Alfred Nobel invented dynamite, among his other profitable and world-changing achievements.
In his will, he bequeathed part of his fortune to the establishment of five Prizes, including the Peace Prize. According to his will, it is to be awarded to the person who “shall have done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses”.
We know two things about the current state of Peace Prizes. One is that the current president of the U.S. really wants the Nobel Peace Prize. Two is that his supplicants are now creating new Peace Prizes for him to win.
In this spirit of new Peace Prizes, proposed is the Putin Peace Prize. Apparently, you can now win (admittedly fake) Peace Prizes, such as the FIFA football Peace Prize, even if you are a leading war maker who does not “work for fraternity between nations”. So we might consider going all the way, actually naming the prize itself in honor of a distinctly unpeaceful leader.
Who should be awarded the first Putin Peace Prize?
Today, the day after Christmas, is the Feast of St. Stephen, the first Christian martyr. As he was being stoned to death, he prayed for his attackers.
There is a video of the Christmas Eve dinner at Mar-A-Lago. Trump is sitting at a cordoned-off table, with his wife Melania and an unidentified man. Melania is talking to the man, Trump is alone, mostly ignored. It was sad.
In Buddhist traditions, we are asked to treat enemies as treasures and spiritual friends:
When I see ill-natured people, Overwhelmed by wrong deeds and pain, May I cherish them as something rare, As though I had found a treasure-trove…
Even if someone whom I have helped And in whom I have placed my hopes Does great wrong by harming me, May I see them as an excellent spiritual friend.
If you are one of the many affected directly or indirectly by what appears to be a one-man mission to carelessly hurt others and make things worse, it is beyond challenging to “love your enemy”—no matter that we have that advice on good authority.
A couple of things:
Empathy makes you stronger, not weaker.
Empathy does not mean giving up on trying to work against the worst and for the best, including opposition to those “ill-natured people, overwhelmed by wrong deeds and pain.”
“A monster had arrived in the village. Just by using his mind, he took away the automobiles, the electricity, the machines, because they displeased him. And he moved an entire community back into the Dark Ages, just by using his mind.”
Rod Serling introduces the Twilight Zone episode It’s a Good Life (Season 3, Episode 8):
Tonight’s story on The Twilight Zone is somewhat unique and calls for a different kind of introduction. This, as you may recognize, is a map of the United States, and there’s a little town there called Peaksville. On a given morning not too long ago, the rest of the world disappeared, and Peaksville was left all alone. Its inhabitants were never sure whether the world was destroyed and only Peaksville was left untouched, or whether the village had somehow been taken away. They were, on the other hand, sure of one thing – the cause. A monster had arrived in the village. Just by using his mind, he took away the automobiles, the electricity, the machines, because they displeased him. And he moved an entire community back into the Dark Ages, just by using his mind. Now I’d like to introduce you to some of the people in Peaksville, Ohio. This is Mr. Fremont. It’s in his farmhouse that the monster resides. This is Mrs. Fremont. And this is Aunt Amy, who probably had more control over the monster in the beginning than almost anyone. But one day she forgot. She began to sing aloud. Now the monster doesn’t like singing, so his mind snapped at her, and turned her into the smiling vacant thing you’re looking at now. She sings no more. And you’ll note that the people in Peaksville, Ohio, have to smile. They have to think happy thoughts and say happy things because, once displeased, the monster can wish them into a cornfield, or change them into a grotesque walking horror. This particular monster can read minds, you see. He knows every thought, he can feel every emotion. Oh, yes, I did forget something, didn’t I. I forgot to introduce you to the monster. This is the monster. His name is Anthony Fremont. He’s six years old with a cute little-boy face and blue guileless eyes. But when those eyes look at you, you’d better start thinking happy thoughts. Because the mind behind them is absolutely in charge. This is the Twilight Zone.
Serling closes the episode:
No comment here. No comment at all. We only wanted to introduce you to one of our very special citizens, little Anthony Fremont, age 6, who lives in a village called Peaksville, in a place that used to be Ohio. And if by some strange chance you should run across him, you had best think only good thoughts. Anything less than that is handled at your own risk. Because if you do meet Anthony, you can be sure of one thing: you have entered the Twilight Zone.
