INFLATION!

LIFE IS A GAME OF CONNECT THE DOTS, IF YOU DON'T CONNECT ALL THE DOTS OR DON'T CONNECT THEM IN THE RIGHT ORDER YOU NEVER GET THE PICTURE For those that do not understand how the economy really works, inflation was predicted before even the pandemic was officially declared, I wrote a whole two part article on my blog, as to what will happen to the prices as a result, every thing I had mentioned came true, similarly when we started the war in Ukraine, I posted again about its negative effects on the prices, the shortages and the deficits, nothing unknown, yes our own policies are to blame, but it is a shared blame, by the left and the right, then there is the supply chain problem with the war in Gaza. Still if we compare our inflation with the rest of the world we are luckier than many others, since our food supply is still mainly local. Much of the inflation here can still be blamed on price gouging by corporations that are boosting their own profits. We don't want the government to control profits and the government (both parties) is beholden to their rich donors. It is same people here that want the government to stay out of the business's business are the one blaming the government for inflation, get some knowledge about how the world, that we live in, actually works. Ofcourse there will be another bout of inflation as a result of recent hurricanes, no only in housing costs, but also in agricultural products, the interst rate may be staying up a while. M. N. R. 10 OCTOBER 2024

DEJA VU, AGAIN A5

LIFE IS A GAME OF CONNECT THE DOTS, IF YOU DON'T CONNECT ALL THE DOTS OR DON'T CONNECT THEM IN THE RIGHT ORDER YOU NEVER GET THE PICTURE DEJA VU, AGAIN A5 I feel philosophical, I philosophical means depressed or down. But I am not depressed or down, I am numb, like that Pink Floyd song, "Comfortably Numb". Just that though, comfortable, don't know really what that song is about. "Like a distant ship"! I decided that I would be detached, not like a hermit though, just detached, "Watching the wheels", but watching the wheels is not really "detachment" one is still involved "in watching", it is difficult to be a true "Stoic" even, much as one would hope. I thought about how people really think, how do we become "something", as in something "definable", ofcourse we only want to be defined as someone accepted by those around us, so we end up emulating those we keep company with. We don't choose to, but maybe we do exactly that. We do have choices, we say, but what if we, ourselves, limit our choices? There is a tray full of beads of many colors and you wish to make a necklace per se, and you wish to make a necklace of red beads, so regardless of how colors are available, you only choose the red beads for your necklace, disregarding all others. Same is true of our knowledge, we only choose what we like. There was a study of what people order at a restaurant, it was discovered that most people, often, ordered the same items, regardless of all the many other choices available. We are like that. It is said that America is almost equally divided, I don't believe it to be true atall, the fact is that we are only GIVEN two choices, take it or leave it. There is no way that exactly half the population has exactly the same preferences as all others in that group. We are not choosing, we are told what we must choose, take it or leave it, this is not how a "democracy" should work. M. N. R. 03 OCTOBER 2024

ECONOMICS

LIFE IS A GAME OF CONNECT THE DOTS, IF YOU DON'T CONNECT ALL THE DOTS OR DON'T CONNECT THEM IN THE RIGHT ORDER YOU NEVER GET THE PICTURE As long as the economy is working for the rich, the poor can take care of themselves. If not the rich will leave the country ( to die) and the poor will have to create a new rich class, it is how it has always worked, everywhere, Russia, France, the US, the poor must know their place. M. N. R.

MORALS

LIFE IS A GAME OF CONNECT THE DOTS, IF YOU DON'T CONNECT ALL THE DOTS OR DON'T CONNECT THEM IN THE RIGHT ORDER YOU NEVER GET THE PICTURE THERE IS NO MORAL LAW THAT REQUIRES YOU TO ACCEPT PROVEN LIES, WHAT HAPPENS? LOOK AT IRAN, AFGHANISTAN M. N. R.

THE NEXT PRESIDENT

LIFE IS A GAME OF CONNECT THE DOTS, IF YOU DON'T CONNECT ALL THE DOTS OR DON'T CONNECT THEM IN THE RIGHT ORDER YOU NEVER GET THE PICTURE THEY ARE BETTING ON BOTHSIDES, SO YOUR VOTE REALLY DOESN'T MATTER, THEYLL OWN THE NEXT PRESIDENT M. N. R. The nation’s wealthy donated millions to the super PACs backing Kamala Harris, Donald Trump and Democrats and Republicans throughout the country, according to monthly reports filed with the Federal Election Commission.

