Here’s a radical idea.
Let Americans who vote pick out leaders through elections.
Not Justices, teh courts, prosecutors, legislators, beuracrats.
Americans. Voting.
Crested Butte to Aspen Hike
I decided I am going to hike from Crested Butte to Aspen this summer. Easier said than done, of course. I have ~~two ~~three big problems:
It’s a 10.3 mile hike
…and I am way out of shape. Working on fixing this though.
It’s between 10500 feet and 12500 feet
…this is a very very big problem for me. I am a Florida flatlander. Even walking at 10000 feet elevation is hard. I have a plan though.
NEW - 335 inches of snow this winter
The mountains have had over 335 inches of snow this winter. That's a lot of snow. The last time they had this much, the trail did not open until August. I was planning on going in July. Local experts are saying that even if the trail is open, the snow on it could add an extra 2- 3 miles of hiking. Not good.
The Plan
I have been hiking regularly in Florida - not quite the mountains, but its all i have for now. I want to get the total distance of the hike out of the way. And I have been hiking with a backpack with weight in it. So that will help.
When I get to Colorado this summer, I plan on starting slow but building endurance at altitude. May not get the total hiking distance in or the higher altitudes, but several 3- 7 miles at 8500-10000 feet will help me adjust to the higher elevations.
Not much I can do about the snow. It will either be there or not. If I have to postpone, so be it. I will find another hike or wait il next year.
Lets see how all of this play's out....
Just finished reading the Moon is a Harsh Mistress. This is part of my continuing quest to read all of Heinlein's works. This is the first one I am readings from the Virginia Edition series. I would like to read them all someday, and I will.
This novel is one of the three that Heinlein is most known for; the other two being Starship Troopers and Stranger in a Strange Land. Stranger is next I think for me.
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16690.The_Moon_Is_a_Harsh_Mistress" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img border="0" alt="The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1348768309l/16690._SX98_.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16690.The_Moon_Is_a_Harsh_Mistress">The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/205.Robert_A_Heinlein">Robert A. Heinlein</a><br/>
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5286873368">4 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
My first Virginia Edition novel from Heinlein. I want to read them all. This is good, classic Heinlein. Excellent science fiction with a heavy dose of politics and philosophy. Not sure that I liked it as well as Starship Troopers, but it was solid. It has been a while since I have read ST too, so my opinion may have changed on that one. What is interesting is that a lot of the events that I am sure felt fantastical in the novel from 1966, have already come true or are well on their way. <br /><br />Bottom line. Highly recommended. One if the three cornerstone Heinlein novels, I plan to read Stranger in a Strange Land next.
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/55342257-rob-jackson">View all my reviews</a>
I watched a NOVA episode tonight. I enjoy PBS - especially NOVA and American Experience. I find some of the episodes fascinating. In fact, I saw that American Experience has two new episodes on the Iran Hostage Crisis. Must see TV for me.
The NOVA episode I watched tonight was bout crypto currency. I thought they did a good job. I learned some things about the cypher punk movement and cryptography that I did not know before. That is the sign of a good show - one where you learn something you didn't know before.
Well worth watching - even if it is a little ETH / Proof of Stake centric.
I Love Twitter. I Hate Twitter
I have always had a love hate relationship with Twitter. I love the people and occasional interactions you can have there, but I hate the censorship and anti-customer ethos. They don't just seem to give a shot about anything. No principles. Everything they do is arbitrary. And they had become more and more Facebook-like over the years. Heavy-handed with a total disregard for privacy and with a bunch of arbitrary rules that change constantly.
I had quit Twitter more than once - but I always came back. Well, this time Twitter quit me.
Banned!
Yes, I have been banned from Twitter for allegedly "abusive and harassing" behavior. How ironic since I am the only often asking people not to engage in personal attacks, with the common response being a profanity-laced threat or personal attack. The offending tweet was a football jest tweet sent in response to Chris Murphy, a Senator from Connecticut, hammering Tom Brady and his retirement - stating that he wants a good QB and Eli Manning was much better. Now clearly THAT had to be a joke because anyone in their right mind would know that is notable true. Misinformation if I had ever seen it.
In response, I chastised him for being a Giants fan and an elected official in New England (last I checked, Connecticut is in New England, even if the western coast thinks that are New Yorkers). So I let him know that he should be ashamed and run out of town 'tarred and feathered." I am guess that the tarred and feather comment is what the algorithm picked up on.And this is where robots will never be able to catch up to humans. That whole exchange was clearly a joke and in jest. Murphy was picking on Brady and going him a hard time, and I was picking on Murphy. This isn't abuse and harassment. Its fun and fandom. Not to the robots though. And my account was "temporarily" suspended to "protect" other twitter users. Never mind that I had been on Twitter for since 2008 (over 13 years) made thousands of tweets and never had any complaints or issues. I was now someone who need protection from.
Useless Appeal
I dod have the right to appeal, which I did knowing that nothing would come of it. I was right, and got the response to my appeal just a few moments after I submitted it. Robots again for sure. Denied, of course. So my "temporary" suspension would stay in place. It will be investing to see how long this "temporary" suspension is - my guess os forever. But we will see, because I cant even delete my account of wanted to. Twitter wont let me. They left my profile and my thousands of abusive tweets up for all to see.
There is ONE thing that I can do according to Twitter to restore my account. Delete he Tweet ( have zero problem with that_ and admit hat I violated Twitters rules and community standards. That's not happening .. . ever. Ever. Ever. When I joke tweet gets you banned after some of the crap that O have endured over the years. I even went through a stage where I reported people threatening violence and using personal attack profanity. Nothing ever came of it - ever. I would check the accounts complained of month later and they would still be up. Still spewing personal attacks and profanity at everyone they didn't like. Twitter look no action. So no, I will not be admitting to any kind of violations of community standards because Twitter appears to have none.
On to Micro.Blog
I have used Micro.blog in the past and like it. It doesnt have the scope of opinions and viewpoints that Twitter does, but that is a feature not a bug. The community there's e is rally nice and considerate. I have never seen profanity (a pet peeve of mine if you haven't figured that out yet), nor ny personal attacks. Everyone is respectful and gets along.
And isnt that what social media is supposed to be about. I was listening to a podcast today by the EFF and it spoke of the ills of social media networks - at least the ones with 2 billion plus users. The EFF's premise was that there is no way that all those people to be respectful and get along. It is never gonna happen. Just too many people. A better model, they surmised, was the to have smaller social groups with true common bonds that would actually interact and self-enforce community standards. A bottom up approach rather Han he current top-down approach used by Twitter and Facebook. They were smart to say that this wld only work in smaller, more persona groups though.
So I am going to join one of these smaller social groups at Micro.blog. May even try to set up something Mastodon too. We will see. But I think this is farewell to Twitters - finally. If they can even interact on a human-level with a long time customer, then I dont need Tham anymore. All it caused was stress anyway. I'm done (or at least that account is).
Never Forget that Twitter Needs Users More Than Users need Twitter.
I think Twitter has. They will come to regret that someday.
You can find Micro.blog here and a link to my posts are in the top navigational menu.