The Educated Shoprat

Mom

2012-02-08T17:07:00.002-05:00

My mother died a year ago today. The last couple months of her life she was barely conscious and was often not even aware that you were there.

I miss her but I will see her again.

A Couple of Movies

2012-02-06T17:30:00.004-05:00

I am looking forward to this movie. While it's called John Carter it appears to be the first book of the series: A Princess of Mars.

I think Edgar Rice Burroughs' vision of Barsoom (Mars), while it is scientifically non-sense, was far better than his better known Tarzan.

Elfquest a movie?

I also note that Richard and Wendy Pini's Elfquest is supposed to be in the process of becoming a movie but it has been on the back burner for years. That is really too bad. Apparently it is moving forward but some people want it so bad that they made their own trailer. This is unofficial and attractive and done to encourage the producers to hurry up. Warning: This seems to concentrate only on the female elves (There were roughly equal numbers of male and female elves in the actual story) and suggests things that were not in the books/comics.

My Favorite Singer Remembered.

2012-02-04T15:22:00.001-05:00

Karen Carpenter 1950 -1983

Bullies Past and Present.

2012-02-03T15:27:00.005-05:00

When I was in school there were bullies. My mother and father spoke of bullies in school. The writings of Charles Dickens include bullies. Ben Franklin briefly spoke of being bullied when he was a child. They seem to have always existed.

One rather annoying bully from my school days grew up into a model citizen and community leader, and you would never know that in his Jr High days he enjoyed tormenting those weaker than him. Another bully wound up spending years behind bars and is probably still trying to bully others. Some grow up and others don't.

The root of bullying is humanity's fallen nature. We seem to have an innate need to dominate and it is true in all of us, though some are able to restrain their need to dominate while others are simply incapable of acting on it.

When I was in school kids were bullied for a lot of reasons. Hair too long . . . Hair too short. Being a sl*t . . . Being a virgin. Being from a poor family . . . being a rich man's brat. Being a special ed. student . . . being an egghead. Saying grace over your lunch was a big cause too. Race wasn't much of a problem as my school was all white except for a couple of Hispanics who were treated pretty much like everyone else. Sadly, one of the biggest victims of bullying when I was in school was a girl who sexually developed about 2 years ahead of the rest the girls - - and the rest of us (I admit that I did too), being prepubescent, teased her mercilessly.

I have mixed feelings about the current "anti-bully" mood. I certainly favor not allowing kids to simply be nasty to each other but on the other hand - - - who is the bully and who is the victim? It seems to be almost dedicated to protecting sexual and religious minorities. The problem with this is that bullying becomes seen as a "protected class vs unprotected class" issue instead of an individual vs individual or small group issue. Anyone who feels that they are in power, or at least stronger than someone else, will be in a position to bully another, regardless of who they are and who their victim is and anyone who is in a vulnerable position can become the victim of a bully of any sort. (A few years ago this blog wrote about a female athlete who was being bullied and discriminated against by the coach and the rest of the team because she was straight . . . demonstrating how anyone can be a bully and anyone can be bullied.)

I remember many years ago I read Robert Heinlein's Red Planet and the hero of the book was a teenager with a sadistic schoolmaster. It was a revealed later that the schoolmaster who enjoyed tormenting children was the victim of sadistic bullying when he was young and this was his revenge. (At first it appeared that Professor Snape in the Harry Potter books was the same, but it turned out to be a bit more complicated than that.) I believe this is a real problem. Former victims of bullying, who find the shoe in now on the other foot, take their revenge on the entire world and become even greater bullies than the ones that bullied them. That is what I see happening in the world and what we need to be vigilant against.

I don't believe bullying should be allowed but when it comes to anti-bullying there should be neither protected nor unprotected groups of humans.

This May Be a Real Problem

2012-01-31T15:20:00.004-05:00

Under normal circumstances the government should have no say in what I own unless it is a real (not perceived) threat to the general population or the environment. Then it must be proven a threat before a law can be passed and the best way to prove a threat is to convert a number of skeptics.

