HETTY

Tag: United States

  • I Watch Less TV and Cable Now.

    I Watch Less TV and Cable Now.

    What’s something you do completely differently from how you were raised?

    This is probably the biggest difference in my life now. Growing up in the 70s and 80s, I lived in a 2 television household. One TV was a smaller portable black and white television that I often watched in the kitchen or in my bedroom with my 2 brothers. The other color television stayed in the living room. It was too heavy for my brothers and I to carry it. Indeed, the television likely required 2 people to carry the television, or one very fit person with a strong back.

    So growing up, I watched a lot of TV shows and sometimes syndicated movies on broadcast networks. I saw some of the classic series over the years, and then some shows that may last one or 2 seasons.

    My family also invested in premium cable television and later a VCR device and video game consoles. Atari, HBO, and a Nintendo console. Even more time in front of the television. Probably a good fraction of my life was in front of the TV watching some of the theatrical movies, some made for cable series, playing the early more primitive video games. I was entertained enough back then.

    I still love some shows, like I’m still a big Simpsons fan. But over the past 10 years, I started to drift away from watching so much television.

    Maybe streaming services have a lot to do with that, having a laptop and smartphone changed my viewing habits even more. I replaced one screen for another.

    I don’t know exactly why my viewing habits changed. I think I became wiser and more experienced, and became more familiar with the tropes and cliches of TV series. Like I can’t really tolerate laugh tracks on sitcoms any more, cuz some of the jokes on shows aren’t that funny. Other times, television shows like dramas reference real life events, such as real life crimes. I can read about the unsanitized real life events online instead.

    But also maybe I spent too many days coming home from work or school, and ended up watching television or playing video games alone for hours. Not always, cuz I will still watch television with others, but it’s often sport games or a show or movie I’m not that invested in. I think my attention span dwindled over time. I have other interests now.

    So TL;DR version. I grew up in a 2 TV set household watching a lot of television and I eventually drifted away from that to the point where I barely watch any TV or cable programs. I’ll read online articles, go on social media, or play more simple video games on my smartphone.

  • A Lucky Find (Part 2)

    A Lucky Find (Part 2)

    What’s the best thing you’ve ever found randomly on the street?

    Sometimes I find money in the street, but it doesn’t happen as often as I’d like. I already wrote an essay/ short story about a time I found 50$ decades ago and was able to afford to go to a state fair. But there’s been other incidents where I was lucky and found money.

    Around 2011, I was working a different part time job as a dishwasher and still struggling (I was fired from that telemarketing pledge job in 2004 after 3 months), I was riding my bicycle at night from work  and again found money. This time 30$ laying in the grass. A 20$ and a 10$ , not in a wallet. Again, I picked it up cuz I desperately needed it. I spent that 30$ on food and the cheapest brand of cigarettes I could get. I was grateful at the time.

    But another incident was when I was more stable living on disability pensions and took a solo trip to Las Vegas. I was more comfortable, and had more leeway with my spending. It was my second time in Las Vegas, and I went in 2020 during the COVID pandemic.

    I actually didn’t gamble much during my 2 trips to Las Vegas. Maybe 125$ total, but between the 2 trips I won over 400$ playing penny slots. I take risks, but relatively low risks. I was grateful to have won money at all.

    Anyways, I was walking back from a convenience store, and saw a small object shining in the sun. Curious, I stopped and looked closer. It appears to be a coin of some type in a small transparent plastic case. I picked it up. It looked like a small gold bullion with an imprinted buffalo and some printing. Huh.

    It took me a month of online research to find out what it was. It’s not solid or 24 carat gold, but rather a gold plated copper bullion. Not much gold, not worth much money. Maybe worth 6 or 7$. It contains roughly 5 milligrams of 24 carat gold.

    I still have it, cuz it’s not really worth much. However, if I get really desperate again, I could try to sell it. It did take me a month of online research to identify the coin and it’s actual value. If I was desperate enough to be shady, and could find a specific kind of buyer……..🤔

  • My Talk Therapist Pulled Through

    What’s the kindest thing someone has ever done for you?

    I really had to think about this prompt, cuz acts of kindness towards me seem to be rare, or at least hard to recall outside of my own family. But I’m a disabled US veteran, and I needed help back in 2011. I was able to get it at a VA hospital thanks to the medical staff.

