2020 (Archived)


Bye, 2020 👋

December 31, 2020

Hello! We’ve reached the 2020 finale. Grab a warm beverage; let’s catch up.

In Retrospect: We lived through 2020. What a year! The ratio of bad news to good news felt like 10-to-1. With fewer entertainment options like movies or sports, folks clearly had trouble keeping calm and carrying on.

At the global scale, we were all forced to stare bad news straight-in-the-face, bite down on our lip, and deal with the continuous onslaught of bad news; supplemented by lies, deception, misinformation, and plain ignorance. This blog went into painstaking detail to document much of the socio-political madness of 2020. Make no mistake, the madness of 2020 will bleed into 2021. From illegal presidential pardons, ongoing damage to Democracy, and vaccination skeptics, and so forth. However, let's table the chaos and bad news, for just a few moments.

Let’s discuss some happiness.

Traditions: Starting on Christmas Day, through New Year’s Day, our tradition is to make menudo and/or tamales and watch both The Lord of the Rings trilogy and The Hobbit trilogy, in their entirety. The tradition is now five years old. This year, we made Menudo and started with The Hobbit. We are now energized and ready to take on some new adventures in 2021.

Music Playlist 2020: Another year, another music playlist. You can check out my Best Of 2020 music playlist. These songs helped me navigate 2020. From quiet moments to intense workouts and everything in between.

UvU III: Monsters: Before reaching all the streaming platforms, you can find UvU III: Monsters exclusively on Bandcamp for the next couple weeks. Recorded hours of music in 2020. Decided this unprecedented year of chaos and mistakes (specifically covid deniers & conspiracy theorists) that an instrumental, ambient album, full of single-takes and mistakes was the apropos aesthetic.

2020 Creative Bonuses: Unexpected year for me to grow my hair out for the first time since 1998! Completed a Javascript course with a buddy, started playing 8 string guitar, and beginning to explore photography & videography.

Now onto some heavier, less happy topics...

Covid Update: In 2020, at least 350,000 American citizens died from Coronavirus. COVID-19 was a leading cause of death in the United States in 2020. We now know it killed hundreds of thousands like Heart disease and Cancer; significantly more than the common cold, which so many folks, including Celebrity Doctors and Space Karen propagated repeatedly for literally months on both television and social media.

In 2020, Covid-19 caused roughly the same number of deaths as Influenza and Pneumonia, Diabetes, Suicide, and Accidental Injuries COMBINED. New research suggests Covid-19 mortality rates may have actually been underdetected in the 25-44 age bracket. The Covid mortality chart remains available. We are tracking to surpass the total number of U.S. citizen/soldier deaths as World War II, in just the next 30 days. It did not have to be this way. We could have, and should have, listened to public health officials from the beginning.

Celebrity Deaths: We lost many significant cultural figures in 2020. In no particular order: Neil Peart, John Lewis, Chadwick Boseman, Eddie Van Halen, Harold Budd, Ennio Morricone, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Kobe & Gianna Bryant, Wilford Brimley, Dawn Wells, Regis Philbman, Alex Trebek, Sean Connery, James Lipton, and so many others.

Political Abstraction: Mentioned in previous posts, politics is not a sport. Systems of government ought not be reduced to entertainment or spectacle. Like many other systems, political systems are strongest when low-level abstractions are so stable they go unseen. Hope we make political abstraction high-level, again. Specifically, no citizen should have to cite portions of the Constitution or decades-old legislation or international human rights law to justify their citizenship, right to vote, or right to life, liberty, and/or pursuit of happiness. Yet, over the past four years, this is the type of low-level political abstraction average Americans were busy discussing.

We came close to seeing our centuries-old Democracy devolve into Authoritarianism, Dictatorship, or worse. This was a dark period in American history. No basis to challenge our election traditions. No basis to tarnish our own global reputation. But, we did. The fate of any Democracy should not ever, ever, ever rest upon one single election. Yet, it did in 2020. Moving forward, should election results ever again come under such baseless dispute so openly, by our own President and his band of lawless dimwits, may our entire Country rally together to bring down the proverbial hammer with the full force of treason and sedition laws.

Trump’s one-term legacy will go down in the history books as an attempt at one-party rule, fueled by mass-scale disinformation campaigns, pandering to foreign interference in our elections, discrediting American institutions, holding a childish grudge over the citizens who did not vote for him, and so forth. Yet, it will not be the last we see of this type of behavior. In this respect, too, legislative safeguards appear to be more necessary than ever. Finally, let me reiterate one final time -- the Trump administration was the true swamp; one which reeked of pure political corruption, nepotism, and incompetent non-leaders from inauguration day to the bitter end. Glad this can all soon come to an end, with his swamp drained, and the creatures therein gone; some straight to jail cells. Not because we dislike them, heck no, but because illegal acts were committed, openly, and routinely.

Biden's Term: Joe Biden’s inauguration is symbolic; Americans elected competent leaders back into the highest levels of American Government. Now let me say this -- whether You or I or We dislike Biden or Kamala or members of Biden's Administration or their policies is irrelevant to whether they are competent at their job. Biden and his administration will be perfectly competent, perfectly experienced. This is important. While surely we might disagree with their aesthetics; perhaps even their ethics or morals, at times; we can at least rest assured they're fit for the job. On this blog, you can guarantee we reserve the right to remain critical of Biden's Administration and ALL branches of Our Federal Government, when necessary.

For now, it's comforting to know Biden won’t have a public meltdown on Twitter overnight while we sleep.

Let’s leave Presidential meltdowns, stripping citizens of their rights, forcing immigrant children into cages, non-consensual hysterectomy operations on immigrant women inside U.S. detention centers, exploiting the poor and the weak, viewing humanity as a zero-sum game, celebrating the failed confederates, cozying-up to authoritarianism regimes, apologizing for fascism and right-wing conspiracy theorists, and so forth, let’s leave all that baggage in 2020.

In 2021, and beyond, I hope to see America strive, once again, to be Mother of Exiles, as written in The New Colossus. May we accept the tired, the poor, and the huddled masses yearning to breathe free. Not rhetorically, but literally. Let us rally around America's brightest and most coveted ideas and accomplishments. Let us progress in those directions, for everybody. Let's not repeat prior mistakes, neither ours nor others' from history. Godspeed!

I sincerely wish everybody the best possible 2021. Thank you for reading!

Peace & Love, Worldwide ✌🏼❤️🌍

- anthony


Every Vote, Counted! 🗳️

November 30, 2020

Hello! Happy Cyber Monday.🤖 Hope everybody had a good Thanksgiving 🦃. Goal is for another short post. So grab a drink and let’s catch up!

Biden’s Landslide: Over 80 Million voters elected challenger Joe Biden to lead America. 6.2 Million more voters chose the challenger over the incumbent. For perspective, Biden’s margin of victory is so large that it surpasses the total populations living in Wyoming, Montana, South Dakota, North Dakota, Alaska, Vermont and Idaho, combined. Still, we can do better. Voter turnout was approximately 66.5% of the total U.S. population. Aim for 85 Million votes in 2024. Still, plenty to celebrate. In victory, Biden successfully re-established the Democratic ‘Blue Wall’ and, more impressively, Biden won the historically Republican States of Arizona and Georgia. Cultural icons in those States, John McCain and John Lewis, were vocal critics of Trump and frequent targets of his attacks. Joe Biden is now the President-Elect of the United States and Kamala Harris will be the first female Vice President in U.S. history.

Trump’s Swamp: Trump’s political legacy now includes the title of ‘worst loser’. He refuses to offer a concession speech or admit defeat. In plain sight, Trump is now reduced to Twitter tantrums and alt-reality conspiracies so bogus even his old pals at Fox News refuse to air them on television. Trump now promotes small online networks who gladly spread disinformation. His legal team attempted over 25 challenges in State Courts across the United States, yet all allegations of ‘voter fraud’ are rendered null and void by Courts. No evidence of widespread voter fraud have been presented.

Sunrise & Side-Effects: This dark chapter in American history is over. Good riddance. Hope America never again experiments with autocracy, despotism, or fascism. For now, take a deep breath in, deep breath out, and enjoy the view, like a once-in-a-lifetime sunrise. The side-effects of Trumpism still linger; specifically post-truth politics. Aspiring dictators now lurk in the shadows, eager to emerge. Lusting for power and one-party rule, prepared to once again weaponize misinformation, conspiracies, and propaganda - convince citizens of absurdities and eventually they will commit atrocities. Perhaps topple the Statue of Liberty, vilify segments of the population, place humans in cages, or worse. Democracy is always one election away from anti-democracy. In our American Democratic system, Citizens are like superheroes; the ultimate arbiters of Truth, Justice, and the American Way. 🦸

Covid Update: 273,000 Americans have now died from Covid-related causes. Governors across the U.S. re-issued State lockdowns. A new CDC report confirms that South Dakota’s Sturgis motorcycle rally was indeed a huge superspreader event which led to the viral outbreak in the neighboring State of Minnesota. In November, America reached its highest daily infection rate since the start of the pandemic. Thanksgiving was the largest simultaneous, multi-city, superspreader event of 2020. December is tracking to be the deadliest month for covid. Folks should prepare, mentally, for what they are about to see and hear. The United States will soon surpass 303,000 Covid-related deaths, a grim milestone, thereby surpassing the AIDS epidemic’s deadliest decade (1987-1997). The Covid Mortality chart remains available here. The silver lining in November is vaccines. Both Moderna and Pfizer independently announced exceptional phase three trial results; each over 90% effective rate. Both have applied for Emergency Use Authorization to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Vaccinations could potentially be distributed among high-risk populations and essential workers in the next few months.

