Think of these seasonal (quarterly) blog posts as kind of like a “blog within a blog.” An easy-breezy way of adding new content (on a variety of topics). These are subject to editing, right up to when the next quarterly one begins.
(1) (Sunday, December 21, 2024) I’m curious how many people reading this sentence right now are familiar with the fact that earlier this year, scientists discovered microplastics in human brain tissue. And a lot of it. In fact, not only were microplastics able to pass through the blood-brain barrier, scientists found that the brain had 10-20 times more microplastics than the other organs studied. If microplastics could talk, they’d probably say “What blood-brain barrier?” It seemed more defective than effective. According to the results of the study, our brains, by weight, might be 99.5% brain, and 0.5% plastic. If you don’t find that disturbing enough, this situation appears to be getting worse.
(2) (Sunday, December 29, 2024) I have to admit, I was a bit surprised when I read the other day that Magnus Carlsen — the former World Chess Champion (2013-2023) — was not allowed to participate in the World Rapid and Blitz Championships in New York City (and fined $200), for wearing jeans. I didn’t even know there was a mandatory dress code. On principle, he chose not to participate, rather than immediately have to change his pants.
Personally, I think it’s quite stupid to have a dress code where someone can’t wear a comfortable pair of jeans for a chess tournament. How absurd. I guess it’s better players wear “dry clean only” garments that often result in more perchloroethylene being released into the environment (the E.P.A. just banned use of that cancer-causing chemical — though I don’t know when that officially takes effect).
It’s worth noting that perhaps the only reason Carlsen isn’t still the reigning World Chess Champion is because he lost interest in defending his title. I can respect that. I lost interest in chess myself, years ago. After reading Ludek Pachman’s The Middle Game in Chess, I changed my repertoire and style, and started getting much better results, but then lost interest completely in tournament play.
(3) (Monday, January 6, 2025) In case you missed it. As reported in the Guardian recently, Geoffrey Hinton, one of the “godfathers of AI,” believes the odds of our species being wiped out in the very near future has shortened. Hinton believes there is now a 10-20% chance mankind might not survive beyond the next thirty years.
At first, I thought “how ridiculous!” Thirty years is way too soon for something like that to occur. But then, as I thought about it some more, I realized he’s right, actually. Due to the rapid pace at which AI is advancing, I can see a few plausible scenarios whereby that might happen. Furthermore, not only are there no safeguards in place to prevent such things from happening, it’s questionable whether that’s even possible, considering the sad state of uncooperativeness that exists in the world today.
The very next day after that made news, the Guardian published an article that discusses societal collapse, and quotes Danilo Brozovic, an academic who has studied the subject, as stating: “we have to radically transform society, and we have to do it fast.” I would certainly agree with that. But that’s probably not gong to happen. Not if someone like me can’t get funding. In fact, not only haven’t I gotten funding, but the lack of interest I’ve witnessed is truly breathtaking.
Here’s the 1st article I referenced above: ‘Godfather of AI’ shortens odds of the technology wiping out humanity over the next 30 years (Dec. 27).
And here’s the 2nd: ‘We need dramatic social and technological changes’: is societal collapse inevitable? (Dec. 28).
(4) (Thursday, February 6, 2025) IMPORTANT! IMPORTANT! IMPORTANT! IMPORTANT! IMPORTANT! IMPORTANT! IMPORTANT! IMPORTANT!
Okay, first off, I have to apologize. I said I would give you my answer to that “What Is My Website’s Achilles’ Heel” question (see my Sept. 27, 2024 blog post) “sometime within the next six months.” But here’s the thing. Just days ago, my landlord, just as I was about to start washing my dishes, walked over to where I was standing, and said: “I have something I have to tell you.”
He paused, briefly, and said: “This house is in foreclosure.” It didn’t entirely come as a shock. A neighbor had asked if the house was in foreclosure, just weeks ago. I said as far as I knew, it wasn’t. Another house, a couple blocks away, was. I knew that. I suggested that might be the cause for the confusion.
Anyhow, that’s the situation. In less than a month, this house where I’m now renting a room, will be sold at public auction. According to Google, I’ll probably have just 90 days (after notice is served) to move out — assuming the new owner wants that, which is usually the case when homes are purchased at auction. That’s not much time to find another place to live, that’s unfurnished, of similar size, not too far from where I’m currently living, and within my price range. (I feel spoiled, I even have a private entrance.) Plus, there’s the actual packing, moving, change of address notifications, getting a new driver’s license issued, etc., that also now get thrown onto this latest, ever-expanding to-do list.