    So back in 2011, I was in bad shape, but I didn’t want to admit it. I wanted to “pull myself by my own bootstraps” even though I was underemployed, had student loan debt I was afraid that I couldn’t repay without great difficulty, had and currently have severe depression and a good level of anxiety.

    I smoke heavily, toked and drank with what little money I had. I had to be hospitalized for mental health issues once before, and I didn’t want to be hospitalized again. I’ll figure it out, I thought, even though I was homeless again. I couldn’t make rent for a studio apartment.

    I ended up at a veterans group home, and I started to see a psychologist I’ll call Dr. Sandra. Her first name, but I’ll withhold her last name. A blonde middle aged woman. Over time, I would talk through my problems. I had a lot. I sometimes was harassed and bullied at work and school. I had deaths in the family. I struggled to find and keep jobs, after my time in the service. I have physical, psychological, and it later turned out neurological disabilities.

    I found out that I’m neurodiverse, but the medical staff didn’t notice it until I gradually noticed patterns, did some reading, and brought it up to the doctors. After group therapy sessions and medical tests, it turns out that I had several diagnoses, including hearing impairment and a type of autism.

    Anyways, Dr. Sandra encouraged me to file for disability benefits, she listened to what I had to say and offered advice to problems I had, and she taught group sessions with other veterans that gave better life skills than what I had before. I had to file a appeals claim after my disability case was denied the first time, and she wrote a letter to social security administration listing the various disabilities I’ve had, and why I can’t work full time anymore.

    I was approved for disability pensions. A modest income, but it is more than my income during my working life. Yes, even more than when I was active duty. I’m grateful that I met Dr. Sandra, and she gave me help and a listening ear for when I needed it.

    Do I still have problems and worries? Oh yes. But I’m able to cope better, I volunteer, donate, and help people when I can, and I have better problem solving abilities than before. And I have changed over time. I’m not as passive as I tried to be before, but I have learned that it’s ok to walk away if some issue is stressing me out. It’s ok to quit a job or school due to stress, end a toxic relationship, and failure can make one think of alternatives if something isn’t working out.

    I also read some books that Dr. Sandra recommended, and I got into the current version of the BBC show Sherlock because she is a fan. Which I actually liked.

    I have a better life now, thanks to the medical staff at the Veterans Administration hospital and Dr. Sandra.

  • A Lucky Find

    What’s the weirdest coincidence you’ve ever experienced?

    So over 20 years ago I was really struggling. I was a college student studying for an associates degree (Ha!) and working part-time as a telemarketer doing pledge drives for uniformed services like police and firefighters. It wasn’t a good job- the best thing about it was it offered flexible shifts. As long as an employee worked a day or night shift, and the employee was at a cubicle making phone calls and making pledge quotas, things were good.

    So money was tight. Around the summer time, there was the State Fair that I wanted to go to, but probably couldn’t afford. It probably cost at least 30$ just to enter the fair, see some the sights and be among the crowd, and maybe get a cheap meal. To go on the carnival rides, a person needed at least 50$.

    I wasn’t making my pledge quotas one day, so I was sent home early. I was riding my bike back home, when I saw something familiar on the ground near a strip mall parking lot. I stopped the bike and looked closer. It was money. 50$- two 20$ bills and a 10$. It wasn’t in a wallet, it was money laying on the ground near the curb.

    So of course I picked it up and put it in my pocket. And the next day, I went to the state fair. I had enough for the entry fee, a combo meal, and enough tickets to go on 3 or 4 carnival rides. I spent about 3 hours at the fair, and I was grateful that I was able to go after all. I had a little money left over even.

    Things could have been different. There were different variables, like it could have been a windy day, someone didn’t drop that money, I wouldn’t have been at that location at that time cuz I was still at work. Maybe someone else could have found that money instead. I still think about that, or who did drop that money.

    Anyways, I remember this moment cuz I was grateful to have had a good day, found that money when I needed it, and I wish that I could find larger amounts of money more often.

  • No country does Halloween better than the US.

    No country does Halloween better than the US.

    What’s a cultural tradition from your country that you love?

    Halloween is my favorite holiday. I even prefer Halloween over Christmas. Why is that? It can be fun, and there’s at times there’s true creativity by the celebrants, young and old. I’ve seen some truly impressive costumes and home decorations over the years, and many crap costumes. I like to dress up myself at times, even in my 50s. I tend to wear costumes with masks.

