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.

Researchers Gone Wild

Because scientists 

have to get an alphabet of scholastic degrees the general public assumes they know what they're doing when they make discoveries that would/could benefit mankind.

I'm here today to explore what really happens (in all too many cases) in labs - usually funded by grants - where millions go toward such important breakthroughs like teaching Panda bears how to play the drums. See new product, Panda Drums for relaxation. No, really. It's a popular product for Zen devotees.

The following are real studies that have zero benefits for humans and are just plain wild and crazy.

* High flying lunacy: researchers have been studying the ability of pigeons to create art, and the potential for pigeons to be used as artists.

One of my favorites...

* There's been a year's long study that has explored whether woodpeckers experience headaches due to the rapid impact of their beaks on wood.

* Dog fleas vs. Cat fleas: Someone got paid to find out which type of flea can jump higher.

* Spiderman and adhesives: in yet another mind-bending study researchers looked into the feasibility of a human doing what Spiderman does best - wall-climbing. To their dismay they concluded it would be impractical to have adhesive feet.

* Mosquitoes and cheese: the burning question of what type of cheeses mosquitos prefer has yet to be solved as researchers continue to probe mosquitos eating habits.

When it comes to research no topic is safe as students explore and write scholarly papers that would make the rest of us less scholarly types laugh at their absurdity.

Here's an example: in 2012 a student at King's College in London, Rachel Patterson, endeavored to find out if Unicorns were real. Her paper was titled, "The Possibility of Unicorns: Kripke v Dummett," an analysis of two unicorn theorists." The conclusion that there might be unicorns, was less than satisfying. To date I classify unicorns with Big Foot and Yeti.

Big Breakthrough?

A team of psychologists from Plymouth University and Queensland University of Technology have determined, after many hours of Tetris, that the game can become addicting and distract users from doing other stuff for a while like eating, drinking and having sex. 

The question is how did they manage to finish the study?

Here's Five Funny Research Topics to Choose From

1. How to survive in a society of selfish people?

2. Art of theft: unveiling the subtleties and techniques.

3. The origin of silly laws and their importance.

4.Creative approaches to deal with fake news.

5. LOL or BWL: the psychology of internet acronyms.

As it Stands, I've always been curious just how stupid some studies are that manage to get financed by scholarly institutions. Makes me wonder what I'm missing.

A Day Without Trump

What would it be like having a day without Trump in it?

For starters our judicial system wouldn't have to hear any cases involving Trump.

Judges across the country would take a sigh of relief not to have Trump targeting them for impeachment because they won't break laws for him.

Law firms would be free to represent whoever they chose without the threat of having Trump take away all access from federal buildings or bringing federal cases to court. 

It would be a day free of holding lawyers' ransom because they opposed Trump's views on the constitution, or they committed the cardinal sin of representing clients suing Trump in the past for trying to commit a coup.

Federal employees would get relief from dealing with DOGE's Gestapo unit storming through their offices and demanding personal loyalty pledges verified by a lie detector test. 

A whole day of not worrying about if they're going to get fired or laid off.  

Senior citizens would enjoy 24-hours of peace of mind about their Social Security and 401 Ks. Their concern about healthcare benefits being eliminated would vanish during that special day.

Legal immigrants would not have to worry about being swept away by Trump stormtroopers ignoring the laws of the land and illegally deporting them to hell on earth - a Salvadorian maximum-security prison - where a dictator rules and who just happens to be Trump's buddy.

The mainstream media would be able to report the news without fear of Trump going after them because they reported on one of his many crimes against American democracy. Newspaper editors wouldn't have to hold stories or opinion pieces because of fear of being fired by a cowardly publisher in Trump's back pocket. They would be no Trump to fear on that fateful day. 

Scientists and researchers would not be minimalized by Trump directing his flying monkeys (science deniers) to challenge facts and vaccines.

People of color would be treated with respect and their culture would be celebrated instead of being reviled by the Trump regime. Americans wouldn't arbitrarily be hunted down because they were black, Asian, or brown. 

A day without Trump would be a blessing where reality would hold sway instead of being challenged by lies and misinformation every day. For 1440 minutes the chaos in this country would subside and everyone would exhale and chill out. For 86,400 seconds the hate factor being nourished by Trump would diminish and people would get along better.

My inspiration for this post was a movie I saw years ago - A Day without Mexicans - which cleverly showed how much the United States needs them.

