Friday, August 14, 2026
Tuesday, August 11, 2026
The Goldbach Conjecture and large primes
Mathematicians like exact solutions. Engineers are satisfied with good approximations. Let's see if there's a pattern among the largest primes smaller than a certain even number
10 7
100 97
1000 997
2000 1999
5000 4999
10000 9973
100000 99991
The corresponding percents are 70, 97. 99.7, 99.95, 99.98, 99.73, and 99.99.
Thus, we can infer that for even numbers greater than 100,000, the largest prime smaller than that number will be about 99% of that number.
So, if we want to find large primes, one way would be to multiply a large even number by 0.99 and using the Miller-Rabin primality test. There is another primality test I have worked on that uses the Collatz Conjecture. It works by using the suspected prime as the seed value for the Collatz Conjecture and then checking to see if the first odd result (that is not a multiple of 5) is prime.
Another way would be to subtract small known primes from the even number and checking if the result is prime.
In the cases of 10,000 and 100,000, the largest prime smaller than either does not form a Goldbach pair. So actually, what we really want to know is: what is the largest prime smaller than an even number that forms a Goldbach pair?
I suspect many such pairs contain 3, 7, 13, 17, etc as the smaller prime.
Monday, August 10, 2026
Saturday, August 8, 2026
understanding algorithms
According to Trakhtenbrot, there is no mathematically precise definition of an algorithm.
More about Trakhtenbrot here: Derpetology: Trakhtenbrot, an Unsung Hero of Computer Science
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Boris (Boaz) Abramovich Trakhtenbrot was a Russian-Israeli mathematician in logic, algorithms, theory of computation, and cybernetics.
***
A flowchart is like an algorithm. The German animal name flowchart is my favorite.
Here is how I would define one: an algorithm is a finite set of computations with at least one loop. A simple example of this is long division. As an algorithm, it looks like this:
1. Multiply the divisor by a number so that it is close to but does not exceed the dividend. Start with 1 and increment to 9.
2. Subtract the result of step 1 from the dividend and use the remaining number as the new dividend.
3. Repeat steps 1 and 2 until the remaining number is smaller than the divisor.
4. Make a fraction of the remaining number and the divisor, convert it to a decimal, and add it to the rest of the quotient.
The details of the YouTube algorithm for suggesting videos are proprietary, but it works something like this: If people who watch video A also watch video B, video B is suggested after video A is watched. As a user watches more videos, the algorithm gets better at making suggestions because it has more information about what the user likes to watch. The goal of the algorithm is to maximize the amount of time the user spends watching videos.
Algorithms are subject to the halting problem. That is, there is no way of knowing in advance whether an algorithm will get stuck in a loop or not for every possible input.
Simple algorithms tend to be slower than more complex ones. Below are some visual aids.
There are problems that can't be solved with algorithms, but that doesn't mean the problem is unsolvable. Sometimes proving there is no general solution to a problem opens up a new field of math. Group Theory came into being because Galois used it to prove there is no general solution to a 5th order polynomial equation.
lessons from Iran
Americans greatly underestimate how much people in other countries are willing to suffer and sacrifice.
Just look at the merciless bombing inflicted on the Vietnamese during the US war on them.
But in the end, the Vietnamese communists were victorious.
And after 20 years in Afghanistan, the US lost to the badly outnumbered and outgunned Taliban.
They took down the flag as a sign of surrender to keep the Taliban from looting it and humiliating the US even more.
So I wonder how well my country, the US, will fare against Iran. Below is a clue.
Mohammad Hossein Fahmideh (Persian: محمد حسین فهمیده;[1] 6 May 1967 – 30 October 1980) was an Iranian child soldier and an icon of the Iran–Iraq War. During the First Battle of Khorramshahr in 1980, he served with the Basij and fought invading Iraqi forces in and around the city of Khorramshahr. Fahmideh is credited with having halted the advance of an Iraqi tank column after he jumped underneath an Iraqi tank and detonated a full grenade belt, killing himself in the process. He is celebrated as a war hero in Iran.
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It will be a cold day in hell when Americans recruit, deploy, and celebrate the suicide combat deaths of child soldiers.
Iran lost about 2% of their population during their 10-year war with Iraq. That's a similar percent to what the US lost during its civil war. To this day, there are hundreds of monuments to that war in the US, even though the war ended over 160 years ago. And even today, the war inspires strong feelings.
