Remember When: Dec. 31, 2016 - The Rush to Save Scientific Research About Climate Change is On!

Editor's Note: I'm taking a break right now. But I still have some posts that you may consider interesting from the last 18 years. This one is still relevant in 2026.

Science has been at war with civilizations throughout the world's history. Deniers of science have always treated scientific facts with disdain and fear.

Take the famous "Flat Earth" belief that went out of style during the waning days of the Roman Empire.

Imagine a coin as the Earth and then imagine the edge of that coin is actually a giant ice wall—either described as 150 feet or 1,500 feet tall. 

That’s the world flat Earth believers envision when they think about the plane - and because Earth is a disc, that makes it a plane, not a planet - that they live on.

Believe it or not there's still people today who believe in the flat earth myth.  They are the same people who deny climate change is caused by mankind.

With Donald Trump coming into power the Flat Earther's and Climate deniers have a champion. Trump believes climate change is a hoax by the Chinese.

Knowing this, scholars across the nation are rushing to preserve all the scientific research that's been done.

The fight to preserve facts is detailed in the following article:

Scientists Scramble to Protect Decades of Climate Research Before Trump Takes Office

The next four years are going to be a challenge for America.  

Remember when Hitler's minions burned any books, he deemed contrary to his rule? 

This is the 21st century version of Hitler's purge. The names change, but the hate and ignorance continue.

As it Stands, here's an update to this post: As of May 2026, the second Trump regime has aggressively dismantled domestic climate action, rolling back environmental regulations, defunding climate research programs at NOAA and NASA, and removing climate science data from federal websites.

Remember When: Dec. 30, 2015 - What if the so-called 'Affluenza' Teen Was an African American?

Editor's Note: While I'm on break, I'm running past posts for your consideration and entertainment.

 (Ethan Couch photo taken after his capture. He dyed his hair black to avoid detection.)

There's no doubt about it.

The American justice system treats rich whites differently than poor blacks.

The case of Ethan Couch, who was sentenced to parole after a drunk driving incident that killed four people, symbolizes the extent to which class and race play a role in our justice system.

During Couch's trial in Dec. 2015, a psychologist dubbed his condition “affluenza” – a term he later regretted using – suggesting that the teen’s wealthy parents were partly responsible for an upbringing where he never faced real consequences for his actions.

The term struck a chord with Americans, with the case coming to symbolize the extent to which the justice system treats rich whites differently than poor blacks.

After breaking his probation and fleeing to Mexico with his mother, Couch was recently nabbed by Mexican officials who turned him over to Texan authorities.

“What is the likelihood if this was an African-American, inner-city kid that grew up in a violent neighborhood to a single mother who is addicted to crack and he was caught two or three times ... what is the likelihood that the judge would excuse his behavior and let him off because of how he was raised?" 

Dr. Suniya Luthar, a psychologist who specializes in the costs of affluence in suburban communities, told The Associated Press in 2013.

While his mother may do some jail time, Ethan only stands to do some soft time until next April when he'll be set free.

A growing list of such disparities have affected how Americans think about how punishment is meted out in the United States. 

The Pew Research Center recently reported that only 32 percent of Americans think the country has made enough changes to its justice system, down from 49 percent in 2014.

Likewise, the percentage of Americans who say that more change is needed rose from 46 to 59 percent in the same span.

Such biases are notoriously difficult to weed out of a system that has tolerated them for so long. That doesn't mean the system can't be improved on.

We can start by treating all Americans equally. This will happen when enough people are educated about racial equalities and voters start electing officials (including judges) who are color-blind.

As it Stands, I hate to say it, but things haven't changed that much in 2026.

Blast from the Past: Jan. 13, 2022 - It Happens Too Often: Media Influencers Working with the Darkside

Editor's Note:

I'm on a break right now. But I'm reposting past articles for your consideration and entertainment. Watching the Trump family get rich on cryptocurrency scams today no one can say they didn't see it coming. Here a perfect example.

                  Fair Warning.

Follow media influencers at your own risk. There's a dark side to those smiling faces recommending you buy the product they're shilling.

Who hasn't heard of Kim Kardashian? Or Floyd Mayweather one of the greatest boxers' pound-for-pound in history?

The Kardashian brand is well-known, and I presume somewhat trusted. That trust was violated, however. 

She's being sued over allegations that she misled investors when promoting a little-known cryptocurrency called EthereumMax.

A class action lawsuit filed last week in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California accuses EthereumMax and its celebrity promoters of working together to artificially inflate the price of the token by making "false or misleading statements" in social media posts.

Boxer Floyd Mayweather was another EthereumMax shill. He endorsed the token in his boxing match with YouTube star Logan Paul. EthereumMax was accepted as payments for tickets to the event, a move that the lawsuit against him claims boosted trading volumes sharply.

