Touring the Valley

Priorities

AI-generated image

The powerful people who are privileged with deciding our fates exhibit a strange mentality. Some, apparently, really believe in certain "end times" prophecies and hope to hasten the end of the world for religious reasons. Others truly don't care about life on earth, and just don't mind destroying everything. But all of them want to get rich along the way, as if the memory of their bank accounts will be meaningful in a dead world.

There's a weird war killing Americans, the Strait of Hormuz is closed to shipping, the company responsible for our worst oil spill has been given permission to do it again, violent thugs employed by the government attack our cities, the "president's" family profits in the billions, reporters who publish the truth are threatened with death, diseases spread, citizens can no longer afford to live, but what really matters is the decor in the Royal Palace.

Random Thoughts

Imagine what it would be like if wars could operate only on Tuesday and Thursday from noon to 4:00, while billions of dollars were poured into the children's library.

━━━━⊱༒︎ • ༒︎⊰━━━━
We need to outlaw the medicine bottle caps that require "push down and turn".

━━━━⊱༒︎ • ༒︎⊰━━━━
The same people who want to legislate personhood for fetuses and zygotes, routinely deny the personhood of adult women.

━━━━⊱༒︎ • ༒︎⊰━━━━
Imagine a country that readily spends a billion dollars a day to provide physical therapy and mobility aids for the disabled, and tells the war to fill out some forms and wait.

━━━━⊱༒︎ • ༒︎⊰━━━━

SAVE What?

The Issue

The SAVE Act, formally known as the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, is a proposed U.S. bill that would require individuals to provide documentary proof of U.S. citizenship—such as a passport, birth certificate, or enhanced ID—to register to vote in federal elections. It passed the House on February 11, 2026, by a vote of 218–213 along party lines, with one Democrat joining all Republicans in support. The bill now moves to the Senate, where it faces significant hurdles due to the 60-vote threshold needed to overcome a filibuster and opposition from some Republican senators concerned about federal overreach.

The bill mandates that states cannot register voters unless they present approved documents verifying citizenship. Standard driver’s licenses, tribal IDs, and military IDs alone would not suffice unless they explicitly indicate citizenship status, which most do not.

The 2026 version, also called the SAVE America Act, includes a photo ID requirement to vote in person and stricter rules for mail-in voting, such as submitting a copy of an eligible ID. It also requires states to purge non-citizens from voter rolls and share unredacted voter data with the Department of Homeland Security.

Critics argue the bill would disenfranchise eligible voters, many of whom may lack immediate access to required documents. Studies estimate 21.3 million citizens do not have easy access to proof of citizenship. Opponents also note that noncitizen voting is already illegal and extremely rare.

Getting the Documents

Vital records (birth, marriage, death) are usually stored by the county where the event took place. They may have a Vital Records department, or some records (such as recent births and deaths) may be stored by the Health Department.

If you need a copy of your birth certificate, you can probably go in person to the county offices. If you have moved away, you can probably do this online or by mail. (This cannot be done by making a phone call.) Your county may offer forms on its website, or it may direct you to a third-party (for-profit) provider. In any case, getting a copy of your certificate is not a free service. Fees vary, but in most cases will not be more than $30.00.

You need to know the difference between an "informational copy" and a "certified copy". The informational copy comes stamped with the words "Not for identification". The certified copy is provided only to authorized people, such as the person in question and certain close family members. As an authorized person, you will have to provide a notarized declaration swearing that you are who you are. Notary fees vary, depending on where you go, but probably will be around $20.00.

Depending on how busy your county is these days, it can take several weeks (maybe a few months) to receive the certificate. By the way, if you want more than one, you'll have to pay an additional fee for each copy. (They come on nice paper with a raised logo.) If your county's records were destroyed in a hurricane, fire, or flood, you will not be able to get a copy.

Some people don't have a birth certificate because they were born at home or in a remote location, and the birth was not officially registered. It may be possible to get a "Delayed Birth Certificate," but the requirements can be insurmountable. My grandfather, born on the family farm, never had a birth certificate, although he tried many times to get one. The bureaucrats were not cooperative.

If your current name doesn't match your birth name, you'll need to document that. If you changed your name upon marriage, you'll need a copy of your marriage certificate. The procedure and fees are usually the same as for a birth certificate.

If you've been married more than once, you may need copies of all marriage certificates as well as copies of divorce decrees. Divorce documents may be difficult or impossible to obtain, as many counties keep them for only a limited time. If you were widowed before you remarried, you might want a copy of your first spouse's death certificate. The procedure and fee for that is similar to getting a birth certificate.