They have a cemetery in Tehran with a "blood" fountain to honor their dead from the war with Iraq.
Sacrifice and martyrdom are powerful themes in Islam and especially Shia Islam, the main religion of Iran.
In a similar way, the Israelis greatly underestimate the tenacity of the Palestinians.
During WW2, Germany lost about 10% of its population and Japan about 5% of its population. That is what is required for unconditional surrender. Iran has 90 million people today. Are US leader willing to kill 5 or 9 million Iranians to compel their unconditional surrender? I think not.
Also, if the US does kill 5 million Iranians, doesn't that make them just as bad as the Iranian hardliners who want to wipe Israel off the map?
My advice to American leaders is to declare victory and stop bombing Iran. Otherwise, Iran will drag out this war to make us look like even bigger idiots than we have been already.
***
At a March 2026 Christian worship service at the Pentagon — the first since the U.S. and Israel began military operations in Iran — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth asked Pentagon officials to pray for “overwhelming violence” against enemies in Iran and elsewhere, invoking the “mighty and powerful name of Jesus Christ”
Hegseth recited a prayer he says was given by a chaplain to troops ahead of the U.S. raid on Venezuela and the kidnapping of then-President Nicolás Maduro in January. The prayer, drawn from passages in Psalm 18:37–42 and other biblical texts, includes verses such as:
“I pursued my enemies and overtook them. I did not turn back till they were consumed. I thrust them through so that they were not able to rise. They fell under my feet… And those who hated me, I destroyed. They cried for help, but there was none to save” .
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I like Psalm 18:37 too, but that's John Wick stuff, not strategy.
Maybe Hegseth is unfamiliar with the "blessed are the peacemakers" and "turn the other cheek" - some of the most powerful words Jesus ever spoke.
Jesus was not a warrior and never killed anyone. Aside from that freakout at the temple with the blasphemous moneychangers, he never did violence of any sort.
And what kind of warrior turns himself over to his enemies to be tortured and humiliated? I don't believe Jesus rose from the dead. I do believe there was a real man named Jesus who said and did most of things described in the New Testament. Like Socrates, Jesus wanted to make statement with his death.
Thic Quang Duc did something similar on camera.
Various samurai endured excruciating seppuku suicide to make a point.
Iran is not a threat to the US, so we should not be fighting them. Israel needs to build walls a post guards, not buy F-35s or other fancy gadgets.
Israeli regular infantry is a joke. They'd be better off hiring fat, drunk, unemployed rednecks to protect them.
Friday, August 7, 2026
suggested video games for homeschoolers and gifted/talented students
All these games are from the mid to late 90s but should be available used (cheap!) or on Steam. There are also similar games currently and from recent years.
Real-time strategy games and city-building games are best because they teach how to manage complex systems. It's like a faster version of chess. Some role-playing games involve creative problem solving.
Fighting and first-person shooter games tend to be popular and fun, but don't teach much. Racing and flying games are good for building hand-eye coordination. I never played sports games much, so I don't know what the pros and cons of those are.
Older video games like Super Mario or Pac-Man tend to be more about reaction time and winning through trial and error. Other than nostalgia, there's not much point in playing them.
1. Zelda: Ocarina of Time
This one has mild fantasy violence, but otherwise nothing objectionable. Beating this game requires patience and creativity as there are a wide variety of puzzles to solve.
2. Age of Empires 2
Any game from this series is solid, and it indirectly teaches about history. It combines city-building with strategy.
3. Railroad Tycoon 2
Again, any game from this series is good, and it also teaches about economics and the history of railroads.
4. Tropico
This is also a series of games. You govern an island nation where you can have free and fair elections or become a dictator through various means. There is little violence but some adult references (cigars, rum, gambling, cabaret). The game teaches history, politics, and economics. I highly recommend it.
5. StarCraft
This a great one for sci-fi fans. It has stronger violence than Age of Empires and is basically that game in space. Warhammer fans will love this one.
6. Caesar 3
This is a city building game that teaches a lot about ancient Rome. There's mild violence as you command legions to fight various barbarians. And you must build temples to various pagan gods or face their wrath.
7. Command and Conquer
This is a series of games starting in 1995. Red Alert 2 is my favorite as it has amusing cut scenes and campy humor. The violence is PG-13.
8. Oregon Trail
If you let your kid play one video game, let it be this. The 90s version is best. There is mild violence in the hunting minigame and references to death.
