Here is a short synopsis of a, as yet to be written, science fiction story.

It was a dark and stormy night when suddenly the moon exploded and everyone died. The End.

I don’t think I’ll write the story because there would be no purpose in it. The world is tense enough without being offered a hopelessly useless scenario in which the human race is wiped out.

Neal Stephenson’s 2015 sci-fi novel “Seveneves” is a story about what would happen if the moon suddenly exploded. I just saw a short video from Business Insider and Tech Insider exploring that possibility. Perhaps some rogue planet slams into the moon, causing it to explode into small pieces which collide with each other until the whole mess rains down upon the earth. This causes great fires worldwide and perhaps even evaporates the oceans. The event renders the planet uninhabitable for thousands of years. The only way to survive would be for humanity to escape the earth, only to be able to return some millennia later.

Producers, Kevin Reilly and Kevin Loria, with the help of Erik Asphaug (Arizona State University) and Daniel Freeman (University of California, Berkely) treat us to this video while neglecting to mention some important, albeit useless, points. Continue reading I MISS ISAAC ASIMOV. →

The election is now over and we hear Democrats wondering where they went wrong. We should have focused on this issue harder. We should have paid more attention to those residing in the hinterland. Our message wasn’t clear enough. We need to tell people what they want to hear.

During the campaign, the Republicans were fretting about how their party must become more inclusive. We’ve got to drain the swamp. We’ve got to maintain our values. We’ve got to tell people what they want to hear.

All these things are only advertisements fashioned to win elections. They are not designed to help the nation. But they work time and time again because the American public is not the brightest lot. These campaigns are simple dishes cooked up for public consumption. And as any chef worth his salt will tell you, presentation is all important.

But, while bull flop can be made to resemble a scrumptious pie, that doesn’t change its essence.

Prior to the election, Donald Trump was asked if he would take the high road and simply accept the election results. He said he would have to wait and see because he claimed the system was rigged. He joked that he would readily accept the results if the results showed he had won. Gee, how accommodating. Well, the media went nuts accusing Trump of disrespecting our political process. So what happened? He won. True to his word, and without hesitation, he happily accepted the results. What a surprise.

Now what? Jill Stein, the Green Party nominee, has called for a recount. Marc Elias, the Clinton campaign’s general counsel has said Hillary’s campaign is on-board for the recount as long as Stein follows through. Isn’t this a bit like the leeway Trump was allowing himself when he made his statement? Why isn’t the media calling a foul here? Isn’t this the same lack of respect for our political process the media and others abhor? Isn’t this what is done when you mistakenly think the game was rigged? Relax. It is being promoted as an assurance of accuracy the voting public deserves. Hey, I’m all for accuracy. It certainly couldn’t be sour grapes. Continue reading YOU’VE GOT TO WONDER. →

NBC News is reporting, “Gun Sales to Blacks and Minorities Quadruple After Trump Win”.

2.3 million FBI background checks for gun purchases have been recorded for the month of October. This is an all time record. Apparently some folks consider Trump’s win to be a win for racism and are worried they might be “hate crime” targets. I doubt we will see much of a rise in racism driven hate crimes, but one never knows.

Trump or no Trump, law abiding citizens have the right to defend themselves against crime, no matter what their race, gender or religion might be. This is the 2nd Amendment. I do find it interesting, though, that a traditionally Liberal segment of the population is embracing such a core  Conservative tenet. Perhaps, in some areas of thought, common ground is achievable.

Now, all we need to see is Trump hugging a giant redwood tree and we’ll begin to recognize the road to success.

Let it be known to all:  My wife has never made and will never make a mistake.

This PSA ( public service announcement ) is sponsored by , the ” Please Let Me In , It’s Raining Out Here” foundation.

So…..Mike Pence went to see the  stage-play, “Hamilton”.

So…..He was booed by some in the audience.

So…..At curtain-call, one of the actors read a prepared, respectful statement expressing some concerns the “diverse” cast had with the incoming administration.

So…..Pence tweeted that he listened to the concerns.

So…..The actor tweeted thanks to him for listening.

SO???

This was controversial and unresloved enough to require national 24/7 coverage for days?

Just think of the bonanza of wall-to-wall media coverage we will be treated to if Trump’s son, Baron, ever farts in public. Stay tuned. When we come back, “Wind Breaking News!”