If your name was changed due to adoption, you'll need copies of the relevant documents. To get copies of your adoption records, usually you must file a petition in the superior court where the adoption took place. You will need to include proof of identity (a driver's license or passport) and you may need a copy of your original birth certificate (see above). The procedure for getting adoption records varies from state to state, as do the fees.

If you had your name legally changed for personal reasons, you'll need an official copy of that document. The procedure to get it is unclear, as this kind of document is not listed on most counties' websites.

Sometimes people are surprised find that the name they use differs from the birth certificate. I knew someone who thought he was Joseph, who got a copy of his birth certificate and learned that he was born Giuseppe. Sometimes it's just a spelling variation, like Janice vs. Janis or Susan vs. Suzanne. Still, the name in use is not an exact match to the birth certificate. I don't know what procedure there may be to reconcile discrepancies like these.

Some people seem to think that this is not a real problem. They happen to have certified copies of all their records, that they have carefully preserved and dragged with them whenever they moved. They imagine that everyone else does what they do, and are contemptuous of anyone whose life isn't exactly like theirs. However, the reality is that most of us simply don't possess certified copies of every document that has passed through our lives. And even those who do may run into discrepancies or unexpected information gaps.

The proposed requirement to make voter registration contingent upon having a current qualifying paper with a name exactly matching one's birth certificate places a procedural and financial burden on some people that is not placed on others. Married women are most likely to be affected and disenfranchised.

The League of Women Voters has stated, "Millions of eligible voters could be blocked from casting a ballot under the SAVE America Act’s restrictive documentary proof of citizenship requirements. This includes voters who are already properly registered and previously provided proof of citizenship but could still be turned away at the polls if they do not bring a passport or other qualifying document with them on Election Day."

The ACLU has stated, "The SAVE Act echoes failed and unconstitutional laws like Kansas’s proof of citizenship requirement, which purged over 30,000 eligible voters and was struck down in federal court. This legislation would especially harm naturalized citizens, voters with low incomes, voters of color, Native American voters, rural voters, and first-time voters—many of whom lack easy access to a passport or birth certificate. It would also threaten the voting rights of as many as 69 million women who have taken their spouse’s name but whose birth certificate does not match. By demanding burdensome documentation and triggering erroneous voter roll purges, the SAVE Act also threatens the ability of even long-time registered voters to stay on the rolls and participate in elections."

Click HERE for an explainer from Rock the Vote.

"Comply or Die"

11 seconds before the shooting, Mr. Pretti is restrained by multiple agents. Still from video by Philophon via Reddit.
The New York Times.

Greg Bovino, head of ICE, says the agents who killed a man on a public street in front of witnesses are the "real victims" and the dead man is to blame for his own murder as a peaceful citizen behaving legally. If Bovino had been around in the seventies, he'd probably have announced that poor Ted Bundy was just a hapless victim of all those nasty girls.

Even though the agents' faces were covered to conceal them from witnesses and cameras, a genuine, standard investigation into the murder would be able to determine the identity of the shooter(s). They would preserve the scene, collect evidence following strict procedures, identify whose gun fired the fatal bullets, who had GSR on their clothes, etc. But the perpetrator is unlikely to be named, because they didn't start a proper investigation at the crime scene, the evidence will have been mishandled, and all the agents will lie despite being caught on video from multiple angles; besides, DHS wants more of this.

They want you to be paralyzed with fear. They want a populace too terrified to complain. They want the perfect police state.

Recent Random Thoughts

"Do You Hear the People Sing?" Les Miserables

If you're aiming your cell phone at the same time you're aiming your gun, you're making a snuff film.

Just as we don't answer the phone for an unrecognized number - don't open your door to an uninvited knock.

It doesn't really matter that the victim was a nice guy, a nurse, a kind person, helpful, friendly. If it turned out that he was a heartless curmudgeon who kicked dogs, cursed at small children, and stole his neighbors' Amazon boxes, he still wouldn't deserve to be beaten by thugs and shot to death on the street for the "crime" of recording their behavior on his phone. These lynch mobs have been turned loose in our streets by an authoritarian regime hell-bent on intimidating and demoralizing us with their "comply or die" mentality. They give these murderous goons military weapons and send them out to act as judge and executioner. And they've been given a budget that is bigger than that of most armies in the world. The amount of money being spent to perpetrate vandalism, theft, assault, kidnapping, and murder tells you how much it is worth to the oligarchs and their henchmen to keep us in line. Let's make sure we don't stay in line.