9. Destroy all Humans!
Another sci-fi gem and a great game for misanthropes. The violence is mild and there are some adult references. It has some of the best humor of any video game I've ever played.
10. Primal Rage
Who doesn't love dinosaurs? Well, this game is basically Mortal Kombat with dinosaurs. Or at least creatures similar to them. There's a lot of blood, but it sure is fun. Maybe save this one as a reward for good behavior. It's what my parents did.
Video games have a bad reputation, but some of them are educational in addition to being entertaining.
It's better to get your kid hooked on one of the above before they stumble upon a mindless, amoral cesspool like Grand Theft Auto (a fun game, but it does not develop the mind).
I should note that I played all the "bad" video games too and did not grow up to be a career criminal. Video games can desensitize someone to violence, but they do not make people violent.
Wednesday, August 5, 2026
The Collatz Conjecture, the Goldbach Conjecture, the integer factorization problem, and prime numbers
Today I noticed that if you use the Collatz Conjecture with a prime as a seed, the first odd result greater than 1 that is not a multiple of 5 (greater than 5) will be prime or semiprime. Here are examples with the primes between 1 and 100
2 1
3 10 5...
5 is prime.
5 16 8 4 2 1
7 22 11...
11 is prime.
11 22 34 17...
17 is prime.
13 40 20 10 5...
5 is prime.
17 52 26 13...
13 is prime.
19 58 29...
29 is prime.
23 70 35 106 53...
53 is prime.
29 88 44 22 11...
11 is prime.
31 94 47 142 71...
71 is prime.
37 112 56 28 14 7...
7 is prime.
41 124 62 31...
31 is prime.
43 130 65 196 98 49...
49 is semiprime.
47 142 71...
71 is prime.
53 160 80 40 10 5...
5 is prime.
59 178 89...
89 is prime.
61 184 92 46 23...
23 is prime.
67 202 101...
101 is prime.
71 214 107...
107 is prime.
73 220 110 55 166 83...
83 is prime.
79 238 119...
119 is semiprime.
83 250 125 376 188 94 47...
47 is prime.
89 268 134 67...
67 is prime.
97 292 146 73...
73 is prime.
skipping a bit
997 2992 1496 748 374 187...
187 is semiprime with factors of 11 and 17.
9973 29920 14960 7480 3740 1870 935 2806 1403...
1403 is semiprime with factors 23 and 61.
By combining this with the Goldbach Conjecture, we have a new primality test and a way of generating primes. Start with a large even number (100 digits or more) and divide by 2 until you get an odd number. Then use that odd number as a seed for the Collatz conjecture. The first odd result that isn't a multiple of 5 will be either prime or semiprime. I suspect that as for large seeds, the first odd result is more likely to be semiprime than prime.
In this way, it is possible to build up a library of large semiprimes, which eases the integer factorization problem.
What happens if the seed is semiprime?
187 562 281...
281 is prime.
1403 4210 2105 6316 3158 1579...
1579 is prime.
So if we start with a semiprime, we can get an actual prime in a few iterations.
For any given range, there will be somewhat more semiprimes than primes.
Tuesday, August 4, 2026
knowledge as a social cue
An educated native speaker of English has a vocabulary of about 25,000 words even though only about 6,000 of them account for 95% of what they say. So what is the value of knowing the other 19,000 words? A large vocabulary is a reliable signal that someone has read a lot, because that is the usual way someone comes to know many words. People who read a lot are usually smart; thus, the use of rare words is a signal to other intelligent people that they are alike and should interact. The fact that we have dictionaries (and can instantly look up the definition of words online) does not negate the advantage of having a large vocabulary.
It's similar to the way people wear certain clothes in order to fit into a group. There's a reason why businessmen always wear suits. It's an advertisement about who they are and wish to associate with.
Indeed, the most common way people try to ingratiate themselves into a group is by changing their appearance and sometimes their speech. People who move to a different country or region often adopt the accent there in order to be accepted.
Knowledge also works as a social cue. Most knowledge, especially the kind from formal education, has little direct utility, especially today when almost everyone has the internet in their pocket. The amount of practical knowledge a typical adult needs is surprisingly small. Almost all the rest functions as way to show interests and status. For example, knowing how to change a tire is a lot more useful than being able to read Latin, yet knowing Latin is a clear indicator that someone is inquisitive, well-read, and probably intelligent. I suspect this is the reason the high IQ society Mensa uses a Latin word for its name.
