Gregory Lewis Web-Log

Humanity in the Era of Super-Science, A.I. Singularities, and Weapons of Mass Destruction Mankind muddled along for tens of thousands of years with very little change in their daily lives or how they lived. Large-scale agriculture established civilization, as we would recognize it today, about 9,000 years ago. Scientific and technological advances were slow, few, and far between. The wheel, fire, and the alphabet took thousands of years to develop and spread to civilizations. Astronomy is considered by most experts to be the first science. Fire, the wheel, the axe, and the alphabet are among the greatest inventions of mankind. Copernicus, Galileo, Newton, and Darwin ushered in a new era of Science that caused humanity to emerge from the dark-ages and place scientific reasoning and inquiry head-and-shoulders above other pathways to knowledge and wisdom. Two centuries later, for better and for worse, mankind lives in an era of Super-Science, A.I. Singularities, and Weapons of Mass Destru...

 The Dark Night Sky Paradox... Astronomers have been wrestling with The Dark Night Sky Paradox for centuries. The famous thought experiment states that if there are an infinite number of stars in the galaxy and universe, then the night sky should be fully luminous with all the starlight, but it is not. Much of the night sky is, in fact, dark. There are several variations of the The Dark Night Sky Paradox, and many famous, and not-so-famous, astronomers have attempted solutions to the paradox. I will not embarrass myself by even trying to solve the paradox and leave any possible solution to the mysterious unknown. Nevertheless, as Americans celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, a remarkable milestone for any political document, I was privileged to witness, again an online video streaming, of the Summer Solstice sunrise at Stonehenge. I was not physically present at either of these places, for either of these events. However, using the won...

 Bridging the Digital Divide in 2026 Microsoft just concluded their 2026 Build Developer Conference with CEO Satya Nadella delivering the opening keynote address. I am a Microsoft Certified Windows Programmer. My interests are in Personal Computers, the Windows operating system, the Office Suite of applications, and electronic video games for the PC. I am also very familiar with Microsoft's Enterprise Server technologies, but I have not done much with them in recent years. Collectively, these products and services account for more than $80 billion of Microsoft's annual revenues, or about 25% of Microsoft's total annual revenues. After more than 50 years in the IT business, many people do not know today the corporate name "Microsoft" stands for "Micro-computer Software." Microsoft Windows currently powers 1.6 billion devices, worldwide, and is the operating system of choice for businesses, educators, farmers, and non-profit organizations. Today's $2,0...

 An Ode to the State’s National Guard and Citizen Soldiers The 2026 Memorial Day Weekend is upon us. Here in the United States the holiday signals the unofficial start of the Summer Season. Most colleges and universities have had their respective graduation ceremonies. I want to extend a special congratulations to those who recently graduated from my alma mater, Virginia Tech. Most High Schools will conclude their academic school year in the coming weeks. Memorial Day is a U.S. Federal Holiday to commemorate those died in action while in the Armed Military Services. These fallen heroes began receiving special recognition following the American Civil War. The Federal Holiday we recognize and know today was formalized following WWII, and codified into law in the early 1970's. It is, perhaps, the most sacred and revered holiday in the military communities, remembering those who sacrificed their final measure in service to the country. Folks, professional military units need four vital...

 Going Off-Grid with Windows PC's 2026 Today is Thursday April 30, 2026. I am very happy to report the 13 month-long civil lawsuit against me has ended. Through legal motions, missed filing deadlines, and various other court proceedings the civil lawsuit against me has, effectively, been dismissed by the court system. I am currently speaking with members of the clergy, attorneys, and others about the viability of counter-lawsuits, possible civil rights and Constitution violations, and exactly how to prevent such lawsuits against me from occurring in the future. I will comment no further about this lawsuit on any public forums, only to say this civil lawsuit against me was based entirely on lies, falsehoods, and gross misrepresentation of facts and events. I want to sincerely thank my many supporters and defenders of this past year through this very difficult time. Prior to the start of the civil lawsuit against me 13 months ago, I was in late-stage negotiations on certain commercia...

Today is Tuesday March 31, 2026. It is my birthday. It is the final trading-day of the first quarter. The 2026 tax-filing deadline here in the United States is only two weeks away. The stock market on Wall Street is in, or near, correction territory, being 10% down from its recent January highs. Washington D.C. is in a partial government shutdown because of the massive amount of debt and budget impasse. Presently, the sovereignty and territorial dispute between Russia and Ukraine is entering its fifth year. If Ukraine is required to relinquish eastern territory to Russia to secure a peace-deal, then Russia's Putin should be required to step down as President. Russia's President Putin has proven himself an unreliable ally and threat to peace and security in Eastern Europe. There is, also, a regional war in the Middle-East at the Strait of Hormuz entering its fifth week. The Allied Forces of U.S., Israel, and others are disputing with Iran over its nuclear weapons capabilities, s...

