Larry Nocella

Author: Larry Nocella

  • Can Facts Be Hate Speech?

    Can Facts Be Hate Speech?

    CENSORED! 2 HOT 4 LINKEDIN!

    A notification from LinkedIn delivered the news: “Your comment has been removed because we define it as hate speech.”

    I couldn’t believe it. Me? Hate speech? But I try to love everyone!

    Sure, I’ve been known to unleash creative foul-mouthery online, but as one might say on Linkedin, IT’S MY BRAND. Even so, on that site, I’m connected to colleagues, and I restrain my verbal savagery while liberally sprinkling the disclaimer that my opinion is mine alone and not representative of anyone else.

    I reviewed the events that led to my comment removal. Someone made a post comparing Trump to Hitler. Another person said that was inappropriate. I countered that it was acceptable, writing this:

    It is 100% appropriate and correct to call Trump a Nazi. He is borrowing the Hitler playbook 100%. Hitler and Nazis didn’t wake up one morning and 6 million people were dead. They did it gradually just like Trump is doing. Your credibility suffers greatly because you don’t accept the facts. Calling people illegals, then putting them in camps, then blaming them for their suffering (they shouldn’t have come here.) It’s all gradual and only fools don’t see it. Please wake up.

    That doesn’t sound like hate speech to me. Oh well. I could move on, but I think there is an important thought here, far beyond the tradition of selling comment blockage as evidence that the powerful fear my truth. I’m not sure 2 HOT 4 LinkedIn carries the same rizz, but it’s all I’ve got. Let’s discuss.

    RADICALLY HONEST SELF-REFLECTION

    It was time to reflect.  It’s always the people who insist they aren’t hateful who are the most hateful. If they would just reflect, I often cry, thinking, perhaps naively, that if they really thought about it, hateful people would realize how hateful they are.

    Rather than take the usual route of spinning my comment’s removal into yet another entry in the sad genre of the Cancel Culture Complainers Club, I decided to honestly consider the situation.

    The truth is, yes, I hate Trump. In the same way I hate all malicious idiots in power. The same way I shake my head at all the wasted potential of anyone who uses their gifts for greed and cruelty.

    I don’t feel my comment was “hate speech” in either the term’s common usage (ranting and insulting) or its more legal-ish definition: encouraging prejudice. I didn’t follow up with any threats of violence. I just strongly suggested Trump be removed from any decision-making beyond his next greasy meal, because he’s doing all the same things Hitler did. Those are facts.

    EXPLAINING TO INTERNET CLOWNS HOW TIME WORKS

    In typical Internet brick-brained ness, a common complaint one sees from assorted bots, trolls, and morons is that Trump isn’t Hitler because Hitler killed 6 million people. Trump hasn’t.

    True, but what that short-sighted argument doesn’t account for is time. Events in life happen over time. Obviously sensible people like you know that, but we have to often remind the dense denizens of the internet how basic reality works.

    Hitler didn’t emerge from the womb and instantly become the world’s most adorable little concentration camp builder. It took time. So, yes, fine. Trump is not exactly Hitler, but he sure is Hitler-shaped. Check out his Hitler-ish resume:

    Establishing a Secret police force. Censorship of critics. Open racism. Hounding political enemies. A clear belief of racial superiority. Starting pointless wars. Bullying and imprisoning minorities. Exploiting a Corrupt Establishment and Fake Opposition party (a.k.a. The mainstream Democratic Party and its leadership: Schumer, Pelosi, Jeffries, etc.)

    If Trump could be Hitler, he surely would. He has often expressed his boy crushes on dictators across the world.

    A similar time-ignorant meme swept through troll nation following the No Kings protests. “If Trump was a king, he wouldn’t allow protests!”

    No kidding! But becoming a king in a democracy takes time. No, Trump is not Hitler, and no, he’s not a King, but it’s NOT FOR LACK OF TRYING.

    EXACLTY WHEN AM I ALLOWED TO SAY IT?

