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With reference to our title, we ask the reader to recall the halcyon days prior to the advent of the “smartphone,” when members of human society actually spoke and interacted with each other, spontaneously and naturally. One popular activity was socializing by means of table games such as cards, checkers, chess, and dominoes.

“Dominoes” is a classic tile-matching game for two or more players who score points by matching the white pips on the black wooden tiles. “Domino toppling ” (as in our title) refers to the process of arranging the individual domino tiles sequentially and then knocking down the first, which triggers a chain reaction in which each domino is made to fall in a cascading order, called the “domino effect.” We have chosen to employ “the domino effect” as a simile for the present implosion of the Republican Party’s positive election aspirations, analogously toppled by the immutable series of flawed Trump-MAGA actions, domestic and international. Notably, the most suitable choice of game table for such events was one with a Formica top, which resoundingly adds auditory emphasis to the impact of the falling domino tiles.

Our choice of the contextual analogy to “falling dominoes” is founded upon the notable events of late, tumbling down, seriatim, objectively frustrating Donald Trump’s myopic delusion of his good governance, predictably causing the election success of the Democrats. We have listed below the analogous “domino tiles,” dynamically tumbling to the table top, symbolic of the predictably resounding loss of the popular vote by the Trump-MAGA wing of the Republican Party:

FALLEN DOMINOES:

(1) Donald Trump’s campaign promise to improve the economy, followed by its disastrous downturn,

(2) The metastasising increase in consumer prices for fuel, food, health care, rentals and other ubiquitously needed consumer necessities.

(3) The unauthorized, unconstitutional imposition of tariffs on the Nation’s trading partners, raising import costs and ultimately, consumer prices and the cost of services,

(4) Trump’s Gestapo-like treatment of the immigration process; raising and generously supporting a private masked army to arrest, incarcerate, and banish to foreign torture prisons, innocent, productive, tax-paying Hispanic residents, without due process,

(5) Trump’s illegal and constitutionally unauthorized bombing and declarations of war against foreign nations, including Iran, Venezuela, Nigeria, Somalia, Yemen, and Syria,

(5) Trump’s unlimited violation of the Constitution’s “Emoluments Clause,” shamefully and fraudulently securing untold sums of money for himself and his family,

(6) Trump’s intimate and egregious public relationship with the “box store” entrepreneur of childhood sexual abuse, Jeffrey Epstein,

(7) Fomenting and supporting a bloody insurrection against the Washington Capitol Building, inclusive of criminal acts ranging from criminal trespass to murder of police officers, and then pardoning them for their expression of loyalty to him,

(8) Conspiracy with Israel’s (Trump-like) Prime Minister, Netanyahu, to immolate Gaza and its Palestinian citizens.

(9) Cooperation with Russia’s dictator, Putin, in support of Putin’s attack against Ukraine,

(10) Eliminating humanistic relief programs of medicine and food internationally (USAID) and domestically (SNAP),

(1l) Interference (public and otherwise) with the American voting franchise,

(12) Unconstitutional use of the military for perceived domestic need.

(13) Autocratically illegal Use of Presidential power to seek autocratic “retribution” against political rivals,

(14) Imperiously and illegally committed vandalism against the Nation’s East Wing of the White House and the historic Rose Garden,

(15) Attacks upon the established media and institutions of higher learning.

(16) Homicidal threats to “annihilate” the Persian (Iranian) Civilisation, and recently,

(17) Televised, personal acts of egregious disrespect to the Catholic Pope and caricature of the religion, on public television.

We ask for forbearance of the reader, knowing that there are other, unlisted, “fallen dominoes,” however, it is felt that those above-cited will suffice.

We are greatly heartened at the recent defeat of the dictator, Viktor Orban, and hope that it will provide further impetus for the overdue fall of our egregiously neurotic (orange) domino tile.

-p.

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In objective areas like science and technology, the physical word “tolerance” is utilitarian and determinative. The “tolerance” of matter, solid or liquid, is entirely objective and unequivocal. Subjectively, the noun itself, or its adjectival form, is ubiquitously employed in a beneficial context, as in religious tolerance, tolerance in point of view, tolerance of pets, noise, or pain.

