Post #500 -- The Finale?

It started with a post called The Idea.  15 years and 499 blog posts later, I'm at #500.

Normally I'd be composing my annual entry on things I'd like to see happen next year.  (A couple of them actually happened, but the majority didn't, as is the norm.)  But I'm not going to do that this year.  In fact I may never do it again, because the time has come for me to take a (permanent?) sabbatical from this blog.

I never started a blog with the expectation that it would influence anyone or create a following.  I did it because at the time 1) it was a popular thing to do, and 2) I thought it would help organize my thoughts and possibly help my writing skills.  The former has been taken over by new technology (substacks and podcasting), while the latter....that probably did work out.  At the least, I have some good background material for the age 45-60 part of my future memoir.

Looking back at those previous entries, so much has happened and changed over 15 years, to me and to the world and how I view it.  If this is going to be my last post, I'm going to spend it by pulling the camera back to that long ago, and draw some big picture conclusions:

The world is sorely lacking critical thinkers.

I've always subtitled this blog "The random rants of a critical thinker."  I never meant it in a braggadocios way, but rather to spotlight a competency I have that, frankly, most people don't.  Most people believe, in full or part, whatever they hear or read.  They're either unable or unwilling to do their own objective research to determine what's true from false, or right from wrong.  Lots of my rants over the years made this clear, and it's a major, worsening problem in America.  If the 2024 national election proved anything, it's that propaganda rules when we don't have enough critical thinking.

Advances in personal technology are both the best and worst thing for America.

First the good:  We are so much more productive now than 15 years ago.  We're able to do more with less, and do it more efficiently.  I've had my sole proprietorship business for the past six years, and there is no way I could do it without the technology I have at my disposal -- some of which wasn't available 15 years ago.

That said, social media is softly killing this country.  It was great at first, and then rogue players moved in to monetize it and/or politicize it, because they know people are easily manipulated.  (This goes hand-in-hand with the prior paragraph.)  It makes people do bad things to themselves and to others.  In the worst case, it leads to autocracy and anarchy.

Music must have good lyrics to be good music.

'Nuff said.

Travel to other places is a very good thing.

I wouldn't say I've traveled extensively, and definitely not internationally, but I've traveled all over the country enough to know everyone should do it.  Every time I've been to a different region of the country, I've come back with my thinking reset as to how people and places aren't alike in how they go about things.  There are all kinds of people doing all kinds of things all kinds of ways, and it's great to see that.  People who don't travel don't see this, and tend to think their way, their beliefs, are the only ones.  That isn't good for them or anyone else. 

Cannabis deserves the same legal treatment as alcohol and prescription drugs.

The federal government insists on acting like marijuana / cannabis leads to worse outcomes than alcohol or prescription meds.  Really?  Worse than the tens of thousands of alcohol-related illnesses and drunk driving deaths?  Worse than the opioid or fentanyl crisis?  It's willful ignorance.  Most cannabis users are just going for at-home pain relief or a cartoon-watching buzz.  It calms them down, it doesn't make them hurt themselves or go out and hurt others.  It's beyond time for regulated, federal legalization, but it won't happen until the feds decide they want the tax revenue now going to the states.

Investing isn't costly, but it can be.

I'm not saying it's easy, but I am saying you don't have to pay so much to have others manage money for you.  You have to dig deep, find out where the hidden costs are, and not let the financial and insurance industrial complex work for them instead of for you.  For most, this simply means finding an advisor they trust.  Unfortunately, that usually means they end up going with some non-credentialed stranger they know from somebody who knows somebody who knows a person who they sometimes sit next to occasionally at church.  Like anything else you buy, caveat emptor.

So.....I guess that's all for now.  Don't forget to buy my memoir, but until then, peace out.

Is Thanksgiving Real

It's Thanksgiving week, which means I'm going to the well again for a list of things for which I am not thankful.  It's going to be a politically heavy list this year, because it's an easy fit....

The most corrupt, amoral, unethical person to be elected U.S. president, Trump.

All of the complicit, lying, sycophants of that person.

The right-wing Republican propaganda machine.

The stupidity of Americans, and by default, the American electorate.  I wrote about this 15 years ago!

Our lack of critical thinkers.  I wrote about this 13 years ago!

I'm sure I've said this in the past, maybe multiple times, but....reality television.

Tech bros.

Crypto bros.

Real estate commissions.

People who don't take care of their yards.

Door dings.

Spam texts and emails.

2018

Another New Year's Eve (eve) is here, so it's time for my annual review of the things I wanted to have happen in the past year, and a fresh list of things I want to have happen in the next year.  Here's the 2017 list, with comments in ALL CAPS:

-Again:  At least some progress on medical marijuana in Iowa,

THE GOOD NEWS IS, SOME PROGRESS WAS MADE.  IT'S GOING TO BE A TAD BIT EASIER FOR THOSE WHO NEED IT TO GET IT.  THE BAD NEWS IS, IOWA IS STILL NOT FULLY COMMITTED TO IT.

-Some type of institutional or legal control over fake news / social media.

