Are We Alone?

Are we alone, a seemingly profound question concerning the potential for life elsewhere in the universe. Gives rise to that other question. Where/when/why did life, or our universe begin, and why? And, of course, that almost always gives way to that other question, Who created God?

See, if God exists, someone created her, right? Or did she simply pop into existence, poof! And then, what existed prior to God?  I mean, did something, a God, or the Universe itself simply begin out of nothing? And if so, why, how?  See, telling us that God created the universe doesn’t really solve or even answer anything. Because it produces the inevitable question about who created God.  And even Neil DeGrasse Tyson doesn’t seem to have any answer to the origin question.

See, all of my questions relate to the simplest one of all – Why?

OK, so why was the universe created the way it was? I mean, if there is a God, she could have created a finished product, right? I mean, why would she create this vast entity still in the beginning stages of its development? And, why a universe that held such enormous potential for damage to its creatures? Why not create a universe that satisfied the needs of its inhabitants, whether those inhabitants were emerging stars, or living creatures?  Also, there seems no serious order to the universe. The creativity seems entirely random.  Is that just for fun?

See, saying there is a God really solves nothing. I begin to wonder about the basic intelligence of the current inhabitants of this Earth.  I mean, they created the concept of God. Now, to be fair, there are really two main purposes to there being a God. First, apparently any serious brain will eventually give rise to the question of Why/How did this universe come into being. I mean, you can’t look around the Earth without at some point, asking yourself, Why? Why does this exist, and why does this exist in its current form?  I mean, even a relatively young child might well look at its parents, or maybe at the dude who owns the apartment house the kid lives in and, say, now they could not possibly have created all this. So, Who did? And then, the inevitable God thing pops into the head.

But, then, after the God thing pops into the head, some creature will inevitably begin thinking . . . hmmm, what if I tell folks that I have met God, and I have developed this special relationship. And I am going to tell folks what God wants them to do.  And then, if they do what God wants them to do, then, after they pass on, they will have a wonderful afterlife with God. Oh, you didn’t know about the afterlife thing? Well, let me tell you.  See, The God wants us to behave in reasonable ways—I know, I know, there are many definitions to “reasonable”.  At any rate, she has informed me that, to encourage reasonable behavior, she created two afterlife entities—Heaven and Hell. If you have behaved, then, when you pass on, you will rise into the heavens, and you will again get to mingle with your past BFFs. Yeah, you can chat with them if you wish. Also, you will be able to peer down onto Earth and see what your family is up to. So, when they talk to you, you will know what they are saying, and you can respond, sort of.

But, then, for those folks who chose to behave badly while here on Earth, she created this kind of nasty afterlife place, where you will live on in pain from the fires down there. Yeah, and you will not be able to chat with anyone. Yeah, boring, huh? Well, to be fair, that is the point.  But see, that’s why she began chatting with me. She wants folks to understand that behaving well while here results in a good deal afterwards.  And she has left me with an understanding of what is or is not good behavior.

But now, back to this beginning thingie. She has not yet told me much about the origins, or why she invented things as she did.  Nope, she says, somedays she may chat it up with me and then, I can pass it on. But for the moment, we have to accept the fact that she exists, she created everything, and that’s all we need to know.

See, so that’s good, huh?  We don’t really need to know how or why this Universe thingie was created, or who created it. Well, technically, she says that she created it. But she will not talk about who created her, or even why she invented everything to begin with. Maybe she was bored?

And so, I am awaiting that chat session when her Almightiness begins to chat with me about origins. Now that should be interesting, huh?  I plan to ask her:

1.       1. Is this Universe the only one that exists, or is there another one(s) out there about which we are unaware?

2.          2. Why did she create the universe to begin with? Was she really just bored, or was there some purpose? And if there was a purpose, what was that purpose?

3.          3. Does she have a mum and/or dad? I mean, how/why does she exist? Does she exist in order to have someone to blame for us?  I mean, we’re a pretty bad lot. Were we just her mistake . . . like she was just fooling around, and she created us without meaning to? And now she’s stuck with us?

