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Yeah, That’ll Do…

Posted in General Comments, Movie Review, Movies, Reviews, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on March 31, 2026| 3 Comments »

“Civil War” (2024) — movie review
Today’s review is for the near-future action / political thriller “Civil War”, starring Kirsten Dunst as Lee Smith (a veteran war photojournalist who has seen too much and is running on instinct and exhaustion);  Wagner Moura as Joel (a fellow journalist chasing danger with a mix of adrenaline and denial);  Cailee Spaeny as Jessie (a young, inexperienced photographer trying to learn what the job really demands);  Stephen McKinley Henderson as Sammy (an older reporter whose calm presence masks how fragile the moment has become);  and Nick Offerman as the President (a leader clinging to power as the country fractures around him).  Directed by Alex Garland, the film follows a small group of journalists traveling across a collapsing United States to reach Washington, D.C. before the government falls.
Background:  This is my first viewing of this film.  This is definitely a movie I would have liked to watch in a theater because of the action scenes and the scale.  Of course, I didn’t due to my on-going health conditions.  This film was recommended to me by both my older daughter and her husband who did see it in a theater when it first came out.  Most recently, it was recommended to me by one of my high-school friends in a follow-up email after our latest group lunch.  The film got a lot of attention for its realism, its focus on journalists instead of soldiers, and its refusal to explain how the country got to this point.  Released in 2024, “Civil War” was not nominated for any Academy Awards, but it generated a lot of discussion about media, polarization, and how fragile civil society can be.  Historically, the film is significant because it’s one of the first major studio movies to depict a modern American civil conflict without leaning on fantasy, zombies, or alternate history.  It tries to imagine what a breakdown might actually look like — messy, confusing, and frighteningly ordinary.
Plot:  The story follows Lee, Joel, Jessie, and Sammy as they travel from New York toward Washington, D.C. while the country is in open conflict.  The Western Forces (an alliance of California and Texas) are closing in on the capital, and the President is making his last stand.  The journalists aren’t trying to take sides;  they’re trying to document what’s happening before it’s over.  Along the way, they pass through towns that look normal until they aren’t, encounter militias with unclear loyalties, and witness violence that feels both random and inevitable.  Jessie tries to learn from Lee, who is torn between protecting the younger photographer and teaching her the harsh reality of the job.  As they get closer to D.C., the fighting intensifies, and the group is forced into situations where being a journalist doesn’t guarantee safety.  The final act takes place during the assault on the White House, where the line between observer and participant collapses almost completely.
So, is this movie any good?  How’s the acting?  The filming / FX?  Any problems?  And, did I enjoy the film?  Short answers:  Yes;  strong across the board;  immersive and unsettling;  a few;  yes / mostly.
Any good?  Yes.  “Civil War” works because it stays grounded.  It doesn’t try to explain the politics or offer a grand theory about how the country fell apart.  Instead, it focuses on what journalists do in dangerous places:  observe, document, and try to stay alive.  The film builds tension through small moments — a checkpoint that could go bad, a town that seems calm until it isn’t, a conversation that feels like it could turn violent at any second.  The pacing is steady, and the sense of dread grows as the group gets closer to Washington.  This is not a “fun” movie.  It’s a dramatically effective one.
Acting:  Dunst gives the film its emotional center.  She plays Lee as someone who has been doing this too long:  tired, wary, and trying to keep her distance from the world even as she documents it.  Moura brings energy and recklessness to Joel, and his chemistry with Dunst feels lived-in.  Spaeny is very good as Jessie;  she captures the mix of fear, ambition, and naïveté that comes with being new to the job.  Henderson adds warmth and gravity as Sammy, and his scenes help balance the film’s intensity.  Offerman, in limited screen time, plays the President with a controlled, brittle confidence that fits the story.  The supporting cast — soldiers, civilians, and militia members — feels believable, which helps sell the world.