Real law enforcement officers often detain armed suspects without killing them.

Gemini's Unauthorized Intrusion Into Your Email

Photo by Nicholas Fuentes on Unsplash

If you use Gmail, you may have noticed that AI summaries of your email exchanges have started to appear in your email feed, even though you did not request this feature.

Many people want to turn this off, and online forums are full of people asking how. I went straight to Gemini with my query. Following is the "conversation" I had with the bot.

Note that I have used red to add emphasis to some parts of this text.

ME:
How can I make Gemini stop reading my email, and stop providing those summaries?

GEMINI:
To stop Gemini from summarizing your emails and reading your inbox, you have to navigate a few layers of Google's settings. Because Gemini is deeply integrated into "Smart Features," turning it off often requires disabling those broader tools.

### 1. Disable "Smart Features" (Desktop)

This is the most direct way to remove the "Summarize this email" button and the Gemini side panel.

1. Open [Gmail](https://mail.google.com) on your computer.
2. Click the **Settings (gear icon)** in the top right → **See all settings**.
3. Under the **General** tab, scroll down to **Smart features and personalization**.
4. **Uncheck** the box.
5. Scroll further down to **Smart features and personalization in other Google products** and **uncheck** that as well.
6. Scroll to the bottom and click **Save Changes**. Gmail will reload.>

**Note:** Turning this off will also disable non-AI features like automatic email categorization (Promotions/Social tabs), summary cards for flights/packages, and Smart Compose.

---

### 2. Disable the Gemini Extension (Account Level)

If you want to ensure the Gemini AI (the standalone chatbot) can't "reach into" your Gmail to answer questions:

1. Go to [gemini.google.com](https://gemini.google.com).
2. Click **Settings** (gear icon) at the bottom left.
3. Select **Extensions**.
4. Find the **Google Workspace** extension and toggle it **Off**.
* This prevents the Gemini chatbot from searching your Drive, Docs, and Gmail when you talk to it.

--- ### 3. Disable in the Gmail Mobile App

The mobile settings are separate from the desktop settings.

1. Open the Gmail app on your phone.
2. Tap the **Menu (three lines)** → **Settings**.
3. Select your specific **email account**.
4. Scroll to the **General** section.
5. Uncheck **Smart features and personalization**.

---

### 4. For Google Workspace (Work/School) Users

If you are using a company account and still see Gemini after doing the above, your IT administrator may have "forced" the feature.

* **If you are the Admin:** Go to the [Google Admin Console](https://admin.google.com) →
**Apps** → **Google Workspace** → **Gemini**. From there, you can turn off Gemini for specific organizational units.
* **If you are an Employee:** You may only be able to hide the side panel, but you cannot fully remove the integration unless your admin disables it for the whole company.

Would you like me to show you how to also clear your existing Gemini activity history so Google doesn't keep a record of past summaries?

ME:
It verges on criminal that turning off this intrusive violation of my privacy will also turn off other features. Whoever designed this should be fired.

GEMINI:
It is completely understandable why that feels like a "digital hostage" situation. Having to sacrifice basic tools like spell-check and organized inbox tabs just to regain your privacy is a classic example of **forced bundling**.

Since Google currently links Gemini to the "Smart Features" toggle, here is the most effective way to handle this without completely breaking your workflow:

### 1. The "Ad-Blocker" Solution (Highly Recommended)

If you use Gmail in a desktop browser (Chrome, Firefox, Edge), you can "delete" the Gemini UI elements while keeping your Smart Features (like tabs and spell-check) active.

* **Install a blocker:** Use a free, open-source extension like **uBlock Origin**.
* **Target the "Sparkle":** 1. Right-click on the Gemini icon (or the summary box).
2. Select **"Block element..."**
3. A small window will pop up in the corner; click **Create**.
* **The Result:** The summary box and Gemini buttons disappear from your screen, but your "Social" and "Promotions" tabs stay exactly where they are.

---

### 2. Move to a Third-Party App

You can bypass the Gemini interface entirely by using a different email client. This allows you to keep your `@gmail.com` address but use an interface that doesn't include Google's AI overlays.

* **Desktop:** Use **Thunderbird** or **Apple Mail**. These apps will handle your spell-check and local organization without triggering Gemini's summarization.
* **Mobile:** Use an app like **Spark** or **Outlook mobile**. They connect to your Gmail servers but use their own interface, usually ignoring the Gemini summary injection.

