We are about to close out a year of historic changes in the computer world. The rapid expansion of artificial intelligence not only opened the door to a more complex form of computer knowledge but also created a high demand for electricity to power data centers. We are told these will have a major impact on all stages of society.

In spite of the predictions for a recession, the U.S. economy proved strong, and inflation declined. The President and the Feds managed to avoid even a soft landing, and we are better off than most of the countries in Europe. Our largest competitor, China, has not managed as well and is facing a recession.

The big event in 2024 was the election of Donald Trump for a second term as President. The Democrats ran a positive and hopeful campaign that mis-read the mood of the country. The majority are fearful, angry, and resentful of those whom they consider the elite. That appears to be anyone with more than a high school education or a good-paying job.

Dear Friends,

I have just returned from the church where I went to pray. I am devastated and hardly able to speak. A great cloud has descended upon our nation, and the storms are sure to follow. We only thought we knew chaos, but that will pale with what there is to come. Some of you will think my forecast of gloom and doom is overwrought, but I think you underestimate the hatred that Trump has and how vindictive he will be.

We have uncovered a country that I thought we have moved beyond. The winner of the culture wars has taken us back, not 50 years, but 100 years. To the time of the Robber Barons, lynching, bigotry, misogyny, and the life of the ultra-rich and the desperately poor. We will do away with the middle class. His policies of high tariffs, no regulations, and isolation I predict will result in a repeat of the cataclysm of 1929. My father’s dreams were dashed by the Great Depression, and he never fully recovered.

First, you need to understand some of the basics of statistics and data management. Then, there is the polling lingo, such as: representative subset, known as a sample. The sample must include all the segments of the population to be measured. The samples are randomly selected by computer-generated lists of numbers. It used to be that pollsters only telephoned people, but now they select landlines, cellphones, and send emails to include the different methods that people use to communicate. There are many other variables to be considered such as age, race, gender, and region of the country.

Once you have a representative sample based on the same percentages as the total population, then you still will end with a margin of error, usually + - 4%. If one candidate is 2% ahead, they still are within the margin of error. so it is still problematic.