We are not allowed to own lions or tigers in this state without a special license and the same goes with bears and elephants. (I think it's legal to tame foxes and raccoons and I know people who have.) There have been reported cases of black panthers and leopards getting loose in Michigan and they were probably escaped or abandoned pets. If you wish to own one of these creatures you must be able to restrain, control and care for it.

There used to be a "Big Cat Farm" about a half hour drive from here that cared for abandoned exotic pets and a co-worker of mine who had to do some community service worked there a bit. He said they were in many ways just oversized housecats that genuinely enjoyed having people around but they could do more damage to you by accident than a normal housecat could ever do on purpose - - and they tend to play rough. And if there are children nearby . . .

Actually it would be kind of cool to have a tiger, but I couldn't care for it or control it. . . darn

For a while it was quite popular to own large snakes and now the Everglades have a serious problem with them. Native animals, especially mammals, are being seriously depleted. The first thing to do is confirm the existence and magnitude of the problem. It appears to be real.

All it takes is for a few to find mates and they will start to spread.

First we don't add to the problem. These pets should be licensed and controlled with owners required to report if they disappear and have a proper system for containing them and disposing of one that is no longer wanted. Outlawing them entirely is probably not necessary.

Then we need to remove them, or at least seriously deplete them from the Everglades. The best way is to offer a bounty to those who want to hunt them which would pay the hunter by the foot (and maybe publish a few recipes.)

Dealing with problems that may require any curtailing of choice needs to consider several things. First how serious and dangerous is the problem? How many rights would have to be given up and how many people would have to give up their rights. Is it really a problem to begin with and cannot be resolved without sacrificing key human rights?

Global warming was a political hoax that would given great power to power-hungry maniacs at the expense of real human rights. This is something completely different.

I Like the Idea

2012-01-29T14:17:00.007-05:00

The Hiriko itself is a very good idea. For some people they would be very useful. (Small, compact, good mileage, perfect for 1 or 2 people with very short range travel needs.) For other people they would be completely useless (largely for most of the same reasons).

The cities owning them is a VERY bad idea. Due to human nature political corruption is inevitable and political powers and their cronies will find a way to squeeze every penny they can out of the economy and put it in their own pockets (or Swiss banks accounts.) The government that governs the best governs the least. (In reference to Jurassic Park: Corruption Finds a Way.)

I could envision myself wanting one under the right circumstances but I don't want the government at any level telling me this is what I must choose to have. (Under my current circumstances it would be just plain and completely useless but just because I don't need it doesn't mean others can't have it.) I do have to wonder though, will it come with a trailer that will allow you to pick up groceries?

And if the government wants us to consider buying cars like this - - - make them cheap and make them in America in a state chosen by the entrepreneurs who invest in the companies that build them. If it is a good idea, and I think it is a very good idea for the right people in the right circumstances, and the price is right, and the people like it - - many people will choose to buy it. It's all a question of the individual being allowed to decide what is best for them within their means and needs.

If you want one or could use one, by all means buy one. If you believe others should choose this car persuade them to do so, by appealing to their own self-interest in doing so. Don't violate the human rights of others by telling them what to buy.

Of course there will always be know-it-all elitists snobs who think they know what's best for me (and the world) and will insist on the government buying me one with my tax dollars and healthy cut for themselves.

A Human Right Vindicated

2012-01-04T16:26:00.002-05:00

Sarah McKinley

I salute you. Having been devastated by the loss of a husband, you showed the grit to defend your home, your baby, and yourself from hoodlums. You probably never wanted to kill anyone and never thought you would have to but when push came to shove you came through for your baby and yourself and did it. You weren't looking for trouble . . . it came looking for you and you were ready for it.

There is no honest answer to the slogan "When guns are outlawed only outlaws will have guns."

There is real evil in the world and those who want you or your possessions or your family or perhaps just the thrill of the kill will usually target those who cannot or will not defend themselves. Wishful thinking has never saved a life or stopped a crime.

