Horse Drawn Computers and Steam Powered Airplanes

In the course of discussions with colleagues about what sort of demonstration or proof-of-concept would be worth doing, and concise enough to be doable by someone with very limited resources. 

As a result, I have been explaining what life was like in the era of horse drawn computers and steam-powered airplanes and I came across two pictures of me trying to keep a steam-powered airplane from crashing.

A New Appreciation of RFK Jr

Like so many people, I have been outraged by the insanity of some of the health policies of the Trump 2.0 Administration and actions and opinions of RFK, Jr.  I have no doubt that his statements and actions about vaccines will hurt and probably kill many people who did not need to be hurt.

On the other hand, as someone who has spent his life trying to get reasonable medical care for conditions he was born with, and who is now in increased physical pain and emotional pain by their therapy, who has been abused over and over again by various elements of what we might call our "health system", I am forced to go against medical advice in a possibly fruitless attempt to get well and have some sort of life going forward.  Its been horrible.  It is not subtle.  There are a lot of people who seem to be making a very good living off of the pain and misery of people who have come to then for help.

So maybe the right way to look at RFK, Jr is not as someone who is giving great medical advice, but as someone who is an angel of vengeance of people who have been victimized by a cruel and uncaring "medical system".  Maybe the right way to look at this part of the hideous Trump 2.0 administration is as a genuine desire for justice and change by people who are have sought help from a system that has let them down.

In my case, without going into details, I can assure you that my efforts have been met with condescension and a lack of good support.  They have made my life much worse.

GoFundMe for Siggraph.... Victory Tour 2026 Part I

The time for my trying to earn money to live my life is more or less over.  That failed.  And I can not tell you how much I appreciate my friends from the motion picture industry using AI to tell me about homeless shelters and help for the disabled in North Carolina.  Its so abusive.  What I need are people who would do for me what I would do for them, which is to get on the phone with their friends running vfx facilities and getting me a day a week or more working remotely to earn a basic living.

But they are not going to do that.

The operational doctrine in LA is "Kiss up, Kick down"

In the absence of any sort of reasonable support from my colleagues, I have started the first of 4 gofundmes to pay for a trip to Siggraph.  It comes up in a month, but I have to commit long before that.  

We will see.

https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-michaels-victory-tour-2026-part-i

Status June 13 2026

The good news is that North Carolina is beautiful.  Some, but not all, of the people are nice.  The cost of moving, renting and getting medical care is a problem.  Do not move unless you have the money.

Arlene Schloss (Dec 12, 1943 - May 23, 2026)

For those who have not heard, Arlene Schloss, a well-known NY performance artist passed away a few days ago.  I do not know when the memorial service will be.  Many people helped Arlene during her long and unpleasant illness but a special shout out to NY artist Steve Speer who helped Arlene beyond the call of duty.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arleen_Schloss

Why is NASA Going to the Moon?

I do not understand why NASA is sending rockets to the Moon. The country that did that, that landed on the moon with Apollo 11 etc, that country is dead. The money should be spent feeding and educating children. The poor should be fed, and federal agents who murder innocent people should be in jail, and pedophiles should be arrested. The federal judiciary should be restored and right wing nuts like Cannon,  Alito and Thomas should be removed.

The pedaphile-in-chief should be in jail along with his goons.  The Epstein files should be released and all victims interviewed and compensated. 

Then we can talk about NASA sending rockets to the Moon.

Yes of course we should have a manned space program, and a robust unmanned one.  But its hard to think clearly when there are so many abuses in a period of epic imperial and late stage capitalist collapse.  I would like to "pivot", as they say, away from politics and negativity and towards something positive, in these, the final acts.

The President as Child Rapist

The evidence is clear.  The president is a child rapist protected by the DOJ over the past 12 or so years.  That includes the DOJ under Biden as run by Merrick Garland.  What is that all about?

Apparently it is Just Class War

Out of respect for the history and specificity of the term "fascism", I am using the term "right wing dictatorship".

The good news is that we now know definitively whether we can allow rich people to live among us. It is clear that as soon as they could, Bezos, Zuck and others betrayed democracy and their fellow citizens. Their wealth must be seized and the rich sent to therapy centers for their own protection.

Apparently Karl Marx was right and it is just class war.

Rich white guys receiving therapy

BALLONA CREEK CHANNELIZATION PROPOSAL JUNE 24, 1929

https://archive.org/details/option-one-plan-for-channelization-of-ballona-creek-00

Maybe America Deserves Trump

Maybe Americans deserve Trump.  The Democrats have been dreadful, without vision and backbone.  Maybe Americans are just stupid and deserve this?