Friday, November 15, 2024
TWITTER => X => NEW TOS (YOUR CONTENT WILL BE USED FOR TRAINING AI'S)
The application formerly known as Twitter, now X, has new Terms of Service (TOS) going into effect November 15, 2024.
The TOS now states explicitly it can use content on the system to train its AIs:
You agree that this license includes the right for us to (i) provide, promote, and improve the Services, including, for example, for use with and training of our machine learning and artificial intelligence models, whether generative or another type;
Other terms include a limitation on the number of posts that can be accessed quickly (inhibits searching the system to analyze it) and a provision that requires litigation to proceed through a favorable judge.
X TOS 2024-11-15
https://x.com/en/tos
(Note: Since this URL does not contain a version number or a date, if the TOS changes, the page may change and there may be no record of the earlier TOS, except possibly on the Internet Archive.)
There has recently been an exodus of users from X. Instructions to download your archive of posts, and then delete them from X, can be obtained from ChatGPT 4o with a simple query/prompt. (It may take a while for X to prepare your Archive and download it to you.)
Labels: AI, Terms of Service, TOS, Twiiter, X
Monday, November 04, 2024
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION ISSUES
ON EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THE CENTRAL ISSUES
KAMALA IS IN A MORE FAVORABLE POSITION
THAN eXP (eXPotus)!
#1 DEMOCRACY
Kamala intends to honor her oath to “support and defend the constitution of
the United States” as she has done in all her previous positions – as prosecutor,
Senator, and Vice President of the United States.
eXP IS A CONVICTED FELON, who SAYS, PUBLICLY, he intends to
be a dictator on Day 1.
eXP violated his oath to “support and defend the
constitution of the United States” on Jan 6, 2021.
Project 2025 is a description of HIS PLANS for the
government to be taken over by a dictatorial regime, to be used to convert the
government into an organization to work for the interests of the eXP and rich
businessmen, at the expense of all other Americans.
SCOTUS has given POTUS immunity – essentially no check on
POTUS’ powers. When eXP was POTUS, people who were his senior staff constantly
held him back from attempts on using dictatorial powers – his attempt to ignore the Constitution and laws, for example, to use the army to attack US citizens, and to
impound voting machines.
He became an insurrectionist when he tried to overthrow the elected government of the US on Jan 6, 2021 with a violent mob, to disrupt the certification of the 2020 election.
With the new POTUS immunity ruling, eXP would be unhindered in his self-dealing.
We cannot choose to lose our LIBERTY.
Patriots say, "Give me liberty or give me death!" eXP plans to take that away.
KAMALA HARRIS IS FAVORED ON THE ISSUE OF DEMOCRACY!
#2 CHARACTER
eXP is a proven liar, a convicted felon, guilty of committing election law violations and fraudulently concealing the payoffs. He was found guilty of massive civil fraud. His “charity” was found guilty of fraud. A jury found him guilty of sexual abuse. Numerous accusations have not been resolved, for example, that his relationships with Epstein permitted him to commit acts of pedophilia, He has bragged of walking through the dressing room while the young female contestants of his teen “beauty pageant” were dressing. He bragged that he could just grab women. He publicly mocked people with disabilities. He provoked violence – for example when he told the audience, including armed white nationalists, on Jan 6, 2021 to “fight like hell”. He had three wives. He cheated on them.
Note: If you have a strong stomach and you do not believe how vulgar eXP is, then watch this clip: https://x.com/ananavarro/status/1852687230063476779
He said he believes in winning. He does not say he believes in making the lives of every American better.
Kamala has no character issues.
We cannot elect a man of such terrible moral character to the most important office in the world, Our Presidency!
KAMALA HARRIS IS FAVORED ON THE ISSUE OF CHARACTER!
#3 NATIONAL SECURITY
eXP has given credence to Putin over domestic intelligence. He has said he has a great relationship with Putin. He has "love letters" from Kim Jong Un.
