Showing all posts in Afterthought

In Afterthought
Author Jesse SteelePosted on

The political problems in America over the last three decades all came because people got involved too late.

Many young people registered to vote only because Obama was the rave at the time. Prior to that, many of those “Obama registrants” didn’t care about politics more than the top movies and pop music of the week. They got involved as novices—unfamiliar with the political games that come from all directions. That threw off political strategy. Republicans didn’t know how to react. Democrats thought they were more loved than they were, making them lazy in 2016.

Then came Trump—and his Tweets. Trump’s Twitter account has brought in another slew of political novices. People who didn’t care all that much during the Obama years, one way or another, are fiery hot about Trump—one way or another, but mostly in objection. That’s alarming to the slightly-more-quiet Trumpists.

Don’t underestimate the Trumpists. He will be re-elected in 2020.  · · · →

In Afterthought
Author Jesse SteelePosted on

The General Motors’ image of a two-passenger, no-driver car overlooking the San Francisco skyline isn’t what it seems. Rather, it is what it does to people.

Even the semi-smart people running GM know that no market-dominant car would look like that. Self-driving cars would have a much more comfortable interior. The image merely implies a car with all passengers and no driver. That’s it.

Leo gave us the ides a few years back in his movie Inception. The idea has been introduced to the masses. The test is not so much the notion of governments making the slue of exceptions to allow GM to turn the public roads my mother drives on into giant rat labs. The real test was how the public will respond. Whatever objections show up, expect a well-propagated rebuttal from GM propaganda in the near future.

Of course the self-driving car has two incredibly obvious problems.  · · · →

In Afterthought
Author Jesse SteelePosted on

Oprah is a celebrity and billionaire because of her amazing work as a host and story teller. With Trump’s “billionaire-celebrity” status having made him seem bulletproof, his opponents think that Oprah could defeat him in a head-to-head in 2020.

I’m going to tell you why that can’t happen in 2020, but it is a serious consideration for 2024.

Being a billionaire, host, and celebrity jettisoned Trump into the spotlight. But, his achievement in business delivered him the victory.

Oprah has her billions from her celebrity work. Trump has his celebrity status from the hard work he did elsewhere in business. Oprah has not done or accomplished that kind of work—at least not the kind of work necessary to defeat Trump in 2020.

The very reason that Trump’s presidency will continue to be a success through his second term is the very reason Oprah could be looking at a serious bid after him.  · · · →

In Afterthought
Author Jesse SteelePosted on

For some reason, 2018 really does feel like it’s going to be different. That feeling deviates from my normal New Years vibe. In all likelihood, that’s because 2018 will be different for me. But, is it only for me? I’m not sure, yet.

Korea faces reunification, mainly from a combination of pressure, threats, “caught in the acts”, and open diplomacy from the new South Korean president. Just remember, diplomacy alone wouldn’t have solved anything. Strength win wars; communication wins peace—never underestimate the importance of both. Once Korea unites, political polarities elsewhere will shift.

Then, there’s the moral issue.

I see more and more stories of nudism and hedonism among the wealthy and well-to-do. Dirty parties are a “thing” in Silicon Valley, apparently. But, it’s becoming a trend across the globe. That crowd argues “a natural” and “openness to new ideas”. I myself find a slight contradiction: Tech programmers understand the need for rules on some level, including code formats and tech security protocols.  · · · →