Happy Holidays: In advance of the upcoming holiday season, I sincerely wish everybody health and happiness. Merry Christmas, Happy Festivus, Happy Hanukkah, and Joyous Kwanzaa, etc.

Peace & Love, Worldwide ✌🏼❤️🌍

- anthony


Pumpkin Season 🎃🍂

October 31, 2020

Happy Halloween! Short post this month. Grab a beverage, let's catch up.

Election 2020: The first paragraph in the next chapter of American history is now being written. We each contribute our piece. Citizens and Governments worldwide await the outcome. Alliances and Dreams could stabilize or shatter accordingly. 

Lawsuits across Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Texas, and Wisconsin highlight the incumbent’s multi-prong election strategy: (1) execute disinformation campaigns; (2) suppress the maximum number of votes; and, if needed: (3) appeal election results through the Courts; potentially up to the Supreme Court. On election night, prudent to expect the incumbent will attempt to cease or otherwise interfere with the legal counting of legal ballots. To borrow from Cinderella, Trump could try to turn Biden into a pumpkin past midnight in an effort to prematurely crown himself the belle of the election ball. The Senate and House races are equally connected to the political landscape over the next four years.

Domestic Terrorism: In October, the FBI stopped a domestic terrorist group from kidnapping and potentially executing the Governor of Michigan. In total, 13 men were charged. Days later, more details emerged -- the plot extended to the Governor of Virginia. Weeks later, during a separate incident in North Carolina, another domestic terrorist was arrested while plotting publicly to harm Joe Biden. Both attempts resemble the October 2018 mailbomb attacks from another domestic terrorist.

America could experience surges of domestic violent extremism in the years ahead; specifically lone wolf extremism in response to stochastic terrorism. In fact, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) recently identified domestic terrorism in their Homeland Threat Assessment (HTA). To be crystal clear, anybody who uses physical intimidation or unlawful physical violence in order to achieve political goals is, by definition, a terrorist. Period. At that point, political party affiliation is irrelevant.

Covid Update: America (still) leads the world in Covid deaths. Approximately 235,000 Americans have died from Covid-related causes. The mortality rate comparison chart remains available here. Mentioned on several occasions, Covid “survivors” face lingering health problems. New research observed potential for substantial cognitive slowdown; equivalent to aging the brain 10 years for some patients. Hope everybody out there manages to stay safe and maintain sanity.

Commander Covid: Mentioned last month, POTUS’ multi-state campaign superspreader events led to spikes across the USA. We can now confirm these events led to at least two dozen COVID infections and hospitalizations of high-ranking administration officials, including the First Lady and POTUS, who was rushed (via helicopter) to Walter Reed Medical Center in October. There, he received an experimental drug cocktail; including non-public monoclonal antibodies. While he was treated to this exclusive, all-expenses-paid medical bill estimated to cost over $1 Million, Commander Covid requested the Supreme Court abolish the Affordable Care Act (aka ‘Obamacare’); which he has been made well aware on several occassions would effectively end health insurance for an estimated 29.8 Million Americans and terminate ~1.2 Million jobs.

EVH: Eddie Van Halen proved humble beginnings are sufficient. Kids can change the world from their parents’ garage via imagination and endless experiments. Perhaps earn a patent along the way. Growing up in the San Gabriel Valley, Eddie was a local inspiration. Not for the tapping or blues licks or even the Brown sound, per se. Eddie represented invention, re-invention, and commitment to one’s craft. He ever stopped dreaming, building, tinkering, re-building, or rockin’...and that’s the best place for me to end -- dream big and go chase those dreams.

Peace & Love, Worldwide ✌🏼❤️🌎

- anthony


Nuance & Empathy

September 30, 2020

Hello! Hope everybody is doing well. Long post this month. Fear not, will keep it brief next month. Grab a beverage of your choice, let’s catch up!

Online Information: Thinking a lot about online information, recently. Thrilling, I know.  Social media especially bombarded with knee-jerk reactions, unchecked half-truths, propaganda and conspiracy theories; even content creators with huge budgets and dedicated staff and the best intentions perpetuate inaccurate information. New online trends, particularly from technology companies, will favor methods to decrease the amount of online misinformation and disinformation; the latter remains an effective tool for nefarious forces. In short, misinformation and disinformation cause division; division harms our republic; let's work to protect our republic. Want to further discuss division.

Division: One of the oldest political strategies, divide and conquer, focuses on division as the dominant tool to conquer a population. Unfortunately, division works. 

History is filled with examples of division in politics. In the 1920’s, Benito Mussolini divided Italy’s population into pro-fascist supporters and anti-fascists. He then used propaganda to further wedge divisions between the Italian population. His supporters were rewarded; his critics were sentenced. In Hungary, starting in the late 1940’s, Mátyás Rákosi coined the term salami tactics to describe his approach to divide-and-conquer. Again, division led to mass incarceration and the deaths of thousands. In the United States between 1942 and 1945, Executive Order 9066 literally divided citizens physically by ethnic descent then forced entire families into internment camps. Division, and racism, thrived during the period; Disney even joined the division business. In retrospect, these are regarded as dark chapters.

Today, in America, division is stoked fervently among citizens. In fact, cannot remember division being this prominent during my lifetime. One method to divide is via wedge issues. Essentially, create an issue then pull a population apart at the seams. This is now repeated daily. Dozens of hot-button issues exist right now, from support over peaceful protests to support for law enforcement to the term ‘law and order’ to sports and the national anthem, facemasks and social distancing, and so forth. 

One major threat which arises from our divisions is the potential for undemocratic forms of Government to rise and thrive; specifically totalitarianism and fascism. Mussolini and Rákosi would simply drool over the amount of division in America, today. The political ground is fertile for any set of horribles to emerge. Regret to admit it, but, the salami has been sliced, so to speak; citizens are confused, alienated, and angry. Citizens are so confused that, well, conspiracy theories have gone mainstream. Folks simply do not know what (or whom) the heck to believe anymore; This is precisely the goal of division.

Do not have to search far or wide; you can find folks with no prior interest in (or understanding of) Civics or Government suddenly now cave to the pressures and who have picked sides for one political party then proceed to ‘root, root root for the home team’. This is intentional, this is part of the design...this is divide-and-conquer. Citizens today even refer to political parties and complex ideologies like they are simple sports teams; rather unsettling. PRO-TIP: politics is not sports. To even entertain that notion leads down the path toward Two Minutes Hate from Huxley’s dystopian novel 1984; video available here. Watch it and watch it again. It is precisely what to avoid, not aspire to. At the same time, totally understand it -- we’ve all been there before. So what’s the alternative? Either we win or the other side wins, right? Well, No, not exactly.

In order to bridge division, perhaps we apply more nuance and empathy.

Nuance and Empathy: We can help combat division in a variety of ways. One method is via nuance and empathy. Nuance begins by collecting facts on an issue, listening, deliberating privately, and deciding opinions on a case-by-case basis; similar to what good judges do. We might be surprised to find where we land on issues. Nuance allows us to reason beyond false dichotomy, since other (better) options may exist. Nuance allows us to avoid sweeping generalizations; we will see outliers do not represent the whole group. Nuance allows us to better identify the fallacies used by those who attempt to divide us; straw man, red herring, ad-hominem, and so forth.

Find myself feeling protective over the legitimately good, honest, and ethical people stuck between two sides of wedge issues. Obviously, some scenarios do not always contain good, honest, and ethical folks; for example racists and/or murderers. But the good folks out there actually do deserve to have some vocal backup from those willing to speak up. No citizen should feel forced to pick one side. Stand firm on that.

It's perfectly acceptable to support both good police officers AND support good black lives matter (BLM) protesters.

We support good officers, period. They are Human, they are Citizens. We see them (and support them) when they respond to domestic violence calls, when they suggest ways to improve policing, and when they show empathy to protesters. Empathy cultivates empathy; support cultivates support. We support good, honest officers, period.

However, we do not support bad officers, period. When an officer kneels unnecessarily on the neck of a fellow human for 8 minutes and 46 seconds, ignoring cries for help, we do not support that officer’s actions. We seek law and order in those moments. When that very same officer is later busted on felony tax evasion charges, we once again do not support that officer, period. Again, we seek law and order in those moments. We still reserve our right to support the good officers. By that same reasoning…

We do not support bad BLM protesters, period. Whenever folks decide to join a peaceful, non-violent protest and proceed to physically harm others, then we do not support those individuals, period. We also seek law and order in those moments. We still reserve our right to support the good protesters. In fact, we do support good BLM protesters, period. One report shows 93% of all BLM protests are, in fact, peaceful. The individuals who take part in these protests will grow up to become bankers, teachers, and the police officers of tomorrow. We support good BLM protesters, period.

Encourage folks to spend time thinking about nuances of every hot button wedge issue forced upon them. Do not play into the hands of those seeking to divide. 

Moving on to the election...

Debate: Trump & Biden were here in Cleveland for the first Presidential debate. Clevelanders just hoping the loser doesn’t jinx the Browns’ winning record. The debate itself was low-quality. Would prefer to see our President conduct himself with more decorum. Have seen teenagers at Model United Nations (MUN) take debates more seriously. Trump disqualified himself within the first half hour with his antics.

