Branson’s Space Jaunt

Richard Branson got his prevebial “fifteen minutes of spaceflight” by launching some fifty miles in the sky and experiencing a “gravity free” environment in his personally outfitted space capsule for an in incredible four minutes.  There are a few columnists who are criticizing the very Sir Richard’s achievement,  however fleeting it may appear compared to the Appollo or Soyez missions of the US and the CCCP. 

But let me offer a bit of perspective.   First, there is no way in the near future that privately held firms will replace the vast amount of resources and capital that governments of all flags have to operate missions to our neighbors of the Earth, namely Mars, the moon, and Venus.   So NASA does not have to worry about competition comming from Branson, Musk, or Bezos, in terms of travel to otherly worlds, in at least the near term, which would include the lifetimes of the aforementioned Branson, Musk, and Bezos.  A more realistic and viable alternative would be a partnership of all three plus the government to have a mission to complete or orbit around the planet of Venus.

Venus has been characterized as “Earth’s sister planet,” although it is far too hot and with no oxygen and an abundance of carbon dioxide to prevent Earthlings from getting anywhere near the planet, let alone land on it.  But we could possibly get maybe a million miles from Venus’s surface to perform a “fly around,” just to get a little bit closer to the planet observe the atmosphere.  This would be an ambitious undertaking, and maybe not even feasible considering Vensus’s proximity to the sun, making the “mission” even more “impossible.”  And this mission, if even remotely considered, would in no way, shape, or form be able to accommodate any “tourist,” as it would take years of planning, rehersal, and preparation on behalfod the public and private sector actors, if they choose to accept such bold undertaking.   Currently no such project is being considered,  as the attomphere of Venus is made up of at least eighty five percent carbon dioxide, giving the planet an overgrown “greenhouse effect on steriods.”

This fly-by of Venus and the Mars mission, slated for 2030 are not for the faint of heart, rank amatures, or tourists. These missions require astronauts who are in shape and know that they have a good chance that they will not make it bsck to the Earth alive. Money can buy a person lots of things. Going into “space” should not be one of them. Save your money on a gym membership. Use this to get into shape so that one day you can possibly be in a good enough shape to take a space flight that will last a bit longer than a mere fifteen minutes, hovering just over fifty miles from the Earth’s sea level.

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Sore Loser In Chief

So what does former president Donald J. Trump have to look forward to?  After four years of “service” to this country, what is NEXT that he can look firward to doing, or participating in.  First of all, before we get into all the legal and financial details of Trump’s future, which will no doubt be the subject of many more blog posts to come, let us consider where exactly is Trump in terms of American History.  There are other presidents who have lost elections to subsequently ein the presidency.   Donald Trump’s latest nemesis, Joe Biden, ran for president twice before winning the post in 2020.  Before that, Hillary Clinton ran for the Democratic Party’s nomination in 2008 before losing it to Barack Obama, who served in the nation’s top post firvtwo years. Clinton won the Democratic nomination in 2016, only to lose to “The Donald” in electoral votes, even though Clinton recieved three million more votes than Trump did in the 2016 election for president.  Before that, Ronald Reagan lost the Republican nomination for president in 1976, only to recieve the Republican nomination in 1980 and serve two terms as president. There are other examples of candidates that lost during thier first campaigns only to make stunning come back wins for the presidency.  Richard Nixon is another example of a candidate who famously lost the presidential contest of 1960, only to win the presidency in 1968.  These are but a few recent examples of candidates losing the nomination or presidential contests before they eventually won the presidency.   And many extremely well qualified presidential candidates run many times for the office of chief executive and do not win at all.  The fact is that there can only be one president serving at a time, and there are many more losers than winners who take the chance to run in the first place.

But never in American history has a candidate who lost the election for United States president ever never conceded.  Never has a losing candidate ever called for and demanded recounts, audits, and investigations of the election results months after the results were certified and made public.  Never has a losing presidential candidate made loud, vigorous, strident, repeated unsubstantiated claims of voter fraud in an election for United States president, sowing seeds of doubt into the minds of millions of voters who voted for him in the fall of 2020.  In fact, most of the losers of the contest for president have been quite gracious.  Virtually every losing major party candidate at least attends the inauguration of the winning candidate, and is a good sport about it.

