Freedom But Disparity

America is a great country.

The freedom, rights, and opportunities we have is exceptional and enviable in the world and history.

But the disparity between rich and poor, majorities and minorities is grotesque.

On one side of the street are the mansions, and on the other are the slums.

One on side of the train station are those going off to work, and on the other side are the homeless lying in the gutter.

On one side of the scale are people fat with money and power, and on the other side are people hungry and decaying.

Wealth is overflowing for those that are the fortunate, but also corruption runs systematically deep.

This isn’t an issue of political party, but one of the righteousness of men’s hearts.

G-d watches and man disappoints, but the the future is still wide open.  😉

(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

The Planetary Colonization Imperative

I read something so simple yet profound from theoretical physicist, Stephen Hawking (The Guardian).

First, he enunciated many of the threats we face these days, including:

– Accelerating technological change [I would elaborate that these include more advanced weapons of mass destruction and the means to deliver them]

– Automation, [robotics,] and rise of artificial intelligence

– Economic inequality, mass migration, job destruction, [and divisiveness] augmented by immersive social media that accentuates “Instagram [and Facebook] Nirvana” versus the real poverty and struggling of the masses, 

– “Environmental challenges: climate change, food production, overpopulation, the decimation of other species, epidemic disease, and acidification of the oceans.”

In one sentence then, Hawking says it all about the high level of risk we face:

“We now have the technology to destroy the planet, but have not yet developed the ability to escape it.”

His call to action:

“Perhaps in a few hundred years,  we will have established human colonies amid the stars. but right now we have only one planet. and we need to work together to protect it [and develop the means to eventually be able to escape it for the survival of humanity.]”

In short, we must get to and colonize other planets as quickly as possible, because it the realm of history, it’s only a matter of time and our collective lives are depending on it. 😉

(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal Via National Geographic)

The Political Spectrum

Even though the election is over…divisiveness in America is as high as ever, if not at all time highs.

We’re seeing it hurtfully in terms of bias, bigotry, and hate all around us:

– Protests, outright hostility, and violence (some sponsored) between left and right.

– Murders of police officers and African Americans betwixt the rise of Black Lives Matter.

– Calls for justice to “Lock her up” and defiant calls of “Not my President!”

– Labeling of people as bigots and racists amidst calls to “Make America Great Again.”

– Conspiracy theories of links with Russia juxtaposed with Wikileaks of collusion against Bernie Sanders. 

– Powerful political machines, operatives, media handlers, fundraising, advertising, and big data to “get out the vote” for your candidate. 

– The blue wall falling in the election as working-class whites abandoned the party they felt abandoned them.

– Gender glass ceilings, pay differentials, and inequality going up against the hope of a first female President of the United States. 

– Growing income and wealth inequality of the elites and trade imbalances with other nations amidst Occupy Wall Street and a nostalgia to return our manufacturing, jobs, and main street to America. 

Divisiveness of race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, wealth and more are showing up in the positioning of people along the broad political spectrum. 

This spectrum spans from ultimate control and dictatorship to outright chaos and anarchy, and with lots of options in between. 

So where do you fall on the political spectrum yesterday, today, and how about tomorrow? 😉

(Source Graphic: Andy Blumenthal)

You’re Wealthy Nuts

So Bloomberg Businessweek has a really funny article about all the wealthy people that need to go see shrinks. 

Get this–overall wealthy people are cursed with “Affluenza” (not influenza silly) and have “elevated levels of depression, anxiety, psychosomatic issues (physical symptoms from stress), and self-mutilation.”

Some specific reasons they go for mental health help:

– Why Me–A trying issue to deal with is their guilt feelings about being so darn rich, while others are starving, homeless, and can’t make ends meet. 

– Feeling A Little Lonely (And Hated)–They can’t help thinking that perhaps people only like them for their money.

– Aimless In Life–What’s the purpose of their lives if they are living on easy street, don’t have to work, and can buy their way out of trouble. 

