Category: My 2 cents

2024: A look back

The first weekend of 2025 has rolled in. What better time to look at the year that just went by: 2024! How does one define a year filled with moments that made one go “Really? Why?” only to arrive at “Yes. Of course.” as the conclusion/realization? IMHO the year 2024 can be summarized in just three words: Strange, yet familiar 🙏

I = I + I + I + I – I

The dust is now settled after 2024 election. The results can be viewed, if you indulge me, in the cold light of the day, in the form of a simple equation:
I = I + I + I + I – I
Considering the aftermath following the 2020 election, the outcome of the 2024 election can be described in one word: Incredible
That’s the left side of the equation and the first “I”! (Interestingly the word aftermath contains both “after” and “math”!). Let’s now look at the right side of the equation:

1) Inflation – The second “I”: Reasons can be debated but there is no denying that inflation has risen sharply past few years. Pain of rising prices has been felt by everyone. Gas and Grocery (G&G) price increase can be a combustible combination resulting in voter volatility

2) Immigration – The third “I”: Illegal immigration has been an ongoing issue for a long time. Residents in border States especially have seen and felt the effects of it acutely, whether it is homelessness or rise in crime. Most immigrants are not bad, they come in looking for better future, but if the flow is not regulated it places a strain on the infrastructure and available opportunities. Unfortunately it’s treated as more of a political issue to use during elections than being addressed as a problem that needs a long-term solution with bipartisan support

3) Indictments – The fourth “I”: Multiple indictments appear to have the effect of prosecutions being viewed as persecutions

4) Ineffectiveness – The fifth “I”: The current administration was not able to effectively prosecute its case/s in the court of law and the court of public opinion

5) Introspection – The sixth “I”: Whether in victory or defeat a bit of self-analysis helps in finding what worked out well, what did not and if any course correction is needed. Put simply, Introspection. Sadly, political campaigns on the left or right generally tend to run along predictable lines, not reflecting much introspection

I try not to get euphoric or depressed with the results of any election. The candidate that gets the most votes (based on the rules) is the winner. Simple as that! Having said that the most disappointing thing for me in 2024 election is the fact that the most important case did not even make it to the court of law after what took place on January 6, 2021. To my simple mind, if the events of that day were unprecedented it just doesn’t make sense to look for precedence on how to proceed ahead. Unprecedented events require unprecedented action. The approach should have been top-bottom instead of the bottom-up, for justice, and action should have initiated immediately. Why?
1) In the immediate aftermath, memories remain fresh and the emotions real and raw
2) Going after the low-level participants first is like taking action against the foot soldiers who believed they were just taking orders from above.

Coming back to the equation “I = I + I + I + I – I”, it works logically. You would be surprised to know it works mathematically too! How can I be equal 3 x I? It’s true when I = 0. Why is it true in this instance? Well, irrespective of whoever wins, it generally makes zero difference directly in the life of a common person. We have to fight our own battles every day, while the politicians battle over definition of marriage and when does life begin. In the midst of those fights, let’s hope whatever actions they take impacts us positively. The 2024 elections were free of controversy, will hope that is a sign of good things to come 🙏

Civic duty fulfilled!

Fulfilled my civic duty today by casting my vote! Smile😊is in anticipation of break from back-to-back depressing campaign ads (after election day till campaign for next election cycle starts) that have been appearing non-stop for many months. This time the bombardment has been especially heavy with multiple political calls, texts and Emails evoking memories of war fought over air, land and water👎
Must temper my expectations though as my joy could be short-lived with election campaigns starting early and seemingly going on forever 😭
Like to end with a thought on a light note: If ads are supposed to be targeted, I shouldn’t be seeing any ads for this election from now on as I am done voting and any appeal for my vote is meaningless, what say? 😂