DEJA VU, AGAIN A4

LIFE IS A GAME OF CONNECT THE DOTS, IF YOU DON'T CONNECT ALL THE DOTS OR DON'T CONNECT THEM IN THE RIGHT ORDER YOU NEVER GET THE PICTURE DEJA VU, AGAIN A4 GLOBALISM OR ISOLATIONISM Over 20 years ago, long before I joined Facebook in 2009, I started blogging. Not because I thought I were an expert, but I did believe that I had enough education and life experience to have a rational and reasoned opinion. Having had a military career of over 20 years, having lived in many countries, under many different forms of government, having a BS in Management, a Master's in Psychology and a so on, I was capable. A student also of history and a keen interest in philosophy as well as in business, married now with three kids, I had some understanding. I also had three basic ideas 1. LIFE IS A GAME OF CONNECT THE DOTS, IF YOU DON'T CONNECT ALL THE DOTS OR DON'T CONNECT THEM IN THE RIGHT ORDER YOU NEVER GET THE PICTURE 2. HISTORY IS A LIE THAT WE HAVE AGREED TO ACCEPT AS THE TRUTH 3. IS NOT HOW I SAY YOU SHOULD LIVE, IT IS NOT HOW I WANT YOU TO LIVE, BUT THIS THE WAY YOU WILL LIVE Pretty bold, don't you think? Life is not so simple, and neither is any philosophical discussion. It will be long, there will probably be many many questions, it will also be a learning experience for myself, any counter argument is always a learning opportunity. For most of my reasoning you will have to look back at my viewpoints stated at the beginning to see where is my starting point. Nothing here happens in a vacuum, and all phenomenon are related. We cannot discuss war with looking at the economy, nor can we look at the population, the immigration, the birth rate, or the cost of a postage stamp without looking at the economy or discussing war and peace. We just can't. The politicians divide us by oversimplifying the issues so as to manipulate us. Everything is related, every book must be balanced. Every point has a counterpoint, just like the day follows the night and night follows the day. But where are we headed? I 72 , I am again thinking of the world that my grandchildren will live in, and you have children and grandchildren think about them also. I will write more soon 13 SEPTEMBER 2024

DEJA VU, AGAIN A3

LIFE IS A GAME OF CONNECT THE DOTS, IF YOU DON'T CONNECT ALL THE DOTS OR DON'T CONNECT THEM IN THE RIGHT ORDER YOU NEVER GET THE PICTURE DEJA VU, AGAIN A3 I didn't write last night, I decided not to. There is a debate on TV, in less than an hour, I may watch, I may not. What will you learn, or I will, or anyone for that matter, if you are a republican or a Democrat your mind will not be changed. And that is not even the point. We all know, we already know, right! As they say, lucky for you, you know everything. No, you have not made a choice, you never had a choice. This is the choice you have been given. Reminds me of the chow line in my early military career, whatever you choose will be substandard, barely edible, but you are hungry, you are starving, eat s#it. Trump maybe an outsider to many, but if you had known him from back when he made headlines married Marla Maples and then his casinos, his university and his steaks, etall. And he has admitted that he worked with the politicians of different stripes, he knows the system, and he is still selling ice to the Eskimos, something like that, but people love him because he is the "outsider". Harris came from "nowhere", really? She has no experience? She has been an insider, a (active) part of her party for 34 years, that is actually more than Clinton, Bush, Carter, or even Obama, so there. And how will either do anything new or different. Don't fall for the hyperbole. Don't listen to the talking points, bothsides have made promises in the past that were never meant to be kept. I'LL WRITE MORE LATER TONIGHT REST! 10 SEPTEMBER 2024.

DEJA VU, AGAIN A2

LIFE IS A GAME OF CONNECT THE DOTS, IF YOU DON'T CONNECT ALL THE DOTS OR DON'T CONNECT THEM IN THE RIGHT ORDER YOU NEVER GET THE PICTURE DEJA VU, AGAIN A2 As a father and a grandfather the future of the country (as a whole), and the planet is important to me. My time is near at hand but what world I am, are us, leaving for them. Will it matter more that they do not have access to certain books than that they do not have to face a nuclear Armageddon? Will it be worse for them to treat a gay person with respect than to be able to buy a house? How bad will it be for them to eat lunch with, live in community, where people may or may not have the same political or "moral ideology" than to suffer the consequences of climate change? Years ago, I had mentioned that we do not take rights from others without surrendering some rights of our own. Yet, we are being lied to, we are being misguided into this ideology. It has never happened. When people try to take the rights of others, they always end up losing their own, when we wish to oppress others, we get oppressed. It happened in the Soviet Union, in Germany, in Italy, in China, in North Korea, in Chile, in Cuba, don't try this at home! When the Patriot Act 1 (Bush W.) was signed, I protested, loudly, I called into talk radio, wrote letters to the editors. Today the same folk that were for it all the way are complaining about loss of privacy, but that is the least of it. The Obama signed the NDAA authorizing warrantless searches and indefinite incarceration , and yes targeted killing of Americans without trail, but we forgot, we are busy complaining about having to wear masks or taking a vaccine. We are a lost people, aimless, wandering in the wilderness, looking for a savior to protect us from the invasion at the southern border. But we don't want to work, and our rulers are happy to hire the cheap labor, our whinging and moaning not withstanding. More will follow. M. N. R. 09 SEPTEMBER 2024

DEJA VU, AGAIN A1

LIFE IS A GAME OF CONNECT THE DOTS, IF YOU DON'T CONNECT ALL THE DOTS OR DON'T CONNECT THEM IN THE RIGHT ORDER YOU NEVER GET THE PICTURE DEJA VU, AGAIN A1 I had promised myself that I'll start back writing, regularly, but it hasn't worked out, as you can see. My last post was on the 10th, of January that is. I've been distracted. I apologize. So much is going on in the world. The wars, the economy, the promises of a forever booming economy, the possibility of an Armageddon, the possible population collapse, the out of control governments around the world, free speech being controlled around the world, the AI, and all that before and just in time for the 2024 elections. (OH, did I mention Taylor Swift and the Super Bowl?) But then again I like to write, atleast I used to, then I saw that after 30 years I was mostly repeating myself. I have written about most everything under the sun, and at 72, I see that we have decided not to change our ways, our thinking, and those with the money and the power are using our stubbornness against us. We have the "most important elections of our life" coming up. As it does every four years. I have some thoughts and ideas, what do you want to talk about? Drop me a comment, send a message, let's talk. M. N. R. 08 September 2024