Mrs McKinley was talking to the police just before she shot. Had she waited for the police she could well be dead, or at least badly hurt or raped. Perhaps even her baby would be dead or gone.

The right to defend yourself, your family or your property is a human right and needs to be respected as such. Police are good, valuable and important but they can only be so many places at one time. There will be times when law-abiding citizens will not have the time to wait for the police and only they, and what tools they have, stand between them and a would be killer/rapist/kidnapper. Let them have and keep the tools they need.

Stunned

2011-05-29T06:37:00.005-04:00

At about 5:55 AM as I was finishing my shift and waiting to punch out I got a call that Dad was going to the hospital.

Fifteen minutes later I got another call; he was gone.

Except for his paralysis he was healthy until the end. This is more of a shock than my mother's death because she was semi-comatose for about 3 months and we knew it was close.

I saw Dad and was laughing with him just a few days ago.

Michigan Once Again

2011-05-26T14:44:00.004-04:00

Once again Michigan leads the way, to the shame and humiliation of all in this state.

We not only have two of the ten most dangerous cities in America but we have number one and number two.

Flint, which is about a half hour away from and Detroit.

Now both cities have things to recommend them but this is drowned by crime.

Saginaw and Pontiac are also cities I avoid.

A few years ago I wrote a rather long post on the link between poverty and crime, that poverty alone could not account for high crime because of the number of poor people who never commit crimes and the number of wealthy and affluent people who do. Most crimes committed the poor and crimes committed by the not poor have the same cause -- a sense of entitlement.

I am entitled to this woman's love and respect so I will beat it out of her.

I am entitled to more fun and my baby holds me back so I will kill it.

I am entitled to a hot car like this so I will take it.

I am entitled to more money and if I can't get it legally so I will just take it.

I am rich and entitled to anything I want.

and so on and so forth.

We have schools, college-professors, unions, social workers, and even a few badly misguided preachers telling people that they are entitled to certain things and when they are not forthcoming people take it for themselves from others. After all --- they are entitled.

We are not entitled to our next breath or our next meal. Good-hearted people will do what they can for the less fortunate but it is an act of Charity not Entitlement. Acts of Charity on the individual level should be encouraged and praised but a sense of entitlement should never be encouraged and needs to be stamped out.

Could I Support a Union?

2011-02-25T13:47:00.002-05:00

If a union actually was what they pretend to be I could support them. The reality of what they are is unsupportable by enlightened people of integrity. The idea of collective bargaining and grievance handling is, in and of itself, not a bad idea, but this is not what unions are really all about.

They would need to make some changes.

1. Get out of partisan politics. The union is not a major voice in the Democratic Party; they are a lapdog that lets the party set the union agenda. The union may speak out on issues and remind officials from all parties that they have to earn the vote of the individual worker who can see what's going on and can think for themselves. The GOP is NOT anti-worker but they are forced to fight the UNIONS (as opposed to the individual workers) as a purely defensive manner.

2. Clean out the corruption. Break the connections to organized crime and have a no-quarter-given policy of dismissing and disowning, with all funds and benefits lost, any union official who is discovered to be knowingly associating with organized crime. End the cronyism and nepotism. Term limit all union officers to a total of 16 years of full time, paid union position with no more than 8 years in any given office and after they serve in that office they must return to the floor as an hourly for at least 5 years, at a regular hourly rate of pay and no special pay, in order to receive a union pension. The whole idea is that the unions should led by actual working people.

3. Get a realistic economic policy. Read Adam Smith as well Maynard Keynes. Understand that socialism is impossible and Utopia is also beyond human possibility and the pursuit of Utopia will destroy much more good than it creates and cause more misery than it eliminates. Understand what your labor is truly worth and go for a fair and reasonable pay instead of as much as you can squeeze out of the company. Also make sure that any long term promises are workable in the long-term and won't financially cripple your employer; don't just assume that the money will be there. Without profit there is no company to hire you and you have a very real interest in the survival of the company. Of course you should remind the employers that if employees can't afford their own product (in consumer products and services) others can't either and they won't sell much. Loving employment while hating employers makes absolutely no sense.