Herbert Hoover was famously not a “good sport” about losing the presidential election of 1932.  Hoover lost by seven million popular votes and over four hundred electoral votes in an election that took place in a beginning of a worldwide economic depression that would last some sixteen years after this election.   Many American voters wanted a change to the country’s top public official, as they suffered economic pain during the depression.  But, even though Hoover’s loss was bitter, and there was a famous photograph of both Hoover and FDR in the same automobile heading to the inaugural ceremonies, Hoover did the right thing by attending FDR’s inauguration and let the process of the peaceful transfer of power take place in our nation’s capital. Hoover was not happy, but he was dignified and respectful to Mr. Roosevelt and the nation’s norms as political power transfered from one party to another as it did since our federal system was created some seven score prior to FDR’s inauguration.

Donald Trump, on the other hand, is anything but gracious and respectful. He has said on repeated occations that the voting process in the United States of America is rigged and fraudulent, and the only way the Democratic Party candidate could have won the election is if the Democratic Party somewhow committed fraud and actually switched or “stole” the votes.  Trump himself personally asked. The Georgia Secretary of State to “find 12,000 votes.” Trump was used to instructing employees to perform extra legal or in many cases, illegal actions.  Trump has praised the so-called  “auditing firm,” Cyber Ninjas, to say what a wonderful and necessary job they are doing.  The Cyber Ninjas have never conducted an audit such as this, auditing a presidential election election before. President Trump (I do call him president out of respect for the office. Other former presidents such as Carter, Obama, Clinton the “Two Bushes,” and even Nixon and every other president who occupied the office are customarily referred to as “president” until they die.) has said that he is expecting to return to the presidency sometime in August of 2021, after the “audits” of the 2020 US presidential elections are completed in a number of states including Arizona, Pennsylvania, Georgia, and Michigan, all states that coincidentally, Trump lost to the current United States president, Joseph Robinette Biden.

I will speculate in another blog post about why President Trump is not conceding the election, or being gracious and respectful to his opponent, who won the election, Joe Biden. My theory is that while in office, as United States president, Donald Trump enjoyed criminal immunity. This meant that he was protected from criminal indictment, as US presidents are “immune,” or exempt from criminal prosecution while in office. Trump, now a private citizen, and no longer holding the office of president does not have this immunity from prosecution and he desperately wants to become the president again so he does not have to face the consequences of justice. He hopes to get back into the White House by claiming that Joe Biden and the Democrats somehow “took the White House” by cheating and fraud, and Trump is the true winner of the presidential election on 2020. I wish President Trump well on his endeavours to “take back the White House.” All I can say is: “Go at it haus❗”

Donald Trump needs to know that there are winners, and losers in any contest, whether that be in golf, poker, baseball, boxing, and yes, running for public office. The fact is that most people who run for an office wind up losing: we only have one president at a time. Other times people may sit on boards or commissions. But these people need to share the post with other commission members. It is my impression that Donald Trump does not like sharing anything with anybody. The Donald needs to know that he probably did lose the United States presidential election of 2020, and there is a good chance that he may be indicted for financial wrongdoing of tax and withholding of true property valuations to the State of New York, and other jurisdictions. Only time will tell. Good Luck President Trump❗

My Star Wars Saga Begins

As I am relatively early in my blogging career I am now going to embark on a project that I had planned to undertake for quite some time: What sequence should I binge watch every single episode of a Star Wars movie or episode made for television.  View all Star Wars movies and television specials in a particular order, or film viewing sequence. I do not claim to be a Star Wars “purist” in any way shape or form.  In fact, I have only seen two Star Wars movies in an actual movie theatre, and I saw “Episode IV in a church hall in Martha’s Vineyard in the summer of 1977.  Since I normally do not stream movies I have not seen any other Star Wars movies apart from Episodes 4, 5, and 9.

I have decided to view the Star Wars franchise in “chronological order,” rather than “release date” order.  I have debated in my mind the pros and cons of each way to binge.  To be sure, there are quite a few “viewing order options” in the Star Wars buffet line in the “Feast of the Saga” binge watching party. 

