US Presidential Elections

Saul Loeb, Getty

We have lost count of how many recent US Presidential elections have not been about who we want to vote for, but rather it's basically just a choice of who is the one we least hate.

Lesser Evil

Let's look at these:

2024 - Biden or Trump

 Then (Harris or Trump)

2020 - Biden or Trump

2016 - Clinton or Trump

2012 - Obama or Romney

And we can go on.

Debates

And what has happened to the Presidential debates?

These once anticipated events have increasingly become harder and harder to watch. Those who are still undecided do not get any real substance to sway them one way or the other.

Now 2024, like the last two elections, is going down to the wire again. It's another close one.

And as always it will just be a handful of states who will decide who will be in the White House in the next four years.

Tired

In the meantime, the number of Americans wishing the elections are over are growing by the minute. Election time has turned into circus time.

Duty

Americans are treating voting as just another thing they have to do. But really even if they vote or not, nothing ever changes, unless if they live in the handful of toss up states.

Big Question

Millions of other people in other countries are scratching their heads and asking are there no other Americans besides these two who can run the United States of America.

US Politics is all smoke and mirrors, pandering, lies and empty promises. And Americans keep on carrying on like they still don't know what's going on.

Who is the US President right now? Where is the President right now? Plans? Why haven't you done what you want to do in the last three years?

But also how and why does a debate have to go to cats being eaten? And why have the Taliban in Camp David?

Lastly, what's up with the bluetooth earrings?

Are Americans deaf and blind?

The Buffer Generations

People are living longer now and people of one generation have to coexist with people from different generations.

Oldies

In 2024, the Greatest Generation will be Centenerians.

The oldest of the Silent Generation will turn 100 in 2025.

But majority of our current Senior citizens would be Baby Boomers (those born from 1946 to 1964).

Young Ones

Much of our Younger generation (Millenials, born 81-96; Gen Z, 97-2012; Alpha, 2013 onwards) have always have beef with the Boomers. And it's not hard to see why. The Younger generation was born with Tech gadgets, and the Boomers grew up during the heels of rebuilding after the most destructive world war.

Buffer

Good thing, there is a buffer in between the Old and the Young - the Gen Xers (those among us born from 1965 to 1980).

Although considered Old, the Gen Xers have 60, 50 and 40 year olds. And really, 60 is the New 40. They aren't really old, not like how old people were back then.

50 now vs. 50 then, today.com

50 now vs. 50 then, today.com

Gen Xers are indeed old now but most aren't that old, or at least they are not yet ready to retire. They still make up a big portion of the workforce.

The Cushion

Gen Xers are the buffer generation because of a few things.

1. They generally don't really care about the Older (Boomer) generation and the Younger generations, nor join in their seemingly constant need to be on each other's nerves.

They don't generally gloat about the "good old days". One because they know it wasn't all that good. They were born in the old ways of doing things and became adults in the new tech era. They experienced 1st hand the evolution.

They play old school, analog, mechanical, digital and electronic.

They don't care that sports in the 80s and 90s were better than in today's era. They generally are smart enough to know that each era (or each generation) have their own GOAT. They normally do not join in the discussion that LeBron is better than MJ, or vice-versa, nor that Ohtani is better than Babe Ruth. I mean some do, but really all this arguing seems so petty, so cliquey, so "I'm not a kid, I'm 12 and 11 months".

2. The Gen Xers' early years were during the pre-gadgets era. And as pre-teens and teens were introduced to the emergence of every new tech device.

They are used to both the old and new, if a worldwide cyber attack happens, their generation may be the most adaptive generation to go through their day without any of the new technology. It will be hard for everyone, I'm sure. But their generation wouldn't be as stubborn or have no direct 1st hand experience with having no smart phones or wi-fi or headphones.

3. Basically they are half Boomer and half Millenial, born with casette tapes, and grew up with compact discs, born with rotary phones, and were the 1st to use pagers and cellphones.

They are that generation who in middle school and high school 1st tinkered with personal computers and electronic devices. 

As youngers they witnessed the transformation of the old to the new, in music, motion picture, in gaming, information technology and most everything else.

They were born exactly when the last Industrial Revolution took place (advancement in electronics, telecommunications and new technologies).

