May 21Member-only“Aircraft Carriers for Ukraine!” Bad for America, Even Worse for UkraineFirst off, I strongly support Ukraine in their fight against Russia’s unwarranted and illegal invasion. Every American who remembers the Cold War should support Ukraine, even if only because it’s a heck of a lot cheaper than having to fight Russia ourselves. But last night I saw a tweet that…Military7 min readMilitary7 min read
Apr 22Member-onlyThe Man Who Held Annual Neighborhood Circumcision Events (A True Story)A Death and a Turkey The first time I saw Menggoy was forty minutes before midnight on the night of the Millenium. My wife’s dad had passed away the week before in California and we had escorted his body home to Manila in the Philippines. …Life Lessons7 min readLife Lessons7 min read
Feb 11Member-onlyH5N1 Has Been Found in Nine Mammalian Species. Be Frightened.Skunks, raccoons, red foxes, and bobcats. Grizzly bears, black bears, tigers, and mountain lions. These are the species where H5N1 avian influenza has already been detected. And as I write this, another article has just been published about four dead seals in Scotland that tested positive for H5N1. Now think…Science2 min readScience2 min read
Published inOur Human Family·Jan 5Member-onlyThe Race Massacres They Never Taught Us About in SchoolBy the time I graduated high school in 1980, I had read about exactly one race massacre in American history: the Battle of Little Big Horn. …Racism5 min readRacism5 min read
Dec 10, 2022Member-onlyChatGPT Makes Me Believe In AI — and Fear for Humanity’s FutureWe’ve been hearing about AI — Artificial Intelligence — for decades, and I, for one, never believed it was a true possibility. I was wrong. AI is real, and it’s here now. I doubt AI will ever think as we do, but that’s what makes it “artificial”, right? ChatGPT —…Artificial Intelligence6 min readArtificial Intelligence6 min read
Nov 28, 2022Member-onlyWhat’s Scarier Than the COVID Outbreak in China? Cameras.It appears undeniable that China’s anti-COVID measures have saved millions of lives. But what enabled much of their success is terrifying, and intolerable to Western-style democracies — and has nothing to do with the lockdowns that have so damaged China’s economy. First, the summary of the report by the China…China5 min readChina5 min read
Nov 17, 2022Member-onlyUkraine’s “Dildo of Consequences” Naval Drone Might Become RealityServing in the military is all about tradition, including conduct one would not expect of grown men and women. One of the oldest traditions is that of “crossing the line” ceremonies that we sailors have suffered (and then laughed about) since the time of the Phoenicians. But guess what? There’s…Ukraine4 min readUkraine4 min read
Oct 27, 2022Member-onlyWe Are On The Cusp Of A Revolution In Quantum PhysicsYou know the feeling. You see all the clues adding up like weights on your side of Archimedes’ lever, and you know that soon it will, it must tip in your favor; only when it comes to quantum physics, it won’t be the Earth that is moved, but our understanding…Science5 min readScience5 min read
Published inOur Human Family·Oct 25, 2022Member-onlyWhite Supremacy Presages Its Own Downfall, As Nature Apparently IntendedForenote: While at first glance this article may seem a rant against white supremacy, it is instead an observation that must apply to every race after it has spent many generations at the apex of the social, political, and economic power pyramid. If you’re old enough, you probably remember watching…Racism8 min readRacism8 min read
Oct 19, 2022Member-onlyTolerance for Drunk Karaoke, Mani-Pedis with Pride, and Epic Traffic JamsLearning Happiness in a Developing Country — A young man or woman leaves the hustle-and-bustle of the modern metropolis to find life affirmation, love, and happiness in a simpler life among the poor; think Dances with Wolves, Eat, Pray, Love or Avatar. Is there a more common plot device? A great example of this was a book…Philippines6 min readPhilippines6 min read