I’ve heard people call elected Presidents and those who’ve run for the office morons or idiots. This has never been correct. These politicians were/are people of higher than average intellect. Morons and idiots do not possess the required level of stupidity to want the job.

Good people try to be fair and just. The problem is that life isn’t fair. But we try.

The Tribune News Service reports, today, that the parents and sister of Sgt. John Perry, who was killed November 11th at Bagram Airfield in Afghanistan, while apparently protecting a female soldier at the time of his death, flew from Sacramento International  Airport to Dover AFB on Monday to greet the return of the soldier’s remains. The flight was 45 minutes late landing in Phoenix for a quick transfer.

Apparently, the pilot of the flight was aware of the family and the reason for its journey. After landing,  he made an announcement asking passengers to remain seated to allow “a special military family” to deplane first. This, in order to try to ensure the Perry family not miss their connecting flight. Some of the passengers in first class began booing the family. The father, Stewart Perry, an ex-Marine, who lives in Stockton, CA. said, “It was really disgusting on the passengers’ part”, and the ordeal left him feeling disrespected. He also said he didn’t know if the passengers were aware of his family’s “Gold Star” status. This could have been important. The pilot remained at the gate to make sure the couple made their connecting flight.

My thoughts: Let’s be clear here. The passengers had every right to boo and complain, even if they didn’t take into consideration the fact that the pilot would have been unlikely to ask them for their courteous patience for no extraordinary reason . The Constitution guarantees the rights to free speech and protest, rights directly protected by our military. We are a nation of laws and complaining is legal. But hypothetically, what if the passengers knew this was a “Gold Star” family? Would they have booed? They would still have had the right to, if they so chose. Luckily, booing and complaining were the only protestations. There was no violence. But what if there had been a minor scuffle? What if the passengers knew all the facts and someone onboard viewed the booing as particularly inappropriate?

If a passenger took exception to the booing, under those hypothetical circumstances, and decided to treat one of the booers  to a fat lip; what then? In a nation of laws, striving for fairness and justice, that attacker would be arrested and prosecuted. If convicted, the attacker should have received a 7 day sentence to be served at Walt Disney World with his/her family and a $1 fine. That would be fair and just.

We don’t know if the passengers were aware of the situation. But one might assume the booing protestors voted for Hillary, because that’s their modus operandi.

In an article entitled, “In Their Coastal Citadels, Democrats Argue Over What Went Wrong”, written by Reid J. Epstein and Janet Hook, and  published in the Wall Street Journal, it appears the obvious is still elusive to some.

The authors write, “This year, 67% of non-college-educated whites nationwide voted for Mr. Trump, according to exit polls.” Still relying on polls? Why? The inaccuracy of polls regarding  those who would vote for Trump is clear. Why would anyone trust exit polls when asking whether someone had voted for Trump? My point is: The percentage of those who voted for Trump was likely higher that what the exit polls indicated.

“The coalition needs to be broader”,  said Sen. Mark Warner, a Virginia Democrat. “The Democratic Party has a history that it’s been about working Americans. We cannot be a party of the East Coast, West Coast and metropolitan areas.” Not if your aim is to address the concerns of all Americans, it can’t. That’s for sure. And in general, the politically “red’ areas are equally important as the “blue” because they produce the physical products the “blue” areas consume. Republican, more rural enclaves have smaller populations than the  urban Democratic coastal and metropolitan areas. This is the reason for the electoral College. Continue reading STILL DON’T GET IT? ALLOW ME TO EXPLAIN. →

TBS is renewing its commitment to air Samantha Bee’s “Full Frontal” comedy show through 2017. Ms. Bee, who was a correspondent on Comedy Central’s ” The Daily Show with Jon Stewart “, is an entertainer deriving most of her comedy from politics (not unlike Rush Limbaugh). Controversy is her horse trough. But unlike Limbaugh, she is a liberal/progressive-leaning comic.

Samantha seems to embrace Republicans as a Chihuahua embraces ankle socks. Trump’s win is a professional coup for her. Or so it would seem.

In reality, she faces some pretty stiff competition. TBS is moving her half hour “laugh-a-minute” show from 10:30pm. ET on Mondays to 10:30pm ET on Wednesdays, beginning January 11th. This means her short, once a week redundancy will have to compete with the comedy of MSNBC which airs 24/7.