Filming / FX:  The film looks and sounds real.  Garland uses handheld cameras, natural lighting, and practical effects to make the action feel immediate.  The firefights are loud, chaotic, and confusing, and that is probably the point.  The production design is subtle:  damaged buildings, improvised checkpoints, and landscapes that look familiar but slightly off.  The sound design is excellent, especially in the final assault, where gunfire, explosions, and shouted commands blend into a disorienting mix.  The film avoids flashy CGI and relies on grounded visuals, which makes everything feel more plausible.
Problems:  A few.  The film’s refusal to explain how the civil war started will frustrate some viewers.  It’s seems a deliberate choice, but it leaves the world feeling vague (and unbelievable) at times.  The characters, while well-acted, aren’t deeply developed; they’re defined more by their roles than by their personal histories.  The final act is intense and some viewers may find it too much.  The film risks being misunderstood.   Some may read it as political commentary when it’s really more about the experience of covering conflict.  None of these issues break the movie, but they’re worth noting.
Did I enjoy the film?  Yes / mostly.  “Civil War” is tense, unsettling, and memorable.  It’s not a movie I’d watch casually, but it seems like one that will stick with me (particularly if I view it a few more times).  The focus on journalists gives the story a different angle than most war films, and the performances make the characters feel real even when the world around them is falling apart.  The film raises questions without trying to answer them, which is part of its strength.  It’s a tough watch, but a (mostly) worthwhile one.
Final Recommendation:  Strong recommendation.  “Civil War” is a well-made, grounded, and thought-provoking film that imagines a modern American conflict without today’s typical political sensationalism.  Its historical significance lies in its willingness to depict a fractured United States, and its focus on journalists gives the film a unique perspective.  The acting is strong, the filming is immersive, and the tension is steady throughout.  It’s not comforting, but it’s worth your time if you’re interested in political thrillers, war journalism, or films that explore how fragile society can be.
Final Thoughts:  I had various reactions / observations throughout the viewing:  1) I found it discomforting to see the casual indifference being portrayed in the killing of “fellow” American citizens – particularly the dump truck scene – because they weren’t “American” enough for the folks who had the guns;  2) The flag of the “WF” (Western Forces) had two stars representing Texas and California.  Imagining these two states joining in a succession movement against the rest of the United States is so ludicrous as to border on multi-universes and other altered realities.  Could their combined forces defeat the rest of the U.S. – probably, but the logistics of two geographically separated states (1100 air miles or 1400 ground miles) militarily supporting each other, would be daunting – to say the least.  Now, if Arizona, Nevada and New Mexico had joined the succession, it’s slightly more conceivable, but still unlikely, just based on the political differences between the two main states.  And, 3) during the attack on Washington D.C. and the White House, it greatly troubled me that we were being shown American forces killing other American forces (and civilians) as if there were nothing to it.  Strangely, in the moment, it didn’t bother me at all that the military executed a sitting albeit dictatorial President without judicial review / input.  It’s only in afterthought I remember, I didn’t think it was right for a real person (Osama bin Laden) so I shouldn’t feel comfortable with it happening to a fictional President.  I guess that’s just the American citizen in me…
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Click here (31 March) to see the posts of prior years.  I started this blog in late 2009.  Daily posting began in late January 2011.  Not all of the days in the early years (2009-2010) will have posts.