    To the LinkedIn moderation team (or their keyword-hunting A.I.), as well as the bots, trolls, morons, and brick-brained, I ask you: Exactly when along the timeline between banally evil obnoxious jerk (where Trump is now) and Hitler (where Trump is heading) am I allowed to call him someone Hitler-ish without getting censored? 

    Do I have to wait until the concentration camps multiply? The secret police force expands? All our rights are gone? Or am I allowed to point out the indisputable similarities now?

    This whole “Trump can’t be Hitler because he isn’t Hitler yet!” meme is defeated by the old cliché, “A stitch in time saves nine.”

    When along the progress of a fire should you shout fire? When it starts at the oven? Or do I have to wait until the whole first floor is engulfed before I sound the alarm?

    This isn’t about me and one blocked comment, it’s about what can and can’t be said. The facts are obvious. We should be allowed to say them.

  • Micro-Upskill Your Brain with a Word Game!

    Micro-Upskill Your Brain with a Word Game!

    Want to get smarter and have fun doing it?

    I like the idea of small, fun, good habits. You barely notice the time spent and before you know it, you’ve improved. But if I’m going to grab your attention, I need to call this idea something cute, something the marketing folks would love. Make it sound exciting, new, thrilling, even.

    Let’s go with “Micro-Upskilling.”

    Do simple videogames really improve your brain? I don’t know for sure. I’ve seen plenty of apps and sites make that claim.

    My skepticism kicks in: Are these things genuinely improving my IQ as they promise, or are they just really simple, low-tech games? In other words, is there a scientific basis for this? Or is it just another way to increase engagement and keep you on the site/app?

    Shucks, I don’t know. I just wanted to make something fun.

    Using my current vibe-coding tool of choice, Replit, I developed a word game that helps you micro-upskill your vocabulary. It’s called 8 Letters, 30 Seconds, 1 Guess.

    If you work on a computer, you likely spend time opening browser tabs. After installing this app, each time you open a new tab in your browser, you get a new 8 letter word to guess. The game is like paper and pencil game Hangman or TV show Wheel of Fortune. But the words in 8 Letters, 30 Seconds, 1 Guess are more difficult. After the 30 seconds, if you choose, with a single click you learn more about the word.

    You can add the extension to your browser (Chrome or Edge) or you can just play it on its site. It’s free, no ads, no sign up, no data saved. Thanks for playing. Hope your micro-upskilling is TE-RIF-C!

    8 Letters 30 Seconds 1 Guess

    Chrome Store | MS Edge Store | Just Play No Install

  • Mock Fascist Liars! Wear Your ANTIFA Badge Proudly!

    Mock Fascist Liars! Wear Your ANTIFA Badge Proudly!

    As I write this (2025 Mid-October), an idiotic dictatorship is attempting to ruin the USA. They are pushing the lie that there is an organized force called “ANTIFA” attempting to harm citizens.

    There is no such organized group. Antifa is not a noun, it’s slang for the adjective anti-fascist. It describes a group’s goals. If anyone sincerely believes in the ideals of the USA, they are antifa – anti-fascist. Because with anti-fascist implies a related set of beliefs including anti-dictator, and pro-equal-rights-for-all.

    Despite being called “strongmen” wannabe dictators are crybabies. They hate being mocked and when you don’t take them seriously. Another anti-fascist tactic is visibility. When you’re visible in defiance and in support for bullied minorities, other citizens will see they are not alone. Those who agree with you will feel emboldened to also stand up and be counted.

    With those two things in mind (visibility and mockery) I created an app that mocks wannabe dictators and provides visibility. It allows users to put a frame around their social media profile photo, declaring oneself as an “Antifa Operative.” See sample nearby.

    Mock the current USA fascist regime by openly declaring your fictional membership in the fictional group ANTIFA.

    If interested, you can use the app I made here: https://antifa-frame-larrynocella.replit.app/. It’s free to use, there are no ads, and it doesn’t save your data.

