Corruption
One of the reasons given for the rapid collapse of the Afghan government is corruption, which most people take to mean the illegal diversion or theft of materials, goods, weapons, and cash. All of that...
View Article“Imager” E-Book Price Deal
As part of the advance promotion for Isolate, the forthcoming first book of “The Grand Illusion,” all ebook versions of Imager will be receiving an eBook downprice promotion ($2.99) all throughout...
View ArticleCOVIDIOCY
Some Republican legislatures and governors have acted to forbid mask and vaccination requirements, usually giving one of several rationales: requiring masks and/or vaccination infringes on personal...
View ArticleBiden Was Right
I’ve always been annoyed by back-seat drivers and Monday morning quarterbacks, who always KNOW how they could have “done it better” than someone who was under pressure and didn’t meet their standards,...
View ArticleThe Law As Ass
One of Dickens’ characters, Mr. Bumble, as I recall, said something to the effect that if the law established some ridiculous provision then the law was “a ass.” Usually, the law isn’t quite that bad,...
View ArticleSacred Hypocrisy
The entire “Right-to-Life” movement in the United States is based on the idea that human life is “sacred.” Except that’s not true. In both practice and ideal, the movement insists that only unborn life...
View ArticleRepublicans = Exponential Hypocrisy
In the wake of the resurgence of COVID in the form of the Delta variant, the majority of Republican governors in the states hardest hit by COVID, with ICUs and hospitals at capacity or beyond capacity,...
View ArticleThe Numbers Don’t Lie
People are the ones who lie. With or without numbers. People also ignore the numbers or fail to understand what they mean. I was trained as an economist and worked for a short time as an industrial...
View ArticleISOLATE Publication Delayed
Last night I was informed by TOR that the publication date of Isolate has been delayed until November 2nd because of the shortage of trained workers at the printing plant that produces all Macmillan...
View ArticleThe “Basis” of Science
The other day a commenter made a statement that falsification is the basis of science. Like a great deal of what appears on the internet, the statement is true, but incomplete, and was presented out of...
View ArticleThe Creeping Cancer of “Consumerism”
Once upon a time, a “consumer” was someone who consumed/used physical goods and limited kinds of services provided by others. Today, especially in the United States, almost everything is viewed through...
View ArticleThe “Belief” Problem
The United States has a significant problem with “belief” today, and it’s not so much what Americans believe as how too many of them believe. Many beliefs are based on facts and long observation. The...
View ArticleISOLATE — More Delays
TOr has just informed me that the publication/release date of ISOLATE has been pushed back to November 16th, because capacity problems at the printing plant have worsened. I’ve been told that the delay...
View ArticleCasualties
As I have noted in “News” section of the website, the release/publication date of Isolate has been pushed back another two weeks, along with fifteen other Tor books, because of capacity problems with...
View ArticleBad Plan vs. No Plan
The current legislative battle over the budget, debt ceiling, and federal spending between Republicans and Democrats will result in disaster, no matter who claims “victory.” That’s because it’s a...
View ArticleOpposition Success
I’ve called the Republican Party “the party of No,” but this stance by the GOP predates Trump, although he certainly amplified and took advantage of the negativity of Republicans. And I’m certainly not...
View Article“Shovel” Time
Many years ago, when I was eased out of a position, essentially dehired, my soon-to-be previous employer made a comment along the lines that he didn’t mind so much my calling a spade a spade, but he...
View ArticleArrogance
Arrogance has always been distasteful to me, but recent “debates” on this website and in the public arena about COVID have demonstrated a great deal of arrogance. Two categories, in particular, stand...
View ArticleTheir Own Worst Enemies
There’s a very simple rule about making laws. You have to have the votes. Right now, the Democrats barely have the votes for the second “infrastructure” [for social/environmental programs] bill if the...
View ArticleThe Supply Chain Woes
As a recent and continuing victim of supply chain woes, I not only have a personal interest in the problem, but a definitely professional one – because I don’t get paid the last of the advance on...
View Article