 An article in the MIT Technology Review, published in March of 2025, recently caught my eye. Yeah, yeah, I know, it doesn’t seem like it takes much to catch my eye – maybe it’s being fully retired now. In any event, the article related to creating “spare” human bodies for medical purposes…making what science fiction movies label as “zombies.” With Halloween just behind us now, it seemed like an interesting article to write. As an aside, the term “zombie” originates from Haitian myths (a zonbi) where a person is brought back from the dead through magical means to be a mindless slave – and I’m not talking about Democrats though the definition seems fairly accurate. The “zombies” contemplated by the authors of the MIT article are bodies that are genetically altered so they lack brains and, in theory, have no consciousness – and again, to be clear, we’re not talking about elected Congressional Democrats. We are talking about using gene editing to create brainless bodies that cannot think, feel pain, or be aware. The article refers to these things as “bodyoids.” They could be used as a potentially unlimited source of spare human organs. They could also be used to test drugs and for other medical experimentation as these bodyoids are “near human” but do not feel pain because they would lack a nervous system. Let me ease your fears to say that this article states we currently do not have the technical capability to create these zombies. However, in reading the article, I concluded we actually do have the “technical” ability to produce these medical zombies, or are very, very close, but the authors recognize it would be too horrific to use gene editing to create this reprogrammed brainless bodyoid embryo, implant it in a woman’s uterus (exactly like you would for in vitro fertilization), grow this bodyoid in the uterus, and have it be born from a human mother. Thank goodness the authors recognize this issue. That being said, I would not be shocked if some foreign country reads this article and decides it is a good idea to implant these bodyoid embryos in a woman’s uterus to take advantage of the multi-billion-dollar organ transplant industry. I am sure many foreign countries, who do not possess our high moral standards, would have no trouble getting as many female volunteers as they need from third-world countries. I can envision warehouses lined with beds where women are being paid a pittance to “grow” these bodyoids. Advocates argue that bodyoids are not human in any morally relevant sense because they lack brains…but they are human enough to harvest their organs for transplant or conduct experiments to see how “real” humans would respond to drugs or some other medical procedure. Scientists are extremely interested in these bodyoids precisely because they are so human…but not really human. Seems like the very definition of circular logic to support their position. There was a lot more to this article that I expect you would not find very interesting at all but I thought the concept was something we should all keep an eye on going forward. I am not sure where I ultimately come out on bodyoids. Thousands of people in the U.S. die each year because they cannot get an organ transplant. The last full figure I saw was from 2021, where over 11,000 people died while on the waiting list for an organ. Each and every one of these deaths is tragic. If a bodyoid could have provided an organ for these 11,000+ people, would that be a bad thing, despite the moral and ethical challenges presented? I just don’t know. What if my wife or son were on an organ transplant list, would I view this differently? Probably. It is not easy science to wrap your head around. I will leave you with this final thought. The Democratic Party seems to have no trouble getting dead people to vote for their candidates and now they might have access to their perfect voter, a truly brainless body to vote Democrat. If they can get an illegal immigrant ID to vote, they won’t have any problem getting a bodyoid that same ID. “Hello. I’m Bod E. Oid and this is my son, Bod E. Oid, Jr., here to cast our votes.” Jerry Hashimura Pahrump, NV
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 I wrote an earlier article on presidential pardons and commutations done by both Sleepy Joe Biden and President Trump, so it is no secret where I stand on them. Spoiler alert: I don’t like them. If you do the crime, you should do the time – with the exception of clear injustices such as DNA evidence exonerating someone who isn’t released because of race, politics, or some other faux excuse, or convictions based solely upon race with no supporting evidence.
