Welcome

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Hello, all good people...

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Salutations, I am Craig Willms creator of the Protohuman blog. I really don't know what this 'space' is anymore. The idea of a weblog has been replaced by the podcast in the modern world. Reading words is so 2005. 

However, I own this space so to speak, and I have things I'd like to say in the form of essays, articles and personal notes simply as a record that I had these thoughts and sought to write them down before I lose myself. I'm under no illusion that anyone will read them - or care one wit. 

Still, there is a chance that someone will look me up after my death and find my online life. We live in the first era where we can preserve our thoughts indefinitely due to the way back machine, aka the Internet. Prior to the Internet you'd have to be published to have your writings preserved outside of your personal notebooks. Therefore, these essays and personal anecdotes that follow are my thoughts.

The articles/essays are in no particular order, relevant perhaps, but may have been superseded by events that followed.  

I maintain the right to be wrong about any of it...      que sera sera!

Take a minute to look at my art and listen to my music. 

 - please see the links in the Recommended Sites section on the right >>>>>>>> 

                     

Errata: July 2026

 

by Craig Willms

As the World Churns

The war, or whatever you want to call it, with Iran has been declared over. Everyone knows it's not over. This is meaningless to Israel. Israel, of course, will have no say in the outcome. Hence, they are still at war. 

Trump apparently wanted it over and made a "deal". That's what Trump does. He's a deal maker. The deal isn't done, but the shooting is, but is it, really? The things that didn't happen are as pivotal as the things that did.  Iran is in coming out of this conflict in poor shape. Militarily, Iran has been decimated, their ability to project power is limited to some missiles and a bunch of drones. Both are routinely shot out of the sky by the U.S. and Israeli defenses. Their defenses are gone. Despite Iran's meager effort to expand the conflict it did not spread to include any other major power. Neighboring states under fire were largely protected by the U.S. military. Even more important to America and Americans is no ground troops were involved and no daily body count. Troops were lost, but few were lost to enemy fire. 

On the other side I don't have a clue as to how many Irani's were killed, but don't think it was massive. Civilians in Iran were mostly unscathed. A large part of the Iranian population was asking, praying for Trump's intervention. I'm not sure they got what they asked for, in fact I'm pretty sure they didn't. The "regime" is still holding the nation in a stranglehold.

In the end I fully understood the justification for Trump doing this, Iran has been waging a terrorist war on the West for 47 years. President 47 wanted to put a stop to it. Well, he didn't. He did cripple Iran, that's true. Other positives will emerge as time passes, but it's still kicking the can down the road, only this time he used a cannon. Iran, if left unchecked will continue the Jihad.

Maybe it was a message to the rest of the world. A demonstration. Was it worth it? We'll have to let the future decide, at least it was not an atrocious bloodbath. 

DSA Test

We men have submit a PSA test as we age. It's used to see if we have a serious health crisis looming. The Democratic Party is enduring a DSA test as we speak. Depending on the outcome patient America may have a real serious health issue.

It is beyond me how anyone in their right mind would think that socialism/communism is an answer to anything. It's been a disaster everywhere it's been tried. Clearly these people and the people who vote for them are not in their right minds. So, are we supposed to accept mentally challenged crazy people inserting socialists into high office? 

Is the current big bank, private equity Wall Street paradigm some kind of nirvana? No, it is not. But socialism is not the cure to what ails us. Getting big money and its warped influence out of Washington and out of all politics is where it needs to start.

So, over the next few election cycles we'll see if the ridiculous Democratic Party succumbs to insanity. There is a cabal of dark money funding the socialist takeover of the Democratic party, Soros and other non-American billionaires along with China's CCP are funding these radicals. If they succeed the plan is to destroy the United States from within. Initially the uni-party Democrats and Republicans will be the losers. The center will not hold. MAGA or something like it will probably anchor the Republicans. Trumps supporters generally love him, but Trump's unhinged detractors hate him so much more. 

Democrats are a party of hate. I'm not going to sugarcoat it; they are self-destructive haters. They can cry and scream about the so-called Christian Nationalists and other ghosts threatening our democracy, but the DSA's hate knows no bounds. They hate America, they hate Americans, they hate just about everything except power.

We're All Gonna Die

It's summer in Minnesota and it will get hot. This is similar to winter which generally gets cold. Hearty Minnesotans have mostly learned to deal with it, hot in the summer and cold in the winter, pretty simple. You wouldn't be able to tell watching local or even national news these days. 

