Some Say He's Eccentric... - 9/27/23

So, imagine an opening scene for a movie or book: The world’s richest man attends a board meeting for an elite private school. There, he goes off on a tirade about how the school to which he pays tens of thousands of dollars has turned his daughter into a transgender Marxist who now hates him and all other wealthy people.

He goes on to explain that he worries that his three younger sons, X Æ A-Xii, Exa Dark Sideræl, and last but not least, Techno Mechanicus, might possibly be brainwashed as well due to an education system that’s been hijacked by woke liberals. He apologizes that his sons’ mother, the performance artist, Grimes, can’t be there as well due to the fact she’s got a gig at the Burning Man Festival and has been stranded due to a freak flood in the middle of Nevada’s Black Rock Desert.

The world’s richest man then goes on to explain that his concern is not for just his daughter and these particular sons, but for all of his eleven children by three different mothers, the most recent being his recently born twins by Mom-III (not Grimes). And, as for the rumors of his substance abuse and self-professed use of ketamine, he assures the board that these tales of excess are way overblown. That his use of drugs is simply a way to keep his clinical depression at bay…

Would anyone buy into such a fictional character? My guess is most readers would find it too hyperbolic to suspend their disbelief—a gross exaggeration that would throw most out of the story.

But these are just some of the teasers emerging from Walter Isaccson’s new biography of Elon Musk—and apparently the milder disclosures, already known to anyone who cared enough to look them up on the internet.

I haven’t read the book although it’s at the top of my list once finishing a current project. But there was another recent headline that set the internet on fire regarding a foiled attack by Ukraine on the Russian Navy due to Musk’s refusal to grant access to his Starlink Internet Network. The original story from the book was that Musk had blocked access, fearing the underwater drone attack might lead to a nuclear retaliation on Russia’s part and subsequently WWIII. According to Musk, though, Starlink was never accessible to the area and when it was requested by the Ukrainian Military, he simply refused, resulting in a loss of control for the underwater drones designed to destroy part of Russia’s fleet.

Either way, it provides a fascinating glimpse at the power some tech titans wield over potential events that could significantly impact the world’s future. Obviously, there’s much debate over our involvement in this war but regardless of where you stand, the idea that a non-elected civilian could find himself in a position to potentially change the course of a full-blown war, and possibly a subsequent escalation that may have resulted in unfathomable consequences, raises some interesting questions.

All this strikes me as a foreshadowing of what we’ll see in the near future with AI. In my humble opinion, real power is draining at an ever-increasing rate from our aging politicians, many of whom have never been held accountable for anything and are becoming the last guardians of an unrepairable corrupt system.

Change in world leadership is inevitable. In a few years, the types of people adept at obtaining elected office, then planting themselves too deeply to be uprooted, won’t be allowed access to any kind of legitimate power. The question will be, exactly who, or what, does control the world? And, the answer may not be as transparent as we'd like.

Aliens...Again!

If you happen to be a UFO/UAP aficionado, or simply someone who has a casual interest in this phenomenon, you may have felt yourself cringing recently when two displays of alleged alien bodies were presented to the Mexican Congress. Of course, in an age when nearly anything can be generated by AI to look authentic, one would expect something at least partially compelling. I mean, it’s the Mexican Congress!

Well, these things looked like bad styrofoam mannequins from a misguided T.J. Max marketing scheme that went awry. Tiny in stature, and appearance that looked like a cross between E.T. and Gumby, they were allegedly discovered in Peru sometime in 2017. According to the presenters, carbon dating placed their age at 1,000 years old.

Meantime, the Peruvian Minister of Culture has joined the criticism, simultaneously denying the legitimacy of the two doomed visitors, while demanding to know how they were smuggled out of Peru regardless of what they really are.

I doubt we see this pair anywhere soon other than small-town carnivals. But hey, I always try to keep an open mind...

And, Speaking of Aliens

Why does it always seem like in every fuzzy picture we see, the aliens have no clothes? Their reptilian bodies all seem to ripple with various bones and tendons, thinly covered with leathery epidermises. Are we supposed to believe technologically advanced creatures are nudists?

I for one won’t believe any of this until I see some sign of intergalactic fashion.

On A More Somber Note

China’s Xi Jinping decided to skip the G-20 Summit in New Delhi this year, basically indicating it’s not worth his time. It’s important to remember, this meeting is probably the preeminent gathering of the world’s most powerful leaders and his absence is a clear signal that China is done with the established world order. This marks a dramatic turn in China’s foreign policy.

For years, Xi has tried to position China as an alternative to the U.S. Now, he’s drawn a line in the sand and clearly indicated he’s willing to declare that the country is a full-blown opponent. This could be one of the most important transitions in world politics in decades and the impact will be felt internationally.

Even though China’s economy is slowing at an alarming rate, many contentious subjects could be hurtled to the forefront now, not the least of which is China’s drive to regain possession of Taiwan. And that will affect anyone who uses computers, phones, cars…basically anything with a computer chip.

RIP Jimmy Buffett

I doubt there are very many Americans over the age of forty who can’t sing the chorus of the song ‘Margaritaville’ at their local Karaoke club without the assistance of the monitor. A song that’s become the anthem for a state of mind for anyone who ever dreamed of living by a beach and ditching the rat race for a slower-paced world, I suspect it can still be found on every jukebox south of Chicago.

Buffett’s happy tunes conveyed the innocence almost all of us knew at one time in our lives. They painted warm pictures of clear skies, blue oceans, white sand, and the feeling of a watery buzz where every day was Friday and Mondays didn’t exist. A talented guy who defined the term, know your audience, Buffett leveraged that sun-kissed world he invented, eventually creating a successful chain of restaurants where all his fans could experience a tangible piece of the mystical Margaritaville.

He also wrote a slew of successful books and was an avid outdoorsman. In every public appearance, he seemed to genuinely exude the happy persona of someone lucky enough to live the life he sang about.

Jimmy Buffett died of skin cancer. He was seventy-six years old.

And last, but not least, I have been working feverishly, trying to finish the first of three ongoing projects. Below is the cover. Please let me know what you think!