As it Stands, I think it goes without saying life for Americans would be a lot easier if we didn't have Trump seizing our democracy and turning our country into an autocracy.

Life Lesson #1: Bullies Are Cowards at Heart

In the last seven decades I've watched bullies get away with their actions and I've also seen victims turn the tables on their tormentors.

In order to be considered bullying, the behavior must be aggressive and include: 

An imbalance of power: kids who bully use their power - such as physical strength, access to embarrassing information, or popularity - to control others.

In today's world there are four kinds of bullying: physical, verbal, relational, and cyberbullying. 

A bully's behavior runs the range from obvious and highly visible (punching or hitting) to subtle and virtually invisible to everyone except its victim and participants.

I remember when I was in 5th Grade, we had a schoolyard bully named Lyle who roamed about during recess picking on kids (that were usually smaller) and who made lunch time a trial for everyone. He was universally feared.

One day I was playing basketball with some buddies when Lyle walked up and suddenly snatched the ball out of my hands! 

I was so startled I just stood there speechless while anger slowly bubbled to the surface. Before he could react, I grabbed the ball back and started to walk away knowing he'd come after me. At the last moment I turned and said, "You want the ball?" and hurled it at his head. It made contact with his nose and blood gushed forth like a mini fountain from both nostrils.

At this point I should explain that he was a head taller than me and heavier. When Lyle burst into tears and grabbed his injured nose the spell was broken - he ran away bawling like a baby as my buddies and I watched with amusement. I never had a problem with Lyle again after that. I had exposed him as a coward.

Over the years I've seen bullies from all walks of life making it hell for those who are under them.

I've also watched many cases where the bully got what he deserved in the end.

Bullies in power pose a grave threat to societies all over the world. America is currently an example of that with Trump running roughshod over the Constitution, the judiciary, and every other agency in Washington DC. 

Like all bullies Trump is a coward. He avoided the draft by paying a physician to say he had bone spurs when of course he didn't have them. He directs his minions to do HIS dirty work of destroying our democracy.

Bullies have always been around as past civilizations have shown us. It's a character flaw that either comes naturally or by practicing. In Trump's case it's probably both. 

As it Stands, I think there's a time in a person's life when they have to stand up to a bully, regardless of how big he is. Right now, it's time for all Americans to stand up to Trumps assault on our freedoms.

The Brain Drain Has Begun

Trump and his inner cronies hate immigrants and foreigners. Period.

Even the most casual observer can see that Trump's war on immigrants' goes much further than just protecting our borders.

Like Trump and Musk's idol Adolf Hitler, they are going after academia by threatening colleges who have the "wrong ideology" and students who don't conform to the party line.

In particular international students are bad for "American kids who want to go to a nice university but can't because their spot was taken by a foreign student" according to Trump's comedic sidekick J.D. Vance who has regally announced they are "bad for the American Dream."

The flimsy "Antisemitic" excuse for expelling these students is a way to please MAGA morons. 

This sick line of attack is cheap and transparent, though there are no doubt plenty of Trump minions with bad SAT scores who want to believe the only reason they didn't get into Harvard was that a foreign student took their "spot."

What the Trump regime fails to understand (or care about) is foreign students are actually improving the educational experience for all students. 

It's also true when it comes to schools recruiting foreign students. Colleges are looking for the brightest minds in the world. It's a major reason American universities are held in such high regard and why the United States is a world leader in scientific research.

I wonder what Republican voters would say if they realized the purge-them-all attitude meant expelling all of that talent hurts the larger economy. They might be especially perturbed when reminded that the high quality of American health care depends largely on the influx of medical doctors and researchers from around the world.

This targeting of "the small and the weak" - people who don't have as many resources to defend themselves, is part of a larger anti-immigration agenda designed by Trump and his chief Nazi wannabe Stephen Miller.

It's no big surprise that the White House refuses to talk about the real reasons behind most of the visa revocations. Their only evidence is being a foreigner. That's all the MAGA base needs. For example, one student was deported for drunk driving. Others had speeding tickets.

It's gone so far that a Brigham Young University candidate (Suguru Onda) from Japan had his internation student visa revoked because of a fishing violation. Reportedly he caught more fish than his fishing license allowed during a 2019 outing with his Latter-day Saint church group. The charge was later dismissed. 

Ondu is counted among the two-dozen or more international students attending Utah colleges and universities who had their visas revoked in recent weeks. 