Investors call this kind of con a "pump and dump" scheme where scammers attempt to boost the price of an asset through false and misleading statements.

And get this.

It's not the first time these two celebrities have been in hot water for cryptocurrency endorsements.

Mayweather was charged by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commision with pumping an initial coin offering, a controversial crypto crowdfunding method in 2018.

He had to pay $600,000 in a settlement with the SEC but got away from admitting or denying the regulator's findings.

In September 2021, Charles Randell, chair of the U.K.'s Financial Conduct Authority, singled out Kim Kardashian's Instagram ad for EthereumMax in a speech warning of crypto scams.

If you take away anything from what you just read let it be exercising caution when listening to social media influencers.

There's a dark side to some of them many people aren't aware of.

Blast from the Past: Dec. 4, 2023 - Senate Sources Say Ivanka and Jared Kushner Investigation Coming in January

Editor's Note: While I take a break, I've resurrected some past posts for your consideration and entertainment. It's too bad Jared Kushner was never held to account and that he's currently playing a key part in Trump's Middle East negotiations. 

It's about time.

After years of fruitless attempts to prove Joe and Hunter Biden are corrupt there's a Democrat counterpoint coming to the Senate soon.

The Democrats are sitting on 400 pages of evidence (something MAGA lawmakers have not been able to produce in their witch hunt against the Bidens) and they plan on holding open hearings - again something GOP chair Comer doesn't want to happen because he prefers to hold Soviet style secret meetings.

Unlike the Republicans, they have evidence related to alleged personal financial dealings that Trump's daughter and her husband Jared, reportedly engaged in while they were both on the government payroll.

Why did the Saudi's give two billion dollars to Jared six months after he exited The White House? Let's not forget the $640 million dollars he and wifey earned while intrenched in the West Wing. 

The screening panel for the Saudi fund had cited that Jared didn't have any experience in Affinity Fund Management and that he was "unsatisfactory in all aspects." 

Their due diligence report cited "a proposed asset management fee that seemed excessive"; and "a public relations risk." Yet the panel was overruled by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Why?

The MAGAverse has responded to the upcoming investigation with talking points like "the DOJ had three years to look into it, so there's nothing there." 

Au contraire, there's numerous reasons why the Democrats are just now looking at the Kushner's corrupt dealings with a foreign country and his time in the White House.

For starters the Justice Department has been pretty busy the last three years prosecuting the biggest criminal case in American history - Trump's coup attempt.

There's another reason the Kushner's were low on the DOJ radar - the country was in such bad shape the Biden Administration spent those years bailing out the American public from the financial chaos Trump created during his disastrous regime.

It's been about priorities. 

The Kushner's were low on the list of emergencies Democratic lawmakers had to contend with to preserve our laws and freedoms.  

However, the Democrats have been quietly gathering evidence against the larcenous duo until the time was right. That time is now. 

The fact that this evidence-based investigation will be a stark contrast to the Biden family investigation by the GOP will be easy for all to see.

Here's a sweet irony for you: James Comer, one of three GOP committee chairs investigating the Bidens, admitted in August that Jared Kushner "crossed the line of ethics" by accepting a $2 billion investment from the Saudi government in his private firm.

Of course, Comer never even thought about holding his master's son-in-law accountable for his corrupt actions.

Comer and his cohorts keep claiming where there's smoke there's fire in the Biden investigation without facts. 

As it stands, the only fire in Congress will be in January when the Senate lights one under Ivanka and Jared's privileged asses!

Blast from the Past: Dec.16, 2022 - Exploring the Book of Idiots

Editor's Note: I'm taking a break right now but I'm pulling up past posts so your trip here wasn't a waste of time. This particular post is timeless.

Let it be known to all:

From the Republicans Bible The Book of Idiots

Chapter: 1:2

"And Trump descended from the polluted clouds to bring the people hope by selling NFT Cards for a bargain price of $99 each."

Chapter: 8-31

"What, then, shall we say in response to liberal evil? If Trump is for us, who can be against us?"

Chapter 40:10

Trump Disciple Steve Bannon looked at the crowd of Trump acolytes and said, "With man it is impossible, but not with Trump. For all things are possible with Trump."

Chapter 44: 23

"Therefore, my beloved minions, be steadfast, immoveable, and always obeying the Lord Trump, and your labors will not be in vain."

Chapter 52:14

"Trust in Trump with all your heart and ignore reality and he will bless you for the rest of your days."

Chapter 69: 45

"For I have plans for you all declared Trump, 'Plans to give you the dystopian world you so crave."

Chapter 74:19

"As a MAGA mother comforts her white child, so will Lord Trump comfort you."

