I discovered the Oscars had taken place last night, a fact I was unaware of until this morning. The news anchor presented the event with such dramatic importance, as if it were the most significant global occurrence. In my younger years, I might have shared his enthusiasm. However, with the wisdom of experience, I now view such spectacles through a more nuanced lens, recognizing the broader context of world events.

The spectacle reveals itself as a hollow performance, meticulously crafted to create an illusion of significance. Its creators invest considerable effort in manufacturing an artificial sense of importance, yet the underlying substance remains fundamentally trivial. Those who earnestly embrace and elevate such superficial narratives ultimately diminish their own credibility and relevance.

Let’s face it. Not only is it nothing more than a show, it is a show about shows, unimportant shows. If it ceased, I’m not sure anyone outside the world of movies would notice. Indeed, they have made it a world totally about themselves. What has the real world truly gained from them? If they ceased their efforts, would we lose anything?

The golden age of cinema, when filmmakers aspired to create meaningful art that reflected societal values, seems to have faded. As I grew up, humility was instilled in me, a stark contrast to the self-congratulatory attitude prevalent in today’s entertainment industry. Despite the decline of traditional movie theaters and dwindling audience engagement, the industry persists in celebrating mediocrity, producing increasingly uninspired content that fails to resonate with viewers.

Might they eventually awaken to the stark realization that their significance has faded, their influence diminished to a mere whisper in the vast landscape of relevance?

The constant narrative from media outlets and Democratic voices downplays the potential danger posed by Iran, repeatedly dismissing the possibility of an imminent threat while strategically omitting the critical word “yet” – a subtle linguistic hint that suggests the potential for future escalation. Indeed, they refuse to use the implications when speaking of Iran and nuclear bombs. They say they don’t have it, while strategically leaving out the word “yet.”

My understanding from this is that they have the preferences of waiting until they have the bomb and the missiles to deliver them. They want to wait until they are an imminent threat, when it is too late. What kind of a plan is that? What kind of a strategy is that?

Carter set this stage for this prolonged war of skirmishes and bombings and nerves. It would appear that Trump has decided to put a stop to it. More importantly, a message has been sent worldwide. Unfortunately, that message will only last as long as the American resolve to maintain it.

I admit it. I am horrible at procrastination. I never do today what I can put off until tomorrow. Moreover, if I put something off long enough, someone else might do it. For me, this has been pretty successful. However, if you’re a leader, it doesn’t work nearly so well. What we are seeing in the Middle East is a case study in what happens when leaders procrastinate.

The problem has reared its ugly head back in the day of Jimmy Carter. He permitted, even encouraged the takeover in Iran by the current regime. Ever since, the whole world regretted it. Each president since has had the problem called Iran. However, each chose to procrastinate in some way or form. Each was afraid to deal with it.

However, leaders don’t have that luxury. When a leader puts things off, invariably decreases the options. Such is what happened with the problem called Iran. Each time a president procrastinated this problem, it became worse. By the time President Trump was elected, Iran was a bomb with a hair trigger. By now, Trump has just almost ran out of options. Procrastination is no longer possible. If the problem is ignored again, the problem will no longer have a solution.

If I Could give the President one piece of advice, it would be, do not permit them within fifty miles of the straights. Keep them away from the shipping. That and make sure they don’t sell a drop of oil. Make sure it stays that way until Iran is no longer a problem.

During my high school years in the 1960s, I developed a passion for television repair. The technology was relatively simple then, with color television still in its early stages. Black and white TVs were straightforward to work on, though one had to exercise caution around the high-voltage components of the picture tubes, which carried a dangerous fifteen thousand volts.

Connecting the antenna lead wires to the television’s terminals often presented a challenging ergonomic puzzle. Manufacturers typically positioned these connection points at the rear of the device, necessitating an awkward physical contortion. With larger console models, users first had to wrestle the hefty unit away from the wall, then maneuver themselves into a precarious position—half-crouched and half-twisted—just to secure the delicate wiring with a standard screwdriver.