    Right around Halloween time, horror movies of various quality are released, there’s at times Halloween themed TV show episodes. Who doesn’t love the Simpsons Treehouse of Horror episodes?

    There’s the treats, of course. I tend to munch on chocolate snacks more often around Halloween season.

    This past year, I “celebrated” Halloween by going out to bars and clubs in Porto Portugal, and I was disappointed. Most of the costumes were lame and low quality. I was seeing several Christian monk costumes, hardly any scary or “fun” costumes. Definitely nothing impressive.

    Millions if not billions of dollars are spent annually in the US on Halloween decorations, costumes, media content, snacks, and while there’s plenty of scary costumes, some costumes display a good sense of humor.

    I’m probably too old for Halloween celebrations now, but I’m probably one of those people who could carry the blue Halloween trick or treat bucket with me. To me, Halloween is one of the few annual events that’s fun and I’m more sociable. I have yet to go to a Comic-Con event, but I’m definitely the type of person those events are made for.

  • The Wild Robot

    The Wild Robot

    What’s the last movie that made you cry?

    I didn’t actually cry (more burnt out than tough or macho), but yes I did feel the tears coming on. I saw the movie on an international flight to Europe. It’s a classic bittersweet movie, and I look forward to watching whatever sequels and possibly getting around to reading the books. I highly recommend the wonderful movie for those who haven’t seen it yet.

  • 16 Great Quotes about Artificial Intelligence

    16 Great Quotes about Artificial Intelligence

    Here are some famous quotes about Artificial Intelligence from notable figures  that capture its promise, challenges, and impact:

    1. “The development of full artificial intelligence could spell the end of the human race.” — Stephen Hawking

    2. “Artificial intelligence is the new electricity.” — Andrew Ng

    3. “The question is not whether intelligent machines can have any emotions, but whether machines can be intelligent without any emotions.” — Marvin Minsky

    4. “Some people call this artificial intelligence, but the reality is this technology will enhance us. So instead of artificial intelligence, I think we’ll augment our intelligence.” — Ginni Rometty

    5. “AI is about replacing human decision making with more sophisticated technologies.” — Dave Waters

    6. “The key to artificial intelligence has always been the representation.” — Jeff Hawkins

    7. “Success in creating effective AI could be the biggest event in the history of our civilization. Unfortunately, it might also be the last.” — Stephen Hawking

    8. “The question of whether a computer can think is no more interesting than the question of whether a submarine can swim.” — Edsger W. Dijkstra

    9. “Artificial intelligence is the future, not only for Russia, but for all humankind. It comes with colossal opportunities, but also threats that are difficult to predict.” — Vladimir Putin

    10. “The real question is, when will we draft an artificial intelligence bill of rights? What will that consist of? And who will get to decide that?” — Gray Scott

    11. “Our intelligence is what makes us human, and AI is an extension of that quality.” — Yann LeCun

    12. “The pace of progress in artificial intelligence is incredibly fast.” — Elon Musk

    13. “By far, the greatest danger of Artificial Intelligence is that people conclude too early that they understand it.” — Eliezer Yudkowsky

    14. “Machines take me by surprise with great frequency.” — Alan Turing

    15. “AI is likely to be either the best or worst thing to happen to humanity.” — Elon Musk

    These quotes offer perspectives from leading thinkers on the transformative power and ethical considerations of AI.

  • Politicians are anti science and education

    What’s a conspiracy theory you actually find believable?

    I’m American, of course.  I believe that most if not all politicians are anti science and anti-education, cuz an ignorant population is easier to control, manipulate, and exploit. Like there has been great strides in science and engineering in recent decades, but the average citizen wouldn’t be able to know how it’s possible. An example is the smartphone. I have one on my hand right now, but I only have a general idea how they work. If I took one apart, I wouldn’t know how all of the different components and programs work together to make a functional machine.

    Oh, there’s educational institutions like colleges and trade schools. They aren’t free or even affordable, and the skills and lessons taught at public schools tend to be more limited. There has been numerous cuts to public education for decades, to the point where many students and educators are demoralized and ignorant about various things. Many students couldn’t be able to identify various countries on a map, and have limited mathematical ability.