Chapter 81-35

"All scripture is inspired by Trump and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training Maggots so they can go forth and pollute governments."

Chapter 91-57

"But first seek Trump Tower to get your marching orders from Trump himself."

 Chapter 94-13

"Keep your lives free and give me your money and be content with what you have," sayth the blessed grifter your Lord Trump."

Chapter 99:68

"He was impeached for protecting you; he was attacked by rabid liberals so that you could spread lies like flies."

Chapter 102: 89

And Trump spoke to the masses, "Very truly I tell you, whoever believes my words are good sheep and will eternally dwell at one of my golf courses." 

As it stands, coming soon a new Republican board game, "Psychos in the House!" 

Blast from the Past: June 8th, 2009 - Maine Wants to Add Warnings to Cellphone Packaging

My June 7th, 2009, column in The Times-Standard on cell phone dangers, “Are young people facing a brain cancer epidemic caused by cell phones?” was one of the few “mainstream” articles on the subject ran by any major newspaper in the nation this year.

 The cell phone industry has managed to put off controversy about the health care effects of using cell phones thus far with massive lobbying efforts designed to hide the science behind the concerns.

Cracks are appearing in the cell phone lobby’s claims however, and the industry’s assertions that they are safe. They may lead to a major shake-up someday in how we use these handy devices.

I want to thank The Times-Standard for having the guts to allow me to run my warning about cell phones. It wasn’t the kind of article local cell phone advertisers wanted to see for sure. 

But it ran. Special thanks to Managing Editor Kimberly Wear for putting it in print. You can’t hide the truth forever…

Here’s the tip of the iceberg:

The state of Maine has declared its intentions to be the very first state in the country to add warnings to all cell phone packages. As you might have heard before, many scientific studies claim that cell phones’ electromagnetic radiation can cause brain cancer. The proposal will be discussed at a January 2010 session that is “usually reserved for emergency and governors’ bills,” says Glenn Adams from The Huffington Post.

A similar effort is taking place in the city of San Francisco, California. Mayor Gavin Newsom wants San Francisco to become the first city in the nation to require warnings.

As it Stands, this was one of my more controversial columns that I wrote for The Times Standard.

Blast from the Past: Jan. 1, 2016 - A New Way to Live Day By Day?

Editor's Note: I'm posting past articles while I take a blog break. I still had no idea how bad the Trump regime would be in the coming year. Photo: Me in Hawaii on New's Day.

Alexander Pope, in his An Essay on Man reminds us that..."Hope springs eternal in the human breast."

Every year we like to believe that we're starting over. Erasing last year's mistakes. Getting a clean slate. Wiping away bad memories. Starting over.

We make resolutions that we may, or may not, keep.

What would we do if we didn't have our Gregorian 
 calendar to tell us this was the first day of every new year.

Would we wander around without hope of change in our lives because the days never turned into years? 

Would we have to stop having birthdays and anniversaries?

Would we defy Father Time and stay at one age? Forever frozen in a fantasy called life. 

Just what would it mean to stop marking time?

Would holidays fade away into tribal memories? 

Would our sense of time slow down? Would we count our days like pearls, valuing the here and now?

Just fleeting thoughts in an old man's mind on New Year's Day.

As it Stands, this was one of my more reflective posts since I started blogging in 2008.

Blast from the Past: Dec. 29, 2019 - Post Trump: 9 New Rules for Future Presidents

Editor's Note: I'm on a blog break right now so I'm running old posts for your entertainment.

Enjoy...

After Trump leaves the White House (which will need immediate sanitizing) Congress should come up with new rules for future candidates running for president.

No one (outside of Trump's cult followers) wants to watch the office of the president descend to the depraved depths it did under the Trump regime again.

To ensure this doesn't happen, I propose the following 9 new rules (in addition to whatever other requirements there are) in order to become the President of the United States.

1) The candidate CAN NOT have past or present mafia connections. 

2) The candidate MUST have an excellent understanding of the Constitution, and American history.

3) The candidate CAN NOT have a Twitter account!

4) The candidate MUST have a moral compass and not be a renown liar.

5) The candidate MUST show at least 10 years of personal taxes to the public.

6) The candidate CAN NOT ask a foreign power to help them get elected.

7) The candidate MUST believe in science, not conspiracy theories, by acknowledging there's a global warming crisis and America must do everything possible to stop it from getting worse.

8) The candidate MUST strengthen ties with all of our allies, and always keep America united against dictators, and rogue governments.

9) The candidate MUST respect the power of Congress and the Senate and not defy/attack the balance of power our founder's built into our government.

As it Stands, don't you wish these 9 new rules were used in the 2024 election? We wouldn't be dealing with Trump now. 