However, it is our view that the word “tolerance,” in the context of human interaction and relationships, albeit intended as a positive declaration, is, intrinsically, at its best, equivocal and, at its worst, arrogantly hubristic.

The ubiquitous word, in addition to its utilitarian and scientific utility, can also imply a laudable understanding and friendly accord with others, but, at the same time, subtly imply the connotation of permissiveness or indulgence. In the latter context, it necessarily implies the forbearance of a negative response by a higher, or superior, class of individuals, toward the practices of persons perceived as diverse and inferior. The latter context, permissibly translates to the generous withheld criticism or sanction of a divergent class of individuals by a morally indulgent and accepting society deemed more mainstream, or superior. In this sense, it is undemocratically and arrogantly judicious in its humanistically presumed, authoritative generosity. Such thematic “tolerance” is an arrogant self-delusion of “social permissiveness.” Proclaimed “tolerance,” in such an arrogant context, is an undeniable symptom of toxic bigotry; although obviously preferable to physical acts of overt intolerance or empirically expressed hatred.

Principled morality would recognize that the signature differences between people of diverse racial, ethnic, and national backgrounds are equal in worth and significance, rendering the ubiquitous need for “tolerance” of societal nuance an inapplicable attribute.

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The mise-en-scène, viz., people, having been portrayed in the preceding writing, it would seem useful to discuss their inter- dynamics in “Society”, its definitional province. The previous context of “awareness is not merely a regular or quotidian state of consciousness of others; however, the subject of their overt interpersonal relationships may be more consequential

It should require no argument to maintain that interactive behavior, speech, and actions constitute the behavioral epoxy that binds together human Society.” Ranging from routine, verbal recognition of personal identity to the empirical existence of talk, or possibly, political or esoteric conversation, the universal exchange of thoughts and sentiments ( by the overt use of the nuanced relevant language) is the existential ingredient in all societal relationships. The same may be also evinced in joint projects as well as the verbal exchange of mutually accepted principles. Notably, an individual member of society may be identified or distinguished by his notable point of view.

Notwithstanding differences in secular political, religious, scientific, or ethical beliefs or practices, the fundamental dynamic of the discussed exchange of thought and principle is vital to the systemic existence of the societal relationship.

The thoughtful and selective choice of words is of paramount importance to the existence of meaningful and utilitarian verbal interaction. Their selective choice should be based on the speaker’s perceptive use of words thought closest to his intended message. The sensitive speaker is eternally aware that there are synonyms which have a common message, albeit vary in degree, or syntactical effect, from the nuance of his intended communication. The casual selection of lexicon is, on occasion, vulnerable to dispute as to the recollection of what, indeed. was said. It is at relevant times, of utility to be familiar with the persona and nuanced tone of the speaker in the complete understanding of his intended communication.

Readers of this blogspace are doubtlessly familiar with our eternal opposition to the smartphone, which severely mitigates the intended impact, meaning, and context of the spoken word, as well as its timely relevance; and, notably, its humanity. We have related many of its reported negative impacts, emotionally and socially.

The contemplative and discerning individual should be aware that, in an appropriate context, meaning may be clearly articulated by relevant action as well as words.

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With all the distractions, positive and otherwise, engaging our attention, certain consequential constituents of interactive life are given insufficient consideration. One cogent illustration relates to the personal dynamic of “awareness” of self in relation to others; an existential in the functional classification of our” species, Homo “Sapiens”.

Recognition of, and sensitivity to, the societal element of “awareness” provides the exclusive route not only to one’s successful rational life but, notably, to his appropriate and morally responsible interaction with other human beings. The late, wise Elie Wiesel sagely observed that “The opposite of love is not hate but indifference.” We would observe that a serious impediment to meaningful communication and appropriate interaction with our fellow man is the proximate result of insufficient awareness, personal, inter-personal, and ambient.

The existence and endurance of meaningful relationships are made possible and enduring by one’s inclination to mutual understanding, compassion, and, when appropriate, empathy. The exclusive singularity of self-concern, predictably, results in a life experience characterized by the absence of mature perception, personal feelings of isolation, and of ultimate abject non-fulfillment.