– Money To Mess You Up–Some people have so much money, they can squander it on bad investments, but also on alcohol, drugs, sex, and so on.  

– Fear Of Losing It All–Terrible thing about having so much money is you have to worry about losing so much money.  

So next time you are thinking about protesting against the top .1% who have as much as the bottom 90%, have a heart because the wealthy have a lot of problems too. 😉

(Source Photo: here with attribution to Chris Goldberg)

Social Inequality To Make You Sick

Here’s a copy of the sticker price on the car in the lobby of the local mall in Florida here. 

Oh, it’s just a 2016 Rolls Royce for a mere $362,225.00

The car was unbelievably gorgeous.

But the extravagance of it compared with the regular poor, hungry and homeless people on the streets as well as the vast majority of all the other everyday middle class people is enough to make you want to puke. 

Immediately after this, when we got back to the hotel, the maid was still in the room cleaning up.

I had the opportunity to see–really see–this lady–this person. 

She was overly respectful, calling me sir numerous times, unnecessarily. 

She was kind in finishing the room quickly and asking if their was anything else we needed.

But I also noticed that despite her labor-intensive job cleaning up other people’s shit in the hotel rooms, she had a bum leg and had trouble walking and just getting around. 

I thought to myself why was it that this poor lady was destined to have to clean my and other people’s hotel rooms for a grueling living.

The next day, I saw some mini shampoo and conditioner containers that had fallen to the side of the tiny garbage can in the bathroom (didn’t make the shot).  

I looked down–I thought for a split second, that’s what the hotel get’s paid for to clean up and service the guests–but only for a SPLIT second.

Then I bent my own stupid ass over, and picked up the bottles and put them in the garbage where they belong. 

The lady coming to clean the room doesn’t drive a Rolls Royce and definitely, neither do I. 

We are one under G-d, and may he bless us all in prosperity, health, and peace. 😉

(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

Top 30 Legacy Of Hope And Change

Over 7 long years, the promise of “hope and change” has given way instead to the disappointment of chaos and dysfunction.

Just some 30 examples off the top of my head…

1) Nuclear IRAN

2) Civil War SYRIA

3) Fragmented IRAQ

4) Taliban resurgent AFGHANISTAN

5) Militarization of SOUTH CHINA SEA

6) Nuclear missile NORTH KOREA

7) Terrorist State ISIS

8) Resurgent aggressive RUSSIA

9) Weaponization of SPACE

10) Streaming crisis of REFUGEES

11) Broken system for IMMIGRATION

12) Sharply rising MURDER RATES

13) Growing and largest PRISON POPULATION

14) Rising RACISM

15) Increasing INEQUALITY

16) Worsening polarization in POLITICS

17) Poor TRANSPARENCY

18) Dysfunction in GOVERNMENT

19) Rising NATIONAL DEBT

20) Crisis in HEALTHCARE

21) Failing system of EDUCATION

22) Stalling INNOVATION

23) Growing insecurity of CYBER 

24) Infringement on PERSONAL PRIVACY

25) Falling participation in LABOR FORCE

26) Slowing ECONOMY

27) Worsening CLIMATE CHANGE

28) Shrinking affiliation with RELIGION

29) Epidemic of SUICIDE AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE

30) Declining HAPPINESS

Now, one of our main hopes has to be genuine change for the better. 

(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

Seriously Big And Out Of Order

I took this photo in Washington, D.C. and I don’t know about you, but I hate when things are out of order.

We count on everything to be in normal working condition, and for life in general to function with at least a modicum of structure, process, and according to basic laws of nature. 

But these days, the world is seriously off-kilter and here are just a few examples:

– Russia, post the Cold War Soviet Union, isn’t supposed to do a blitkreig and just take over Crimea and fight an undeclared war in sovereign nation, Ukraine. Additionally, our vital economic partner, China, presumably wouldn’t have near unfetterd access to our industrial and government secrets, including the personnel records of the entire Federal workforce. 