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What Was Going To Be A Passing Phase, Became A Way Of Life…

Posted in General Comments, Movie Review, Movies, Reviews, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on February 19, 2026| Leave a Comment »

“Judgment At Nuremberg” (1961) — movie review
Today’s review is for the courtroom drama “Judgment At Nuremberg” (1961), directed by Stanley Kramer and stars Spencer Tracy as Judge Dan Haywood (the American jurist brought in to preside over the trial of four German judges accused of enforcing Nazi racial laws);  Burt Lancaster as Ernst Janning (the most respected of the defendants, a man who once stood for justice and now must face what he allowed himself to become and the evil he enabled);  Werner Klemperer as Emil Hahn (a Nazi true believer who Hahn is unapologetic and proud of his actions);  Kenneth MacKenna as Friedrich Hofstetter, (the greedy collaborator who goes along to profit in his career and to acquire the property of those he has sentenced);  Torben Meyer as Werner Lammpe (the “minor official” / system clerk / functionary who goes along simply because he has been taught / raised to follow the rules);  Richard Widmark as Colonel Tad Lawson (the U.S. Army prosecutor pushing for full accountability);  Maximilian Schell as Hans Rolfe (the defense attorney arguing that the entire nation bears responsibility, not just the men on trial);  William Shatner as Captain Harrison Byers (a young U.S. Army officer assigned as Chief Judge Dan Haywood’s aide);  Judy Garland as Irene Hoffman (a witness pulled into the machinery of the regime);  Montgomery Clift as Rudolph Petersen (whose testimony becomes one of the film’s emotional centers);  and Marlene Dietrich as Frau Bertholt (representing the German civilian class trying to rebuild its identity).  The film uses the courtroom setting to examine moral responsibility, guilt, and the cost of looking away.  The four defendants are not “real” people although two (Janning and Hahn) were based on actual judges.  The other two (Hofstetter and Lammpe) are meant to be composites which round out the four “types” of people who “enabled” the Nazi Party.
Background:  I’ve seen this film several times (maybe five times) over my lifetime.  The last time when I treated myself to the DVD perhaps five years ago.  This is the first time I’ve watched my streamed version.  Released in 1961, “Judgment At Nuremberg” was adapted from a 1959 “Playhouse 90” teleplay and expanded into a large-scale feature with an ensemble cast.  The film received multiple Academy Award nominations and won two Oscars — Best Actor (Maximilian Schell) and Best Adapted Screenplay (Abby Mann).  Its historic significance lies in being one of the earliest major American films to confront the Holocaust and the legal and moral aftermath of the Nazi era without softening the material.
Plot:  The story follows Judge Haywood as he arrives in Nuremberg in 1948 to oversee the trial of four German judges who enforced the racial purity laws and other policies that enabled the regime’s crimes.  The prosecution argues that the defendants knowingly used the law to destroy lives.  The defense claims the judges were trapped in a system they did not create and that holding them individually responsible is unfair when the entire nation followed the same path.  Testimony from Irene Hoffman and Rudolph Petersen shows how ordinary people were pulled into the machinery of the state.  Janning eventually breaks his silence, admitting his guilt and rejecting the argument that he was “only following the law.”  Haywood delivers a verdict that holds the defendants accountable despite political pressure to be lenient as the Cold War reshapes alliances.  The film ends with Haywood visiting Janning, who asks whether the verdict will matter.  Haywood answers that it mattered the first time an innocent person was condemned.
So, is this movie any good?  How’s the acting?  The filming / FX?  Any problems?  And, did I enjoy the film?  Short answers:  Yes;  excellent;  simple and effective;  a few;  yes.
Any good?  Yes.  “Judgment At Nuremberg” is a serious, steady courtroom drama that earns its length.  It takes its time laying out the moral questions and doesn’t pretend there are easy answers.  It’s not a thriller;  it’s a thoughtful examination of responsibility — personal, legal, and national.
Acting:  Spencer Tracy anchors the film with a calm, steady presence.  Burt Lancaster gives Janning a quiet dignity that makes his eventual confession land harder.  Maximilian Schell’s performance is sharp, fast, and forceful — and it earned him the Oscar.  Montgomery Clift’s testimony scene is raw and painful, and Judy Garland’s appearance is brief but effective.  Richard Widmark plays the prosecutor with a mix of anger and exhaustion.  Marlene Dietrich adds a different kind of tension, representing the German civilians who want to move forward without fully facing the past.  The ensemble is excellent across the board.
Filming / FX:  The film is mostly confined to the courtroom, and the staging reflects that.  The camera work is simple and direct, relying on close-ups to capture the emotional weight of testimony.  The use of real wartime footage is still effective and gives the film grounding.  There are no special effects to speak of, but the film doesn’t need them — the focus is on faces, words, and the weight of testimony.
Problems:  A few.  The film is long and can feel heavy, especially in the middle stretch.  Some arguments repeat themselves, and a few scenes run longer than necessary.  The structure is straightforward, and viewers looking for a more dynamic presentation may find it slow.  But these issues come from the film’s commitment to its subject, not from lack of craft.
Did I enjoy the film?  Yes.  It’s not a casual watch, but it’s a meaningful one.  The performances carry the film, and the script doesn’t shy away from uncomfortable truths.  The ending — especially the final exchange between Haywood and Janning — stays with you.
Final Recommendation:   Very High to Must See recommendation.  “Judgment At Nuremberg” is a serious, well-acted film that tackles difficult questions without simplifying them.  It earned its Academy Awards and remains one of the most important courtroom dramas ever made.  If you’re interested in history, ethics, or character-driven drama, it’s worth the time.  This film is eerily about OUR time now with an autocratic / fascist government elected to protect “US” at the expense of “THEM”, when there is no “THEM” to protect us from, because the vast majority of immigrants and minorities simply want to be safe and lawful taxpayers in the United States.
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Click here (19 February) to see the posts of prior years.  I started this blog in late 2009.  Daily posting began in late January 2011.  Not all of the days in the early years (2009-2010) will have posts.