4.          4. Did she also create something in this universe that will eventually cause us to disappear?  I mean, that would have been the responsible thing to do, right?

5.          5. Is she answerable to another superbeing? That would also seem reasonable huh?

6.      Since I’m the only one with whom she has spoken, could she tell me how to get rid of those creatures who now pretend to know her? I mean, they are really getting out of hand.

7.      And, lastly, when will she tell me what the hell is going on?  I am getting really tired of holding all this stuff inside and may soon explode. Oh, and how long is she going to keep me stuck in this blind wilderness? I mean, I have been here for a really long time. So, what another 100 years or so?

So, OK, I’ll get back to you later, as soon as she decides to have that chat with me. But for now, behave yourselves. That really is better than the alternative. Trust me.

American Politics

I must confess to being shaken after reading the summary of Project 2025.  While I knew the GOP had fallen really low since Trump took over the reins, I guess I did not really understand just how low. And also, that Project 2025 speaks to maybe something different.  I mean, when we say that the GOP has fallen to a new low under Trump, a) we are blaming it on Trump, and b) we are saying that we are seeing more of the standard Trump crap—illogical, corrupt, amoral, unethical.

But maybe we are looking at something different altogether.  As I was reading an analysis of the SCOTUS Trump v. America decision regarding January 6^th, I began thinking that maybe something else was going on.  SCOTUS basically laid the groundwork for an entity formerly known as “kings”, or a President who could basically do no wrong.  Now that would make Donald Trump very happy. But it might also make a lot of his immensely rich supporters even happier.  See, they could keep Trump in power in order to get the kind of “hands-off” Executive Branch they want and claim they need. They want no controls over their activities, ergo, Project 2025. 2025 is basically a design for an absolute monarchy, one controlled by the uber-rich. It might return America to those good-old-days of maybe the 16^th century when the uber-rich controlled everything, including your life and mine.

And then, last night, at a Trump rally, someone supposedly took a shot at Trump. Now, we are told that someone wielding a rifle, fired from a rooftop outside his immediate rally area. Trump wound up with some slight bleeding, although from what we do not know. A close bullet?? Some sharp object near him?? We have no solid or reliable answer. They did take Trump away and he was bleeding ever so slightly.

Now, was this a bullet aimed at Trump, just missing his forehead? Maybe  . . . The shooter was shot and killed by Security officials, and one bystander was killed and two others wounded. And now the games begin. Who was this shooter and what was he about?  We are told he was a republican, but also that he had donated to Democrats.  Questions, questions.

Given the extreme nature of the language spewing forth among and between the parties in this bizarre presidential race, perhaps an assassination attempt might not be surprising. I know, I know, everyone on both sides has properly decried this shooting. But, given the escalating rhetoric, maybe such a violent event was predictable.

And now Trump has begun drawing some pity cards. And his stature has enlarged a bit, with a sympathy vote. Now, to be fair, that last debate performance produced a hard knock into Biden’s reputation. Even more than the usual serious “old-people” discussions are being heard.

I assume an assassination attempt would be highly likely to produce serious sympathy for the intended “Victim”, i.e., Trump.

And, then, maybe because I am really wearing out from the force of right-wing rhetoric, and the absurdity of Trump himself, I began wondering . . . could this be a fake assassination, staged by the rich powers behind the GOP (you know, the ones who now seem to own this monarchist political entity)?? I know, I know . . . how absurd, right?? But that is how affected I have become by the absurdity of this whole political entity, that such a fake attempt no longer seems absurd.  Note, please, I have been paying attention to political affairs at least since the days of FDR. I have voted in every election since 1952. I long for the days when republicans were people like Dwight Eisenhower. Now??? Donald Trump??? Surely you jest.

Now to be fair, a fake assassination is pretty far out. But then, I thought, Project 2025. That is so absurd that anything now seems at least plausible.  Now what makes it a bit less plausible is that security officials shot and killed the bad guy. If it was a planned fake assassination, wouldn’t he have planned it with his own escape? Yeah, probably, but does that make it totally implausible?  Well no.