During his administration, Russia was given free rein to act in the Middle East. eXP scrapped the nuclear treaty with Iran, ending the agreed deterrence, allowing them to come within a very short time of being able to deploy nuclear weapons. He allowed North Korea to make great strides in developing their nuclear intercontinental ballistic missiles. He negotiated a disastrous end to the war in Afghanistan, not admitting the Afghan government into the process, letting the Taliban loose, so they were in control of the country, and releasing the current leader of the Taliban from jail, and not even not communicating during the transition with the Biden administration.
eXP has favored autocratic leaders over our allies. Here is one example:
"Our allies are worse than our so-called enemies:
https://x.com/i/status/1852471847822262695/
He denounced NATO, the prime military alliance keeping peace in Western Europe. He tried to corrupt the Ukrainian government by blackmailing them to try to get "dirt" on the Biden family. (He was impeached for this, but not convicted in the Senate by the GOP.)
He waffled on China. Sometimes trying to blame them for the COVID crisis. Sometimes praising XI. He increased tariffs on some products, raising American prices, and causing problems for American farmers, which led him to create a payout to American farmers.
On one occasion he revealed sensitive classified data to Russia. He had secret conversations with the Russians, destroying any transcripts, possibly* contrary to American laws. (*Note: The immunity decision by GOP SCOTUS Justices may have "de-illegaled" acts like these.)
He absconded with extremely highly classified documents when he exited the White House, and left them in unsecured semi-public locations at Mar-a-Lago. He did not return them when they were subpoenaed. He was indicted for these actions. He revealed some classified document information to one or more people without appropriate security clearances.
He took actions in the Middle East that were provocative, increasing the tension with Iran, possibly stoking the "fires" that let to the Oct 7 pogrom in Israel. He was very supportive of MBS in Saudi Arabia, dismissing the murder of American Journalist Khashogghi. Very shortly after eXP left the White House, Saudi Arabia invested at least $2B in a fund managed by Jared Kushner, eXP's daugher Ivanka's husband.
During his administration it is estimated the eXP made millions of dollars in rentals and fees from foreign dignitaries staying at his properties, in possible violation of the emoluments clause in the Constitution.
The Biden-Harris administration has repaired relations with our allies in Europe, Asia and the rest of the world. They are supporting Israel's defense, while trying to provide humanitarian assistance to the Palestinians. They have taken a strong lead in trying to repatriate the hostages, and develop a long-term peace. They developed an alliance that helped Israel defend against Iranian missile attacks.
They have taken a strong stand, and developed a strong alliance to defend Ukraine, with sending any American soldiers into battle.
The strong defense by the Biden-Harris administration of Democracy and the Rule of Law, has preserved the role of the USA as leader of the free world, and the Dollar$ as the center of world finance.
KAMALA HARRIS IS FAVORED ON THE ISSUE OF NATIONAL SECURITY!
...More issues to come!
*** ***** ***
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION ISSUES
#1 DEMOCRACY, #2 CHARACTER, #3 NATIONAL SECURITY
https://qporit.blogspot.com/2024/11/presidential-election-issues.html/
#4 THE ECONOMY, #5 IMMIGRATION, #6 WOMEN'S HEALTH
https://qporit.blogspot.com/2024/11/presidential-election-issues-4-economy.html/
*** ***** ***
*** ***** ***
WHY AND HOW THE DEMOCRATS
CAN WIN
A LANDSLIDE VICTORY
UP AND DOWN THE BALLOT
https://qporit.blogspot.com/2024/08/2024-landslide-why-how.html/
***
Labels: Democracy, Harris, issues, Kamala, President, Presidential election, Vance, Walz
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION ISSUES #4 THE ECONOMY, #5 IMMIGRATION, #6 WOMEN'S HEALTH
The denial by SCOTUS of the right to an abortion, and the resulting ferocious and terrible attack on women and their health by GOP controlled legislatures, governors and exP (the ex POTUS, aka T), is more than a political issue. It is a fundamental misuse of government power that exP is responsible for, and Kamala is pledged to correct.
THE ECONOMY and IMMIGRATION are political issues. Although exP may think that THE ECONOMY & IMMIGRATION are the GOP’s strongest issues, in fact, both the historical record, and their future plans give the advantage to Harris as our future President.
#4 THE ECONOMY
exP's actions as President, before Biden-Harris took office, are the cause of the inflation spike. Then, after inauguration, the Biden Harris administration fixed the problem (without a recession)!!! Inflation is now at normal levels, stock prices - and the related retirement savings - are at a record high, and the economy is the strongest in the world.
exP’s plans to impose heavy tariffs on many, many imports (tariffs are beautiful , he says); and, to drill, drill, drill (oil); and, to deport immigrants, will be a repeat of the mistakes he made when he was in office, and will raise prices again.
