Month: December 2024

It has been an enduring tradition for many individuals to make, “New Year Resolutions,” in which they “resolve” to alter a perceived undesirable trait or behavior or to accomplish a positive goal., Such resolve is predictably related to personal behaviors, viz., fitness, travel, reading more books, dieting, regular exercise, spending more time with children and family or drinking or smoking less,

For those who perennially undertake (and usually, fail at) such mundane and personally vaunted goals, we would emphatically suggest the responsible enhancement of the nature of one’s resolve to attain the level of communally, as opposed to personally impactful matters. Eating fewer chocolates, for example, may be a personally imperative goal, however, aspirations such for World peace and brotherhood, enduring principles of good citizenship, the health of our democratic polity, and the peaceful and just resolution of disputes, domestic and international, are matters, less reductively selfish and more appropriately circumspect.

The thoughtful, mainstream American citizen, has, indeed, much impetus for intrinsically more impactful grounds of apprehension than his possible overindulgence in chocolates, overeating, and lack of recommended exercise, to wit, the endurance of his Democratic Republic, the World recognized avatar of liberty and freedom of expression. The exemplary Nation is subject to an empirical threat from an unprecedented, democratically elected, but declared (and empirically proven) autocrat, cheered on by a frighteningly assertive and substantial populist cult. Considering the Founders’ radical experiment in democratic government, which succeeded in existence for almost two centuries, empirically demonstrating progress toward universal equality at mortal risk, what can possibly be the depth of persona of any citizen whose cogent aspiration is to play better golf, spend less on liquor, or increase his physical exercise.

To the conceivable extent that the thematic practice of making traditional New Year Resolutions has any useful significance, it has the pragmatic potential to anecdotally reflect the level of temporally existing depth and degree of mature perception of the individual maker.

In this context, we would suggest, as more humanistically and morally relevant, the following subjects for temporally relevant, upscale resolutions for consideration:

(1) The eternal maintenance of hope and confidence in the endurance of the principles of democratic, representative government, by and for all the people, regardless of temporal roadblocks.

(2) An eternal respect and feeling of universal brotherhood among fellow Man, regardless of color, sexual characteristics, ethnic association, or economic situation.

(3) A universal effort at Man’s’ attainment of understanding and acquisition of secular wisdom, universal justice, world peace, ultimate improvement in human health and longevity, scientific advancement, universal literacy, and the refining impetus for learning and the fine arts.

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As a “time out” or “relief ” from our usual subjects, viz., politics, xenophobia, metaphysics, societal norms, and the like, we unanimously decided that it might be interesting to offer a possibly overdue presentation on the singular nuance, phonetic and substantive, of numerous words employed in the American-English lexicon. A certain amount of mitigating consideration may be applicable, based on their varied provenance as having been derived from a different, earlier language. Still, we are not responsibly taxed with the obligation to defend their exotic, verbal articulation.

One demonstrable sample of our thematic ubiquitously problematic phonetics is the tongue-challenging word, “thorough” ( pronounced as throw),” the pronunciation representing a completely unrelated word. In this genre of difficulty, we have taken note of too many such instances to pragmatically set forth,: and, accordingly, have presented a small, but representative sample of such written words that require nuanced pronunciation, By randomly selecting, for example, the letter, “W”: we can observe the following such words: What (“WAT”); Why (“Y”), Whose (“Hooze’), When (“Wen”), Which (“Witch”), Whom (“Hoom”) among many others. Arbitrarily\selecting the letter “C” as an analogous example: Chasm (“Kasem”), Choir (“Kwyer”). Chaos, (“Kayosse”), Clothes, (Close), Chandelier (“Shandel ear), and numerous others. We might choose to selectively consider as well, sundry words like rough( (“ruff,”). enough (“enuff”),, drought (“drowt”), dough ( “doe”), tough (“tuff”), sign (“sine”), mortgage (*morgage”), drought * “drowht”). and a virtually unlimited inventory of other written words, acceptably pronounced in nuanced fashion,

A few examples of the abundant inventory of poorly chosen, but, nevertheless, ubiquitously employed words are, “absolutely,” the latter articulating a profound positive determination, too often used for the most casual “yes,” “cool,” used (and forgivably, misunderstood by many older adults) for the words “yes,” or “I agree,” I dig,” for I do understand it, or I like it, “lets Party,” for let’s have a party,” “my digs,” for my resident apartment, and to us, the most obnoxious, socially ubiquitous work, “whatever,” properly referring to a proffered and generous choice, but utilized as a cruel or arrogant dismissive, in response to an argumentative or contrary statement of opinion or a questionable observation.