We were told our faces were going to melt this week. It was going to reach 90 degrees with high humidity, oh the humanity!!! No, not 90 degrees!! It's outright dangerous to even go outside. They have lists and pointers and advice on how to survive it. Thank God! In the winter we have similar scare stories. I, like most people have enough sense not to freeze my ass off - because it is dangerous in sub-zero weather. 

I'm glad to have a heads up, that is all well and good, but we don't need wall to wall, noon to midnight updates and tips on how to survive the heat.

The United States of Whiners

 by Craig Willms

I know every generation of men have a modicum of disdain for the generations that follow. There are now 2 generations beyond mine that have reach adulthood. There's me, a boomer as the kids like to call us, with Gen X and Millennials now being adults. Gen Z and whatever they'll call what comes after Z are struggling with the very idea of adulthood. And so, as it is with popular culture, the tables have been turned - the teens and early 20's have a mountain of disdain for their elders.

The World War 2 generation saw the youth become hippies and war protestors; they hated them. The Baby Boomers are watching the latest generation succumb to whining. It's all whining all the time. Try listening to 2 hrs of public radio, NPR or the local MPR. Every story is a tearjerker in that the fascists are ripping constitutional rights right out from under the innocent the meek. 

I can't imagine how the young whiners of today would have reacted to life in 1926. I can't even imagine how I would have dealt with life in 1926. People were hard as nails back then. Men and women worked tough, back breaking jobs day in and day out. Today's kids can't pull their eyes from their phones for ten minutes to go outside to get some fresh air. While they're transfixed by their screens, they've become perpetual whine machines. The gripe that the boomers have robbed them of a future. But they don't get up and strive for something better in their own lives - they only whine. The adults in their lives do not chide them and demand that they get up and do something, instead they fuel the whine. These are the kids that were awarded trophies for breathing. They are children, they have nothing except what the adults in their lives feed them. We seem to feed them self-pity. It's very sad. 

I will blame the feminization of the culture to a great degree, but the men have checked out as well. Baby boomer men were the first to step back. We were involved with our kid's lives far more than the generation that preceded us, but since our wives broke out and entered the workaday world (out of necessity in many cases) we were content to let 'the culture' take over where the women would have been. Yes, I blame feminization, but not necessarily the women in our lives. Women were between a rock and a hard place. 

Fast forward a couple of generations and let the whinefest begin.

Could you call this little essay a whinefest? Yes, I guess you could. So be it. We baby boomers have raised our kids and have little to do with how the youngsters are turning out these days. Grandparents in this modern world are not involved or included in the grandkid's day to day lives. Circumstances drive much of this, the world changes, the culture changes. It is, as they say, what it is. But we don't have to like it.

We had it tough too, every single young person who has ever lived has a hard time reaching true adulthood, that's called life. Did we whine about it? I suppose we did, but there was no one to listen to it. Today we are swimming in the handwringing and the whining. There are countless podcasts and entire industries devoted to underpinning this give-up culture. It's nauseating. Do the young think the deck was not stacked against us too? Well, it was. 

I want to have hope for the future. This constant whining and me oh my mentality has got to stop. There are bright lights out there, extraordinary young people who try to impress the notion of getting off their ass and becoming someone on the rest of them. There shine so brightly because so many of their peers are so dim. To the adults out there, you are not helping the young by constantly validating the whining. Listen yes, then offer hard advice or demand that the kids actually do something other than looking at their screens and feeling sorry for themselves.

Parallel Existence

 

by Craig Willms

A while back I read a comment on a YouTube video that struck me as actually being profound. When I thought about the underlying meaning of the comment, I said to myself 'well, that's me'. In short, the subject was about how we navigate the public world and where we prefer to see our place in it. His comment was - essentially - I go out from my comfortable home, out into the world and interact with others, sometimes compelled, sometimes to accompany my wife for something important to her. I talk and interact in a pleasant way, being perfectly polite, asking questions, smiling and nodding, but not really enjoying any of it. Ok, that's over, good... We return home and I'm instantly happy to be back living a parallel existence to everyone else again.

Parallel existence. Aren't we all living a parallel existence to some degree? Yes, I think so. But we all know people who are not really happy unless they are involved, interacting with others, engaged with another person towards some end. That's what makes them feel alive. For others it's a chore, a burden, all this dealing with people. Those like me are at one with ourselves and don't need people as much... 

I know it sounds bad. It sounds like these people, people like me, don't have relationships or close friends and are not neighborly. That's not it. That's not it at all. It's hard to describe, but it really comes down to the feeling that you have interacting with the people out in the world, you're doing just that, acting. Even that sounds bad. It's best described as that feeling you have when you are finally alone and can be yourself again, peeling off the chameleon skin, done with the show.