Kamala’s plan for her Presidency consists of diverse measures to keep household expenses low, while raising wages.
Specifically, inflation was caused by exP’s actions during his term, including
a) Conspiring with Saudi Arabia to raise oil prices (in a video, he brags about doing this);
b) Putting tariffs on inexpensive products from China and other countries, making them more expensive;
c) Mishandling the COVID crisis, leading to a breakdown in the supply chain;
d) Mishandling immigration, preventing immigrants from contributing to the country (immigrant labor is an essential part of the American economic system);
e) Giving a tax break to billionaire$, raising the debt;
f) Repatriating billion$ of dollars from overseas, allowing a large supply of money to enter the US, which was then dispersed to rich investors; (an increase in the money supply is a direct cause of inflation).
These inflationary pressures did not raise prices during exP’s administration because his mishandling of COVID prevented people from pursuing normal economic behavior, and caused massive unemployment. When you are in isolation, or afraid to travel, or sick, or caring for sick loved ones, or out of work, you do not spend money. COVID drastically reduced demand for many things, and kept prices artificially low.
Once the Biden-Harris COVID team successfully began to vaccinate the population, and the level of COVID infections rapidly declined, people began again to spend the money they could not spend doing exP’s term, and then prices rose.
Biden-Harris then fixed the supply-chain, provided financial relief to people who needed money, jump-started employment with the Chips Act and infrastructure bill (something exP had talked about constantly without ever doing), and used executive power to reduce certain costs, such as some medicines, and other costs caused by corporate greed, (such as excessively raising prices - price gouging).
During her administration Kamala is pledged to execute a variety of consumer-cost-reducing strategies, improving household purchasing power.
#5 IMMIGRATION
During exP's term, the conditions in several Central American and South American countries were driving people seeking a better life to try to re-settle in America. Unfortunately, in 2016, the immigration system was not prepared to handle the number of potential immigrants. While exP recognized the problem, he failed catastrophically to execute a solution. exP simply does not know how to run an organization for the benefit of anyone but himself. exP did not fix the immigration process. His attempt to build a wall to keep immigrants out and have México pay for it, failed completely. Only a few miles of wall were built, and they were useless against the number of immigrants. Of course, Mexico paid nothing. exP even diverted some money funded and needed for other purposes, to his wall project.
His treatment of immigrants was inhumane and un-American, forcibly separating parents and children and providing unacceptable living conditions for some migrants. exP’s failure to provide a path to citizenship for earlier legal immigrants was a source of great pain for the immigrant community, and his restrictions on the ability of immigrants to work helped cause inflation by contributing to the collapse of the supply chain.
The Biden-Harris administration helped some of the South American and Central American countries to improve the living conditions in those countries, they worked with Mexico to control the flow of immigrants through Mexico to the US, and brought the number of immigration crossings down to a low level.
The Biden-Harris administration worked with Conservative Republicans to draft legislation that would improve every aspect of the immigration process. However, exP said, explicitly, that fixing the immigration process with this bill would prevent him from campaigning on the immigration issue and the GOP, although they co-wrote the bill, should defeat it. They did.
In this flagrant example of hypocrisy, and lack of serious interest in improving the lives of Americans, exP told the GOP to defeat the bill because he did not want to fix the problem, he wanted to campaign on the claim that it was broken. exP talks in vague language about how the USA is broken, but he does not want to improve it. With Project 2025, in fact, he has a plan to make conditions in the US better for big companies and wealthy donors, and worse for everyone else.
His future plan for immigration, he has bragged, would include a “bloody” mass roundup of immigrants, incarceration, and mass deportations. This would be inhumane, anti-American, would ruin the USA’s reputation throughout the world, and seriously damage the economy.
#6 WOMEN'S HEALTH
SCOTUS’ decision on “abortion,” which has been celebrated by exP and GOP led legislatures, is being used, not just to prevent abortions, but even more ominously to deny healthcare to women, leading already to absolutely unnecessary deaths, and to provide a pretext for surveillance of the medical and travel records of women. For government officials (not necessarily even lawyers or judges) to take responsibility for a woman’s medical treatment away from doctors, would seem to be medical malpractice and a violation of the equal protection clause of the constitution.