By aesthetic contrast, we do possess a substantially large cornucopia of words that give pleasure, both in their conception and expression, such as “empathy,” ” friendship”, “thoughtfulness,” and “generous.” Nevertheless, our singularly favorite word, unique in its origin, and laudatory in its application, is the treasured word, “sincere.” Its universally applied meaning and the degree of its generous application are made especially meaningful and impactful, by the knowledge of its etymology., Ancient Roman Cabinet makers who were genuinely skilled artisans constructed their cabinets and furniture with such skill and expertise, that their separate made parts easily fit together. Furniture and cabinet makers who were less capable, found themselves obliged to use glue to join together the fabricated parts of their constructed wooden cabinets. The Roman word, for “glue,” we understand, was “cere” and the word for “without” in the ancient Roman lexicon, was “sine.”. A cabinet maker, or artisan who was sufficiently skilled to construct a piece of furniture efficiently to be successfully assembled without glue, i.e., “sine cere” (“sincere”) was a genuinely competent furniture craftsman.

In our lexicon, a person is awarded the descriptive adjective of “sincere,” if he is genuine in his representation of personal feelings, or, as applicable, his expressed. resolve, We are disappointed to observe that it is inarguably apparent, that the President-Elect and his personally chosen”cabinet,” will require a formidable abundance of glue to perform the joint mission of the Nation’s traditionally expected governance.

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A “pyrrhic victory” inflicts such a devastating toll on the victor that it is equivalent to a defeat. We fear such a victory concomitant to any presently possible success of the seemingly large population of xenophobic Americans bent on eradicating immigration. In sum, it is our view that a downturn of our signature constitutional freedoms, as American citizens would be the indirect and unintended result of the extant efforts to halt, or severely delimit, the influx of immigrants.

The President-Elect, his MAGA loyalists, and others have advocated and supported all manner of legislation and governmental policies to deter immigration, despite our Nation’s generous history of empathy toward the World’s downtrodden and persecuted. The meaningful message of the world-iconic Statue of Liberty erected in New York’s East River stands as an empathic and generous invitation to the unfortunate people of the World to obtain needed refuge and a better life in our American nation; as stated in the beautiful and heartfelt verses by Emma Lazarus, permanently inscribed thereon. Like life-sustaining sweet floral nectar that attracts bees and butterflies, the attraction to freedom, safety, and a better life primarily exemplifies the goals of immigrants to our fortunate shores..

We have expressed our personal disapproval of those selfish and xenophobic bigots in our nation who oppose immigration, despite the inarguable awareness that the Nation is universally populated by immigrants and their descendants. Such feelings of inappropriate bigotry are intrinsically a moral and empirical challenge to any attempt at rational understanding of the human psyche and persona.

We have been appalled to observe the large contingent of American citizens, who principally and vociferously, oppose immigration, tactically described by Donald Trump as “caravans” of criminals, rapists, and undesirables “sent” (?) to our country. Contrary to the signature bigotry of Trump, official studies have indicated a notably low percentage of immigrant crime. We cannot ignore the hyped-up, demagogic ideation of evil “caravans,” to observe that Donald J. Trump, the high priest of xenophobic propaganda, has, himself, been adjudged6 guilty of a dumpster-full load of felonious crimes, ranging from multiple tax fraud, rape, and sexual abuse, voter interference and voter denial. plus the production and support of a violent and deadly insurrection against the government, the purloining of governmental top secret documents and their manifestly dangerous disclosure, as well as treasonous liaison with America’s enemies of record, On the subject of Trump’s use of the alarming word, “caravans,” it might be observed that Donald J.Trump is the grandson of an immigrant and, that his three marriages (to date) were to immigrant wives,

These general facts aside, we now direct the reader to the salient theme of this writing, viz,, the alarming “Pyrrhic” nature of xenophobic efforts to eliminate the Nation’s traditional, statutorily permitted immigration policy as resulting in a degenerate slide in the Nation’s definitional freedoms and personal liberty, We will explain.