The signature route to achieving societal success is through understanding and a compassionate sense of social commonality and universal identification as “Fellow Man,” and, notably, constitutes the impetus for appropriate, relevant action and response.

It is distressing to note that a thematic exemplar of the contextual human failing, empirically evincing total absence of inter-personal awareness, is, bizarrely and tragically, our unconventional President, Donald J. Trump, unfortunately, an instructive avatar of the thematic disability. He has been ubiquitously and accurately described as “living in his own personal bubble.”

Current events have been painfully descriptive of the plentitude of ubiquitous, dire, and inhumane consequences, domestic and international, of Trump’s such evident disability, including his unauthorized declarations of war, his threats to destroy the Iranian civilization, elimination of medicine and food assistance, and other horrific atrocities; such callous acts, notably, being the consequent product of his living, as described, in his own private, self-interested “bubble.”

Donald Trump’s self-interested, cruelly impactful actions have given rise to millions of Americans participating in public protests and the advent of serious consideration of Presidential removal, in accordance with applicable provisions of the U.S. Constitution.

Remarkably, the Chief Executive of the most powerful Nation on Earth remains a rare and outstanding exemplar of the thematic, myopic impediment of exclusive self-concern and neurotic insularity. We predict that his present successes in his insatiable need for feelings of political success will eventually decline in subjective importance and be replaced by a predictable acknowledgement of emptiness and justified and implacable discontent.

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We find it disappointing that Mankind has never been able to adequately comprehend the nature and intrinsic dynamics of human “life.” The empirical reach of reason in such endeavor appears to be beyond Man’s potential capability, analogous to his present inability to conceptually envision and empirically consider astronomical descriptions of distances expressed in multiple light-years.

We have come to the personal understanding that the electro-chemical phenomenon of “life” is temporarily contained within the human body, and further, that when it ceases, what is factually buried at funerals is but the “container” or functioning machine of life and not the singularity of the relevant persona. Like other existing questions beyond the human ken, the institution of Religion, for many, has conveniently and blithely filled in the gaps.

However, the principle that human life is irreplaceable and singularly valuable. is universally accepted. “Right to Life” adherents would choose to maintain that life begins at the formative, chemically developmental stage (the “fetus”), a subject of ongoing legal and moral contention. Most rational individuals, religious and secular, however, believe that life begins at birth. There is, however, universal agreement as to its singular. precious and irreplaceable value, and that Nature’s grant of the franchise of life is no less than sacrosanct. Notably, there is no conceivable societal evil comparable to intentional homicide.

The most abjectly evil charge is “Crimes Against Humanity,” established at the Nuremberg Trials, following the end of World War 2. The latter were the public trials of Nazi Officers who ordered the killing of millions of people, principally Jews. The historically referable events were a cogently ethical and humanistic reminder that human life is precious and irreplaceable. The sadistic perpetrators were hanged; a retributive sanction, albeit ultimately inadequate to mitigate or rectify the ultimate evil of mass murder.

The traditional punishment, of capital punishment for homicidal behavior, is legally retributive and perhaps societally instructive, but not in any way redemptive, relative to nature’s singular grant of the franchise of human life. Its historical and legal justification has done little to articulate the intrinsically singular miracle of human life, aside from the context of the penalty for its pathological destruction. Retribution by State homicide is of little metaphysical use in the assertion of the sanctity of the franchise and the uniquely precious singular value of human life.

Our sense of moral responsibility has been the basis for our opposition to the atavistic institution of Capital Punishment. In addition to our view that it is forbidden by the Constitution’s mandate against “cruel and unusual punishment.” Added to the barbaric institution are the occasional technical glitches, chemical or electrical, causing unspeakable suffering to the convicted murderer, and the occasional instances of unjust conviction; its retributive value is far outweighed by its cruel, temporal rationalization of the primitive standard of “an eye for an eye.” The foregoing Biblical principle of criminal justice may satisfy a primitive sense of just retribution, but it does nothing to ameliorate the tragic impact of the underlying crime and empirically doubles the number of killed individuals “Tit for tat” is the most primitive form of justice; reparations and conceivably, reparations (personal or financial), for example, would be more rational and pragmatic.

