It's an ill wind that blows no one no good, or making money from Las Vegas

Can the proverb in the title above be applied to the mass shooting in Las Vegas on October 1st 2017?  Those who  manufacture bump fire stocks will probably do pretty well.

Those who employed the dead or disabled from this incident will be able to hire cheaper replacements. Since many people worried about losing their guns to government overreach after an incident like this, there will probably be a rise in sales of semi-automatic weapons.

The hotel where the shooter rented his room will probably be able to rent that room for a higher daily rent for many years to come.  Maybe the hotel could rent paintball guns with the room.

Aging Gracefully: A Short Story Idea Based on the DVD "Morgan"

           If anyone wishes to use the story idea below feel free.  I have gotten to the point where I am losing my grit to do these things.  Just send me a copy of your work so I can see what you have done.  I might feel inspired by your efforts.

Grace was 5 years old but already had the body of a young adult. She was extremely smart but had only the experience from five years on which to draw.  She looked at everything with wonder, and did not display the sophistication of a young adult or at least what passes for such.

She had read lots of books and knew that growing old meant loss of strength and mental capacity. She wondered if she would grow older quicker than a natural being since she was already an adult at five years of age.

She wondered if she would have children one day. She wondered if she could even reproduce with a natural.  She was strong and smart but knew that living things died. She feared death but did not know how to avoid it. She was healthy but may not be that way forever.

Comment: I must think about this story some more before I add to it. What is the difference between sophistication and wisdom?

Can We Speak Blog Entries?

So can these entries now be made with Goggle Voice?  

Would the United States Benefit If We Allowed North Korea to Annex South Korea?

Above is my comment to a thread on NPR about relations between North and South Korea, and the US.

Below is a second comment considering the consequences for Japan of such an annexation.

End Times

I am watching CNN, and wondering if Revelations is a self-fulfilling prophecy.  Is the Beast the head of ISIS or our own Donald Trump? Will we see the final war, or just another in a long series?  Will we get tired of an Islam that does not reform, and "nuke" Mecca?  I would pay additional taxes to transport "true believers" to Mecca.  I would pay additional taxes to nuke the irradiated site every 10 years on 9/11.  I would encourage true believers to go to Mecca to visit Mecca, and they could then glow in the dark while returning to their homes.

Ecstatic Nation and Aternate History

I am reading this book, http://www.amazon.com/Ecstatic-Nation-Confidence-Compromise-1848-1877/dp/0061234575, by Amy Wineapple.  I enjoy her writing, and it got me thinking too.

I have read works of alternative history by Harry Turtledove.  He wrote a series of books about how the world might have turned if the South had won the Civil War, and an alternate universe had occurred.  Wineapple's history raises the question: what would have occurred if the Compromise of 1836 had not succeeded?  Or the compromise of 1850?

How would the war(s) have differed if different personalities had led the various units and states?  If the South had a military leader other than Lee?  If the North had a different President other than Lincoln?  

Does Anyone Know Why These Cameras Are Along I-75?

My brother told me that there are  new cameras being installed high on poles.  They seem to be about one mile apart.  He says he has seen them from Bowling Green to Monroe, Michigan.  Here are a few pictures.

Headed north on I-75

Some kind of control box on the bottom of the pole on I-75 off Lagrange

I was taking them with my Nokia E73 (5MP main camera) so the pictures cannot be enlarged as much as I would like.