GOP state legislatures have been using "abortion law" to deny women full medical services. It is a disgrace & unconstitutional: Amendment 14.1 - "No State shall make or enforce any law which shall ... deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws."
Kamala will work to restore Roe v Wade, and to provide responsible medical treatment for women, and prevent surveillance of women, either as a new court ruling, or as national legislation.
THE BOTTOM LINES
exP has conducted an old man's rambling, often incoherent, downbeat campaign -- complaining that the USA is a failing country, threatening his political opponents, insulting cities and ethnic groups, lying and celebrating Nazi code-words, delusionally calling his Madison Square Garden Nazi tribute rally, and the Jan 6 violent riot and insurrection a "love fest".
The USA can not afford exP.
Kamala has executed a brilliant campaign. She will bring in a bi-partisan, new-generation group of experts, committed to improving the lives of Americans, as her Cabinet and staff.
We need Kamala.
*** ***** ***
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION ISSUES
#1 DEMOCRACY, #2 CHARACTER, #3 NATIONAL SECURITY
https://qporit.blogspot.com/2024/11/presidential-election-issues.html/
#4 THE ECONOMY, #5 IMMIGRATION, #6 WOMEN'S HEALTH
https://qporit.blogspot.com/2024/11/presidential-election-issues-4-economy.html/
*** ***** ***
WHY AND HOW THE DEMOCRATS
CAN WIN
A LANDSLIDE VICTORY
UP AND DOWN THE BALLOT
https://qporit.blogspot.com/2024/08/2024-landslide-why-how.html/
***
ON EVERY SINGLE ISSUE KAMALA HAS A BETTER HISTORY, AND A BETTER PLAN, A PLAN WHICH WILL IMPROVES THE LIVES OF ALL AMERICANS.
Labels: Democracy, Harris, immigration, issues, Kamala, President, Presidential election, the economy, Vance, Walz, women's health
Monday, October 28, 2024
JEWISH AND OTHER VOTERS - CHECK THIS, IF YOU THINK TRUMP WILL PROTECT ISRAEL, OR PALESTINIANS
If you are Jewish and plan to vote for T -- who has been quoting Hitler recently, held a restaging of the Famous Nazi MSG rally today, and talks about his Reich -- because you think he will protect Israel and support Jewish interests, make sure you know that T did not mean what it seems to mean when he told a Christian Faith event -- We will ban child sexual molestation*. It won’t happen, And then we can “proudly say Merry Christmas” again.
*Is he referring to the Jewish rite of circumcision? How is banning this related to saying Merry Christmas, proudly? Does this mean what it seems to mean?
This clip was shown on Late Night with Colbert about a week ago. Let’s hope it is not real, and if real does not mean what it seems to mean. But unless you can be sure, DO NOT VOTE FOR TRUMP or anyone running for election that supports him.
T is a fascist: he said he would be a dictator on day one, and he does not deny that.
By the way, if you support T because you think he will be good for Palestinians, remember that T is strongly prejudiced against Muslims, and, while the Biden-Harris administration has been a brake slowing Netanyahu down, and has facilitated efforts to bring supplies to Gaza and negotiate a peace treaty, T advocates the opposite, and has been goading Netanyahu to take strong actions.
Labels: anti-semitism, circumcision, fascism, Merry Christmas, MSG Rally, Nazi, Palestinians, Trump
Sunday, October 27, 2024
READ THE SUNDAY NYT MAGAZINE OCT 27, 2024 “THE MAGA MOGULS”
Two articles in The Sunday NYT Magazine OCT 27, 2024:
According to the historian Robert Paxton, Trump IS a fascist. Really. It's not just name calling.
Also "If Hindenberg hadn't been talked into choosing Hitler", they might have had "an ordinary conservative & not a fascist." (Note the comparison to tech moguls pushing Trump & Vance in the following article.)
“THE MAGA MOGULS” describes how & why the “PayPal Mafia” (Musk, Thiel, Sacks & others) came to support Trump, push Vance, and how hard Musk is working to elect Trump.
Also from the article:
"Trump's team had decided to do things very differently in 2024 ... using its campaign volunteers not to try to persuade voters, but to lay down a foundation for future 'legal' challenges." (quotes & highlights mine)
NOTE to Harris’ campaign leaders: In addition to thwarting Trump's "legal" attack on a free and fair election, you need to understand Musk’s ground game. The state GOP parties may be broke or not interested (see above), but (according to the article) Musk is trying to build his own ground game and has the $$$ to do it (tho' he is new at it, and so far, not too good).