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And So We Start Anew…

Posted in History, Philosophy, Politics, Quotes, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on June 22, 2025| 3 Comments »

Cry ‘Havoc!’ and let slip the dogs of war,
That this foul deed shall smell above the earth
With carrion men, groaning for burial.
    —    Mark Antony (after Caesar’s assassination)
Taken from William Shakespeare’s play:  “Julius Caesar”, Act 3, Scene 1.
[Yesterday (21 June 2025), the United States attacked a foreign country (we bombed Iran) without a declared war and without demonstrating there was an immediate threat which required Executive action without Congressional approval.  Like it or not, declared or not, the United States is now at war!
I pray our President had good reasons for his actions / orders – that these reasons will be made public in due course and his actions will result in a prolonged peace for our country and specifically for the nations of the Middle East.  I pray the men and women in our military remain safe and unharmed by the (almost certain) response to this attack.  I pray our own homeland likewise does not suffer reprisal actions.
Most of all, I pray someone around the President has the good sense to tell the President:  “Do NOT put Americans at risk by attempting a ground invasion of Iran!“
I do NOT believe my prayers will be answered in the positive, but I make my pleas to the Universe anyway…
This was a preemptive (if not unprovoked) act and we have surrendered the moral high ground by taking it.  I hope history is kind to us.    —    kmab]
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Click here (22 June) to see the posts of prior years.  I started this blog in late 2009.  Daily posting began in late January 2011.  Not all of the days in the early years (2009-2010) will have posts.

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A Republic. If You Can Keep It…

Posted in Economics, General Comments, History, Philosophy, Politics, Quotes, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on May 4, 2025| Leave a Comment »

Freedom is dangerous but it’s precious, too.  You can’t just throw it away or let it slip away.  You can’t sell it for bread and pottage.
    ―     Octavia E. Butler
From her book: “Parable of the Sower“
[The post title is the reputed answer Benjamin Franklin gave to someone who asked what type of government the United States had established.    —    kmab]
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Click here (4 May) to see the posts of prior years.  I started this blog in late 2009.  Daily posting began in late January 2011.  Not all of the days in the early years (2009-2010) will have posts.