Those being born today will be the generation which will be comparable to them as another new Industrial Revolution is just starting, one where advancement in AI will take place and start to take over everything.

It will surprise many that AI started in the 50s and Gen Xers as youngsters already were introduced to it in the 70s and 80s. Now AI didn't become that sophisticated until the 90s. And it didn't really become a real thing until the last 10, 15 years, but it will be really real soon enough. 

In time Gen Alpha may be the next Buffer Generation, if humankind will survive that long.

“Tech Support”, Cover of The New Yorker October 23, 2017

NBA MVPs and NBA Rings

NBA MVP Curse

Jokic, Embiid, Giannis

Getty Image

The NBA MVP Curse continues. Many have said that SGA should have won the MVP Award this year, instead of Jokic.

1. Either way both SGA and his team (Thunder) and Jokic and his team (Nuggets) lost on the 2nd round of the Playoffs and will not contend for the Conference Finals, much less for the NBA Ring [2023-24].

2. Last year, Embiid won the MVP Award his team (76ers) got bumped off the 1st round of the Playoffs [2022-23].

3. The year before, Jokic won the MVP Award and his team lost to the Warriors in the 1st round [2021-22].

4. Before that, Jokic won his 1st MVP Award and his team lost to the Suns on the 2nd round [2020-21].

5. A year before, Giannis took home the MVP Award and his team (Bucks) lost to the Heat on the 2nd round [2019-20].

6. Before that, Giannis won his 1st MVP Award, and yes he lost that year to the Raptors [2018-19].

7. Going back the previous year Harden won and his team that year (Rockets), yes they lost to the Warriors [2017-18].

8. The year before, Westbrook got the Award, and you guessed it, his team that year (Thunder) lost in the 1st round [2016-17].

That's now eight straight years.

Nine Year Curse

9. The year before this, Steph won the MVP Award, him and his team (the Warriors), yes they lost to the Cavaliers [2015-16].

The Warriors only lost nine games in the 82 regular season games that year, it was a bitter year for Golden State.

* Previous to this, Steph won his 1st MVP and they won the NBA Finals that year [2014-2015]. The last time the MVP won the NBA Finals.

* The year before, Durant won the MVP Award. His team that year (Thunder) lost to the Spurs who eventually won the Conference and NBA Finals [2013-2014].

A Break In The Curse

* [2012-2013] Lebron won the MVP and his team that year (Heat) won the crown.

* [2011-2012] Lebron also won the MVP and the crown.

Eight straight seasons before that [2004 to 2011], the NBA MVP winner didn't go on to win the NBA Championship.

Next year, it's not really a looking good to win that MVP Award.

Don't Believe Hollywood

Movies are mostly make-believe and Hollywood is the best example.

Make-Believe World

Media and the news (whatever side) wants us to believe what they are pushing. And Hollywood has created a world that some people actually believe is true.

Here are some of the things Hollywood have routinely showed us and that some actually believe in.

1. Phone numbers start with 555. They don't.

2. We can't file a missing person report to the police if 24 hours hasn't passed since the person missing went missing. This isn't true.

3. The police always arrive late to the crime scene. Okay, this one there is some truth to.

4. Police eat a lot of donuts. Okay, this is true as well.

5. Police work and detective work are glamorous, they do a lot of stakeouts and do good police work. No, it's mostly a lot of reports, paperwork, research, talking to people and luck.

6. We wake up late and rush off to go to school or work straight out of bed. Okay, sometimes, lol.

7. Everyday is exciting. Ah, what do you think?

8. We take our medicine without water. We don't.

9. Our homes look like it's ready for an open house. Well not unless if we are looking to sell it that day.

10. People don't need to work or they always have time to go shopping, clubbing, bar hopping, eating out, spending money. Most people go to work, go home, do chores, pay bills, go to bed and repeat the same things the next day.

11. The main character (the protagonist, lead actor or actress) can do no wrong. There is no such person.

12. The antagonist can do nothing good. Not true.

13. Most people are Christians, and they are all Catholic. No and no.

14. The grass looks greener on the other side. Ok, it generally is.

15. Zombies, werewolves, witchcraft, vampires, global destruction, killer robots, killer virus, end-days, human trafficking, child prostitution? What do you think?