Lidia Molina-White of the Radiotimes.com suggests that there are a number of recommended sequences for viewing the all the Star Wars movies.  There is the “Godfather Order,” “Machete Order,” “Rinster Order,” “Chronological Order,” and the viewing order that most Star Wars purists recommend, “Release Order.”  I claim to not be a Star Wars purist.

Appearently there are many options to watch the movies in a particular “sequence.”  The most critical detail in the sequence equation is the iconic “Big Reveal” where it is revealed who is the father of Luke Skywalker. I watched the Star Wars saga in “Chronological Order,” which means I am watching the films by numerical “episode order,” (i.e.: One, Two, Three, Four, etc. all the way to the “sequels” which are past episode Nine.) As I just viewed “Episode One,” the reveal was not “revealed” in the movie.  This actually comes later in the series, but the shock loses its “spark” nevertheless.  (I actually did get spoiled after I “Wikipediaed” “Episode One” and got more info on Anokin Skywalker.  So if you are going to start with Episode One, and you are new to the series, don’t “Wikipedia” Star Wars.)

“Godfather Order” is an intriguing title to look at how one looks at viewing the series.  As the title suggests, viewing the movies in Godfather order gives the viewer a chance to see episodes 4 and 5, and save episode 6 until the last episode with a final clash of Luke and his father Darth Vader.  “Machete Order” is symilar to Godfather order, but with Episode One eliminated from viewing.

I’ve decided to view each film in episode order sequence, as I want to “do it my own way.”  In fact, I heard that the episode order sequence is the sequence that George Lucas suggests as well.  Viewing the Star Wars series in episode order will be interesting when I get to episode 4, A New Hope, when there will be steep drop off in special effects technology as episode 4 was released in 1977, and eposide 3, Revenge of the Sith was released in 2005.

I may also view other television specials such as Lego Star Wars, in the sequence of the Star Wars saga.  The Lego series are cartoons that provide “extra” story lines, but may not necessarily be “endorsed” by the Lucasfilm franchise.

I was curious from the get-go why George Lucas decided to begin the Star Wars with episode 4, instead of Episode 1.  But George Lucas seemed to know what he was doing as the general plot/story lines and themes continue throughout the Star Wars series.  And since I have only seen a smattering of Star Wars films in the movie theatre, I will be curious how the story unfolds.  And of course no post regarding Star Wars could be complete without giving the clarion call: MAY THE FORCE BE WITH YOUUUUUUUUUU❗❗❗

“How to watch Star Wars movies in order: Chronological timeline and release date order – Radio Times” https://www.radiotimes.com/movies/how-to-watch-the-star-wars-movies-in-the-right-order/amp/

Dear Donald

Dear DONALD J TRUMP:

I’m using WordPress as a platform because, you lost the presidency, so I can not email you to the White House website.  So your “presidential” email account was removed.  If I tried to email the White House, Joe Biden would recieve my email.  And even though I ❤ Joe, and there are many things that I want to ask and tell Joe, I really want to speak to you first.  Can I ❤ Joe and “The Donald” at the same time❓  Can two things be essentially correct at the same time❓  I recall you telling your supporters that you wished to “Lock Joe Up,” just as you wanted to lock Hillary and Barack up as well.  Is this type of conduct, asking to “lock up” political opponents “conduct becoming of a United States President❓”  I should hope you know better Mister President.   With that said, I certainly am a great admirer of you sir.  And I am so happy you tried to give blogging a go.  I am proud of you my dear sir.

YES YOU❗  You see, you did have a very nice blog going.  Yes ya did.  Very nice.  But, as soon as you started it, and even before I had a chance to comment on it, and LIKE your blog: POOOF❗  Like a puff of smoke…  You ended it.  It’s gone.  Like the foggy haze that lifts when the clock strikes twelve on an early June day in our nation’s iconic capitol.  Like the shadows on the beaches of Mara Largo on a cool summer evening as the sun sets….  And then it’s gone…  Drifted away, like driftwood in the Sargasso Sea.  But like driftwood, blogs do have a tendency to come back.  And back it may soon appear.   In another way, shape, or form.

