Human Population . . . again!

On occasion, some of you haven’t exactly supported/subscribed to my assertion that the world is quickly being overpopulated by human beings, who are resulting in climate change, aka: global warming. Granted, I’m much more of a wiseacre . . . wise guy . . . wise ass – take yer pick – than an actual wise man, but I am certainly not alone in my contention.

A reader of Parade Magazine, a Mr. Don Vollmer, posed to “Ask Marilyn” if the growing human population was enough to cause climate change.  The noted genius, Marilyn vos Savant, pointed out what I’ve said numerous times.  It took around 100,000 years for us to get to a population of 2 billion by the year 1900 – or so – which was just as the Industrial Revolution was getting into full swing, but since then we’ve skyrocketed to nearly 8 BILLION souls!  In a mere 122 years we’ve quadrupled what took us 99,878 years (998 CENTURIES) to *achieve*!  A lot of the growth is because we’ve solved smallpox and many other major killer diseases, but also it’s because of how of our modern conveniences have increased our standard of living.  Until a few hundred years ago human life expectancy averaged around 28.5 – 32 years.  By the 1950s it had grown to an average of 45.7 – 48 years.  Now, the world average is up to 72.6 – 73.2 years.  And, it’s even higher in first-world countries, like the U.S. and Canada.

Marilyn pointed out that if we lived the simpler agrarian lives, of days gone by, the population increase would be sustainable, but because of how we now live – our increased standard of living – the continued growth cannot be sustained.  She didn’t go into detail, but one can infer she meant we’ve all become such huge consumers, and a lot of that consumption comes in the form of burning fossil fuels, both in the generation of electricity, and in powering our automobiles.  And, also the petroleum we use to create all the plastics, that so much is made of these days, and the rare earth metals that our electronics use.  And, all of our single use paper products – like toilet paper, napkins and paper towels – are contributing to the global deforestation, just as the reliance on palm oil – in the foods that we eat – is causing deforestation in the rain forests of the world.  We’re spoiling too much of our ground water, and we’re running out of places to put our trash.  The genie is out of the bottle, folks!

Marilyn vos Savant has the highest recorded I.Q. in the Guinness Book of Records.  She has served on numerous boards of directors, and was the Chief Financial Officer for Jarvik Heart, Inc., as well as authoring “Ask Marilyn”.  No one is saying that she’s the smartest human on the planet, or anything, but she is a very respected thinker.  Dismiss my diatribes if you will, but don’t mess with Marilyn!  Be well and do good, friends.   —   YUR

Image courtesy of DeviantArt 

Happy 13th Anniversary!

According to the WordPress gurus, today is the thirteenth anniversary of Uncle Rave’s Wordy Weblog!  The traditional gift is lace, but I’ll gladly accept cash, stocks, beer, bourbon, and any illicit . . .   LOL!  Stay well and do some good, friends!   —   YUR

Image courtesy of Google

Jumble Spoiler – 09/12/20 (Of Course)

Not really, folks.  But, since nobody really seems to care anyway, I’m just going to rant and rave the inconvenient Truth to you.  The Official Narrative of 9/11/2001 was, and still is, largely an orchestrated LIE, designed to chiefly accomplish two things.

1.  Put the United States on a perpetual/never ending war footing.  and
2.  Disrupt much of the Arab/Islamic world, primarily for the benefit of the state of Israel.

It was THE most implausible chain of events that has ever happened in the history of the world.  But, instead of wondering, and then INVESTIGATING, the who and hows of such monumentally catastrophic events happening, to THE most powerful, technologically advanced nation in the world, we were immediately fed a ridiculous string of fairy-tale like lies.  And, because the country – and most of the world – was in a complete state of shock, sadness and anger . . . we (the vast majority of us at least) were all too eager/gullible to believe what those in – what should be – trusted positions of authority were all too eager – and READY – to tell us.

Why bother investigating any of it, when they got so many of us to believe this amazing story?  Of course it was 19 Arabic men with box cutters who hijacked the planes.  Of course they had knowledge of all the military exercises – that only the military would know of – that were happening that day.  And, of course 4 of these loathsome 19, who could barely fly a four-seat, single-engine, high wing, fixed-wing, propeller aircraft were able to masterfully fly large, sophisticated, commercial jet airliners into both of the World Trade Towers, and also into the 5 story Pentagon, which was very likely THE most secure/protected building, in THE most secure/protected city, in the entire world.  And, of course both Trade Towers collapsed, in under two hours, one in 1 hour 42 minutes and the other in just 56 minutes, “due to the heat of the jet fuel” – which burns at a max of 1500°F – melting the the steel support beams, which would have required temperatures of 2750°F to do so.  And, of course neither of the towers toppled over, but they both came straight down, in their own footprints.  And then, at 5:20PM of that fateful day, of course the World Trade Center 7 building, which had NOT been hit by a jet, but had sustained some damage, due to the North Tower’s collapse, at 10:28AM, came down in its own footprint, allegedly because of internal fires.  So, despite the fact that NO skyscraper – in the history of skyscrapers – had EVER collapsed before – or since – due to fires, including fires that have burned for days . . . of course three of them did that terrible day.