Catch-22

“What the heck was that?” 😡
That must have been the instant reaction of anyone who watched the first Presidential Debate couple of days ago, either in its entirety or even a bit of it. Yes, it made for painful watching and that is putting it mildly. As things stand today the voters find themselves in a catch-22. Merriam-Webster defines Catch-22 as “a problematic situation for which the only solution is denied by a circumstance inherent in the problem or by a rule”. How did we land in this situation? Because of the candidates of the two major political parties. The candidates may spawn new entries in the lexicon. What are the voters’ choices?
1) A catch-and-kill impresario. Could spawn a new dictionary entry, Catch-78
2) A catch cold incumbent. Could spawn a new dictionary entry, Catch-81
It’s fair to think there should be better choices for the voters other than couple of grumpy, old men who have ignored the call of Father Time, Mother Nation, Son of God and the anguished cry of the Daughters. Yes, that is where we are today. This situation calls for a radical solution. One solution I can think of is limiting any individual to just one term in the office, especially as the second term generally turns out to be lame duck with the office holder worrying more about their place in history. A one-term limit would mean the elected person gets one 4-year term and that’s it. After that a new person will get a chance. Without the calculation of reelection in play, things will get done faster. 👍
However, I don’t see a one-term limit happening. ☹️
What other radical solution is possible? Every voter could put their own name as write-in candidate to protest the choice of the major political parties. That would mean anyone who qualifies the requirement of the office of Presidency will have a vote each! 😊
Yes, that would be a chaotic situation but is it any less chaotic now? 🤨

The promise👍, the allure😊 and the disappointment👎

After several weeks decided to put words to thoughts. This post will be about my impressions about social media from an end user perspective. I understand each individual’s experience is likely to be unique. Around 2010 I believe I started using social media and I have couple of social media accounts. Overall my experience can be summed in 3 words: Promise, Allure, Disappointment.

Let me start with “promise”. My social media journey started with a lot of promise. Felt that it gave an opportunity to stay connected with people I still maintained contact with, connect again with people I knew but had not been in touch with and to make new friends due to shared interests or discovered connection (like hobbies, school attended, growing up in or around the same community). Social media did deliver initially and I was able to connect with friends, old and new. Became a new medium to share news, good and bad, and just be there for each other, regardless of the time zone each person was located. There is convenience in being able to connect virtually at any time.

The next bit was “allure”. I like to paint with words and share in the hope someone can relate to my experiences and add their own impressions and perspectives. So, social media became an useful tool to convey my thoughts without the burden of being a professional writer. It allowed to be true to myself, express views and share interesting information. Another allure was the facility to donate to good causes and reach out to folks for their contributions, if they were interested.

Finally, the “disappointment” part. There has been more than one disappointment, at different levels. Authenticity is lost when public posture and opinions expressed in smaller private groups are at variance. Also, while connecting to people virtually is convenient it becomes a bit of bother if one or more users post material that is either insensitive or offensive. There is a certain level of self-policing involved in group situations. When one speaks up about insensitive/offensive material posted and it still continues one starts feeling like an outlier if even the good people whose voice will be heard choose to be silent. Another thing that irritates me is the senseless forwards. I don’t have anything against forwards per se. Occasionally I forward or post links that I find interesting or useful. What makes forwards irritating is when the person either blindly forwards without reading the contents or uses plausible deniability as a reason to avoid taking any responsibility if there is insensitive or offensive material. Some groups may also have folks’ intent on pushing their views leaving no room for discussion or debate if there is difference of opinion. I guess it’s a measure of general polarization when discussion about issues turn personal instead of remaining issue driven. Maybe I get more affected by such stuff than I should, but a sense of disenchantment started building over a period of time. The platform providers also bear some responsibility for trying to make it a safe and secure experience instead of just trying to push content into the feeds for the “free” use of the tool. For example, if I happen to read about quarterly results of a company, say Nike, it’s not because I am looking to buy a pair of sneakers. Unfortunately, the half-assed way the algorithms/AI for using user data works it means that the next time I log in to social media tool I might find ads for Air Jordans or something similar. Likewise for what user posts the tool determines should figure in the feed that will interest the user. My usage of social media reduced as a result. The last straw, so to speak, was 2-3 months ago when a post appeared in my feed that seemed to indicate a friend that I had not kept in touch with passed away suddenly under tragic circumstances. When you see something like that there is a pang of guilt for not having kept in touch with that friend and as a reflex reaction I clicked the link associated with the tragic event. My account got hacked (and looks like that friend’s account must have also been hacked) and similar posts under my name also started appeared in my other friend’s feed. Obviously, the platform provider can do a better job of monitoring for bad actors and taking swift action. My already reduced usage of social media is now even rarer. Yes, I may miss out on some happenings and updates about friends, but I have more peace of mind and that’s priceless! 🙏

Giving Day words bonanza

On this Giving Day words bonanza heads your way but only fighting words come to mind. Let me list the words, their meaning, and a story to weave in the words. No pictures, no emoticons, let the story paint the picture. A pleasant picture it may not be, but it is what it is.

