 Welcome to Figments on Reality season two, episode four. It's actually, I think the 34th, various types of figments I've done in less than a year. That's amazing to me. And today I'm going to cover the waterfront, literally and figuratively. I've been looking at the headlines as I said I would and picked some topics that I think are worth addressing and looking both at what's new and what's really news. I think there's some confusion on that. So here's my list, or before we get to the list rather, let me talk about the concept for Figments on Reality for new viewers and I hope there's some of those. Hey, I'm a political. It's not that I don't care about politics. It's that I don't care to commentate on politics specifically because I think it dilutes the arguments that I want to make the views that I have. My politics are between me and the voting box. And secondly, I'm so tired of vitriol in today's world, I just don't want to be vitriolic and angry and hateful. When I talk about things, some things really do annoy me. There's a, sometimes say there's a global conspiracy to make me mad. You can use your own phrase there, I do. But that's not true and life isn't that bad. So now we can take a look at the topic list. I have a bunch of things that have caught my attention. You see them all there. I'll click through those. And for in case you're viewing and want to fast forward or view and then want to return to the topic. I'll have a little header there for each one. So they're easy to find thinking about you, the viewer. The first topic is appropriate because today is the 6th of December 2021. And that means that tomorrow is the 80th anniversary of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. I'd ask you to imagine that in the morning, the attack. I spend a lot of time on joint base Pearl Harbor Hickman. Every time I go there and see the Arizona Memorial, the Missouri battleship, where the surrender was signed in Tokyo Bay. I can't help but visualize how shocking and tragic it must have been. It wasn't just military casualties or many civilian casualties. Some from falling anti aircraft rounds. What goes up must come down and it did. So it was tragic in that sense. I can't imagine how they looked at their holiday season. After the attack with lots of darkness on the horizon and many defeats in the Philippines elsewhere, the Nazi threat in Europe. It must have been very difficult to see anything positive. And the reason I bring that up today is that this has not been a great couple of years with COVID and everything else, but it could be worse. And we need to be thankful for a blessing. So I wish you all happy holidays, all holidays, all people. But it shouldn't be controversial to wish people well, but it seems it is that day. But let's, let's realize that we don't have it that bad or much less despite the challenges we face. And I'll talk about some of those challenges as well. In addition to the seventh, seventh of December 80th anniversary event tomorrow I'll attend the commissioning of the USS Daniel K. Inouye naval warship down at Pearl Harbor. And that's germane to the aftermath of the actual attack because like many Japanese Americans, Senator then later Senator Inouye, the congressional medal honor recipient had to fight for the opportunity to fight for his country. Think about that with tens of thousands of Japanese and Americans entered in camps around the country, and not here on Hawaii been in California principle. He still fought for the opportunity to fight. And I wanted to share that by being more inclusive in our society of all of our American citizens. And I'm not excluding immigrants and married to one but those who choose to fight for our country should be very respected regardless of any discriminator we've got. Pearl Harbor goes to a place that I'm affiliated with and I'm a member of the board of directors so I'm absolutely biased in this regard. And that's the Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum right there on Fort Island. We just held our annual fundraising gala. So it is in the headlines to some degree. We've never been there, go there. If you can't go there in person, attend FAM events virtually they have some great webinar webinars, a couple of which I've hosted on the battle midway and another one on underwater archeology of wrecked aircraft. It is a great place and it's on a unique place on a battlefield where the attack actually began and hangar 79 houses many of our exhibited aircraft, and it has the pock marks of the attack bullet holes, fragment chips out of the structure bullet holes in the window. And with the museum has a tremendous team of docents curators restores and staff. It's an educational experience that will be truly an experience something where you can take on board that moment those horrible moments of December 7, 1941. I mentioned hangar 79 one of the challenges museum faces is that's a historic building with a very leaky roof. It's a rainy week in Hawaii some storms flooding already on Maui and very heavy weather predicted for a while who later today. We've got to repair that and so the fundraising this year is focused on raise the roof and what they really mean is repair the roof, so that we can stabilize our exhibitry and better tell the story of Pearl Harbor and beyond. So please visit the Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum website and consider donating to that very worthy museum. The next topic I want to talk about I'm a little hesitant to because we're also darn tired of it and that's COVID-19 and the Omicron variant. We shouldn't be surprised that there is another variant that's what happens with viruses. And it appears that this is quite contagious, but not very deadly. I'm not aware of mild symptoms. I'm not aware of any specific Omicron variant deaths, but it's another challenge for our response to the pandemic. And as we make that response, I think the country and our officials at every level federal state municipal need to do a better job of risk benefit analysis because the disease is not the only risk. In total of restrictions, both personal psychological and economic are just as important as the disease itself. And there has to be a better balance in choosing what is done and what isn't done and on avoiding government overreach. The city of New York is about to impose a mandate for for vaccines from all private employees. And I'm sorry, I'm vaccinated thrice vaccinated. I believe in the vaccine, but that's government overreach telling people what they have to put in their body to work. I think there's a better solution. And that better solution is something I saw done in Chile, where they issue mobility cards. So, if you're vaccinated, you can get a card that allows you the opportunity to move freely and interact freely in society. And if you don't have the card there are certain things you can't do. I think that's a reasonable approach and less invasive than a broad mandate that makes you get a vaccine or excludes you arbitrarily, and makes you report your vaccine status the mobility card is a choice and many in Chile have chosen to get it. I think it's a better approach in a local note. I'm doing some business with the state of why requires interaction with the state capital. It's closed. It's still closed for the pandemic. And I do has to be mailed in mailed back mailed in. I'm on my third iteration that I don't understand that what's the risk state courts are open other many other offices are open state of why open your capital, get back to work. The state employees had priority for the vaccines. The capital should be open. And I really truly do not understand why it is still closed. So quick break, boy this is going pretty fast I may have to stretch it out but I want to tell you that figments our imagination next Monday December 13 to o'clock PM. This is my standard time for the live broadcast of course we will share the YouTube link for later viewing. We're going to kind of revisit imagining the unimaginable my black swan episode couple weeks ago did that. And now I'm going to talk about things that are personally unimaginable. I'm colleague at 15 fighter pilot who lost a son to suicide. And that's a tough topic to address but thankfully he's willing to do it and we're going to talk about the experience the lessons and some advice for those who have the opportunity still to avoid such a tragedy, but also for those who may experience one heavy stuff worth talking about. Back to the news. Great. We've got lots of tensions between China Taiwan and the US peripherally, not so peripherally and Russia in the Ukraine. Today it was announced that us is going to conduct a diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Olympics. And I suppose you can justify that I just say it's largely symbolic. And we've got to do other real things to deter Chinese adventurism, not to seek conflict in fact just the opposite with China. It's very important that our deterrence is effective, and that it's a balanced relationship with the country that's going to be part of a major part of this century, regardless of what we do. But the real deterrence is real important. We're concerned that we're ignoring the lessons of Pearl Harbor, and you can find some pieces on the internet that say that, and sticking with our legacy approaches in. First of all, it could happen the conflict between China and Taiwan, or a forceful reunification to use their preferred verbiage. And the US could easily be drawn in or excluded by the threat of Chinese weapons. We can't simply resort rely on legacy capabilities like aircraft carriers and, and other things. And my view is the most important capability to invest in is missile defense. I didn't used to feel that way 10 or 15 years ago when I was still in the Air Force. I didn't think it was as imperative as it is now, but when you look at the potential missile threat to US territory and one to the state of why and to the broader US, given the expanded missile and weapon capability that China is aggressively pursuing. I didn't deter that with effective and innovative defense costs money folks I understand that, but it is an imperative, if we're going to successfully deter conflict and forge a world where US and China truly coexist. And we avoid conflict pardon me we'll have a sip of hot tea and this cold wet morning on Russia Ukraine. The reports that Russia is planning to invade the Ukraine, even invade the Ukraine. That would be bad. And the US is actively trying to prevent that from happening happening but it could happen. I think that's my message on both China, Taiwan, and Russia, Ukraine, these things could happen folks. And we need to ensure that our elected leaders in our military are