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Never Appease A Bully

Posted in Economics, Philosophy, Politics, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , on January 27, 2025| 3 Comments »

IMHO:  Colombian President Gustavo Petro made an error in capitulating to U.S. President Trump’s demand to allow the repatriation of Colombian migrants under the threat of imposed tariffs and sanctions.  What he should have said was:  “Bring it on!“
Approximately 20% of the coffee imported into the United States is from Colombia.  Approximately 66% of Americans drink coffee everyday.  President Trump’s threat was to raise the price of coffee for Americans (who would be paying the tariff) if Colombia didn’t agree to receive their citizens back.
Some of the main exports from Colombia to the United States are:
Crude Oil:  This is the largest export, valued at around $6 billion annually.
Coffee:  Colombia is one of the world’s top coffee producers, exporting nearly $1.8 billion worth of coffee to the U.S. each year.
Cut Flowers:  Colombia is a major supplier of cut flowers, with exports totaling approximately $1.6 billion.
Gold:  Precious metals, including gold, are also significant exports.
Bananas:  Another important agricultural export.
All of these are essentially fungible goods on the world market – meaning they are completely replaceable by similar goods from other suppliers (countries) if there is a significant price hike.  But when the price hike is only in one country, imposed on that country by its own government, the price hike need not cripple the tariffed country’s economy.  They can still sell their goods to other countries.
Yes, there is no doubt tariffs would have a significant hit on Colombia’s exports to the United States.  The counter to this is there would be little to no impact on Colombia’s exports to other countries who aren’t imposing a tax on their own citizens for your products.  The price of crude oil (gasoline), coffee, flowers, gold and bananas would go up in the United States for the long term, but the effect on Colombia would be short term at worst.  Columbia might have to reduce their prices – for other parts of the world – to maintain their economy / market share during the price stabilization fluctuation, but it is hard to believe this would be a long term hit (except to flowers and bananas due to spoilage which may cause the loss of profit for the majority of that season’s product).
The reality is that many (if not most) of the other countries involved in those markets / exports to the U.S. would also raise their prices to increase profit knowing the tariff will provide market-message protection for their price gouging.  This is the nature of global capitalism…  They don’t HAVE to increase their prices by the amount of the tariff, but I can easily see them increasing by 10-to-15% and laughing all the way to the bank.
This will result in a “mild” round of inflation in the United States and (potentially) an increase in the Federal interest rate to fight the inflation.  So, who really, really gets hurt?  The American consumer…  when (if) our economy tanks!
President Petro should have called #47DonTheFelon’s bluff.  The emperor has no clothes.  The sooner some other global leader points this out, the better / safer the global economy will be.
Reality Check:  Although the Colombian numbers above are in the billions of dollars, it should be pointed out they are “almost” insignificant for the overall U.S. economy which is $25+ Trillion per year.  The issue is there is no way to know in advance when any given economic factor will (or is likely to) become a tipping point for the U.S. economy.  President Trump’s “poker play” is that you are more afraid of damage to your economy than he is is of the damage to our economy.
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Click here (27 January) to see the posts of prior years.  I started this blog in late 2009.  Daily posting began in late January 2011.  Not all of the days in the early years (2009-2010) will have posts.

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It’s The Intensity, Not The Quantity

Posted in Philosophy, Quotes, tagged , , , , on November 19, 2024| Leave a Comment »

I am quite serious when I say that I do not believe there are, on the whole earth besides, so many intensified bores as in these United States.  No man can form an adequate idea of the real meaning of the word, without coming here.
    —     Warren Buffett
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Click here (19 November) to see the posts of prior years.  I started this blog in late 2009.  Daily posting began in late January 2011.  Not all of the days in the early years (2009-2010) will have posts.

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Grinding Away (Update)…

Posted in History, Philosophy, Politics, Quotes, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , on August 11, 2024| 2 Comments »

…The arc of the moral universe is long but it bends toward justice.
    ––     Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
The wheels of justice turn slowly, but grind exceedingly fine.
    ––     Attributed to multiple sources