Donald Trump’s unexpected success in the recent Presidential election, as we perceive it was assisted by various populist-style grievances,, most of which were illusory ideations, such as Biden’s alleged role in the price of food, inflation, and cost of living. These concerns, tactically exacerbated by MAGA adherents were without factual basis, The Biden record, factually demonstrates lower inflation, the creation of a record large number of jobs, a significant diminution in unemployment, and the salary-increasing and salutary effects of a momentous and needed national infrastructure program. Biden’s support of NATO, and his efforts to ameliorate the increase in global warming, end the horrors of COVID-19, support attacked Ukraine, and efforts to obtain a cease-fire in the Israeli-Hamas conflict; all inarguably admirable and salubrious accomplishments, sadly appear to have garnered less popular support, than the heartless and ungrateful populist leaning of Americans, despite their inarguable past immigrant history to the inappropriate and selfish toxin of xenophobia.

The result of the victorious election of Donald Trump will prove to all, inclusive of his successful, xenophobic voters, as the sad attainment of an unwitting pyrrhic victory. When Trump’s promised implementation of his declaration to be a dictator, including his efforts to set aside the American Constitution, along with its Bill of Rights, his proven disregard for the Nation’s welfare, by opposing health, safety, working food, and medical safety regulations, his unjust disregard of racial, gender and women’s rights and damage to our international relations by his ignorant and egotistical “transactional” approach to relations with our allied Nations, his attacks and reprisals on all critics in the democratically existrential media and democracy’s vitally important institutions such as libraries, freedom of schools and academic enlightenment and advancement of every kind, added to the daily diet of the bitter fruits of fascist-style governance, in our once-free Nation, will amount to a clear and classic demonstration of pyrrhic victory by a newly immigrant-resistant Nation.

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Humankind’s ageless belief in the worship of the determinative existence of an everlasting, creative, omnipotent, omnipresent “Deity” has played, in our view, far too an impactful a role in his evolving history, not to appropriately warrant discussion. This writing is not intended to criticize the conventional believer, but, rather, to explore the presumed metaphysical origins, and endurance of (non-empirical), “faith” and as a brief reflection on Man’s evolved sapience and his enduring desire for an acceptable existence.

It is our view, based on our various readings of man’s early history, that belief in a higher and controlling power, originated in Man’s thoughtful observation of the immutable natural phenomena, the striking change of seasons, the meteorological phenomena, daylight and nighttime darkness, and the significant and visible effects of the Sun, viz., for warmth and agricultural nurturance. Presumably, humankind’s joint capacity for curiosity, and aspiration to understand, together with the factor of elemental fear in the absence of available explanation, led to the worship-fear conception of a higher, controlling power; one that, pragmatically was to be revered and satisfied, to the end that, when needfully implored, it might render good fortune, needed relief, and, essentially, sustain life.

In our view, the classic and most instructive example of the above declaration may be observed from the observation of the ubiquitous primitive belief in the “Sun God,” credited for the delivery of light, clement weather, and most impactfully, the growth of foodstuffs. It was universally observed that this existentially vital Deity seasonably declined in power and started its short period of demise each Fall season; tragically succumbing to death by the winter months. Yet it was miraculously observed that certain trees (evergreen) magically survived death in winter despite the mortality of other flora.

Early Man’s annual performance of specific tribal rituals, notably involving the miraculous evergreen trees, found themselves reliably successful in the resurrection of the Sun God (at Springtime) when there was a renewal of sunlight and agricultural growth. Later times saw analogical, annual services of the Roman Feast of Saturnalia, exemplified by traditional gift-giving, feasting, and a carnival and a similar Greek Winter holiday celebration of “Kronia.” We believe such religious events were the advent of the later Christian liturgical belief in “Death and Resurrection.”