Pugilist: a boxer, especially a professional one
Cocky: boldly or brashly self-confident
Plucky: having or showing determined courage in the face of difficulties
Haymaker: a forceful blow
Crocky: impaired in one’s powers, physically frail
Sucky: very bad or unpleasant
Geriatric: relating to old people, especially with regard to their healthcare
Gibberish: unintelligible or meaningless speech or writing; nonsense
Constitution: the composition of something

Here’s the story

The two pugilists, fighting for the biggest prize in the sport, stumbled their way through the fight. Billed as the “Heavyweight Fight Of The Century” it was promoted as a battle between Cocky and Plucky. Cocky was supposed to be the ultimate counter puncher and Plucky the consummate technician, biding his time and waiting for an opening to get his punches in. Trash talk was in plenty and attempts to throw haymakers were many but all of them ended connecting thin air. By the time Round 1 was over, all those who had paid big bucks for a seat to see the fight in person, were wishing that the fight would be brought to an end immediately. The spectators were unanimous in thinking the fight should have been promoted as one between Crocky and Sucky. Hoping to watch left hook and right jab the spectators were instead left shook and paying for a tab that didn’t seem right. By the time Round 2 started, even the ringside judges, tired of all the trash talk and low blows, were thinking of DQing both the fighters, who were well past their prime and should have hung up gloves for good many monsoons ago. Those who were covering the fight realtime had scathing words to describe what was on display. So sluggish were the fighters the writers thought a geriatric ward was a better place than a boxing ring for the fighters. The inane chatter and gibberish that was supposed to be trash talk was compared to the level of 5-year old. Not surprisingly, elder folks and young children took offense to this description. Couple of 90-year-olds completed 100 push-ups without breaking a sweat and a few 5-year-olds recited the Iliad end to end perfectly even while playing video games on their preferred gaming system. Since we are talking about a blood sport it’s a good time to talk about the fighters’ own blood. Well, they were not at all interested in the sport and were more focused cashing in on their father’s name and (in)fame. The quality of the fight was so bad, it left the long departed original creators of the sport, revered as Founding Fathers of the sport, turning in their grave, sensing the grave danger to the sport. When they originally framed the rules of the sport they had emphasized the importance of sound constitution and mind for those taking part in the fight. The Founding Fathers were dead, right, but is it fair to expect them to be dead right forever?

Legal Bumper Stickers


One day, one indictment, followed by an appeal.
Another day, another indictment, followed by an appeal.
You switch on the TV and it appears as if reruns of Court TV series are on all the time! For anyone interested in following news to stay informed and keep up with happenings locally and around the world it can make for depressing viewing, especially for people with sense of fair play and justice. My take is that if any issue is perceived to be so important that it is considered as something that goes to the heart of what we define who we are as a system of governance and justice, it should be considered supremely important and dealt with swiftly. To my way of thinking that means the issue goes straight to the Supreme Court, gets heard immediately, broadcast live and ruled directly by a panel of five judges of Supreme Court (The other four judges can hear other important cases that need attention). Hearings happening everyday till a decision is reached. No jury, no appeals allowed by prosecution or defense, to avoid any potential delays. Everyone accept the outcome and just get on with their life. That’s how other all hands on deck situations are generally handled, why should this be different? It will also be a good test of fairness in decision-making (based on facts, evidence presented, and arguments advanced by either side) of lifetime appointees of the highest court of the land, in full public view. During a time when we have witnessed epic disasters like most rainfall recorded in a 24-hour period, most acres lost to wildfire/s, highest temps on record etc., that require immediate attention and action, it just doesn’t seem fair to discuss ad nauseum, for years, legal matters that are considered of supreme importance. Sad thing is the longer it takes the more divisive it gets for the nation. The overwhelming feeling is “Can we just get done with it, please?”