It's not that you don't like people. You love people, certain people... It's not that you don't care about the details of their lives, even when you know they don't really care about yours. It's the fact we all have our own shit to deal with and talking about certain things is just tedious or uncomfortable, and it's usually unproductive. It's down to fact that we know that no one really cares. The ones that do care, well, they know you and accept you as you are. The rest of them are going through the motions of polite company.

For a lot of us even in our personal relationships we tend to keep everyone at an arm's length. It's not that we never open up or act in a vulnerable way, but it's kept to a bare minimum. We don't want to be a burden, and we don't seek so-called emotional support - for better or worse. Those who constantly talk about themselves or keep a verbal dialogue running eventually bore the snot out of us and we secretly pray for their silence. We usually don't share unless asked directly. We may come off as snobs I guess, but honestly, does anyone out there truly care about inane details about us? 

There are always exceptions. Some people are so skilled at communication and at expressing what I'd call genuine empathy for you that you tend to open up without even realizing you're doing it. These people are rare and special, but it's not really you that's eliciting it in them, they can do it with just about anyone. You'll notice these types of people are usually quite successful in their chosen fields. Do we envy them, maybe a little. But only a little. 

I have a feeling that this sort of parallel existence phenomenon is largely male, maybe even old guy male. I think women and girls are far more social and actually need closeness in a way that makes men uncomfortable. I think men will be nodding their heads reading this.

I'm not really sure what point I'm trying to make, but I think almost anyone can relate to some degree. Those who are not like this, the ones who dive in headfirst into social situations or really love 'involvement' in groups or social activities might find us odd, but I suspect more people are like me than are like them. It takes all kinds; the world would be a dreadfully dull place if everyone acted like me.

Cynthia vs AI

 

by Craig Willms

A few years ago, there was an ad campaign for something or another that featured Cynthia, an HOA authority figure. Cynthia would walk past a homeowner's place and point out violation after violation. The homeowner would simply respond "Thank you, Cynthia." We always got a kick out of these spots and always say 'Thank you, Cynthia' whenever someone utters the word violation.

When I was watching a YT video on the dangers of AI and the notion that it wasn't being regulated properly or at all, it made me think of  Cynthia. We need an "HOA" for AI development. We need a Cynthia to spot the violations.

In my opinion all AI models need to be subjected to the scrutiny of Cynthia as they are released into the world. I have no idea how something like that would work. How you would regulate something like AI is a mystery to me, herding cats comes to mind. Considering that these AI models are often released to corporations and the general public without any vetting it could be a disaster waiting to happen. Many in-the-know people have warned about it and there's a rumor going around that the "tech bros" and billionaires are building bunkers. Yeah, you better believe it, and they are not putting AI into their new homes.

Currently AI is actually something called LLMs (large language models) that take the sum of human knowledge and apply it to the task/question at hand. The models are trained with myriads of data on any/all subjects, often skimming the Internet and vacuuming up the relevant information. In other words, it is drawing from what is already known, already human knowledge. AI is not necessarily visionary, yet.  

Right now, AI is being released into the world through art/music/entertainment/creative endeavors as well as many business and medical processes. For the creative arts AI models are trained on the music and such that humans have already created. It is not that much different than the way musicians trained themselves since the beginning of time. I learned to play songs by dropping the needle on the record over and over. Today we just create a loop in software so that we can learn to play a segment or passage. It's the same thing; one is just slick and easy... AI 'learns' in seconds, where human musicians spend hours and hours on one song. AI draws on the patterns human composers have designed and is able to make something new, no different than human songwriter always has. There is however something missing in AI music. It's hard to put your finger on it, but it is not inspiring and can sound disingenuous. It lacks the spark that often makes a song special. It lacks the humanity, whatever that means. I admit it is getting better all the time. I suspect that "live" music will have a renaissance even if the music they play out is "pumped out" by AI. People crave authenticity.

There's been plenty of focus on AI replacing humans and taking jobs. So far it hasn't hit the work force that hard - yet. When people have no job and rely on government for basic sustenance the end is in sight. Society suffers with crime and poverty spreading out from the cities and eventually blanketing the entire country. If we go back to being an industrial society to put people to work and get them off hand outs how long before AI ushers in advanced automation and kills those jobs too? 

Don't even think of what overzealous military contractors could unleash... It's spooky.

Honestly, it is the wild wild west out there in regards to AI. Put this potentially powerful tool in the hands of evil doers and we can't even imagine the damage that could be done. Try to imagine the entire electric grid going down because an AI program was slick enough to over ride all the controls preventing transformer overload. The U.S. doesn't even make transformers anymore. It would take years to replace them. That's just one scenario - it would be devastating and would probably destroy America all by itself. Is there any doubt we need Cynthia right now.

