Watt's Gnus

#1043773

January 28, 2023 at 12:53am

I'm seldom happy with either/or. To mangle a phrase: humans often do something because they 'can' without asking whether they 'should'. Both 'outer space' and 'under water' are of interest to us curious latter-day-apes. But until we successfully navigate 'inner space' I'm not sure either is advisable as frankly I'm not sure we as a species are mature enough yet. I'm hopeful that we will mature as there are many humans who have reached... [Read more]

#1043543

January 26, 2023 at 10:22am

What is the most important social problem in society today and how would you recommend to improve or completely fix it? INEQUITY {footnote:#}The term “equity” refers to fairness and justice and is distinguished from equality: Whereas equality means providing the same to all, equity means recognizing that we do not all start from the same place and must acknowledge and make adjustments to imbalances. It's not 100% "fixable" because true equity does not exist. Inequity st... [Read more]

#1034993

July 10, 2022 at 4:52pm

The assassin of Abe in Japan may have been motivated by hatred of the Unification Church that 1. he accused of bankrupting his mother, and 2. supported Abe. The parallels in the U.S.? A Catholic Supreme Court that just limited the rights of a woman to her own body in a move that blurs the separation of church and state. Catholics need to speak up. Secularists need to redo their narrative. The Southern Baptists and Mormons need to rethink their positions. Women need to demand this. ... [Read more]

#1034244

June 25, 2022 at 5:01pm

Sorrow, pain as final Uvalde victim is buried: 'We are basically in a state of undeclared civil war' ... sad headline on the 25th of June. And possibly preminiscient. First old white men are allowed to pack pistols and then women are told they have no right of privacy to their own bodies. Bullets have more rights than second-class citizens (formerly known as females). https://www.theglobalist.com/the-u-s-supreme-court-now-a-roman-catholic-institution/ A totally Catholi... [Read more]

#1029578

March 27, 2022 at 6:10pm

Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson... deal with it. 28 March 2022 I feel an urge to explain some things to those White folks surrounded by all-White family who live in White neighborhoods and go to White-only churches... You build walls around you. It's no surprise that you don't understand. Shirley Chisholm (1924-2005) was the first black woman elected to Congress, the first to run for president. "Unbought and Unbossed" was her slogan. Chisholm said that... [Read more]

#1028441

March 6, 2022 at 3:02pm

Although I think history helps understand conflicts like the Catholic/Calvinists in Ireland and Catholic/Orthodox in Croatia/Serbia it all comes down to splitters wanting a fight (or being left alone) while lumpers want to unite (or subjugate). Brexit/EU and US/NATO splits (attempted under the previous US president) comes to mind. Few people rarely want war, but they'll sure support it! and have stated their neutrality and with all due respect this IS another European War. And very m... [Read more]

#1024284

January 6, 2022 at 8:07pm

Sadly, none of the WDC prompts today on any of the forums even come close to any issue about real life community events. Just another day of banana pudding prompts, imo. However, one year ago today, I turned on ABC to watch the boring certification of the elections. The results were clear. All states had counted, even recounted, the votes and certified the 2020 election. It wasn't quite so boring when protestors spurred on by an angry spurned candidate marched to the Capitol. Those wa... [Read more]

#1024105

January 5, 2022 at 3:58pm

On January 6, 2021 I turned on ABC because I wanted to see how the official transfer of power, no matter how boring, was done in DC. I got more than I expected. There was the lead up to the Congressional Session while the present president was speaking at a rally denouncing the election that had denied him a second term. They reminded me of a 'football rally' until the rally marched on the unprepared Capitol building. Then it got feisty outside while the proceedings inside went forward. ... [Read more]

#1019732

October 20, 2021 at 5:44pm

Originally written as a blog response to . It kinda got a life of its own... Anyway thanks to Hooves inspiring something on a low-energy day. David Gurwitz about Israel in https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8156903/ "...health authorities should take steps for building public trust in approved vaccines by increased transparency on national COVID-19 infection, mortality, and vaccination rates, while minimizing actions that may infringe human privacy, autonomy, and employ... [Read more]