Labels: fascism, ground game, Hitler, Musk. Robert Paxton. NYT, Thiel, Trump, Vance
Tuesday, October 22, 2024
HARVEY EDWARDS
Harvey Edwards, the distinguished photographer and visual artist, passed away today after a short but aggressive illness.
First coming to attention with the posters ,“Leg Warmers” and “Ballet Slippers”, Harvey’s pictures became a staple decoration and inspiration for young ballerinas and other ballet lovers.
His book, “The Art of Dance” is a collection of photographs of dancers in rehearsal and performance.
He branched out to cover many other subjects, including still lifes, nudes, and a book of photographs on the Fairfax neighborhood in California.
Harvey was also passionately opposed to the character and Presidency of Donald Trump, which he expressed in art work, and commentaries on his blog.
He leaves behind his wife, Eleanor
Roffman Edwards, a son Garet, and two daughters, Lauren and Brooke.
THE ART OF DANCE
FAIRFAX
https://www.amazon.com/Fairfax-Harvey-Edwards/dp/B0007AKNBO/
HARVEY EDWARDS’ BLOG
https://harveyedwards.blogspot.com/
BIO NOTES
https://www.qart.com/harvey-edwards-biographies/4528/
SOME POSTS
https://www.huffpost.com/author/harvey-edwards
LINKEDIN
https://www.linkedin.com/in/harvey-edwards-262666/
John Donne
Labels: Ballet Slippers, Fairfax, Harvey Edwards, Leg Warmers, The Art of Dance
eXtended Reality & the Future of US All Current Status & The Next 4 Years
eXtended Reality & The Future of US ALL
Current Status & The Next 4 Years
Please join us for a deep dive into the world of
eXtended Reality & The Future
FREE! ONLINE!
10/23/2024 6-8 PM
WE REGRET THAT
DUE TO A DEATH IN THE FAMILY
THIS MEETING HAS BEEN POSTPONED.
IT WILL BE RESCHEDULED.
Topics include:
>> Why eXtended Reality will be so important for you during the Next Four Years!
>>> and... What exactly is it!?
Plus…
>> Introduction to AI (especially for Story-Tellers)
>>> Opportunities & Hazards
>> What’s New in Headsets
>>> Living in 3 and more dimensions - real & imaginary
Plus …
>>> a pile of resource links to download and jumpstart your
explorations.
FREE. ONLINE.
TICKETS: https://XR_Now_and_Next_Four_Years.eventbrite.com/?aff=Q
WE REGRET THAT
DUE TO A DEATH IN THE FAMILY
THIS MEETING HAS BEEN POSTPONED.
IT WILL BE RESCHEDULED.
Schedule:
6:00 – 6:30
Registration & Networking
6:30 – 7:30 Presentation
7:30 – 8:00 Q & A and Networking
SPEAKER: Eric Roffman invented the term eXtended Reality
in 2015 in his website/blog QPORIT (https://qporit.blogspot.com/2015/09/some-variations-on-reality-extended.html)
where he reports on video, theater, new technology (like XR!), science,
and public issues. He is currently beta testing QPORIT XR, a
3D 360 webXR extension of QPORIT.
Eric has a
PhD in theoretical physics, investigating fundamental properties of elementary
particles and quantum field theory (in 3 & more dimensions; of
course using xR HMD's). He also founded “THE AMERICAN FILM MAGAZINE”,
later selling the title to the AFI, and created the award-winning multimedia
computer game “Millennium Auction”.
(Image
above, a 20?? Robot with an nD 360 XR headset, by GPT 4o &
Adobe Photoshop Beta; prompts by EHR.)
CONTACT: qporit@aol.com
*** *** ***
FOR THE LATEST NEWS, FUTURE NEWS!
AND
CONTINUING INFORMATION ABOUT XR,
AI, STORY-TELLING, NEW TECHNOLOGY, IMMERSIVE THEATER,
FILM & VIDEO, SCIENCE, AND PUBLIC ISSUES
PLEASE!