    When I shared this app, and some people had some criticisms. I respectfully disagree, but in fairness, let’s discuss.

    Some said they didn’t feel safe labeling themselves as Antifa. They raised the concern that the bad guys are watching social media. The wannabe dictators are using tech for their nefarious tracking. Self-identifying as a group they call terrorist (true or not) is foolish. You’re doing their tracking work for them.

    That’s a fair concern. It’s not un-warranted. But I feel it’s “obeying in advance” which is exactly what historians say we should NOT do when fighting dictators. I realize this sort of tactical sarcasm is easy for me as a straight, white male. If I have privilege, I’ll use it for good.

    The implication in this concern is that they will act in a logical way. But the people running the USA at the moment are not logical or even competent. They won’t grab people who self-label as Antifa, they will grab who they want.

    The other concern was that we should use a different label. They say the bad guys have claimed Antifa as a negative. I disagree. I say we take it back. Proudly say you are Antifa, and they will have to admit they’re “fa” (fascist.)

    In the end, use the app or don’t. It’s cool. I’ve been in enough movements to see infighting cause real damage. We’re never going to agree with everyone on everything. You do you, I’ll do me. As long as we’re opposed to the same bad guys, and aren’t severely damaging the movement, it’s all good.

    Infighting is the doom of movements. I refuse to infight over this small logo! We’ve all got bigger things to do.

    Wherever and however you want to resist, make sure you do! Rock on, operatives!

  • Crimes and Good Times at the Local Big Box

    Crimes and Good Times at the Local Big Box

    When Skateboarding is in Fact, a Crime

    My wife Heather and I were in the local big box hardware store, looking for plants. As usual when browsing, we drifted and separated. 

    I ended up next to a stack of these round, rolling platform caddy things. You can put a planter on them and your plant becomes mobile. Just the thing if you need to shift your plant on a deck or are towing your crops behind a vehicle. 

    Plastic caddies with wheels. Or… were they actually skateboards?

    They say that creativity is looking at the same thing as everyone else and seeing something different. They say that intelligence is being seeing more than one use for a simple tool.

    I’m inserting these “they say” notes to bias your view on what happened next. 

    I placed one of the caddies on the floor and tested my booted foot on it. If it held, I imagined using one for each foot and skating around the warehouse.

    Radically bodacious! 

    I put the slightest bit of my weight on the caddie and it shattered, exploded even. Plastic shards went flying. Loudly. 

    Now I’m not the trimmest fellow, but I don’t think my weight was the problem. Those darn things just weren’t made to hold anything over twenty American pounds. And your honor, if I may continue my defense, nowhere on the caddy label was there a warning, “Do not use this as a skateboard.” 

    Anyhoo, I’m now standing over a fractured plastic caddy. There was no one around. I did what any honest person would do and put the broken pieces back on the shelf, walked away, intending to exit the store, never speaking of the incident again.

    But my conscience took over. Or I considered that those giant warehouse places have cameras everywhere.

    If I just walked out after breaking an item, the store might have it on video. I could end up on the news, go viral as “The Caddy Killer” and who knows what else. It was just the kind of silly minor infraction that would lure a righteous internet mob into my life.

    Blame my irresistible nobility or the fear of getting caught. I returned to the scene of the incident and collected the pieces. I would pay for the darn thing. “You broke it you bought it” is an unwritten rule of capitalism, as is “screw your workers.”

    On the way to the check out, I passed an employee and asked his opinion.

    “Hey, so um, I broke this thing because I tried to use it as a skateboard. Should I pay for it?” 

    I was hoping the employee would release me from the guilt. I imagined him taking it from me and saying, “This happens all the time. I’ll chuck it out back with the others.”

    The employee shrugged, “Well, I guess so,” he said. It was very non-committal. How dare he avoid responsibility?

    I went and bought the busted thing and even rounded up for the charity, because that’s the kind of person I am. I went to the car, put the pieces in, and went off to find Heather. 

