Category: Common Sense

  • Elections, or Statistical Experiments?

    As you can guess from the title of this post, I am trying to pose elections as statistical experiments. I know there is a big difference; unlike polling, elections do not involve taking a sample of data to make a decision. Instead, every single vote is expected to be counted in every election. So, yes,…

  • The Glass Is Half Full

    It has been about two weeks since President Trump has taken the oath of office (mind you, without placing his hand on the bible; not that it bothers me, nor is it required by the Constitution, but something that may be of potential interest or significance to the vast number of Christian and especially evangelical…

  • Taxes, Tariffs, and Prices

    It’s no secret that the lawmakers and administrations that cozy up to the billionaires and corporations promote reducing or removing the income and corporate taxes and replacing them with increased sales taxes. If one’s goal is to protect the financial interests of the wealthy at the expense of increased taxation on the working class and…

  • Power to Exercise One’s Freedom of Speech

    I have already written about the First Amendment to the United States’ Constitution, and that, contrary to common understanding or attempts by those who have always wanted to abuse it, it is not just about the freedom of speech, and even the part that is related to the freedom of speech, is not a blanket…

  • Nobody Stormed the Capitol Today!

    Why? Because unfortunately one side lacks petulant sore losers, an abundant supply of which is available on the other side.

  • Minimum Qualifications for Holding Public Office

    Back then when the former president would refer to his political rivals as “very low-IQ” individuals, implying that he himself has a very high IQ score, I used to fantasize about congress calling the bluff and making a minimum IQ score as a requirement for running for public office. But then I remembered instances like…

  • No Longer Surprised!

    A few friends had expressed surprise over Trump’s nominees for top positions in his incoming administration. Quite frankly, I was a bit surprised too; even for Trump, some of the nominees are quite out there! But then I came across this piece in which Don Jr announces his heavy involvement “on” the transition, and expresses…

  • The News May Be Stale, But the Irony Is Fresh

    Dec 3, 2024, South Korea (the First Republic was established in 1948): Lawmakers in South Korea unanimously voted to lift a controversial martial law, which was declared by President Yoon Suk Yeol earlier on Tuesday, reversing a dramatic event that shook the nation. Yes, the vote was unanimous, not along the party lines. And yes…

  • Lack of Dialogue, and Extreme Polarization

    I don’t know when sentences like the following started becoming fashion statements: These days, many seem to be taking pride on not talking about political and socioeconomic issues of their societies, and instead talking about sports and celebrities. Not that anything is wrong with talking about sports and celebrities; but I just wonder how “not…

  • Ignorance is Bliss (2)

    My previous post on this topic focused on Trump’s nominations for critical cabinet and other positions in the executive branch. But I didn’t want to miss this opportunity to point out that the expression in the title applies to many other situations as well, one of which relates to a recent and unfortunate encounter I…