4. Police your own. When an employer has problems with workers punching in and not working the employer loses which means the union loses. It is also a reflection on all the workers. Get after workers who are non-productive, especially those who are habitually so. Also be ready to help protect the majority of workers from their co-workers who for whatever reason (intoxication, violent behavior etc.) are a threat to their safety. The union needs to take pride in the work done by their rank and file and needs to embarrassed by those who don't produce.

These are the problems I have seen with the unions and they need to be fixed. Until they are I cannot support them. It's too bad because organizations that actually do look out for the welfare of the workers, without crippling the economy in the process, might actually be useful.

UAW & Me

2011-02-20T14:12:00.003-05:00

When I first started at my last employer almost 20 years ago it was a non-union shop where everyone from the President of the Company to the most recent employees had a first name, which is what was used on the shop floor. We had one or two supervisors who were ding-a-lings but by and large they were competent and decent people. Sadly we had one who, while being generally a decent person, was very bi-polar and subscribed to the shoot first, ask questions later and then apologize school of management. Well one day he blew and said a few things, and before we knew it his crew wanted the UAW.

A friend who was a fork truck driver was approached to sign a card and he declined. The union people surrounded his truck and refused to move until he signed the card. He signed and went to the President of the Company and told him what happened. The union surrendered the card and then complained that the company harassed him into reclaiming his card.

Another friend, who worked in quality control was confronted in the ladies' restroom and asked to sign. When she declined she was again surrounded and told that if she didn't sign she would lose her job when the union came in. She called their bluff and walked out.

We had a vote and the union got its collective backside handed to it.

The union wrote up a list of over 30 irregularities and protested the election. We also got a new human resource manager who was a total jerk to everyone. Two of the "irregularities" had some validity and a new election was called while the new Human Resource, whom I initially liked but quickly changed my mind, created more and more problems. The union won by a couple votes.

Then facts started to come out. Our new Human Resource Manager's father was an AFL-CIO official and his brother was a high official in another union. Our Human Resource Manager's live in girl-friend was a labor lawyer who was frequently working for the UAW. The President of the company said that while their was no doubt that the now dismissed Personnel Manager undermined us and the company, he didn't want the fight to go on forever.

Needless to say, our contracts were not what the union was promising earlier. What really hurt was when the company was sold it still owed us money. (It owed me about $1500). We had to threaten to sue the UAW to get them to act and they got us a 50% settlement in 3 payments over six months. We were basically told to take it or leave it.

Even amongst some of the most fanatical union supporters disillusionment set in. A few years later, the good-intentioned man who initiated our organization campaign later confessed to me that "We are getting zero support from the Region and International. We're too small waste their time on." He acknowledged that he was disappointed, disillusioned and ready to get rid of it. He held an informal survey and found of our 60 or so employees only two really wanted to keep the union, while four others wanted it but could live without it. Our shop steward, while wanting the union, said "What can I say? I sure don't blame you guys."

The new owner was a very good-intentioned, but inept businessman. Personally I thought the world of him and still do, even though three years after the plant closed he still owes me a little. He gave me a 30% raise and everyone in the plant loved him. When the plant was seized by creditors he lost everything, so I am willing to forgive the small amount he still owes me; I lost a couple of hundred and he lost a lifetime of work.

We had begun the process of removing the union but the plant was closing and it became a moot point.

My Great-Grandfather helped found the UAW and he would be spinning in his grave if he knew what had become of his vision. Instead of supporting the workers, which is why it supposedly exists, it actually exists solely to enrich corrupt politicians and their cronies.

The New Big Scare?

2011-02-14T19:46:00.003-05:00

I have pointed out on more than one occasion, and others have too, that we have been faced with a new cataclysmic environmental catastrophe every ten years or so.

1960s We were going to be buried in garbage
1970s We were going to crowd ourselves off the planet.
1980s Acid rain was going to destroy everything
1990s A big hole in the Ozone layer
2000s Global Warming

Every one of these was an overreaction to a reality. Sometimes man-made (garbage, over-crowding) and other times it was purely or mostly natural and self-correcting (the hole in the ozone layer, global warming). Litter and overpopulation merely required that we educate the public and the problem was seriously reduced. The ones that were natural turned out to be part of normal cycles.

