First Blog

  How to recognize intuition in others – even ourselves. People with great intuition seem to see a solution without an apparent train of thought. It may appear effortless, but usually, the understanding has much previous preparation. Intuition is one of about eight problem-solving techniques we use in all phases of life. Great advances depend on them. Great parents have intuition, often without knowing it. That excellent mechanic or craftsman we wished we hired has it. They know because they see deep patterns beyond treatises on procedure. The intuitive teacher knows from the slightest facial expression or words if the student is having trouble. Your intuition is best about subjects you know best. In geometry, they may see how the parts fit together; in literature, they may write just the right expression or turn of phrase. In personal relations, they may know just what to do without excitement or apparent revelation. In diplomacy, they may have an instinctive understanding ...

On the Google engine for snooping on Chinese citizens linking Internet use to cell phone numbers.   Perhaps now, per the Google CEO on December 11, 2018, this engine may or may not be delivered to the Chinese government.  So what! Do we not realize this engine, now apparently created, can be marketed to anyone, any country, any company, any agency, any party, any billionaire, with only few simple tweeks (aka adjustments)?   Its very existence is not unlike a nuclear bomb.   If deployed, it could destroy millions of lives, level groups and companies, ruin governments, and decimate universities.   China may have been a mere foil for Google to develop such a tool it could itself use – or sell. Do they not already sell customized versions of their search engine to private companies? Yes.   Do they not already sell search data to private merchants or politicians?   Yes. Forget China.   For the power players of the world, let the bidd...

The USA – a Three-Party State We live in an age of greed .  From the right, it might be called a greed for money, disguised as self-determinism and free enterprise.  From the left, it might be called a greed for power, disguised as universal rights and justice.  This is old news. Nowadays we see a new force, the  greed for information .  Currently, it is merely a left-leaning political auxiliary making lots of money.  Mostly what it does is unknown except for information gathering.  The processing algorithms are complex and accurate. But they use can be modified to identify, to fractionate, to discriminate, and ultimately to censor.  All too easy.  But soon, the information moguls will come to a basic conclusion.  And that is... Why do we need either the right or left?  We control the flow of information, and we read it all. Therefore we control all.* They control, but what they want is not exactly known....

Costco Membership. I've had a Costco membership since 2013.   I've bought a bunch of stuff valued in the thousands over that time.  But yesterday, when I added something to my "cart,"  Costco decided to verify me.  BTW, always paid all bills at the register, no exceptions. This process asked a lot of questions about me, things I could not imagine they even knew, and certainly I never told them. An example is the question they asked about the state of my residence in 1961.  Yes, 57 years ago!  This was a concern to me. I called Costco about this.  After three levels of supervisors I learned that Costco has contracted with another company to perform these verifications.  The last supervisor I talked to had no clue what the questions were, only whether I passed their test. What this means to you and to me is that there is a database of information out there about your information, past and present, your buying habits, your ability to pay,...

Anti-trust – 21 st century style All of us know when a particular company or cabal of companies begin to and then control a sector of products, it invokes attention.  These companies are sometimes subject to the anti-trust provisions of the law, i.e. Sherman Anti-Trust.  That was yesterday, when companies created an unfair market advantage to increase profits.  Many companies were broken up in this way, notably Standard Oil. Today is different, with monopolies and cabals created to hold information, the commodity of the future.  Implied here is that large corporations such as Amazon and Facebook contain so much information about citizens, it can actually affect what people do and how they buy.  By marketing information, they will soon be moving into altering what citizens think, and even how they vote.  The tip of this is already evident, with many pundits and news anchors discussing that such firms are becoming too big and controlling too much le...

We have come to it with a new team for Trump and Trump receiving classified information.  Dangerous situation for the Donald.  Trump is in the unenviable position of having a campaign allowed no more mistakes.  With a new team on board, dangers abound.  The new team allows "Trump to be Trump."  In my view Trump has for decades allowed his base feelings free through perhaps nasty, perhaps catty, perhaps inappropriate remarks as a part of his business operations.  His apparatchiks know this.  They have experienced this in board rooms, and now in the press, the latter not to his advantage.  He seems unable and unwilling to change.  However...  He is now privy to classified briefings. Trump should beware that revealing any possible hint he knows classified information.  This will be watched carefully.  And hints are regarded in the wide sense, with comments to the effect, "How did he know that?"  Doesn't matter. ...