Someone who is very knowledgeable and demonstrates it is showing (unintentionally or not) who they are and who they want to associate with. This is why people should be careful about what knowledge they share. If you talk about astronomy all the time, people will wonder why you aren't working at a planetarium or a member of a stargazer club. Sharing knowledge on different topics sends mixed signals, sort of like switching from one language to another. If you want to speak English, it does no good to go around speaking Spanish or any other language.
Still, being knowledgeable on many topics is generally respected. Scholars hundreds of years ago were respected precisely because it was known to take a lifetime of study to learn so much. The key to avoid being called a know-it-all is to say little. Sile et philosophus esto is Latin for "be silent and you will pass for a philosopher". In any case, know-it-all refers to someone who pretends to be more knowledgeable than they are. Someone who really does know a lot on many topics is a polymath.
I say be a renaissance man if you can. The world can always benefit from another genius.
I should add that jokes are the most useful thing to memorize if you want to make friends and get people to like you.
Saturday, August 1, 2026
How many books should you read?
The short answer is the more, the better. But as in all other things, there are diminishing returns to reading.
It's better to read many short books than one long one. Nonfiction is more informative and often more enjoyable.
Here is a short reading list that provides a good education:
1. Bullfinch's Mythology
2. The Cartoon History of the Universe
3. Man's Search for Meaning
4. Animal Farm
5. Slaughterhouse 5
6. The Art of War
7. Ecclesiastes
8. Proverbs
9. Alice in Wonderland
10. The Hobbit
Anyone who reads all of those will have a pretty good grasp of life, the universe, and everything.
Should you go to college? Should you study engineering?
I think it is a bad idea to borrow a lot of money for college, though most who study law or medicine pay back their loans with no problem.
I was not enthusiastic about college. I went because I got a full scholarship and couldn't think of anything better to do. I don't regret going to college, but it made me realize that I did not want to spend any more time in school, though that ended up happening anyway.
My scholarship required that I study science, engineering, or technology. I picked chemical engineering because I liked chemistry in high school and the starting salaries were good. At the time, I wasn't sure if I wanted to get a PhD, so I thought engineering was a practical choice that would let me go to work right away if I wanted. As it turned out, after four years of studying engineering, I wanted to do something completely different for a while. So I joined the Peace Corps because I wanted to travel, learn another language, and have an adventure. That was probably the best decision I ever made.
In order to be a successful engineer, you have to be focused and driven. You have to care a lot about getting the design or process right. If you find the work boring, as I did, engineering will not work out for you as a career. Engineers usually work in teams, so they have to be sociable. If you're an introvert, avoid engineering unless you're really interested in the technology involved.
If I had to live my life over again knowing everything I know now, my life would be about 90% the same. That's a sign I don't have too many regrets and made mostly the right decisions.
suggested movies for homeschoolers and gifted/talented students
Many are available for free on YouTube.
7. Robocop
Some are family friendly, others not so much. Sex, violence, and profanity are parts of adulthood. Movies are a safe way to introduce them. Forbidden fruits are excellent incentives for good behavior.
1. The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe (1979)
2. Jaws
3. Star Wars (original trilogy)
4. The Thing (1982)
5. Saving Private Ryan
6. The Blues Brothers
8. The Terminator
9. The Matrix
10. Patton
11. Tora! Tora! Tora!
12. Braveheart
13. Jurassic Park
14. Monty Python and the Holy Grail
15. Army of Darkness
16. Dragonheart
17. The Nightmare Before Christmas
18. Godzilla (1954)
19. Starship Troopers
20. Gladiator
21. Ghostbusters (1986)
22. Jumanji
YouTube videos for homeschoolers and gifted/talented students
1. Hanna-Barbera Bible stories
3. Veritasium
5. Ancient Recitations
6. Mark Rober
my favorite
2. Crash Course
4. PBS Eons
7. Hungarian Folktales
8. Greatest Audiobooks
9. YouTube Movies
10. Traditional Music Channel
suggested books for homeschoolers and gifted/talented students
These are all books I've read and enjoyed. They are also on the shorter side and are easy to read.