---

### 3. Disable "Gemini Apps Activity"

While the instructions I gave you earlier stop the *display* of Gemini, Google still has a background setting for what it does with your data. To ensure your interactions aren't being logged:

1. Go to [myactivity.google.com](https://myactivity.google.com).
2. Look for **Gemini Apps Activity**.
3. Turn it **Off** and select **Delete Activity**.

### Why did they do this?

From a product design standpoint, Google has moved features like "Smart Compose" and "Autocorrect" onto the same backend infrastructure as Gemini. By their logic, if you "opt out" of AI, you are opting out of the entire engine that powers those features. It is a controversial move that many privacy advocates have flagged as a "dark pattern" designed to discourage users from opting out.

Would you like me to help you find the specific CSS codes to hide the Gemini side panel more permanently in your browser?

ME:
I'd like to print this entire conversation.

GEMINI:
Since I am an AI interface, there isn't a direct "Print" button built into the chat window, but you can easily capture the full formatting using your browser's native tools.

Here are the two best ways to get a clean printout of our conversation:

### Option 1: The "Ctrl + P" Method (Fastest)

1. **Select the text:** Highlight the entire conversation from your first question down to this response.
2. **Right-click** and select **Print** (or press `Ctrl + P` on Windows / `Cmd + P` on Mac).
3. **Change the setting:** In the print preview window, look for a setting that says **"Selection Only"** (usually under "More Settings" or "Options").
4. **Print to PDF or Paper:** This ensures you don't print the sidebar or other website clutter.

### Option 2: The "Clean Copy" Method (Best Formatting)

1. Click the **Copy** icon (usually looks like two overlapping squares) at the bottom of each of my responses.
2. Paste them into a document (Google Docs, Word, or NotePad).
3. Go to **File → Print**. This allows you to adjust the font size and remove any extra white space before you print.

---

**A quick tip for the road:** If you ever decide to try the **uBlock Origin** method I mentioned earlier to hide the Gemini buttons, it works on almost any website element you find annoying. It’s a great way to "clean up" the internet without waiting for companies to change their settings.

Would you like me to summarize the steps for disabling Gemini into a single, one-page "cheat sheet" so it's easier to read once printed?

ME:
Yes

GEMINI: ## Gemini Deactivation & Privacy Cheat Sheet

This guide provides the steps to disable Gemini’s presence in Gmail while maintaining as much control as possible over your workspace.

---

### 1. Disable Gemini UI (The "Hostage" Method)

* **Location:** Gmail Settings (Desktop) → **See all settings** → **General**.
* **Action:** Uncheck **Smart features and personalization**.
* **Trade-off:** This removes the "Summarize" button, but you will lose auto-categorization (Tabs) and Smart Compose.

### 2. Block the "Side Panel" (The Visual Clean-up)

If the Gemini side panel or "Sparkle" icons still appear:

* **Manual Close:** Click the **Close (X)** or the **Side Panel icon** in the top right of Gmail to collapse the AI panel.
* **Ad-Blocker (uBlock Origin):** Right-click any Gemini element → Select **"Block element"** → Click **Create**. This "erases" the buttons from your screen without disabling other Gmail features.

### 3. Cut off Data Access (The Privacy Method)

To prevent the Gemini chatbot from "reading" your emails to answer questions:

1. Go to [gemini.google.com](https://gemini.google.com).
2. Click **Settings (Gear Icon)** → **Extensions**.
3. Toggle **Google Workspace** to **OFF**.

### 4. Delete AI Activity History

Ensure Google isn't keeping a log of your AI-related interactions:

1. Visit [myactivity.google.com](https://myactivity.google.com).
2. Select **Gemini Apps Activity**.
3. Toggle it **OFF** and select **Delete Activity**.

### 5. Mobile App Deactivation

1. Open the Gmail App → **Settings** → **[Your Account]**.
2. Scroll to **General** → Uncheck **Smart features and personalization**.

---

**Summary of Impact:** Disabling these features moves your Gmail back toward a "static" inbox. For a completely AI-free experience without losing functionality, consider using a third-party desktop client like **Thunderbird**, which ignores Google’s AI overlays entirely.

Minneapolis

Renee Nicole Good, as recorded by her killer moments before he fired his gun.

“Men are afraid that women will laugh at them. Women are afraid that men will kill them.” ― Margaret Atwood

It may seem weird that the regime thinks the ICE goon's own phone video somehow proves him innocent, when, in fact, it supports his guilt. But remember that their defense of him includes the assertion that the murder was actually self defense because he "felt threatened". He probably did feel something.

All throughout the most recent election campaign, It was Republicans who repeatedly told us, "Fuck your feelings" and reiterated, "Facts don't care about your feelings." Apparently their feelings are now considered facts.

