King Donald the 1st issued a series of edicts on his first day, just as he said he would. Some were rescinded before they took effect, and others ended up in court. The charges were they either were illegal, unconstitutional, or both. Of course, he couldn’t be bothered with such niceties. He wants his revenge, and he wants it now. It’s hard to figure out who the court jester is.

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.