The State’s atavistic rationale for the imposition of capital punishment for homicide is empirically a repetition of the undeniably regressive and universally pathological act of homicide; if life is precious and undeniably irreplaceable, its legally justified, voluntary extinction is incalculably immoral, for any reason, including the State-authorized homicide as brutal retribution for murder.

Long prison terms, together with hard labor, the remuneration for which goes to the impacted family, as one example, would seem to be more consistent with respect for society and human life.

-p.

Conceivably, the wisest and most metaphysical admonition is ascribed to Socrates. The wise man’s mandate, “know thyself,” recommends the rigorous self-examination of one’s own strengths (“virtues”)and limitations to understand oneself. He famously articulated the classic emphatic statement: “The unexamined life is not worth living.”

We have ventured to opine in past writings that one’s self-image is developed early in life by the subjective perception of the responsive manner in which those with whom one interacts. It is our belief that the resultant self-image constitutes the reference point relative to the perception of oneself and one’s ambient environment. It is tautologically empirical to predict that the response to ubiquitous stimuli will be consistent with such nuanced perception.

We would risk the charge of presumption by declaring that impactful events may change one’s subjective evaluation of reality, albeit the basic foundational elements, such as the metaphysical significance of truth, and basic humanism, would, by and large, endure. It is empirically undeniable that life has become, and continues to develop in ways unprecedented in past experience (Ex.: digital interaction).

In keeping with the preceding declaration, it would follow that the change in empirical ambience or other critical events may occasion a temporary or, perhaps, sustained, perceptive modification of extant reality. In our rapidly changing world, in major contrast to the socially predictable Ancient Greece of Socrates, adjustments to previously held self-evaluations may be necessary or expedient. Aside from the fundamental existence of moral virtue and basic humanistic inclination, one’s self-identity (“Know thyself”) may be objectively (although not ethically ) caused to undergo (temporal or permanent) situational modification. In such a case, the contemplative individual does well to recognize his change in outlook and its empirical justification, to avoid inner conflict or systemic confusion.

In any case, the Socratic admonition to “Know Thyself” remains universally and eternally mandated, albeit thematically subject to empirically recognized changes in role or responsibility (e.g., parental, professional, experiential). The inner awareness, recommended by the great philosopher, may, when appropriate, require an empirically rational update.

-p.

At various times, we have chosen to employ the adjectival phrase “mauvaise enfant” in the portrayal of the outre persona and bizarre behavior of Donald Trump. Our reference has been accompanied by the analogical example of the needy-neurotic young child who opts to kick his mother painfully in the shin to secure her singular notice, fully aware of the retributive consequences.

Whatever may empirically be said about our orange-hair-dyed protagonist regarding his systemically hapless incompetence and miscreant behavior, he has, inarguably, been a theatrical success in drawing attention to himself, by a plethora of public, startlingly irrational and incompetent acts and statements. It may well be that inappropriate “shin-kicking” is notably effective, as empirically demonstrated by his adult ruddy visage and bizarre declarations, being a quotidian and regular occurrence on public television

In the attraction of public attention, repugnant or otherwise, Trump has sucessfully enjoyed the attractive and irresistible power of the aesthetically repugnant, albeit empirically irresistible, sight of highway “roadkill.”

The dumpster-full loads of domestic and international, immoral, incapable, and unconstitutional acts and statements of the singularly irrational,” orange hazmat” presently occupying the Oval Office have been referenced in many of our previous writings. The decline in standing of our previously venerable Nation, domestically and internationally, can be irrefutably attributed to Trump and his MAGA populists. The historical and moral tragedy is among the dangers of the universal voting franchise which bears the systemic impediment of a large population of inadequately educated and poorly informed citizens.

In intolerable and shocking addition to Trump’s autocratic denigration of the Constitution, Rule of law, and notably, the societal moral compass, he has now disgraced the Nation by his public use of the obscene vocabulary often seen scrawled on the walls of public bathrooms. This is a new and bizarrely offensive practice that can be said to be highly objectionable when employed by the ordinary populist citizen, but shocking, and adjectivally indescribable, when employed by the President.