A pleasant lady smiled and said she wasn't mad at him, and that drove him into a red-hot rage. How dare a woman - a woman! - not fear him and not take him as seriously as he took himself and his violent, authoritarian role-playing? Oh, yes, she was a threat - not to his physical safety, but to his fragile sense of self, his belief in his own importance, and to his and this regime's requirement that women must be subservient to male authority.

His snarled curse, after he wiped out her life, says it all -- "Fucking bitch." This is what the domestic abuser says about the woman who disobeys, who tries to escape. This is what the disgruntled male employee says about a female supervisor. This is what the sex-pest says about a woman who doesn't want him to buy her a drink, who rebuffs his demand for her time and attention.

The regime's presentation of this video as exoneration tells you what their position is. The woman who doesn't appear submissive, who doesn't instantly comply with screamed demands, the woman who cannot be controlled, whoexpects to go about her own business (as she has every right to do) -- that woman is a threat, and if she gets away with it, his very existence will implode. So of course, he had to kill her.

They want us to agree that any woman who isn't adequately humble and subservient deserves an instant death penalty.

Random Thoughts

Photo by Peter Herrmann on Unsplash

Some kids feared the school bully. A few thought he was a joke. Most ignored or avoided him. Nobody respected him.

ICE agents have been permitted to act like criminals, so it's no surprise that criminals impersonate ICE.

Your front doorbell chimes. And just then, the phone rings. At that moment, someone starts pounding on the back door. You see someone peering in your window and tapping on the glass. Your laptop starts dinging because a bunch of emails just came to your inbox. Your neighbor is on the sidewalk, shouting your name. A notification beeps to let you know there are social media messages for you. In the next room, the smoke detector starts beeping due to a low battery. You hear an unidentified crash in the bathroom. You notice water leaking from under the kitchen sink. Just then, the dog barfs on the living room rug.

That is "flooding the zone" and it works because it overwhelms your ability to respond, leaving you confused and unable to prioritize.

Nearly every day - sometimes multiple times per day - donald does or says something that would have been considered scandalous for a real president prior to 2016. Often, his actions would likely have led to impeachment and conviction for pre-2016 presidents. Yet most of these things go by with little public attention, unreported by "major" news organizations. Those who should know better, who should take responsibility for holding public officials accountable, who should - at the very least - inform the public, have blandly accepted a criminal madman as the country's leader.

I visited donald's blog, to fact-check whether some of the posts recently attributed to him are real. It's a mess. Aside from being a stinking swamp of lies and hatred, it is poorly designed, difficult to navigate, unsearchable, and really ugly. In other words, appropriate.

People in government used to believe they were required to act within legal boundaries. The lawbreakers hid what they were doing, because they believed they'd be held accountable if caught. But then they found out that the people who could and should say no to donald (and by extension to his minions) weren't saying no, and that no one was willing/interested to hold them accountable. So they began doing the bad stuff openly, because that was easier than hiding it, and they became more and more confident that no one would stop them, no one would punish them. They have crossed so many lines that they are in new, weird territory, a Bizarro World where NOT being corrupt is seen as a bad thing. Where "making America Great" means destroying everything that is actually great. Where decency is a joke, and cruelty and perversion are role models.

Whatever happened to the "Age of Aquarius"?

Terrorist Tactics

In 2015, if an unmarked van blocked your car, and a group of masked men emerged, smashed your window, threw you to the ground, zip tied your wrists, tossed you into the back of the van, you and any witnesses would naturally assume you were being kidnapped by a ruthless criminal gang. Now, everyone just assumes it's the government.

It's Weird Out There

Photo by Jakob Rosen on Unsplash

It's not about arresting "the worst" criminals, or even about criminals at all. They can just grab you if they don't like your looks, or if they need a couple more victims to meet their quota.

Imagine that your cousin is hoarding spoons. Her kitchen drawers are full of spoons. She has crates of spoons stacked in the garage. When you comment that she has more spoons than she can possibly use, she says, "I might need them someday." Then you find out that her neighbor also hoards spoons, in some kind of competition to see who can own the most spoons in the county. Between the two of them, they have actually created a local spoon shortage, making it difficult for folks to obtain spoons for their families. They know this, but they keep obsessively hoarding more and more spoons, setting world records for spoon accumulation, while other people are reduced to using sticks to eat their pudding.

Why do we think it's crazy when it's spoons, but not when it's dollars?

Once upon a time, crooked politicians had the dignity to do their corruption and bribe-taking in secret.

