The Second Amendment can be stretched too far. How about drones?

The Second Amendment of USA's Constitution, about the right to keep and bear arms, was written long ago when guns were a lot different than today.

These days drones are becoming weapons of war, in the Russia Ukraine conflict as well as the Middle East. Is it likely that interpretations of the Second Amendment could be stretched toward the right to keep and bear drones?

Yes, I guess there isn't the right to keep and bear bombs, but where do we draw the lines? Certain drones could just be sophisticated guns if not including a bomb, I guess. There are so many kinds of powerful guns these days, compared to the 1700s when the Constitution was written, that the original intent has been stretched anyway.

The Pride Parades are becoming about acceptance of a broad spectrum of lifestyles

I think that pride parades have evolved over the years. At the historic roots are in the LGBTAQ rights movements, but the concept of acceptance can be broad. It's called the Bellingham Pride Parade, or sometimes called Pride In Bellingham. Acceptance of a broad spectrum of lifestyles, sexual orientations, races, national origins, and so forth. Some people might feel that the original seed has been watered down, but it is turning into a nice message of acceptance. There are parts of the world where people fight over these things. Here we celebrate many flags of many colors.

Zuanich Point Park memorial takes a hit, but gets restored.

Where I go for Saturday's silent disco dance brings memories of fun, calming bay views and sunsets. Now there's social media posts that the memorial, at Zuanich Point Park for those lost at sea, was badly vandalized with paint. It's being cleaned and restored.

Fortunately the granite is hard to vandalize permanently, but restoration comes at cost in dollars and time.

I haven't paid much attention to that sculpture as it quietly watches over the park. It's hard to imagine why someone would want to do that except out of meanness.

Memorial being cleaned and restored from the paint dump.

Two conservative teams battled to a standoff in Seattle. The city, itself, won by calling it the Pride Match.

While both countries are culturally conservative about gay rights, Egypt and Iran's teams played to a tie score in the World Cup. This game took place in the US city of Seattle, noted for liberal attitudes on gay rights; the city calling that game "The Pride Match."

Some rainbow flags were flown in and around the stadium to the dislike of both Egyptian and Iranian officials. Meanwhile, back in the Middle East, war is still more deadly than a soccer game. Missiles fly between Iran and Gulf state Sunni nations more aligned with Egypt. The Sunni and Shiite split, in Islam, is one of many friction points among conservatives in the Middle East.

Ironically, the "elephant" in the Middle Eastern room is the United States with its ally Israel, each with the most powerful weapons of all. These countries are leading a sputtering war against Iran under the leadership of their conservative leaders Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu.

Still, within the belly of the US elephant, rainbow flags fly peacefully in Seattle, in spite of more conservative leadership at the top of the US government. Freedom of speech is still alive in USA.

The soccer match between Egypt and Iran took place to a stalemate, as rainbow flags flew and crowds cheered more peacefully than the war that is now taking place in the Middle East itself.

Here in Bellingham, far out in the hinterlands of Seattle, some rainbow color projected on our Acid Ball Sculpture. Sculpture, a leftover from former Georgia Pacific Pulp Mill.

The carrot is often better than the stick.

Seems like the "go to" solution for Republicans is war rather than foreign aid. The War Department is highest priority.

A better strategy could be to offer aid to Iran in exchange for Iran's corrupt government making reforms, such as western expertise in dealing with the Iranian water shortages and so forth.

If the Iranians refused to do some reforms, we could have withheld the aid. Instead, Trump chose war as the response to what was seen as an opportunity for change when Iran was having civil unrest.

As the news is now saying, we nearly have to beg them to reopen the strait of Hormuz. Looks like the demonstrations in Iran are now supporting the government as people rally behind their country being attacked.

Bad planning is now leading to an algae bloom and paint peeling at the Washington Mall.

At least they ahve reversed another bad choice announcing a halt to the dismantling of NSF's floating scientific observatories in the oceans.

There may be a flaw in the idea that the Demographic Transition to sustainable population depends on prosperity.

During college I studied something called the Demographic Transition. It basically said that before there was modern medicine and sanitation, both deathrates and birthrates were high. As deathrates decline, there comes a transition period where birthrates remain high and populations explode. As time goes on, this is followed by a drop in birthrates and stable population.

Economic development was seen as the key to a stable world of low death and sustainable population. Problem is, now that the world has over 8 billion people, economic development, for all those people, can bring ecological catastrophe. The good news is that aside from economic development, there can be a change in value systems. Many poor countries have been able to reduce their birthrates without necessarily becoming rich. Others, however, have lagged behind in reducing birthrates. This is one reason why I connect issues like gay rights, feminism and overall modernity to sustainability. Getting rich doesn't necessarily have to be a prerequisite for sustainable cultures with low deathrates.