 Aesthetics and Philosophy of Art Philosophy of Art has long been a part of the more broader studies in Philosophy. The Ancient Greek Philosophers Pythagoras, Plato and Aristotle all addressed the subject of Philosophy of Art, Music, and Beauty that would later become known, collectively, as Aesthetics. The peoples of ancient and medieval times were mostly illiterate. The common person could not read, write, or engage with books, scrolls or literature. The fine arts of music, poetry, painting, sculpting, and engravings was a way these illiterate peoples retained their respective histories and cultural heritage. Furthermore, works of art are not constrained by specific language barriers, and are better at traversing spatial and temporal boundaries. Therefore, works of fine art could be easily shared among illiterate peoples who spoke different languages across vast distances of space or time. To do so, the work of art must convey an idea, feeling, emotion, belief, knowledge, or expr...

 Athena's Spear and the Business of War We are three weeks into the New Year 2026. This is my first web-log posting of the New Year. The United States has recently taken the Venezuelan President Maduro into U.S. custody, tariffs and trade wars dominate the international headlines, Ukraine and Russia are in the third year of its border and territorial dispute, the Israelis and the international community is trying to deal with Hamas in the Gaza Strip, Virginia’s first female governor took office in Richmond this past weekend, and the World Economic Forum has its annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland this week. Firstly, I would like to start this web-log post by stating only blood-thirsty tyrants lust after war. War is an instance of chaos overtaking order and rationality. War is a lot of people dying and everyone is thrust into extreme hardship. It is often said the first casualty of war is Truth and war never really solves any problems, but only sows the seeds for future armed milit...

 Christmas 2025: Computers, Radios, Electronics and More! It is only 5 days until Christmas 2025. It might be difficult to get these items under the tree before Christmas, but they are great gift ideas for Christmas gift-card money, birthdays, or any holiday you might be celebrating. Presently, I am not affiliated with these products or websites in any way. These websites and commercial products are simply my personal recommendations as a Microsoft Certified Windows Programmer, business consultant, and tutor. Firstly, I am a Microsoft Certified Windows Programmer and currently researching the requirements for teaching High School Computer Science. Most of my electronics recommendations for business, school, and communications are centered around Windows PC’s. Personal Computers were declared an essential devices during the recent pandemic crisis. It is still possible to get updates for your Windows 10 computers, but I highly recommend upgrading to Windows 11 immediately. With 25 ye...

 Thanksgiving 2025: Pilgrims, Native Americans, Turkey, and Football The month of November is a very special time of the year. I am one of 35 million world-wide descendants of the 1620 Mayflower voyage and Plymouth Plantation. I have distant ancestry of the Seneca Native American Peoples. Virginia Tech and the University of Virginia will play the Commonwealth Cup football game, one of the longest-running rivalries in college sports. Civilization, itself, is closely related, even identified, with the success of the Fall agricultural harvest and yield of the crops. The human story in Bible Genesis begins in the Garden of Eden. Government and religious leaders depend, almost exclusively, on the bounty of the harvest and the standard of living for their respective members. The Puritan Pilgrim Separatists of the 1620 Mayflower and Plymouth Plantation, fleeing religious persecution in Europe, established the first permanent English settlement here in the New World, and did nothing less t...

Halloween 2025: More Thoughts on the Apocalypse October 31st Halloween 2025 is two weeks away, followed by All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day. I am a Christian Baptists and we did not have much to do with anything at this time of year. As an undergraduate Philosophy major I had courses in Philosophy of Religion and participated in various Inter-Faith Dialogue Conferences. It was not until my later undergraduate college years at Virginia tech that I became intrigued with the history and religious significance of this transition to shorter days and longer nights. Afterwards, I spent an entire year reading the King James Study Bible authorized by Liberty University. I then spent an additional two years of personal research on the Apocalypse. I researched the Apocalypse using a three-pronged approach: 1. Philosophy of Religion, 2. Comparative Religion, and 3. with a practical disaster-preparedness perspective. I am currently researching how modern technology can help facilitate inter-faith...

 Saving Democracy (or Making America Great Again) We are in the final days of September 2025. Autumn has started and people are now settling into their Fall and Winter routines. Presently, a U.S. Government budget shutdown is looming, a tariff and international trade-war is ongoing, and here in Virginia early voting has already begun for the November general elections.  To start, I do not support, in any way, the violent overthrow of the U.S Government, nor do I support any violence against any government officials or government property. I believe government reform will happen in a peaceful manner, without violence, and those who have been robbing and victimizing the American citizenry these past decades will see True Justice. The monies and lands that have been stolen and swindled by corrupt U.S. government officials will be returned to their rightful owners, and formal apologies will be issued to the innocent American citizens who have been wrongfully targeted with endless ...

 Labor Day 2025 We are in the final days of August, and Americans will celebrate Labor Day 2025 on Monday. Labor Day represents the "unofficial" end of Summer. Schools and colleges have started their Fall terms. Farms, construction sites, and tourist destinations look to finish out their seasons before the first frost and snow falls. Here in Virginia, state elections and local politics will dominate the headlines for the next few months. Most Americans have little knowledge or understanding of the original meaning of the Labor Day Holiday. In the 20th Century, as the U.S. Economy transitioned from an agrarian-based economy to a manufacturing-based economy, there was a great deal of tension and conflict between laborers and management. As farm science and technology improved over the 20th century fewer farmers were needed to produce agricultural products. In some instances, farmers left their farms to work in factories that produced tractors and other farming equipment that ac...