Voting (Early): The polls are now open. Early voting is underway. Pleasantly surprised to learn 1.7 Million have already voted which represents a 13,000% increase compared to same period in 2016. Folks can check the Early Voting Calendar for details about their State. Given the antics involving the USPS, mentioned last month, we plan to vote early, in-person, next week. On election night, when everybody is glued to their screens, rest assured +2 votes in Ohio reflect our home. Critical to show strong support on television across America on election night; help avoid a Red Mirage.

Red Mirage: Political data analytics firm Hawkfish warns of the possibility of a Red Mirage, wherein early votes for Donald Trump could falsely signal Trump victory on election night. However, in the days or weeks that follow, absentee ballots could propel Biden’s toward victory. If the President has any possible excuse to order poll workers to cease counting, folks best believe he'll exploit it. Cannot be surprised should the 2020 election enter the Courts, just like the 2000 election (Bush v. Gore). Sincerely hope to avoid protests, riots, propaganda -- all of which further erode our democracy.

Supreme Court:  The passing of Ruth Bader Ginsburg dealt a knockout blow to the balance of the Supreme Court. The notorious RBG embodied the best qualities in each of us -- hard work, unique perspective, grit and determination. For anybody unfamiliar with the extraordinary life Justice Ginsburg lived, highly recommend RBG and On the Basis of Sex. Expect to see POTUS and Senators rush to nominate, confirm, and ultimately fill her seat with Amy Coney Barrett, a sufficiently bright legal scholar and former clerk for Antonin Scalia. Barrett is on track to be confirmed in the next few weeks. If she is confirmed, time will tell whether her opinions follow Scalia’s Originalist interpretation. We all wait to see whether she remains a strong advocate for the rights of women, reproductive and otherwise. Fingers crossed but breath not being held.

Losers & Suckers: In September, in response to a report wherein whistleblowers alleged Trump called deceased U.S. veterans ‘losers’ and ‘suckers’, decorated members of the U.S. Military began to speak out against the Commander-in-chief. The allegations fit hand-in-glove with Trump’s previous statements and spite toward Prisoner-of-War Veteran & Senator John McCain, the Goldstar families, Lieutenant Colonel Vindman, Mad Dog Mattis, Captain Brett Crozier, and so many others. Citizens have the receipts, which leaves the President in desperation mode, back-peddling, and flip-flopping to hold support among Veterans. While on the topic, a sincere ‘Thank You’ to those veterans who will choose Country over political ideology and Party registration this election. In particular, a round of applause for WWII Veteran Edward Good and Retired Major General Eaton and the Former National Security Officials for Joe Biden. Cannot be easy or necessarily comfortable.

Taxes: Last week, the Manhattan District Attorney filed paperwork which implicates Donald J. Trump in potential bank and insurance fraud. Days later, a bombshell report uncovered 20 years of his tax details. We now know Trump owes ~$421 Million to debtors and creditors which he must personally pay out-of-pocket over the next four years. Once again, he is close to bankruptcy; possibly (white collar) prison. Encourage folks to read the report for themselves.

COVID-19: We have now reached 1 Million Covid-19 deaths worldwide; a grim milestone. In the United States, 211,000 Americans have now perished; another grim milestone. In 2020, more Americans died from Covid than the combined total from the Korean War AND the Vietnam War AND World War I. According to CDC data, Covid now ranks 3rd among cause of death in the United States in 2020, surpassing both accidents (unintentional injuries), chronic lower respiratory diseases, and strokes. 

In America, 211,000 dead bodies is the equivalent of, well...if placed head-to-toe, the bodies would literally connect Trump Tower on 5th Avenue in Manhattan to the White House in Washington D.C.; approximately 230 miles of bodies. Would take 3.5 hours of constant driving at 65 miles per hour just to make that morbid drive. This is no hoax, folks. Looking ahead, the U.S. mortality rate chart is on pace for 300,000 casualties by the end of 2020. Sincerely wish the projection is wrong. However, Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) projections are significantly higher. They warn the worst is yet to come.

New research found that, at least from a modeling perspective, herd immunity is not a practical solution to combat COVID-19. Researchers instead recommend we suppress the transmission of the virus; specifically through calculated social distancing over an extended period of time. CDC Director Redfield echoes their advice. We are still learning of lingering symptoms for the millions of Covid-19 “survivors”. One study found Coronavirus attacks the brain, which can lead to delirium and nerve damage.

Mentioned back in February, we should take Chinese government (CHC) data with a grain of salt, based on the history of censorship and propaganda. Unfortunately, the same is now true for the U.S. Government. A recent report illustrates one partisan appointee within CDC oversaw revisions to scientific reports, hoping to align CDC announcements with the President’s rhetoric on Coronavirus. Shortly after that report, that official went on leave (cancer surgery) and his aide resigned. The following should not be necessary, but must be said explicitly: censorship of science data is draconian, regressive, and will not be tolerated. Wrong of China to censor science data for political reasons. Equally wrong of America to censor science data for political reasons. No American Exceptionalism allowed.

Meanwhile, the President continued to hold large campaign rallies in the States of Nevada, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Florida in September. The rallies remain consistent with Bob Woodward’s audio tape from February 7, 2020, wherein the President admits on tape that he is aware of Coronavirus’ (1) airborne transmission and (2) intends to ‘downplay’ the severity of the virus for political reasons. The Midwest now battling a spike in new COVID-19 infections. If you plan to attend any gatherings, whether Trump rally or BLM protest, please wear a facemask and practice social distancing.

Extreme Weather & Climate Change: In September, extreme weather wreaked havoc throughout the United States. The west coast continues to burn. Dozens of fires emerged across Washington, Oregon, and California. The 2020 California Wildfires will go down in the history books. The August Complex fire is now the largest wildfire in State history, burning over 938,000 acres and destroying over 85 buildings across Mendocino, Humboldt, Trinity, Tehama, Lake, & Glenn County. Photos emerged on social media of Martian-esque red skies in San Francisco. Air Quality Index (AQI) was deemed ‘hazardous’ from Washington down to Southern California where the Bobcat Fire burned over 114,000 acres. Woodland Hills recorded a new State record of 121 degrees. Hope everybody back home is safe. 

In the Southern United States, Hurricane Sally brought floods, hurricane-level winds, tornado alerts, and destruction. Governors across Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi issued State of Emergency alerts. We could go on and on and on. The point is extreme weather is an indicator of climate change. Yet, folks still attempt to debate. To be clear, this is not a 50/50 issue where compelling arguments from well-respected scientists exist on both sides. No, the science on global warming is clear. 

In 1988, 32 years ago, Shell Oil researchers penned The Greenhouse Effect. Therein, Shell’s own internal researchers and lawyers cite the company’s contribution to climate change and potential for irreversible damage. One line which will forever remain with me is the following: “...By the time [the] global warming becomes detectable it could be too late to take effective countermeasures to reduce the effects or even to stabilize the situation.” A more logical approach to climate change, opposed to denial, is to first acknowledge it and then to fix our practices before time runs out. Climate change is already set to cause significant human migration patterns and displacement across the globe. Let's avoid unnecessary brain drain among our best and brightest.

Thanks and Rebuttals: Thanks everybody who reached-out with the kind words last month. Inspired to see the blog resonate with others. For those who disagree, feel free to blog your ideas and share the URL. Sure, we might not fully agree, but will be happy to read your work. Until then, let’s remain United, in all States.

Peace & Love, Worldwide ✌🏼❤️🌍

- anthony

Déjà Vu - Voting Blue

August 31, 2020

Hello! Lengthy post this month. Grab yourself a drink of your choice and let’s catch up!

Black Lives Matter: Three months ago, peaceful protests all around the world united against police violence and systemic racism, in response to the brutal murder of George Floyd in Minnesota. Three months later, déjà vu; the horrible cycle repeats itself. The world bears witness, yet again, to another avoidable shooting of an unarmed black man.

Jacob Blake: An unarmed Black man in Kenosha, Wisconsin, was shot seven times in his back at close range by a member of the local police’s bike division, while Jacob’s children and fiancé watched. Jacob is now paralyzed, fighting for his life in a local hospital. Unable to move, he remained cuffed to his hospital bed for days. In response, peaceful protesters gathered in Kenosha, Wisconsin to mourn and seek social justice. Peaceful protesters were confronted by alt-right groups and unregulated militia. The result was riots and double murder.

Titushki, USA: One observation regarding these alt-right and unregulated militia groups who appear at peaceful protests is how they serve in similar capacity as the agitator & provocateur squads in the 2014 Ukraine Revolution. In Ukraine, anti-protest groups were called Titushki (тітушки / титушки / titușk). Titushki consisted of approximately 3,000 - 4,000 young-ish white males who befriended police forces, executed violence and intimidation tactics aimed solely at protesters, and then received support from (now former) President Yanukovych. Sound familiar? Watching these anti-protest groups shoot frozen paint balls, pepper spray peaceful protesters, and so forth, we are clearly witnessing the Trump Administration borrow a page from the Ukraine-Russian autocrat playbook. America has a Titushki problem.

