March 30, 2021

Thorium based nuclear power is the best choice for our energy future not wind or solar

If you study the science molten salt nuclear reactors using thorium as fuel is the best choice. Thorium based Molten-Salt-Reactors are extremely efficient burning almost ALL of the fuel producing a extremely small fraction of the waste you would get with traditional nuclear reactors. There's a lot of disinformation by special interests so it's easy to find counter opinions. But the science is not based on superstitious nonsense that is politically motivated. Any one who studies this with an unbiased opinion will come to the same conclusions explained by Kirk Sorensen.

Thorium based nuclear power will undoubtedly become the primary energy source of the world. This will be a 3-4 trillion dollar per year industry. The Chinese have made the choice and are leading the way: "China spending US$3.3 billion on molten salt nuclear reactors for faster aircraft carriers and in flying drones":

https://www.nextbigfuture.com/2017/12/china-spending-us3-3-billion-on-molten-salt-nuclear-reactors-for-faster-aircraft-carriers-and-in-flying-drones.html

We need a Manhattan like project or space-race effort of funding with the goal of making Thorium based nuclear power the United State's primary energy source. The US can choose to be a driver or just a passenger on next energy revolution bus. It's so sad to think about how the US used to have the best engineers in the world. Big Oil is destroying our future. Not only is thorium the best possible energy choice but when you mine thorium you will get expensive and lucrative rare earth metals which markets are currently dominated by the Chinese.

March 29, 2021

It's not all just about racism for black people

Since I am white, I probably have no license to talk about racism in this country. At least I am sensitive enough to realize how obscene and insane our country can be when governor Kemp of Georgia signs in a new set of Jim Crow laws under a painting of a slave plantation.

I would not want to be black in this country. It's bad enough I have a foreign sounding last name. I have only once personally experienced overt discrimination over the phone because of my last name. It was only one time so I can't imagine what it is like to be a black person in this country dealing with racism all the time.

And I could not imagine what it would be like to feel you might lose your life any time you get stopped by a police officer when driving. I have been stopped maybe 10 times by cops over the last 30 years for reasons mostly my fault. But the thought the police officer might shoot me during those times or that I should fear for my life never crossed my mind. I would absolutely hate it if this were the case. So I do have some empathy in understanding other people's unnecessary suffering.

That said, I just want to talk about what I considered to be just as big a problem as racism. It's being faced by all Americans regardless of race. There are reasons why 72 million people voted for Trump that go beyond racism. And I find these reasons extremely disturbing. My hope is anyone who is of color reading this post is able to appreciate this other problem.

I'm a big fan of Henry Giroux and his writings. I think he's spot on in his descriptions of our nation's problems and what our solution needs to be. These problems are being faced by all Americans regardless of race. I think sometimes, but I may be wrong, some of the problems Giroux talks about are interpreted through a lens of racism by people of color when it's really something different.

Here's one of his latest articles: "Threat of Authoritarianism Is No Longer on the Horizon: It’s Arrived in the GOP"

https://truthout.org/articles/threat-of-authoritarianism-is-no-longer-on-the-horizon-its-arrived-in-the-gop/

I love this quote from the article, "Under neoliberal capitalism, human connections give way to an ethos of individualism that views all problems as personal failings." I love the quote because I think it's accurate. But I also hate the quote for what it implies.

I can't solve the problems of the high cost of healthcare by myself. It's just so insulting when the message from society is all our health problems are from "personal failings." Yes, I get it that my health problems are from being overweight. Yes, I ate too much McDonalds in the 70s and 80s. But I don't think its my fault the price of an annual healthcare premium has doubled every five years for the last 30 years! I don't think it's all me at this point. I have no control over the fact I'm getting old. It's just so irritating to think my age is a "personal failing."

The problems with our country are not rocket science. The billionaires pay the lobbyists to entice the politicians to pass legislation creating cartels and monopolies in exchange for campaign financing. The system is rigged for creating cartels and monopolies. The system is tilted in favor of the billionaires and not the worker making the median wage. I think FDR best summed up our current problems in his 1936 acceptance speech at the Democrat National Convention:

"An old English judge once said: 'Necessitous men are not free men.' Liberty requires opportunity to make a living - a living decent according to the standard of the time, a living which gives man not only enough to live by, but something to live for.

For too many of us the political equality we once had won was meaningless in the face of economic inequality. A small group had concentrated into their own hands an almost complete control over other people's property, other people's money, other people's labor - other people's lives. For too many of us life was no longer free; liberty no longer real; men could no longer follow the pursuit of happiness.