    Libraries can be free resources for knowledge, and there’s hundreds of libraries of various quality in the US and globally. In the US though, there’s a list of banned books cuz they have content that is considered disputable by certain political groups (too “woke” or “obscene.”)

    So certain outdated concepts and misinformation are promoted in the media by politicians and influencers instead of innovative ideas and philosophy. There’s various distractions and noise. Some important voices are drowned out in favor of louder more charismatic voices.

    So the average adult citizen reads at a 6th grade level, and more celebrities and athletes are more famous and well to do than most scientists, engineers, philosophers and writers. Most Americans would know who Taylor Swift Lebron James is than HL Mencken or Marie Curie, as an example.

    There’s also one International Space Station instead of several space stations in orbit. Still no moon bases from any country.  Many scientists and researchers have to apply for grants yearly to get funding.

    Maybe I’m not explaining myself well, but I think there is already several solutions possible to numerous world problems, better ways of doing things, and yet there doesn’t seem to be a public will or funding to solve them, cuz of politicians leading in bad faith. So social problems remain unchanged and in some cases are worsening.

  • York The Dork

    What is your middle name? Does it carry any special meaning/significance?

    York is my middle name, and it was my father’s first name. I think one of my nephews also has that middle name.

    The name is ancient, and it evolved from the Brittonic Celtic word Eboracon, which I read means Yew Tree Place. It has British and Norse origins. Of course, there’s modern cities with either York as a full name or part of the name. British-American usage in the modern world.

    My first name means a channel of water, my middle name means an area of a bunch of trees, and my last name comes from one of the main disciples of The Nazarene. Maybe it has some significance, but I doubt my parents put that much thought into my full name.

    So yes, I probably have some British and Scandinavian ancestry, base on ancestry research I’ve done on my dad’s side of the family. But York is an unusual name in modern times. I sometimes make jokes about my middle name or middle initial.

    I had no idea how Eburācon became Eboracum, then Eoforwīc, then Jórvík, and finally York. They don’t even have much similarity, and I never encountered those specific words before.

    Yes, I had to use the internet to research the origin of my second name: A place of Yew Trees. What the hell is that?!

  • A Cuppa Coffee for a Neurodiverse Mind

    What is your favorite drink?

    I have a cup of coffee near me now. Instant coffee and heated mineral water, a little milk, and I currently don’t add sugar, or add a little sweetener. I probably drink way too much coffee. When I brew coffee, I can easily drink a pot or more a day.

    I do like other drinks, like Soda (Pop), fruit juices, alcoholic beverages, tea at times. Milk I only drink if I can get a gallon jug of it, otherwise I use it for cereal or for cooking. But since I have been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, I limit consuming the other drinks.

    Coffee is relatively affordable, healthy, and a comfort to drink. It’s possible that I self medicate and stimulate with coffee due to my autism and possible ADHD, but it probably does contribute to whatever sleep and anxiety problems I have.

    My parents and grandparents were coffee drinkers, and I’m currently in a country with several cafes. I tend to make my own brews though to save money. I don’t mind Espresso, but my go to coffee is brewed American style. I feel like I get my money’s worth, even though it’s just extra water.

    Coffee has been repeatedly proven to have several antioxidants and can offer resistance against several diseases and increase lifespan. And perhaps the coffee grounds can be used as a bio-char to add to strengthen concrete. So there’s probably a good reason why I drink so much coffee.

  • ShowTime Pizza!

    ShowTime Pizza!

    Share one of the best gifts you’ve ever received.

    I went to ShowTime Pizza Place as a kid, likely after getting on my parents’ case begging to go. I remember being told no more than once, they can’t afford it. Understandable now, I didn’t understand at 8 years old. 50$ was a bigger chunk of change then.

    ShowTime Pizza was a family friendly Pizzeria with a gimmick. It had a video game arcade with many of the most popular cabinet video games at the time- Pac-Man, Space Invaders, Donkey Kong, Joust, Defender, Burger Time, Sinistar and so on. Maybe some more obscure games that I don’t remember playing.

    It also had a dining hall with a stage featuring singing and talking Animatronic Animal Characters, like Billy Bob Brockali, Looney Bird, Rolfe DeWolfe, and various other animal characters. These animatronic characters, along with the Chuck E Cheese Animatronics, were the inspiration for the antagonistic robots in Five Nights at Freddies “horror” movies and video games.