Then, one day, a genius came up with this wonderful idea. Well, maybe he wasn’t a genius, but it was a wonderful idea. It resembled a clothes pin with terminals on it, screws, if you will. The tech needed only to secure the lead in wires to the clothes pin and then clip the clothes pin onto the terminals on the back of the TV. This also had the advantage that the wires could be conveniently removed and reinstalled repeatedly as needed, usually quickly and easily. It was even conceivable that the big consoles did not have to be moved even an inch.

Since then, the device’s lead and connectors have been modified multiple times. Unfortunately, I and many others are once again experiencing significant challenges when attempting to establish connections, reminiscent of the original connectivity issues.

I really miss the clothes pen thing.

In the bustling heart of New York City, as the holiday season approached, an unexpected urban drama unfolded. Sanitation workers had gone on strike, causing garbage to accumulate at an alarming rate. Amid the mounting crisis, a creative solution emerged that highlighted the irony of human behavior. Residents began packaging their refuse in festive wrapping paper, transforming mundane trash into what appeared to be enticing gifts. Surprisingly, this unconventional strategy proved effective. Local opportunists, mistaking the wrapped waste for potential treasures, swiftly carted away the disguised garbage. The incident served as a humorous commentary on perception, opportunism, and the power of presentation in an increasingly complex urban landscape.

Curiosity gnaws at me about the fate of those unwitting thieves. What became of their anticipated treasure when they realized they were mere pawns in a disposal scheme? Their disappointment must have been palpable, likely punctuated by a colorful vocabulary far more expressive than my own restrained language.

The thing is, oddly, many people seek trash and garbage, figuratively. They seek after false religion all wrapped up in attractive gift wrap. Then one day, perhaps when least expected, they find out just how bad that garbage is. What’s worse, it’s permanent, forever even. There is no way to return it. Worse, they will realize they turned down the free gift of salvation offered by Jesus for the garbage. They would not have had to steal that gift of salvation. All they need to do is accept the gift from Jesus and totally put their faith in Him.

Strange. Most people prefer garbage, with the false belief that they are getting something of value.

Marco Rubio really hit one out of the ball park the other day with a master quality speech. Now they are talking about running him for president. I must admit, he did sound good. However, I do have serious reservations.

Two things bother me. Before Trump stepped in on the scene, he was one of those held in high esteem for pushing the big comprehensive compromise about the border and he was one of the biggest proponents of the idea. He was the primary one pushing for it. Had he become president, there is not one doubt in my mind that the country club Republicans would have gotten their low wage illegal aliens. While the current president has his Secretary of State well under control, just how much pressure would it take from the country club crowd to drive him back to the position from wince he came. He would be right back to his his old ways.

More importantly, as I listened to that speech carefully, I detected an element of globalist in him. If he is still a globalist, the he still is in favour of the famous comprehensive compromise, another way of saying cheep illegal labor for his friends in the county clubs. Indeed, I would suspect this very day, he is still amigos with the RINOs. I will continue to believe it at least until he denies it.

Permit me to include a reminder. Trump and Cruz were the last two contenders for the Republican nomination. They were also the only two that were in favor of sealing the border. When the people shut down the comprehensive compromise, it should have given them all a hint. However, Rubio was not bright enough to take the hint. I am not so sure he is today.

On a scale, 1 to 10, ratings of importance:

The TV weather man will say weather reports are 9

The sports reporter will certainly say sports reports are 8

The entertainment reporters will definitely say that entertainment reporting is 11. Can’t figure that one out. Maybe you can explain that to me.

On the other hand, the news reporters say news is -1. Indeed, as they report the so-called news, the very frequently avoid news @ all cost, they avoid talking about the news. So, they talk about entertainment and entertainers. They talk about sports and athletes. Then, if they have time left over, they cover two or three actual news stories; but only if they have to; only if they must.