Blast From the Past: Dec. 28,2021 - When All You Have Is Hope

There are so many world-shaking events happening simultaneously it seems like our society is on a spin cycle of chaos.

First and foremost, our democracy faces its greatest threat since the Civil War. Republicans have morphed into an authoritarian party led by a wannabee dictator who's actively working on overthrowing our electoral system. We've become a dangerously divided nation in the 21st century.

We're now in the second year of a pandemic that is still surging around the globe. The latest variant, Omicron, is spreading faster than its two predecessors.

The holiday season has been a story of airline cancellations due to Omicron and the particularly bitter winter weather. Thousands of people are stuck in airports as the year comes to a tired end.

The effects of climate change become more obvious every day. Historic tornados and snow falls. Drought. Wildfires. Sea levels rising. Historic heat in areas we've not seen before. Globalists and governments unable to (or unwilling to) meet the growing environmental challenges facing the earth.

The only thing left is hope.

As the recently passed Desmond Tutu once said, "Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness."

As Albert Einstein so finely put it, "Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow. The important thing is not to stop questioning."

One of my favorite inspirational quotes is by former president Barack Obama,

"Hope is that thing inside us that insists, despite all the evidence to the contrary, that something better awaits us if we have the courage to reach for it and to work for it and to fight for it."

As it Stands, in 2026 Americans are still hoping that Trump and his cult will disappear and democracy will be restored.

Blast from the Past: Dec. 28, 2015 - How to Cultivate a Political Cult of Paranoia

Editor's Note: While I'm on a blog break, I thought running past posts would be fun. This one was written while Trump was running for president in the Republican primary. I had him pegged at the outset.

Donald Trump is a demagogue with money who can mine fear, white identity politics and right-wing populism where spoils and rewards are given to good “real Americans” and the Other is, by definition, punished and excluded.

He's inspiring a gathering cult status among a fearful segment of society who are seeking deliverance from all of their woes. 

The Boston Globe explores the concept: Recently, a few political scientists have begun to discover a human tendency deeply discouraging to anyone with faith in the power of information.

It’s this:

Facts don’t necessarily have the power to change our minds. In fact, quite the opposite. In a series of studies in 2005 and 2006, researchers at the University of Michigan found that when misinformed people, particularly political partisans, were exposed to corrected facts in news stories, they rarely changed their minds.

In fact, they often became even more strongly set in their beliefs. Facts, they found, were not curing misinformation. Like an underpowered antibiotic, facts could actually make misinformation even stronger… “The general idea is that it’s absolutely threatening to admit you’re wrong,” says political scientist Brendan Nyhan, the lead researcher on the Michigan study. The phenomenon — known as “backfire” — is “a natural defense mechanism to avoid that cognitive dissonance.”

Trump has become a hero for the angry and resentful white “silent majority” who feel that they are somehow being marginalized in “their” country and that “the blacks,” immigrants, Muslims and terrorists are out to get them."

This is how low politics have sunk.

Trump is a cult leader, carnival barker, and TV show host turned Republican 2016 presidential primary leader and is being slavishly followed by a money-hungry media that records every hateful thing he says with glee. 

Will sanity win out in the end and send Trump packing in the Republican primary? I guess we'll find out next February.

As it Stands, to everyone's surprise Trump did win the primary.

Blast from the Past: Looking for Laughter in the Waning Days of 2020

 

Editor's note: I'm taking a blog break, but I don't what to leave my readers hanging. So, I'm resurrecting past columns. Enjoy.

Laughter has become a rare commodity in 2020.

The reason, as we all know, is the worst pandemic to hit America in over 100 years, a crippled economy, and a president that's completely out of control.

It's tough getting guffaws when people are wondering where their next meal is coming from, or if they'll be evicted from their homes. 

Despite the massive wave of challenges there are still people who manage to laugh. My theory is humor is in our DNA.

I got a good laugh today after reading about some guy back east - where the snow is coming down like a solid white blanket - who gave his neighbors (and social media) something to laugh about.

He used a flame thrower - I'm not making this up - to melt the snow on his driveway. The kicker was he dressed up like Cousin Eddie in National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation.

What a hilarious sight - seeing your neighbor wearing a white bathroom and snow cap with flaps swinging a flamethrower from side-to-side by his curb.

The point is, I'm always looking for a good laugh. In the Era of Trump this is almost Mission Impossible, unless you make an effort to turn away from all the shiny objects Trump waves every day.

If you can't find anything to laugh about around you, don't be afraid to look for comedians on TV and social media. I consider them First Responders for people who are bummed out.

Laughter is a balm for the suffering soul. It's a power that shouldn't be underestimated. Especially when times are dark.

I take heart with poet Robert Frost's quote; "If we couldn't laugh, we would all go insane."

As it Stands, this old post is still relevant today.