Below is a five-minute clip from the episode. If you can and are willing, you will find this episode streaming. It was originally scary, but today you might find it scarier that a man-child with infinite power demands that people have good thoughts about him—or else.
“I negotiated directly with the drug companies and foreign nations, which were taken advantage of our country for many decades to slash prices on drugs and pharmaceuticals by as much as 400, 500 and even 600 percent.” Trump, December 17, 2025 and other times
Your next steps
If they make a simple mistake and own it quickly → consider proceeding but stay alert for other errors
If they can’t admit the error or get defensive → serious credibility problem
Either way, do additional due diligence — verify other claims they’ve made independently
Bottom line: If someone asking for your money, business, or trust can’t get basic facts right (or won’t admit when they’re wrong), that’s your cue to either walk away or scrutinize everything else much more carefully. Claude AI
Bob:
Someone said he had slashed prices by 600%. Is that possible?
Claude:
No, that’s not mathematically possible in any meaningful way.
When you reduce a price by a percentage, you’re taking away that percentage of the original price. A 100% reduction would bring the price to zero (you’ve reduced it by the entire amount).
If you tried to reduce by 600%, you’d be subtracting 6 times the original price, which would give you a negative price — meaning you’d somehow be paying customers to take the product.
Bob:
What should I say to someone who claims to slash prices by 600%?
Claude:
Here are some approaches depending on the context:
If it’s casual conversation:
Just let it slide — they clearly mean prices are very low, and you understood the point
Make a light joke: “So you’re paying me to buy it?” with a smile
Gently clarify: “You mean 60% off? That’s a great deal!”
If it’s a business/professional setting:
Politely ask for clarification: “Just to make sure I understand — do you mean prices are reduced by 60%, or that they’re now 1/6th of the original?”
Focus on the actual numbers: “What’s the new price compared to the old one?” (sidesteps the percentage issue entirely)
If it’s advertising/marketing:
For a formal complaint: Point out that “reductions over 100% are mathematically impossible” and ask for accurate pricing information
If you’re a colleague: Privately mention “Hey, I think you meant 60% — the ad says 600% which doesn’t work mathematically”
The diplomatic approach: Give them an easy out: “I think there might be a typo — did you mean 60% off or maybe prices are 1/6th of what they were?”
Most people make this mistake innocently (typo, brain slip, or genuine confusion), so gentle correction or just ignoring it is usually the way to go unless accuracy really matters in that situation.
Bob:
What if it is a business or professional setting, where someone making the claim is asking you to give them something of value—your business, your money, your endorsement, your approval, your trust?
Claude:
In that case, this is a serious red flag and you should address it directly. Here’s why and how:
Why it matters: This reveals one of three problems, all concerning:
They don’t understand basic math — raises questions about competence
They’re being careless with facts — suggests poor attention to detail
They’re hoping you won’t notice — potential dishonesty
Any of these should make you pause before giving them your money, business, or endorsement.
How to address it:
Be direct but professional:
“I notice you said you’ve reduced prices by 600%. That’s mathematically impossible — you can only reduce by up to 100%. Can you clarify what you actually mean?”
Wait for their response and watch how they handle being corrected
What their response tells you:
Good sign: “Oh! Sorry, I meant 60% — my mistake” (owns it quickly)
Concerning: Defensiveness, doubling down, or vague deflection
Red flag: “Well, you know what I mean” or dismissing your concern
Your next steps:
If they make a simple mistake and own it quickly → consider proceeding but stay alert for other errors
If they can’t admit the error or get defensive → serious credibility problem
Either way, do additional due diligence — verify other claims they’ve made independently
Bottom line: If someone asking for your money, business, or trust can’t get basic facts right (or won’t admit when they’re wrong), that’s your cue to either walk away or scrutinize everything else much more carefully.
We had the best education. We went to school every day. I only took the regular course. Reeling and Writhing to begin with. Then the different branches of Arithmetic—Ambition, Distraction, Uglification, and Derision.
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
Read Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland now. Again if it’s been a while, and definitely now if for the first time.
Lewis Carroll (born Charles Dodgson, 1832-1898) was famously creative as a mathematician and logician. He wove puzzles and tortured logic all through his book Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.
Puzzles and tortured logic are a major component of America in 2025.
The leadership and the citizens of Wonderland are variously tyrannical, illogical, stupid, or just plain bizarre. Alice literally does not fit in. While she is only a child, she has more sense than everyone she meets combined.