More than socially and officially abhorrent, in our view, it is a cogent, clinical symptom of progressive mental decline and constitutes appropriate and responsible grounds for immediate removal under the Constitutional provisions applicable to Presidential impairment. The questionable reluctance to apply such provisions ought to be responsibly overridden by the potential for danger to the Nation.

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If one were to ignore differences in appearance in height, orange versus sparse brown hair, sun tan, and swarthiness compared to pale and rodentlike, one might say that Donald J. Trump and his wily “bro-mate, apearance to have much in common.

Trump, an aspirational dictator, and Vladimir, an accomplished mafia-style tyrant, visibly share an arcane personality disorder (among a few others) of megalomania, mutually presenting in a context of hubris and profound ignorance, the latter, a roadblock to empirical observation and a catalyst to abysmal judgment. In the mutual sharing of such empirically demonstrated lack of judgment, they may be said to be compatible, albeit unequal in tactical intelligence; Trump is beset with the myopic blinders of a neurotic, lifelong quest for adoration, and Putin, more for the primitive demonstrative power and masculinity (Ref: photos of shirtless horsemanship).

In common with the demonstrated persona of all historic autocrats, they are intrinsic megalomaniacs, each suffering from the neurotic ideation of their personal singularity and inherent potential potency, which, history has shown, results in unforeseen and/or disastrous consequences.

In the classic Dickens ‘ novel, “A Tale of Two Cities,” the esteemed Victorian author brilliantly demonstrates the temporal differences between Paris and London, during the French Revolution; notwithstanding the same, the contemplative reader can discern the essential commonalities in the human psyche and personal motivation.

In the contextual observation of our two thematic protagonists, both being authoritarian leaders of their respective Nations, one can easily see significant personal differences between them, yet discern the traditional flaws common to autocratic leaders, viz., flawed judgment, distorted by their egocentric megalomania. So it was, for example, in Napoleon’s disastrous assault against Russia

After publicly declaring that i would be over ” in a few days,” Putin launched an aggressive war against Ukraine (again). Such a boastful declaration, the Ukraine-Russian War is, at present, in its fifth year, with Russia affecting only incremental successes at enormous cost to Russia’s treasury and military forces.

Donald Trump’s ill-advised war against Iran is demonstrably consistent with our present theme, viz., that megalomanic hubris is the precursor of disastrous decisions. In predictable contrast to Donald Trump’s assurances of facile victory, his (and Israel’s) attack on Iran has been costly and, to date, arguably ineffective. It is our reluctant expectation that the war with Iran, under the bizarrely incompetent tutelage of Pete Hegseth, will not be soon resolved, as prognosticated by our delusional President, and, unfortunately, l continue for an extensive period at minimal benefit and great cost to the Nation.

A seriously complicating factor is Iran’s de facto control of the Strait of Hormuz. a relatively narrow (30-mile) waterway through which commercial ships, including our own, must pass. The narrow passage is of vital importance to commercial shipping, notably of oil and seasonally vital agricultural fertilizer. Trump’s aggression has been responsible for Iran’s responsive blockade of this crucially important waterway.

Despite the bellicose threats of our Orange Warrior in Chief, such as “I am going to bomb Iran into the Stone Age,” the blockade and aggressive existence of Iran persist.

Analogous to Ukraine, in the prolonged Russian-Ukrainian War (5 years), it is a pragmatic fact that America is losing the Iran war by not winning it, and Iran is winning the war by not losing it. Donald J. Trump, indeed, has much in common with his Russian Bro-mate and autocratic counterpart.

-p.

The misadventure into Iran, imprudently initiated by the myopic Trump Administration, has directed the world’s klieg lights to the Strait of Hormuz. The latter, as known, is a narrow body of water (30 miles wide) connecting the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman. It is controlled by Iran and presents a potential bottleneck to its prodigious shipping activity, notably for the transport of oil and agricultural fertilizer. The Trump Administration’s inept, empty-headedness has exposed the flow of shipping to the military control of the attacked Iran, causing universal economic hardship.

Analogous to said conundrum, we have chosen to use the tactical potential for blockade of the Hormuz Strait by the besieged Iran as a contextual and thematic metaphor relative to the ubiquitous failure or inability of the human persona to seek reason and empirical understanding; the same due to the personal blockage by atavistic or preconceived beliefs and assumptions, usually instilled at an early age, by well-meaning parents and associates. It has been our dedicated intention to encourage, where relevantly applicable, the removal of irrational, limiting, and potentially harmful mental roadblocks or bottlenecks to the natural progress or flow of human reason.

