Wednesday, December 28, 2022

And then we rap up 2022


In the United States we have been focused on a few political issues for most of the year:

The January 6 2021 attempt to change the 2020 Presidential election and then the November Mid-Terms, which would clarify how the voters were generally feeling were the two main issues.

But the global news appears to be a much bigger deal.

 I therefore think that  Russia would be the dominant story in 2022.  

Covid  inhaled our awareness for the previous two years and then Mr. Putin decided to push that virus off the front page by declaring that the Ukraine was actually part of Russia and they would reclaim what was lost when the USSR unraveled in 1991.

Starting a new war in the year 2022 really shows how history hasn't really taught us anything.

In the meantime while Putin is dangerously challenging the peace of our planet we are discovering things that are much much much much larger and ultimately much more important.


In May an actual image of the Black Hole at the center of our Milky Way galaxy was captured.

It was captured by the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT), an array which linked together eight existing radio observatories across the planet to form a single “Earth-sized” virtual telescope. The telescope is named after the “event horizon”, the boundary of the black hole beyond which no light can escape.  (Space.com)

There are astronomers who think that we have 100 million black holes in the Milky Way.  Now if you accept that we have 200 BILLION + stars in the Milky Way, than 100 million Black Holes probably is not an exaggeration.

If you think that Earth is the center of the Universe than you probably think that Trump won the election and that the Easter Bunny is working on coloring eggs while preparing for her holiday in April or May or whenever it takes place.

I've diverted away from politics to science and I'm about to take one step beyond both by sharing with you how my Amygdala (thank you Dr. Conlan) completely went off the charts the other night and as a result the following letter appeared in my mind's eye right before I fell asleep.

It turns out that if this letter was truly written it could change the world.  I saw the letter but my eyes were closed.

SIDE BAR First and foremost I'm writing this letter in English because it appeared in English.

December 25 2022

Dear Citizens of the Planet Earth,

It doesn't matter how I've come to this realization because the motivation does not compare to the action resulting from the motivation.

First and foremost I need to apologize and beg for your forgiveness.

My actions for a very long time have been based on a belief that my country should be the dominate player in all matters  both political and economic.

We have the most land of any country  (11 % )and the diminished property over the last forty years has never set well with me.  I took it personally as a young man and have made it a goal to restore my beloved Motherland to it's original size.  My training with the KGB only enhanced my egotistical dream and I now realize that a form of advanced brainwashing was used to help formulate who I would become.

I'm not happy with who I am and with your help I've decided to alter the present course of action taking place in countries that border Russia,.....obviously starting with The free democracy of Ukraine and their  48 million residents.

I am immediately withdrawing Russian troops from the Ukraine and Crimea.  Financial reparation's will begin today in order to help rebuild the damage we have done to cities and towns in Ukraine.

All military personel will be moved to the Eastern part of Russia in order to secure our borders against the Chinese.  Our military personel will also be used to build the factories that I decided to construct.

I am ordering that 10,000 factories be built throughout Russia to manufacture the same type of goods being manufactured in China, including furniture, clothing and toys.

We should have done this as a country starting in 1950 but we got caught up in the wartime mentality and things simply got out of hand.

Again I apologize for any unnecessary tension created since WW11.  

We are a superpower with an incredible history that dates back  long before the Industrial Revolution.

We should be proud of our heritage without trying to force our ideology on anyone.

We can alter our own economic history without destroying someone else's.

We have enough weapons and therefore one of our first acts will be to start dismantling our nuclear arsenal and would encourage the United States to do the same.

THE NUCLEAR SITUATION ON THIS PLANET ,MUST BE ALTERED  and all countries that are attempting to build nuclear weapons must stop immediately.  We will no longer supply materials to any country that wants to develop nuclear weapons.

Our pipelines that supply natural gas and crude oil will be offered at a discounted price for the next year in order to help offset the effects of climate change.

CLIMATE CHANGE will be addressed by the Russian government on a high priority basis and the factories that will be built will be done so with environmental issues at the forefront.

St. Petersburg will once more resume as a co-capital of Russia along side Moscow.

Russia is around 875 years old and we need to start acting 

age appropriate.

WE NEED TO PUT ON OUR BIG BOY PANTS AND SHOW THE REST OF THE WORLD HOW TO ACT.

Again I apologize for all the inconvenience, stress and aggressive behavior over the last few years and pray that you will forgive me.

I am a changed man and I will prove it starting today, which just happens to be Christmas in many parts of the planet.

Sincerely

Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin

and by the way

HAPPY NEW YEAR








Thursday, December 8, 2022

Thoughts on 2022 SPORTS ONLY first

 2022 was an interesting and very successful year for anyone who follows the Rams, Dodgers and Trojans.