Sound of Freedom

You Can Get What You Want, But You Might Not Want What You'll Get

Women's Rights

A transgender woman is all smiles but stands alone on the podium as apparently the 2nd and 3rd placer did a silent protest.

Women's Cycling

Lesley Mumford, a transgender cyclist bested the age and gender category she was entered in.

She competed in the women's 40 to 49 age group of the 2023 Edition of the demanding100-mile Desert Gravel Co2Ut race.

There were men's and binary/trans categories in this competition. Lesley identifies as a woman so she entered the female category and competed against female born cyclists and blew her competition.

Women fought a long time for their rights against a male dominated world, it appears that they will have to continue the fight, albeit this time silently.

Moon Landings

Yes moon landings, with an s.

Americans went back to land humans on the moon after Apollo 11, for those still asking why they didn't.

And they did so multiple times. 

In fact Apollo 11 was so named because it was the eleventh Apollo moon mission, the first 10 were in preparation for the 11th and future Apollo missions.

True, yes there are doubts on the first landing. But there were six similar flights back to the moon after that. Five of which landed humans successfully after the first one. Each time an astronaut planted an American flag. If there was doubt, no one was doubting anymore since the 70s, even the Soviets.

12 Men Walked On The Moon

A total of 12 men (two on each trip) walked on the moon. In 1972, the Apollo program was halted and future crewed moon landing missions cancelled.

There was no more need or doubt. Americans have convincingly won the space race as several trips and several Americans have successfully landed and were the first humans to walk on the surface of the moon.

Doubts Remain

And yes, we are guessing those who were doubting are too young, born in and around that time, or decades later.

The 50s and 60s were a different time. The world and the motivations were different.

Apollo 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 and 17 were NASA's seven manned missions whose sole purpose was to land humans on the moon. Only lucky #13 failed. There was a movie about that.

Evidence

Cameras attached to NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter have photographed five of the six flags planted by astronauts from these Apollo missions who had men set foot on the lunar surface in the late 60s and early 70s. 

Dates and Names of Those Who Landed on the Moon

July 20, 1969
Apollo 11: Neil Armstrong and Edwin Buzz Aldrin

Orbiting command module third pilot Michael Collins

Aside from a flag, a plaque was also planted

November 19, 1969
Apollo 12: Charles Conrad and Alan Bean

Third pilot Richard Gordon


Apollo 13: Failed to land


February 5, 1971
Apollo 14: Aland Shepard and Edgar Mitchell

Orbiting command module pilot Stuart Roosa

Shepard struck and left two golf balls on the moon


July 30, 1971
Apollo 15: David Scott and James Irvin

Third pilot Alfred Worden

Lunar rover used and left on the moon


April 21, 1972
Apollo 16: John Young and Charles Duke

Third pilot Thomas Mattingly


December 11, 1972
Apollo 17: Eugene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt

Command module third pilot Ronald Evans


The truth is out there. 

Apollo 12

People Cancelled For Anti Semitic Comments

We all know everybody hates Kanye (Ye) West. There are so many reasons to.

And so all it takes is really that single tweet and he will be cancelled forever, the last straw.

And it happened. Ye being Ye, it was bound to.

This goes the same for others who have made similar anti-Semitic statements in the past.

1. Donald Trump
2. Gina Carano
3. PewDiePie
4. Mel Gibson
5. John Galliano
6. Miley Cyrus
To name a few. The backlash was swift and long term.

The Double Standard

The quandary is while we see that others who made similar Anti-Semitic statements weren't cancelled but merely given a slap on the wrist. Why is that?

1. Whoopi Goldberg
2. Ilhan Omar
And I'm sure many others.

Okay, we can find reasons to why this is so.

But our answers will always be colored by what color our politics are, what color our faith beliefs are, what color our traditions are, and the color of money.

And yes, it all depends if we own the banks, the media, the news, social media and if it fits our agenda or our motives.

Ye needed to be cancelled. Hardly no one is surprised. 

What is surprising is that when Spotify stood up to the pressure not to, but rather on their own corporate terms of use and the American right of freedom of speech, they are now being cancelled for not hopping on the bandwagon.