All kidding aside is it not clear by now that AI could destroy us? It really could. Believe it. What isn't clear is how to put controls on it. Let's hope something floats to the surface that will give us - humanity - some guidance on that. Hmmm, maybe we could put AI on that.

SPLC - Liberal Darling funds Hate

 

by Craig Willms

The SPLC is one of the ancient social institutions that we just take for granted is doing God's work. Well... No. I have almost no interest in things like the SPLC or NAACP or any number of other non-profits that have been around for decades and decades. It's just not anything that affects me or is intended for people like me. Fine. I assume they are doing something positive. Not so fast.

The SPLC has been implicated in funding the "hate" groups they fight against at every turn. They are being charged with using the money they raised from their large donor network to actually pay the leadership of the very groups they purport to fight against. This is like the exterminator letting loose bugs and rats while waiting for the customer to call to have them eradicate the pests. Bugs and rats are a pretty good descriptor for the SPLC.

Of course they would be the darlings of the liberal left. The SPLC always oppose conservatives and Republicans, likening both to the racists they 'pretend' to fight against. These people are the ones who advocate for the downtrodden while doing everything in their power to ensure the so-called downtrodden can never claw their way up, lest they won't need the SPLC anymore.

The ones who should be angry are their donors and supporters. If history is any guide their funding will only increase as this scrutiny will be called a right-wing hit job. Mark my words, in six months the SPLC will declare record breaking donations have come in.

It is not the right-wing or conservatives that are funding violent extremist groups like the Ku Klux Klan and Nazi organizations - it's the SPLC. Millions of donor dollars are funneled directly into hate groups; the same groups the left cites are outgrowths of conservative and MAGA movements. (They are not.)

How much more evidence do we need for Americans to realize the hard-left is an enemy of the people, just like their mainstream media is?

Destroy America - the Lamm Plan

by Craig Willms

"My Plan to Destroy America"

by Richard Lamm (70's-80's)

Fmr Colorado Governor

1. encourage Bi-lingualism
2. create Multiculturalism
3. add uneducated underclass
4. Big Foundations to fund victimology narrative
5. Dual citizenship
6. Make it taboo to criticize this plan
7. make impossible to enforce immigration laws
8. censor Victor Davis Hansen's Mexifornia

This is the Democratic party platform, the real one. While it's not the entire platform, since tax the rich is not mentioned, but it is the foundation of the Hate America plan. Nearly every one of these points is in place in 2026 America. 

Every point in this plan is devised to cleave America into pieces, pieces that can be steered and controlled. Notice that Christianity is not mentioned. Why, well too many Christians agree with this list and the inclusion of Christian bigotry would turn them off. Be rest assured that ultimately Christianity is in the cross hairs. Like the felling of a mighty oak tree the leftists/Democrats seek to cut Christianity off from its roots, leaving the landscape barren and the forest floor to be scorched by the fires of hell.

Number 4 on this list may be the most insidious. We often think of foundations and NGOs as benign and charitable, they are anything but. They are cover for anti-American, anti West ideologies. Foundations are the playground of the billionaires, tax free havens with which they can attempt to influence the world with a sheen of good intentions and charity. Any real investigation of these foundation and NGO's will bear that out. The really insidious part is that the NGO's - non governmental organizations is that they are often funded by government tax money (or government debt). Our money is going to support groups that hate America, that hate you, particularly you white people. In 2025 the Trump administration and Elon Musk turned the spotlight on them and cut them off from most taxpayer money. The left, the Democrats went nuts. Exposed!

I didn't know anything about Richard Lamm, but I don't have to because clearly in 2026 his replacement is Gov. Walz of Minnesota. I hate to use the word hate, but I hate Walz and everything he stands for. We need only to look at the results of what Lamm has done. Colorado, once one of the greatest states in the U.S., along with California, today Colorado is a dying due to these 8 steps. California speaks for itself...

The last time I was in Colorado 8 years ago I was completely disgusted. It was so depressing compared to my wonderful trips to Colorado in the 80s. Is California and Colorado what we want for the rest of America and the West? My home state of Minnesota is on this exact path and the sheeple keep voting for this because they seem to believe in these 8 steps??? I don't get it. To be fair, Minnesota is a 50/50 state - yet for the last 25 years the state government has been totally dominated by the Democrats. Fully half the people are opposed to the DFL, but their (R) candidates never win. This is impossible in a fair, above the board system, which Minnesota is not.

WAKE UP people!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!