At this point in our writing, we would take the time to reveal that we are believers in the “Empirical Theory” of epistemology, espoused by philosophers such as Francis Bacon and John Locke to the effect that the sole source of knowledge is Man’s lifetime of experience, not inspiration or personal faith. Locke famously said that Man is born with a “tabula rasa” (blank slate) and that his knowledge is accumulated solely through his empirical experience, This view would eliminate non-factual beliefs such as religious faith and unprovable superstition.

The intention of this writing is not to castigate religious beliefs, which, are culturally determined simply by the happenstance of birth but, where relevant, to emphasize the inarguable fact that religious belief and its consequent ethnocentrism are factually irrational. History has demonstrated the horrific impact of religious evangelicalism, (i,e., war, pogroms, inquisitions, religious hatred and discrimination, and a brokenhearted litany of irrationally based misery.

We acknowledge the existence of certain benefits of ethnic religion, viz., its contribution of a salutory sense of communal identity, its fine ethnic literature and music, and perhaps more utilitarian and compassionate, its function as a calming rationale concerning the fearful concept of inevitable death. However, religious belief seems to carry simultaneously, a history of disgraceful human misery caused by the innate tendency of faith adherents to impose, their faith-based belief on others, of divergent or no faiths are all, by morally repugnant, ethnocentrically permissible, cruel and non-humanistic means.

Aside from its inconsistency with the word “sapient,” in the designation of the Homo Sapiens, religious faith and dogma has historically been the cogent source of divisiveness, hatred, and oppression; a remarkable feature of this societal feeling of loyalty to an inherited and non-factual conception.

The advancement of universal human tolerance, and conceivably, true brotherhood would be attained by eschewing atavistic homage to the primitive Sun God or his fearfully conceived successors. The existential skills in farming, the development of cities, the improvement of travel and trade, and the cures for polio and COVID-19 were the result of rational growth developed through empirical experience, A human race without the irrational limitation of pre-existing irrational assumptions would indeed be salubrious.

The ubiquitous belief that the world and its flora and fauna were created in six days, after which a purported, all-powerful (“omnipotent”) Deity, was physically required to rest on the seventh (Sunday) is irrefutably belied by scientific proof showing that the Earth is more than eight million five hundred millennia and constitutes an insignificant portion of a vast, unmeasurable expanding universe, should be sufficient, to rationally eradicate such ubiquitous and sophomoric myth.

The human brain has limitations and it is an egotistical and reductive assumption to hold that it can comprehend things beyond its innate capability by atavistic faith of one kind or another. To sophomorically attempt to fill the uncomfortable void regarding the infinite quantity of metaphysical questions that are beyond our ken, it is “Sun God” mentality to irrationally  conceive theories that have no basis and moreover, block the possible route to objective human advancement and universal fellowship.

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A regular reader of this blog post has just transmitted to us by e-mail, an A-I treatment of our previous blog post, # M. 186, “HONESTY IS THE BEST POLICY.” The writing critically observed the unfair advantage, deceitfullly practiced by many life insurance companies in their solicitation of repurchase of insurance from the elderly, cash-strapped retiree and the analogous and equally egregious solicitation of “Equity Mortgages,” aimed at the same vulnerable targets.

In the A-I presentation, we were absolutely flummoxed to hear an appealing, natural-sounding discussion between the two human-like personalities engaged in a discussion of the theme and context of the blog, albeit, in their own nuanced voices and vocabulary; and additionally, employing inciteful commentary on the essence of the blog’s intended message. The exotic experience left us in a state of impending disaster and unmitigated horror. The profitable but fearful challenge of digital advancement, it seems, has not only disconcertingly deprived Mankind of humanistic interaction and salubrious literacy, but contemporaneously, of its sentience and rationality.