– The major world powers comprising the P5+1 normally wouldn’t treat Iran deferentially and as a negotiating equal or even more than than that with near open negotiations and crucial concessions, especially when dealing with no less than the proliferation of nuclear weapons of mass destruction. 

– Terrorist organizations such as ISIS, Hezbollah, Hamas, Boko Haram, Al-Qaeda, and more wouldn’t be taking over swathes of the Middle-East, Africa, and Asia, and we are not sure what our strategy even is or whether we have one yet. 

– Advanced industrialized nations wouldn’t be polluting themselves and the rest of the world towards the environmental catastrophic brink all the while denying that our lifestyle is not sustainable and that global warming even exists. 

– Smart democratized nations wouldn’t be living incessantly beyond their means and borrowing themselves into national debt oblivion–from Greece to Spain, Portugal, and Italy, and right here in the United States of America. 

– The Center for Disease Control doesn’t handle deadly biological pathogens callously and negligently with the potential for a massive lethal outbreak, while admitting to a serious pattern of safety lapses.

– Medicine isn’t just another “business and medical treatments for the sick shouldn’t cost $250,000 a year for a regiment of one or two pills a day, medical professionals don’t simply extend quantity of life without weighing it’s quality, and those in hopeless cases with severe pain and suffering wouldn’t be forced to go on “living.”

– The richest 1% of the world can’t truly hold more than 50% of the world’s wealth, live in mega mansions and drive fleets of cars, yachts, and planes, while masses of people are malnourished, diseased, homeless or in substandard living conditions.

No life is not perfect and certainly, even those perfectionists among us wouldn’t expect everything is be in 100% working order all the time–things break down, accidents and mistakes occur, and sh*t happens–but when life is getting shamelessly more out of order than in order than we need to be asking ourselves some serious and potentially life-altering questions, like what the heck is going on around here? 😉

(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

Superhero Socks

Thought these socks were pretty cool.

POW!

WHAM!

ZAAP!

KAPOW!

SPLAT!

We are living in an age with potential for great upheaval whether from terrorism and weapons of mass destruction, bigotry and social inequality, national debts and unpaid social entitlements, poverty and pandemics, global warming and environmentally unsustainable practices, and the clash of Western and Eastern civilizations. 

Thank G-d for advances in technology and innovation to help address these huge challenges of our time. 

However, whoever is portraying everything as all rosy or telling you to just be optimistic and all will be well–they’re feeding you a bunch of you know what!

We need a superhero/Messiah leader to come help us save the day and these socks would be perfect for their arrival. 😉

(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

A Richy Rich Reward

Check out this lost dog sign in Las Olas.

Do you notice anything unusual?

Look at the amount of the reward for finding this canine.

—Yes, $10,000!!!

A healthy Teacup Yorkie can run you as much as $2,000.

So this reward is 5x that and this kelev is on meds!

Amazing the meaning of money and dogs. 😉

(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

Panic, Technology To The Rescue

Who us panic?

– ISIS is threatening the West with “dangerous new extremism“

– Syria’s death toll tops 170,000 with more than 10,000 believed tortured to death. 

– Boko Haram is still abducting young girls (and boys).

– Iran says no deal on nukes. 

– Ebola is “out of control.”

– China is emergent as the U.S. pivots east and space becomes militarized with anti-satellite weapons. 

– Russia is resurgent (Crimea is history to Ukraine).

– The national deficit only hints at the true extent of our unfunded liabilities from entitelements.

– The economy is bubbling over the top again, warns Robert Shiller.

– Racial and income inequality continues to divide America (case in point, Ferguson MO).

– Nearly 1 in 3 American adults has an arrest record.

– Almost half the world–3 billion people–live in poverty on less then $2.50 a day. 

Ah, if only technology could solve all our global problems–and this is a big list and not by any means comprehensive.

It’s a race of the “world is exploding all over” with technology trying to make it better with more and better information, innovation, productivity, security, and cures.

Almost like the war of good over evil–we may lose the battle, but hopefully (let’s pray) in the end, we will win the war. 😉

(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)