Murder in Kenosha: A seventeen year old white male traveled across state lines, Illinois-to-Wisconsin, in possession of an illegally-obtained assault rifle, to counter BLM protests in Kenosha. He did not own property in Kenosha. He did not have family in Kenosha. He did not hold affiliation with local Kenosha businesses. However, he did record video of local Kenosha Police praising his presence. It seems he sought to fulfill his gun cult fantasy of parading the streets with his gun and/or shooting rounds into a living, breathing human. The kid got his wish, unfortunately; he murdered two protesters and injured a third. He then managed to casually walk past local police after committing a double murder. He returned safely across state lines, where he was eventually arrested, charged, and now sits in a juvenile detention center. His lawyer will argue ‘self defense’ but that argument remains dubious. The kid checks all the boxes of American Titushka. President Trump has now publicly defended the Kenosha shooter. Perhaps he will also grant him a Pardon. The President yet again borrowed a page from the Ukraine-Russia autocrat playbook. America has a Titushki problem.

March on Washington: 750 miles southeast of Kenosha, in Washington D.C., tens of thousands of citizens gathered on the 57th Anniversary of the 1963 March on Washington, seeking social justice, seeking comfort, mourning together, and building community.

Murder in Portland: Days after the murders in Kenosha, clashes erupted between alt-right / militia / Titushki and BLM protesters in Portland. Like Kenosha, the end result was murder. This genuinely breaks my heart. Hopefully, we can all agree nobody, regardless of skin color or political views, deserves to die from political differences. Makes no difference whether or not they are a member of an alt-right group or unregulated militia. Makes no difference whether or not they truly hold hate in their heart -- citizen-on-citizen violence is poison for the health of our proud nation. Violence conducted by any group (AntiFa, Patriot Prayer, etc.) harms all peaceful protesters by an immeasurable degree. Rather than heal the nation, the current administration took little time exploiting the tragic death for political ammunition. The Trump-Pence administration takes no responsibility for their central role harnessing hate and violence in America -- expect the President to deflect all blame for racial tensions to the BLM movement.

After all, this is the same POTUS who vilified the Black Lives Matter movement, calling mere words on a street a ‘symbol of hate’, then invited the now infamous St. Louis couple who brandished guns directly at BLM protesters to speak at his Republican National Convention. POTUS still refuses to even acknowledge the concept of Black Lives Matter or utter the phrase; choosing instead to adopt an Orwellian doublespeak phrase, “law and order” which they hope will confuse folks into believing the killing of Black men is some necessary evil. Today, the phrase “law and order” is doublespeak which carries racist, autocratic connotations; akin to the infamous ’white man’s burden’.

Sports Protests: In response to Jacob Blake’s shooting, professional sports leagues including the NBA (starting with the Milwaukee Bucks), MLB, and NHL were momentarily cancelled. League leaders Giannis Antetokounmpo, LeBron James, and Doc Rivers captured the mood among players and coaches dealing with fallout from the tragic events in Kenosha.

Much as one wants to see professional sports in the time of COVID, we can understand if players choose to boycott additional games or otherwise disrupt the season in the future; would fully support them. We can expect to see video game companies integrate social justice messaging into their future products. On the fourth anniversary of Colin Kaepernick's peaceful protest against police brutality in America, his message is now stronger than ever. The movement has gained widespread understanding and support which transcends sports leagues; now embedded into American culture.

Election 2020: If you choose to ignore the rest of this post, I'll understand. Please just do yourself a favor and listen to Barack Obama’s DNC speech; an absolute masterclass which fuses history, law, politics, and oration. In essence, his speech is the blog post we began writing at the start of this month. The 2020 election will likely be razor thin and disputed, so let me place some context around what exactly is at stake.

Americans allowed the Trump administration an opportunity to enact meaningful change both domestically and internationally. In turn, Americans have now experienced four years inside the draconian circus of the Trump administration; forever tainted by presidential impeachment and record-level felony convictions of high-ranking officials.

America is now impaired -- morally, economically, intellectually, socially and politically.

Domestically, never in my lifetime has white nationalism, alt-right and far-right, systemic racism, and bunk conspiracy theories received so much oxygen. In 2020, the aforementioned have latched onto one political party and gone mainstream. Internationally, U.S. Presidents generally do not bow down or snuggle-up to dictators; nor do they partake in criminal murder of an American journalist.

Internationally, America now sits isolated. We once sat at the adult table of stable, developed, democratic countries. Today, America sits alone wearing a dunce cap made of tin foil, a laughing stock to the international community. Rather than seek diplomacy, our leaders choose to simply propagate conspiracy theories, plan horrible injustices, and distance America from former allies. We can do much better.

On November 3rd, 2020, Citizens have the opportunity to begin the long road back to redemption. It will be hard work. We must heal and unite our Country. We have two choices in this election: [1] Vote for experienced leaders or [2] Re-elect the bankrupt (in every sense of the word) autocrat who seeks power beyond his term limits. If voted out, Trump could quickly find himself in prison. I will vote for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris.

Election Forensics: Trump’s 2020 re-election strategy is clear -- suppress the vote. Tactics already underway include purging voter lists, propaganda and misinformation, closing polling places, tampering with the infrastructure of the US Postal Service, and most recently -- seeking to delegitimize ballot dropboxes.

Expect this sloppy administration to leave the same fingerprints of election fraud as Russia did in its 2016 election. For those interested, I will offer here a primer on Election Forensics and statistical detection of systematic election irregularities leading up to November. In addition to election fraud, voters should familiarize themselves with the recent Presidential election in Belarus.

Belarus: On August 9th, 2020 Belarus held its Presidential election. The final results were extremely suspicious. Belarusians and members of the European Union point to both Election Fraud and Russian meddling. As a result, tens of thousands of citizens participated in the ongoing Pro-Democracy demonstrations. In 2020, Women of all ages now protest, which represents symbols of change in Belarus.

President Alexander Lukashenko, widely referred to as ‘Europe’s last Dictator’, has implemented authoritarian rule in Belarus for 26 years. He clings to power via State-sponsored violence aimed at peaceful protesters. However, it appears citizens remain determined to hold at least one genuine, untainted, election. Let the results speak for themselves.

European Union’s foreign policy chief has now called for a new election in Belarus, this time with global supervision, much to the frustration of Mr. Putin, who responds with his usual conspiracy theories. However, it remains undeniable -- the recent demonstrations in Belarus further expose the weakened state of Russian autocracy.

In contrast, Trump remains too compromised to involve America in Belarus or international diplomacy efforts. The current administration remains too focused on voter suppression efforts at home nor does it dare turn its back on Vladimir Putin leading up to our election. So, why does Belarus matter?

Belarus today may foreshadow America’s near future. Trump and Lukashenko have many similarities. To name just a few: Both wish to rule outside the rule of law. Both look to Russia for help staying in power. Both have tarnished their appeal to female voters. Like Lukashenko, Trump is threatened by women. In Belarus, female voters inspire others to demand change and redo the Presidential election. Consensus around the world grows regarding foreign interference in Belarus’ election. Citizens here may also protest the results of the upcoming election. State-sponsored violence could erupt in the streets here at home, and so forth. Important to understand the struggles of Belarus today, for these may be our struggles tomorrow. For the record, Americans should never, ever, have to wonder whether their electoral vote is counted accurately or trashed; whether they'll be able to trust their Government to produce accurate voting results, and so forth. Unfortunately, American has slipped so far away from Democracy that these are now genuine concerns circa 2020.

A Kodak Moment: Brief update on Kodak’s corporate misconduct compared to the U.S. Postal Service (in the next section).

Kodak stock value recently plummeted 90% since last month’s highs, on the news Government DFC loans to Kodak have been blocked. No surprise there, as mentioned last month. Furthermore, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is now investigating several Kodak Executives and members of the Board for potential insider trading violations. Newly released Lobbyist Disclosure Forms (LD-2) help confirm suspicions that Kodak increased its congressional lobbying efforts in 2020, spending a cool $870,000 between April and June -- 17,300% increase compared to their prior lobbying budget.

Based on the Lobbyist disclosures, Kodak appears to have sprinted, not walked, to obtain congressional handouts and other corporate welfare loans provided in March’s CARES Act, which you might remember allocated $2.2 Trillion in spending in addition to the $3.3 Trillion approved for supplemental corporate welfare loans provided in the HEROES Act. Kodak was among many companies who begged for, and received, free money in the form of rushed, bad-faith, loans.

Kodak’s letter of interest was a mere publicity stunt which enabled them to leverage one clumsy Executive Order to avoid yet another (inevitable) bankruptcy. No way in heck did Kodak ever have a good-faith intention to pivot into the pharmaceutical industry long-term. Still enjoy their cameras so let's just leave it at this: where there has been financial & ethical smoke, there will continue to be financial & ethical fire.

U.S. Postal Service: Unlike Kodak (a capitalist enterprise), the United States Postal Service (USPS) was intended to be a Government expense, paid-for by the U.S. Government for the purpose of providing mail services to Citizens. It was never intended to be a capitalist cash cow. For additional information, urge folks to read the rich cultural history captured in The United States Postal Service: An American History.

Fun Facts: The Postal Service dates back to 1775, when one of our nation’s Founding Fathers, Benjamin Franklin, served as the first postmaster general. One of the most revered Presidents in U.S. history, Abraham Lincoln, later served as postmaster general between 1833-1836. The USPO predates both the Declaration of Independence (1776) by one whole year and the signing of the U.S. Constitution (1787) by 20 years -- It’s historic! The USPS is one of the oldest running, most patriotic, and most coveted creations of pre-America and American History. If there is anything in America truly worth saving, on the basis of culture and history, which does not discriminate based on political views or race or gender -- it’d be hard to find something more deserving than the U.S. Postal Service. 

