Helveticus
Army veteran - Retired Special Ed Teacher
Joined Feb 2023
#civilization If Barbie is the sensation of the summer (movies) then our American society is in big trouble!!
My granddaughter (13) loves it but I see so many adults gushing like teens and I wonder if they are the same people who praise the orange nonsense from Florida??😅
#technology I know I won't see it, but the next ten years will witness an extraordinary surge of amazing technological advances!
From abundant free energy through fusion reactors to ion engines capable of reaching Mars in 27 days instead of 7 months, from million miles electrical batteries to quantum computers, from self-driving cars, trains, and boats to very smart AI, from cancer cure to wireless electricity, ... the near future will make life a lot more enjoyable!
Unless...or course..!!
#politics Now some Republican nutcase member of Congress has advanced the most astounding revelation: Since Democrats feel that Joe is too old, they have a secret 'weapon', they will, at the last minute replace him with a much younger candidate: Michelle Obama!
Not that I would mind voting for her! But of course she denies having any political aspiration!
In any case, that is an excellent idea coming from the weirdest corner!
Let's go Michelle!
Again problems with my Nord VPN!
I was accepted for a month and suddenly I get the big NOPE for some strange reason, such as covert enemy or guilty of some electronic crime!
I changed the node and was still rejected!!!
What's happening to CS as nowadays most people use some kind of VPN for protection!!
#education It seems that many public schools are struggling to fill teachers' position!
I have the answer as a retired teacher!
1. Pay the teachers a salary in line with private companies.
2. Stop the ridiculous amount of paperwork by hiring academic secretaries so teachers can teach 100% of the time.
3. Stop the absurd attacks on teachers related to the 'right' pronoun for students. If they were born a boy, use he and vice-versa.
Amen!
#politics Why do so many people believe the far right's lies, thus willfully ignoring the actual facts?
For the same reason people believe in an invisible god!
They need a charismatic leader who tells them what to believe and what to do, again ignoring the evidence!
It is a clear sign that in this century at least, Americans distrust professional politicians such as the Clintons, the Bushes, and even, argh.., the Obamas!
Too many lies, too much corruption, among elite political families!!
#war Again, there are reports of atrocities committed by Russian troops against the Ukrainian population!
Ordinary people would be horrified if asked to rape, kill, and torture civilians and yet...!
If law and order is removed, as happens in armed conflict, the internal beast in all of us becomes unchained and able to kill and maim other humans!
Many men lose control when external laws are removed and become monsters, anxious to satisfy primitive urges!
There is no good war, ever!
#elections One of the major obstacles to Biden's reelection, aside from his age, is the VP Harris!
Nobody likes her, she has zero charisma, and has shown that she would be a terrible President if Joe died before the end of his term, a reasonable possibility!
But what if Biden listened to his better advisers and selected another VP, somebody already in the limelight who has quietly and efficiently done an excellent job in his post, Sec. Antony Blinken?
Joe would almost guarantee reelection!😅
#psychology
😀
Before finding fault with others let us take a good look in the internal mirror also known as introspection!
Smart people do this every day and wake up better human beings, though it takes a good dose of humility!
Food for thought! 😍
#psychology "In psychology, identity is the set of characteristics, beliefs, values, and personality traits that make a person unique."
Are there two individuals with the same identity? Of course not, not even identical twins!
Parents play a capital role in helping define their children's identities!
It makes sense, therefore, to understand that preteens struggle to achieve a sexual identity, which means they test the waters with both sexes for a couple of years!
It's OK, no problem!!😋
#politics #life Ignorance is no excuse, we know this, but the level of ignorance by Trumpists is abysmal and they don't even try to find out the facts even when given a chance!
So of course they sound like idiots when asked for their opinion about a given subject, the Constitution for ex!~!??$$
Some of them will follow a criminal all the way to the jail and look for state employees who have tears of disbelief in their eyes, O Wait, there aren't any!!
Sigh! Intelligence! Where are you??
Generosity is the one quality that makes us forgive one and all faults!!
Food for thought~
#economy I cannot believe this piece of news: https://www.cnbc.com/2023/08/31/living-paycheck-to-paycheck-inflation-is-still-squeezing-budgets.html
61% of Americans live paycheck to paycheck, month to month!
That means that 195 M inhabitants are on the verge of bankrupcy, since any tragic event may throw them in the street, penniless!!
How is that even possible in the best economy in the world??
Surely their investigation is faulty, right?
Food for thought!
#politics Mitch, the minority Senate leader, had another blank episode during which he remained silent for several minutes.
He is clearly having seizures which can be very serious and which cannot be cured!
So instead of resigning his position of power during the lucid period, he stays on!
He is in no shape to do his job and just like the infamous senator from California, Feinstein, who has all the aspects of the living dead, they continue to hold a position against all odds!
How sad!!
#politics I almost miss the 'good ol'boys club' of the 50s and 60s; even Nixon would preferable to the orange menace!!😀
#finances I have had a financial adviser for several years to help me invest my modest life savings. I can extract the following conclusions:
1) Make sure you pick somebody who has a stellar reputation (there are special tools online to check on anybody)
2) Just remember that he (she) will always look for their own interest first and foremost.
3) Never ever invest 100% of your available (not needed to live) savings with them, as your investment is always at risk.
Food for thought!
#credit Capital One offered me a new credit card! I have made it a habit to read carefully the small print and I discovered that after the first year, they would charge me almost 30% interest (27.79) annually with no annual fee!
So in dollar amount, I would pay almost $300 for every thousand dollars owed! That's a lot of money that quickly accumulates if you can only pay the minimum!
For most families of four this means sacrificing other needs just to pay the credit card!
Food for thought!
#politics Who won the first Republican debate??
Who the hell cares!!😂
#politics We cannot and must not accuse ALL Republicans and ALL Christians of political corruption!
Trump followers (or cult members) must be treated as either weak-minded, aka dumb sheep, or plain evil doers!
The first are in need of compassion while the second group should enjoy the 'kind' hospitality of federal pens!😜
#climate I am a grandfather with four very inquisitive grandchildren! When I was asked about climate extremes in the world, I had to confess:"My generation is guilty of not taking care of Mother Earth, from polluting oceans to carbon emissions to animal species extinctions!
They asked what could be done to correct the damage and after a long pause, I decided to be frank: "Your generation and your children's generation will have to work very hard to recover from the damage we caused."
Sigh!