SUBSCRIBE TO QPORIT:
AND... JOIN MORE THAN 3,000 MEMBERS OF
NYXR – THE NEW YORK EXTENDED
REALITY MEETUP
Labels: 180, 3D, AI, Amazon, Apple, AR, Blockade Labs, eXtended Reality, Future, Google, Headsets, MR, MS, NotebookLM, NVIDIA, Open AI, RunwayML, video, VR, XR
A CHILD'S CHRISTMAS IN WALES - IRISH REP
Preview:
I've never seen the Irish Rep's version of A Child's Christmas in Wales. But the original, written by Dylan Thomas, is terrific. And the Irish Rep is a reliably terrific theater.
A rare and special treat these days to have a new production of Dylan Thomas in NY!
(Irrelevant side note -- after acting classes at HB Studio our favorite spot was Dylan Thomas' famous hangout at the White Horse Tavern.)
Unseen, I recommend the Irish Rep's version of A Child's Christmas in Wales.!
A CHILD'S CHRISTMAS IN WALES
https://irishrep.org/shows/a-childs-christmas-in-wales/
DYLAN THOMAS READING A CHILD'S CHRISTMAS IN WALES
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zFSs2IdDmuU
THE WHITE HORSE TAVERN - WIKIPEDIA
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_Horse_Tavern_(New_York_City)
Labels: A Child's Christmas in Wales, Dylan Thomas. Irish Rep
Saturday, October 19, 2024
AN EASY TO UNDERSTAND DISCUSSION ABOUT PRESIDENTIAL IMMUNITY
Jack Smith filed a brief describing why Donald Trump is not immune from prosecution over his actions to overthrow the Presidential election of 2020, culminating in the attack on the Capital on Jan 6, 2021.
Below is a podcast-style "discussion" of the document created by Google's NotebookLM, and a link to the court document itself.
THE PODCAST ANALYSIS OF THE FILING
https://notebooklm.google.com/notebook/35b70a4e-8a2d-4081-8aa6-6d3dc3860838/audio
THE FILING
https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.dcd.258148/gov.uscourts.dcd.258148.252.0.pdf
GOOGLE'S NOTEBOOKLM
This is not a legal analysis. It is an analysis by an AI which uses techniques of neural networks, chat creation, voice synthesis and more, to generate the output. Neural networks are trained with data (aside from the documents it is specifically analyzing) which inherently contain unknown biases. The work of a neural network -- especially one to which you have no direct access -- is a black box. (So is the "more".) AI currently may contain errors and produce inaccurate information. The results that AI can produce are changing very rapidly. The performance and results produced by AI today are specific to this run with today's model, and may be very different in a week, month, year, and more...
Labels: AI podcast, Jack Smith, Presidential immunity, Trump
Wednesday, October 09, 2024
HURRICANES & OUR WILD PLANET
We are ALL living on a wild planet. It obeys natural not human laws. There is a massive amount of energy coming from the sun to animate the seas and the air. Earth’s interior is still hot, and the land is moving, literally, under our feet, powered by the huge energy of gravity.
As a result, we have hurricanes and tornadoes that roil our air and our oceans, earthquakes and volcanoes that move our land, and by so doing poison the air and raise the sea with tsunamis.
The power of the forces that disturb our Earth exceeds the power of humans. ALL humans
At this moment in time, we are nowhere near, in our human technology, from overcoming the terrors that natural power can invoke.
But we can ALL work together to mitigate the harm that nature wields against us.
With one hurricane, Helene, just past, and another, Milton, about to strike, striking in fact the same region as Helene, this is not a time to play politics, but it is a time for serious politics. Serious politics is the art and science of working together to protect each other.
With rising temperatures fueling more and more violent weather, and raising sea levels, we must, as a world community, while we strive to find technologies and behavior that will help alleviate the causes of rising temperature, we must all devote more resources to mitigating its effects.
Physical engineering, social engineering, and social planning must work together to recognize vulnerabilities, prevent them as much as possible, and prepare to defend them when they are attacked.
In this country, much more needs to be done. Some simple steps include much more money for FEMA; applying building codes to prevent houses from being built in fire zones; and requiring buildings and all infrastructure to withstand earthquakes and tsunamis, even those of currently almost unimaginable severity.
We need to recognize areas that are vulnerable, and provide escape routes, as well as reducing the risks through engineering and planning.