Imagine a department manager in the company where you work, who often admits he doesn't remember orders that he issued, has never heard of company policies, doesn't know what people in his department are doing, admits to making important decisions based on the vague opinions of "many people", can't explain the reason for directions he gave to employees, often seems unable to remember events he was involved in just a few days or a few hours ago. That guy would be fired.

People who are unimaginative and without skills, unable to create anything interesting or valuable, make themselves powerful the only way they can, through destruction.

Look At Me!

Photo by Dallas Reedy on Unsplash

Imagine a lovely day at the beach. Children have gathered at the moist sand near the high-tide line to build sandcastles. Some are simple, made by using a little bucket as a mold. Others are elaborate and very creative, with moats, turrets, inner courtyards, and seashell decorations.

There is one little boy who doesn't join the fun. He's an angry, jealous little brat who expects everyone to pay attention to him at all times, just like his indulgent parents do. But now, passersby are drawn to the sandcastles, marveling at their craftsmanship and praising the young builders. The brat knows he can't compete with the other kids, because he has no creativity and lacks the patience to work with wet sand. Besides, the other kids never invite him to play, because he's mean.

Now, his face turns red as he is flooded with frustration. With a roar, he rushes toward the play area and starts knocking the castles down. The kids shout at him to stop, but he ignores them, running from castle to castle, kicking and flailing, until nothing is left but piles of sand. Some of the youngest children are crying. Other kids call the brat names and threaten to tell his parents. Some just walk away. The brat laughs with spiteful delight. He feels powerful, and everyone is looking at him.

Discovery and Conquest

By Joos van Winghe / Johann Theodor de Bry / Bartolomé de Las Casas - Bibliothèque nationale de France - https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/btv1b20000085/f2.item, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1831551

The word "discover" is used in a few different ways in English. I can say I "discovered" a great little restaurant in a nearby neighborhood, or that while cleaning out the garage, I "discovered" a bundle of my grandparents' love letters. In both cases, I have become aware of something previously unknown to ME. I could also use the same word to say a researcher "discovered" a cure for cancer, or a traveler "discovered" a new route through the mountains. In these cases, someone has created or found something previously unknown to everyone.

In the case of Columbus and his alleged discovery of North America, he certainly didn't find something that was unknown to everyone. The people living there knew about it, and a few other Europeans did, too. We can say Columbus discovered the place only in that first sense, of having come across something that was new to him (and, to be fair, new to most Europeans), although it seems he never fully understood where he was. And while he may have been adventurous and brave, he was no hero, as evidenced by his horrible treatment of the indigenous people.

If you're happy to be an American of European ancestry living on this continent, and that makes you want to celebrate this day as a holiday, have fun. But let's not pretend that the simplified child's version of the story that we were taught in school is actual history.

Don't Go There

Photo by ev on Unsplash

Imagine you're planning a special vacation. There is a country you'd like to visit, but the news makes you wonder if that's a good choice.

In that country, there is a strange, militarized police force that seems to have no restrictions on its power. Its agents are anonymous and wear masks in public. Groups of them march along city streets in a show of force. They operate without warrants and without any apparent legal justification. They brutally attack people who question them or even look at them. They kidnap people from the street and take them to undisclosed locations. Some of the kidnapped people are held in overcrowded prisons where conditions are so bad they violate both international law for prisoners of war, and the country's own laws for prison operation. The prisoners are denied legal counsel or family visits. Some of them are sent to even worse prisons in other countries. Some of them simply "disappear". This police force has arrested tourists and business travelers, sometimes for minor visa issues, sometimes for what appear to be political motives.

You probably wouldn't take a vacation in the country where this is happening. Would you choose to live there?

Recent Thoughts

Photo by İrfan Simsar on Unsplash

If you have a life insurance policy, make sure people know about it. Insurance companies don't just automatically pay when you die - someone has to file a claim. Otherwise, the company keeps your money. Give a copy of the policy to your executor or the beneficiary or someone. Keep another copy in a place your family will look when you're gone (kitchen drawer, file cabinet, jewelry box). If you have a lawyer or accountant, give them a copy to keep in your file.

So-called Non-lethal" weapons are NOT non-lethal. They are considered "less lethal". They can cause serious injuries and permanent disability as well as death.

For example, "rubber" bullets aren't what the name sounds like. They are not just bullets made from rubber. They are METAL with a thin rubber coating.