Simple living and less materialistic aspirations, combined with modern values on sexuality, are needed.

Meanwhile, the idea that prosperity and material wealth is the key to sustainable populations has it's problems. Yes, people do need enough to survive, but much of the opulent wealth in the world is unneeded. Over consumption in rich nations, but also the opulent wealth of leaders in many poor nations is a problem. Military spending is another large and growing problem worldwide. Rich nations are now ramping up their military budgets while many poor nations have long spent large percentages of their small GDPs on warfare.

Here is something I just thought of. Population growth is a key to economic prosperity. These days, as the world's demographic transition is trending toward lower birthrates, many are worried that less young people can bring economic stagnation. As populations age, there are less young people to pay into Social Security, for instance. This creates an incentive to try an boost population growth.

I think the philosophy behind the Demographic Transition is broken. The road to sustainable population, through increasing prosperity, is an environmental minefield. Changing values about overall culture and sexuality are needed instead.

Here are some things to ask about the future.

Will more labor be needed in a world with more automation and AI technology?

Another question is, if there is a labor shortage, why don't richer countries jump at the chance to fill their labor shortage needs with immigration? There is no shortage of people wishing to migrate to better living situations, worldwide.

Most rich countries in the world are now cutting back on immigration. This might be because all 8 billion people, in the world, can't live like people live in rich countries. As people migrate to rich countries, it does put strains on housing, water, resources and transportation systems as people adopt richer lifestyles. Just look at the traffic. This, of course also assumes dependency on the automobile and the vast amount of space it takes up for parking and transportation.

Things need to be done differently. Our value systems need to change all over the world. Just increasing prosperity will not fix it.

Will a greener China be the adult in the room during Trump's visit?

China's government may look like the adults in the room when Trump visits China. They are quickly transitioning toward green energy while the US government is rededicating its efforts to fossil fuels. China still does burn lots of coal, but it has over 1 billion people to serve. While China progresses past that, the Trump Administration seems to want to go back to the past.

Coal trains do travel through Bellingham on their way to ships, waiting in Canada, for Asian ports, but China is making progress with solar, railroads and so forth. Their system may be more authoritarian than ours, but it's less likely that populism will push China erratically. As for war in the Middle East, China seems well prepared for oil shortages in the long run. Less reckless in its foreign relations.

Iran may have outsmarted USA in war strategy.

It looks like Iran has outsmarted the US in war strategy. This is not, however, a moral high ground. That's a different measure. In this war, there really is no moral high ground.

In war strategy, Iran has cleverly used the geography of the Straits of Hormuz to ripple global economies so the US faces difficult choices such as the possibility of a ground invasion. Iran's lower cost drones have worked well against our more expensive warfare as the US government continues to sink farther into debt.

Our leaders have harmed our alliances with Europe and Canada at such a time when we could benefit from the alliances that were stronger in the past. Iran has brutalized it's own people and propagated violence abroad though we also seem to be slipping farther into authoritarian government at home. The US and Israel have our own violent effects abroad as well.

It seems like the strategy we have pursued, especially under Trump and Republican Party leadership, is not helping to improve the situation in Iran and around the world.

Lessons against close mindedness and oil dependency.

Like beligerant bullies playing in a sandbox, both the leaders of Iran and USA have gridlocked the Gulf of Hormuz with 20% of world's oil supply. A lesson against being closed minded and beligerant. Also a lesson against world dependency on fossil fuels.

Seems like neither US or Iran can back down now without loosing what they have invested in this conflict so far. They are both backed into corners with billions of dollars worth of paint.

My worst case pessimistic population scenario could be avoided.

Our world of over 8 billion people could embrace sustainable economics aided by alternative lifestyles and alternative energy. Instead there has been lots of mostly rightwing politics bringing us things like the anti gay laws in Senigal and Camaroon west Africa plus Donald Trump and more cutoff of forgien aid.

There are borders closing to refugees around the world as politics is affected by flows of refugees that have overwhelmed local infrastructures, housing and resources. Now we have war with blockades of the Straights of Hormuz leading to a worldwide fertilizer shortage among other things. Famine is likely on the increase around the world.