If I had a news network I’d suspend the futile attempts to explain what’s going on and would instead read aloud one chapter from Alice in Wonderland every day. It would be more constructive and more fun than listening to their trying to make sense of the nonsensical.
Trump’s posts and speeches seem to be taken straight from Alice in Wonderland:
For example:
We must have a trial. Really this morning I have nothing to do. With no jury or judge I’ll be Judge. I’ll be jury. I’ll try the whole cause and condemn you to death.
We’re all mad here. I’m mad. You’re mad. A dog growls when it’s angry and wags its tail when it’s pleased. Now I growl when I’m pleased and wag my tail when I’m angry. Therefore I’m mad.
Be what you would seem to be. Never imagine yourself not to be otherwise than what it might appear to others that what you were or might have been was not otherwise than what you had been would have appeared to them to be otherwise.
You have no right to think. Just about as much right as pigs have to fly. I give you fair warning either you or your head must be off. Take your choice!
We had the best education. We went to school every day. I only took the regular course. Reeling and Writhing to begin with. Then the different branches of Arithmetic—Ambition, Distraction, Uglification, and Derision.
Many people have things to hide. Many of those people hide them with lies, distractions, obscurities, payoffs, threats or punishments.
Even some, maybe many, of his supporters suspect that Trump has things to hide, though those supporters may think he, good man that he is, is hiding them for good reasons.
Trump has managed to hide things or explain away whatever was seen as inconsequential or often as fake.
He knows, and those who know him know, that the door marked “E” is turning out to be a challenge. Which explains how much effort has gone into to keeping it closed and blocking the view.
In criminal law, when a defendant or witness invokes the Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination, the instruction to the jury is that it may not infer guilt from that silence.
In life outside the courtroom, when someone tries to block the view of what actually happened, we do infer something from it. There is some possibility, we reasonably think, that blocking the view means that someone is hiding something.
The door marked “E” is opening a crack. We may see more if the congressional demand for complete FBI files is complied with, but there are many possible and likely obstacles to that.
Trump has managed to keep all other doors into his life closed so far, and has been very successful at it. If and when we get this door opened and see it all, we may be both astonished and unsurprised.
“We realize, hey, our churches and the people in our churches have been duped by this guy and so rather than hope someone else will clean up the problem, what we’ve seen is a lot of pastors respond with, you know what, I’m going to jump in and I’m going to be a part of the solution.” Robb Ryerse in Arkansas, Christian pastor and former Republican, one of 30 Christian white clergy so far running as Democrats in the midterm elections.
Churches in America have taken different positions regarding Trump.
Some have vigorously supported him, going so far as to say he is an anointed savior for the nation. Trump does, after all, sell his own God Bless the USA Bible.
Some, particularly black churches, have vigorously opposed him.
Most churches have stayed on the sidelines. The main reason is that in this divided society, congregations often include supporters and opponents. In those congregations, the position is that the church serves as an elevated neutral ground, not a battlefield, interested in promoting and effectuating the highest principles of Jesus and the Gospels. Whether or not those principles are being advanced or decimated in the public sphere by the chief public executive. Whether or not the tax dollars of congregants are being used to help or hurt people. Besides, a divisive message might send some congregants running away.
He grew up on a farm in Indiana, the son of a factory worker and eldest of five children. He studied at Liberty, a Christian university founded by the conservative pastor and televangelist Jerry Falwell, and recalls wearing a T-shirt expressing opposition to Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry.
Two decades later, Justin Douglas is running for the US Congress – as a Democrat.
He is among around 30 Christian white clergy – pastors, seminary students and other faith leaders – known to be potential Democratic candidates in next year’s midterm elections, including a dozen who are already in the race. While stressing the separation of church and state, many say that on a personal level their faith is calling them into the political arena….
In Arkansas, Robb Ryerse, a Christian pastor and former Republican, is mounting a challenge to representative Steve Womack, adopting the slogan “Faith, Family & Freedom” – rhetoric more commonly found in Republican campaign literature.
Ryerse, 50, from Springdale, Arkansas, said: “I joke sometimes that the two people who have changed my life more than any others are Jesus and Donald Trump, for very different reasons. Donald Trump is absolutely inconsistent with Christian principles of love and compassion, justice, looking out for the poor, meeting the needs of the marginalized.