1. Escape from Laos
2. Hunter by J A Hunter
3. Slaughterhouse 5
4. The Art of War
5. Lies My Teacher Told Me
6. The Wind in the Willows
7. The Age of Reason
8. Animal Farm
9. Sixth Column
10. The Hobbit
11. Any book from the All About series, but particularly All About Strange Beasts of the Past
12. Calvin and Hobbes books
13. Dilbert books
14. The Far Side books
15. The Cartoon History of the Universe - by far the most interesting and educational comic book ever
16. Philosophy Made Simple
17. Bathroom Reader books
18. Alice in Wonderland
19. A Princess of Mars
20. Kipling's Just-So Stories
21. Badass by Ben Thompson
22. Bulfinch's Mythology
23. A Brief History of Time
24. Dune
25. Storm of Steel
26. Cows, Pigs, Wars, and Witches
27. The True Believer
28. Man's Search for Meaning
Thursday, July 30, 2026
KGB defector tells all
His most interesting revelation is that the KGB spent very little time, money, and manpower on James Bond stuff. Instead, it worked on the slow, easy, and inexpensive process of destroying a country through things like propaganda and education. The KGB wanted influence the young people who would grow up to be politicians, bureaucrats, etc. If it could do that, they would defeat that country without fighting.
what is the minimum education an American adult needs?
I've been an adult living in America for 23 years. Here are the essential skills I use often:
-literacy (rarely above the 8th grade level)
-basic computer skills
-driving
-handwriting (not as important as it used to be)
-arithmetic and algebra
-hygiene
-laundry
-cooking
-basic knot tying
-money management
So that's the bare minimum. I think the average person could learn all of that in a few years or less.
The following skills are good to have, but not essential:
-swimming
-first aid
-driving a stick shift
-map reading
-a foreign language
-hand-to-hand combat
Here are some things I spent much time studying which rarely or never came up:
anthropology, astrology, biology, calculus, chemistry, dinosaurs, economics, entomology, etymology, French, Greek, history, Japanese, Latin, linguistics, literature, marksmanship, music, philosophy, physics, poetry, Shakespeare, Spanish, statistics, thermodynamics, trigonometry
I'm glad I studied all those things and more, but they are mostly irrelevant to my daily life.
Modern American education is mostly about keeping kids busy until they're old enough to work. This is a serious mistake. About 50% of students should stop going to school after the 5th grade and about 80% should stop after the 8th grade. Only the top 20% belong in high school, and only the top 10% belong in college.
Every kindergartener should be given an IQ test at the end of the year and put on the appropriate track. I don't expect that to happen, but it should. Americans really need to rethink their view of egalitarianism.
What should all these emancipated students be doing instead? I suggest things like sports, art, music, drama, computers, woodworking, auto repair, etc.
Wednesday, July 29, 2026
Monday, July 20, 2026
useful questions
1. What would you do if success was guaranteed?
I'd be a writer or maybe a scientist.
2. What would you do if you had unlimited money and no obligations?
Probably most of the same things I do now. I'd live a simple, peaceful life. I'd read, write, walk, swim, make AI art, tinker, travel, date, and spend time with family and friends.
The only big difference is that I'd buy a plot of land and put a mobile home on it.
3. What would you do if you were immortal and had eternal youth?
I'd go to Mars to help build a settlement there. Maybe every few decades, I'd head back to earth for a vacation.
Speaking of space colonization, it's a terrible idea for many reasons. The money and effort would be better used making sure civilization survives on earth for thousands of years to come. 99% of species go extinct within 15 million years.
the dilemma
Often, actions that are politically feasible won't help, and actions that would help are too unpopular to be politically feasible.
So in order to get anywhere, politicians have practice strategic hypocrisy: promise a popular policy and then implement the unpopular one. It's like putting pet medicine in a piece of cheese to get a dog to swallow it.
As a public service, below are some of my suggestions on how to sell necessary but unpopular policies.
Measure: repeal the minimum wage
Slogan: Maximizing Employment Act
Measure: school vouchers
Slogan: Helping Our Teachers Act
Measure: abolish the income tax
Slogan: Fairness for Working Families Act
The magic words are: children, families, working, freedom, teachers, defense, security, fair, smart, care
Measure: cut military spending 90%
Slogan: Smart Defense and Security Act
lying about crime
There is black on white homicide almost every day in the US, but unless it's particularly heinous (such as the Metcalf stabbing with many witnesses or the Zarutska stabbing caught on video), it rarely makes the national news. What does often make the national news are police killings of black Americans and white on black homicides.