Our responsive jolt of alarm seemed to direct our literary consciousness to the gothic 19th-century novel, Frankenstein,” by Mary Shelly. As popularly known, the novel recounts the fictional story of a young Dr, Victor Frankenstein who, after considerable error, creates a creature (or, monster) capable of thought and action. Aside from its long and complex storyline, ultimately resulting in tragedy, the implicit message of the novel represents a clear warning concerning Man’s foolhardy and ultimate desire to exceed the natural, ascertainable limits of his capability and potential for understanding, Shelly’s grim warning relates to the grotesque inclination nature of Mankind’s intellectual hubris, in not recognizing the natural limits of the human aspirational desire for mastery and control.

Society’s newly created Frankenstein Monster, “A.I.” is amply preceded by a provenance of non-human creations: pilotless drone bombers, self-driving automobiles, GPS direction finders, voice-activated entertainment and cleaning devices, smartphones, tablets, digital books, and an exemplary host of assorted digitalized, nonhuman devices. It appears to be predictable that an accompaniment to each successive “improvement,” is the eventuation of some associated loss of humanism. The contemporary World scene bears a meager resemblance to that of barely 50 years ago in significant synchronization to the relevant gain in digital facility. Most disturbing is the empirical observation that the loss of humanism and personal nuance declines commensurate with each ” advance” in digital prowess.

We were stupefied and greatly disturbed by a recently televised demonstration of an A.I.-driven machine of the precise replication of the revered, sculptural representation of Michelangelo, located in a museum in Florence. The signature creation took Michaelangelo in Medieval Italy Florence the full period of 1501 to 1504 to devise and artfully create., The machine, driven and precisely guided by A.I. in approximately 45 minutes, produced a quick mirror copy; as if it were an item of cheap pottery. The unique quality of human genius and spiritual aesthetics have evidently, been tragically depreciated by this latest, “promising” digital, advent.

Our experience of the robotized, AI replication of \our writing, , ( a feature(which we understand is now universal) not unlike Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein Monster, is a hubris-driven excess that has frightening potential for the regression of humanity to robotic insensate walkers of the Planet.

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At the risk of being unduly repetitious, we have been continuously appalled by certain offensive and unscrupulous televised commercials which surreptitiously prey on the assumed vulnerability of the ubiquitous, circumstantial cash-tight retired citizen, and to once again desire to express our repulsion.

As declared in an earlier writing, the most egregious of such efforts to shamefully garner huge profits by sleight-of-hand misrepresentation continues to rankle us and disturb our sense of plain rectitude and empathy for the elderly retired citizen. Such advertised deceits are most disturbingly observed in the virtual plethora of televised proposals for life insurance repurchase and home equity mortgage transactions, as set forth below:

LIFE INSURANCE REDEMPTION:

It is the ubiquitous experience of middle-class retirees, at some point in time, to find themselves “cash-tight.” Televised solicitations hawking the availability of needed cash by the re-purchase of their life insurance by insurance company in exchange for a tactical sum in profitable avoidance of the insurer’s actuarially calculated imminent responsibility to pay large sums of money to the insured’s intended beneficiar is an offer too bad not to refuse, unless truly desperate.

The amount of pre-calculated, monthly insurance premiums, paid over the insured’s lifetime are actuarially determined upon several practical factors, the most salient of which is the applicant’s age and, consequently his (statistical) lifetime. Monthly payments are profitably utilized by the insurance company for “legal” investments, viz., mortgages and secured loans) are so calculated that upon the decease of the named insured, the insurance benefit will have been covered.

It is without cavil that the older the insured, the closer he is to the experiential (actuarial) event of decease and the contractual obligation to pay the usually substantial insurance benefit; upon which the relevant premiums have been actuarily calculated and paid. The avoidance of payment of the premium payments, as seductively offerred, by the policy’s repurchase and cancellation (in exchange for a tactically calculated amount) will place certain pre-calculated funds in the hands of the insured, but will also, notably avoid payment of  the policy benefits on decease to the previously designated beneficiary. The transaction of repurchase of the policy results in a remunerative windfall for the insurance company; obtained for an inadequate sum of money paid to the elderly insured and a loss to the intended, and possibly needful beneficiary.