acknowledging the reality and not not simply wishing it away. Can't be caught by surprise like we were 80 years ago. To do that, we've got to complicate the risk benefit analysis, and it isn't pure military confrontation. I don't know that China will feel much pain from those symbolic diplomatic boycott, but there are other ways to complicate their risk benefit analysis. And the same for Russia. They have to recognize that it's not worth it. And across the spectrum, not purely military but economic diplomatic. Whatever ways they're adventurers and board I may overuse but if that's can be impeded and deterred, we have to pursue them aggressively and I'm not sure we should always put them in the news, by the way. I'm sure there's some secret diplomacy going on. I hope it's being worked hard and worked with it with a realistic sense that these, these things that seem unimaginable in 2021 are in fact possible. Part of getting ready for such circumstances is running our government so that we can have our capabilities. And, okay, this one does make me mad, not at a party because both parties have failed. But once again, the US government is running under a conditional resolution. A conditional resolution means that the Congress has failed to pass a budget. Again, not the first time. In fact, since 2020, since 2001, we've had continuing resolutions 15 times including this year, 15 times. The House likes to tout its power of the purse strings and the, the acquisition of funds and the distribution of funds is the power of the purse string that starts with the House of Representatives are founding fathers intended to have the money stay as close to the people who provided it, people like you and me through the House of Representatives. So the job starts there. It takes the Senate to pass a budget and get it implemented. They haven't done it for 15 times 15 times in the last 21 years. And we should all fail, folks, and we should all be mad as hell, because it costs us money. Yeah, there's the uncertainty. And at times we have government shutdowns where government workers aren't paid. But it costs us money because it introduces starts and stops in every government in many government activities, like defense procurement. And work formally for a defense contractor I know that costs money. That's money to our workforce it increases the price of what we're buying whether it's a bridge or a bomber. And it costs you money that your congressman can't do their job. And we ought to be angry. So here's my proposal. I don't think term limits will ever be enacted I just, it's hard to imagine the political body, doing that itself an elected body. So I don't think they're going to be term limits anytime soon, but I have another idea. How about a mandatory performance requirement, where if a congressman enters office on a to represent a government and neither year is a budget passed in time to avoid the continuation, continuing resolution, they can't run for office, they can't run for reelection. We could have a similar criteria for the Senate, or four out of six, three out of six, you're out. You didn't do your job. It's not a matter of politics it's matter of performance. And they're not being held accountable. And some sort of restriction on seeking reelection. If you don't do your job. Make sense to me. And again, if that's not specific to a political party, or even an individual, but they have to perform, and they're not. Speaking of that speaking performance. Another area where I see recurring challenges in our elected officials is their departure from office whether for a term limit say governors or, or other offices that do in fact have term limits, or at the end of their career when they retire. I think for all elected officials who receive a pension from the state or the federal government. Those who elected them should have a chance to vote on the percentage of possible pension they get. So let's say somebody's leaving the House of Representatives after two or 20 years of service. Their constituents should have an opportunity vote in the, in the election they choose not to or not allowed to run for how much of their pension they get. They did a good and I think voters are pretty kind consider it but it's still their money. So if representative X did a great job maybe the voters vote 100% of the maximum possible pension, if they didn't. If they didn't vote 50 wouldn't want to make it zero. Well I, there are a couple cases where I might want to make it zero but that's not realistic. But they have we have to ensure that lame duck elected officials retain some skin in the game that they have something to lose if they don't do their jobs and I think that's one way to do. So, that's my idea right your congressman and propose it. Who knows. I am an optimist general. That said, it's hard to be optimistic sometimes when you look at things we've had in the news and in the past week. We've had to really preventable tragedies, both tragic in Wisconsin. Trevor drove his SUV into a crowd intentionally by all appearances, killing many and entering others and in a Michigan high school. 