Cultural Offering. Cultural Offering reminds us of one of my favorite Sowell quotes today. The idea comes from the fertile mind of Ayn Rand, and diagnoses a sick society in which the weak, unproductive and offended majority take control of the society, and bring it to ruin. There will come a time when the productive, working minority have had enough. They will tire of supporting an increasingly noisy cabal of do nothings, and separate themselves. My age means that I probably won't live to see it; but, if the Internet really is immortal, I hope that Sowell and Rand are still read and used as a reference to the society that might have been. Labor Day seems an appropriate backdrop for seeing our failing society through the lens of truth. Is it inevitable?
We have become a nation of wimps and weak minds. It really offends me to see everyone playing some kind of victim. Call it reverse offending. But, instead of seeking to ostracize or cancel those who offend me, I celebrate them. They are my brothers and sisters. Just because they are idiots does not mean I should shun them. To the contrary, I embrace them as poor souls who have not yet seen the truth. So, bring on your idiots, offended persons, professional victims, and others who are unhappy in their lives. You might someday see the light.
It is fashionable these days to celebrate progressive values and woke politics. I have avoided politics my entire life. I always had enough intellectual combat to satisfy any such urges in my law practice. However, opposing viewpoints and challenging rhetoric seem to be under attack these days, and it cuts both ways. At its root, such behavior can develop into a mass psychosis, in which outsiders, with opposing viewpoints to the current "wisdom", are shunned and attacked. We used to live in an idea combative society, in which opposing ideas were the subject of reasoned discussion, debate, and sometimes the debate came with raised voices; but, never, or almost never, with violence. What happens when the marketplace of ideas becomes a one size fits all, one product only, dispensary? Can society survive, over the long term, in a place where the only residents produce nothing but argument and violence?
Sometime in the late 20th Century, and early 21st Century, the Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which had, for centuries, protected American citizens from unreasonable searches and seizures, succumbed to a disease known as digital technology, complicated by powerful governmental interests that conspired to weaken the definition of "unreasonable searches and seizures". May it rest in peace. In addition, however, evil men with bad intentions also had a hand in using technology to hide incursions into the homes of citizens, and, in a cruel twist of fate, the citizens were lured into the trap by failing to protect themselves. Freedom only happens after struggle and pain, and, when achieved, can only be kept by constant vigilance and resolute will.
Project Gutenberg. So many books. So little time. I don't remember when this old saying morphed from "So many women. So little time." But, it did, and when I finally realized how little time I had left, my reading days got shorter, and the number of books I wanted to read got longer. You really don't need any other reading site than Project Gutenberg, which has over 60,000 free Ebooks, and many in Kindle format. But, you can get them with or without images, in most cases, and in every EReader format. In my younger years, a trip to the wonderful library at Naval Air Station, Jacksonville, where my step-father was stationed, was a real treat. I could settle into a big leather chair, and read for whole days. I discovered Bruce Catton there, and learned about the Civil War and tales of bravery and tragedy. I thank my mom for inspiring, in me, a love of books and reading, and some of my best days have been spent with books. Michael Wade, of Execupundit, loves books also, and has an extensive paper library. While I love the tactile sensations provided by books on paper, there is great power in having the collected knowledge of the planet in a small device that fits in your hands or pockets. Check out Project Gutenberg. There is not a moment to be wasted.
Arthur C. Clarke In 1974. Almost 50 years ago, personal computers were the size of a large room, and no one could conceive that personal computers, smartphones, smartwatches and smart glasses would bring the world of information to every human, in personal, mobile, and wearable form. Except, of course, for Arthur C. Clarke, science fiction writer and futurist. Listen to him explain the future of computing to a father and son in 1974. At the time, it sounded like science fiction.
I get it. You are looking forward to a 3 day weekend. Monday is a holiday, and you and your friends and family will be cooking out, and enjoying the sun. However, you and I may be alive and experiencing joyful moments, and the soldiers who helped to create a world in which you could do that may, in some cases, not be here to celebrate. Remember them. Nobody really knows whether there is an afterlife. In fact, the dogma is that you must have faith. Which means accepting something without a rational explanation. But, there are some things that are evidence based. One of them is that we are here partly because some men and women gave up their very lives for us. We should have a Memorial Day every day. So, take some time this weekend to be mindful of their sacrifice.
1440 Newsletter. I don't know about you; but, I really hate the anger, hatred, spin and general unhappiness that marks the so called "news" these days. Since the invention of the printing press in 1440, the ability to publish our thoughts and ideas has grown exponentially over the centuries, until now, in the digital age, we are swamped with millions of bits of information, all tainted with someone's political spin. I hate that. I don't want to convert anyone. I don't want to argue with anyone. I just want to know what the hell is happening, and I can make my own judgments without having to get the rest of the world to agree with me. This free newsletter promises to do just that. I don't know if it can survive by being factual and non judgmental; but, I am willing to give it a shot. Sounds like a great idea to me.
