I’ve been having all sorts of debates with myself about political things, criminal justice, etc… All the things that go horribly sideways after an apocalypse. I just noticed something about my characters’ backstories: They’re all young. This is by-design. It’s also the case in almost all action stories for the same reason I chose it:Continue reading “Whew! They’re Young!”
Category Archives: Politics
We’re Doomed
I read an interesting article about AI hacking: When AI Starts Picking the Locks. There’s a lot of good stuff in there. The most terrifying sentence: And insist that human judgment — discernment, wisdom, moral responsibility — remains central to decisions about risk It’s unfortunate that almost every filter we have between birth and theContinue reading “We’re Doomed”
Speaking of Trust Issues
The Rapid City Post is a new newspaper, of all things. I’m pretty sure the HomeSlice Group owns it. They’re a radio (at least) conglomerate that’s based here. They seem fine. They published an opinion piece with the very long title/headline of Opinion: Choosing Facts Over Fear Ahead of the 2026 Legislative Session. It’s dreadful,Continue reading “Speaking of Trust Issues”
“No” on Trust Issues
Rapid City is having a special election today to vote on Tax Increment Financing district. To drastically oversimplify: A developer wants the TIF as collateral for a loan. The concept is simple: The taxing authority locks in the current assessment. As property values increase, the tax difference between the locked-in assessment and the actual assessmentContinue reading ““No” on Trust Issues”
Illusions
I’ve been watching UFC fights of late. YouTube is very helpful with the algorithm throwing them into my “Watch Next” list. I watched this (Bellator, not UFC) one on Saturday. I mainly watch these because I enjoy seeing hot men beat the shit out of each other. This particular fight was interesting on a differentContinue reading “Illusions”
Flag Etiquette Question
Is the US flag supposed to be the largest? It’s at the top. It’s illuminated at night. It’s not the largest. Are the flag police going to come for me? BTW: The one in the background is five blocks away. It’s the YUGE flag at Perkins.
Digging Into Sensationalism
Tractor Supply Company (TSCO) has been a thing. Here’s the basic timeline: Meanwhile, we have headlines such as this one: Tractor Supply LOSES BILLIONS in Stock COLLAPSE As Woke Left Activism EXPOSED. Granted, it’s a Youtube channel, but still. I happen to have access to an excellent market data provider: CQG. The goofy, American dateContinue reading “Digging Into Sensationalism”
Breaking News – from 1985
Campus Reform just published ANALYSIS: Students are entering college unable to write In 1985, the first month of the TA-led part of my Philosophy 101 class was about how to write a five paragraph essay. It drove me nuts. I was paying for philosophy and being lectured about something from Freshman year of High School.Continue reading “Breaking News – from 1985”
How many can afford this?
A political fund-raiser. This one’s for Trump, but it’s hardly a Republican-only thing. tickets sold for a hefty $50,000 per head, with an exclusive $300,000 tier offering perks such as a photo opportunity with Trump Income is not a perfect proxy for wealth, but it’s not awful, either. The chart is from a quick InternetContinue reading “How many can afford this?”
Predictions are Hard
But I just made one, anyway. Since it’s buried in the comment section at Behind the Black, I’m repeating it here. We’ll get to see how well it ages. I’m fairly optimistic about my neck of the woods. I’m not optimistic about the country. When all it takes is a few corrupt cities to changeContinue reading “Predictions are Hard”
Marked Up 