Friday, June 20, 2025

My prediction on what will happen when Trump dies

I’m writing a story each month on my website.  Back in March, I had an idea for a “story” that would be a list of what the biggest headline in the US were on a certain day for the next 100 years.  I knew I’d need some time to write it, so the day I picked was June 20th.  The 2025 headline was “Trump assassinated at Anti-Woke rally in Raleigh; gunman killed by Secret Service.” Having an anti-woke rally right after Juneteenth seemed like a thing he would do.  The 2026 headline was “One year later, questions still remain about Trump assassination.” And the 2035 headline was “Ten years after his assassination, the continuing need to eradicate Trumpism.” And those were the only time Trump would be mentioned.  Because, the point of the story was to show that despite all the damage he has done, once he dies he’ll be forgotten.  It’s like how after decades, the deaths of people like Robin Williams and Steve Irwin still hit hard.  Whereas people like Rush Limbaugh and David Koch are quickly and rightfully forgotten.  The same will be with Trump.

But how quickly will the world move on from him?  I predict even before he’s in the ground.  In large part because of the various MAGA factions that will start backstabbing to gain dominance.  What I predict will be some Faction X that will say, “We just learned, and had no prior knowledge, that Trump was a pedophile.  Not only did Faction Y know, they did nothing about it.” Meanwhile, Faction Y will go, “We just learned, and had no prior knowledge, that Trump was embezzling funds.  Not only did Faction X know, they did nothing about it.” We can only hope that these factions will destroy one another, leaving good, decent people that actually care about America to clean up their colossal mess. 

***

In case you’re wondering what happened to my story, well, coming up with headlines ninety years from now turned out to be harder than I thought.  Also, I’ve been a bit under the weather for the last few weeks and haven’t written much.  So about a week ago, I decided I wouldn’t get around to the story.  At least, not this year.  But I also had been thinking about how magats will end up backstabbing each other, so I decided to write this post and release it today instead of the story.

Some of the headlines I’d come up with dealt with wild fires, mass shootings, beloved actors dying in accidents, but I also had some hopeful headlines.  Since those are so rare these days, I figured I’d share some of the ones I came up with. 

2043

German doctors “cure” first patient of Alzheimer’s with MZT treatment.

2048

Mohawk #3, the last coal fired power plant in America, has finally shut down.

2050

First child born on the moon.

2055

President PiƱa announces she’s pregnant … with twins!

2060

After decades of controversy, Bitcoin finally shuts down.

209X

Scientist report that atmospheric CO2 concentration likely peaked in 209X at X ppm.  (I never got around to finalizing this one.)

Wednesday, June 18, 2025

Random Story – Bottle cap battles

This is just an odd little story from my life.

When I was in high school in the early 90’s, the bus would pick up one group of kids that lived in town and take them home, and then come back and pick up us kids who lived out in the boonies.  And given that our bus driver was old and drove very slowly, it was usually half and hour or more after school ended that we finally got on the bus to go home.  So we had time to kill.  Sometimes, I’d hang out in the computer room for another ten minutes or so until the teacher finally kicked me out, or I’d take the time to clean my locker, or whatever.  Sometimes, some friends and I would walk a couple blocks into town to buy candy or cards and then get back for the bus.  But most afternoons we just stood around and goofed off. 

One way we goofed off began by accident.  I think what happened is one of us had a bottle of pop (I’m from that part of the country) and dropped the lid.  Someone else “pretended” to stomp on it, for some reason, but they just missed and they caught the edge of the bottle cap with the edge of their shoe.  The result was the cap went flying five or so feet.  Which we found pretty funny, so we started doing it on purpose.  You put the cap open side up, and just put the edge of your shoe on it, and then do a quick press down.  Sometimes, the cap would just fly up and hit our nuts, but usually it would fly off across the hallway.  So we started having bottle cap battles trying to hit each other.  If they connected, it was just a little thump.  At worst, if they hit your arm, you might have a bit of a red mark for five minutes. 

After a dozen or so flights, the caps would start to deform, meaning they didn’t fly as far or as well.  So we would save caps from the week or dig in the trash for some to have one big battle with five or six caps whizzing around.  We did this, off and on for a couple of years.

It was probably a decade ago, I remembered this, so I got a cap to relive my youth.  But I don’t know if they’re using softer material in caps, or shoes, or what, because I could only get a cap to fly a foot or two.  Either that or there’s some basic step I’ve forgotten.

Saturday, June 14, 2025

Where does Trump rank in terms of America’s enemies?