One of the frequently shown television commercials deceitfully hawks this transaction as a “Gold Mine;” we would classify the metallurgical chemistry of such benefits as, “Fool’s Gold.”

EQUITY LOAN:

The smarmy, solicitous, and familial, loving offer by a handsome, mustached, homey, cardigan -wearing, mature movie celebrity, of the mortgage ( i,e, the,sale) of the accumulated and expensively paid for equity ownership of one’s home, for “tax-free” (your own !) money and the discharge of the obligation to make mortgage premiums can easily be revealed as another tactical and deceitful, “rip-off” of the cash tight senior (homeowner) citizen.

Fundamentally the homeowner should have the current calculation of the accurate value of the equity of the relevant property confirmed by an independent, professional source. It is the common assumption of the equity loan mortgagor that his financial obligation vis-a-vis the realty will thereafter be free of monetary and other sundry obligations; but this assumption is far from accurate. The homeowner is still obligated to take care of the proper maintenance and repair of the building and grounds (as determined by the equity purchaser) and pay the taxes and insurance on the subject premises.

One consideration should be personally considered. Many senior homeowners have an aged or infirm relative living with them. They should be made aware that, according to the provisions common to all equity loans, that upon the decease of the record title owner, the residing relative or friend must vacate the premises, and conceivably become homeless.

We abhor the disturbing state of affairs regarding the humanistic ideal of “respect for the elderly!”

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Since his evolutionary appearance on the Planet, Man has demonstrated the need, or, perhaps, the irresistible compulsion to travel. His mode of accomplishment of this ubiquitous compulsion has remarkably evolved over the countless eras of his elected voyaging, from hike to horseback and then the automobile, from the raft to canoe and then the steamship, from airplane travel to the spaceship. Regarding each advancement in travel, new skills were necessitated. Travel on horseback, in time, was improved by blankets, saddles, and stirrups, the subsequent development of automobiles by the modern internal combustion engine, ships by large mobile rudders and steering mechanisms, and still later, spaceships made possible by the use of newly developed nuclear fuels. The historical periods respectively saw new and utilitarian human advancements in travel. The voyages of Columbus, Marco Polo, Magellan, The Kon Tiki, Lewis and Clarke, Perry, and Admunsen are but a short example of this thematic, innate human aspiration.

Desired travel to exotic climes, by alternate means, however, has eternally been available, and notably, without physical exertion or time-taxing and costly expenditure, Additionally, this category of in situ travel is successfully and beneficially accomplished, without loss of singular adventure and profitable enlightenment, albeit, at the convenient venue of your choice, viz., the mere utilization of an easy chair and soft light (in place of a tight airplane seat or windy deck chair). The pleasure and enlightenment of all modes of travel experience, metaphorically, resides in the dynamic arena of the voyager’s perception and later reminiscence and is experienced mindfully. Thoughtful and excitingly engrossing reading. in our view and experience, may permissibly be considered as a comparable and effective alternative experience to the experience of physical travel.

Employment of the armchair mode of voyaging entails no effort in packing suitcases, taking a taxi to the point of departure, tickets, waiting rooms, security checks, and seat selection; only a brief and comfortable trek to your favorite easy chair, a soft reading light, and your elected reading material.

Similar to the choices of shipboard or airplane travel to a desired destination, armchair travel is fully inclusive of choices of destination, long travel (Novel or extensive Treatise), relatively near and easily accessible destination (Magazine or Essay), or a chosen local jaunt (” Blog”). It is empirically conceivable that all such elected modes of travel evince subjects in common, albeit, in varying detail and illustrative length, The temporal choice is exclusively that of the voyager.

For the regular “blogosphere commuter,” there is the exclusive and enticing opportunity of ubiquitous choice of subject matter and a virtually unlimited panoply, or ample smorgasbord of exploration and inspiring thought.

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The compelling physical attractiveness of the animalistic scent of musk seems to have been a distraction to Donald Trump from his passionate bromance with Vladimir Putin and introduced a new inamorata, in the name of Elon Musk, Trump has never been an agnostic when it comes to the worship of wealth and Elon is credited with being the Planet’s richest dude.