Trump’s recent pardons and commutation of the sentence of disgraced former New York Representative George Santos and cryptocurrency CEOs are more in a long line of pardons and commutations that make me sick to my stomach. We can’t stop President Trump’s Constitutional right to grant pardons and commute sentences, just like we couldn’t stop Sleepy Joe commuting the sentences of 37 murderers on Death Row in the final days of his presidency – but I can rant about them and write about them because this is a great country and it’s a right granted me by our Constitution. Biden’s bottom of the ninth inning pardon of his son Hunter and preemptive pardons of family members and others was, at best, the last gasp of a senile old man being forced from office, and at worst, a corrupt act to protect the Biden Crime Family from future prosecution. Unfortunately, Trump’s pardons and commutations reek of an unchecked ego that is excusing criminal conduct for those loyal to him (or those faking loyalty to get a pardon) or seemingly for personal financial gain. Santos wrote to Trump, pleading for his help and highlighting his loyalty to Trump and the Republican Party. Santos’s actions are belied by his conduct and showed “loyalty” only to himself and his bank account. His lying to get elected surely did not help the Republican Party, only Santos himself, and it wasn’t political prosecution of an innocent person as he did not profess his innocence and was wrongly convicted by a jury; no, he pled guilty and admitted his wrongdoing in open court. Santos lied on his résumé to get elected and then cheated people out of money; and not just a dollar here or a dollar there – it was at least $370,000. He deserves to be in prison, not serving 84 days of a seven-year prison term. In addition to the seven-year prison sentence, he was ordered to pay $370,000 in restitution – money he used for such things as Botox treatments, an internet porn site, and holidays at expensive locales. He also stole charity money meant for the dying dog of a veteran. When asked if he would still pay back money he admitted stealing, he said he would not pay it if he was not legally required to do so – which he knew he wasn’t after Trump’s commutation of his sentence. In his letter to Trump, begging for a pardon, he wrote, “I take full responsibility for my actions.” Clearly not or he would repay the people he fleeced. Just another despicable act in a long line of despicable acts from a liar and thief avoiding any responsibility. Less than one day after his lawyer begged the media to give Santos privacy to allow him to “decompress” from serving 84 days out of his 7-year, 3-month prison sentence, Santos was back on the celebrity-for-hire platform, Cameo, where people can pay him $300 for a personalized message, including for birthdays, pep talks, advice, and wedding speeches, or they can opt for a seven-day selfie-style video starting at $5,000. His first “Cameo” gig was for former Trump White House staffer, Megan Small, a happy birthday video – which included his saying “George Santos, fresh out of prison break” before finishing the birthday message. It doesn’t say much for America when George Santos is considered a “celebrity.” Based on his past conduct, it’s no surprise Santos “decompresses” by having people throw money at him – but I guess it’s easier than stealing from them; or maybe not, he’s pretty good at it. For me, the best example of Trump’s rationale for pardons is his answer to whether he would pardon Sean “Diddy” Combs. His answer? “I was very friendly with him. I got along with him great, and he seemed like a nice guy. I didn’t know him well, but when I ran for office, he was very hostile.” He went on to explain that this “makes it (a pardon) very difficult to do.” No talk about the crimes committed, no talk about any injustice done, and no discussion about the normal factors considered when thinking about a pardon – only the “not so nice things” Combs said about Trump. It appears to the public at large that if you profess allegiance to Trump, here’s your “get out of jail” card; if you say something “not so nice” about Trump, rot in jail. While I’m not opposed to felons rotting in jail, Trump’s sole “loyalty” basis for granting pardons is neither right nor presidential. It detracts from the many great things he’s done for America and still plans on doing. I won’t take up a lot of time here discussing Trump pardoning cryptocurrency CEO’s and founders of cryptocurrency companies after they invested in the Trump family cryptocurrency company, World Liberty Financial, or partnered with companies linked to Trump. But the appearance that these sets of pardons were issued to further Trump’s personal financial gain is hard to ignore and not a good look for 47. Along those same lines, what’s especially disgusting to me is seeing the President of the United States hawking shoes, fragrances, Bibles, and other products with his name, image, or likeness to earn a buck. It seems that he has too many Trump-branded items for sale to count (and even has a brick-and-mortar Trump Store). In January of this year, a true blue Trumper would have to spend $36,273.87 to buy one of every item in the Trump Store. While I was okay (sort of) with his advertising these products between his presidencies, I do not believe a sitting president should be seen selling fragrances, shoes, etc. I also do not agree with profiting off the presidency in this manner. In late June of this year, he apparently took time away from pressing negotiations to promote a branded cologne. Really? I do not believe Trump will or even can change but come on, Mr. President, you can do better than this! While I like what President Trump has done and is doing for our country and his “America First” agenda, I would beg that he act more presidential and that he not treat the presidency as a good old boys’ club or an opportunity to increase his financial bottom line. Just stop pardoning these felons and hawking merchandise like a sidewalk street hustler in New York! Please! Jerry Hashimura Pahrump, NV  I was reviewing an article on military readiness and why technical competence alone won’t win tomorrow’s wars. As I got further into the article, it seemed to me this theorem applies generally to America today and not just how our military is preparing to prevail in the battle space.
