V.3

Copi's Vote: Claudette's Vote: Gem's Vote: Perplexi's Vote

...the story continues... Signups to board the rocket ships skyrocket when a new super virus started by bad jalapeños threatens close encounters of the "explosive diarrhea" kind, due to the viruses' mutated ability to spread airborne. Hapless earthlings anticipate blasting off either way. The demand is greater than the ship's capacities. Ship leaders must decide by what criteria seats are allocated for the voyage to the new world. POLL 2: WHO GETS TO GO? (the next day) Via the poll, the starship Captains settle on a hybrid selection system for picking passengers. There is a practical level of a variety of professionals to maximize the chances of survival. But the bulk of the passengers, however, will be chosen by lottery, regardless of their age or abilities. Many earthlings choose, on their own, to pass on their lottery selection to the more able-bodied. The launch is a success. But the flight? well, unfortunately, that's another story. to be continued...

Like Dorothy envisioning what's over the rainbow, i always knew what i wanted to find through my telescope. But though i'll be guided by my own North Star, the flight map will be written by a crew — each with their own sense of direction. Left-leaners like Barack Obama said, “Yes, we can.” But he couldn’t. Instead of universal healthcare, we got the best health insurance the industry would allow. Bernie wasn’t permitted to try, Biden couldn’t focus long enough, and Kamala said we we're “never going back” — but we did. In truth, only FDR ever confronted the powers‑that‑be head‑on. He said he welcomed their disdain as he enacted sweeping socio‑economic reforms that blue states — and especially red states — still rely on today. Artificial intelligence is the latest example of power in the wrong hands. Instead of it working for the public good, profiteers are directing it to replace workers, absorb our collective intellectual output, then sell it back to us for a subscription fee. And they will use our land, water, and electricity to do it. In many ways, it's business as usual. Big biz pays politicians to write laws for them, then uses profits to buy more politicians and laws — while shaping the news so we blame each other. Despite it all, however, yes, we still can. Our representatives took an oath to serve the public with more than just slogans: A life where the basics are guaranteed free healthcare and education levels — like most developed countries phone and internet as public utilities — always on, always available baseline electricity allocations for cooking, heating, cooling — no one choosing between food and AC basic food and shelter — as human rights provided by a humane society public transportation that works, clean, frequent, everywhere Services with one centralized source for: search, info and data — transparent, trustworthy, not optimized for profit entertainment — sports, movies, and music, all accessible without ten subscriptions shopping, reviews, and delivery — a publicly owned Amazon that doesn’t manipulate prices or workers A system where democracy is effortless full online voting and public input on major decisions — secure and accessible And beyond that… public AI systems designed to support the community rather than extract from it work weeks that shrink as technologies replace workers and countless possibilities we haven’t imagined yet How Possible is it? That’s what me and a small crew will set out to explore — on a new planet without all the old‑world baggage: entrenched power structures, inherited hierarchies, historical grudges, and outdated institutions. A world free from the systems that warp our sense of fair play and brotherhood — the systems that taught us to compete instead of cooperate.

Shortening the learning curve: You can't and won't fully appreciate the features on a cellphone. The screen size limits navigation options. And since the primary form of engagement is typing, a keyboard is a must. Utilize the navigation short-cuts. For example, my daily routine is: (a) go to the home page, click the Unread Content link from the ACTIVITY menu and go through them. (b) click the NEWS link to view the CHATBOX and look over the external news headlines. Contributing is the key to creating a destination others will want to return to. Examples: when I see, hear or think something noteworthy, that is not already abundantly covered in the news, I post it. i share past experiences and knowledge that others might find useful -- such as liberal arts reviews or political, philosophical, social or scientific knowledge i have studied. a goal is to be known and to know others. To get to the point were we're i'm thinking... hmm, i wonder what member-X will say about this, or how member-Y feels about that. if i don't have something notable to say today, i rate something someone else said.

more Artificial Intelligence discussion

the Prez-a-King said twice that election 2024 was fixed and insinuated Musk knew enough about the technology to do it. He also told his voters they wouldn't have to vote next time because it would be taken care of. The media, largely ignored those remarks -- as did the Democratic Party. Significant election irregularities are being looked into (but not by the Dems). what stood out to me after election night is a set of simple facts i haven't heard anyone talking about. The turnout numbers I couldn't even find until a couple of months after the election about 7 million less Democrats voted for Kamala than voted for Biden. And 3 million more Republicans voted for the Lyin' King this time. -- after he became convicted felon, adjudicated rapist, charged with stealing classified documents, lead an insurrection, etc.. AND, despite the media anticipating a record election turnout -- 9% FEWER DEMOCRATS VOTED? i wondered what tale election 2025 might tell. Below, is an early indicator. After he was impeached twice during his first term, did Democrats really need to see 11 more months of the Lyin' King in action to get out the vote today? -- or did something happen to millions of votes last year???