Corn Ethanol is the King of the Alternative Bio-Fuels Maize Corn was first domesticated 9,000 years ago in what is today southern Mexico by Indigenous Native Americans. Cinteotl and Chicomecoatl were the primary Aztec Maize Corn deities. Maize Corn was planted as part of the Native American Three Sisters polyculture that included squash, maize corn, and the climbing or common bean. Called "Indian Corn" by Europeans, it was a major crop of the Columbian Exchange of the 1500's that introduced various crops and livestock between the different continents and cultures, and has since surpasses wheat and rice in worldwide production. In 2020, total world production of Maize Corn was 1.16 billion tonnes, with the United States and China, together, producing half of the world's Maize Corn. Maize Corn is a staple and primary food source in the diets of billions of people, with a wide-range of culinary recipe uses. Maize Corn can be distilled into Bourbon Whiskey, White Lightnin...

 Science, Technology, and Society Studies A popular, and growing, field of study is in the area of Science, Technology, and Society, or STS for short. STS examines the impact and effect of science and technology on individuals, groups, and in some instances, Nations and the Globe. Many of these various technologies are utilized on a global scale, and impacts many of the current 8.2 billion Earthly inhabitants. I am a Microsoft Certified Windows Programmer. Microsoft, a more than $3.5 trillion company, is considered by most to be the most valuable company on Earth. Microsoft has more than 1.6 billion active Windows Devices, worldwide. Today’s $2,000 Windows PC has 40X(times) the computing capability of an $8 million supercomputer of the late 1970’s. Microsoft is celebrating its 50th year of successful business this year, empowering individuals, schools, and businesses alike. Most of my PC work meets, or exceeds, U.S. Government / Military standards. Personal Computers are now essent...

 Sic Semper Tyrannis The Seal of Virginia Tech, my alma mater, prominently features an obverse of Virtue defeating Tyranny. The standing allegorical female figure of Virtue is shown having vanquished Tyranny, symbolized by a fallen king at her feet. She has an exposed breast in the manner of classical depictions of Amazons. The scene is adopted from the Flag and Seal of the State of Virginia that has its origins in the American Revolution of 1776. The motto shown on the seal, Sic Semper Tyrannis, means "Thus always to tyrants." It is only slightly ironic that Virginia is named after Queen Elizabeth I of England, who was known as the Virgin Queen because she never married. During ancient classical times of Greece and Rome Tyrants were political leaders who seized power by illegal means, but usually enjoyed widespread support among the masses. The poor and middle-classes of ancient Greece and Rome preferred Tyrants to the ruling monarchs or aristocracy. Nevertheless, by late an...

 Easter Weekend 2025 Tomorrow is Easter Sunday 2025. Easter has come late this year and many colleges and universities will be holding graduation ceremonies in less than a month. Virginia Tech, my alma mater, will graduate 5,000 new fellow Hokies Nation alumni members next month, many of whom will be exploring their graduate school options. As the stock market slips further into bear-market territory, and Washington D.C. gets closer to shutting down because of budget problems, more and more people will be exploring his/her online college options. Firstly, a college graduate with a four-year bachelors degree earns, on average, twice that of someone who has only a high-school diploma. Secondly, many professions require some college, or even specific college diplomas, to meet the academic requirements of practicing in that respective profession. For example; teachers, financial advisors, stock traders, lawyers, military officers, healthcare providers, and even some auto-mechanic certi...

 Not the Economics Nobel Prize It has widely been accepted for nearly 100 years tariffs, and other economic protections policies, greatly contributed to, and possibly caused, the Great Depression of the 1930’s. In free-market capitalist economies the consumer is the final determinant on what is a good or bad product or service, and is the main driver of economic growth, employment, and inflation. In free-market capitalist economies the Consumer is King. It has been proven, time and time again, the consumer prefers the lowest price cost of comparable products and services, more so than any other determining factor. Tariffs, and other protectionist policies cause supply-chain problems, price uncertainties, and ultimately pain for the consumer. Any professional economist who has deviated from that generally accepted economic principle of the past 100 years has eliminated themselves from being considered for the Economics Nobel Prize. No professional economist will ever win the Nobel P...

 Amazonian Warrior Women and Dwarf Armies Most Westerners have heard of the Amazonian Warrior Women of ancient Greek legend and the stories of the Dwarf Armies in the Dungeons and Dragons and the Hobbit franchises. I submit to my followers and readers here on the internet that modern personal computers and related internet communications technologies can make these legends and stories a reality. I want to very clear. I am strongly against women, females, and anyone who cannot meet the rigorous physical standards of active duty military service serving in dangerous combat roles and being eligible for the military draft. Nevertheless, with the availability of online degrees in Military Science, and other online degrees, there are many ways individuals can support the war efforts, while not serving in combat roles.  Additionally, if the military draft is ever re-instituted an online degree in Military Science can help those in direct combat roles better serve his country and defe...