The Internet is the Worst That Ever Happened to Mankind

Some people may find it amazing to know that the world actually functioned without an internet once.

It's the one modern invention that keeps on attacking...and upsetting societies with floods of misinformation that no other media has been able to match in modern times.

The internet is an evil Pandoras box that disgorges lies, filth, and hate 24-hours a day. Since the early 1990s when the internet became available in homes with dial-up internet the flow of filth has increased yearly, until now it's one of the biggest threats to our society and civilization overall.

There's no doubt in my mind Trump would not have been able to do what he has, turning our democracy into an autocracy, without the help of the internet and the bad actors who abuse it. The original intent of the internet was to allow information exchanges in real time, with a data base that included pathways to knowledge never experienced before. Mountains of information available on every possible subject was part of the package, but it came with unexpected side effects that have grown more deadly every year.

There's never been a propaganda device that can rival the internet's steady streams of lies 24 hours a day. Truth has become a casualty and people don't know what to believe anymore.

Please...don't try to sell me on the benefits of the internet. I would gladly do without it. I would happily give up blogging to see an end to this threat to civilization. I'm confident I could get by without it and so could others. We did once. Remember?

What are the risks of using the internet?

For starters, viruses and hackers. Users' personal information gets extracted by bad actors and their world is never the same after that.

* Malware, also known as malicious code or software is a constant threat.

* Ransomware. It limits users from accessing their system via malware.

* Distributed Denial of Service (DOS) attacks are also common.

* Spam and phishing are a daily challenge and if the user doesn't have protections they are going to regret it. Sometimes these precautions fail to the sophisticated attacks.

* Corporate Account Takeover (CATO) where a company gets held hostage until they pay a fee.

* Automated Teller Machine (ATM) hacked by sophisticated software. 

But the threats don't end there.

You have to protect your children when they use the internet. 

Because there are so many sites designed for kids, they also have become easy targets for bad actors. Predators prowl video games and chat rooms looking for easy victims.

It just gets worse.

Cyberbullying has led to teen suicides. Then there are hackers posting the personal information of young people that will later come back to haunt them. Teens are easily scammed. They also accidently download Malware and infect their computers.

Cyber risks users have to be aware of.

* Drive-by-Cyberattack.

* Poor cyber hygiene.

* Cloud vulnerabilities.

* Mobile device vulnerabilities.

* Poor data management.

* Inadequate post-attack procedures.

As it Stands, I firmly believe that the internet is a threat that has gotten out of hand despite its original intent to benefit mankind.

Trump's first 100 Days: Democracy Assaulted but Americans Weathering the Storm

It only took 100 days for Trump to seize unrestrained power by breaking every rule in the Constitution and defying nearly every norm in our society.

As promised Trump launched Project 2025 within hours after slithering into office.  The whole goal was to flood the zone with so many executive orders any opposition would have trouble keeping up with each new attack against all of the branches of government. A siege against sanity has shaken Americans to their core.

Americans watched with growing concern as the mass firings, cancellations of research grants, university funding cuts and what should be studied in schools unfolded like a horror show. ABC News recently reported about doctors and public health specialists who view these actions as an "attack" on established science.   

The attacks have become daily against our judiciary system and civil rights. Arresting immigrants (and in some extreme cases American citizens) has left a trail of tears across the country as families are deported or rounded up like cattle and denied any rights. 

Laws are flagrantly ignored as undercover masked ICE agents' storm into court houses, schools, and churches. 

They roam the streets of America not showing any ID and kidnap whoever is on their hate list. There's no due process despite the fact the law affords everyone due process.

It been like watching a gang led by the world's richest man as Musk ravages every government department with his Doge boys. Trump gave him carte blanche to gather every Americans personal information, from their Social Security to the IRS no one has been safe. 

Between firing and forced layoffs, many people are quitting for integrity reasons. Take the Department of Justice Civil Rights division for example. Over 100 attorneys left rather than compromise their values and/or lie for a corrupt government that doesn't give a damn about the common man.

Like all dictators Trump has relentless attacked legitimate media going back to his first term. With no guard rails in his second term, he's been successfully bullying all of the major TV networks that don't comply with his demands. 

The latest media causality is 60 Minutes where the executive producer, Bill Owens (40 years there) resigned on April 22nd citing an inability to make "independent decisions" about programing amid Paramount's battle with Trump. Insiders say Paramount Global (CBS News' parent company) has been influencing the show's coverage in order to please Trump.

I think it's safe to say these last 100 days have been the most concentrated attack on everything this country has ever stood for. That's why it's no surprise that Trump's approval rating is the lowest 100-day rating of any president in the past 80 years, with public pushback on most of his policies and extensive economic discontent, including broad fears of recession, according to today's ABC News/Washington Post/Ipsos.

It's rapidly becoming clear that Trump's policies have caused chaos in all sectors of our society and many Americans must be wondering why they voted for the man who would be king. It's been a harsh wake-up for millions but it's not too late to fight for what is right. 

So far, we've seen organized anti-Trump protests in all 50 states. They are going to continue to grow as more Americans decide they can't live this way.

As it Stands, it's not going to be easy to turn the Trump tide, but I have faith in America that when push comes to shove, we'll protect our republic.

A Look at Luck in Our Lives

There are many theories about why some people are luckier than others. 

I have a sister-in-law who I call the slot machine whisperer because she walks into casinos, plays Blackjack on the waiting machines and wins way more than a normal player could ever dream of. Generally, she leaves after getting a nearly impossible hand like a Royal Flush.

There must be a good reason why some people seem inherently luckier than others. Psychologists think they have the answer to that. The consensus is lucky people have a combination of factors that favor their efforts like a positive mindset, proactive behavior, and an ability to notice and act on opportunities.

There are some aspects of luck that are just beyond our control. 

Some people are born into circumstances that provide them with advantages, such as supportive families, good health, or access to resources most people couldn't get. Therefore, I think it's fair to say luck is not an equal opportunity blessing. It depends upon the cards you were dealt.

When I was in Vietnam in 1970 one of my duties as a Combat Engineer was to sweep roads for enemy mines.

I walked miles every day swinging my heavy mine-detector from side to side. 

One day I was careless and nearly lost my life. I somehow stepped onto a mine and froze when my squad leader yelled at me to freeze! Long story short. It was an anti-tank mine and I simply wasn't heavy enough to set it off. Luck? You tell me.

After extensive research luck is, by all accounts, not an outside force. It doesn't "enter" people or "bless" anyone from time to time. 

Researcher Richard Wiseman found that luck is largely a self-controlled force. According to his findings people can actually increase the amount of luck they experience.

Wiseman also claimed that luck is rooted in science and when you believe you're a lucky person it can make you luckier. 

Whatever. Doesn't sound too scientific to me but everyone has an opinion on luck.

In essence, luck is not solely about chance; it's also about the mindset, actions, and opportunities an individual creates for themselves.

Despite all the scholarly papers done about luck I'm hesitant to embrace them all. Instead, I also draw on my personal experiences and that of others around me to try and decode what luck really is. 

As it Stands, I've come to the conclusion that I'm a lucky man for a lot of reasons - not least that I married the love of my life and we've been married 51 years now.