5/4/2026
My Dear Friend & POTUS, DJT,
May the 4th be with you!
Do you know where that comes from? I didn’t until 2024 when we had a professional development session for teachers on May 4th & my colleague clued me in about the slogan on the swag she was distributing.
Maybe it didn’t ring a bell because I didn’t watch the Starwar Prequels where the phrase is used 12 times. AI says “the phrase is used inconsistently across the saga, often reflecting the era's political climate.” I guess the political winds favored the phrase in 2019 when my CA lawmakers designated May 4 as “Star Wars Day.”
Do you feel like a “force” is with you? Sometimes I feel it, but I don’t know what to call it or how to explain it. It was in our Meeting House yesterday & somehow made my phone ring & beep when it should’t have. That led me to share a message about my love/hate relationship with my devices & my attempt to be courageous about how AI will affect us in the future.
SoW, what do you think Stanley Kubrick would say about AI if he were alive today? Might he tell us to watch 2001, Space Odyssey, again? According to NASA-related sources, the movie is considered “perhaps the most thoroughly and accurately researched film in screen history with respect to aerospace engineering,” I find the idea that machines could be programmed to kill people chilling. Please prevent that if at all possible!!!!
After I shared my message at yesterday’s Meeting, another Friend talked about how we need to avoid getting fearful so I am trying not to worry that Wed’s SCOTUS Ruling about Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act will further erode our democracy. Please remind the people of our nation that our founders, especially James Madison, cautioned against majority tyranny over minority rights. I encourage you to consult with Jonathan Cervas, at Carnegie Mellon, who can elaborate on this topic.
On a happier note, the Irrawaddy reports that Aung San Suu Kyi has indeed been moved from prison to a secure house. I hope that means she is more comfortable. Please do what you can to make sure her son gets a chance to visit with her.
BYBS,