They were directed to leave the country immediately. The message was clear to other countries as well, "Don't send your students here."

As it Stands, this brain drain will also have the effect of sending these bright students to our competitors in Europe and Asia. It's just another way that Trump is making America less influential and poorer.

Buckle Up - The Ride to Save America

The ghost of Paul Revere is riding through the American landscape warning Americans that Trump is out to destroy democracy. The process has been accelerated since we got Trump 2.0. He's just picking up where he left off - but this time there are no guardrails to curtail his corrupt goals.

Buckle up. We're all in for the ride of our lives...literally. Trump has declared war against judges that don't further his agenda while turning the stock market into a financial asylum where only inside Trump traders can make millions while the rest of America loses money and braces for the result of a global tariff war. Stock market instability is going to be around for a long time as Trump manipulates it while Republicans turn their heads and pretend the outrageous rip-off is the result of a financial genius, who by the way they all fear more than the devil.

Trump enablers have chosen to ignore reality to stay in his majesty's good graces. It's sickening to watch. The whole Signal Gate scandal is just one example of ignoring facts and the truth and telling the public that there's nothing to see there...when there's proof there was a whole lot to see and hear about the threat to our national security.

The rest of the world thinks America has gone mad and is turning into an autocracy every passing day. It sure looks that way. I don't blame then. Look what Trump has done to every one of our allies. The United States is suddenly imposing across the board tariffs on the free world. Oddly, no tariffs were imposed on Russia, but they were in Ukraine. The systematic dismantling by Trump of America's place in global affairs has been ruthless and relatively quick. Countries are still stunned by Trump's blitzkrieg of financial attacks on their economies.

Back home Trump has replaced experienced leaders in the military because they didn't bow to the new king's draconian orders. In their stead his spineless minions have been appointed to every position of power in the government. Their only qualification being how long they've been kissing Trump's massive ass! It was a successful brain drain in the first 90 days of the new regime.

Fox News hosts have taken over top security spots in our government with clowns like Pete Hegseth who was appointed the US Secretary of Defense.

So far Trump has selected 19 former Fox News hosts, journalists and commentators for senior positions in his second term. If anyone ever doubted that Fox news was a breeding ground for radicals who loved Trump this confirms their incestuous relationship.

The next three and a half years are going to be a marathon for defending justice. The people must rise in even bigger numbers than the recent Hands-Off national rally that saw over five million protestors from coast to coast. The protests must continue to spread in order to pressure gutless Republicans to break away from Trump and to take the side of the people who elected them. Winning the midterms is crucial if the Democrats want to fight Trump on a more level playing field during his last two years.

If you haven't already started stocking up on non-perishable foods, it's probably a good idea to start doing so ASAP. Our economy is going on a wild ride in the days ahead and we must be prepared.

As it Stands, the fate of a nation was riding that night according to Paul Revere. Once again Americans must resist tyranny. We don't do kings.

Solving the Mystery of the Missing Bird Penises

It's a mystery Sherlock Holmes would have refused to take on with his Victorian principals, but modern scientific sleuths have no bones about solving the mystery of the missing bird penises.

Before I turn you lose on the following article, which by the way will probably weird you out, I think it's safe to say most people will be surprised at how well-endowed some birds are.

Like ducks for example. Wow! Who would have guessed? I have a whole new respect for Donald Duck and Daffy Duck now.

"In the animal kingdom, ducks and geese are famous for their extra-long penises. 

In fact, when extended, the Argentine Lake Duck (photo above) is longer than the bird itself.

Most birds don't have such bragging rights, however. 

Males in 97 percent of the bird species have tiny penises or lack them entirely!

 Instead, they shoot sperm into a female body through an exit called a cloaca.

The absent bird penis is a head-scratcher for scientists who study animal reproduction. For animals in which eggs are fertilized inside the female body, sperm have a better chance of getting through if they're pipe-delivered with easy reach.

Why lose an organ that seems so important to achieve this task?" asked Patricia Brennan, a researcher at the University of Maryland who studies the coiled duck penis in an email to NBC News in 2013.

Why indeed?

I'll be honest with you... studying bird boners is a strange way to make a living. I don't care what anyone says. I can think of other species that would be more appropriate to research but that would be a future post.

I posted this story in April of 2013 and thought it would be fun to revisit it again in April of 2025. After all, what other species on this planet has a month dedicated to their genitals?