Image of Fulton County Inmate P01135809

Image of Fulton County Inmate P01135809 taken on 24 August 2023
Step 9:  Freedom or Incarceration  (Pending)
Step 8:  Release or Sentencing  (Pending)
Step 7: Jury Vote – Innocent or Guilty  (Check:  Guilty;  New York State trial) 1 of 4 (3 Still Pending;  Georgia, Florida, and D.C.)
Step 6: Trial by Jury(Check:  Guilty;  New York State trial) 1 of 4 (3 Still Pending;  Georgia, Florida, and D.C.)
Step 5: Preliminary Motions and Discovery  (Check) 1 of 4 (3 Still Pending;  Georgia, Florida, and D.C.)
Step 4:  Arrest and Booking of Accused  (Check)
Step 3:  Indictment Decision by a Grand Jury  (Check)
Step 2:  Presentation of Investigation results to a Grand Jury  (Check)
Step 1:  Criminal Investigation  (Check)
Donald J. Trump will go down in history with another of many firsts…  Including being the first convicted felon to be nominated by a major political party to be their candidate for President of the United States.  Of course, this is “only” a state felony conviction, and not a Federal felony conviction (yet).
[Please keep in mind that in the United States a person is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law by a jury of their peers.  Investigation, indictment, arrest and booking do NOT make a person guilty.  That is for the jury to decide after the presentation of evidence and the evidence must be sufficient to prove guilt beyond reasonable doubt.
We live in a country subject to the rule of law.  It isn’t always fair or just, but it is far better than the rule of the mob or that of might over right.  We are living in an unfolding moment of history and the eyes of the world are watching us…  This post is updated as of: 11 August 2024.     —    kmab]
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Click here (11 August) to see the posts of prior years.  I started this blog in late 2009.  Daily posting began in late January 2011.  Not all of the days in the early years (2009-2010) will have posts.

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Grinding Away…

Posted in History, Philosophy, Politics, Quotes, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , on August 24, 2023| Leave a Comment »

…The arc of the moral universe is long but it bends toward justice.
    ––     Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
The wheels of justice turn slowly, but grind exceedingly fine.
    ––     Attributed to multiple sources

Image of Fulton County Inmate P01135809

Image of Fulton County Inmate P01135809 taken on 24 August 2023
Step 9:  Freedom or Incarceration  (Pending)
Step 8:  Release or Sentencing  (Pending)
Step 7:  Jury Vote – Innocent or Guilty  (Check:  Guilty)
Step 6:  Trial by Jury  (Check): 1 of 4 (3 Still Pending)
Step 5:  Preliminary Motions and Discovery  (Check)
Step 4:  Arrest and Booking of Accused  (Check)
Step 3:  Indictment Decision by a Grand Jury  (Check)
Step 2:  Presentation of Investigation results to a Grand Jury  (Check)
Step 1:  Criminal Investigation  (Check)
Donald J. Trump will go down in history with another of many firsts…
[Please keep in mind that in the United States a person is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law by a jury of their peers.  Investigation, indictment, arrest and booking do NOT make a person guilty.  That is for the jury to decide after the presentation of evidence and the evidence must be sufficient to prove guilt beyond reasonable doubt.
We live in a country subject to the rule of law.  It isn’t always fair or just, but it is far better than the rule of the mob or that of might over right.  We are living in an unfolding moment of history and the eyes of the world are watching us…  This post is updated as of: 11 August 2024.     —    kmab]
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Click here (24 August) to see the posts of prior years.  I started this blog in late 2009.  Daily posting began in late January 2011.  Not all of the days in the early years (2009-2010) will have posts.

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Lessons

Posted in History, Philosophy, Quotes, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on May 12, 2021| Leave a Comment »