Mr. Donald, I wish I could have given you some kind words of encourage- ment to help you on your way to continue your blogging journey.  It is a journey, to be sure.  Because you see,  the art of writing is an EXPRESSIVE ART.  And the more you write, the more you express yourself, the more you discover about yourself in the process.  And Mr. Trump, I dare say, it’s all about the process… I want to thank you for being bold enough to try your hand at blogging for the first time in your life.  And I want to have a conversation about THE BLOG.  Or more to the point: about the WRITING PROCESS in particular.   The more you express yourself, the more your write, and put “pen to paper,” or in this case “finger to computer screen,”  the more you will continue the process of self discovery, and true fulfillment.   Because writing and the use of language can make you see how much you can really discover and use this mode of SELF DISCOVERY as a bridge to  personal growth, fulfillment and personal enrichment.   It is quite the journey to personal empowerment.

Before I continue any further, let me just offer my condolences to you and your family for such a heartbreaking,  and horrific loss.  I know it must be difficult for you to hear the words that every politician who has ran for any office in this great democracy of ours dreads to hear: “DONALD TRUMP LOST THE ELECTION OF 2020 FOR THE PRESIDENCY OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.”  The losses you sustained are material: the loss of a free platform broadcast to the world to express yourself.  The loss of free travel to literally anywhere in the country and in the world.

Indeed, this very statement is just as cringeworthy, hidious and onerous  for me to print as it must be for you thing to say, to read, or to ponder.   A man of your esteem.  A man of your principle.   A man of your vision.  A man of your stature probably not in a million years could have possibly even imagined that you sir, would lose an election.   I know, the possiblity, the notion, the idea, the thought is probably far too much for you to bear.

So Mister President.  For you sir will always be MY PRESIDENT.   For you Mr. President, I humbly say: “Take a break from the blog” for now…  Give yourself plenty of time to reflect, reimagine, and recover to try figure out the next course for your life.  After all, life does not end after a term of public service.  No Mister President.   Life is only beginning TODAY❗

And I know you are busy planning all the wonderful things you can do after you had a chance to serve as this country’s chief executive.   Planning the Trump Presidential Library.  Sitting as the chairman of the Trump Foundation.   Contributing to such august think tanks such as the Heritage Foundation or the Federalist Society.   Giving probono speeches to the Junior League, the Jaycees, and the American Association of University Women, and the annual convention of the Rotary Club, or Lions Clubs.  Giving speeches to graduates of the service academies, ot IVY League institutions, such as your highly valued alma mater, Ben Franklin’s own, University of Pennsylvania.

And most importantly Mister President, I know the most important job you want and covet is to spend time more time with your loved ones and your family.  I know you are probably relaxing in your drawing room, with your pipe, your two beautiful labrador retrievers, in your lounge wear, making draft after draft of your memoirs.   You have such a knack for writing sir.  Or maybe you are relaxing by the lake, sipping cognac, reading the epic tales of the glories of the Peloponnesian Wars.  You might be engaging in a bit of Shakespeare as well.  I know you were always fond of the classics Mister Trump.   Don’t lose that passion for the classic literature and arts.  These keep the spirit young.

Don’t give up hope Mister President.   Be assured that the United States is in stable hands with a man like Joe Biden is at the helm in these tenious times in the world’s most stable, strongest ddmocracy.  As the Late Great Ronald Reagan has so eloquently said before, “America still remains the Shining City on the Hill.”  The beacon of hope and optimism the world over.  Now your term of service has been complete.  Now it’s time for quite reflection, and have a new administration take the reigns and continue all the great work that you so magnificently began.

Getting Back On Track ❓❓❓

I have not posted an entry in a while.  So I need to get back into the “habit” of posting more “regularly.”  Posting equals WRITING.  This has bern a pattern for me.  I would have a “burst of inspiration” for a moderate amount of time…  And then, I would be distracted, and I would be pulled away by other things.  So yes, I do get distracted by other things.  I do have a life.