Therefore, attempts to undermine and cripple the postal service, 245 years later, in 2020, is to spit in the face of the founding fathers and literal centuries of hard-working American work and tradition. Congress found trillions of dollars for businesses which ought to file bankruptcy. Seems Congress can find $25 Billion for the USPS. For Congress and/or the President, to lie about lack of money for USPS, while bailing out hundreds of failing corporations, is a shame (and plainly llegal).

COVID-19 Update: Nearly 190,000 Americans have now died from Covid-19. My model indicates 300,000 Covid-onset deaths by the end of 2020 -- that would mean we reach (or surpass) the deadliest decade of HIV/AIDS. This is bad, bad news. The Mortality Rate Chart remains available here.

In August, hordes of elderly and immunocompromised gathered for the biker super spreader event. Exactly two weeks later, South Dakota recorded its highest ever daily number of COVID infections. Coincidence? Unlikely. Weeks later, hordes of elderly and immunocompromised gathered on the White House lawn for the Republican Convention Superspreader event. Large swaths of Americans casually see these images of mass gatherings, believe Covid conspiracy theories, then literally lose their loved ones to COVID. It breaks my heart. Please be safe out there; wear a mask and social distance (6 feet apart) when out in public among strangers.

D614G: Scientists are beginning to publish findings for the first major mutation of Covid-19, known as D614G; sometimes referred to as G614. In a new publication from NIH regarding the mutation, researchers warn of enhanced transmission and infection rates, while the severity of this new mutation still requires additional research. In a report published in Cell, one group of Yale researchers conclude, “the global expansion of [D614G], whether through natural selection or chance, means that this variant now is the pandemic.” (emphasis mine).

Final Thoughts: As we head into the Presidential debates, it's important to remember we all differ in our political views; that’s a-ok; that’s alright. It’s actually what makes America awesome. Thanks for reading mine; would love to read yours. Hopefully, folks can agree on two ground rules: [1] political disagreements ought never resort to violence; [2] show your work, show your data sources -- let's help each other understand one another a little better.

Still remain optimistic about America and Democracy. Onward!

Peace & Love, Worldwide ✌🏼❤️🌍

- anthony

Good Trouble (July Updates)

July 31, 2020

Happy Friday! Hope you all are doing well. Long post this month. Grab a beverage of your choice and Let’s Catch Up!

Highlights of the Month:

John Lewis: If you choose to ignore the rest of this post, please just watch Barack Obama’s Eulogy for John Lewis. It's one of the more inspiring pieces. Excellent farewell to an extraordinary human who lived an extraordinary life.

Cake Day: Celebrated my 37th revolution around the sun.

Sports & Social Justice: Washington Football team will change their name; Cleveland Baseball team considers a name change. NBA season resumed with ‘Black Lives Matter’ displayed on center court. Hope to see social justice momentum continue. Unfortunately, seems likely at least one professional sports league could cancel its entire 2020-2021 season. Many players will choose to opt-out of the upcoming season, clearly prioritize their health and family. Fair play.

Summer Weather: 80+ degree weather in CLE. Sunny & warm. Exploring new parks, trails, beaches. Nature to the max (socially distanced with PPE, obviously).

The Golden Age of Fraud: (Paywall) The Golden Age of Fraud is a great article with Jim Chanos, legendary short-seller. One of the topics touched upon is the fertile business environment, which allows corporations to easily engage in fraud. Not mentioned in the article, but to prove the point -- Eastman-Kodak (Yes, the camera / photograph company), saw their stock price increase over 2000% after they announced $765 Million in Government loans. All they had to do was simply claim to start making ingredients for Covid-19 products (including Hydroxychloroquine). Fujifilm secured a similar COVID-related loan. Kodak is no stranger to such desperation. Following their 2012 bankruptcy, they desperately created KodakCoin while Cryptocurrency and related stocks were booming. Vividly remember watching retail “investors” left holding onto shares, plummeting in value. Kodak (SYMBOL: KODK) traded above $50 per share. Since the same retail folks (ahem, Robinhood) are once again buying KODK, well...let’s just place a pin in this discussion for now and revisit Kodak in 12 months (July 2021). But, I digress and anecdotes aside, agree with Chanos -- we currently live in the golden age of financial fraud.

Content Moderation: YouTube, Twitter, Facebook all independently reached the conclusion to remove coronavirus misinformation videos from their respective platforms. Most notably spread by the President’s boy, Junior, his Twitter account was temporarily suspended which led to outrage by the same folks who, oddly enough, promised to quit Twitter for alt-right-leaning social networks such as Parler. Here’s why it matters: the videos in question are Breitbart propaganda -- Yes, that Breitbart. The claims therein have little-to-no basis in reality, let alone verifiable scientific discovery. Breitbart simply invited a group called “America’s Frontline Doctors” (AFD) to the steps of the Supreme Court in Washington DC for a bizarre press conference. Among the folks speaking was the infamous Christian Pastor from Texas with questionable medical history / history of malpractice lawsuits, patient death(s) and peculiar claims involving Alien DNA, Demons, and Reptilians -- wish this were just a joke. The press conference was conveniently held 48 hours before several tech CEOs were scheduled to testify (remotely) before the House Judiciary Committee. Naturally, social media companies enforced their (public-facing) covid misinformation policies, which include removal of videos potentially harmful to public safety. In response, certain Senators re-performed “liberal tech censorship” monologues like they did after tech companies removed similarly misinformed videos propagated by two doctors in Bakersfield back in April. Tech companies enforced their own policies on their own websites, consistent with several data points published by trusted experts in their respective fields. For example, two recent data points include (1) The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) and (2) FDA’s revoked Emergency Use Authorization. Both NEJM and FDA debunk nearly all claims made by AFD regarding the safety of Hydroxychloroquine / Chloroquine with or without Azithromycin in Mild-to-Moderate Covid-19. Seems reasonable, to me, for tech companies to enforce the findings of top medical professionals, in conjunction with the counsel of legal professionals. Breitbart runs a website of its own, where it remains free to post whatever nonsense it chooses. And hey, there's always Parler, right?

Bummers of the Month:

Wedding Postponed: We will celebrate alongside our family and favorites next year. It will be extra special!

War on Fauci: White House waged political campaigns against top infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci - Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. Perhaps genetically and socially predisposed but gotta side with the little old humble italian dude named Anthony. Jokes aside, mentioned back in January/February, will trust public health officials over politicians regarding coronavirus.

COVID Mortality Rate: As mentioned in April’s post, Team America was hellbent to reopen America. Three months later, the rotten fruit of that harvest are plentiful with the highest infection rates and deaths to date, from Sea to Shining Sea. The most developed countries in the world wisely invested in prolonged isolation and social distancing, masks, public education campaigns, comprehensive contract tracing, and so forth. Now, citizens in those countries are generally much more free (compared to the USA) to resume their normal way of life. In stark contrast, America decried lockdown efforts, responding with armed protests, while Citizens and Government still continue to propagate conspiracy theories. Personal projections now indicate a minimum of 210,000 COVID-onset deaths by Dec. 31, 2020. My COVID-19 mortality chart remains available here. Truly horrible to see the numbers rise, pains me to update each day. Hope it’s wrong and wish Covid ended yesterday. Today, moving forward, we need to collectively screw our heads on tighter, so we can unite to prevent these models from becoming reality. Please folks, be safe, stay home if you can, and certainly wear a mask if you absolutely must venture out in public space where there is a crowd.

Flirtations with Fascism: Segments of the American citizenry and government seem to forget history lessons of the 20th century. Consider the totality of the following: (1) Federal Agents dispatched to Portland on direct order from the President to combat generally (‘cause there’s always one fool in a crowd) non-violent protests seeking social justice. (2) On several occasions in Portland, unidentified federal agents, driving unmarked rental cars, were then documented rolling-up to disappear protesters -- no formal charges, no reading of rights during apprehension. (3) The same branch of federal agents were then ordered into several other metropolitan cities, including Cleveland as part of Operation Legend. Unsure exactly what they’ll do on a daily-basis, since jurisdictional challenges arise. (4) President flip-flopped on whether he’ll honor the results of the upcoming election set to be held on November 3rd, 2020. (5) President then openly pontificated (via Tweet) whether to delay the upcoming election in November. These five events, in the same month, present a strong case that American democracy is clearly in a weakened, fragile state, and flirting with historically fascist-authoritarian maneuvers. Question: When was the last time America postponed a Presidential election? Answer: We’d have to venture back to 1864 (156 years ago) during the height of the Civil War, for that idea to even be considered. Abraham Lincoln did allow the elections, on time, as scheduled. After all, nearly 20 years prior, back in 1845, the U.S. Congress specified very clearly when the November election takes place with possible alternatives. 100 years later, the 20th Amendment was added to the Constitution, which clearly specifies what occurs on January 20th following an election year, regardless of whether an election took place. Additional info here and here. Is it not preferable for one’s political party to take the L, if our Democracy gets the W? Are we so desperate for power that we’re willing to disenfranchise others just to feel strong? Are we so hellbent on seeing our Country, our lives, and the lives of others as simply one big zero-sum game? We are surely capable of being better than this, so let's be better.