    No, I never thought the animatronics were creepy. I thought of the furry characters as robots, which I continue to be fascinated by.

    Anyways, my parents gave in, and I was able to go to ShowBiz Pizza Place for my 9th birthday. I remember the Pepperoni pizza and pitchers of Pepsi were tasty enough for a grade school kid. I remember being proud that I could eat 4 slices of pizza then.

    I loved the video games, of course, and tried and failed to play the Legendary laser disk game Dragon’s Lair. I loved the Don Bluth animation, and that game ate up many of the tokens my parents gave me. I couldnt go far with that game though.

    But what I remember the most about that pizza party at ShowBiz Pizza, was during the birthday meal, “The Rock-afire Explosion” band “talked and sang” to me directly to wish me a happy birthday. And I remember being touched by the nice gesture and being near tears that my parents cared enough about me to arrange the birthday shout-out with the Pizzeria staff.

    So, yes, I enjoyed my time at ShowBiz Pizza, and I understand that it later merged With Chuck E. Cheese Pizza. One of those nostalgic fond memories, and it also contributed to my interests in robots, video games, comedy, and good food.

  • I Outlived My Father

    What were your parents doing at your age?

    Unfortunately, my father died at 48, when I was 11. I so far outlived my father by 4 years, although I have many of the same vices he had that likely contributed to his early death by cancer. Smoking, drinking, probably not having the healthiest diet, although I made changes here and there. I’m eating oatmeal and flax seeds more often!

    As for my mother, she was working as a property manager at a senior residential apartment until her own death of cancer. It was work, talking to the senior residents at the property, talking to family and friends, watching TV shows, cooking and baking her favorite recipes, listening to her favorite song playlists on the internet, smoking cigarettes and drinking coffee. The bright spot of her later years was family.

    My mother remarried twice after my dad died, and her second marriage was ending around that time. It was amicable; she and her husband at that time were working different shifts, and weren’t spending much time with each other. And they did have different backgrounds, and probably didn’t have much in common otherwise.

    The second oldest brother got married, and had 2 sons, and my mother was thrilled to have babies in her life again. She would spend time with my nephews, and of course baby sat at times. Being around little kids was a joy, and she would beam in many of the family photos taken during that time.

    I’m trying to value what time I have left on this rock, not sure how much time I have left. But I have changed since my mother died. ~H

  • Legal Corporate Personhood

    If you had the power to change one law, what would it be and why?

    Ok, this is a thinker, and I had to research this some. I’m not a lawyer or work in law, so I hope that this makes sense.

    I would change the concept of Legal or Juridical Personhood. It is a legal concept that’s the foundation of a number of laws in different countries, including the 14th Amendment in the US. By law, corporations, non government organizations, colleges, hospitals, churches, and really any non human entity like rivers can be granted Personhood if it has certain qualities like paying taxes and owning property. It’s a concept that seems to exist in business, government, and the judiciary.

    It’s by law a fictional type of person. But this concept has powers that real persons do not, like surviving the deaths of owners and corporate members, and since many of these corporations ( not all) focus on profit and property, they often have more resources than real working people do. So they do have more power and resources than the ordinary person does.

    They can hire lobbyists to influence government, invest more in political ads on different media, donate to candidates in their favor , have the resources to hire top lawyers, own much more property than the average person, have better access to bank loans and political deals, and sometimes be a monopoly in a certain business.

    It just seems unfair to have the needs of fictional abstract “persons” to often take priority over real persons. So I would change that part of the law. Corporations are organizations with certain mechanisms that help with a goal, like making profit, or accomplishing a mission like healthcare. They are the legal equivalent of a bot. ~H

  • A Home for the 21st century

    Write about your dream home.

    I’m not a home owner and never been a homeowner, and I prefer to rent. There’s advantages to renting. But if I could afford my dream home, it would be a modular home. Those interest me, what I know of them. The capacity to add on more square footage to a home, maybe one bedroom to start, and adding 2 or more bedrooms over time. The beds are comfortable memory foam.

    I would like the home to be energy independent and efficient, so I would add solar panels, solar heating, and battery storage. Also heat pumps depending on what region of the world I would live.