Right now, I’m just “blogging for fun, in my spare time.”  It is something that I am doing in my spare time.  It is not a business…  Not just for now, but maybe, quite possibly this might take on a life so that I could make some profits.  Real income.  Real “dinero.”  But right now, this is just an exercise to help me get writing.  Something.   ANYTHING on the screen.  It is my theory that the more one writes, the better one becomes at it.  Sort of like working out with weights:  The more “weight bearing exercises” you perform, the stronger you get.  And that’s the idea with writing, cooking, playing a sport, speaking a foreign language, mathematics, or public speaking.   The more experience you get, the better you become at it, and the more adept you  will become at the art and science of writing.  At least that’s my idea for now.

As a student of politics, I have a keen interest in the political arts.  And I find myself thinking about what is happening in the world of public affairs.  Even though Donald Trump may be out of office, he still looms as a “public figure” in the Republican Party.  I have plenty to say about this person, and will use my blog for this purpose.   For nor, I wish to “accentuate the positive.”  This means giving thanks to all the gifts that we are blessed, and that includes a president who genuinely cares about the health, safety, and welfare of the American people.  A president  who  has a strong work ethic, and can articulate the importance of a free democratic state.  A president who gives us hope.  Hope of a better tomarrow, and upholding our democratic traditions as well. A chief executive who respects all people, wether he agrees or disagrees with them. I say this knowing that many of my readers hail from many different parts of the globe.   Most of my readers do not reside in the United States at all.  So who would be better than readers in other countries, who happen to be able to read in English to comment on the comments that I give in this blog.  And I am grateful to all the readers of this blog. 

I have just learned that Mr Trump, after a month in the “blogging business” is ending his blog. This gives me more ideas to respond to the fact that President Trump (and we continue to address former presidents of the United States “President” long after they have left office) has ended his blog; urging President Trump to continue the endeavor, and not give up so quickly. If I gave up on this blog just after a month or two, I wouldn’t be where I am now… Well, Mr. Trump STILL had more readers every day than I have on my busiest most widely read day. But I’m not giving up…Not for a long shot…

This blog entry is hopefully to get myself “back on track.”  I intend to get back into the habit of not just to post, but to WRITE!  Write and as I write, I will discover more about myself and the world each and every day.  I am happy to take on the challenge that I face.

Ideas for this blog

I am wondering about this blog…  And wondering about life.  This is because throughout the day I think about the next post in my blog.  I have decided to use the WordPress format to “supercede” my Facebook posts.  I have had WordPress replace Facebook. I used Facebook “as a cheap blog space.”   Fact is, most of my posts were “political in nature.”  My blog posts reacted to many things that X-President Donald Trump said and did while in office.  People have so many different reactions to posts critical to the president. While the majority of the feedback that I received was positive, there were some Facebook friends who got angry when they saw some criticism, however constructive it might be.  I have no illusions that the WordPress audience will be any more open minded about the constructive criticism of a sitting president.

While I was a politics and history major, I my interests lie in so much more than the political realm.   The media is over saturated with political pundits who never shy to give opinions one way or another.  Many of the ideas that I have are news driven. So if a head of state in the United States, say the president of the United States does one thing or another, I am bound to comment on what she or he does. And Donald Trump was such an interesting president because he did things so unlike any other president in American history did. But I have other idea topics as well.

For example, I love music, sports, phone games, and I indulge in cigars from time to time. I also like driving to the forest, particularly in the states of NY, MA, and VT and take vidoes of waterfalls. I could write reviews on all these topics, “if the spirit moved me” to write about these things. I do read, but not as much as I probably should. But my lack of reading should, I hope, not effect the quality of my writing. If, in fact, my writing quality does go down maybe I should stop writing, and read more books that I have collected over the years.

I have also pondered on the topic of education. What is “education ” for❓ What is the purpose of education ❓ And, in particular, was I served by my education❓ Or did my education serve as a “disservice”❓ I can talk more about my educational experiences as I continue to write. So this little blog of mine will serve as a writing platform to express myself. Not in a “poetic way”… as tend to write in prose… Not “English Prose,” although I do write in the “English Language.” But more akin to “American Prose,” although I do spell words like “colour,” and “centre” the “British Way” at times… And other times I use the “American Way” to spell these words as well. But I have nothing against poetry… In fact, I enjoy reading it from time to time. Time to “brush up on my Shakespeare.”

