April 24

Errands today. Trying to wake up and only on my first cup of coffee.

However, I found this first thing. Depend on China to throw a turd in the punchbowl. I don't remember reading that any of the former Soviet Union annexed the former "Soviet states" under any kind of "international law." Nor were any of them annexed by the Russian Empire with any kind of recognition in international law. "International law" seems to be a euphemism for "military occupation." Russia is simply reverting to an old playbook.

Just saw an interesting and very brief item during a very brief segment on the Bed, Bath, and Beyond bankruptcy filing. Also filing for bankruptcy were David's Bridal and Party City. We didn't have any need to patronize either of the last two but they were big players I their respective industries. I worked in a small party supply store which found it impossible to compete against Party City and Walmart. But we seem to be in age when giants falling is a common occurrence. It has been for the last 30 years. We did like Bed, Bath and Beyond and shopped there for specific items, like our stainless steel cookware. Mom remarked that the prices were a bit (maybe a more than a bit expensive) but we found the quality was worth the price. That, however, had changed over time.

We have been debating whether we should get a COVID booster in the fall. Experts are divided on both the utility of getting a booster for a variant which may disappear in the next few weeks or months. This article on NBC indicates that the experts are suggesting that "young, healthy" people should not get boosters but the elderly and those with other health problems  should. But evidence has also indicated the boosters aren't any more effective than the original. I question whether the "young, healthy" criterion should be "young and healthy" or "young or healthy." We are not young but we are reasonably healthy which is a factor in our considerations.

News stories about various AI applications, including making medical diagnoses, led to another heretical thought in my mind. So much of our technology in infantilizing us. We rely on something to make decisions for us. We don't have to read maps or directions if we get GPS. We don't have to be skilled at parking our cars because the cars can park themselves. We don't have to weigh medical decisions or make a doctor's appointment because AI platforms can diagnose our problems with any intelligent thought from us.

Reuters posted this article on food insecurity which has reached pandemic levels again.

Every news cast throws out something that has me shaking my head in amazed disbelief. Today it was a man-on-the-street interview with voters about who they might vote for. Republicans and Democrats both cited age as a factor. The Republicans mentioned Biden's age but were more forgiving of The Former Guy even though he is only four years younger. Age should be a wash when you are talking about two men who are both in their 8th decade.

Charlie Sykes writes about a communication from Richard North Patterson which called up echoes from my past. And no I did not try to get a book published--I was a history student (and later grad student). At the time the circulating controversy concerned white historians who dared to write about Black history (or Native American history or any other minority history.) The argument then wasn't about "cultural appropriation" which I think is a ridiculous notion since people have always adopted techniques, arts, ideas and religions from other people. It is only in our commodified culture that such things become suspect. Enough digression. The activists argued that white people didn't have the "experience" to write about the black history. It assumes whites have never experienced slavery, discrimination or subjugation. One of the professors suggested that perhaps we should get someone from Ancient Greece or Rome to write about the lives of the Greeks and Romans since modern historians didn't have the experience required.