As the new decade begins one wonders what the new scare will be. What will the "progressives" with their pathological need to control every aspect of other peoples' lives cling to as a new excuse to control everything.

How about the decline in Earth's magnetic field? It is happening and so far all the scientists that have tracked it believe it is a natural and repeating phenomenon.

Ah!!! But couldn't we just maybe blame it on the magnetic fields created by all our electronic devices? Wouldn't that be a great excuse to ban or limit our civilization so we can go back to a Luddite paradise where almost everyone dies by 45?

Remember that these people have a deep rooted need to control us and since global warming is now failing, they need a new excuse. I know that I shouldn't give them any ideas but I strongly suspect that certain minds have already headed that way. Heads up people.

UPDATE Speaking of scares, check this out on Carol's Blog.

Mom

2011-02-11T11:17:00.003-05:00

I am sorry to say that my Mother has passed away. She had been comatose for several days and Dad, all 4 of her sons, along with some grandchildren and one daughter in law were with her at some point during her last day. She died of multiple organ failure.

At times I am very sad and other times I feel completely cold. Her viewing will be tomorrow along with her funeral on Sunday.

Jo Ann Anderson was born in Ogden, Utah on Sept 25, 1936, being the daughter of two Swedish immigrants. Her parents were quite a bit older with her Father being my age when she was born and her mother being somewhat younger, but died before Mom started school. She graduated from Ben Lommond High School in 1955 and met my Dad during the Memorial Day weekend of 1956. Six weeks later they were married and it lasted until Feb 8, 2011 when she died at 6:00 PM. Dad was holding her hand as she died.

She had four sons and eight grandchildren, with 2 great-grandchildren (and 2 more on the way.) She was also Grandma-in-heart to several other children.

Dad is holding up surprisingly well, though I don't know how long that will last. He is quite healthy except for the fact that he is paralyzed on one side.

As my life begins to return to relative normalcy I hope to resume this blog.

Even Starlets Are Threatened

2011-01-22T15:50:00.003-05:00

(I am still distracted at the moment but this angered me enough that I had to say something.)

If I had a younger sister and took her off somewhere, bound her and beat her for several hours while threatening to kill her, what would the authorities do to me? Put me behind bars for six months?? In the name of justice I hope they would lock me up for far longer than that, and then after I was released I would be under a restraining order to either stay away from my sister or go back to the slammer.

Unfortunately for some justice is not an issue. Even if your younger sister is a starlet. The pretty young lady named Afshan Azad, who played Padma Patil in the Harry Potter movies was threatened by her older brother because her boyfriend is Hindu. (She was Ron Weasley's date at the Yule Ball in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.)

Big brother's punishment. A few months in jail. Even though the punishment was pathetically light, at least the judge had the courage to give some punishment.

Sadly, honor killing is all too common in some cultures. This comes from treating women as merely breeding machines. It is a real threat in lands ruled by the Religion of Peace. Women should not die for these so called crimes; the only crime for which the death penalty is acceptable is cold-blooded murder and I don't think these women qualify. The men who murder their wives, daughters, sisters, etc do qualify.

What a week

2010-11-16T18:08:00.007-05:00

I had to take time off from work and assist in the family due to a near-tragedy, but it did not directly involve my parents. Fortunately no funeral this time. For reasons of privacy I can't say much more.

Is this my imagination? When I was a kid we had three networks plus PBS and a few indie stations yet TV seemed to have something for everyone. Now I have 200+ channels and there is very little to watch.

I can't believe that there are actually people who think that Obama is compromising with the right too much. When less than one American in five is liberal, and Obama is to the left of even most of them this can't be taken seriously. These people honestly believe that if Obama would tack to the left he would be doing better. Sorry but the road to the left leads to a dense fog hiding a cliff that goes straight down. I am sure that there are a few misguided individuals who believe that swinging far to the left is what most Americans want but this is nothing but wishful thinking on their part. America is a center-right nation.

