We're now less than six months from the Iowa caucus next February 3rd. Like a lot of you, for better or worse, I've watched as much of the televised debates as I could stand, along with countless tweets, TV interviews and town halls, etc., etc. Unlike most of you, I live in Iowa, which means … Continue reading The Oracle plays favorites in Iowa
Joe Biden loses it
I'm a resident in a medium-sized city in the great state of Iowa, home of the first-in-the-nation Iowa caucuses. As such, I've had a lot of opportunities to see, hear, and meet presidential candidates. Since I'm kind of a political junkie and there are literally dozens of semi- to extremely recognizable candidates running around Iowa, … Continue reading Joe Biden loses it
Next 4th of July, leave the guns at home
I used to love fireworks. When I was a kid, especially, I loved watching them on the 4th of July or sometimes other occasions like New Years Eve. I loved setting them off -- smoke bombs, snakes, firecrackers and bottle rockets were personal favorites. I'm lucky to have all my fingers (no kidding) and fortunate … Continue reading Next 4th of July, leave the guns at home
What Joe Biden doesn’t get and possibly never will
“[A]s we know, there are known knowns; there are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns; that is to say we know there are some things we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns—the ones we don’t know we don’t know.” — Donald Rumsfeld, February 2002 This past week … Continue reading What Joe Biden doesn’t get and possibly never will
Intentional Facebooking
When I decided to rejoin Facebook after an extended absence, I had a couple general objectives. The first was to reconnect with old friends and family online, and by extension, the broader world. Another goal was to be a good citizen of the digital world -- to model better behavior. So, I set about to … Continue reading Intentional Facebooking
Facebook is forever
"You have to understand that the public has a very short memory. But corporations, they never forget." -- Quiz Show, 1994 "The Internet's not written in pencil, Mark, it's written in ink..." -- The Social Network, 2010 My third attempt to reestablish a Facebook account in my own name appears to be a success. THIRD … Continue reading Facebook is forever
Mark Zuckerberg and the Facebook Factory
A classic like 1971's Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory works on many levels. When I was a kid, I thought I was too grown up for such stuff. In truth I was not grown up enough. My recent efforts to reestablish a Facebook account in my real name have been met with suspicion and … Continue reading Mark Zuckerberg and the Facebook Factory
No Facebook for you
After nearly fourteen months away and tons of soul searching, I decided last week to end my self-imposed Facebook exile. Just one problem: they don't seem to want me back. Don't ask me why, because I truly don't know. And don't ask them why, because there's no one to ask. In a nutshell, I set … Continue reading No Facebook for you
Facebook reboot
My self-imposed exile from Facebook is over. There were a lot of good reasons for me to walk away when I did. There are good reasons to stay away. But there are also good reasons to return. I am under no illusion about my own importance or influence, nor am I running for anything. In … Continue reading Facebook reboot
Pro tip: stop disparaging voters
It's still way early in the 2020 presidential election campaign, but not too early to see some really dumb remarks being tossed around. Blundering Oracle is here to help: Knock it off. What do Mitt Romney and Hillary Clinton have in common? Both were major party nominees to lose the U.S. presidential race. Both also … Continue reading Pro tip: stop disparaging voters