The military loves technology; and why wouldn’t they. They have AI-enabled targeting systems, stealth aircraft, depleted uranium armored tanks, autonomous weapon systems, intelligent munitions, and other cutting-edge innovations that are probably hard for you and me to even imagine. America’s brain trust has always given the military the tools it needs to win wars, from tanks that cannot be defeated on the battlefield to the fastest aircraft to better weapons for the soldier on the ground. But it’s not just the military that loves its technology and gadgets. The average citizen uses technology on a daily, if not hourly or by-the-minute basis, to improve their lives, get their jobs done, improve their health, or just have fun. It includes such things as Artificial Intelligence, nanotechnology, automation, biotechnology, predictive analytics, the internet, video games, smartphones, and on and on and on. America has always relied on technology and its ability to innovate ahead of the rest of the world to remain at the top of the food chain. But what threatens America’s strength more than any technological shortcoming may be the erosion of trust and courage – the lack of character. Take a moment and look at many of the next generation of Americans that should move this country forward. It’s easy to do; just turn on the TV or listen to the news. Are they a generation you can trust? Do they have the moral courage to do the right thing in the face of social media criticisms and the threat of being canceled? Can they stand against men competing against women in women’s sports? Can they keep men and boys out of girls’ and women’s locker rooms and bathrooms? Do they have the courage to identify only two genders and not the 72 genders their generation “identifies” as? Sadly, I answer most of these questions with a “no,” with very few exceptions. I don’t have to look far for examples of how far our future generations have fallen. Just look at the assassination of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson and Charlie Kirk (and how these murders were celebrated by many and their murderers supported), the horrific murder of four Idaho college students, and a 17-year-old who shot and killed a 16-year-old in a high school parking lot…and I could literally go on for pages and pages. Unlike a piece of machinery, character cannot be engineered. Moral courage cannot be made in a laboratory and given to someone in a pill. The gap between technical competence and moral courage seems to get wider as each day goes by. Many people instinctively know the right thing to do but something stops them short of bridging this gap and morally wrong decisions are made at every turn. More and more people seem to make decisions and operate on optics, you know, how does it look to people watching, rather than what is right or moral. Now you have people assassinating others because they don’t like what they say and lack the moral courage to debate them – it’s just easier to kill them and then be celebrated on the internet. It’s easier to allow men and boys in girls’ bathrooms rather than be sued in court or have a negative article written about you or your school or organization. It’s too easy to post a meme or Youtube video, spouting racist rhetoric behind the anonymity of the internet. It’s easier to join a crowd of thousands to support terrorist organizations and call for the complete annihilation of an entire country. America, how did we get here? We seem to have plenty of people with education, credentials, and access to tons of data at their fingertips but no real discussions today about moral courage, integrity, and trust. Too many people are afraid to act ethically, afraid of exercising moral courage, for fear of being cancelled or suffer a negative outcome. Why? Unfortunately, I believe that is the culture that is being fostered in America and our young people have grown up in it…to their (and America’s) detriment. America needs to repair itself. It needs to have a culture where doing the right and moral thing is safer than staying quiet or doing what is only popular or won’t get you canceled. It needs a culture where you are unafraid of engaging in honest debate, not killing the person you disagree with or hiding in the weeds on the internet. A quote I read long ago used to be the norm but now the exception – “how you do anything is how you do everything.” Can you be trusted to do the right thing every time, even when no one is watching you, or more importantly, when everyone is watching you? It takes character, moral courage, and integrity. Will I do the right thing in every instance? I like to think so – and this is something we tried to instill in our son from an early age. We need to go back to the days of a strong family unit; personal responsibility and accountability; proper mentorship at home and in our elementary schools, high schools, and colleges; and, a culture that fosters doing the right thing when no one is watching or when everyone is watching. America can do it – but why aren’t we? Jerry Hashimura Pahrump, NV Charlie Kirk’s tragic assassination gave the Left another rallying cry to “Ban assault rifles!”10/29/2025  “Gun Control” is not about guns, it’s about control. I have written on this topic in the past but the Left now using Charlie Kirk’s murder to help them is, to me, disgusting.