As just one example, Long Island, in New York State, has not had a bad hurricane in a long time. As we watch the storm blow into Florida, we should be thinking about Long Island. It is long. Many people live there. Even more come there during the hurricane season. There is very little capacity to move people from the East back to New York City. It is very low. A major hurricane, with a major storm surge could completely flood the center of this long island, creating two short islands. A major hurricane that crosses the center of Long Island with little warning, could create one of the worst natural disasters in the history of the United States.
Let’s work together, We care about each other. The Earth does not care, but we do.Labels: Earth, earthquakes, Helene, hurricanes, Long Island, Milton, tornadoes
Wednesday, September 11, 2024
9/11
2001-09-11 -- 2024-09-11
John Donne
Labels: 9/11, Donne, No man is an island
Tuesday, September 10, 2024
THE 2024 LANDSLIDE - PART II: THE DEBATE
WHY AND HOW
KAMALA HARRIS
AND THE DEMOCRATS
CAN WIN A LANDSLIDE
UP AND DOWN THE BALLOT
IN 2024
PART II: DEALING WITH THE DEBATE
SEE PART I:
https://qporit.blogspot.com/2024/08/2024-landslide-why-how.html
==>> UPDATE 2024-09-10
A few quick post-debate updates:
Taylor Swift endorsed Kamala.
Donald Trump emphatically stated that he believes he won the 2020 election.
Kamala looked happy and confident. She made her points. She rattled Trump.
Trump rambled and lied and lied and lied and insulted everything American he could mention.
Trump refused to say he believed that Ukraine should win the war.
Kamala was clear that failing to defend Ukraine would put Poland at risk.
Trump offered the authoritarian leader of Hungary as a character reference.
Trump was clear that had no plan to improve health care. In fact, he had no plan for any issue at all.
Trump said that people are eating other people's dogs. (He really said that, even when contradicted by the Moderator,)
Kamala was very clear that she would be looking out for the welfare of all Americans, and was looking to improve the lives of Americans in very practical ways.
A few quick post-debate editorial comments:
Kamala did very well in the debate. She looked good, confident, and Presidential. This will continue the momentum of her campaign.
For the most part, she did exactly what she needed to do. I do believe, as I said below, that Kamala would do well to amplify her plans to boost the promises of future technology, avoid its hazards, and make sure its benefits are made available to all Americans. This would, I believe, assist her campaign among males, VC's, investors, & technologists, young voters, and everyone else.
Trump did badly, probably lost a significant number of voters and media commentators, probably made no new supporters.
I can say, personally, that Trump lied when he claimed that all Democrats supported the reversal of Roe v Wade.
For me, the most disturbing moment was when Trump said (insisted!) he won the 2020 election. I am fearful for what new methods he and his supporters will use to try to prevent a free and fair election, and the certification of the actual results. Even more troublesome is that for him to deny the rightful result of the election at this point is delusional, and therefor dangerous, disqualifying, and profoundly anti-American. I do not believe any supporter of such a disturbed human, nor such a demented person themself, should be any where near the leadership of this country.
==>> END UPDATE 2024-09-10
* * * * *
Since the
first Kennedy-Nixon debate, it has become clear that the “debate” is not really
a debate. It is a reality show, very similar to the knockoff climax of each
episode of the Apprentice, when leaders of the two groups would try to prove
that they – whether or not they had - objectively - the best results – were the
person NOT to get fired.
Trump,
himself an unsuccessful apprentice at being President, nevertheless had years
of experience, experimenting with the best way to succeed at this type of
event. His manner at his “debate” experiences against Hillary and Biden, shows
that he learned that being the loudest, the most forceful, and the most
aggressive works fairly well, for him. Telling the truth doesn’t matter much.
In fact, the
most important factors in the Presidential “debate” have proved to be (in
order!):
Critical:
1. Whether you made any kind of a serious error.
2. How good you look - looking good, strong & “Presidential” is a requirement.
3. How you sound - sounding strong & confident helps.
4. Whether you have a good one-liner that the press can repeat over and over in their “analysis” of the event.
Much less
important:
5a - Whether you told the truth accurately (note: lying on
purpose is deemed less serious than making an unintentional serious error),
and/or
5b - how well you called out false statements by the other
person.
6 6 -
(and more or less last) - Whether you demonstrated or exhibited the experience,
knowledge and plans to be a successful President, who could and would run the
government well.