15 year old boy apparently shot up his classroom killed four students. These are tragic in their own right they're perhaps doubly tragic, because both were completely preventable. In the parade rampage case, the perpetrator had was a career criminal. He had been let out on bond for $1,000, $1,000 didn't have to happen. He could have been incarcerated now. I think we have a problem with over incarceration or prisons are too full. But what that really is, is a failure to differentiate between those who truly pose a risk to society. And those who maybe are an annoyance or could be better dealt with in other ways, annoyance is an understatement if you're the victim but there are some people that belong in jail and don't belong out on $1,000 bail and this guy was one. In the school shooting case and it's hard man that's just sad as I can't imagine anything sadder. The parents appear to be culpable and have been charged with a crime, each of them and are held on $500,000 bail each of them for their role in providing the weapon and not impeding the sun but it appears the school is just as complicit. Because there were ample warning signs, and they didn't act upon them. They had him in his office. They suggested to the parents that the parents take him home and the parents refuse. And soon thereafter, he killed for his classmates. Well, why is that I think it's because of lawyers the school is afraid to be heavy handed. Because they might face a complaint or a lawsuit, that's my supposition. We'll see how it all plays out but the, the fact that we can litigate everything between a spilt cup of coffee and McDonald's that burns somebody because it's, here's a surprise, hot. And a threat like this where you have a kid who's manifesting behavior that clearly is a threat to his classmates and himself, and we can't deal with it. Sad, we have to be able to differentiate and do those things that are really important and to do that, we have to be less litigious more on that. And my last story that I want to talk about today is a little bit personal, and that's the conviction by a military court closed court of on son sushi in Myanmar, also known as Burma, and her sentence of four years now brought down upon appeal. That all happened pretty quick of to two years, but I had the opportunity to meet on son sushi in Myanmar. A couple times met her here in Hawaii and remarkable human being Nobel Prize lawyer, mixed to net slowly negative maybe negative reviews in her role in governing the new democracy in Myanmar, after the winter finally was proposed prior to them executing another military coup, but remarkable human being her crimes were two crimes one was incitement. And the other wait for was violating COVID restrictions. So an authoritarian government used COVID restrictions against one of their opponents. I don't think those who worry about government overreach on COVID restrictions are wrong. I am concerned about it. I mask up, I'm vaccinated, but I'm concerned about and I think, you know, allowing excessive power and I think the good examples this Matt vaccine mandate in New York City is dangerous and can have long term effects. So, okay, that's a long list of stuff that's been on my mind I invite you to write to me info at phase minus one dot com if you have stuff that's been on your mind that you'd like to talk about. But despite the long list and the daunting issues. Now it's time to talk about what would fig do what would I do. It'd be a realist not a pessimist. In the holiday season, we've got a wonderful family, and I'm much blessed by my family friends and the things I get to do, both on think tech and elsewhere. But you need to be a realist and that means to prepare for disasters that could happen like flooding and starting to rain really hard here and other issues protect yourself from the virus and do all that. And participate and participating in these matters is a question of voting vote vote only wants for election place that vote and a pine share your opinion in whatever way like I don't recommend Facebook I do recommend because it's just becomes part of the noise. I do recommend letters to your elected representatives or emails or however they seek voter feedback, and they all do. So vote and a pine. I think I'd like to go back to my discussion and the role of the law in limiting our ability to differentiate between the truly important and things that are not as important. We need to seek to make our country less litigious. I like that word litigious means we sue less years what it means I'm reading to you so I get it right. I think that's the adjective of relating to or characterized by litigation, pending to engage in lawsuits and flying to initiate lawsuits, given to the practice of pending and law, or finally fond of litigation. Wonder if you could hear the heavy rain around me right now. That's the way our country is right now and it's not good for our country. I don't have an easy answer. I'm not blaming the lawyers because the lawyers are lawyers because there's a market for them. But a broad goal of the entire population should be settling things before they get to the state of loss of lawsuits and litigation. And especially when they're relatively trivial things that can be solved without that approach. So, those are my thoughts holy cow it's time already we reached another, the end of another broadcast of pigments on reality. Thank you for your attention. I really think think tech life or allowing me to be a citizen journals, both in pigments on reality and as you'll see next week again, big events the power of imagination. Stay positive. Be prepared. I'll see you soon.