Colonization of Mars

28 Tuesday Jan 2025

Posted by in Waste of Money

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        Elon Musk, among others, has a dream of sending people to Mars within a few years. The Astronauts would spend a while on the planet and return. More flights would put more equipment on the planet to await a group staying longer. Great dream… But I don’t think it is possible in this half century if ever.

            Why is it an impossible dream? Mars has very little oxygen in its almost zero atmosphere so all the air the people will breathe will need to be manufactured on site. Suits will need to be worn when outside the enclosure because of the lack of air and its temperature extremes.

Gravity is lighter on Mars because it is smaller than Earth. That isn’t real bad because the people will be so weak after being in the weightless space for two years. The people who were on Skylab or the International Space Station for a year are carried out of their capsule. Their condition is because the station is far enough outside Earth’s gravity that their muscles weaken. Imagine how weak they will be after the two year trip to Mars plus the two year trip back. Their muscles would be putty. Even their bones will have lost strength and minerals.

            I think the movie “The Martian” was pretty good and pointed out some of the problems and ways to solve them. The lack of gravity wasn’t considered since it would have opened up to many problems and questions. No, I can’t see how we can go to Mars even if the Astronauts “Recycle” the food and water – UGH!

            Elon, the Government can save tens of billions scrapping it.

Cooling a Monstrous Ego

25 Saturday Jan 2025

Posted by in President Trump

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        President-Elect Donald Trump is throwing his weight around again by threatening other countries to do what he demands. If I was the leader of one of those threatened countries I would respond as follows: As the leader of Greenland, I would close the American Base. If they didn’t leave immediately I would block the roads to it, shut off utilities, anything else to ensure all Americans leave. I would then ask other NATO countries to move their people to the base.

            If I was the President of Panama I would declare the canal a demilitarized zone and move all non-Panamanians out of the zone, put a platoon of troops in the wheel house with the Panamanian guide on every American ship wishing to use the canal. As a demilitarized zone I would stop all military ships from passing through it.

            If I was the Prime Minister of Canada, I would arrest American Fisherman using Canadian waters on both coasts, close the Wellington Locks to all American ships, put a tariff on all items crossing into Canada, close all American bases, and anything else we could dream up. It’s his trade agreement he wants to stop.

            Since many of the Southern refineries are set up for the thick oil from Venezuela, as leader, I would have all the oil delivered to another country in spite of sanctions.                                          

            If I were the President of Mexico I would close the Border to all items coming from the United States since Trump is trying to violate the trade agreement he forced on Mexico and Canada.

           All of Trumps’ life he has made demands; people and companies have ultimately complied so he thinks as leader of the most powerful country he can tell other countries to obey. Maybe these countries could cause his followers to see him for what he is and do what is right for the United States and not Donald Trump’s Ego!

The Future Is Dark

23 Thursday Jan 2025

Posted by in America's Future

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        Here is what could happen if Trump fulfills his campaign Promises. He has promised to send all illegal immigrants back to their own countries. He has promised to override the trade treaties. He negotiated with Mexico and Canada by instituting twenty-five percent tariffs on all items crossing the borders. He promised at various times to put a fifty to hundred percent tariff on everything from China. The people he has proposed for his Secretaries have stated their goals to destroy not only their own departments but the public land. He has promised to restrict voting rights. He has promised to allow unrestricted drilling rights on public lands. He has promised to do away with the Education Department and reduce the IRS personnel. His close advisors want to put the Social Security funds in crypto currency and the stock market while changing the terms for retirement.

            Imagine if President Donald Trump sent all the illegal immigrants back home. Several years ago a law was passed causing farmers to hire illegals to go to jail. Two years later they cancelled the law because crops of fruit and vegetables rotted in the fields. The INS raided a meat packing plant and it closed the next month. Many landscapers and home builders would close. They are the majority of Home Builders in California which needs them now more than ever before.

            The Federal Reserve has said the tariffs would reduce the economy by at least a point and raise the inflation rate to at least 9%.