BIOLOGY AND HISTORY
So the first biological lesson of history is that life is competition.  Competition is not only the life of trade, it is the trade of life — peaceful when food abounds, violent when the mouths outrun the food.  Animals eat one another without qualm;  civilized men consume one another by due process of law.
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War is a nation’s way of eating.  It promotes co-operation because it is the ultimate form of competition.  Until our states become members of a large and effectively protective group they will continue to act like individuals and families in the hunting stage.
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The second biological lesson of history is that life is selection.  In the competition for food or mates or power some organisms succeed and some fail.  In the struggle for existence some individuals are better equipped than others to meet the tests of survival.
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Nature loves difference as the necessary material of selection and evolution;  identical twins differ in a hundred ways, and no two peas are alike.
Inequality is not only natural and inborn, it grows with the complexity of civilization.  Hereditary inequalities breed social and artificial inequalities;  every invention or discovery is made or seized by the exceptional individual, and makes the strong stronger, the weak relatively weaker, than before.  Economic development specializes functions, differentiates abilities, and makes me unequally valuable to their group.  If we knew our fellow men thoroughly we could select thirty percent of them whose combined ability would equal that of all the rest.  Life and history do precisely that, with a sublime injustice reminiscent of Calvin’s God.
Nature smiles at the union of freedom and equality in our utopias.  For freedom and equality are sworn and everlasting enemies, and when one prevails the other dies.  Leave men free and their natural inequalities will multiply almost geometrically…
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Even when repressed, inequality grows;  only the man who is below the average in economic ability desires equality;  those who are conscious of superior ability desire freedom;  and in the end superior ability has its way.  Utopias of equality are biologically doomed, and the best that the amiable philosopher can hope for is an approximate equality of legal justice and educational opportunity.  A society in which all potential abilities are allowed to develop and function will have a survival advantage in the competition of groups.  This competition becomes more severe as the destruction of distance intensifies the confrontation of states.
The third biological lesson of history is that life must breed.  Nature has no use for organisms, variations, or groups that cannot reproduce abundantly.  She has a passion for quantity as prerequisite to the selection of quality;  she likes large litters, and relishes the struggle that picks the surviving few;  doubtless she looks on approvingly at the upstream race of a thousand sperms to fertilize one ovum.  She is more interested in the species than in the individual, and makes little difference between civilization and barbarism.  She does not care that a high birth rate has usually accompanied a culturally low civilization, and a low birth rate a civilization culturally high;  and she (here meaning Nature as the process of birth, variation, competition, selection, and survival) sees to it that a nation with a low birth rate shall be periodically chastened by some more virile and fertile group.
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If the human brood is too numerous for the food supply, Nature has three agents for restoring the balance:  famine, pestilence, and war.
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But much of what we call intelligence is the result of individual education, opportunity, and experience;  and there is no evidence that such intellectual acquirements are transmitted in the genes.  Even the children of Ph.D.s must be educated and go through their adolescent measles of errors, dogmas, and isms;  nor can we say how much potential ability and genius lurk in the chromosomes of the harassed and handicapped poor.  Biologically, physical vitality may be, at birth, of greater value than intellectual pedigree;  Nietzsche thought that the best blood in Germany was in peasant veins;  philosophers are not the fittest material from which to breed the race.
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In the United States the lower birth rate of the Anglo-Saxons has lessened their economic and political power;  and the higher birth rate of Roman Catholic families suggests that by the year 2000 the Roman Catholic Church will be the dominant force in national as well as in municipal or state governments.
    —     Will and Ariel Durant
From their book:  “The Lessons Of History, Chap.III“
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Click here (12 May) to see the posts of prior years.  I started this blog in late 2009.  Daily posting began in late January 2011.  Not all of the days in the early years (2009-2010) will have posts.

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(Hopefully) Good-Bye To The Trump Dark Ages

Posted in Education, Faith, History, Philosophy, Politics, Quotes, Science and Learning, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on January 20, 2021| 1 Comment »

I have a foreboding of an America in my children’s or grandchildren’s time — when the United States is a service and information economy;  when nearly all the manufacturing industries have slipped away to other countries;  when awesome technological powers are in the hands of a very few, and no one representing the public interest can even grasp the issues;  when the people have lost the ability to set their own agendas or knowledgeably question those in authority;  when, clutching our crystals and nervously consulting our horoscopes, our critical faculties in decline, unable to distinguish between what feels good and what’s true, we slide, almost without noticing, back into superstition and darkness.
     —    Carl Sagan
[Perhaps, having seen the corruption and malevolence of the Trump Administration, the next four years can see the beginning of an American renaissance…  I hope so.  As I prayed four years ago:  “I may not agree with all (or any) of this President’s policies, but I pray he makes America a better place.”  Hopefully #45 was “just” the darkness before the new day’s dawn.   —    kmab]
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Click here (20 January) to see the posts of prior years.  I started this blog in late 2009.  Daily posting began in late January 2011.  Not all of the days in the early years (2009-2010) will have posts.