Against economic tyranny such as this, the American citizen could appeal only to the organized power of government."

For this other set of problems, probably equal to racism in this country, Giroux has a very novel and interesting prescription. His claim is the problem with liberals in this country is we do not know how to use language properly. He claims liberals need to be more sophisticated in their use of language. He claims we need to be just as good as the Republicans and conservatives when it comes to political propaganda.

Here's a very thoughtful discussion on this very topic:

Here's a good book Giroux wrote on Amazon on this topic for anyone who is capable of reading:

https://www.amazon.com/American-Nightmare-Facing-Challenge-Fascism/dp/0872867536

Anyway, I apologize if said something incorrectly or offensive. It is may sincere hope to see all of these problems somehow start getting solved for everyone regardless of the insanity of racism.

March 26, 2021

There is just something deeply wrong with right wing Republicans

Let's assume there are two classes of Republicans. The Liz Cheney / George Bush kind and then the other kind which we will call Trumpanzees. I was having a heated argument the other day with a Trumpanzee about the origin of the Covid-19 virus. He claimed the virus was manufactured in a lab in "Chy-Na". It's bad enough when someone admits how much of an a-hole they are by saying the word "China" with so much derision. He expresses how much he likes the way Trump says, "Chy-Na". And then proceeds to say it five more times in my face. When someone is in your face and they say "Chy-Na" with so much derision it's just another higher level of a-hole.

"Chy-Na" t-shirt:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/780867892/the-original-chy-na-graphic-t-shirt?ga_order=most_relevant&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=chyna+t+shirt&ref=sr_gallery-1-2&from_market_listing_grid_organic=1&frs=1

The only reason Trump ever said "Chy-Na" was to score cheap political points. He appears to be strong by being an a-hole. Anyone who's studied authoritarianism, fascism, and political propaganda knows scapegoating is the most effective and surest way to power. People just love worshiping Republican tough-guy a-holes.

So I said in the argument there has been no "evidence" the virus came from a lab. I said, in fact, there's actually real evidence to suggest the virus came from bats via an intermediate animal. I have read several articles claiming based in genetic studies of the virus it's pretty clear it did not come from a lab.

I could not make the exact quote but this what I read, "Furthermore, there are no genetic similarities with other virus backbones used in any of the known reverse genetics systems for betacoronaviruses. This suggests that this virus was not engineered." From: "Scientists: 'Exactly zero' evidence COVID-19 came from a lab"
https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2020/05/scientists-exactly-zero-evidence-covid-19-came-lab

So here's when my Trumpanzee friend goes into outer space with his argument. He then says, "How do you know the scientists are not making this stuff up." And I said, "The thing is I'm not the one claiming the virus came from a lab. You are. So you are the one who needs to support your claim with evidence. And you have no evidence to support your claim. I can't prove negative bla bla bla." This goes on for several minutes. He just claims I'm a stooge for the left-wing media.

I don't even know why I try at this point. Obviously my Trumpanzee friend is a moron if not partially mentally retarded.

The Trumpanzees are very dangerous people. Many are reactionaries responding to non-fact conjectures. They have zero critical thinking skills. They have no distinction between opinions and facts. They believe their opinions are facts while other people's facts are opinions. These people operate on pure delusional superstitious fantasy. There is no objective reality. There's only subjective experience. And then add Q-Anon conspiracy nuts into the mix with rampant out-of-control pareidolia. I don't see how our democracy can survive when we are the cusp of entering into a new Dark Age.

Obviously she's a witch because she weighs as much as a duck.

March 23, 2021

Great video from good ole Randi Rhodes on what is really going on with the border crisis

Same old same old. For 50 years the Republicans destroy and gut government institutions and when Democrats are back in charge they complain about what a bad job the Democrats are doing. I'm so sick of this fricken pattern. It's going to take a couple of years to repair what the Trumpanzees destroyed.

Good ole Randi Rhodes showing you how it really is:

She's so good.

March 5, 2021

A fascinating expose on QAnon done by Vice Media Group

There are three parts to this series so far. It's truly fascinating!

Here's the trailer:

Here is the first one on YouTube:



The second one blew me away! It really has some interesting insights into this cult phenomena.

Many people have the Vice channel with your TV packages. Trying searching for it so you can record the second and third ones.

Really good. I'll probably watch it twice.