    I would like to have the property on at least 2 acres of land, with a garden to grow plants, vegetables, and maybe even egg laying chickens.

    To prepare for any potential emergencies, I would like to have an emergency shelter buried deep underground, with water filters and a storage of non perishable food that can be stored for several weeks, maybe up to a year.

    I would like a spacious living room with a decent entertainment center and comfortable seating, although I don’t need the state of the art with that. Just a game console or 2, and the ability to stream movies. But I prefer to have a fully equipped kitchen with a decent refrigerator and freezer. I or my potential spouse will try to cook more meals at home.

    It would be nice to live in a pleasant suburb near a large city, like Chicago, Las Vegas, or Boston. Maybe possibly in another country, since I’ve been traveling.

    I would like to have WIFI throughout the home, of course.

    A balcony and/or patio, with the ability to grill out if I wanted to. A fenced in backyard, and in a decent neighborhood. And this dream home probably already costs at least a million dollars in the US. It’s good to dream though.

  • How People Survived Fascism

    Survivors of fascism have endured profound and often harrowing experiences under regimes characterized by authoritarian control, suppression of dissent, and widespread human rights abuses. Their stories reveal the devastating impact of fascist rule on individuals and communities, as well as the resilience and courage required to endure and resist.

    Many survivors recount living in constant fear due to pervasive surveillance, arbitrary arrests, and brutal punishments for any perceived opposition.

    Families were frequently torn apart, with loved ones imprisoned, exiled, or worse.

    Daily life under fascism often involved restrictions on freedom of speech, assembly, and press, making it dangerous to express any dissenting opinions.

    Experiences also include witnessing or surviving targeted violence against marginalized groups, including ethnic minorities, political opponents, and other vulnerable populations.

    Forced labor, internment in concentration camps, and systematic persecution were tragically common.

    Despite these hardships, survivors’ testimonies often highlight acts of solidarity, resistance, and hope. Many participated in underground movements, helped hide those persecuted, or found ways to maintain their dignity and humanity in the face of oppression.

    These firsthand accounts are invaluable for understanding the human cost of fascism and serve as powerful reminders of the importance of vigilance against tyranny and the defense of democratic values.

    Organizations and memorial projects around the world work to preserve these stories, ensuring that the lessons of the past inform our present and future.

  • A Complicated Answer

    Name an attraction or town close to home that you still haven’t got around to visiting.

    I’m actually a perpetual tourist now, so this is a complicated answer. I’m country hopping partly because the United States has gotten too expensive for someone on a limited income. But I was born and raised in Milwaukee.

    There was a good number of attractions that Milwaukee has that I never visited. It was partly because I live on a lower income, and could only afford to visit places that actually interested me. But the War Museum near the Lake Michigan lakefront was a place I would be close to but never visited, and the Pabst Mansion was another. Both buildings contain a lot of history. I also don’t drive, so I couldn’t afford to stay longer in nearby towns like Kenosha and Racine.

    I tend to be a home body, partly because I associate going outside for prolonged periods of time with spending money! Seriously, if I want to go somewhere else besides my local neighborhood, I more often than not have to spend money. It adds up.

    Anyways, I’m currently in a Central European country with its own history and attractions. I’ll try to visit the Bunk Art museum attraction sometime during my stay here, but I already been here over 2 months, and I still can’t afford to visit yet!

    I’m hoping to check out the unique architecture and exhibits in the largest city next month, even if it’s a one day tour. So many places to visit, but so little time and money.

  • Doritos!

    What snack would you eat right now?

    I snack too much, and I have snacks right in front of me now. Some pretzel and cracker mix I had yesterday that’s good and I bought cuz it’s more affordable than Doritos.

    Yes, I love Doritos, and I do buy them. I can’t afford to buy them as much as I would like though. And I have other snacks at times, like cakes, ice cream, chocolate, mixed nuts, crackers, potato chips, and so on. I’m not a fan of the diet type of snacks (apples with peanut butter, celery with low fat dressing). Popcorn is ok at times. Doritos all the way for me, even better with nachos and dips!

    I wouldn’t be surprised if I have a Doritos addiction, cuz no other brand of tortilla chips are as satisfying as Doritos are. It’s a comfort food for me, one of many.

    Yeah, Doritos!

  • College instead of Military

    What could you do differently?