    In the garden area, while passing behind a row of tall plants, I heard three employees chatting. One laughed as he shared a tale, “… and then he said, ‘I tried to use it as a skateboard!’ should I pay for it?”

    I sprang from my hiding place. “Are you talking about me?”

    They all turned, the gossiping employee shocked, surely afraid that I was going to flip out. And at just that moment, Heather showed up. The five of us (three employees, me, and Heather) all discussed the tale of the failed skateboard.

    And everyone had a good laugh. 

    The lesson here is, don’t use plastic plant caddies as skateboards. Or maybe it’s that sometimes skateboarding is a crime when you do it right. Or wrong.

    Well, hopefully there’s something less specific to my tale and more global to learn. I can’t leave you with nothing. There must be a lesson here somewhere. This can’t be all just sound and fury signifying nothing… can it?

    Let’s go with this: Make your own mistakes, clean up the mess you make, and make sure you have fun. And if you round up your bill for some charity, definitely tell everyone.

  • Vibe-Coding Your Daily Dose of Awe

    Vibe-Coding Your Daily Dose of Awe

    I once read that a key piece to being happy is to experience the emotion of awe. I wondered, “How can I experience awe every day and boost my chances at being happy every day?”

    Most of us feel awe when we look at the night sky and the stars. How could I deliver that every day all the time on demand?

    After some brainstorming, I discovered NASA provides this service. They offer the APOD – the Astronomy Photo of the Day. All I had to do was present an interface to make it easy to view the photos and browse them.

    Here it is: https://nasaphotos.larrynocella.com/

    I used the software development vibe-coding tool Replit. You can use the photo explorer tor free, no ads, no login. Just enjoy and share.

    Don’t thank me, well, actually yes, you can thank me, as I’m a USA taxpayer and a teeny tiny bit of my money has funded NASA. But more than me, please thank NASA.

    Most of all, though, I hope this little app makes you happy.

    Artwork by CoPilot AI and Larry Nocella. Bonus points for anyone who noticed the cool graphic that accompanies this page is a retro design based on the Atari 2600 game system cartridge box art.

  • Riddle of the Falling Tree -SOLVED!

    Riddle of the Falling Tree -SOLVED!

    It’s a popular riddle: If a tree falls in the forest and no one is there to hear it, does it still make a sound?

    The answer is obvious! The answer is No. The tree crashes to the ground completely silent. If you are not personally there to witness an event, obviously — quite obviously — it doesn’t happen.

    This is why when you meet a young child, they will be the same age, even if you meet them years later. That four-year-old distant relative who wants to be a fireman? When you see him again ten years later, take notice that he’s still four. He only ages in your presence.

    Haven’t you ever wondered why all trees outside of your perception stay the same height and size?

    If you travel to a nation you have never been to before, take notice how they are still using stone age tech. Once you are present to witness them, they will breathe a sigh of relief, mobbing you like a messiah. I bet you always wondered why they begged you to stay. “We want to progress beyond smoke signals now and use cellphones. Finally! Stay! Oh, please stay.”

    Further, did you know that if you simply close your eyes, everyone stops moving? They start again only when you open your eyes. This is also a good way to silence people you don’t want to hear from. Our world is amazing.

    If you’re not there with your high-vis vest, hard hat and checklist, then nothing is going to happen. When you sleep, absolutely nothing happens. The universe is like a lazy worker. It doesn’t do anything unless the boss is present. Otherwise, it’s frozen still.

    If a tree falls in the forest and no one is there to hear it, does it still make a sound? Why is this even a question? Of course it doesn’t make a sound. You are the center of the universe and nothing happens without you. Riddle solved.

    Now go take a selfie.

    Image generated by Google Gemini AI and tweaked with some photo editing fun.

    If you liked this clever smart-assery and simply must have more fun like it, then get your sexy self over to LarryNocella.com or better yet, try out the latest book: One Odd Cat, available on Amazon (affiliate link.)