Time to Think

Blue Wave, Blue Tsunami or The Blues?    #410 By Hank Silverberg  Commentary We are only a few weeks away from the crucial mid-term elections in Congress. Many states have already begun early voting.  The polls vary a bit, but right now it appears the Democrats have a good chance of picking up seats in the House and Senate and possibly gaining a majority in both chambers. But many who support that effort are concerned what direction it will take if it happens. One of the key mistakes the GOP has made, mainly because of the President's obsessions and ego, is to be vindictive, and to go after opponents with trumped-up criminal charges or false narratives. It has soured many Republicans to their own party and stalled any effort of the compromises that usually produce good government.    Democrats should not make the same mistake if they gain control of Congress. Yes, they can use the new majority to stop Trump's agenda for the next two years, and possibly rev...

Debating The Role Of Government                             #409 By Hank Silverberg  Commentary The midterm elections are now less than a month away, and early voting is underway in some states. A lot of the debate this year has focused on what role the government should have in our lives. There's a great deal of name calling with the words Communist, Socialist, and Fascist being thrown around loosely and inaccurately,  as I wrote a few weeks ago.  Here is what the preamble to the U.S. Constitution says about the role of government: "We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare , and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.  " So the main role of our governmen...

Artificial Intelligence A Threat?         #408 By Hank Silverberg In 1942, a science fiction writer named Isaac Asimov wrote a short story called Runaround that was later included in the 1950 collection called  I, Robot.  The story focused on a world where robots had become very popular servants for human beings, doing many of the menial jobs and even some of the more complex ones. These robots were individuals that had artificial intelligence, and eventually took over the world.   Asimov knew human beings should maintain control of such machines and created for his stories a guidebook called  " Three Laws of Robotics 2058 ".  He was just about right in his predictions. And that brings up the question: are you using Artificial Intelligence in your workplace or elsewhere? It's hard to avoid it. Even Google searches will now bring up an AI overview. This one came up when I googled AI:  "Artificial intelligence (AI) is the ...

Say It Ain't So                                      #407 By Hank Silverberg  Take me out to the ball game, please! The MLB playoffs begin this week, and I am thrilled that my Red Sox are in the mix again. Last year they were eliminated in the first round, and that began the long, sad winter for me without the sport I am addicted to: baseball.  But this year's playoffs and World Series have something else hanging over them that could change the lives of millions of people. The collective bargaining agreement between Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball  Players Association expires on December 1.  They will need to come up with a new deal before spring training begins again in February, or the 2027 baseball season will be in jeopardy.  The two sides are far apart on one big issue, a salary cap.   The MLB Commissioner, Rob Manfred, said on Sunday...

  A Free Press Under Fire              #406 By Hank Silverberg   Commentary You have already heard the story. President Trump has kicked reporters from CNN, MSN and Politico out of the White House press room, calling them all "Fake News". "Media outlets shouldn't be able to constantly write or report FICTION and LIES when they are covering the President of the United States, the Trump Administration or the United States of America," Trump posted on Truth Social.  To Trump, anything he thinks is negative about him is a lie or fake.  Last year Trump removed Reuters, the Associated Press and Bloomberg News from the permanent White House press pool and barred the AP from events where Trump speaks, all because they would not adopt his renaming of the Gulf of Mexico.   It's all petty, of course.Those news organizations do not lie, nor are they fake news. Mr. Trump is being vindictive because he doesn't like negative stories...