As the courts decide on weighty matters on hand, the citizens need to have coping mechanism to keep going with day-to-day activities. Humor is one way to do it. In that spirit, from what has been reported and we have heard so far, here are a few bumper stickers.

If attempted crimes fail
Defendant shouldn’t go to jail!

The art of the deal
Is to file appeal after appeal!

Let justice quickly prevail for good 🙏

Oppenheimer movie – My thoughts

Few weeks ago, watched Oppenheimer movie in a movie theater. The movie has outstanding performance by many well-known actors. I knew a bit about Oppenheimer as I have read entries about him, Fermi and other scientists in Wikipedia. Before watching the movie I googled Gen Leslie Groves and Lewis Strauss too as they appeared to be couple of important characters in the movie. Overall I really liked the movie.👍 If I have to describe the movie in 2 or 3 words I would say I would describe it as “fascinating and disturbing”. Let me explain

What did I find fascinating about the movie?
Oppenheimer was an intense man and an interesting personality. Highly intelligent, he was a brilliant theoretical physicist and clumsy in practical physics. You could say he was more a thinker and less a tinkerer! His interests and knowledge also spanned fluency in multiple spoken languages and it appears he learned Sanskrit to read the Hindu holy book “The Bhagavad Gita” in its original form. His famous quote “Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds” is from the holy book. While teaching at UC Berkeley he appears to have come in contact with left-leaning people and might have developed an interest in knowing about socialism and communism. This association would come back to bite him later on. At Berkeley he mentored quite a few students and some of them went on to win the Nobel Prize in Physics. Before leading the Manhattan project he had not led very big teams and being chosen to lead a massive project of critical national importance was an interesting choice. Apart from being knowledgeable his being in academia, contacts with other scientists and ability to articulate passionately and convincingly about the subject might have tipped the scales in his favor. Leading a “dream team of scientists” would not have been a dream job per se as they would have had their own ideas, strong opinions and way of doing things. It’s to the credit of Oppenheimer and the team/s he led that whatever their differences they delivered big time. Physics was my major in my undergrad studies and I got a kick out of seeing the importance that the physicists got for their important role in the project.😊 I know what you are thinking but didn’t claim to be a great student or even a good student. 😄 I must add I did like nuclear physics when I was pursuing my Bachelor degree. 👍

What did I find disturbing about the movie?
The way Oppenheimer got treated after the bomb creation. Having taken up the leadership of the project as a challenge of solving a difficult problem (lot of theory that was being to put to test during the development of the bomb) and in national interest, Oppenheimer was horrified by the havoc and destruction caused by the usage of the atom bomb. So, he voiced his opposition to development of the more powerful hydrogen bomb. Little did he know of the trouble he would get into for taking this stance as he was taking on people in politics and the military with a lot of power and say. By voicing his reservation he had in effect cooked his own goose. The hearings on his security clearance were a sham as the powers that be had already made their decision. They resorted to the favorite method of discrediting a person at that time. Calling someone a “Communist” or a “Commie sympathizer” effectively derailed career and upended life of anyone targeted. A little bit of hubris also on Oppenheimer’s part for thinking he could convince people in politics to hear his arguments against developing a more powerful bomb and rethink their position. That thinking was probably influenced by the freedom enjoyed in research and success in convincing and recruiting some of the best scientists for the Manhattan Project. A stint either in the military or even in the corporate world might have led to the realization his opposition would go unheeded and he would be shunted to a position of much lower profile. I have read that Oppenheimer’s research on black holes was worthy of a Nobel but he never won that prize. Hopefully politics did not play a part in that. In recent times there has been so much discussion about assertation of the First Amendment (for freedom of expression) and the Fifth Amendment (the right to remain silent to avoid incriminating oneself) I wonder if those Amendments ever figured when the decision to revoke Oppenheimer’s security clearance was taken. The stress of publicized and high politicized hearings and revocation of security clearance would have taken quite a toll on the man. That’s sad 😭