    This is the choice I had as a senior in high school back in 1991, about to graduate and make my own way in the world. My dad died when I was 11, so my mother worked a lot trying to support my 2 brothers and I. Since it was a struggle to support the family on a single income, my mother gave me the choice of either joining the military, where I could learn a job skill or several through apprenticeships, or stay with my mom and brothers, and go to college for a formal education while she paid for my tuition and books. Maybe I could work a job to help with the fees.

    I had my reasons to join the military after high school graduation, one of them being that I didn’t want to burden my mother with the extra expenses of school. Learning a job skill, seeing the world, maybe toughening up some since I was a gawky nerd while in public school. I was very green, naive, and sheltered. But I would qualify for the Montgomery GI Bill, if I joined the military. I could go to college later, if I chose so. (I did, 10 years later.)

    Was the Air Force a good experience? Yes, and no. I met some good people, did go to different parts of the US and some other countries, learned how to be a professional military cook and basic service specialist, learned some military culture and lingo, and didn’t screw up so much that I was able to get an honorable discharge after 2 terms of service. It was sometimes stressful, sometimes loud enough that I developed tinnitus from the noise of war machinery, and I had to cope with the politics (workplace and geopolitical). I also developed habits like smoking and the occasional binge drinking, and I became more jaded and vigilant. I wasn’t burned out yet, but I lost a spark I had at 18.

    I started to go college when I was 27, sometimes older than the other students. While I did study and did well enough in some courses, there was some other courses I couldn’t keep up with, or in some cases was completely lost. Astrophysics 2 showed that I’m terrible in advanced math, and intermediate algebra seems to be my limit.

    I got so burnt out from reading college textbooks that I don’t have the attention span for reading books anymore. I’ll read online summaries or specific quotes or facts about a topic instead. I ended up dropping out of getting a bachelors degree partly cuz my grades weren’t good enough (with autistic spikes), and I couldn’t afford to finish college.

    So why would I chose college over the military after highschool? Money, time, and energy. I was more energetic, healthy, and idealistic at 17-18 years old than I was at 27-28, college was cheaper (yet still costly), and I would spend more time with my family. I would probably have a better formal education than I do now, maybe working as an engineer or professional writer. I also probably wouldn’t have developed the wanderlust I have for travel if I just stayed in my hometown, instead of the 7 countries I was able to visit while in the military.

    I’m not sure if it was a better choice, but maybe I would have chosen a different fork in the road knowing what I know now.

  • US Assets and Forms of Value

    US Assets and Forms of Value

    In the United States, value can be represented in various forms, and assets are items or resources owned by individuals or entities that hold economic value. Here’s an overview:



    ### Forms of Value in the U.S.
    1. **Currency**
    – Physical cash (coins and banknotes)
    – Digital currency (balances in bank accounts)


    2. **Financial Instruments**
    – Stocks
    – Bonds
    – Mutual funds
    – Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs)
    – Certificates of Deposit (CDs)


    3. **Real Estate**
    – Residential properties
    – Commercial properties
    – Land


    4. **Commodities**
    – Precious metals (gold, silver)
    – Oil
    – Agricultural products


    5. **Cryptocurrencies**
    – Bitcoin, Ethereum, and other digital tokens


    6. **Intangible Assets**
    – Intellectual property (patents, trademarks, copyrights)
    – Goodwill
    – Brand recognition


    7. **Other Forms**
    – Collectibles (art, antiques, rare coins)
    – Business equity or ownership shares



    ### What Can Be Considered Assets?
    Assets encompass anything of value that can be owned or controlled to produce positive economic value. Common categories include:

    – **Current Assets**
    – Cash and cash equivalents
    – Accounts receivable
    – Inventory
    – Short-term investments


    – **Fixed Assets**
    – Property, plant, and equipment
    – Vehicles
    – Machinery and tools


    – **Financial Assets**
    – Stocks and bonds
    – Retirement accounts (401(k), IRAs)
    – Savings accounts


    – **Intangible Assets**
    – Intellectual property rights
    – Trademarks, patents, copyrights
    – Goodwill from business acquisitions


    – **Other Assets**
    – Real estate holdings
    – Collectibles and valuables
    – Cryptocurrency holdings

    This broad spectrum reflects how value and assets can take many forms, from tangible physical items to intangible rights and financial instruments.