FACEBOOK HAS TAKEN SOME ACTION, ALBEIT TOO LITTLE, TOO LATE.  AT THIS POINT, IT'S HARD TO GET IN FRONT OF IT, BECAUSE THE PRESIDENT LIVES IN A VIRTUAL REALTY WORLD THAT HE WANTS OTHERS TO BELIEVE IS NORMAL.

-Related to the above, more critical thinkers, fewer idiots who believe everything they hear.

THERE ARE MORE CRITICAL THINKERS ON THE LEFT, AND LET'S JUST SAY FEWER CRITICAL THINKERS ON THE RIGHT.

-GPS technology used in major sporting events, e.g. to mark the ball in football games, and for the strike zone in baseball games.

NOPE.  LOSERS.

-More working from home by me.

THIS HAPPENED, BUT TO ONLY ABOUT 25% OF THE LEVEL IT SHOULD HAVE.

-The return of popular mainstream rock bands and rock music.

THIS DIDN'T HAPPEN, HOWEVER, I SAW RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS AND JOE WALSH AND TOM PETTY (AND SCHEDULED TO SEE BOB SEGER) IN CONCERT.  SO IT WASN'T ALL BAD.

-Implementation of the fiduciary rule, and the demise of commission-based financial advice.

THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION ALLOWED THE RULES TO GO INTO EFFECT, BUT THERE WILL BE NO ENFORCEMENT UNTIL AT LEAST 2019.  SO, NO.  AND SINCE FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS ARE IN THE REPUBLICAN'S POCKETS, MIGHT AS WELL FORGET ABOUT THIS FOR A FEW MORE YEARS.

-The resignation or impeachment of an unqualified president -- no names, any one will do.

NOT AS CRAZY AS IT SOUNDED LAST YEAR. WILL ADD PUSH THIS FORWARD.  IT WON'T BE ANY FUN TO ASK IT FOR 2019 BECAUSE BY THEN IT WILL BE LIKELY.

For 2018 I'd like to see:

The failure of Bitcoin, not as an idea, but as an investment.

An NCAA scandal so large they will have to start allowing players a cut of revenues.

More destinations and ways to fly on Southwest Airlines.

A widespread ability to charge devices without a cord (also asked for this for 2016).

A new governor / lieutenant governor elected for Iowa. 

Let's try this -- exponential growth in the cannabis industry to the extent all states will want a piece of it through taxation.

Greater national and international awareness of CRISPR (genome editing) technology.

Smaller entree portions served in restaurants, for a reduced price.

Fewer national weather disasters, but more understanding of climate change.

The resignation or impeachment of a mentally unstable and unqualified president -- again, no names.

Beyond The Evolutionary Lottery

There are all kinds of built-in advantages to being a natural 1) Caucasian-born 2) American 3) male.  Any one of these three gives a person a head start in life; being all three is like winning the evolutionary lottery, especially economically and socially.  I realize this, although most do not.

However, there is one thing I believe no one is naturally born with that, if attained through effort and some luck, creates a big advantage in life.  Intelligence.  (I say luck is involved because although it isn't natural, intelligence is still more likely to be attained by those advantaged, white American males who are far more likely to be educated through college.)

Smarter people are capable of doing more things in life, and doing them effectively and efficiently, and therefore they gain advantages over others.  There are tons of examples, some obvious (understanding technology) and some not so obvious (critical thinking).

Knowledge is power, whether it's at the office, at the bar, or at the neighborhood block party.  Just being able to carry on a conversation with the person standing next to you, whomever that is, can be a big plus in a variety of situations.

There is one major downside for some of the smarties out there:  Their frequent inability to grasp that they aren't always the smartest person in the room.  This brings them well-earned disregard from those they would seek to impress.  Let's just say the positive correlation between knowledge and power is sometimes offset by the negative correlation between intelligence and self-awareness.

Regardless, knowing things other people don't know is a huge advantage in a world that relies less and less on physical talent.  The best part of this is, almost anyone can do it.  (I say almost because again, it helps a lot to be born in America, home of taxpayer-funded public education and the public library.)

If only it mattered more in politics, where intelligence apparently provides no advantage whatsoever.

The Critical Condition Of Critical Thinking

I've always sub-titled this blog "The random rants of a critical independent thinker."**  What does this critical thinker moniker mean to me?

First, I now realize it means I've been using an extra, unnecessary word for a lot of years, because true critical thinking is always independent.  It's should not be affected by race, gender, religious or political affiliation, or any pre-conceived notion that would alter one's perspective.

Critical thinking is actively assessing factual information, and then drawing a conclusion.  In other words, it's the opposite of most thinking today, in which people seek out information to support their already drawn conclusions (a/k/a confirmation bias).

Note that I said "factual" information.  Critical thinkers don't just assume everything they hear and read is true.  This is a real problem for most people today, who seem to swallow anything they hear from their neighbor, or read on the internet.  Critical thinkers not only question the rationality of the information, but also the reliability of the source providing it.

As for that sourcing, critical thinkers absorb information from a wide variety of people and places.  You can't call yourself a critical thinker if you only read the same, single newspaper / web site year-round.  Or watch the same broadcast network year-round.  Or talk to only people with the same background.

Based on that basic summary, it follows that I believe there's at least one other truth about critical thinkers:  These days, they are in short supply.

**Due to the second paragraph, as of today, it's "The random rants of a critical thinker."