One of my senarios of the future is a significant increase in the deathrate possibly leading to a measurable decline in world population. This, stabalizing population versus choices for sustainable lifestyles and economics. Ironically rightwingers often talk about the sanctity of life when they focus only on abortion. Other killing and famine seems to matter less.

In the longrun, I have a senario where the world eventually recovers from the period of famine and comes to its sences; like learning the hard way. Eventually we could embrace more sustainable lifestyles, values and economics. Eventually there could be a period of population stability and rebuilding of economies, but in the meantime world famine could be so large as to overshadow any famine in recent times.

The third world would, as usual, is hit hardest by this partial dieoff of the human race.

Of course this is just one senario I think about. It's not inevitable. It's one somewhat bleak senario, but at least it's not the extinction of the human race or even the total collapse of modern, technological society. It's just what some might call a correction.

There is no shortage of young workers eager to migrate to less repressive societies.

As for some people's fear about declining birthrates I say.

If western democracies, with low birth rates, need more young workers in their economies, there is no shortage of talented young people eager to immigrate to less repressive societies. No need to raise the local birthrate.

Just being allowed to fly a rainbow flag shouldn't be that difficult a thing for governments to provide.

It seems like just allowing people freedom of speech and allowing things like the flying of a rainbow flag shouldn't be that hard for governments to do. It's good news that Hungary has elected a less authoritarian leader.

Economic demands, that can come from constituents, are less easy to accommodate. For instance the cost of lowering fuel prices below world market prices with subsidies and tax cuts. In Ireland, protesters have been demanding that recently.

Reducing the birthrate is more humane than closing the borders against migration and supporting war.

The conservative, fundamentalist branches of religion are often used to justify war on both sides of a war. They are also used to promote population growth, versus the cultural values that reduce population growth, such as the broad concept of "alternative lifestyles."

Reducing population growth is a more humane way to deal with things than closing borders, cutting off foreign aid and promoting war.

When mass migration and the problems of the world become overwhelming to the housing, infrastructure and environments of various localities, our old fashioned value systems seem to choose the less humane solutions.

America's recent wars have not been that successful, but much of the world still envies America's peacetime economy.

In recent decades, the US has been better at winning the peace than winning a war. Our quagmire wars in the Middle East have been long and costly struggles often making things worse in their wakes. Meanwhile much of the world still envies American consumer culture, our movies and lifestyles.

War sabotaging the fossil fuel industry.

While more reports come out warning about climate change and fossil fuel use. Part of the world is in the process of destroying fossil fuel production facilities in the Persian Gulf. I think the two things that are happening simultaneously are happening for different reasons, however.

I still think peaceful reduction is consumption is a better way to go.

It's not just that there are too many people on earth, it's also the way people wish to live.

There are too many people on earth if over half of the people want to live the so called American Dream of single family homes, car ownership, free parking. Population is one factor, the other factor is how people wish to live. What type of lifestyles and societies are people aspiring to have?

There is more than one variable in this equation. One is number of people while another is how we live. Other variables include technology, which can either improve the situation or make it worse. For instance nuclear technology can be used for weapons or for peaceful low carbon energy.

Solar energy helps Pakistan reduce dependency of Persian Gulf for energy.

On March 16 NPR Radio Website I saw. Oil and gas prices are soaring. Some countries are ready with solar panels and EVs. Energy experts say that because of the rapid growth of solar, Pakistan has a greater cushion against the growing energy crisis.

Conservative religious values and traditions could bring us back to a new Dark Ages.

This morning I woke up to some disgusting news that some countries in West Africa may be increasing the punishment for the crime of LGBTQ promotion and behavior. I ask, "do they want to force people into heterosexual lifestyles to increase population?" The world seems overpopulated as it is. Conservative religious tribalism.

I USA, we have conservative tribalism that takes the form of supporting Trump as he eliminates USAID. We also have conservative religion and tribalism that closes our borders. It's the return to old values and fighting over limited territory.

Someone once said they thought Israel was the most lethal country for it's size on earth. Yes, it is a very small country, but does pack a lethal punch. Before 1967 Israel had less than 8,000 square miles. Not much larger than Okanogan County, here in Washington State; our largest county at 5,266 square miles. We have another 38 counties in Washington State.

I sometimes think the so called holy land in the Middle East is called that due to the bullet holes and bomb craters.

Our war may cause regime change in USA of the political kind.

The US - Israeli war against Iran may cause regime change in the US as Republicans fall in the polls. Trump's brand and even Israel's brand is loosing popularity, at least the right wing aspects of it.

Latest report. Finland at the top of the happiest list. Afghanistan at the bottom.

According to BBC.