Hello

2010-11-10T17:32:00.002-05:00

Yes it's been while and I wish it were otherwise.

What has happened is Mom almost constantly in and out of the hospital and most of my days off are spent in Bay City. Dad, considering that he is paralyzed on one side of his body, is doing remarkably well. It is very difficult for my brother who cares for him and especially for my sister-in-law.

Other things include a minor eye problem. No I'm not going blind or anything but I had reached a point where I couldn't read for more than a couple of minutes without my eyes going into a stinging agony. I've found eye drops that help but for a while I couldn't even really read other peoples' blogs because my eyes hurt after a minute or two. I thought it was simply an allergy but it never went away though it did get noticeably worse after I moved into the country. I got new glasses and that didn't help much but these eye drops are making it noticeably easier.

Just a historical note today. Today is the anniversary of the biggest Great Lakes maritime disaster of my life. Thirty Five years ago today twenty nine men on the largest ore freighter to be plying the Great Lakes were struggling with freezing rain.

The crew of the Edmund Fitzgerald never had a chance. It only took the ship a few seconds to break in half and hit the bottom.

Not Dead Yet

2010-08-30T19:44:00.001-04:00

My life is mostly real life right now. When I do post I want to do it right and not half-do it. I will be back, hopefully soon.

A Potential Darwin Award

2010-07-13T12:44:00.001-04:00

I may be a space buff but this guy is out of his mind.

I Kind of Expected This

2010-07-13T12:15:00.003-04:00

First sorry about the absence, but this is my second time on line this month.

I was talking to a friend who is running for the state legislature a few months ago and suggested that the state fulfill its Constitutionally permitted power of minting gold and silver coins (Article I, Section 10, clause 1 ) as a way to possibly head off the collapse of the dollar. I got a non-committal response from him and considering what all would be involved, I guess that might be the best you can get.

Where the government, even the best intentioned of good-guys, won't go the private citizens will often lead the way. Private interests are minting their own coins of gold and silver, and according to federal law it's legal as long as both parties agree to it. It's all legal as it is technically barter which the Obama hasn't outlawed YET. It's also, as the clip shows, permitted by federal law.

Update: The video has been removed from the archive. Here is the article instead.

A Father

2010-06-20T10:59:00.003-04:00

A world without fathers?

He came in at once, paused for a moment just inside the door, looked round, then soft on his moccasined feet strode quickly across the room, fell on his knees in front of the Director, and said in a clear voice: "My father!"
The word (for "father" was not so much obscene as -- with its connotation of something at one remove from loathsomeness and moral obliquity of child-bearing -- merely gross, a scatological rather than pornographic impropriety); the comically smutty word relieved what had become a quite intolerable tension. Laughter broke out, enormous, almost hysterical peal after peal, as though it would never stop. My father -- and it was the Director! My father! Oh Ford, oh Ford! That was really too good. The whooping and roaring renewed themselves, faces seemed on the point of disintegration, tears were streaming. Six more test-tubes of spermatozoa were upset. My father!

Pale, wild-eyed, the Director glared about him in an agony of bewildered humiliation.
My father! The laughter, which had shown signs of dying away, broke out again more loudly than ever. He put his hands over his ears and rushed out of the room.

Aldous Huxley Brave New World
Much has been made lately of the consequences of poor fathering and absent fathering. The consequences are disastrous for the children and society at large. One could write for hours on this but why? I cannot say it any better than men such as Bill Cosby who has spoken out strongly against absent fathers. Mothers and Fathers make the world go round.

There seems to have been a recent study that showed that Lesbian couples were better parents that husband-wife pairs but that is nothing but carefully picked and spun propaganda that does not match reality as it only reflected the Personal Opinions of a few carefully picked Lesbian couples and was not at all scientific.

My father was not always right there. His job frequently had him on the road but he did that to meet our needs. His heart was here. When I was five he was overseas with the Marines and I remember many times just standing in front of his Marine portrait just wishing it would move but that was for his country and now I understand that.

