be smart enough to keep your political affiliation to yourself. We, as authors, don’t have the luxury of espousing our opinions on anything. The Queen of Harry Potter JK Rowling, took a major political hit when she promoted her thoughts on transgender issues. Again, no matter how factual or logical you are, it is the proverbial Kobayashi Maru. The only way to win the game is not to play.

The problem with that is this. Your first amendment rights are being trampled on by anarchists who are either paid by oligarchs or are just stupid regarding history.

That leads us back full circle to chumming the water.

If you are a terrible writer and just want the attention of those aligned with your political views, go for it. Piss off half your readers and feel good about yourself.

You probably spent months to years on your novel, not to mention all the money you spent editing it, etc. Then someone says something you disagree with, and you stupidly step in dog shit to argue with the dog who just pooped it.

There is an old saying which is incredibly germane. Garbage in, Garbage out.

I admit I spend a very tiny amount of time watching anything on TV. I have found little that has any redeeming quality and certainly nothing to waste heartbeats watching. Whether you watch FOX or MSNBC, they feed your hate. Some talking heads hate white folks to the point it is disgusting. If you are a racist, your bigoted views will be provided more fodder to justify your hate of white people. One racist anchor is on the record stating the world needs far fewer white folks. I was reminded of Hitler saying that the world didn’t need Jews.

If people like her fill your head with hate, guess where you will lean. MSNBC knows bloody well the extent of her racism, but they are chumming the water. Who do you suppose their audience might be?

The world has way too much hate already. We are controlled by people who use hatred to motivate our actions. Don’t fall for it.

Ever since I could remember, I have admired Barbara Streisand. I loved her acting and singing until I heard something horrible about her. It was rumored that she did not allow her servants to look at her in her face.

I found that fact repulsive but believable, disturbing, and upsetting. What I didn’t do was check to see if it were true. Why did I race to judgment? Hate. Hate is a strong emotion that will cause you to act before you think.

The media know this, and they use it daily. That is why I don’t watch cable news.

There is another reason: Cable TV with internet costs me nearly $300 a month. Have you priced eggs recently? How about gas? That $300 would be much better spent on the necessities of life than on propaganda fused with hate.

In these absurd debates, we attempt to one-up the other, which is pure insanity. History contains the road map that we refuse to acknowledge. There is no such thing as your truth or my truth; there is only ‘the’ truth.

It might be time for another Woodstock.

We should look for the things that unite us instead of focusing on things that divide us.

Using cheap tactics like those mentioned above for clicks or followers to my way of thinking is reprehensible. Our government and I suspect others are magicians. Don’t look at the hand with the shiny object; watch the other hand.

Let me know your thoughts, keep it clean; this is a family show. 😊

I have an excellent sci-fi novel that is ready for your order. From Kindle to Hardcover, please take a peek here…

-Best

Eyes Wide Open

$900 objectivity…

Not everything is as it seems.

There is something called the WOW factor that realtors depend on when advertising a home. It starts with a photographer with an eye for composition and finding that WOW factor.

From wide-angle lenses to angles that omit white elephants, good photographers know how to get pictures that will pique the curiosity of a potential buyer. Then there is software that listing agents use to dress up the white elephants turning a desert into a golf course.

We authors do this with book covers, but I digress.

While a book cover should entice a reader to at least look inside the cover, these pictures are to incentivize the buyer to request a tour. A recent potential home has lots of wow. Objectivity can get lost in the ‘wow’ if one is not careful.

Once you decide this ‘home’ is right for you, get some objectivity. More importantly, be prepared to walk away.

It started with a few curiosities. An indoor pool that was in less-than-perfect condition. A building that was rusted to the point of possible structural failure. Shoddy workmanship to cover flaws with minor cosmetic repairs that did more damage to the property than help.

Then there were multiple windows with what appeared to be bullet holes. They were, in fact, bullet holes.

Hiring an inspector is one of your best expenses for purchasing objectivity. It is not his or her job to say, run, don’t walk. Their job is to locate flaws, structural deficiencies, other modifications that won’t pass muster, and cosmetic repairs that put lipstick on a pig.

Google reviews and, yes, Yelp are paramount in finding a good inspector.

The inspector recommended by the realtor had more negative reviews than positive ones. Pictures of nail holes from pictures hung vs. screwed-up roofs were their standard. Attempting to sell you services after the fact, instead of doing their job, was also part of the standard operating procedures they followed.

The inspector we found went above and beyond, pointing out things that must be addressed before proceeding.

A move-in ready home went to no less than $100,000.00 in necessary repairs before an evaluation from the mortgage lender could proceed.

Some notifications were minor electrical updates that had changed with codes. Others were a roof that had been damaged by hail. Still, others were air conditioners that had been disconnected because they were dead.

After I requested previous bills, I was shocked to see their electric bill hit $800 in August.

Finding both AC units in the home varied the input air to output air from 12 to 15 degrees on a 58-degree day, respectively, answered my questions. The winter months would not be much better, from heat pumps to heat strips.

The bottom line is this. Don’t fall in love with a property until after a quality inspector does his job. Look for reviews of your choice of inspectors, and don’t depend on your agent. A listing agent will want the one that finds holes from pictures hung. You want an inspector that will crawl through the attic or under the home looking for anything that could bite you in the future.

-Best

TheTimeDok

A Tribute to Miss Thunberg. Apprehended in the pursuit of different windmills.

ANYCUBIC and other 3D printers

Honesty, Integrity, and Morality

Pride and Petulance

The Lies we come to believe. (TIPS and other charges)

The Lies We Come to Believe (Climate Change)

Hire an Employee who will get shit done.

Toll to the Troll

Taxes never end.

Chumming the Water © 2023

Eyes Wide Open