ABSILVER's World

Good morning, from East Texas. I sit here in relative calm, peace, and quiet.  Days are a bit stressful work-wise, with some home challenges and family drama, but I repeat that it is calm and quiet. My niece in Israel sends my sister and me a blog about her experience living in Jerusalem during a war.  Not necessarily of her choice, but one she sees as necessary to eliminate the threat from Iran, the evil leadership, and their contribution to terror, not just in the Middle East, not just to Israel, but around the world. I am again sitting in a calm, peaceful, and comfortable place.  I figure Longview is safe because, even if g-d forbid there were some calamity here from Iran, how would they find Longview?  Most people in Dallas don’t know where we are.    "Wishing you a peaceful and calm Shabbat." It doesn’t take much to think back to 9/11, where we all presumed safety and peace here in North America.  We weren’t worried about an attack from Canada or ...

  A conversation with ChatGPT about power, fear, and the choices ahead Brian Silverman in conversation with ChatGPT This piece is a personal reflection, written as a conversation with ChatGPT, about moral leadership, fear, and the direction of the United States. It reflects my questions and concerns rather than definitive answers. Introduction Over the past several years, I’ve found myself increasingly concerned,  not just about politics, but about moral leadership in the United States. As a gay, Jewish man who believes deeply in pluralism, education, and human dignity, I’ve watched the country shift away from empathy, nuance, and long‑term thinking toward fear, power, and control. What troubles me most is not disagreement, but the sense that we are losing our willingness to weigh human cost, complexity, and restraint. This is a summary of a conversation I had with ChatGPT, exploring those concerns: how we got here, what we are failing to address, and what a moral center migh...

Wednesday was my Birthday! Actually, number 61, and it was a lovely day for me.  Started the morning walking along the beach, up and out at 5AM to chase what was another spectacular sunrise. This kid, maybe 28, was hopping on the train to Orlando before mine and was complaining about his birthday being the week of Thanksgiving, no parties, people forget, and no celebration.  I have never felt that way.  At 61, I am actually grateful.  To me, it's a number, and I don't feel 61.  How do we know what 61 is actually supposed ot feel like? There may be one advantage to age: a sense of experience and wisdom. So, I started a top ten list before my birthday, continued on the train yesterday, and this is a great time to finish it. Independence comes with a cost. I don’t remember when I made that choice; my therapist says it was around age eight, but it was the moment I decided I would stand on my own two feet and not depend on anyone. I also chose to accept responsibili...

  Early in my career, I had a customer prospect. Replacing their current system was less money than the maintenance they were paying IBM for the old one. I was young and knew this was easy, and I was right. There was one option I had not considered—he cancelled maintenance. The system had not needed maintenance for years. I didn’t take the time to understand why he needed the new system beyond the obvious financial advantage, didn’t explore his requirements, and not only walked away from the sale, but I was paid on revenue, including the lost maintenance. In this case, from the right point of view, we were both right. But right came from assumptions, and facts that we saw differently, and his actions reflected what was right for him and his company. That experience taught me something important: there is rarely only one right answer. What looks obvious to you may not be right for someone else, and vice versa. Yet today, we seem fixated on being right. I made the right choice. I hav...

What I Learned from College Was Worth More Than ROI on Tuition I got stuck this morning on a column by George Will in The Washington Post, "Too Many College Students." The point of his article is that we have too many college students and not enough skilled tradespeople. He posts stats about how much time students spend learning, and that 750000 industrial jobs can’t be filled. There is also a Baron’s article from last year that highlights Is College Worth Going Into Debt? Only 1 in 5 Americans Say Yes. I believe they have totally missed the boat! When I went to college in the 1980s, I didn’t start college because I wanted to get the best job opportunity. In fact, I don’t remember choosing to go to college; it was expected of me. Was taking English, Literature, and the history of theatre preparing me for a good job in Tech? Is being able to write, being curious to read, and to think about the importance of the arts and creativity help my creative mind as much as course...

Let me be clear, I have experienced hate and prejudice for being Jewish,  for being Gay.  I also have been wise enough to realize that as a white American, I have been privileged and somewhat sheltered. But,  I have never witnessed such hate and prejudice emanating from the pores of the leadership of our country.  Certainly against the LGBT+ Community, Certainly against immigrants, Certainly against Black Americans, Women.. I am sure I have left others off the list. I posted this on Facebook, but I am also concerned that the new Facebook algorithms, under the Zuckerberg era, may suppress its viewership, so I should also post it as a blog. I wake up as an American, Jew, Gay male, frightened of my own country. At the Republican Convention in 2016, Donald Trump said, “As your president, I will do everything in my power to protect our LGBTQ citizens from the violence and oppression of a hateful foreign ideology.” Such friends, we don't need! Actions speak louder than wo...