He was a workaholic who never stopped. He was a service manager, electrical engineer, township supervisor, he was on the local fireboard and frequently worked with the county commissioners, whom he was on a first name basis with. I am not a workaholic like he was but I do try to be conscientious.

Sadly he is no longer able to care for himself or be the tough independent Father, Husband, Grandfather and American that he was for over seventy years but from time to time that man still comes out. Inside he is as tough as ever.

I love you Dad. Happy Fathers' Day.

Well . . .

2010-06-19T11:24:00.003-04:00

I acknowledge that I have been gone for too long. A year and a half ago I spent two to five hours a day on the net, now it seems like I can't spend that much time a month. I'm lucky to check my Email some days.

Why?

Mostly a house and yard. My younger brother who was here for about a year treated it as a flophouse while the young couple who tried to buy it were just out of their league, especially when their income dropped by ¾ when hubby went to prison for trying to kill her, then she just let the place disintegrate so a lot of my time is taken up with simple repairs, cleaning, yard work ( a biggy), garden (even bigger) and soon some painting. My Mom and Dad put a lot of themselves into this house and while I may be a redneck, I don't want the house looking like it belongs to white trash.

Work is going OK.

Mom and Dad are another story. Dad's mind is doing well but his body isn't. He is hanging in tough and I am surprised that he lived this long. Two years ago we were figuring on three to six months. His brother from North Carolina visited about a week ago and he told another aunt of mine that That guy might outlive all of us. and Dad is tough enough that he just might.

Mom is not in good physical shape but it gets worse; her mind is going. She is showing severe signs of dementia and paranoia. She has to go to a nursing home, no questions asked, and Dad will go with her just to be beside her. She is in a rehab center right now but her time there is just about up. She also believes that I and my brothers want to just lock her and Dad up and divvy up the estate, which is absolutely not true. Like I told my Dad years ago, I would rather inherit nothing and see you alive than see you die and get some money. I meant it and I certainly don't want to just lock my mother up.

Speaking of locking someone up, my number three brother (the same one who treated this as a flophouse) is going to spend a long time behind bars. He never got in trouble for a serious crime but it's just one act of stupidity after another and eventually misdemeanors pile up until the judge just says ENOUGH!.

Actually I am finding that there is a lot of pleasure and delight, which I had forgotten about, in simply gardening. Watching the plants sprout and grow and I have already sat and watched someone's face burn up as they ate an jalapeno that I had picked a couple of hours earlier. Dad was sitting at the table as well and almost giggling at her. (She was a friend of my brother Skip who thought she could eat one no problem.)

Wild Child and Nature

2010-05-11T16:00:00.003-04:00

Early this morning I was watching PBS and there was an interesting Nature program about childhood for wild animals. It was fascinating and disturbing. What was most disturbing was the high mortality rate for young wild animals as they faced disease, hunger, predators, and even being abandoned by their mothers in time of crisis. It was heart wrenching to see these baby animals die but it got me thinking.

How many people have no idea how harsh nature really is? Some people think that nature is gentle and motherly. Those isolated from nature may believe that this is really how things are in the wild.

In reality Bambi would be in frequent peril from hunger, cars, and predators, and later in his life, man.

There has been an increase in wild-animal attacks in North America lately and a shocking number of them are joggers and hikers who are totally unprepared to meet a wild animal, especially one that sees them as a source of protein.

What this means is that so many have no idea how to survive in the wild. Those who romanticize nature frequently have no idea of what it is really like. Those who want to return to an agrarian society would be the first to starve.

While most would never want to go back to a primitive way of living there are those who see it as a paradise. Yes paradise where there is hunger, if not starvation, from late winter to early summer. Where a woman needs to bear 5 to 6 children to assure a steady population, not to mention childbirth being the main killer women. Yes the Luddites want paradise.

Hurricane Katrina showed us what happens when nature strikes hard and the people don't know how to fend or think for themselves. Those people died because the government always cared for them and when the government wasn't there they didn't know what to do. Many of them died because of their own lack on knowledge.