#1017674

September 18, 2021 at 3:22pm

What did I feel January 6th? I was so glued to the broadcast I can't really remember. Not personal fear. Nothing was happening outside my window. Anxiety? i I don't always watch congressional debates and official deliberations. They are often boring and seldom illuminating. But the 2020 election was still being contested two months later and I wanted to see the process in which the Senate counted, recorded, accepted the results of the recent election. There had been controversy lea... [Read more]

#1017200

September 12, 2021 at 6:13pm

The Insurrection of January 6, 2021 was an attack against western ideals. The events of September 11, 2001 were horrific but it was an external attack. Terrorists from other countries (fifteen of them were citizens of Saudi Arabia, two were from the United Arab Emirates, one was from Lebanon, and one from Egypt) took away the false sense of safety but not American freedoms. Whatever "freedoms" were compromised was an American decision that Americans and their government did to themselve... [Read more]

#1015985

August 22, 2021 at 2:18pm

...a weather report... Henri slams into Rhode Island. Grace scours Veracruz. Fred floods the Carolinas. Do Floridians care? That's just a tropical storm. That's just a bit of rain. They're predicting a storm somewhere in the Atlantic in ten days. Is it headed to Tampa? There was some concern for the Haitians with Grace after the earthquakes. Some whooping with glee when Grace became a Category 3 and therefore the first major hurricane of the season. But... on to the next ... [Read more]

#1015466

August 10, 2021 at 4:34pm

Did Jeffrey Dahmer's victims go up to him and say, "eat me"? Did his good looks lull his victims into trusting him? Would we have been so enamored to believe him regardless? Are good-looking people (tall men, hunks, petite women, big-bosoms) given the benefit of the doubt? Can an ugly man or woman be a cheerleader or homecoming anything? In the Gnus: "TikTok Users Are Protesting Convicted Killer's Innocence Because 'He's Too Cute'" I guess run... [Read more]

#1015089

August 3, 2021 at 8:01pm

Virginia Woolf wrote "A Room of Her Own" to decry how difficult it was for women to compete with men without income and the time to create. Now women celebrate with "A Gold of Her Own". 84 nations have won at least a bronze at the Olympics in Tokyo as smaller and/or poorer countries are finally getting access to training, coaches and center stage. Women have led the way. . Flora Duffy of Bermuda won her country's first gold ever completing the women's tria... [Read more]

#1014245

July 24, 2021 at 4:12pm

Part 1. "May you live in interesting Times" is both a curse and a blessing. Just because a wound may heal doesn't mean we should go around beating the dogs, the kids, the land upon which we live and depend. Americans specifically live in a throw-away society. Not all places consume and waste like we do. That we have evangelized consumption, competition and conflict should make Americans ashamed. We aren't. There are other voices and other ways. We aren't listen... [Read more]

#1013420

July 11, 2021 at 1:36pm

Media Bias? 10.juli.2021 How do you feel about the integrity of the news? Can we believe what we read/see? How much bias is there? from . Random, but linked, thoughts: I lived in a city where Channel 7 broadcast a house fire most every night. Folks quickly formed opinions about that part of town. Since the area was poorer and blacker... no need to guess what the reactions were. My city died in the flames of racism. Now every headline is another shooting... but only certai... [Read more]

#1011650

June 11, 2021 at 1:10am

Cruise lines, eager to go, clash with Florida on vaccines 11.juin.2021 I want a vaccine "passport" listing my J&J covid shot. This is no different than requiring a yellow fever or malaria vaccination traveling in and out of many regions in the world. I need one. I don't want to be stranded on a cruise ship or in a port or on the wrong side of a border. This is a necessity. Presently countries have no entry allowed (Taiwan) or require medical insurance (Costa ... [Read more]

