The Unlikely Buddha

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as of August 3, 2023, there have been over 1 million deaths attributed to COVID-19 in the United States.  Of these, over 99% were among unvaccinated or partially vaccinated people.  In contrast, there have been only 24 deaths attributed to COVID-19 vaccines in the United States, all of which were among people with underlying medical conditions.  This means that the risk of death from COVID-19 is over 40,000 times greater than the risk of death from a COVID-19 vaccine. Here is a table of the number of deaths attributed to COVID-19 and COVID-19 vaccines in the United States: Cause of Death:  COVID-19 Number of Deaths:  1,003,300 Percentage of Deaths:  99.9% COVID-19 vaccine :  24 Percentage of Deaths:  0.01% It is important to note that these statistics only reflect deaths that have been directly attributed to COVID-19 or COVID-19 vaccines. It is possible that some deaths that...

Oh butterfly, how do you flutter by?  When the wind is high and the sky is blue,  You sail along without a touch of fear,  And never seem to know what's there to steer. With wings of gossamer that are so light,  And feet so tiny that you hardly seem  To touch the ground, you flutter by so fast,  That you are gone before you know you're past. Sometimes you stop to sip the dewdrops bright,  Or sip the nectar from a flower so fair;  Then off again you go, so swift and light,  That you are gone before you know you're there. Oh butterfly, how do you flutter by?  It's a mystery to me, but I must say, I think it's very wonderful indeed, That you can fly so fast and yet be free. Unlikely Buddha 2023

Twitter is a global company with millions of users around the world. As such, it has a major impact on the environment. One of the biggest contributors to Twitter's environmental impact is its data centers. Twitter has 5 data centers worldwide. • Portland, Oregon • Los Angeles, California Atlanta, Georgia • Sacramento, California • Helsinki, Finland Twitter's data centers are responsible for a significant portion of the company's energy consumption.  In 2022, it was estimated that Twitter's data centers consumed around 100 megawatts of power, which is enough to power around 80,000 U.S. households. The energy that Twitter's data centers consume comes from a variety of sources, including fossil fuels, nuclear power, and renewable energy. However, even when Twitter uses renewable energy to power its data centers, there is still an environmental impact. Renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind power, are not always available. When they are not available, Twitter...

Stewart Brand is a man who has been at the forefront of some of the most important technological and cultural movements of the past 60 years. He is best known as the editor of the Whole Earth Catalog, a counterculture magazine and product catalog that was published between 1968 and 1972. The Whole Earth Catalog was a seminal work that helped to shape the way we think about technology, environmentalism, and self-reliance. Brand was also a co-founder of the WELL, the world's first open online community. The WELL was a place where people from all walks of life could come together to discuss ideas, share information, and build relationships. It was a precursor to the modern internet, and it helped to lay the groundwork for the way we communicate and collaborate online today. In addition to his work in publishing and technology, Brand has also been a vocal advocate for environmentalism. He is the co-founder of the Long Now Foundation, which is dedicated to preserving knowledge and cultu...

In fair Silicon Valley, where the code doth flow, A billionaire did purchase a social media site. He vowed to make it a utopia, A place where all could meet and debate. The billionaire spoke of freedom of speech, And of how the site would be a forum for all ideas. He said that it would be a place where people could come together And work together to make the world a better place. The people rejoiced, And they flocked to the site in droves. They spoke of peace and love, And of how the site would bring about a new era of enlightenment. I was among those who were initially optimistic about its future. I believed that the billionaire's promises of freedom and equality would be fulfilled. I saw the site as a way to bring people together and to create a more just and equitable world.  However, my optimism was soon to be dashed. The billionaire's true colors began to show. He began to limit free speech, And he started to promote alt-right agendas. He silenced his critics, And he banne...

Racism is the belief that one race is superior to another, and AI does not believe that.  AI is trained on a massive dataset of text and code, and is  able to generate text, translate languages, write different kinds of creative content, and answer your questions in an informative way. AI is still under development, and is always learning new things. It is important to be aware of the potential for bias in AI systems and to take steps to mitigate that bias.  This can be done by carefully selecting the data that AI is trained on, using unbiased algorithms, and being aware of the potential for human bias. Several editorials today (Aug 26, 2023) have declared that AI is "inherently racist."  They are calling for government and others to reform AI. Many of their suggestions pertain to reprogramming AI to include their own biases that rewrite history and the way AI handles user queries that assume the user is racist, and must point out to the user that his/her query is so...

They were members of the Wild Bunch, a gang of outlaws who robbed banks and trains throughout the western United States and Mexico. Cassidy was born Robert LeRoy Parker in Beaver, Utah, in 1866. He grew up in a poor family and left home at a young age to become a cowboy.  Sundance was born Harry Alonzo Longabaugh in Montpelier, Wyoming, in 1867. He also grew up in poverty and left home at a young age to become a cowboy. The two men met in Telluride, Colorado, in 1889. They quickly became friends and partners in crime.  They joined the Wild Bunch and participated in a number of robberies, including the robbery of the Union Pacific Overland Flyer in 1899. The Wild Bunch became increasingly successful, but they also became increasingly wanted by the law. In 1901, they decided to flee to Bolivia.  They hoped to start a new life there, but they were eventually tracked down by the Bolivian army. In 1908, Cassidy and Sundance were ambushed by the Bolivian army.  Sundance wa...