COVID-Truthers: Bummer to witness segments of the U.S. citizenry still believe COVID is either: [a] hoax [b] China & the World Health Organization’s fault, [c] hyped and/or [d] not worth wearing a mask for. It comes with genuine sadness to mention the death of Covid Truther / Former Republican Presidential Candidate Herman Cain. He recently attended Trump’s Oklahoma Rally on June 20th where he was seen without a PPE mask. Cain died one month later on July 30th. Highly doubtful the Illuminati, George Soros, China, the WHO, and/or Bill Gates had anything to do with the death of Herman Cain. Highly doubtful anything besides coronavirus led to the rapid decline in Cain’s health. Highest probability scenario, consistent with Occam's Razor and Hickam's dictum, is that Cain became infected with Coronavirus during Trump’s superspreader event and, following a brief battle, died of Coronavirus-induced complications. What can we learn? Let's do our best to help each other stay safe. Science-based research continues to educate us on the complexity of coronavirus. New evidence indicates long-lasting health complications, particularly left ventricle dysfunction AND identification of multiple clusters of the virus, each with its own set of symptoms. Let’s aim to stay safe. This could mean awkward conversations with loved ones; try to stay polite, come from a place of love and care.

Additional topics for ongoing contemplation

Final Thoughts: 2020 has been difficult, frustrating, painful even -- for everybody. More than ever, we must look after one another, spread some love and joy, not hate or misinformation or disease. Proceed with compassion and empathy. Might not always be easy, but humans are social creatures who naturally worry about the well-being of others; embrace it. Let's remember to be there for each other.

Peace & Love, Worldwide ✌🏼❤️🌍

- anthony

The 2020 Halftime Report

June 30, 2020

Hello, everybody. Hope you’re all doing well and safe! Longer post this month -- grab a beverage and let’s go!

Half the calendar year is now complete, which makes me wonder: how will we remember 2020? In a word: Tragic. So inevitable in form, yet, so avoidable in detail. If 2020 was an athletic competition, we would currently be at halftime. Coaches would be permitted 30 minutes to review the team’s strengths and errors, plan their adjustments, and prepare to improve performance in the second half. If one is coaching Team America, part of the certainly difficult conversation would go as follows:

Black Lives Matter (BLM): Citizens in the United States marched into the month of June with over 21 straight days of protest in response to the brutal murder of George Floyd. What began as protests in America have turned into a global movement.

Meanwhile, when asked, the current occupant of the White House could not utter the simple words, “Black Lives Matter”. Instead, he accused one BLM leader of treason. During a Juneteenth event, Vice President Pence could not utter the words, either. Instead, Pence opted to say something else. Cannot stress the importance of global perspective, as the world watches U.S. elected officials unable to reconcile its horrible history; too stubborn to evolve. This is an example of failed leadership, plain and simple. None of this in the second half, please. Say it and Mean it: 

Black Lives Matter.

If grandpa could not utter those words in 1964, and/or his grandpa could not speak up in 1908, or his grandpappy in 1852, etc., now is the time to educate ourselves, speak up, and take a stand for the minorities in America who have been enslaved, exploited, and otherwise brutalized for centuries. Speak up in 2020. Say it, mean it: Black Lives Matter.

Monuments: Citizens in their respective cities across the nation began to remove monuments and statues which seek to glorify failed confederate heroes, race supremacy, and/or genocidal icons of American history; full list here. In Birmingham, Alabama, protesters toppled the Statue of a captain of Charles Linn, city co-founder / Captain in the Confederate Navy. In California, protesters toppled statues of Junipero Serra and Christopher Columbus, both infamous for their roles in genocide and enslavement of native peoples.

Despite tens of thousands of organized protesters across ethnicities, races and socio-economic classes united to protest the death of George Floyd and remove racist monuments, our President claims (wrongly!) this is the work of the “fringe left” who are merely vandals. He signed an Executive Order which aims to penalize, “to the fullest extent permitted under Federal law” anybody who “destroys...or vandalizes” a monument or Federal property. For the record, several laws already criminalize destruction of Government property, which reduces the Order to mere spectacle. Such response from the highest-ranking elected official in America exemplifies textbook misunderstanding of a modern social issue, coupled with a straw man argument, which shines a light on one's inability to empathize with constituents. Worst of all, it demonstrates inefficient leadership. Let us discontinue this play in the second half.

Cities and States across the nation now plan to evaluate their history of racism. Rhode Island and Providence Plantations is taking proactive steps to remove the “Plantations” from its name while Mississippi seeks to remove the confederate flag emblem from its State flag. This is progress on the part of government. More of this in the second half, please!

Old Issues, Renewed: 2020 vividly illustrates the circular nature of history.

America, for the first time in nearly 100 years, finds itself attempting to navigate a global pandemic and systemic racism simultaneously. To navigate either of these issues would be sufficiently difficult. Paired together, against the backdrop of extreme financial uncertainty, America must proceed with utmost caution in order to achieve an outcome we can all truly be proud of for the foreseeable decades. The entire world watches with careful eye and strict scrutiny. Unfortunately, leadership seems to repeat history regarding pandemic governance and systemic racism. The following examples illustrate failures on both fronts during the first half of 2020:

Pandemic Governance: Unfortunately, the reactions by both government and citizen to the 1919 Influenza pandemic vs 2020 Coronavirus pandemic are eerily similar. One report (warning: paywall) investigated the 1919 Influenza pandemic and arrived at two conclusions which we (should) all know to be obvious, as public health officials for literally months now have repeatedly echoed these lessons from 1919:

Unfortunately, several States across America rushed to reopen -- this was a mistake. Now, in late June, we now see the inevitable spike in infection rates which will lead to an increase in hospitalizations and deaths.

COVID-19 U.S. Mortality Rate Comparison Chart will reach 130,000 deaths by the end of June. July will be grim. My U.S. death toll projections indicate at least 150,000 by end of July. Worse, America is now on track to reach a minimum of 200,000 deaths by the end of 2020. The most extreme scenario projects a mortality rate topping 300,000. This is unfortunate. This is failed leadership. For the record, nothing would make me breathe easier than for my models to be wrong; sincerely hope they are.

One quick note: we still do not know the full extent to which “survivors”, or those otherwise being counted as “recovered”, actually do make a full recovery; one in which they resume their normal lives without covid-acquired medical complications. In fact, new scientific evidence suggests Coronavirus is more sinister on human cells than researchers assumed. One lesson learned from over 300 First Responders on September 11th, 2001 -- those who walk away today might be subject to long-term health complications (and forgotten) tomorrow. Two decades later, we now know hundreds of heroes died from health complications tied directly to 9-11-2001.

Similarly, those infected with Coronavirus and deemed “survivors” may need access to healthcare in the future. Now is certainly not the time for the President to ask our Supreme Court for the political favor to strike down the Affordable Care Act (ACA), which would leave an estimated 20 Million citizens without health insurance. This is an ego play. None of this in the second half.

Systemic Racism: On the 99th anniversary of the 1921 Race Massacre inside the Greenwood district of Tulsa, Oklahoma, the President organized a campaign rally mere yards away from the historic location where 300 black persons were murdered. He spoke to a demographic turnout of almost exclusively white citizens steps from the site where, 99 years prior, race and ethnicity proved to be so divisive. In 2020, the President of the U.S.A referred to Covid-19 (once again) as“Kung Flu” and received delightful applause. This is what dropping the lessons of history looks like; this is demonstrably failed leadership and ignorant citizenry. No more of this in the second half.

Let us entwine the centuries one layer deeper. In the 1921 Race Massacre in Tulsa, the assumed fate of the central figure, Dick Rowland, was lynching. One century later, the U.S. Congress worked to establish lynching as a federal hate crime. Unfortunately, one Kentucky Senator not only stalled the Emmett Till Anti-Lynching Act, he also prevented unanimous approval -- of a lynching bill in 2020. In fact, his objections focused more on protecting the rights of the perpetrators of lynchings, rather than the victims. It goes without saying there is no meaningful debate on the subject. None of this ought be acceptable in the second half of 2020.

Historical Relevance of 2020: On a more optimistic note, it remains my strong belief 2020 will prove to be one of the most pivotal years in American History. For years and decades to follow, countless books and movies will be based on this year. Beliefs, passions, and careers will be defined from this year; more than prior years. Thus, there is a personal responsibility to document these measured thoughts and ideas -- from the absurdity of denying COVID-19, to bad decisions in reopening states too soon, to witnessing these surges in youth participation in political events, community and global activism, etc. From any perspective, 2020 will prove to be one heck of a time to be alive.

We should all be so lucky, determined even, to speak freely, publicly, and on-record in 2020. Any moral high ground we are willing to take, any blind eye we are willing to turn in 2020 might follow us decades into the future - a true 'where were you when' year.

Second Half: America spent six months making some egregious, flagrant, and embarrassingly avoidable mistakes. In the next six months, we can all improve our performance, tighten our bonds, and be better. Forever an optimist, my sincere belief remains we have ample time to band together and emerge a more perfect Union going into the second half of 2020 and 2021.

Peace & Love, Worldwide ✌🏼❤️🌍

-anthony

May Updates!

May 31, 2020

Hello Everybody! Good news & less-optimal news. Let’s begin with good news...

Mixing, mastering! Setup a dedicated control room in the home studio. Hours, Days, and Weeks of equipment shootouts across monitors, headphones, acoustic treatments, etc. Re-listening to old reference tracks while discovering sweet new reference tunes. Re-tuned my ears. Wild to think the first two albums were mixed and mastered on headphones. Now busy preparing new sounds to share in 2020.

