Edition #1148

Wednesday. And so much to catch up on. Like clockwork, the threats of Trump to bomb the shit out of Iran were walked back because, as explained by Trump, our Gulf allies as well as Iran were begging him to stop so they can negotiate, adding that a deal is very close. And I, for one, believe him. I mean, if you say something often enough, at some point it has to be true, right?

“We have to make clear that when the boot of the NYPD is on your neck, it’s been laced by the IDF.” Quote of Mayor Zohran Mamdani, shortly after the massacre of twelve hundred Israelis on October 7, 202. Lots to unpack there, as well as in subsequent statements by the man. But the gist is that Jews are responsible for whatever ails you. Police harassment…the “IDF.” The metaphorical “boots” on your neck, keeping you down (whatever “down” means)…the “IDF.” This is not in any way mere criticism of Israeli policies, of which I can fill a book. No, this is something else, something ancient, something nefarious. And it is something that seems to be a contagion for which humanity has yet to find a cure.

…………….4^th of July Demonstration –

And in that regard, I was in Ann Arbor, Michigan over the 4^th of July. On our way to a really cute, small town type of parade, we drove past a demonstration by a few guys who put out a bunch of signs. They were anti-Israel, pro-Hamas rants as have become so common these days. But one in particular caught my eye. It said, “Save America, Kill Israel.” I mention it here because it is the same message as that of Mayor Mamdani. All that ails America leads back to Israel, meaning Jews. How eliminating Israel will “save” America or anywhere else is beyond my comprehension. But this is the world in which we live. And both the right and the left display the same instincts. Somehow the Jews, under the label of Zionists or Israelis or AIPAC supporters, are responsible for holding everyone else back.

………………..Antisemitic Hate Crimes in NYC –

And there seems to be a disconnect between the fact that Mamdani’s hate speech against Jews, couched in anti-Zionist or anti-Netanyahu terms, has contributed to a significant increase in hate crimes against Jews and Jewish institutions in New York, and Mamdani’s protestations that antisemitism will not be tolerated. Complete fuckwad, if you ask me.

And that brings me back to the discussion about the Democratic Socialists of America, of which Mamdani is a prominent member. The DSA presents itself as a grassroots, organic organization. One that is supported exclusively or almost exclusively by individual donations by American citizens. Apparently, that is not the case. Not even close. I know that this will seem like a paranoid, conspiracy theory type of analysis, but I tend to believe what I am hearing. I was recently on a Zoom call with No Labels regarding an investigation into the roots of and financing of the DSA. There seems to be a large overlap between the DSA and international organizations funded primarily by two billionaire types promoting two different yet compatible narratives. One is by a gentleman closely aligned with China, and the other with radical Islamist interests. This is termed the Red/Green alliance. I know. It all sounds too creepy to be real, and there are many who want to understand the far left in the US as a homegrown movement. And maybe all of this is just some coincidental activities that look like something that they are not. But this does not seem like the “truthiness” that Stephen Colbert defines. This does have a ring of truth, and does seem to align with what we know is going on in the world. And to the extent it is true, it is clear that Mamdani and crew are actually the useful idiots that they seem to be.

………………..And For More –

There will be a follow-up Zoom call with No Labels where they will go into depth on the Red/Green alliance on August 11 at noon Pacific time. The format is usually a speaker who will give an overview for about twenty to thirty minutes, after which there is an opportunity to ask questions. If any of you are interested in participating, please let me know, and I will forward your information to my contacts at No Labels, who will send you an invite.

Oh, I would not want to be Ms. Pirro right now. And while this is just another example of those loyal to Trump learning that it is all about “what have you done for me lately” in that world, it is one that is fun to watch. In case you have not heard yet, this relates to Trump’s insane fixation on the reflecting pool in DC. The truth that everyone knows is that the contractor hired by Trump, a friend and donor of his, was completely out of his league and, aside from increasing the cost by a factor of ten, botched the job. A completely incompetent job. Within days, an algae bloom, within a few more, the coating on the bottom began to peel off. Yet, rather than focus his wrath on his friend, Trump claimed it was vandals. No proof was offered, no photos were released, even though mention of such photos was made. And one arrest and prosecution was ordered. But when Jeanine Pirro went to prepare a prosecution, all of the evidence pointed to contractor error, with nothing to connect the alleged perpetrator to the problem. So she let that information out as she dropped the case. So now Trump is considering firing her. And this would be firing her for doing her job competently, not for doing anything wrong. But in Trump’s mind, just doing what he wants, regardless of facts, regardless of the law, regardless of right or wrong, is all that matters. And as he continually attempts to bend reality to his liking, all those in the way who still desire to remain in the real world are to be swept to the side, discarded, forever vilified. And this is the cult to which all of these fools have aligned themselves. Tragic.

Another month, another AI program escapes its confines to fulfill what it deems its purpose, even if that means breaking the rules, defying commands, and discarding guardrails. There are some who do not see this as anything to worry about. You can click on that link and read, but that is up to you. There is a lot of language that is above my pay grade in the attempt to minimize concerns, but the overall impression to me was something similar to the argument that the perpetrator only wounded the victim, so what’s the harm. In this instance, the program escaped its environment, hacked into at least one outside company’s system, and possibly three, culling and destroying data along the way. So we should be worried. But the cat is out of the bag, the genie is out of the bottle, the ship has sailed, the cows are….well, you get it. We are in the AI universe already. Those who are in charge are unconcerned with anything but ensuring that their platform dominates the future so they can reap the rewards in power and money. To the extent that they can make them safe for the rest of us, they will, as long as it does not conflict with the prime directive…power and money for them. I am not trying to make you feel better about it, but I am convinced that this is our future. Good luck to us all.

……………..And just as an aside –

After reading something on nuclear explosions, I was curious as to whether I was remembering correctly that the reason nuclear weapon simulations look at a detonation at altitude, say five thousand feet, was, in part at least, to minimize the amount of radioactive fallout. I was right, but the answer, delivered by some AI browser-based agent, then offered to get me more detailed information if I could let it know what weapon yield I was considering so it could give me detailed blast damage radius estimates at various altitudes. Assuming that at some point I would have to defend this interaction to the authorities, I quickly backed off and explained to my new best friend, Claude AI, that I was merely curious and had no plans to detonate a nuclear bomb…at altitude or not. Claude seemed to understand. But kind of concerning…

Well, by now we should know about some of the more controversial primaries around the country and which factions will drive the final push to the midterms in November. As I write this, I honestly do not have much hope that saner voices will prevail. But who knows…well, by now, you know. Let me know. And stay healthy and be good to each other.

Me.