“But Donald Trump has also used and been used by so many evangelical leaders who want political power. He has used them to validate him to their followers and they have used him to further their agenda, which has been a Christian nationalist culture war on the United States, which I think is bad for both the church and for the country.”
White clergy are deciding to run for office, Ryerse believes, in part as a response to the rise of Christian nationalism and the reality that, according to a Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) survey, Trump won 85% of the white evangelical vote in last year’s presidential election.
Ryerse said: “We realize, hey, our churches and the people in our churches have been duped by this guy and so rather than hope someone else will clean up the problem, what we’ve seen is a lot of pastors respond with, you know what, I’m going to jump in and I’m going to be a part of the solution.
“On a more positive note, there’s also that notion we need to do something for the common good. There’s so much alignment between what I believe personally is good for my neighbor, what it means to love my neighbor, and how that aligns with what public policy ought to be.”
Volodymyr Zelesnky became president of Ukraine in 2019.
In that time, American civic and political leadership has gone from terrible to okay to even more terrible. Meanwhile, Zelensky has led a country besieged by an overwhelming malevolent force with unyielding courage, intelligence and—it seems a strange but true characteristic to include—style. Not unlike Churchill.
Zelensky has given his people courage under the worst circumstances and has impressed other hard-to-impress world leaders. On the flip side, if people are known by the enemies they make, both Putin and Trump hate him. Because of his courage, intelligence, and in the case of Trump, definitely style.
Whether or not America and its opposition party, the Democrats, have or can find a Zelensky, it would definitely help. Unyielding courage, intelligence and style in the face of overwhelming malevolent force. That’s the ticket.
When considering why this snake would appear on the president’s desk in the Oval Office, I concluded that it might be all the gold there that attracted it.
I asked Claude whether snakes are attracted to gold, the color or the metal. Claude replied:
No, snakes are not attracted to gold in either form.
Snakes lack the visual systems and cognitive processing to be drawn to specific colors like gold. Their color vision varies by species, but they don’t show preference for shiny or yellow objects.
They’re also not attracted to the metal itself. Snakes respond primarily to heat signatures (via infrared sensing in some species), chemical cues, and vibrations when hunting or navigating. Gold has no special thermal, chemical, or vibrational properties that would interest them.
The myth likely stems from old tales of snakes guarding treasure, which were metaphorical or served storytelling purposes rather than reflecting snake behavior.
I didn’t know that mythical snakes were said to guard treasures.
I do know a famous biblical story about snakes, a devilish snake that appears in a perfect setting and ruins everything.
As for storytelling, I am as capable of telling/making up stories as the ancients. In this case, there is a snake in the Oval Office, presumably attracted to all the gold that the president has kept adding to it.
President, Oval Office, gold, snakes. Pretty good story.
Five years. First Covid. Then AI. Then Trump returns.
Were we ready? Are we ready yet?
It has been a mixed bag.
Ready for Covid? Science worked miracles in quickly developing Covid vaccines, saving countless lives. On the other hand, a number of people refused to comply with the most basic social guidelines, resulting in illness and death for uncounted millions. As an unreadiness bonus, many of those same people are now trying to end all vaccines, so that not only Covid but many other long-controlled diseases can get out of control.
Ready for AI? The vast majority of people don’t understand AI, beyond some applications they find useful or stocks to invest in. AI is a profound phenomenon, with tremendous upside and downside. Some who talk about the possibilities and perils know what they are talking about; many don’t. Meanwhile, AI rolls on, like Covid did, with few ready to address it knowledgeably and intelligently.
Ready for Trump? Monty Python said, “Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition.” They were so right. It is confounding that having already experienced ten years of Trump before his return in 2025 (he announced his presidential run in 2015), including four years as president (10,000 certified lies), four more years as an angry and disgruntled loser, hardly anybody seems really ready to effectively respond. Maybe we should ask those same scientists who responded so brilliantly to Covid to create a Trump vaccine. Except that their research funding has been cut and vaccines are disfavored in some quarters.
The big point is that after Covid, AI and Trump, there is something else coming, something else we are not ready for. We don’t need to know exactly what that is, as if we could. We do have to train to be able to resiliently and effectively take on whatever it is. That is the ultimate readiness.
Bob Schwartz 