And so I am left to wonder about the state of American politics today. The uber-rich seem to have no ethics at all, and therefore republicans no longer have any ethics. How low have the mighty fallen America? And what does this say about the outcome of the next election? Can you imagine what we might see should the American people decide to vote for the Democrat (Biden??)? The 2025 Gang have already decided on a post-election conflict (Civil War II?) stage. Won’t that be fun?

Oh and you thinking folks . . . you might want to speed up the process of getting your passports and visas ready (Canada??? New Zealand???) Welcome to the brand new, exciting world of uber-rich corruption.

Hello Again

Somehow, my days continue to look like repeats. Yeah, Joe Biden says something to some crowd, and folks wonder about whether he was stumbling and aging as he spoke. Well, No, he was just talking like any mortal being. So, Joe is 81, and folks are demanding that he step back and let ? ? ? take over. Who again? Oh, you mean Kamala??? Well, she’s probably ready. Oh you don’t mean Kamala. And why is that? Oh, Kamala is a Black Woman. I get it. You need a white male between the ages of 35 and 65. Oh, and he needs to be straight. Sorry Pete. Yeah, I know, you might be great, but, well you know . . .

On the Joe Ancient thing, I’m pushing on this December into that 90 thingie.  Yeah, I know, Joe occasionally stumbles. But so far he’s been doing a pretty good job, by all accounts.

But then, also on a daily basis, The Donald does or says something terminally stupid.  And do we report that The Donald seems to be in the middle stage of dementia?  Well no. Why? Because The Donald always says something terminally stupid. It’s just him.  See, he really seems stupid, so when he opens his mouth in some unprogrammed way, what results is gibberish.  So, because he always performs that way, that is his Normal. And because Joe actually is of normal intelligence, when he speaks to/with us, we expect a normal speech patter—you know, words roughly in order as English is spoken, and of seeming normal intellectual content.  Now, should he slip, or stumble, the Press is aghast and the Fox Fake-Newsies begin yelling about Joe turning senile.

Now, to be fair, we have never before had a pair like these two. Joe actually is 81. And The Donald seems 110 . .  or maybe 2? Remember when he told us to drink bleach to avoid getting COVID?  Now is that a result of his dementia, or maybe he’s just stupid.  Would a two-year old tell you to do that?  But think hard. Would a Joe Biden EVER suggest anything that terminally stupid???

Let’s see, oh yeah there’s that SCOTUS thingie. Yeah, they now tell us that Presidents cannot be held accountable for their actions taken while they are carrying out their duties of office.  So, arguably, if they take an action that results in harm to another human, while carrying out their duties as President, they are not legally accountable.  Now, I/they assume that ruling is aimed at something The Donald does or did while President—like stirring the mess that turned into the January 6^th Insurrection.  So, folks were killed during that Insurrection? Yep, but President Donald cannot be held to account.  Interesting ruling.

Now how about if Joe Biden takes an action to in some way disable/destroy a threat to our democracy (The Donald??) then he cannot be held accountable?? Be careful what you wish for, huh?

I keep thinking about our upcoming election, taking place in the middle of a truly weird election process.  Why weird? Well, I realize that many America presidential elections are a bit weird. I mean, Ronald Reagan, pseudo-movestar running for President? Now that is weird.  FDR running for President in the middle of WW II. Tell me that isn’t weird.

But somehow, the GOP has allowed itself to be totally corrupted, and largely no longer exists as a viable political entity. Now, the GOP seems a vacuum that sucks in weird, almost Nazi ideas. I mean, Project 2025 seems to go even beyond Nazi thinking. They now seem intent on recreating an American Monarchy. Shades of 1725. If Trump were elected and began following Project 2025, we would have something close to an absolute monarchy.  Is that what you really want MAGAHeads???  Well, I guess the answer to that question might well be, “YES, That Is What We Want”.

I can only suggest once again, especially you young folks. Get registered, and then VOTE your conscience. We –This Nation—really need all of you to get out and VOTE. Hopefully, someday, after enough time has elapsed and the Donald is in prison, America will begin to return to its old stable democracy self. Please America. Behave.