As it Stands, this is a strange world we live in but it's all we've got! Time for me to walk on down the road.

Are You Living in a Bubble Home?

Bubble homes have sprung up like mushrooms from the cities to the hinterlands of America as residents reject reality and distort facts to fit a radical agenda. Up is down. Down is up. Not just in America however, it's a phenomenon worldwide.

Like weeds in a garden bubble homes are springing up as people choose to live in silos of stupidity. Why? It's hard to pinpoint just one reason, but in general people seem more inclined to insulate themselves from the real world which they find unacceptable.

All of the chaos surrounding us today in our societies come from the far right who hate democracy and love dictators. Not all bubble homes are alike. It gets complicated.

Some people hole up in their homes - not because their far-right radicals - but because they simply want to escape from what they see as a coming Armageddon. I don't blame them. Still others want an authoritarian government, so they don't have to think for themselves.

Are you living in a bubble?

1. Do you believe Trump is a financial genius?

 a. Yes

 b. No

2. Do you believe America has always been a melting pot for immigrants from around the world?

a. Yes

b. No

3. Are all people created equally?

a. Yes

b. No

4. Do you think it's okay to ban books?

a. Yes

b. No

5. Do you think diversity is a bad thing?

a. Yes

b. No

6. Do you think the media should be under state control?

a. Yes

b. No

If you answered with the following, you're officially living in a bubble:

1. Yes 

2. No  

3. No

4. Yes

5. Yes

6. Yes

I'm not claiming this is a scientific sampling. It's more a reflection of what I see in the real world based upon the events we're all experiencing.

As it Stands, the real scary thing is that some people don't even realize they're living in a self-imposed bubble.

Setting the Record Straight on Long Term Marijuana Use

In case you've heard about how bad long term marijuana use is I'd like to set the record straight.

First, it's legal, although regulated in some states.

The 21st century has been a cannabis renaissance where the medical community has been rediscovering (the Chinese used it for medicinal purposes 5,000 years ago) the benefits of cannabis use for a couple of decades after intense research. 

However, research on long term use of cannabis has been sporadic, but I did find a recent study in Australia where patients were prescribed medicinal cannabis for long periods of time. 

The study started off with monitoring patients for a year and concluded it helped with anxiety, depression, insomnia, and pain improved over time for those with corresponding health conditions. Plans for longer studies are underway. 

I also found a 20-year cannabis study of over 1000 adults.

The study was published in Molecular Psychiatry. In summary using cannabis may cause changes in the body's epigenome. 

The epigenome functions like a set of switches, activating or deactivating genes to change how our bodies function.

Thus far the results have been inconclusive but, according to epidemiologist Drew Nannini, "This research has provided novel insights into the association between marijuana use and epigenetic factors." In other words, they're unsure what effect cannabis has on our genes. A longer study might be more informative.

I could tell researchers a few things about long term use of marijuana. 

I started smoking it in 1966, my sophomore year in high school. I've smoked it ever since. That's 63 years and qualifies me as "experienced" according to Jimi Hendrix's famous song Are You Experienced?

"But first, are you experienced?

Or have you ever been experienced?

Well, I have"

I imagine researchers would have a heyday with me following what I've done all of these years, and the role that devil weed played in my travels and regular life. Family members are convinced I have THC coursing through my veins. Who knows? I am rather healthy for a 74-year-old...all things considered. 

I went to Vietnam and Cambodia when I was 18 years old serving as an Army demolition expert in the 31st Eng. Battalion in 1970. I toked up with my comrades every chance I got. Everybody did in my unit except for the Lifers who preferred whiskey and beer. We were all trying to escape our grim reality.

I worked at a Ford Stamping plant in Ohio as an Automation-Tender and Welder. I couldn't wait to get off work and smoke some killer weed that I always got in upstate Michigan. I worked in a factory loading boxcars on the night shift and greeted the new day with a bowl of worthy ganja. 

I got married and we had three children. I went to college and became a professional journalist - both editor and publisher - who smoked a fat hootie every opportunity I got. I had to lead a secret life during my newspaper days because marijuana was illegal and only bad people smoked it, but it was okay when my fellow Rotarians got drunk in our weekly get together.

If there are supposed to be bad long-term effects according to some, I've yet to see them. My PTSD today is tolerable because of pot. As is my chronic back pain thanks to one of the herb's many superpowers. Think Terpenes.

