Reflections 2023

The “twilight years” essentially is the “meme of death.” Using actuarial data, only eleven more years are theoretically remaining. Reflections about death was supposed to be the theme of this Notes post. However, the discussion about death has been on-going throughout the tenure of Notes. And, really, these discussions pale in comparison to the works of the Great Prophet, Ernest Becker. The links to download PDF files of the latter works are provided in the Notes post appropriately titled, “Death.”

The “human condition” revolves around death. Just a quick glimpse at current events verifies that claim. The possibility of simply living out one’s life is extremely low. The Fascist are “hell bent” on expediting the event for all rank-and-file peons. The stupid part is that the Fascists will eventually face death, too. The sooner, the better.

The recent sequence of maladies has certainly reinforced the notion of mortality. The body’s ability to heal is quite miraculous. However, the healing process slows down with age. There are no words to describe the frustration experienced. And yet, this is just the beginning of the “twilight years.”

The acquisition of “shiny objects” becomes a low priority for senior citizens. Neither the geriatric owner or others in proximity are impressed. Unless a specific utility can be attributed to the “shiny object,” it is useless. Obviously, latter axiom partially explains the miserly ways.

With that stated, the iPhone 15 Pro was chosen over the Pixel 8 Pro after some deliberation. The Pixel device would have sufficed even given its modest specifications. The privacy issue was a concern. However, the standard pseudonym and associated fake personal data are used for both Apple® and Google® accounts. And, really, no entity is even slightly curious about the ol’ lavahead. Large assortment of “apps” is definitely of no concern. The “woke” bullshit of both parent corporations are annoying but trivial. The prices were the same. So, the choice was made based on … the iPhone Keychain password manager (with passkeys and 2FA authenticator). Sheesh!

The Visible+ cellular plan ($35 per month) is still active. So far, only about half of the monthly prioritized data is being used, which is astonishing in itself. A heavy reliance has been placed on free wireless networks when available for most of the superfluous Net tasks. Otherwise, the Net is big part of the problem, not the solution.

In conclusion, aside from the mundane bullshit, there is nothing to reflect upon. The “human condition” has made a mockery of “intelligence” and brought endless pain and suffering. There is no hope for humanity as it careens to its own demise. Chimpo sapiens, what a lost cause!

Miscellany: Consortium News has been added to the list of approved Web sites.