20 black-on-white homicides found in June, 2026 — 22 total, including updates, by Kenn Gividen - The Unz Review
Most journalists in the US are liberal and use their jobs to push the agenda of the Democratic Party. Among other things, this involves stoking black resentment against whites whenever possible. The Democratic Party styles itself as the protector of minorities, so they do their best to frighten them with stories of oppression in order to get their votes. Their propaganda works.
The man who wrote the article below ended up getting fired, but it makes for entertaining reading. The gist is to stay away from American blacks unless you know them personally.
YouTube is now filled with videos from police cameras showing the reality of crime in the US. Here is a simple traffic stop that escalated into a high-speed chase and a fatal car crash, all because the driver and occupants refused to follow simple and lawful commands.
The bottom line is that black Americans commit more crime. That's why they have more interactions with the police and why more of them end up in prison. Denying this reality does no good.
Fortunately, some black Americans recognize the problems in their community and are trying to push things in a positive direction.
White Americans are taught early on that racism is bad, and the vast majority believe that it is. It's easier to find white Americans who believe the earth is flat than truly believe blacks are an inferior race.
mensa, iq, and race
Mensa, the organization for those in the top 2% for IQ (IQ greater than or equal to 130), has statistics about its demographics:
There's selection bias since people choose to join Mensa. It says the US Mensa group has about 40,000 members. It has breakdowns for education, age, and gender, but nothing about race or ethnicity. The relationship between IQ and race has been a taboo topic for a long time.
Over at BET (Black Entertainment Television) they say the US Mensa group has 57,000 members and
362 are black. I'm not sure how BET got this information. Mensa must keep track and provides such info for a fee.
Anyway, 362 is less than 1% of the total.
If we work from the oft-cited figure that black Americans have an average IQ of 85, about 1% will have IQs of 130 and above. And given that black Americans are about 12% of the population, they will be less than 1% of Americans who have IQs over 130.
math breakdown
Standard deviation is 15, 130 is 3 standard deviations above. 99.7% of data in a bell curve is within 3 standard deviations of the mean. 1 - 0.997 = 0.003. 0.003/2 = 0.0015 or 0.15%
362/57000 = 0.0063 or 0.63%
This suggests that a higher percent of black people with IQs over 130 join Mensa as compared to whites.
war - a simple guide for american leaders
How to make war
1. If you are already at war, finish it before starting a new one.
2. Pick ONE country to bomb. This is important.
3. Pick at least one other country to help with the bombing. If you can't get help, stop. Do not go to step 4.
4. Bomb the shit out of the country you picked in step 2. This should not take more than a month.
5. Declare victory whether they surrender or not.
6. STOP bombing them.
Sunday, July 19, 2026
suggested schedule and activities for gifted and talented children
In the US, this refers to children with IQs 130 or higher. They are in the top 2% for intelligence and do best with self-directed learning.
Places to take them: above all, libraries. After that, museums, zoos, aquariums, planetariums, and escape rooms. Regular weekend trips should be enough. If they can volunteer at these places or partner with a mentor there, they should.
If they're in public school, they should try to skip grades and graduate early. Schools are designed around an IQ range of 85 to 115.
Set a limit of about an hour of reading per day. One movie per day is acceptable. An hour of TV and video game time per day is reasonable. That covers about four hours.
Ideally, they should have some project they are working on that takes up most of their time during the day. This can include gardening, painting, drawing, writing, playing music, building models, solving puzzles, science experiments, or playing chess. Fours per day during the week should be enough.
Intellectual children often lack physical fitness. Running, swimming, weightlifting, and martial arts can counteract this. Scouting and 4H are great places for such children to socialize. If nothing else, long walks and bike rides build endurance and resilience.
It's very easy to get such children to do chores if you pay them. They should start working part-time as soon as they can.
They should conceal their intelligence, follow their passions, and take the path of least resistance.
suggested homeschool schedule
I hope to have kids someday and ideally homeschool them with the help of a stay-at-home mom. It probably won't work out that way, but it's useful to consider the ideal case. Kids should help with cooking and cleaning. Actual school would last six hours with 30 minutes each for 12 periods:
1. copying dictionary (for handwriting, spelling, vocabulary, and reading comprehension)
2. reading the Bible (for moral instruction, cultural awareness, and reading comprehension)
3. math (emphasis on arithmetic up to algebra)
4. music (listening and playing/singing)
5. art (appreciation and drawing/painting)
6. walk outside
7. Spanish or another foreign language
8. science (alternate biology, chemistry, physics, astronomy)
9. geography
10. history
11. news
12. poetry
0700 to 0800 - hygiene and breakfast
0800 to 1200 - school
1200 to 1300 - lunch
1300 to 1500 - school
1500 to 1600 - chores
1600 to 1700 - sports/strength training/cardio
1700 to 1800 - dinner
1800 to 1900 - TV and video games
1900 to 2000 - hygiene
2000 to 2200 - movie
2200 to 0600 - sleep
weekend and summer schedule
0900 to 1000 - hygiene and breakfast
1700 to 1800 - dinner
2000 to 2200 - movie
Saturday, July 18, 2026
blue zones, longevity, and diversity
The so-called blue zones are locations where most people live long with good health.
