MORNING STEW #21

The blog you never got to read yesterday (because I lost it) has been combined with today’s material. Ergo, instead of Act of War, the title is Morning Stew #21.

The Saudi oil field bombing now pretty much acknowledged to have been perpetrated by Iran. Pompeo was quick to label the attack as an “act of war.” Trump followed up in similar terms. However initially refused to blame Iran. He took a wait and see attitude.

The victim Saudi Arabia blamed no one. Not even to today. The reason being the Saudis do not want a war with Iran. The Saudis believe Iran would be the victor.

Trump and Pompeo have backed off a bit. Now seeking a coalition to punish Iran. Don’t want to go it alone.

Robert Gates said “Saudi Arabia wants to fight to the last American.” New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof wrote, “We’re not Saudi Arabia’s mercenaries…..This is not our fight. Saudi Arabia has its own fighter aircraft and missiles; no need for it to fight to the last American.”

Hurricanes all over the place! Not sure how many so far this year. Some say 6, others 10. I suspect the difference is the 10 number combines tropical storms with hurricanes.

The 10 number goes back to June.

Not a good year. Hurricane season does not end till November 30.

Humberto still out there. A category 3. Will not affect U.S. Imelda only a tropic disturbance and flooding Texas streets. Waist high water.

Jerry now a category 2. Off the Leeward Islands. After that, will head north and then northeast. Will not affect the U.S.

Syracuse/Western Michigan tomorrow. My team is suffering! Was not supposed to this year after its 10-3 record last year. Already have lost 2 games. Destroyed by #1 ranked Clemson last saturday.

Western Michigan a 6 point favorite.

I have no opinion.

I continue to be pissed with Comcast. The leagues now have their own cable lines. The ACC this year ACCN. ACCN makes a deal with a major company. In this instance, it is Comcast. Don’t ask me why.

Comcast and ACCN are in a war over money. In the meantime, I cannot watch Syracuse play unless I go to a bar. I prefer watching the games from the comfort of my home. Especially since I no longer drink.

Latinos a fast growing population in the U.S. Now 25 percent of the population. Adds up to 58.9 million persons.

Latinos are responsible for half of U.S. immigrants since 2000. They are the second fastest growing racial or ethnic group.

The increase is slowing down. Two reasons. Fewer Latinos entering through Mexico. The other, Latino women are having fewer children.

This Trump thing where he may have said something over the phone to another national leader that was not proper is interesting. A mess to figure out. The best guess at the moment is it involves the Ukraine and Biden’s son. Corruption in a business deal.

Rudy Giuliani involved.

Hopefully, there will be a final determination and sooner rather than later. Though I doubt the time sequence.

I have not addressed robots lately. An interesting development to report.

Basically, robots are taking over human jobs. Humans will have to be retrained to do other work.

The issue at the moment is how robots will treat humans. Badly.

An expert says “like ants.”

Geordie Rose is founder of the Canadian firm D-Wave. His company studies what life will be living with robots. Not a joking matter. Major corporations and the U.S. government among his customers.

Rose says, “Tech developers are summoning entities into existence which will have the same indifference to humans as we have towards ants…..They are not gonna be like us, they’re gonna be aliens…..smarter than every single person in a way that we can’t comprehend…..The word demons doesn’t even capture the true scope of what will happen.”

The transformation in ongoing now. Yet nations and people are basically unaware.  Rose claims people are too distracted bickering about politics and will be left behind as a slave class or, according to some, exterminated completely.”

Sounds extreme.

Whatever, it sets me to thinking about Planet of the Apes movies.

The homeless are having an impact even upon little children. It appears instead of playing cops and robbers or cowboys and Indians, some are now playing homeless.

A woman called into Russ Limbaugh recently. Lives in Los Angeles. Three of her grandchildren playing in the backyard. She heard a ruckus. Went out and asked what was going on. Was told…..playing homeless.

Two boys 4 and 5, a girl 9.

They had a small wheelbarrow toy. Had it filled with clothes. The girl was wearing gloves. Asked why, she said because she had seen homeless persons wearing them.