            Eliminating the Education Department means many states will go back to the 1950s systems and laws on what can and cannot be taught.

            The plan to restrict voting rights will allow many states to keep millions from voting. Instead of his claims of hundreds of thousands of questionable ballots in 2020, less than 2000 were bad. Many of those were wrong poll or by mistake in a law.

            Imagine drilling rigs and pipelines in designated monuments, parks, and reserves.

            Imagine the Federal Budget not being responsible for the Social Security Payments. Some private company might invest your contribution in highly volatile things like the thin air of crypto currency and its makers.

            While imagining the Trump Future, remember he is trying to put RFK into the position to do away with vaccines. We all know the stupid things Trump told people to take to avoid Covid causing thousands to die by getting Covid or dying from the poisons.

            In today’s world being a pervert or a crook seems to be a badge of honor. Running the Federal Government of the richest, most powerful country is still the reason for the biggest con in History.

Where’s the Line Today?

04 Saturday Jan 2025

Posted by in Scoundrels

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        There used to be a line that a politician could not cross and keep the parties’ support. Where is that line today? We have a President-Elect who lives across the line. A Florida Representative that was widely known in his district as a drug user and sex trafficker still got elected. We have a New York Representative who takes bribes for supporting a Foreign Country. We have four Supreme Court Justices who lied under oath.  One takes very expensive trips for free and gifts.

            In the early sixties my Representative was so loved, people who had benefited from his largess bought him a helicopter and his brother built five Holiday Inns well out of towns. Why, we all wondered, but as luck would have it, they all ended up being on Intersections of I-57. Illinois had two Speakers of the House: One bought stamps through his office and then turned them back in for cash costing him his job. Was that all he did wrong? I doubt it. The other had a pension from a high school job as a wrestling coach and his Federal Check but was able to pay millions to keep a child sex crime quiet.        

            I am sure these are just a few toes in the pool of immoral and criminal activities in Federal, State and Local politics. I remember an Illinois Senator who would not run for a second term because he couldn’t tolerate “The morass in Washington” any longer. Where is the line in today’s politics? What will voters tolerate? IS THERE ANY LINE ANYMORE?

Power Behind the Throne

22 Sunday Dec 2024

Posted by in President Trump

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        Most Kings and Queens in history were guided by one or two people because the Royals needed help. Today American Presidents often have help in making decisions and someone to carry out those ideas. Vice-President Dick Cheney is the best example of someone guiding an American President. It took six years for President Bush to see he was just a pawn and put Cheney on the back burner.

            Today we have a similar situation with Elon R. Musk starting to guide Donald Trump. During Trump’s first term he was erratic and changed his direction often. He even changed it more than once in a single day. His Vice-President for the upcoming term is definitely not the solid advisor Trump needs. Trump appears to have been taken by the richest person in the World. Trump’s ego is overshadowed by Elon Musk’s huge shadow. Musk’s wealth is based on his being able to influence smart people to work for him and to overwhelm others with his personality and wealth. Trump likes to be near him and almost worships him.

            Since Elon Must was not born in this country, the Constitution prohibits him from being President so controlling Trump is as close as he can come to becoming the top dog. His overpowering ego is boundless allowing him to get Trump to do as he directs. His influence with the leaders of other countries, including China, makes him close to being the person an alien would want to see after asking “Take me to your leader.” Can he run Tesla and control Trump at the same time? Trump’s tariff plans work around Tesla while hurting the “Big Three” and others. When Foreign Leaders want to discuss something do they go to Musk first? We will see! 

History Lesson

15 Sunday Dec 2024

Posted by in History Forgotten

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        As a student of History, let me give the reader a bit of history to compare with another time. When Adolph Hitler became leader of Germany he put people into positions of authority solely on their sworn loyalty to him. Several were sexual perverts and criminals. He picked out an ethnic group and called them subhuman and a religious group calling them the reason Germany was suffering.

            Hitler curried favor and a sense of loyalty from the major industrialists by talking about his plans to build a new Germany. He told them of his plans to build new highways and rebuild the military. They would employ millions of good German workers while making millions for them. They built the Autobahn so troops and supplies could be moved back and forth quickly and built new factories and foundries to make equipment.