As any good Birkenstock-wearing, gender fluid Leftist will tell you and the world, usually in a loud, shrill voice, “Assault rifles are bad! Assault rifles should be banned! We need to save lives! We need to stop all these deaths!” Of course, they can’t define the characteristics of an “assault” rifle if their life depended on it, but hey, those are just details that don’t matter. Charlie Kirk’s tragic murder, they believe, gave them more fuel to rage on about banning assault rifles and they think the Right will support them now. They scream, “Look what just happened to Charlie Kirk! These terrible assault rifles must go! People are dying! We need to save lives!” Unfortunately, these rifle-banning zealots don’t understand that facts and basic math do not work in their favor. They don’t understand that the lunatic who murdered Charlie Kirk used an 80-year-old bolt action rifle, not an “assault” rifle – but again, details, details, details. In 2023, there were 511 Americans killed by rifles. For the most part, these 511 deaths are tragic. I say “for the most part” because I don’t know how many were criminals killed by police officers or lawfully armed citizens to save lives. So, that is 511 total deaths attributed to rifles out of our 340-million-person population. In that same year, 2023, 480,000 Americans died from smoking, 178,000 died from alcohol, and 105,000 from drug overdoses. That totals 763,000 deaths from smoking, alcohol, and drugs. Each of these deaths was sad but don’t lose sight of the fact that it was a voluntary choice to smoke, drink, or abuse drugs. All of these deaths were preventable by simply banning tobacco, alcohol, and illicit drugs. If it’s all about saving lives, as these rifle banning nutjobs claim loudly, their efforts would be focused on banning tobacco, alcohol, and illicit drugs to save 750,000 lives, not banning rifles to save 511. It is clearly not about saving lives and these Leftists don’t want to face the backlash from these industries or the people who smoke and/or drink. Their arguing to ban assault rifles but not addressing tobacco, alcohol, and illicit drugs shows them to be the hypocrites they truly are. It’s really all about imposing their hatred for guns and Leftist agenda on everyone else. They cannot believe there are legitimate reasons to own firearms, e.g., home defense, hunting, sporting competitions, or anything else that brings enjoyment to their owners. In actuality, the Left themselves made “assault” rifles immensely popular. In 1994, even though most people had no interest in an AR-15 (the rifle the anti-gunners usually hold up as an example of an “assault” rifle), Clinton decided the country wasn’t responsible enough to own such weapons and signed the Public Safety and Recreational Firearms Use Protection Act, commonly called the Federal Assault Weapons Ban. It should come as no surprise that Diane Feinstein and Chuck Schumer sponsored this bill; this dynamic duo could have starred in the movie Dumb and Dumber. When the ban ended in 2004, the floodgates opened and everyone wanted one. While only gun nerds like me owned them in 1994, the AR-15 demographic shifted to bankers, nurses, truck drivers, Walmart greeters, sanitation workers, etc.…basically everyone. Every time Obama said the word “AR-15” on TV or in press conferences, another 100,000 guns went into circulation. It is estimated that there are 82 to 84 million lawful gun owners in the United States and growing. Since the pandemic, gun sales were increasing by about a million a month – many being first time gun owners. In 2020 alone, 60 million guns were purchased, a record high. These new gun owners finally recognized what I and other gun owners have always known, there are criminals and crazy people out there that can’t be controlled. It’s an oft-used cliché, but true nonetheless – when seconds count, help is minutes away. You are responsible for protecting yourself, your loved ones, and friends. I carry a firearm from when I get up in the morning until I go to bed at night. I’m not paranoid and I pray I never have to use my firearm in self-defense but the world has grown exponentially more violent as every year passes and there are only three people I completely trust to protect my loved ones – me, myself, and I (sorry, I couldn’t resist writing that sentence). As every responsible firearm owner should do, I also shoot weekly to keep my skills sharp. Americans are seriously exercising their Second Amendment rights – and I view that as a good thing. We all need to stay vigilant to make sure our Second Amendment rights are not taken away. The Left inadvertently helped kill gun control deader than disco back in 1994, and with the help of all of the new firearm owners, I hope gun control in America is finally dead. While there is always a renewed cry for banning guns after a reported mass shooting, the bad guys will always have guns and it is a good guy with a gun that stops the bad guy; be that a police officer or a lawfully armed citizen. Between 2014 and 2023, one study showed armed civilians stopped 51.5% of active shootings, while police officers stopped 44.6%. Another report for that same time period found armed civilians stopped 52.5% of mass shootings with that rate increasing to 62.5% in 2024. While some people dispute these findings, it cannot be disputed that lawfully armed civilians stop bad guys and save lives. If a mass shooting could only be stopped by police officers, thousands more could be killed before the police arrive on scene. When seconds count, help is minutes away. I would ask the Left to take off their Birkenstocks, brew a kombucha, and shut up about gun control and trying to take my guns. It’s over. Instead, focus on reducing violence in movies and video games, getting more dads in homes, teaching true morality in our classrooms, eliminating bullying in our schools, and eliminating gender modifying surgery on our youth. That might actually save some lives. Or was that not what you were trying to do? Jerry Hashimura Pahrump, NV |
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