I am also interested in other things as well, including the vastness of outer space, and the likelihood that we, as inhabitants of planet Earth are not alone in this seemingly endless universe. I also wonder about such things as how old is planet Earth. Is it 6,000 or 5 billion years old❓ I am also quite a dinosaur geek as well.

So I write this blog to hone my writing skills, and comment on things going on in the world and in my life. That’s the least I can do to honor the legacy of a fairly well educated homosapien.

Searching for profile pic.

Let me get this clear: I did not “loose” my profile picture. I am searching for a way to select a profile picture. Sonething to tell the world a little bit about you. I have come up an interesting idea. Like so many bloggers have done, let me talk “in pictures.”

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This translates as: “Worldwide Web Log.” This is not particularly novel or new. It is not anything orginal as well. I can already hear the peanut gallery in the background, yammering away: “These drawings appear cartoonish, like a child drew them.” Where did you step out of ? A time machine from 1996 ?

Yes, I know this sort of gimmick is something that has probably been tried in the nacient days of the Internet. But I just wanted to do it myself, just to “try it on for size.” Maybe a few of you used a picture of a log for your profile picture at times.

Tell.me what you think. Is it too “old fashioned?” Should I just relagate a picture of me as a profile pic? Or is that just too much of an.”ordinary idea?” Too conventional ? I do want to have a bit of fun while I’m writing my blog. But I don’t want to come across as “too silly.” Or maybe I do…

Profile 📸s

I changed my profile pics. Try to figure out the symbols to see what it might 🐝.

I am still new at this. In the geological sense I’d be new at this if I sticked to this for a thousand years. That’s why “The Good News” of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is not only “good,” but it’s also “new” as well. This is becuase while Jesus walked the Earth a mere two thousand years ago, humans started writing circa 6,000 years ago. Archeologists have evidence of human civilizations dating back 10,000 years. Ancient historians estimate that homosapiens may be around for at least 75,000 to 100,000 years.

Don’t even get me started about the dinosaurs and things that occured before that. So Jesus is “the new kid on the block,” and we are currently living in the age where memes of “science” and “fiction” are in clear manefest convergence. Yes, I’m still new at this. In fact we all are.

My Observations So Far

As I continue my “blog” I have noticed a few things.  I am being exposed to many other blogs by having WordPress notify me when other readers have “liked” my posts, or are following me.  I appreciate this, as these notifications introduce me to other blogs, and I can read what other people are writing.  My posts are somewhat unique, as I am using this blog platform as a “conversation” of sorts.  Just putting my thoughts on “virtual paper,” and commenting about my blogging journey.  I have noticed certain trends with the posts that are comming up in my “in-box.”

The first type of blog post I have ersnoticed is the “course offering.”  This type of post is a course that you pay for to “maximize” your blogging experience.   Maybe you want to attract five hundred new readers per week.  This amounts to 26,000 new readers per year; 260,000 new readers per decade.  And if you are an industrious blogger then you can also offer a course to gain readers and followers, that you can also offer a paid course as well, offering advice to “momentize” your blog.  Of course, this type of scheme works when other folks pay for the course you offer, and then offer the same course to others who also pay for the course, or workshop, or “virtual conference” all designed to get other bloggers to pay, and it becomes a virtual “endless circle.”  The course promises you will obtain many “followers,” “likes,” or “readers,” and gives you tips on “expanding your influence,” and other coveted things in the blogosphere, or at least in the “WordPress stellar system.”

As a “beginning blogger,” I am not aiming to becoming a “top internet influencer” just yet.  My aim is to improve my writing skills, and to present my ideas to a larger community.  A community that actually reads my posts, rather than acquiring many so-called “friends” or “readers,” without actually having people read my blog.  As far as “monetizing” on my writing handiwork, I’m all for that.  But I also want to improve the craft of writing as well.  I want to improve the way I communicate, and then maybe, possibly, I could expect some type of financial benefit down the road a bit.  Maybe, maybe not.   But I know there are no shortcuts in this world.  And I am happy to “take the long way home” as the seventies rock group Supertramp would say, instead of the “rocket” that Elton John sings about in “Rocket Man.”