This is, by
the way, a strange list of priorities, which read from bottom to top as a much better
way to evaluate a candidate for the Presidency.
In the
recent debate between Biden and Trump, if you analyze the text of the answers,
Biden showed greater Presidential abilities. He was savaged by makeup that was
too pale, camera angles that showed his head smaller than Trump’s on the
screen, and that often caught him looking down or away from the camera and not directly at it; and a mic
that needed higher volume amplification. Remnants of Biden’s lifelong
stuttering, on his attempts to answer questions with a complex and thoughtful
analysis, was not a match for Trump’s high volume, high velocity torrent of
insults and lies, ignoring the questions that were asked.
Several
things have happened in past debates that should be noted and combatted.
First, as suggested
above, it is essential that Kamala’s team make sure her mic is loud, her tone
rich, her hair and makeup is on point, her lighting is good, and the producer
who selects the camera shots shows her looking good. She should usually be looking
at the camera, the questioner, or at Trump; and the camera shot should show
that.
By the way, in
past debates. Trump has moved around a lot; and has talked loudly and with such
a barrage of lies, that responding concisely – or at all! – becomes difficult. It is really a positive, I think, that the mic
is muted when it is not a person’s time to speak. It could be impossible for
Kamala to speak if Trump simply interrupted her every time she tried to speak. Since
it is on-brand for T, it might really not matter how vile that is.
Kamala must
come out looking like a Presidential winner; and leave looking like a Debate And
Presidential winner.
In debates
in the past, Trump has stated that he would not accept the results of the
election; that he believes his opponent should be jailed. He also, when asked
to condemn violent groups, instead told them to “stand by”. If he says anything
like this, Kamala must be ready to deliver a “killer” response.
Trump lies.
Too often to be corrected completely.
Kamala must have a good response to Trump’s lies. Pete Buttigieg has been
very effective on Fox, simply overwhelming the question with facts. Here, the
time constraints must be taken into account, in preparing a response in
advance.
Trump has
several favorite issues: the economy; the border; the Afghanistan withdrawal.
Trump is actually very vulnerable on each of these issues, Kamala’s response must
be definitive.
With some
help from a political comedian, T’s frequent habit of using childish, lazy, extremal
debating cliches, like “everybody knows…”
“the worst/greatest in American history… “ “embarrassing… ” , could be destroyed
and turned into a source of ridicule forever.
The violence,
the threats to the election process, the cultivation of domestic terrorists, fascists
and neo-Nazis, the support for Dictators, and for a Day One Dictatorship, and the
detailed, terrible plans laid out in Project 2025, must be called out quickly
and demolished in a way that resonates.
I believe that “dangerous” and “delusional” and “dishonest” and “disloyal”
and “unfit to be Commander in Chief” and even unAmerican, can be added to “weird”
as a concise characterization of Trump’s threat to the country.
Of course,
in the event that the moderators have “control” of the event, and they really
try to get important insights and answers on policy, it is vital to have the
best sounding and the most logical answers for the basic policy questions.
Kamala’s
current best issues are well known, and they veer toward the issues that most middle-class
households find important. That is the base of her support, and she must cement
that.
In order for
important policies to become the law of the land, it is necessary for support
in both houses of Congress. To prevent
states from sabotaging some policies where states can usurp control of the policy,
it is also important to gain control of state governments. Kamala should try to teach out and emphasize
the importance of electing people at every level of government who will work
for policies for the people and for the country. With more and more Republicans
disgusted by Trump, and by the RINOs who have taken control of their party, reaching
out to Republicans, while attacking the RINO’s for their irresponsible fealty
to Trump’s fascist proclivities, is very logical and very important.
And, to tap
into support from the media, the rich, young men, teachers, scientists,
and technicians, (and everyone else!) I
believe that it would be extremely helpful for Kamala to bring, to the debate, something new
and powerful, and specific, to her vision of the future of technology -- that
it must be safe, and it must be available to every American in every corner of
the county. The future is coming. It is coming exponentially faster and faster,
and Americans must know that she will accelerate progress, while making sure,
absolutely sure, that its hazards are controlled, and its benefits are shared by
all Americans.
Labels: 2024 election, Debate, Democrats, Kamala Harris, Presidency, Republicans