Tear gas can cause life-threatening conditions such as respiratory failure, chemical burns to the throat and lungs, asphyxia, and even death, especially when deployed in a confined space. Exposure can lead to permanent eye damage, including corneal scarring, cataracts, glaucoma, and traumatic optic neuropathy, with some individuals experiencing complete and permanent blindness. Injury and death have been caused by blunt force when victims were struck by a tear gas cannister.

Imagine a country whose leader posts fake videos to discredit people he dislikes, and isn't impeached for it.

It's a sci-fi horror movie scenario. A sadistic madman seizes control of a once-great nation. He is aided by stooges who have been promised great power and wealth. To lead the military, he chooses a bloodthirsty drunk with the critical thinking skills of a 3rd grade bully, who is eager to kill people and break things. They plan to "train" the army by attacking cities in their own country. How would a great screenwriter defeat the villains and restore hope and freedom to the people?

When to Jump

Photo by Maria Teneva on Unsplash

In the 1930's, there were a lot of people who didn't get out of Germany in time. Some of them simply didn't believe it would get nearly as bad as it did. Some of them were reluctant to leave their familiar lives - their homes, jobs, friends, the city where they were comfortable. Some felt they were too old to start over. Or they felt overwhelmed by the prospect of leaving their property and going to a strange place where they would have nothing and would need to find a way to make a living while learning a new language. Some were ready to go, but only if they could go to a place they chose. Maybe they wanted to go to the U.S. or England, but were stopped by immigration quotas, so they waited. Some had the chance to go to places they found unappealing, so they waited for something better. Some got out, but weren't able to go far enough. They fled to other European countries that were eventually taken over by the Nazis.

It is easy now to look back and think that the old folks should have left despite the difficulty. To say that the people who didn't want to go to South America or Africa should have gone anyway. That those who didn't want to leave their homes should have realized their lives were worth more than a house and furniture. That the people who thought it couldn't get worse and that they could just ride it out were deluding themselves. And, thinking all this, we have to ask, how much of this applies to us, now?

Making it Easier

Some people seem to think that if buildings are made "accessible" for disabled or mobility-impaired people, that the result will be inconvenient for the able-bodied. Nothing could be more wrong. Principles of Universal Design (UD) promote the creation of environments that are easily usable by the greatest number of people, both abled and disabled.

In many cases, a UD approach increases the attractiveness of a space and makes it more convenient for everyone, regardless of physical ability.

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For example, think about "rocker" light switches, which were developed to make it easier for disabled people to control the lights in a room. These switches are now considered a design "upgrade" over the old-style flip (or toggle) switches, and most people see them as part of the decor without knowing that they represent accessibility. This is only one example of how intentional accessibility benefits everyone.

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Turning a round doorknob can be difficult, painful, or even impossible for people with common conditions such as arthritis, people with neurological conditions that limit hand function, people recovering from injuries, and people who have their hands full of packages. A lever doorknob solves this problem. It can be opened simply by pressing - no need to grasp and twist. If your hand is occupied (or in pain), you can use your elbow. In addition to being convenient, Levers can add beautiful designs and artistic flourishes to home decor.

Some people are reluctant to build ramps to the entrances of buildings, even though ramps make buildings easier to enter. There is a common misconception that a ramp always looks unattractive and detracts from the appearance of the building. Why would a staircase be better looking than a ramp?

Stairways can be dangerous, awkward to use, a barrier for children or others with short legs, miserable for the elderly or anyone who is tired or ill, impossible for some disabled persons, a blockade for strollers, shopping carts, walkers, and wheelchairs, and often quite ugly.

Architects have spent hundreds of years inventing ways to make stairs look good, despite all the problems they present. Stairs have been accepted as the normal way to get from one level to another. We see them everywhere, and have become so accustomed to looking at them, that we don't even notice how inconvenient and unattractive they are.

Some designers even add unnecessary steps to a space to create different levels because of some fantasy that it looks good or that it is a method to organize the way a space will be used. In what world are deliberately-created trip hazards good organization?

Unlike stairs, ramps are accessible to nearly everyone. When intentionally designed as part of a building's architecture, they look natural and may even be beautiful.

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Choosing My Religion

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I often see people who accuse others of being “fake Christians,” typically because the accused person appears to behave in a way inconsistent with the teachings of Jesus. My understanding is that the only requirement to be a “real” Christian is to believe in the divinity of Jesus. It is certainly possible that many of the people accused of being “fake” actually do believe that, even if they don’t believe they have to do anything about it.

In reality, there are very few people whose daily behavior is 100% compliant with the rules and recommendations of their chosen religion, and this applies to all religions, not just Christianity. If everyone who does not comply with all the tenets if their faith is “fake,” we have a world full of fakes.