As readers of this blogspace are, presumably, well aware, we are among the countless rational believers in the epistemological theory of John Locke ( and the plethora of empirical philosophers), that Man is born with a clean slate (“tabula rasa”) and that his knowledge is solely and exclusively acquired through empirical experience or instruction. Accordingly, any and all pre-conceptual assumptions of naturally instilled beliefs or non-empirical conceptions are more than inaccurate; they are effective roadblocks or ocean-going blockades to the acquisition of knowledge and Man’s most singularly precious, s evolutionary gift, that of the capacity of empirical reason.

Human reason dictates that solely, sense experience, observation and experimentation, rather than innate intuition or preconception (“felt” or intuitive knowledge or awareness), are useful and enlightening.

Nevertheless, the blockades to human reason and intellectual enlightenment, like the narrow, confining geography of the Strait of Hormuz, have atavistically persisted (viz., religious, superstitious, prejudicial, attitudinal) into the present digital age and have continued to unnecessarily stifle Man’s potential for evolutionary advancement and the pursuit of ultimate wisdom. The geography of the Persian Gulf is fixed and unalterable, unlike Man’s potential for the development of empirical reason; it is hoped that the extant blinders to reason and reality-altering pre-conception, superstitious beliefs, human prejudice, and other irrational and limiting blockades to human advancement, will soon be but a matter of an atavistic past.

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We feel obliged to share a salubrious thought which has recurred to us on several of our ruminative excursions. We would deem it equally reasonable for the reader to accept or reject the same; either way, it is interesting, albeit a measure, surreal.

The two problems constituting the contextual scope of this writing are each existentially significant, although empirically diverse, in that they are unrelated, but of paramount significance to the happiness and fulfillment of the individual, and, as well, the enduring health of the planet. The effective solution to both relevant but diverse problems is conceptually significant yet identical. We would humbly call upon your patience with this admittedly exotic, dual panacea. Permit us to explain.

Medical science in this digital-electronic era has observably grown beyond the most optimistic of predictions. Countless lives have been saved or improved by modern diagnostic and treatment devices. Our thematic conception relates to the life-altering and potentially dangerous element of anxiety, the pernicious, life-altering malady of ubiquitous mankind, often bearing the effects of a lifestyle of prolonged anxiety. In addition to its non-productive element of fear, it can lead to serious medical conditions such as arthritis, chronic pain, hypertension, heart disease, stroke, and chronic ulcers. Would it not be salubrious and beneficial to medically erase such a life-limiting condition?

The second challenge is the limitation, or at least, the significant amelioration, of the present march toward planetary Armageddon, i.e., global warming; inarguably, the ultimate result of the ubiquitous use of fossil fuels. While widely disparate in nature, but not in toxicity, our nuanced inclination to perseveration seems to have furnished us with a panacea in common for both disparate, albeit existential problems, which, if pragmatically successful, would result in a human life experience more like a “strawberry field, forever” than in the precarious one.

Contextually, we would refer to the remarkable salutary advances in life-changing and life-enhancing technical advances in scientific medicine, prolonging and improving the quality of life, through diagnostic, genetic, and treatment methods and appliances. Blood exchange, genetic engineering, the use of the MRI, CT scans, CPAP, oxygen and respiratory equipment, prosthetics, and an extensive menu of diagnostic and curative developments. The speed of development, analogous to that of the digital world, may, fittingly, be described as exponential.

Consistent with the above observations, our thematic conception amounts to the life-altering, salubrious development of an electronic medical appliance capable of rendering treatment for severe anxiety by siphoning off the harmful excess nervous energy and transferring the same to storage cells for the pragmatic purposes of clean energy for machines, autos, heating, cooling, and otherwise. The health benefit and lifestyle of the treated patient would be enhanced, and the aspiration for “clean energy” on behalf of the health of the planet would be achieved in a predictably plentiful and non-polluting supply.

Life on the green planet would be “Strawberry Fields.”

-p.