Therefore, not only will I (most likely) not be able to write a “Part II” for that September blog post, for quite some time, I also most likely won’t be able to do any blogging at all, until after I’ve found and moved into a new place. I don’t even know for how much longer I’ll still have internet access. I don’t access the internet with my phone or with any other devices. Only with my PC. So once my landlord cancels that service (which I pay separately for), I won’t even be able to check email.
So please keep that in mind; if you email, but don’t hear from me, it could simply be that I’ve (temporarily) lost internet service.
Once again, sorry for this. I’ve been wanting to knock composing that “Part II” blog post off my to-do list for months now. But my priority right now, needs to be finding a new place to live!
One final note: None of this changes the fact that I believe I have some of the very best and most original ideas and on point thinking, regarding how to save the planet. If you genuinely care about saving the planet, and are aware of how slim — and fading — our chances for accomplishing that are, you should contact me (or at least help spread the word about my website, my mission and my need for funding). There are ample opportunities to give to big organizations that have been around for decades, taking in hundreds and hundreds of millions of dollars, but have (virtually) nothing to show for it. If “one step forward, one step back” is your blueprint for “achieving the ‘impossible’ ” (saving the planet), then by all means, go for it — there are ample opportunities out there to move in that direction. But if you’re deeply, seriously concerned about the future of mankind, and believe we need to radically alter the course we’re on, I have the ideas and strategies we need to implement. I like how Walt Disney put it: “It’s kind of fun to do the impossible.” But “fun” might not be quite the right word, in this instance — if you catch my drift; because, for example, the longer you wait, the longer you sit on your hands, the longer you stay close-minded, refusing to sufficiently think outside the box, sticking with non-holistic (non-)solutions, supporting only 501(c)(3) organizations, the closer we get to the point where achieving the “impossible” truly will be impossible. I’ll never be a 501(c)(3) organization. Ever. Because to do that, you must agree to muzzle yourself. You can’t support one candidate over another, for example. I’ll never agree to that. If you’re going to talk about real solutions, in a holistic way, you can’t leave out politics. So if a tax deduction is what you’re after, you won’t find it here! That’s a fact. As I explain on my Read this first! page, I believe a good example of what I’m seeking, resembles the so-called “Genius Grant” (a MacArthur Fellowship). The problem is, that type of giving — from a philanthropic perspective — requires a type of non-conventional thinking I almost never see put into action. Unfortunately.
(5) (Wednesday, March 5, 2025) Color me confused. I was told by my landlord that there were no bidders. So this foreclosed house was not sold after all. What does that mean I can’t really say. But I guess for now we survive another day.
(6) Sunday, March 9, 2025) My landlord is very tight-lipped. All I know is no one bought the house at the foreclosure auction. I asked “I guess this means the bank owns it?” But all he said was “I don’t know what’s gonna happen.”
I’m still operating on the assumption this house I’m renting a room in will change hands and I’ll probably need to move. Written notice is required. Then you have 90 days. So I need to start searching. It’s very difficult finding something, e.g., not too small, where I can wash dishes once a day (in the kitchen), and that’s also affordable, etc.
Additionally, I’ll need to search for another vehicle — the check engine light came on and the mechanic thinks it needs a rebuilt transmission or else it won’t pass inspection (about four months away). Ugh. It’s 20 years old, and held together with rust. I can still drive it, but it’s not worth repairing. I have a 2nd vehicle, but that one’s 30 years old and much too small to use for moving purposes.
So don’t expect much, blogging wise.
(7) (Friday, March 14, 2025) Minor correction: I misstated above that my second vehicle is 25 years old. Actually, it’s 30. I’ve amended the wording above.
(8) (Friday, March 14, 2025) I’ve been increasingly arriving at the point where the best way to put it would be to say I both want funding and don’t want funding.
Yeah, I believe I have the best ideas and such, without a doubt, and I believe the best hope for saving the planet rests on my getting funding. And so, yes, of course, I’ll keep running my ads! But it’s looking more and more hopeless. So much so, that I’m at the point where: yes, I want funding, because I really do believe I have the best ideas and overall vision for how to save the planet; but, simultaneously, I almost don’t want funding; because the task — already gargantuan to begin with — is increasingly looking beyond impossible.
One silver lining to this is it makes getting rid of the things I’ve saved, getting rid of articles, tossing things, relaxing, smelling the flowers, slowing down to the speed of life, much easier. I feel reborn!
Another way to put this into words is I’m feeling more and more willing to accept the idea that not getting funding might be a blessing in disguise.
(9) (Friday, March 14, 2025) And now the check engine light just came on today in my spare car. The state inspection in that one is also due in about three months. You can’t make this up.