#987707

July 10, 2020 at 11:16pm

My handwriting is distinctive and when I take my time and focus ... quite beautiful. I should've been more disciplined and studied calligraphy. But... I was a strange child. I almost failed kindergarten and was a mediocre student in 1st and 2nd grade. By 3rd grade I had memorized the multiplication table and worked on division. My parents encouraged this. I ignored the teachers. There was nothing they could teach me. I was shy, short, skinny, weak, goofy-looking and couldn... [Read more]

#982655

May 3, 2020 at 1:08pm

3.mayo.2020 "Black adults (28 percent) were more likely than Hispanic (13 percent) or non-Hispanic white (9 percent) adults to say they know someone who has died from COVID-19, according to a recent Axios-Ipsos survey. People in the Northeast (25 percent) were more likely to know someone who has died of the virus than those in the South (12 percent), Midwest (8 percent) or West (7 percent.) Democrats (15 percent) were more likely to know someone who has died than Republicans (8 percent.)&... [Read more]

#977325

March 6, 2020 at 1:26pm

Pandemic: It's coming to a town near you. 6.marzo.2020 Yes, the Wuhan virus is now a pandemic regardless of WHO's official stance. It's been reported in 91 counties and is finally showing up in South America and Africa. It's coming to a town near you. Your friends and family will probably be exposed; the most vulnerable (elderly with underlying medical conditions, anyone with heart-lung problems) may die. Wash your hands! That's about the best advice I can... [Read more]

#963191

July 25, 2019 at 10:55pm

Unpresidential Seal of 'Murika 25.julio.2019 I thought it was fake news or satire... but I guess it's true. Someone made a seal dissing Our Great Leader and someone else inadvertently (or on purpose) used it as a backdrop while DJT spoke to young conservatives. Amazing. The "poor" graphic artist now has income! It's amazing how Our Great Leader sucks all the air out of the News. There are serious world-wide and domestic issues that may affect us all. ... [Read more]

#962327

July 8, 2019 at 11:56pm

States without regulations (or weak ones) are becoming the dumping ground for the nuclear leavings, the unwanted trash and just plain shit of regions that have restrictions. https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/love-thy-neighbor-the-bible-belt-is-becoming-a-dumping-ground/ar-AADZWIy The article focuses on South Carolina, Georgia and Alabama where cancer is already an issue from spills and mismanagement. And it could get worse. As states like New York and New Jersey tighten their restrictions,... [Read more]

#962245

July 7, 2019 at 8:13pm

Death by association 7.july.2019 RE Epstein and anyone who hung with him: Death by association. I don't play that game. It becomes a country of spies for a police state. Nope. Don't care. If others are indicted so be it, but until then I refuse to accuse. I've been accused of many things. I didn't like the experience. Don't know by personal experience? Hold your gossipy tongue. Friends at one point encouraged me to disassociate myself from other friends th... [Read more]

#961904

July 2, 2019 at 12:25am

Strikes in Costa Rica 1.julio.2019 https://ticotimes.net/2019/06/28/unrest-in-costa-rica-over-education-ministry-new-value-added-tax Well, Costa Rica has been striking over: 1. VAT. Truckers have blocked almost all major roads over taxes. VAT is common throughout Europe (not in the USA). Taxes have been a major issue because they aren't being collected/paid. At the same time there is much corruption and nepotism. Poor people perceive the wealthy as not paying taxes at all. (S... [Read more]

#960559

June 10, 2019 at 8:46pm

Fly the friendly skies June 10, 2019 Mixed news for those of us who fly. Mistakes by passengers still cause problems even though personnel is well trained and most flyers know and obey the rules. Some airplanes are having technical problems. I wonder how many had to reroute, cancel, etc. But some good news. Electric planes are evolving and becoming a possibility! Airplanes are a major source of pollution. So, this is is Watt's Gnus: PIA is an airline that flies from Engl... [Read more]