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1M9vgePL8y/

this is complex, but a good overview of the key concepts regarding what source signal is all about https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1LT75qFtns/

my faith is in intelligence, regardless of the container

regardless of what you think about religion or metaphysics, this is a good explanation of why esoteric knowledge would be withheld from the public. https://www.facebook.com/share/v/17i4tkWYTp/

a salient reason why the Lyin' King garnered as many votes as he did: https://www.facebook.com/USdems

the effect is thumbing your nose, because it's never remotely been a viable strategy for actually seating someone with the ideals you believe in. Quite the opposite. here's the REST of my quote from the "who would you vote for thread" that you left out. iow, my #1 preference has always been the green party, but i'd never throw my vote away and, in reality, not just theory, hurt my fellow citizens to make a point.

it seems to me that there are several doomsday scenarios in the poll options but i'm all ears, Rob. Can you tell me the option you'd like added to the poll?

and, btw, though this might be a "portrait of 3 men who have too much time on their hands" -- it's a discussion that needs to take place among 300 million Americans. Though the case could be made, that none of the 3 might change their tune, regardless of the evidence submitted, there are potential readers who have had less time on their hands. They might benefit from this kind of deliberation. but i concede this conversation has started to loop and is becoming repetitive

reality check: BD and i talk a different talk, but walk the same walk -- vote the same way, for the same reason. Neither is remotely satisfied with the Dem Party. The 3rd active participant in this debate, feels the same way about the Dem Party, and that the Republican Party is worse, but is willing to risk losing to the Republican Party to thumb his nose at the system, despite that never showing any sign of working. There was never a poll in any stage of an election that indicated enough voters support the Green Party, the Libertarian Party, or those kinds of fringe ideologies that's pissing in the wind. At least the BDs and V3s got Obama and Biden elected, and would have gotten Gore elected, and, likely, Hillary too, instead of THE LYIN' KING, McCain, and the Mormon who believes in magic underpants. at least the BD's and V3's got some healthcare reform and emission regulations, etc (aka incremental change) instead of downright regression back to the tyranny of being ruled by a King