Anyone with more than a few brain cells knows that Trump has caused considerable harm to America.  I was thinking about this the other day, and I wondered where he stood in terms of damage done by our historical enemies.

With his botched handling of Covid, I’d say it’s certain Trump killed more Americans than al-Qaeda.  But he probably hasn’t killed as many as Nazi Germany or the Empire of Japan did.  Yet. 

I have no idea how many – adjusted for inflation – billions of dollars’ worth of ships and aircraft and other equipment our WWII enemies destroyed, or how that compares to the billions of dollars America has lost from his idiotic tariffs and other failed economic ideas.  Of course, all those ships and whatnot were already built and paid for, whereas who knows how much money we’ll lose as people around the world stop buying American.  How many small businesses will go under, and how many millions will lose their jobs. 

While Trump hasn’t killed as many Americans as some of our bigger historical enemies – yet – I’d say the material damage he’s caused is probably comparable to them.  But the one thing he excels at is the damage he has done to America itself.  Hitler or bin Laden could only dream of hurting America as much as Trump has.  If America falls, it won’t be because of a Nazi (classic Nazi, that is) or a suicide bomber, but some dumbass loser playing a King. 

So I’d say that Trump is the worst enemy America has ever faced.  In which case, we need to ask ourselves, What am I doing to defeat Trump and all his minions?

Tuesday, May 20, 2025

Random Story – What happened to the pill guy?

This is just an odd little story from my life.

As a nerdy kid growing up in 80’s and early 90’s, I watched a lot of PBS.  There was Nova and Scientific American Frontiers and several other science shows.  If the topic was about space, I almost certainly watched it, but I watched most of them regardless of their topic.  Having been over thirty years, I’m sure I’ve forgotten most of what I watched, or whatever I’ve learned has just become part of the mass of “Things I know, but I don’t know how I know them.” But there are a few random fragments that, for some reason, I remember.  For example.

I don’t know what show it was, or if it was late 80’s or early 90’s, but there was one episode on longevity.  I think overall it dealt with the various ways people were trying to live longer.  I don’t remember, but it’s likely there was a section on people eating a particular diet, or people doing things like tai chi, or whatever.  But the one I remember was this guy taking vitamins.

I can’t remember if this guy (I’m 99% certain it was a guy) was a doctor or just some health enthusiast, but somehow he came to the conclusion that more vitamins somehow made you live longer.  I’m not talking about just taking two multivitamins a day, or whatever.  He was taking like 50X the daily recommended amounts.  And not just of Vitamin C, but like, all of them.  He had ones he took in the morning, ones in the afternoon, and ones in the evening.  I think there was a scene where he had a garbage bag of the vitamin bottles he emptied each week.  But the scene I do remember is him sitting on his couch reading a book, and on an end table there’s a little candy dish with the evening mix.  And every few minutes, he’d just grab one and swallow it, without water or anything. 

For some reason, that image has stuck with me for … over three decades.  And I have to wonder what happened to him?  He was … fifty, or whatever, so it’s possible he’s still alive.  Or, he could have died shortly after that show from a … Vitamin A overdose.  Or, he might have some role in the current regime’s Department of Health and Human Services.

Friday, May 16, 2025

Short story – “A Sealed Fate”

 

“A Sealed Fate”

A bored young man wearing only a T-shirt reading “Bank robber” stood in a space just big enough for two people.  The ceiling – while not so low as to make him stoop – was uncomfortably low and the walls were painted in the blandest beige imaginable.  The only other thing currently in the room was a counter high on the wall he faced quickly approaching zero.

When the counter hit 0:00, several things happened at once.  A folded T-shirt appeared in the man’s right hand, a door appeared below the counter, and the counter reset to 5:00 and began counting down.  But the main thing that happened was a bright flash of reddish light deposited a naked, older woman in the space.

In a monotone, the man began, “You died and were-”

The woman screamed and slapped him.  “What have you done to me?  Where am I?” She turned around, and realized she was naked.  She tried to cover herself while screaming and punching the man.

After about a minute of silently taking her punches, he suddenly yelled, “Shut up!”

This stunned the woman and she backed up, as far as she could.

The man then explained, “I did nothing to you.  You died and were sent to Hell.”

The woman started to argue, but stopped herself.  Shaking her head, she said, “No, no.  I don’t belong in Hell.  I should be in Heaven.”