Further, it can be very difficult to determine which specific faith someone follows, considering the hundreds or thousands of variations that are connected to every major religion.

Research suggests there are at least 46 prominent Christian denominations, with many more branches, sects, breakaway groups, independent churches, etc., adding up to an estimated 50,000 different flavors of Christian.

Although there are three major branches of Islam, there are many sects, groups, and movements. Some sources indicate that there are at least 73 distinct Islamic followings and traditions.

There are at least three widely recognized branches of Judaism, along with a broader array of different movements, sects, and affiliations. Research does not yield a specific number.

There seem to be three major divisions of Buddhism, along with many sects, sub-sects, communities, and traditions. Some sources indicate at least 1,000 different forms of Buddhism.

Hinduism is commonly understood to have four major denominations, with many different branches, practices, and traditions, often overlapping or including each other.

Those are the five largest religions worldwide, but there are many others. Estimates indicate between 4,000 and 10,000 distinctly identifiable religions worldwide. Most of these are relatively small, regional traditions.

There is a general trend for people to disconnect from religion altogether. No need to fake anything then.

This is how they do it

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If you want to think about how "flooding the zone" works, imagine this scenario. Over breakfast, I tell my husband, "This week I'm going to have lunch in Budapest, slap your mother, eat all the donuts I want, slash the tires on your car, fix the leaky toilet, make the neighbor stop stealing our mail, and replace all the doorknobs. By the way, did you know that our roof is too slippery for Santa Claus? It's really dangerous to have a roof like that, and flat roofs are much better. Anyway, there's more coffee if you want it and I'm a lot prettier than your sister."

Hubby isn't sure how to respond, but he knows that lunch in Budapest is unrealistic and our mail hasn't been stolen. The comments about the roof sound crazy, but in the meantime, hearing that I might fix the leak makes him feel hopeful. "Don't you dare slap my mother," he says. I just laugh and tell him that's not what I meant, I'm just going to tell her to stop giving our kids so many cookies and I might have to yell a little. By now, he can barely remember anything I said, except that I mentioned his sister. "What's my sister got to do with it?" he asks. "She bakes the cookies," I explain.

At this point, he's thoroughly confused and doesn't even remember to get a second cup of coffee. Later in the week, when he finds all his tires slashed, he storms into the house, only to find that I've removed all the doorknobs. It turns out that I sold them for scrap metal, and Hubby eventually has to hire a guy to replace them (with plastic ones so I won't take them again). He doesn't even ask me about the tires, which get replaced by insurance. The toilet is still leaking.

More Random Thoughts

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I understand pumpkin spice cookies, candy, drinks, even candles. But dish soap?

When I got my first job, it was my understanding that my employer had control over what I did at work. They could implement a dress code, require employees to speak courteously to each other and customers, insist that we be on time, etc. As soon as I left work at the end of the day, my life was my own. I could go where I chose, say whatever I wanted, dress as I liked, etc. When did that change? When did we, as a society, decide that an employer owns a worker's entire life?

I'm old enough to remember when Republicans said that communists were horrible because they controlled what people could say, and encouraged citizens to snitch on their friends and neighbors, and expelled people from their jobs if they expressed even mild disagreement with the regime.

I must be really old, because I can remember when presidents, vice-presidents, and members of congress tried to behave and speak with dignity.

For decades, we've been told, "There are two sides to every story," with the implication that both versions are equally valid (often with comparisons to two side of the same coin). This is utter nonsense. Sometimes there are three, four, or ten sides. Sometimes, there are no sides, just a big blob. Often one of the "sides" is the truth and the others are something else. If you're indoors and a person tells you it's raining outside, while another says it's dry and sunny, you don't think these are two sides of equal validity. You stick your head out to see for yourself.

Lies, Stupid Lies

I love these weasely experts who ponder the scribble and say, "We can't be absolutely sure that's actually donald's signature." Apply a little logic, people. In 2003, donald was still a Democrat. He wasn't in politics. No one expected him to end up in the White House. No one knew there would be a big Epstein scandal. Are we really supposed to believe that some psychic forger saw the future and sneakily slipped a page into a bound book, knowing it would be revealed 22 years later? Come on.

There are actually better defenses for this, ones that don't require completely letting go of reality. If nothing else, he could use some variation of the "locker room talk" excuse. It wouldn't be hard to say, "This was over 20 years ago, in a different context, and we were all just joking around, and yes, some people probably got carried away and wrote things in poor taste, but it seemed funny at the time." That, at least, could be seen as plausible.