As it Stands, meanwhile I'm thinking about starting a group of oldies but loadies with a minimum of 50 years of being "experienced!" 

Back By Popular Demand: Beer 2.0

A couple of weeks ago I took a look at the history and legends surrounding the ancient art of making beer.

Now that's out of the way it's time for Beer 2.0.

What country do you think has the best beer according to the Experts?

1. Germany

2. Belgium

3. The United States

(Answer is on bottom of the page)

Last November one of the most prestigious beer competitions in the world - The European Beer Star Competition - named Firestone Walker Brewing Company as the best brewery in the world. It won gold medals for its Belgian-style triple, Antwerp Calling, its wood and barrel-aged sour, Framboise, and its new style pale ale, and Firestone IPA.

I'll bet you couldn't name the best-selling beer in the world. 

Frankly I was shocked when I researched it. Snow Beer, a Chinese brand has been the world leader since 2008. I might have to try it some time.

Here's the five biggest beer companies in the world by output in million hectoliters.

1. AB InBev (Belgium)

2. Heineken (Netherlands)

3. China Res. Snow Breweries

4. Carlsberg (Denmark)

5. Molson Coors

Interesting beer news

In 2024, the highest rated beer in the United States (according to Untappd) was Kentucky Brunch Brand Stout from Toppling Goliath Brewing Company in Decorah, Iowa. Personally, I love stouts, and this is only one of the many I enjoy that is crafted here in America.

The Great American Beer Festival is returning to Denver Colorado on October 9-11, 2025. Experience pairing beer and good food provided by acclaimed chefs and craft breweries.

The Beverage Testing Institute declared the Beer of the Year in 2024 was Barrel-Aged Barleywine by Revolution Brewing.

The World Beer Cup, also known as "the Olympics of beer," is just around the corner. It's one of the most prestigious beer competitions on the planet. The event is being held at the Indiana Convention Center on May 1, 2025.

Where I live in Oregon we have the annual Oregon Brewers Festival, in Portland. The top selling product for the third year in a row was Cascade Brewing's Razberry Wheat out of Southwest Portland. There were 73 different craft beers from 18 states across the country.

Astute readers may recall my recent post on frogs and may be wondering why some people say frogs taste like beer? The answer is simple, Because of the hops! Don't worry. Be hoppy.

(Answer: Belgium)

As it Stands, Beer: Making people interesting since forever. 

I Just Went to My First Protest Rally and Was Impressed

           My wife and I (photo above) went to a "Hands Off" protest in Medford Oregon while other protests sprung up across the nation like flowers blooming on a spring day.

Opponents of our felon president and his unelected wealthy South African born buddy showed that America is not going to tolerate their corruption without a fight. 

There were more than 1,200 "Hands Off" demonstrations across the country planned by more than 150 groups, including civil rights organizations, labor unions, LBGTQ+ advocates, veterans and election activists.

It was the first protest I ever attended. 

I'm a Vietnam veteran who was on the other side of nationwide protests against the war. 

My greeting at LAX airport was brutal with people following me and cursing me like I was personally responsible for the damn war. 

At one point someone spit at me, and I dropped my duffle bags and lashed out at who I suspected was the spitter and I punched him in the jaw. His cronies swarmed me, and airport security had to peel them off and escorted me out. In the melee I lost one of my duffle bags and reported it to security who were more interested in getting me outside than in retrieving my duffle bag which was full of souvenirs. I never got it back despite numerous requests. 

As you can imagine I've never forgotten their naked hatred and the treatment I received because I was a soldier. The protests were wild, scary and people were killed - think the Kent State Massacre - as the nation was divided for and against the war. I was the same age as the protestors, and I hated the war. After I got out of the Army I dropped out and was immersed in the hippy culture for years.

When my wife and I went to the Hands-Off protest Saturday I was nervous. I have PTSD and have been avoiding crowds for decades. But something miraculous happened. The crowds were friendly, and I relaxed enough to appreciate the people I met. It was fascinating listening to their stories about how Trump and Musk were ruining their lives. Everyone was so united in their disdain for the Trump regime.

The majority of protestors were middle aged and seniors. Us boomers showed up like it was the 60's to make our voices heard once again. It was a transformative day for democracy. The battle has been joined and there will be many other protests leading up to the midterms at which time the Democrats hopefully will take back the House. But they need you and me to vote for democracy.

As it Stands, Trump's regime will need to be challenged every day until his orange ass is kicked out of the White House permanently.