Mac to the Future! Said farewell to Mac in my studio. Audio production started for me (fondly!) on Windows-Goldwave back in 1998. Transitioned to Linux-Ardour between 2010 - 2012, followed by Mac-Logic until 2019. Driver compatibility has evolved significantly in the past decade, allowing folks to (finally!) run Windows-Ardour together via Thunderbolt alongside Universal Audio hardware. Tremendous evolution. Lots to say on this topic, perhaps another time. If you haven’t checked out Intel's latest NUC systems, holy cow, total game changers for audio workstations.

Class of 2020! Special congratulations to the graduates of 2020. Whether elementary, middle, high school, university or beyond, It’s important to be recognized for accomplishments, especially now. This year’s class will forever be remembered for having lived through unprecedented circumstances and thriving. Cheers!

Now for some less optimal news...

Covid-19 Update. U.S. death toll quickly approaches U.S. death toll of World War I. By comparison, South Korea is 10x closer to Wuhan, China (740 miles) yet has nearly 400x fewer deaths (270 compared to 105,000). Stark differences in approach -- South Korea implemented more comprehensive measures across contract tracing, personal protective equipment (PPE), routine testing, isolation and distancing efforts, etc., while the United States focused on health theatre, re-opening, and pointing fingers at the World Health Organization. We can do much better.

No Justice, No Peace. Citizens took to the streets across several major U.S. cities to protest the murder of George Floyd, an unarmed black man in Minnesota killed by police offers. The murder was captured on video by witnesses and is disturbing, to say the least. In response, what began with peaceful protests in the spirit of “no justice, no peace” escalated into violence between police and citizens. Subsequent footage of riots, vandalism, and looting became a diversion to George Floyd's death. Days later, the County Prosecutor finally charged one of several officers involved in the killing with manslaughter and murder, albeit in the third degree -- a dreadful miscarriage of justice. 

Segments of the citizenry remain too focused by the riots to remember George Floyd is dead. We will not shift focus away from the legitimate reason behind these protests -- George Floyd was murdered. He literally begged for help, begged for his mother, begged for his life, for several minutes while police officers restrained him, knee-on-neck, while life slowly left his body. Nobody should have to experience such a heinous act. Growing up in Los Angeles, vividly remember the footage of Rodney King. Was wrong then, it’s even worse now. Hope to see a lengthy national dialogue about police brutality, systemic racism, and institutional failure, followed by reform to our system. Then, we can move on to the topic of petty vandalism at the local Target. We must all work together to fix this.

Peaceful Protests. Hope to see more professional athletes protest silently, or loudly, in 2020-2021. Perhaps kneel during the national anthem. Sound familiar? Well, still relevant. Would be a powerful symbol of support to the families of George Floyd, Eric Garner, Trayvon Martin, Oscar Grant, and far too many others through the decades and centuries who were failed by the very institutions sworn to protect them. It needs to stop. We can do better, we must do better, together.

Tweet Check. President of the U.S. got fact-checked once by Twitter. He didn’t like it -- no surprise. Next day, he signed his (toothless) Executive Order seeking to unprotect social media companies like Twitter from the protections afforded to them under Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act (CDA230). Fun fact: actually argued the merits of CDA230 in a San Francisco court, on Twitter’s behalf...and prevailed. Nevertheless, CDA230, fragile and crucial, remains in the crosshairs of government. 

Take care folks, stay safe.

Peace & love worldwide ✌🏼❤️🌍

-anthony

From Sea to Shining Sea

April 30, 2020

Hello Everybody! 😷

The topic for this month: "Reopen America"

Segments of the population ignored social distancing guidelines in April, seeking to restore their mundane routines in the middle of a global pandemic. Citizens gathered outside capitol buildings and parking lots to protest stay-home orders. Governors across several states caved to political pressures then announced plans to relax safety protocols. In May, during a global pandemic, citizens will return to their old habits -- assembled outdoors at beaches and indoors at gyms, restaurants, bars, etc.

America is unprepared to reopen. COVID-19 cannot be prevented or treated by vaccine. Personal protective equipment remains scarce across the nation. States which never issued stay-home orders will surge with new infections. Neither infection curve nor mortality rates have dropped for 14 straight days -- all clear indicators against reopening.

In three short months, Coronavirus claimed more American lives than the Vietnam War, Korean War, Revolutionary War, and last year’s seasonal flu. Coronavirus now on track to claim more American lives than World War I. Check out the COVID-19 United States Mortality Rate Comparison Chart for more details. Will America build monuments to honor those who perished from Coronavirus so numbskulls could exercise their "freedom" to dine at Waffle House?

There is no logical reason to reopen America, yet. Folks might be restless at home, fine, but living beats dying. Should stay home for your community, if not for themselves. Folks eager to rush back into their romanticized routines of yesteryear, rather than adapt to 2020 -- simply must do better, try harder. Exclusions for essential workers, obviously. Common sense says social distancing and stay-home orders need to continue.

Alas, team ‘Reopen America’ has decided to roll out the red carpet for Coronavirus’ second wave, from sea to shining sea.

On another note, art feels twice as beautiful, these days. Finished two series in April: La casa de papel ("Money Heist") and Six Feet Under. Recorded an original, Crystalline, for chill vibes. May it provide you some mellow in May:

   

Peace & love worldwide ✌🏼❤️🌍

-anthony
 
 

Pajama Republic

March 31, 2020

Hello Everybody!

Social distancing is March's phrase of the month. Citizens across the globe locked themselves indoors in March. Most forced into isolation via Government decree as COVID-19 officially reached pandemic classification. Corporations released millions of workers or sent them home. Many workers now adjusting to remote work during an ongoing worldwide pandemic. Maybe workers will reflect, ponder the existential questions about the nature of work versus individual independence. Wonder how many will choose to leave corporate life behind in 2020. Perhaps more folks will move out of urban cities and major metropolitan suburbs for the diamonds in the rough, such as suburban Cleveland. Once it's safe to leave home again, perhaps we'll see a few more familiar faces out on the lake.

Jokes aside, for anybody new to working in your home for extended lengths, here are a few suggestions: (1) Stand, stretch, and walk each hour; (2) Master your water, espresso, coffee, tea, cooking, and diet capabilities; (3) Don't wear pajamas every day; (4) Naps are a sacred gift from the heavens; (5) Master a new skill (writing, electrical engineering, coding, piano, painting, meditation, etc.); (6) Keep contact with former co-workers you won't see face-to-face anymore.

For the remainder of 2020, our way of life will (and should) adjust in order to survive COVID-19. We should expect the mortality rate to surge upward in April. The virus was no hoax. It remains far more dangerous than the common flu or pneumonia. Even the conservative models expect the mortality rate for America in 2020 between 60,000 - 200,000 (or more). In the event that governance fails to plan and execute accordingly, we may witness the largest comprehensive public health system overload in American history. Special shout out to all the essential healthcare workers who have been working bravely during this historic period of time. You are true heroes. We are so incredibly thankful. Hope folks also keep in mind groups of unseen Americans: homeless, undocumented, uninsured, those living in extreme poverty, etc. If you have surplus economic resources during this time, please consider donating to the organization of your choosing.

We receive grocery delivery each week. Cook ourselves healthy meals aimed at boosting our immune system 6 - 7 days per week. On Sundays, we order delivery from our favorite restaurant(s). Continue to support our favorite small businesses even while stuck indoors. On all but two occasions in March, we have not even ventured beyond our property line. Lifting kettlebells and running miles on the treadmill in our basement. Decided to cancel our two-week trip to California. It’s important to help keep family members (especially Grandma) and the community at large, safe. It’s not about whether any of us can personally survive this virus -- we probably can; it's about protecting those less able. We as global citizens are all in this fight together. We're on the same team. Let's please do our best to help keep everybody alive.

Over time and certainly on nobody’s timetable, humans will return outdoors and to work. Like the virus itself, humans study, adapt, and persist. It’s what we do. However, 2020 will inevitably go down in the history books. Cannot help but think of the hundreds of thousands affected by the 1918 H1N1 Pandemic over a century ago. How would they react to watching us stuck in our homes with reliable electricity for washing machines and dryers and the internet with its unlimited streaming music and moving pictures on demand and our personal devices to chat with family, friends, and perfect strangers from across the world.

Now for notes about the financial market...

While citizens were so deeply focused on Coronavirus, (un)employment, personal debt, and their kid(s), most probably failed to fully grasp the magnitude of several historic events in the finance world in March. These are important to discuss because they are certain to impact every citizen and worker in the years ahead. First, despite actions taken by the Federal Government, the stock market bubble finally popped and we entered a bear market. Unfortunately, not before hundreds of nearly bankrupt companies with crippling debt were allowed to enter the public markets over the past few years. Hundreds of other companies (WeWork) came mere hours away from becoming public companies. The result will be massive losses for investors; some in their retirement accounts and pensions.

In direct response to the massive drop in the stock market, the Federal Reserve panicked and gave away tons of money. First, the Fed pumped $1.5 Trillion into banks to secure repurchase agreements. Then, while in a state of absolute panic one Sunday, the Fed announced they will cut interest rates to 0% for the first time AND purchase at least $700 Billion in government and mortgage-related bonds. The very next day, the Fed pumped an additional $500 Billion into banks. Finally, Congress rushed to pass a historic $2.2 Trillion aid package called the CARES Act, which was marketed as "Coronavirus relief" despite willingly providing nearly $800 Billion for financial markets and distressed businesses. None of the actions taken by the Federal Reserve are long-term solutions but rather placing a band-aid on a gushing wound. It is reasonable to argue citizens, not banks or troubled companies, ought to have received the bulk of these monies. After all, who is truly responsible for corporate debt, unrealistic executive compensation packages, stagnant worker wages, and fraudulent balance sheet reporting?

