Gender Issues and the Modern Adolescent

Posted on by Platypus
Surgery
I have spent the last week exploring Tik Tok. For those of you unfamiliar it is a short-form video platform. Mostly, those making the videos are young people or old people trying to reach a young audience. What I found was video after video of kids (meaning under 18) exploring a few basic topics that all boil down to identity. At that age identity becomes very important to youth. We all have a soc...
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Thanksgiving Proclamation – 1789

Posted on by Platypus
George Washington
Turkey, cranberry sauce that slides majestically out of a can, family, friends, rolls with butter stuffed into each cranny, laughter, being thankful. Thanksgiving is for all these things and more.  Thanksgiving Proclamation[New York, 3 October 1789]By the President of the United States of America. a Proclamation. Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty G...
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Student Debt Crisis – Just Pay it off Already?

Posted on by Platypus
Students with debt on caps
Biden has said he will cancel student debt on day one. He won't of course but there is a reason he is saying he will. Pelosi, Warren, many of the Democrats, have said this. Searching Google for Republicans who want to cancel the debt retrieves the results you would expect, a few unknown Republicans.    Maybe the student debt crisis isn't a matter of republican vs democrat, conservative vs prog...
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Edge vs Chrome – a symbol of the free market

Posted on by Platypus
Edge vs Chrome
When the browser battles began I stuck with Internet Explorer. I found it to be a very forging browser in term of the code I wrote. As time went on I switched wholeheartedly over to Chrome and have been using it. I try all the latest things to come out but always reject them in favor of chrome. I now use OneDrive for back up and storage and have found that most of what I need connected is now w...
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Episode 56 Long Tongue Liar – Music Video

Posted on by Platypus
Episode 56 Long Tongue Liar
It's hard to see a day when what is done in the darkness will be brought to the light. It's hard to see the day when the hand that throws the stone will be made known and when those that work in secret will be revealed. That can be a very frustrating wait.  You can run on for a long timeRun on for a long timeRun on for a long timeSooner or later God'll cut you downSooner or later God'll cut you ...
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Hillary Clinton was Behind it All?

Posted on by Platypus
Hillary with Putin looking on with a wink
The idea that Hillary was the motivating force behind the Russia hoax (yes, we know it was a hoax) has been around for a long time. Declassified information was just released that indicates that then President Obama was briefed that Hillary was the source.  The Politico covers the story by spending the first half of the article saying this information was previously rejected so that the reader ...
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Humanoids Series by Jack Williamson

Posted on by Platypus
Humanoids Series by Jack Williamson
The three books below make a lovely series worth your time. If, however, you only have a scant amount of time, the first one will suffice. It is quite short, a novelette really, but very good. The idea sprang from the atomic bombings of WWII but the theme isn't about that. It's about how technology we invent for good purposes can go wrong. How something done because we feel it was necessary, even ...
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Senate Report on Hunter Biden

Posted on by Platypus
Joe and Hunter Biden blacked gloved and pointing
Hunter Biden could do corrupt business all day long and that isn't a reflection his dad. I won't judge a parent based on the actions of their adult son. That means it is important for me, not to know what  Hunter did, but to know what the role of then Vice President Joe Biden was. Not only what Joe Biden may have done, but what he may have failed to do when he should have acted. Did he pull stri...
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Too Ugly, Too Transgender, Too Ethnic or Not Ethnic Enough? There Could be a Pill for That!

Posted on by Platypus
Ugly orc is ugly
This paper was shared with me by Club Platypus visitor Simon Stiel. It explores the idea of a "high tech" method that would make people attracted to people they are not currently attracted to. High tech could mean a pill, shot, brain surgery, or genetic manipulation. Why do this? The paper reads, "my case for attraction-expanding technology is grounded in individuals’ prudential interests, as we...
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What I think of QAnon

Posted on by Platypus
Q and Platy
Let us start with this in mind from Ayn Rand, "There's no way to rule innocent men. The only power any government has is the power to crack down on criminals." The point being made is a solid one and one that applies well to the subject of this post. Let us move on then to the article (linked below) that inspired this blog post. The article seems to intentionally cherry pick from Q posts to com...
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Lady Antebellum – The Baby and the Bathwater

Posted on by Platypus
"Today we are sad to share that our sincere hope to join together with Anita White in unity and common purpose has ended," the band members of Lady A said in a statement to CBS News." She wants money to let them use the name she has been using. They say they have been using it for years. So has she. Does it come down to who has used it longest? (Thanks to Larry for the link). Painful Iron...
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No-Knock Warrants Exist for a Good Reason

Posted on by Platypus
Breonna Taylor
No-knock warrants exist for a reason and it is a good reason. Much of American law was based on English Common Law and in that knock-and-announce was the standard for warrants. Exceptions came about due to Supreme Court Rulings. A warrant must be issued as a no-knock warrant and a reason must be articulated. For example that destruction of evidence is likely. I think that anyone can see that this...
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Idea: Defund the Police – Good Idea? 

Posted on by Platypus
No police - how about thoughts and prayers
"Minneapolis is not the only city asking the question. Across the country, calls to defund, downsize or abolish police departments are gaining new traction after national unrest..." I have already talked at length on George Floyd but think the second part of the above paragraph is worth a quick note as it relates to the topic of defunding the police. It concludes, "...following the death of Geo...
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Racism Exists Because People Won’t Let it Die

Posted on by Platypus
A girl holds up a sign saying justice for floyd with his face on it
I had a conversation about racism the other day that was quite eye opening for me. I will get to that, and another story, in a moment. Systematic or institutional racism does not exist. A conclusion like this should be logical. It certainly isn't the first time it has been put forth but like so many things that become "true" people cling to the idea. When people try to explain their objections t...
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