Oh, but our government wouldn’t have been complicit in the deaths of nearly 3000 people, most of them American citizens!  Really?  With the kind of money and power involved with our military industrial complex, and the destabilization of these oil producing countries???  It’s been said that the U.S. could have saved 36,000 lives if social distancing had been implemented one week earlier, in this battle to contain COVID-19.  How many more lives, had President Trump not publicly downplayed the disease’s severity back in January and February?  I really don’t like apples and oranges types of comparisons, but I think that this demonstrates that the lives of everyday people is NOT the #1 priority of our government.

If you made it this far, friends, you can all go back to your idyllic dreamlike existences, where the U.S. is that bright and shiny city on a hill, and the bastion of both racial equality, and equal justice for all.  “They hate us for our freedoms.”  Really?   —   YUR

Image courtesy of Reddit

Today in Black History – February 28

Phyllis Wheatly was invited to General George Washington’s headquarters in Cambridge, MA, on this date in 1776.  Wheatly had written a poem in his honor.

The play Porgy and Bess, starring Todd Duncan and Anne Browne, opened on Broadway on this date in 1943.

Eddie “Rochester” Anderson, comedian, died on this date in 1977.  Anderson performed over 30 years on both radio and television, with Jack Benny.

Image courtesy of Google, info courtesy of  yenoba.com

Today in Black History – 02/25/20

Hiram Rhodes Revels of Mississippi was sworn in as the first Black U.S. Senator on this date in 1870.

Cassius Clay, boxing legend, changed his name to Muhammad Ali after converting to Islam on this date in 1964 immediately after winning his first heavyweight title (KO of Sonny Liston, round seven).

Elijah Muhammad, activist and founder of the Nation of Islam, died at age 77, in Chicago, on this date in 1975.

Daniel “Chappie” James, Jr., the first Black Four-Star General in the U.S. Air Force, died at the Air Force Academy in Colorado on this date in 1978.

Edgar Daniel “E.D.” Nixon, civil rights leader and primary figure in the Montgomery Bus Boycott, died in Montgomery, AL, on this date in 1987.

Courtesy of Yenoba.com and Google

Today in Black History – February 15

Benjamin Roberts filed the first school integration suit on this day in 1848, on behalf of his daughter, Sarah Roberts, after she was barred from a white school in Boston, MA.

Dr. George Washington Carver, scientist and discoverer of over 300 products from the peanut, was successful in getting a Branch Agricultural Experiment Station and Agricultural School at Tuskegee Normal School on this date in 1897.

Nat King Cole, singer, pianist, and entertainer, died in Santa Monica, CA on this date in 1965.  “Unforgettable”, “Mona Lisa”, “Route 66”, “Nature Boy”, and “The Christmas Song” were some of his most popular songs.

Henry Lewis was named Director of the New Jersey Symphony on this date in 1968.  Lewis was the first black person to direct an American orchestra.

Kweisi Mfume became President and CEO of the NAACP on this date in 1996.

Image courtesy of Google.  Info courtesy of Yenoba.com

Today in Black History – February 13

Henry Highland Garnet, activist, Presbyterian minister, diplomat, abolitionist, died in Monrovia Liberia, on this date in 1882.  In 1843, Garnet called for a slave revolt and general slave strike at the National Black Convention in Buffalo, NY.

Andrew “Rube” Foster organized the National Association of Professional Baseball Clubs (Negro League), the first Black baseball league, on this date in 1920.

The Renaissance, the first Black professional basketball team, was organized on this date in 1923.

Joeph L. Searles, III began training as a floor partner with Neuberger, Loeb and Co. on this date in 1970.  Searles was the first Black person on the New York Stock Exchange.

Image courtesy of Google

Today in Black History – 02/09/20

Alice Walker, winner of the Pulitzer Prize and author of “The Color Purple”, was born in Eatontown, GA, on this date in 1944.

Leroy “Satchel” Paige was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame on this date in 1971.  Paige became the first player from the Negro League to receive this honor.

Dr. Bernard A. Harris, Jr. became the first Black astronaut to take a spacewalk on this date in 1995.

Image courtesy of Google.  Info courtesy of Yenoba.com