            His appointment of Joseph Goebbels to make sure the people heard and read only what they should know, no matter how much of it was fabricated. By using the Federal Police powers, the Media either followed the directed line or were met with jail, concentration camp, or murdered. Remember the motto, “If you say it often enough people will believe it.”  Of course, if a German didn’t believe it, jail awaited or worse.

            Hitler’s power over the Generals required personal loyalty or shunted aside into retirement. Soon all new recruits had to swear allegiance to him and not to Germany. The promises of a new and more powerful Germany kept them loyal even as he interfered with planning often causing disasters.             Hitler and Germany can be replaced by Putin and Russia. Can the reader see another leader who demands loyalty from appointees with poor character to positions of power? Several are crooks and sexual perverts. Few if any have any experience or skill in management. Who could it be? Will the people see what is coming or wait as happened in Germany and Russia?

Fair Taxation

03 Tuesday Dec 2024

Posted by in Taxes, U.S. Taxes

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        I remember the table breaking in half when President Ronald Reagan had all the notebooks containing all the tax laws placed on it. Whether or not it had been weakened is beside the point. It broke because Congress passes laws with hundreds of exemptions every year. Reagan said he would cut taxes by a third, which he did and then had to raise them back up with more exemptions because of the cutting raised the National Debt, which he hated more.

            In the 1980s Representative Kemp tried to push through a universal 6% income tax. His plan sounded good but would not have balanced the budget while keeping most of the exemptions. I think a fair income tax would be 12% over $20,000 base for individuals and 20% for all others. Small business would probably claim individual with companies, corporations, estates, and other financial entities paying the 20% on profits. Social Security and Pensions totaling over $20,000 would be taxed when combined to total over the base. There would be no exemptions for age, children, marital status and real estate taxes. Congress can’t stop with just one one exception and once the door is open its a flood.

            The backlash from the accounting sector would be formidable since any individual could multiply the W-2 by 12% and see if money is to be paid or returned. Companies wouldn’t need thousands of CPAs and attorneys to find loopholes and exemptions. Think of more profit without them and a host of lobbyists figuring out how to bribe legislatures. People making hundreds of millions would pay 12% and corporations that have never paid anything would now pay 20% on their billions.

            Artificial intelligence would allow for more productive checking of all returns and with AI and simpler returns, the Treasury Department could reduce its employees by thousands.

            I would think the additional income would help to end the yearly additions to the National Debt if Congress was responsible with their hand-outs and waste.

            Think about it. Most individuals would need no more than a postcard to do their taxes and corporations would need a page or two. No hiding income by buying land and saying you are a farmer to pass money through the estate exemptions. Hundreds of thousands Professionals buy land so it would be passed on to their children tax free.

            What a dream because no Congress is ever going to give up all those campaign bribes and speaking engagements padding their personal accounts. Graft is a five letter word preventing the dream from happening.

Could This Be Our Last Vote?

23 Saturday Nov 2024

Posted by in Last Vote, President Trump

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        As a student of History, I have studied dictators who have ruled over the millennia usually to the detriment of their citizens. Two twentieth Century dictators who died before most of today’s Americans were born are Adolph Hitler and Benito Mussolini. The Germans and the Italians were extremely adept at gaining people’s confidence and loyalty; they both were originally elected and put their loyalist followers into offices that would control the people.

            Hitler unlike Mussolini used his first group of followers to harass the German Jews who he had designated as the reason the Axis Powers lost World War One and caused thousands of percent inflation. When the Brown Shirts became a political detriment he had his new follower’s, the Black Shirts, kill off the leaders of the original group. He bought the leaders of the new group with important government posts and the industrialists with special advantages and contracts. He got rid of or put in meaningless duties generals who he thought wouldn’t blindly obey his. The other officers and all men in uniform swore loyalty to him and him alone.

            The majority of Germans were so duped into believing Hitler took complete control of all three branches of the government. He put loyalists in the courts, in the legislature, and in the federal police and the newly created the Gestapo. Hitler had anyone creating problems killed or put into concentration camps.