“Sure.  Anyway,” handing her the shirt, the man continued, “everyone gets a shirt that explains why they are here in Hell.  It’s not the main reason, but a big one.  For example, I hated the idea of a 9 to 5, so I decided I’d rob a bank to make easy money.  Only I got shot and ended up here where I’ll spend the next few thousand years welcoming people to Hell and giving them a shirt.  So take your shirt Miss,” here he unfolded her shirt and read “‘Trump supporter, even after he went full fascist,’ and go through that door to your eternal damnation.  And hurry up, because,” here he pointed at the counter reading 3:13, “when that hits zero, another person will be transported in, even if you’re still here.  And that sucks.”

The woman reluctantly took the shirt.  Shaking her head, she said, “No.  It shouldn’t be like this.  These aren’t Pearly Gates, and you’re no Saint Peter.”

The man sighed.  “Having died in 1973, I don’t know who this Trump is, but apparently, he’s a fascist.  And if you supported him, then you are to.  And you wonder why you ended up in Hell?  Why would Saint Peter waste his time on someone who’s fate is already sealed?”

The woman thought for a moment, then said, “No.  I refuse-”

“Just go through the fucking door you bitch,” the man yelled.  “Find out what Hell has in store for a fascist, and give me a minute’s peace.”


Tuesday, May 6, 2025

Why I don’t have issues with trans people

I’m not an asshole.

Another reason – that will take longer to explain – is that I do believe that many of our current problems will be solved by technology.  Setting up newer problems that will then need to be solved by newer technology, and so on.  And when I say solved by technology, I mean actual problems actually solved.  None of this, bitcoin powered AI pills to give you a bigger dick, or whatever the latest snake oil the techbros are selling.  The technology I’m talking about is once a year you go to the doctor who gives you a shot that is guaranteed to wipe out 99% of any cancers you were developing.

What I picture would be in such an anti-cancer shot would be thousands of nano machines that would be programmed to hunt down any cancerous cells.  If they find one, they either destroy it themselves, or set off some signal so your immune system comes in and destroys it.  Once we figure out how to do such a thing, it will take a few decades for all the clinical trials to show that it’s safe, during which time the technology would only improve, probably by many factors. 

Another possible use for medical nano machines would be building bones.  They might start for people with weak bones as the nano machines slowly build up the bones, but eventually they’d be used to fix breaks.  At first, these would be slow, maybe only shaving a few days off the time needed to wear a cast, but after a decade or so, it could be you could break a leg, go to the hospital, and walk out the next day as good as new. 

Of course, medical nano machines wouldn’t be used just for life saving stuff, they’d eventually be used for cosmetic procedures.  If they can fix leg bones, they can also make changes to the bone structure of one’s face.  Again, at first such procedures would be expensive and take a lot of time and need to be carried out in a doctor’s office, but over the decades as the technology improves, it will get to the point such stuff can be done at home.

To bring back the point of this post on why I don’t have issues with trans people, is that I firmly believe that, not a hundred years from now but almost certainly two hundred years from now, the technology – of nano machines as well as genetic alterations – will exist for people to basically be shapeshifters.  Not becoming six different people as you walk down the sidewalk, or turning into a giraffe, but more like punching in tomorrow’s body in your Chango-Tron before going to bed and waking up in an altered body.  A lot of people would feel no need to use such technology.  Some will do it occasionally, for a laugh or for sex.  Some will experiment with a dozen bodies until they discover the real them.  And some will discover the real them is one of constant change. 


So if I think the future of humanity is one where everyone will be able to change their body in any way they see fit, why would I have an issue with people doing that now with our limited technology?  Not to mention my general view that people are people, and only assholes should be treated like assholes. 

Wednesday, April 30, 2025

A true statement

The other night at work, I found something interesting on a shelf.


Not the dime, the message taped to it.


Even thought I’m one to pick up any change I see, I put this back on the shelf in the hope its true target would find it.  I live in a very red part of the state, so the odds of a Trump voter finding it are pretty high.  And I wonder what they will do.  Will they not even bother to read it, will they get super angry, or will they dismiss it only to be reminded of it months from now when they’re paying $20 a gallon for gas while dumbass claims the way out of the recession is another tax cut for billionaires.

A couple weeks ago, there was a customer in a Trump hat complaining about how expensive stuff was.  He then looked at me and stated, “It’s only going to get worse.” All I could do was clench my jaw and nod to keep from saying, “No shit Sherlock!” Of course, it’s possible the guy didn’t feel any remorse, and is one of those that is happy to crash the economy because “It will hurt the woke/trans/Mexicans – or whoever their boogeyman/scapegoat is this week – more.  Somehow.”


I don’t know if putting out such a message will make a difference, but I might try it.  Although, I may have to only use pennies.