A singular event or something growing. Though part of life, homelessness not healthy for the children of today to view and copy. Makes it appear homelessness is ok.

Today a world wide event. Global Climate Strike. Everywhere!

In the U.S., Amazon is participating. One thousand five hundred Amazon employees will not show up to work today in protest of climate change. They want Amazon to have zero environmental impact. They want the world’s carbon impact to be zero.

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos announced yesterday that Amazon will follow the Paris climate agreement. Even more, Amazon will utilize 100,000 electric delivery vans beginning next year. EV startup Rivians.

Amazon employees said not enough. Wow! Don’t know what more could be wanted at this point. Going to be interesting to see how this works out with Amazon and corporations world wide.

I occasionally observe some people walk with God on their side. However, it does not fit the following. Though considerable luck is involved.

Movie star Kevin Spacey has had 2 sexual molestation charges filed against him.

One involves a California civil suit. In the case’s discovery stage. The plaintiff who claimed Spacey molested him died.

End of the lawsuit as a practical matter. The estate could continue it. However, most difficult to win without the wronged party available to testify.

The other case a criminal one in Massachusetts. Nantucket to be precise. The case was withdrawn after the teenage bus boy allegedly molested stopped cooperating with authorities.

Stacy fortunate. Very fortunate. I suggest he cease his philandering. He missed the bullet twice. May not the next.

Mass shootings a definite problem. Must be dealt with! This year perhaps some progress will be made.

Last month alone 53 persons were killed as a result of mass shootings.

There are many things that cause death in significant numbers. We never think about them. Obesity for example. Forty thousand died of obesity last month.

How we deal with the obesity problem, I know not. Be aware the significance of the problem, however.

Oxitec. When is Oxitec going to learn?

Oxitec manufacturers something that when inhaled by certain mosquitoes will prevent their offspring from surviving. The problem is the concept has yet to work.

We fought its use hard 3 years ago when the County wanted to permit Oxitec to experiment in the lower keys. Over my Key Haven home at the time and over Key West.

A public uproar ensued. It took a public vote to kill the test project.

Since that time, Oxitec has further studied an improved product they manufactured. A major test in Brazil. An absolute failure!

Oxitec is back in the keys. Trying to sell our Mosquito Control Board on trying the new product.

Hopefully the Board will have learned and conclude any discussions.

I sometimes wonder to what depth the Mosquito Control Board investigates these situations. All that glitters is not gold!

Enjoy your day!

 

10 comments on “MORNING STEW #21

  1. Ronald Reagan was widely credited with the Homeless problem we’re having today. Not so much in creating it, but very much so in enlarging it to the point of a national disaster. I was around at the time and I remember how he was like Trump, shooting from the hip without any regard for the consequences. I also remember how he was lauded for it by some of the people who are now complaining about those same consequences. Amateurs in a position of power often make mistakes the rest of us get stuck with.

  2. At last the Colt company has come to their senses. Too bad that they already have let too much of their toothpaste out of the tube, we can never get it back in and will have to live, or die, with the consequences.

  3. About robots…in the near term we will find them everywhere; in offices, factories, on our streets and highways, in the sky and in our homes. Yes, they will take over millions of jobs because they work cheaply, tirelessly and endlessly without weekends off or benefits. They will serve humans until the day some robots somewhere become self-aware and achieve independent thought. At that point humanity is doomed. Here is what Stephen Hawking predicts:
    “The development of full artificial intelligence could spell the end of the human race….It would take off on its own, and re-design itself at an ever increasing rate. Humans, who are limited by slow biological evolution, couldn’t compete, and would be superseded.”

  4. So a millennium from now (or much sooner), the planet earth could be a peaceful, stable, ecosystem that is free from warfare, disease, overpopulation and poverty. The inhabitants would be robots in every conceivable size, shape, function and level of sophistication. Gone would be the destructive humans, superseded by beings of their own making.

  5. Bezos and Amazon are correct. Doing the right thing should not have to depend on signing some international agreement.
    Just like the car companies are defying Trump and shooting for greater fuel efficiency in spite of his order to lower future standards.

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