***
The Blue Zones are regions in the world where people live significantly longer and healthier lives. The five official Blue Zones are:
Okinawa, Japan: Known for its high number of centenarians and a diet rich in vegetables and tofu.
Sardinia, Italy: Features a strong community and a diet high in whole grains and healthy fats.
Nicoya Peninsula, Costa Rica: Residents have a strong sense of purpose and a diet rich in beans and corn.
Ikaria, Greece: Known for its Mediterranean diet and active lifestyle, leading to low rates of dementia.
Loma Linda, California, USA: Home to a community of Seventh-day Adventists who follow a plant-based diet and prioritize health
***
A factor overlooked is that all these places are extremely homogenous. Being around people who are similarly to you lowers stress and fosters strong relationships.
Vegetables, seafood, swimming, moderate climate, exercise, no tobacco, moderate alcohol - yes, these are all important. Community and a sense of identity is also important.
***
After scanning the entire United States, the researchers found that Manassas Park, Virginia, a city of roughly 17,000 located 30 miles southwest of Washington, D.C., and Weld County, Colorado, a metropolitan area just north of Denver that’s home to 378,000 people, ranked highest with life expectancies of 96-years-old.
Black folks in those communities are living well past the national average of 74-years-old.
The same can be said for Loudoun, Fairfax, Prince William, and Montgomery counties in Virginia — all located outside of Washington, D.C. — where Black residents are living up to 82-years-old, on average.
Coined as “Chocolate City,” D.C. has historically had a large Black population — making up 45% of the district’s population as of 2021.
“If there is a Wakanda in the United States, it’s the DMV,” or the District of Columbia-Maryland-Virginia corridor, Perry says.
“You have places in Maryland and Virginia, in particular, where Black people are thriving. They’re walking around with Air Jordans. They got the nice, fancy job. They own the homes. They’re living the life, and they’re living longer,” he says.
***
The DC metro area is about twice black as the US average (24% vs 12%).
an amusing own goal
This poster makes whiteness look like a great thing, which is not what the creators intended. It was displayed in the Smithsonian, America's foremost museum.
Scientific method, work hard, plan for the future, steak and potatoes, be polite - that all sounds pretty good to me. It probably sounds good to many people who aren't white.
What the hell were the people who made this thinking?
It turns out the poster was based on the work of Ibram X. Kendi, who refers to himself as an antiracist. In practice, this means constantly complaining about white people. According to him, it is not enough to merely not be racist. To be truly virtuous, you must be antiracist.
I respond to Kendi thusly:
leave the monuments alone
And I mean all of them- ancient, Confederate, Communist, whatever. They're works of art. I strongly oppose communism, but even ex Eastern Bloc countries have left many standing for educational and artistic value.
comment gold
***
The philosophy behind these monuments is best described by one of their most famous architects Bogdan Bogdanović: "While I built them, I wished for a world without monuments. It seems that these people are created to suffer, and new generations complicate that suffering further. Monuments to suffering are dishonest, often stupid and comical. They explain nothing and call for nothing. Philosophical and metaphysical ideas don't need matter. Every monument is a little bit aggressive, and the memories it evokes are always dangerous. The world without history is truly impossible, but we should build a history of intelligence, ideas and sensations, not of overpowering. But it seems that is just my wishful thinking."
***
white savior complex
A white man who spent his life living with and ministering to black Americans shares his opinions on rap and crime:
Black murder is normal | Michael Smith | TEDxJacksonville
***
Take up the White Man's burden—
Send forth the best ye breed—
Go bind your sons to exile
To serve your captives' need;
To wait in heavy harness
On fluttered folk and wild—
Your new-caught, sullen peoples,
Half devil and half child.