            Vladimir Putin has done exactly the same thing in this century. Putin though was trained by the KGB on how to manipulate people and how to get narcissists and egoists to do as KGB agents want.

            Can you think if anyone who is following Hitler’s methods today? Who will have control of all three branches and majority of the State Governments?? Look up what it takes to eliminate the XXII Amendment!

This Really Smells Bad

04 Monday Nov 2024

Posted by in President Trump

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        Sometimes, putting two and two together, we get five or even more. Let’s see what number all this adds up to when we put what we know together for sure.

            One, the Trump organization tried to put a hotel with his name on it in Moscow and the deal didn’t go through. We don’t know why. Did Putin want too big a price like he gets from everyone else or does he know something we don’t?

            Two, we know there was collusion between the Trump campaign and the Russian intelligence in 2015 but not enough proof to indict anyone. We know they hacked into the Democratic Party’s files, plans, and e-mails and gave them to Trump’s campaign.

            Three, we know Trump met with two high level Russian Diplomats with only an interpreter present in the White House. The law requires notes of such meetings so the interpreter’s notes were edited and then approved by President Trump himself. This was about two years after Putin’s pick for the Ukrainian President was kicked out and the Pro-Western Zelensky installed. The Russian supported rebels and Russians undercover troops took the Easternmost Provinces and landed troops in the Crimea. Trump withheld help that the Ukraine needed and which might have kept Putin from his attempt to capture Kiev. Trump gave Putin’s lie that it was governed by Nazis.

            Four, The Russian Media has been found to be flooding the social media with lies about anyone or organization against Trump and putting out many lies in his support.

            Five, Elon Musk is suddenly putting tens of millions into a PAC supporting Trump and going to his rallies after he met several times with Putin and other Russians. What was discussed neither side will say. Both sides now say their people were wrong and the discussions never happened.

            Six, we know that several American companies are still operating in Russia and/or buying Russian oil and fuel which was refined in India. These companies contribute to the Trump PACS.

            So two and two has added up to six and how many more points I don’t know since most of this is kept secret. The American Government and NATO have named Russia as an enemy and Putin has arrest warrants against him so he must be very careful on leaving Russia or being arrested. NATO is standing with America on supplying weapons to the Ukraine and Trump wants to withdraw from NATO. Putin’s cyber teams have been supporting Trump’s views on our pulling out of NATO and stopping help to Ukraine.

            President Trump’s state and security people have said they don’t think he should be President again. Maybe it doesn’t just smell, maybe it is a terrible stink!

Deregulation is Unsafe

01 Friday Nov 2024

Posted by in Deregulation

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        Don’t read this if you have a weak stomach and are capable of visualizing a picture of what you are about to read.

            I hope we have all heard or read about the Listeria outbreak from the food processed at the Boar’s Head plant. For over two years people have been reporting to authorities about (Here it comes!) mold, insects, dripping water, as well as meat and fat residue on walls, floors, and equipment. Over ten people have died and dozens more put in a Hospital.

            I have never been in a meat packing plant – outside yes – but I have been in the kitchen of some restaurants I never ate in again. One I had listed for sale had all the above plus a smell from the sinks and a bad septic field. Water from a ceiling leak was dripping into the shrimp bowl on the buffet table. I quietly mentioned it to the owner who merely moved the bowl a few inches. Another kitchen had lettuce and other vegetables stuck to the walls in an otherwise fairly clean kitchen before lunchtime.

            The old saying really applies in that you don’t want to know what is in the sausage or how it is made. My first realtor’s office was next to a hog slaughtering plant. By next I mean less than a hundred feet from their waste bins. It was built decades before the town grew around it.

            With the pressure on the governments to reduce funding, one cut was been to reduce spending on safety by allowing the companies to inspect their own products and processes. If a company inspector wants to keep their job, they become a blind mouse. When a government inspector is going to make their inspection, the company is advised well in advance. One proper day a year isn’t enough!