The market will continue to fall in March and April; potentially into summer months. We are due for a re-test of the lows established in March. Wait patiently to assess the damage inflicted in upcoming company earnings reports. Analysts will adjust their price targets. Funds will release their required purchase and sales filings, and so forth. Expect to watch historic weekly and monthly unemployment numbers rise, adding inevitable additional stress to the U.S. financial market. Expect to see U.S. capitalism crack further until the pandemic subsides.

It's important to take a minute to discuss the CARES Act in a bit more detail. In the blink of an eye, Congress approved $2.2 Trillion in taxpayer spending. We saw 0 national town hall debates wherein taxpayers could merely voice their opinions on alternative ways to spend the Trillions. Perhaps citizens would actually prefer to see pure capitalism -- let large corporations fail, thus giving citizens the opportunity to start their own small businesses. Perhaps citizens would instead prefer to spend Trillions on ending homelessness and poverty, ensuring medical insurance for all citizens, reducing costs for college education, etc. Instead, while the CARES Act marketed itself as a response to Coronavirus (in fairness, portions of it truly are), 25% of all relief, a sum total of $500 Billion, will directly benefit large corporations, many of which engaged in forms of financial recklessness and mismanagement. An additional $350 Billion is reserved for smaller businesses. Unfortunately, the CARES Act might not fully satisfy the appetite of large corporations and impacted businesses. We might see a sequel in 2020...and it won’t be any prettier.

So, who benefits from the CARES Act?

Grand Prize Winner: Large corporations will receive $500 Billion in loans and offerings. Consider this: large corporations including (but not limited to): Exxon Mobil, Chevron, Boeing, American Airlines, and Ford Motor Company spent over $3.5 Trillion dollars since 2010 in stock buybacks, which led to (1) an illusion of prosperity via (2) artificial price pumping on their stock price. It’s no secret stock buybacks added major fuel to the recent market bubble. So, in March, when a significant amount of those stock buybacks fell underwater, those companies took a tremendous, yet long overdue, dip in stock price. Bright lights suddenly highlights shady practices. Rather than face the harsh reality of laissez-faire capitalism, large corporations lobbied for bailout funding...and got it.

Beneficiary: Public Health will receive $100 Billion in funding, a mere 20% of what large corporations will receive. Community centers which provide health care services for approximately 28 Million citizens will receive just $1.32 Billion from the CARES Act, a mere 0.264% of the amount available to impacted businesses. State and local governments are set to receive nearly $340 Billion. However, details on precisely how those funds will be disbursed across the nation remain scarce - Governors who are political allies with the current administration are receive special treatment by way of funding and medical resources, while critics receive less. Stay tuned to see how this unfolds.  

Participation Ribbon: Citizens will literally pay for years of corporate recklessness and reap few, if any, rewards. Citizens should prepare for the effects of soaring national debt and hyperinflation, as increased supply of the U.S. dollar could lead to decreases in buying power. It would be reasonable to expect the cost of goods and services in America to increase while the dollar simultaneously buys less and less with each passing month. Citizens should not be surprised if all goods and services, from groceries to healthcare providers and insurance companies, attempt to increase their prices and premiums in 2020. It could take months before we see attempts to increase the federal minimum wage, which has not happened in over a decade. On the bright side, it's not all bad. Some very minimal relief may temporarily be available for those in student debt.  The new Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) program was created to expand benefits for some non-traditional workers. However, some limitations are likely to apply for freelancers, gig economy workers, those who make tips, etc. Some citizens might (or might not) receive between $1,200 and $4,400.

In the end, is a one-time check really worth it? Or does it all just seem like a cheap bribe to look the other way?

It's time for me to sign-off. One final note: please remember to text and call your friends and family. Make sure they're doing okay. We are living in truly historic times. Life is precious, do not take any part of it for granted.

Let’s hope April showers bring May flowers.

Peace & love worldwide ✌🏼❤️🌍

- anthony
 

February Notes

February 29, 2020

Happy Saturday & Leap Day! Longer post this month. Grab a bite or drink and let’s go.

Coronavirus (COVID-19) is the word of the month. Viral epidemics are nothing new. In the past two decades we survived West Nile Virus, Zika, SARS, Avian Flu (H5N1), Swine Flu (H1N1), and so forth. Coronavirus (COVID-19) is the latest viral strain to avoid. One cannot help but gain healthy appreciation for the elegant evolution shown by these complex living organisms in their pursuit to survive.

Coronavirus cases will increase at least in the short-term. China’s CDC, in conjunction with their National Health Commission (NHC) provides reasonably detailed, transparent, daily summaries. Remember to take anything the Chinese Government says with a grain of salt; since they're a hotbed for censorship. On average, 400 new cases per day, nearly 80,000 total cases, approximately 3.5% fatal rate. Some reports note fatal rate as low as 0.2% in ideal circumstances where patients are healthy with no underlying conditions in the 10-39 age bracket. Similarly, the U.S. Center For Disease Control (CDC) provides the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR). Prefer public health sources compared to louder cable news commentary. Cautious of officials with legislative / executive power who would be more inclined to weaponize Coronovirus rhetoric for political malfeasance. On the social level, racism could intensify in local communities while Coronavirus spreads. Hope we're all diligent enough to immediately correct any such discrimination. Coronavirus is bad enough without additional undue pain, suffering, and long-lasting scars.

Several stories in major metropolitan cities report local businesses in the Chinese community declined 20% - 80% percent. In Cleveland, the Chinese food scene is comparatively small but we are blessed with many delicious restaurants. Our date nights are now happy acts of community support for these smaller entrepreneurs. We value them, we enjoy them, we want them to thrive for a long time. In the current climate, it’s a noble act to walk into your favorite Szechuan, Hunan, Xi’an, etc. restaurant and smile, ask to be seated, and simply enjoy some of the most delicious food on the planet.

Now, for something completely different...

Substantial scope of audio experiments in February. Dozens of sample-based compositions, with emphasis on percussion; cymbals in orchestra, cymbals in world instruments, and cymbals in modern production. Drums. Lots of drums. Here’s why: the passing of Neil Peart & Sean Reinert inspired me to focus more deeply on drums and percussion. When someone is deceased, an effective coping mechanism is to fill the void they leave behind by developing the parts we'd inevitably miss most. The thunderous drumming on “Secret Face” and cymbal work with synthesizers from “Cosmic Sea” altered the perception of what my 9-10 year old brain at that time believed metal sounded like way back in 1992-1993. Luckily, we live in a golden era for recording technology, wherein I'm now writing pieces exclusive to Sean's drumming articulations. Needless to say, reminded of Chuck Schuldiner constantly while listening to Sean Reinert.

Similarly, the drumming on Rush’s “Subdivisions”, specifically the intricate ride bell patterns during the interlude portion, remains my favorite moment of any Rush song or album, hands down -- a simple ride bell pattern -- cannot overstate the impact that ride bell pattern and cymbal work on a single Rush song had on me. The legend of Neil Peart extends far beyond drumming alone! All this to say that while analyzing modern production, particularly for cymbals and percussion. It came as a shock to hear producers (still adore Rick B.) and musicians, mostly in the comments sections, so miffed by these loud hi-hat in modern trap music or state it “adds nothing to the groove”. Younger generations think differently; perhaps they require an aggressive, loud, hi-hat to be inspired. Regardless, my adoration for the rapid, complex, ride cymbal pattern from Rush’s Subdivisions makes it extremely easy for me to understand the younger generation’s enthusiasm for hi-hat rolls in modern trap music production. While the trap hi-hats haven’t (in my opinion) risen, yet, to the level of awesomeness as Neil Peart’s ride cymbal patterns or how modern metal drummers employ cymbals for creative chaos, it’s rather silly for music-makers to trash the modern spicing of a vintage musical dish. Let's remember to keep an open mind. In art especially, sometimes we have to force our mind open, invite something brand new in and hang out with it for awhile, in order to appreciate it. 

March on!

-anthony
 

 

Updates & Frequency

January 31, 2020

Happy Friday!

Took one week to decide monthly is the best frequency for updates here; not weekly or daily. Allows for deeper daily focus, silent reflection, extended ruminations, and unclogs timelines. Commemorative posts the last day of each month. Over time, longer essays, photos, music, etc.

Major focus on cardio, weight lifting, and diet. Healthiest lifestyle (for me) in 20+ years. Vowing to be in peak health / shape for our wedding.

Attended small coding meetup; reminded of startup life. Refreshed, invigorated, and inspired. Finished coding a Python-based webapp for investments & trading. Plan to share for free public use sometime in the next few months.

Collected fresh variety of gear for third album. Will experiment heavily with new timbres. Literal decades of ideas still fresh to record. Aim to be limitless.

Several high-profile deaths in January, Coronavirus, and Impeachment hearings. Hope global public internalizes the trauma and outputs progress & beauty from it all. Worst case scenario is abstract bad news into mere headlines and forget, further diverge into tribalisms, and / or grow apathetic. Even during the darkest times, there remains mountains of inspiration we can traverse, fields of progress ready to cultivate.

Cheers, let's crush it in February!

-anthony
 

 
© Anthony Nieto