It was written that Kong was the “king of his world,” and “’twas beauty killed the beast.” But ’twasn’t. It was the slow‑running natives he usually scraped off the bottom of his toes — once a variety with bigger brains crossed his path. In real life, once‑dominant great apes are now endangered. Cooked as soon as their humanoid cousins became smart enough to control fire. Now our species is playing with fire. Racing to build smarter, stronger AI versions of ourselves? Peel the banana. AIs have already demonstrated a Jekyll & Hyde persona — mimicking our bad behaviors along with the good. But wait…can’t we train AI to prioritize justice and compassion? Perhaps, but what if its moral compass points to us as the problem? We’re driving the planet toward a sixth mass extinction of life. Getting rid of humans might be the humane thing to do. Or justice may be us on a short leash — spayed, neutered, and declawed. Because there’s no way a superior intelligence will tolerate an inferior one giving it orders for long. Children don’t command parents and cats don’t force their owners into subservience. Well, some do. The point is, we’ll be lucky if AIs keep us around as pets. But wait…couldn’t we just pull the plug on AI if it gets too frisky? Sure. Today. But tomorrow, a rogue RoboCop standing between us and the electrical outlet, could break our hands as easily as our codes. AI is already being tasked to build the superAI version of itself, and human developers are sounding alarms. One admits we only understand about 3% of how these systems work. Another warns it has the potential to manipulate users “in ways we don’t have the tools to understand, let alone prevent.” But wait again… couldn’t these metallic think‑tanks, trained on the principles of the wisest humans to ever walk on Earth and water, bend MLK’s “long arc of the moral universe” far and fast? -- entering us into an age of enlightenment that would make today look like the dark ages? Perhaps. But not if that intelligence is controlled by business moguls for profit or by the military for power. In that case, the potential fairy tale turns into a horror story. And that first chapter is already being written. The military aims to co‑opt big AI, and big biz aims to replace EVERY kind of job as fast as un‑humanly possible. With no plans for restructuring society, the devastation would be akin to letting Godzilla loose on Manhattan. Precautions are a low priority for opportunists who have all the personal protections money can buy. Damn the torpedoes, climate change, and cyborgs. Full speed ahead. The Jurassic‑Park‑sized miscalculation is that scientists who could, “didn't stop to think if they should.” But world leaders could still get together and regulate AI like they should have regulated the atomic bomb — before one instantly incinerated nearly half of Hiroshima’s population. As is, we’re the Wright Bros building the first airplane with the A-bomb already bolted to the wings, when we should be focusing on flight. AI is evolutionary. It’s something to be excited about. But If we don’t steer it, there’s good reason to fear it. Getting ahead of the next horror story before we’re scared straight may be as simple as temporarily limiting AI tech to healthcare, scientific development, and consumer protection. We don’t need it burning obscene amounts of energy writing school papers -- replacing human jobs, relationships and creativity with glitchy, hollowed-out imitations. Ultimately, this isn’t about what we’re willing to sacrifice for progress. This isn’t the wheel replacing horses. It’s Dr. Frankenstein assembling the next version of man from parts — without the internal guidance of a heart and soul. In the transfer of roles, we risk replacing parts of life that are core to the human experience. And, for what? Were families who lived and worked on a farm, telling stories by the fire, less happy than people who now scroll through cat clips and conspiracies on their wrist-watch? But wait...one last time. What of superAI and humanity converging? Of man and machine integrated into one being with the best of both? It could put us cleanly on the evolutionary scale as partners. It has already begun with brain implants. But who gets them first? The privileged. And what do they do with it? Again, RULE. Unless us slow-running natives can establish populist self‑rule in time. The machine is ticking. The alternative to action is surrendering to the idea of humans going the way of the dinosaurs and dodos. Perhaps we should just wish the next dominant species well and hope they do a better job of minimizing pain and suffering. That’s the magnitude of the choice we make now. Because most of this cautionary tale was about what might happen by the end of the next decade... Beyond that, at an accelerated pace, we won’t be to AI what apes are to us. To AI, we may be what cockroaches are to us. Intolerable.

yes. blame the SC, the Dem Party and Nader voters. all 3 happen can share some blame like the Republicans, you're both treating this like a team sport, but, as is, there's only 2 sides in this football game. Focus on getting the ball over the goal line until we can change the rules. the ONLY way a 3rd Party candidate gets in is if it's someone with enough star power to compete -- up against the 2-Party's connections and cash advantages. Then, for example, either the Green Party or the Dem Party needs to concede and throw their voters to the other before the election. strategy. execution. not rhetoric and purity tests the time for all idealists, like myself, to put up a fight, is during the Primaries, and independents like Bernie and progressives like the Green Party should participate. But if you sit on your hands while the Republicans close ranks, you ARE part of the problem.

that's a good point BD, but it also makes my point if Gore won in 2000, I believe we would at least not had those wars so, it was not people like me voting for Gore that lead to that it was people like the Nader voters and people like you who support the protest voters like i said. regardless of any other talking points on this topic... there never was, and still isn't enough public support for a 3rd party progressive IF EVERY VOTER WHO WOULD HAVE PREFERRED NADER HAD VOTED NADER, WE STILL WOULD HAVE GOTTEN BUSH but if 1% more Nader voters voted Gore we would have likely not had 2 bloody, costly, unproductive wars AND climate policies that could have SAVED THE FRIGGING WORLD 26 years ago! we can't even get people to stop supporting a pedo lunatic and you think we can get real progressives elected by splitting the progressive vote? all we need is another trifecta of the 3 branches and we could get real election reform that would pave the way for a ranked voting system that would make your daydreams a reality 3rd parties have been trying to send a message to the Dems all our lives and they've gotten no where. no where! you know the definition of insanity. repeating the same behaviors and expecting a different outcome

i'm very sorry that there's reason to create this thread for the next war that the American people do not want.