Take up the White Man's burden—
In patience to abide,
To veil the threat of terror
And check the show of pride;
By open speech and simple,
An hundred times made plain.
To seek another's profit,
And work another's gain.
Take up the White Man's burden—
The savage wars of peace—
Fill full the mouth of Famine
And bid the sickness cease;
And when your goal is nearest
The end for others sought,
Watch Sloth and heathen Folly
Bring all your hope to nought.
Take up the White Man's burden—
No tawdry rule of kings,
But toil of serf and sweeper—
The tale of common things.
The ports ye shall not enter,
The roads ye shall not tread,
Go make them with your living,
And mark them with your dead!
Take up the White Man's burden—
And reap his old reward:
The blame of those ye better,
The hate of those ye guard—
The cry of hosts ye humour (Ah, slowly!) toward the light:
"Why brought ye us from bondage,
Our loved Egyptian night?"
Take up the White Man's burden—
Ye dare not stoop to less—
Nor call too loud on freedom
To cloak your weariness;
By all ye cry or whisper,
By all ye leave or do,
The silent, sullen peoples
Shall weigh your Gods and you.
Take up the White Man's burden—
Have done with childish days—
The lightly proffered laurel,
The easy, ungrudged praise.
Comes now, to search your manhood
Through all the thankless years,
Cold-edged with dear-bought wisdom,
The judgment of your peers!
***
An African on racial differences
education, religion, work-life balance, suicide, and fertility
There are a number of trends that overlap with low fertility in the industrialized world.
In China, Japan, and South Korea, children are pushed very hard in school, often to the point that they have very little time to socialize. This contributes to increased suicide and makes it harder for young people to form relationships.
In China, it is a common practice to hook kids up to IV drips so they can spend more time doing homework.
In Europe and North America, declining church attendance means young people are less likely to form relationships with peers who share their values. This increases loneliness and means fewer marriages and friendships.
Also in Europe and North America, fewer people are getting married to people they meet at work. Work used to be one of the main places people found their spouses. The other two places were school and church.
Any civilization that doesn't reproduce enough is a just few generations from extinction. Family formation is the key to the long-term survival of groups.
In India, Africa, and the Islamic world, arranged marriages are common, and so the fertility rate remains high. Matchmakers are also prevalent in Asia and the Islamic world.
Of the 30 countries with the highest fertility, 28 are in Africa and the other two are Yemen and Afghanistan. What do these countries have in common? Well, they are poor, are very religious (Christianity or Islam), and the women there often get married young. Chad, which has the world's highest birthrate, is about evenly split between Christians and Muslims.
In North America, the white groups with the highest fertility are the Amish and the Mormons (LDS). They are both patriarchal and highly religious.
Feminism, birth control, pornography, prostitution, and abortion are much more common in the industrialized world. They are linked by the idea of sexual permissiveness.
So what conclusions can we draw and what solutions can be implemented? I see it this way:
1. Most people, but especially women, should stop going to school after the 8th grade.
2. Enough cheap housing needs to be built. This point bears repeating.
3. Traditional and patriarchal views should be tolerated rather than suppressed.
4. More teachers should be men. They are better at instilling discipline and learning.
5. Abortion should be limited to cases of rape, incest, and life of the mother. Currently, about 85% of abortions are for other reasons.
Since I'm an American, I'm mostly thinking about what my country needs to do to get back on the right path. In 1960, the median age at first marriage was 23 for men and 20 for women. The fertility rate in the same year was 3.65, which is about the same as Guinea-Bissau today.
The US has slight population growth only because of very high rates of immigration, which is not sustainable. America's cultures and institutions won't survive if the racial and ethnic composition changes too much from what it was in 1960. The current composition is acceptable, but a larger white majority would be better.
America has a long history of trying to integrate various groups with the white majority, and the results have been mixed at best. The main groups have been the people of the various native tribes, blacks, and Mexicans. History shows America does best when it has a large white majority, such as during the Roaring Twenties and the postwar Baby Boom era.
Jared Taylor gave a good speech on the ongoing failure of multiculturalism in America since 1607. It was banned in Paris.
America's freedom and success come from individualism. America is an individualistic country because whites on average are more individualistic than other races. It's hard to herd cats, but amazing things happen when you do. Note the race of the people in the following video:
1969 was the peak of space travel and aerospace technology. Back then, the country was 88% white and 11% black. The median age at first marriage the same year was 20 for women and 22 for men. The fertility rate was 2.43.
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