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Choice

Posted in Economics, Included Video, Philosophy, Politics, Quotes, Videos, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on October 9, 2020| 2 Comments »

“Are you a socialist?” Ted Turner asked Carl Sagan.  “I’m not sure what a socialist is,” Sagan replied.
But I believe the government has a responsibility to care for the people,” Sagan said.
“I’m talking about making people self-reliant, people able to take care of themselves,” he continued.  “There are countries which are perfectly able to do that.  The United States is an extremely rich country, it’s perfectly able to do that.  It chooses not to.  It chooses to have homeless people.”
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Click here (9 October) to see the posts of prior years.  I started this blog in late 2009.  Daily posting began in late January 2011.  Not all of the days in the early years (2009-2010) will have posts.

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We Will Get Through This

Posted in Philosophy, Quotes, tagged , , , , on April 21, 2020| Leave a Comment »

We always live in an uncertain world.  What is certain is that the United States will go forward over time.
    —    Warren Buffett
[And the whole world will get through this, too…    —    kmab]
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Click here (21 April) to see the posts of prior years.  I started this blog in late 2009.  Daily posting began in late January 2011.  Not all of the days in the early years (2009-2010) will have posts.

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Expectation For The Near Future

Posted in Health, Politics, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , on March 29, 2020| 2 Comments »

Below are two charts representing Corona Virus (COVID-19) fatalities in Italy and then the United States (below that).  The line on the Italy graph represent where the United States is now (between 500-700 deaths).  It also represents the projection of where we can expect to be in two weeks.
When looking at these charts please recall the Italian government called a national shutdown which is now going into the third week.  Notice the plateau at the far right of the Italy chart.  This shows the number of citizens who died is not zero, but the rate of deaths is no longer increasing.  We (the U.S.) have yet to impose a national shutdown.  In fact, if we do not maintain (increase) the shutdown we are almost guaranteeing we maximize the number of deaths from the virus.
The two following graphs show the COVID-19 death rate by age and then a comparison with the “standard” flu.  If you are young, you might be saying:  “Well, it’s mostly old people dying.”  Yes, it is significantly more deadly if you are older.  BUT, before you say who cares, observe that COVID-19 is 10 to 20 times more lethal at every age group.
Finally, a chart showing the rate of deaths for the U.S. versus all significant occurrences world wide.  We are tracking almost parallel to Spain.  The problem is Spain has less than 50 million population and the U.S. has over 330 million population.
My suggestion is that you make NO plans to attend Easter services this year…
If we are VERY lucky, we will have herd immunity by the end of September.
We have a choice.  We can self-isolate…  Look after each other – family, friends and neighbors – while keeping a safe distance.  We are all in this together.  Stay well.
Chart sources are:  CDC (U.S.), CDC (China), Business Insider and MSNBC.
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Click here (29 March) to see the posts of prior years.  I started this blog in late 2009.  Daily posting began in late January 2011.  Not all of the days in the early years (2009-2010) will have posts.

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Happy Disproof

Posted in Faith Family and Friends, Politics, Quotes, tagged , , , , , , , on May 4, 2011| Leave a Comment »

The experience of the United States is a happy disproof of the error so long rooted in the unenlightened minds of well-meaning Christians, as well as in the corrupt hearts of persecuting usurpers, that without a legal incorporation of religious and civil polity, neither could be supported.
    —    James Madison
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Click here (4 May) to see the posts of prior years.  I started this blog in late 2009.  Daily posting began in late January 2011.  Not all of the days in the early years (2009-2010) will have posts.

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