A musky analogous, offal-like odor of the muskrat and the musk deer seems to have enraptured the orange egomaniac to the extraordinary degree that the apocryphal Samson fell hands over scandals for Delilah, It took the Biblical Delilia merely a haircut to enslave the strongman and it took merely the financing of Trump’s election and Elon’s financial standing, to enrapture Donald. Such passion is so intense as to be purportedly irresistible as the content of musk in men’s colognes. [N.B.: the muskrat is a rodent found in wild, wet habitats and the musk deer is a small animal, living in mountainous areas of the globe; both have glands that emit the putrid bodily scent of musk, used in the manufacture of Men’s colognes].

Donald J. Trump has apparently succumbed to the financial phenomes of Elon Musk to the extent that he has virtually camped out at Mar-a-Lago and has had the privilege of mutually morphing into the rare anomaly of conjoined twins; to the remarkable extent that Donald Trump has, uncharacteristically, acceded to Elon’s recommendations. Many Republicans, notably the devout worshippers of the autocratic-leaning orange Deity have expressed dismay at the empirical existence of a “dual Presidency,”

It is our considered opinion that this hot “bromance” will cool off very soon because of the nuanced clash of egos and the “bunk mate” relationship will, before long, disintegrate; our reasons are motivated by their common follows\

(1) Each of the two are egotistic and ultimately unwilling to share the limelight\

(2) Since both are headstrong egotists, differences in opinion are not tolerated.

(3) Both are irrationally impulsive and neurotically sensitive and unforgiving.

(4) The parties share the adolescent trait of impulsiveness and personal lack of control.

When we apply the above observed neurotic traits to the empirical response to their observed fundamental differences regarding: Trump’s stated mantra, “Drill baby Drill,” and his firm opposition to environmental responsibility (including withdrawal from the Paris Accords). with Musk’s existential support use of electric vehicles and salutary environmental policies including opposition to carbon caused, global warming, Musk’s intentions concerning China’s leadership in the production of his manufacture and distribution of electric automobiles, and by contrast, Trump’s angry declarations regarding doing business with Red China, including his support of Chinese tariffs, together with their mutually neurotic need for the sole spotlight, we can empirically anticipate the ultimate decline of passion in the thematic bromance and its predictable evaporation.

It is our prediction that, shortly after the crowning of the Orange monarch, the heartbreaking dissolution of the subject bromance will take place, The pheromones of “Musk” are essentially short-lived and ephemeral.

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As universally known “Christmas” is a Christian Holiday that celebrates the birth of Jesus. The familiar Jewish celebration of “Hannukah,”commemorates the Maccabean victory over the Seleucid Empire in the Second Century BCE and the related miracle of the lamps burning for eight days with only enough oil for one day. The two celebrated events occur at the same season and time of year,

We have always recalled thefond memories of a notable experience, which memorably occurred in our third grade of public school, during the season of these two holidays. As young children of European Jewish immigrants, the colossal ambiance of the bright, decorative, and celebratory holiday of Christmas was fascinating to us, yet was an effective reminder that we, born into a non-Christian ethnic American population, were not participants in the highly publicized and popular Christian holiday. As Jewish children, however, we did identify with the far less inclusive or universally advertised holiday known as “Hannukah.”

Santa Claus and his reindeer, decorated evergreen trees, gift stockings, candy canes, and all of the attractive phenomena, of the great American holiday, conceivably, including the Macy’s Parade, were for others. To be clear, we did not, see ourselves as essentially different or separate from other American children and were notably proud of our own distinct ethnos, we were nonetheless, fascinated by the universal celebratory light show and traditional folkloric practices of the holiday celebration of the birth of Jesus, as recounted in the New Testament.