The other types of blogs I have noticed are blogs that promote books, movies, records, and other media, and short, snappy “art blogs.”  These blogs contain poetry, prose, or a combination of the two.  These art blogs may contian a photo or image in the post, which puts a more finer point on the flavor of the post. I have always been a more factual, “down to earth” writer.  Calling my type of writing “prose” may be “gilding the lilly” a bit too much…  Oh OK, I guess ya only live once. Call my stuff “prose” if you insist.  I have understood that prose is “any writing other than poetry.”  So I guess anything that you find in the newspaper, or encyclopedia, or in a textbook would disregard as prose too, right?  Prose would also include any interoffice memoranda regarding the dress policy of the office, or the details of the next holiday party. Prose could also include the text of any legal decision, the text of a house or senate bill, insurance policy, or work of fiction such as science fiction book or romance novel, or even a screenplay for a pornographic film. Even reports such as the Mueller Report and the Report of the Warren Commission could also be regarded as “prose.” I dare say that technical writing, such as material data safety sheets, while have some eliments of peotic language, in truth, is more like prose. Prose could also include instructions to assemble a go-cart, or ransom note, or even this very blog post. I think I need to “research” what this “prose” business is all about.

The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language defines prose as “ordinary speech or writing, as opposed to verse.” So I hope you enjoy my writings in prose. I am certainly trying to master the art.

On Blogging

So I am going to start this process called blogging. But why? What makes my blog stand out amoung the millions of blogs that are out there in the “blogosphere” today. There are literally millions of bloggers that are “picking up there pens,” or rather “putting down their pens and picking up their smartphones, or typing on their lap tops,” and just blogging away. So first, let me make a few “introductory remarks.”

I graduated from college in 1988, with a bachelor’s degree majoring in political and historical studies. My intention was to be a history major, but the school, Curry College combined the departments of “politics” and “history” into one department. So rather than majoring in strictly “American History,” I had taken a few political science courses as well. I have always contended that politics is more of an art than a science. Sciences like chemistry, physics and biology are disciplines where you can conduct experiments and make hypotheses about the nature of things. The “political realm” is just too fraught with “the human element” to be described as a science. I always considered “politics,” and “history” as “humanities,” rather than a “science.” Even the term “social science” is a stretch, but can be applied in this case. The one thing, amoung other things that I got out of my college experience was the practice of writing. I think I wrote more in my college days at Curry than any other time in my life. Whether I wrote about the limits or possibilities of the Earth’s resources, or the causes of revolutions or wars, or the pains and pleasures of capitalism and communism, writing was a tool that I used to communicate my ideas. And I had a notion that if I failed in other endeavours, I at least could go back to writing “as a fall back” to make some type of living, however meager livings that writers make.

So I am using this medium of a blog to write. Writing my ideas will clarify them, and put them on paper. Or in this case “a screen.” My ideas will be for all the world to see. At least for anyone who has a WordPress account. At least those who have a WordPress account who get a referral to my blog. And then those who have a WordPress account, get a referral to my blog, and click on this blog post to see this entry… Whuooo❗❗❗ Wow❗❗ WordPress must be referring MILLIONS of you unsuspecting readers who have absolutely nothing better to do with your precious time than to read something by me. And I thank you kindly for taking the time to read my blog post.

So I’m doing an “old fashioned blog” the “old fashioned way.” I’m writing a “world-wide web log.” Each entry into the log will be another entry by ME, not by a BOT. (But aren’t we all bots in the universe of sentient beings in traversing the universe ❓) I will insert an occasional picture here or there. But my main aim is to practice my writing and communicate my ideas. Lord knows I am no novelist. That would require actually conguring up chartacters, and weaving a plot together. I am here to practice my writing and put my ideas not on paper, but in cyberspace. And after this is put “on the web ” maybe I’ll put it “on paper” as well. After all, paper lasts a lot longer than data on silicon chips… I think.