The Los Angeles Rams truly gave us a perfect start to the new year by winning the Super Bowl.  Very hard to find anything to complain or bitch about when the team you have followed since 1952 wins the last game of the season.  There was a lot of talk about repeating during the celebration but those of us who pay attention realize that probably was the champagne and beer talking.  

It turns out that talk is indeed cheap.  Very few NFL Super Bowl Champions repeat and sadly the Rams are about to set a negative record for having lost the most games after winning a Super Bowl.   But I keep reminding people that there is only one reigning World Champion until the next Super Bowl.  That one team is the Los Angeles Rams.

And then Baseball season started and the Dodgers were on a mission to take back the Western Division of the National League from the Giants.  Dave Roberts during spring training made a silly comment to Dan Patrick that the "Dodgers would win the World Series"

NOT THAT THEY COULD, BUT THAT THEY WOULD!

Anybody in their right mind who pays attention to sports (especially Baseball) knows there is no such thing as a guarantee and absolutely no predicting.  Goals are set and efforts are made to achieve those goals but saying that you will win the World Series is a mistake that can only come back and bite you in the ass. 

Which it did!

(I'm pretty sure he just got caught up in the Freddie Freeman acquisition and simply lost his mind)

But before the post season started the Los Angeles Dodgers preceded to have their best regular season in franchise history.

Please keep in mind the team was founded in 1883.

111 wins is a really really great number.  Check out triple ones together.  111 should become a symbolic number for the franchise and I expect to see a lot of shirts, hats and hoodies next season with the number 111.   

Because the Dodgers got eliminated early there hasn't been a lot of focus on their regular season success.  That will change once the 2023 season gets under way.  

By the way, spring training starts in about 13 weeks.  And the Dodgers really have their work cut out especially since the Padres just signed Xavier Bogaerts.  That line-up could be the best in baseball.

The Dodger success will depend on their great young players. They have the best minor league system in baseball and 2023 will really let us know how great they are.

Before I move on I want to bring up a few points from the playoffs that nobody seems to be addressing.  Nobody has asked Dave Roberts or Andrew Freidman why Joey Gallo was on the roster and didn't get one at bat.  Nobody has asked why Chris Taylor kept batting against right handed pitchers when he had just come off a neck injury. Nobody has asked why the MAIN cheerleader all season, Hanser Alberto, was removed from the playoff roster.  Nobody has asked why an unproven rookie, Miguel Vargas, was added to the roster and yet didn't play.  Nobody has asked why Dustin May wasn't given one inning, or Graterol. Nobody has asked why Evan Phillips wasn't used in the 7th inning LIKE HE WAS ALL SEASON LONG.  Nobody has asked why a pitcher, Tommy Kahnale, who had only thrown 12 innings ALL SEASON was brought in in the 7th inning.  (He walked the leadoff batter)  Nobody has asked why a journeyman ballplayer, Trace Thompson, started in Center field when everybody knows that Cody Bellinger excels in the playoffs.

SO MANY QUESTIONS AND YET NOT ONE OF THOSE QUESTIONS HAS BEEN ASKED BY THE MEDIA SINCE LAST OCTOBER....AND DAVE AND ANDREW HAVE GIVEN MULTIPLE INTERVIEWS SINCE THEN.

And with those comments I close the 2022 Dodger season and look forward to 2023. 

 I predict the Dodgers will not win 111 games.  

And while there is no predicting in Baseball I've decided to go out on a limb.

AND THEN 2022 BROUGHT A NEW ATTITUDE TO COLLEGE FOOTBALL IN SOUTHERN  CALIFORNIA.

UCLA AND USC BOTH CHANGED THEIR PROGRAMS AROUND AND THE TROJANS CAME EXTREMELY CLOSE TO PLAYING FOR THE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP.  They also produced the potential Heisman winner (we will know Saturday) and their new coach Lincoln Riley reminded us of Pete Carroll.

After only winning 4 games in 2021 the Trojans currently stand a 11-2 and will play Tulane in the Cotton Bowl on January 2 2023.

So as I wrap up the sports part of my yearly summary I have to say that it was a GREAT year and most likely won't be repeated in 2023.  Rams are out, Dodgers will be challenged by Padres and Caleb Williams might be drafted by the NFL where he probably won't make as much as he did this year playing college football.

BRAND IDENTITY IS THE FUTURE AND THE FUTURE IS HERE AND IT'S CALLED

NIL

Name  Image  Likeness

Have a great Holiday and please note I will be wrapping up real life in 2022 before the end of the year.