The less ornate, contemporary holiday, Hannukah, is celebrated with family and close friends. at home.The festive day is often called, “The Miracle of the Lights” and honors the ancient reconquest of Jerusalem from the Selucid Empire and the rededication of the Second great Jerusalem Temple. The Old Testament event incorporates the participants’ symbolic diet of fried potato pancakes; the oil necessary to their preparation analogically symbolizing the apocryphal lamps which contained barely one day’s supply of oil but miraculously, burned for a celebratory eight days. There are traditional holiday songs and games (ex, “dreidl) and (as contrasted with substantial Christmas gifts) ttraditional gift of a few holiday coins (Hannukah “gelt”) to young children,

What is inspiringly memorable is the demonstration of the benevolent intention of our sensitively aware schoolteacher who, on that day, drew a straight line down the middle of the chalkboard and wrote on one side, in all capital letters, the word, “Christmas,” and the other, “Hannukah.” We were pleased and gratified at her sensitivity and the inclusive act of awareness, in the face of all of the hype, public notices, and advertisements relative to Christmas, regarding that part of the class which were not Christian. We were grateful for the thoughtful and kind recognition and felt comfortably included in the seasonal celebratory ambiance,. In a contemplative recollection, sometime thereafter, we entertained the further thought that the well-intentioned schoolteacher was overgenerous since Christmas, pragmatically and historically plays an existentially vital role in Christian theology and that, Hannakah, remains a less significant holiday, merely in celebration of an historic military victory,.

Years later in one of my (usual) contemplative ruminations, I concluded ( not detracting one bit from the teacher’s benevolence) I generated some further thoughts concerning the relational importance of the holidays. I concluded that, in the context of the Christian faith, the holiday of Hanukkah, indeed had existential importance. It was the epiphanic realization, that if the Maccabean army lost and Judaism was erased from existence, Christianity could not have historically evolved (from the Hebrews); and, as a result, the joyous holiday of Christmas would not exist.

N.B. While we are on this metaphysically significant subject, we would beneficially request of our humanistic readers thatwhen the opportunity should appropriately present itself, to advise any self-identified acolyte of ” Christian White Nationalism,” that any cursory reading of the New Testament reveals that Jesus was a brown-skinned Palestinian Jew, as the Biblically presented son of Jewish parents, viz., Joseph and Mary a/k/a “Madonna.”

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First-generation children of Ashkenazi-Jewish immigrants from Central Europe may remember the amusing tales their elders attributed to a mythical City, of Chelm; tales which were part of the rich, Eastern European Yiddish cornucopia of humorous but intrinsically instructive, folklore. The inhabitants of that mythical city were unmitigated fools whose universal delusion was that they were wise men. The stories are called “Tales of The Wise Men of Chelm.” A few samples of the folklore should prove entertaining and, as well useful in conveying the contextual theme of this writing:

In one such typical tale, the wise men of Chelm, observing the misfortunate fact that fallen slices of toast often landed on the buttered side, pragmatically decided that all toast should be buttered on the “other side:” In another, they wisely concluded that flames from a burning barn were useful in viewing and consequently fighting, nighttime fires; in yet another, the wise men were consulted as to the problem of disposing of the large quantity of soil dug up from building the new synagogue; and came up with the “Chelmish” solution of digging out a hole and burying it. The ultimate result is necessarily and frustratingly understood.

An analogous “odd-ball” quality of distortion and reductionist logic maintained by the large horde of today’s MAGA-Trump supporters provided the dynamics of the present writing; meriting instructive reference to such near-sighted and reductionist, “Chelm-like” reasoning and resultant solution. The analogical reference concerns their paranoid ideation of a National liberal conspiracy as justification for their consequent support of Donald Trump for President. The MAGA’s reductive ignorance, as related below, can rationally and empirically be described as colossal, resulting in a solution far more illogical and bizarre than a typical Chelmish brainstorm; yet significantly worse in consequence.

The perverse MAGA ideation that the purportedly democratic Nation has secretly been run by a small, inner network of financially influential people (“The Deep State”) rather than the avowed rule by the people of the Nation is proximately responsible for their ubiquitous grievances and disappointing lives, will be ameliorated by the imperial rule of a single person dedicated to autocracy is far more than “Chelmish;” Indeed, it is mind-boggling and empirically dangerous.

-p.