We can see the results of that Volcano in Iceland but imagine one many times worse. Imagine Yellowstone erupting, as it probably will sometime in the next couple of centuries, throwing ash a couple feet deep across the entire globe and the whole planet sliding into a year or more of global winter. Those who survive will do so by a combination of location, preparation, skill, self-reliance, and luck. The survivors will be those who know how to survive and the destruction would be so complete that the government would be over-whelmed to the point of paralysis. Those who are dependent won't stand a chance.

That's nature for you.

A Break From Tedium

2010-05-11T13:59:00.002-04:00

Which CSI Miami Character Are You?

More on CSI: Miami. Created by BuddyTV

She's been off the show for a couple of years now.

Sunday, Mother's Day

2010-05-09T11:09:00.004-04:00

It seems as if I am never on line anymore with so much going on.

Mom is doing better than I expected but she will not be coming home. She is going to a rehab center for a few weeks and then probably a nursing home from there. Dad, surprisingly, is willing to go to one provided he shares a room with Mom. He still loves and worries about her after 54 years. My mother has had issues most of her life and now, while she has largely recovered physically, talking to her still reminds me of the conversations from Alice in Wonderland.

I would like to stop preparing things and actually get my garden in but we are in a 3 - 4 day cold snap with freezing at night so I have to wait. I have to cover the bushes that have already been planted every night and go from there. Blasted global warming anyway. ☺

My employer is purchasing an abandoned factory (plenty of those around here) and will be expanding a bit. He is picking up the production of a defunct company. The twenty to forty jobs he will be adding are welcome but far short of what this area needs. My county could use several hundred, if not a couple thousand, jobs. He also filmed a commercial in the plant last Wednesday. I saw them spiffing up one of the production machines and getting ready, but didn't see the filming nor have I seen it played.

A Worthwhile Site

2010-05-02T07:10:00.001-04:00

Check this out:

Considerations of an Ex Muslim

Still At It

2010-04-30T08:34:00.002-04:00

I just spent time with Mom and Dad, giving my brother a badly needed break so he and his could just get away. Dad is doing surprisingly well and Mom is conscious and able to carry on something of a conversation, but the conversation is like reading Alice in Wonderland as the words and sentences make sense but the entire conversation doesn't. There seems to be no continuity in what she is talking about; each sentence seems to be part of a separate chain of thought. It's disconcerting to say the least.

Appears as a Slight Improvement

2010-04-22T21:21:00.001-04:00

Mom has regained consciousness and is heavily doped up. She recognized me and Skip and could tell us her dog's name but she is very confused. She does not understand that she is in the hospital and asked us several times where she was and why she was there.

The prayers being offered up are much appreciated.

Not Good

2010-04-20T16:33:00.002-04:00

I am not sure how much longer Mom is going to be alive.

I saw her last night and while she wasn't really conscious but she grasped my hand and refused to let go. It's hard seeing her with all those tubes in her nose, mouth and throat; she hardly even looks like herself.

Yesterday was my Dad's birthday and this was not the best birthday present he could get. My brother has moved Dad into his house which is good. Mom has been borderline competent at best for some time.

Late Night/Early Morning

2010-04-18T04:53:00.004-04:00

It's just shy of 5 AM and the phone rang about a half hour ago. It was my brother who lives near Mom and Dad. I feared the worst. It wasn't as bad as it could be but it was bad enough.

In the last week Mom has had a pacemaker put in and now she is again in ICU. It's strange that we spend all this time worrying about Dad and he could outlive Mom. She was alright last time I spoke to her but she quit breathing. She is stable right now but for how long? The doctors and nurses are not talking death but I really believe it's near for both of them.

I have to work tomorrow PM and then I guess I head back up.

I can't sleep now and decided to get on line. I wanted to yesterday but my ISP was out for some reason. I just realized that a couple of years ago I spent three or four hours a day on line, but I don't think I've spent that much time on line in the last two weeks combined. Plus I am getting new glasses so I can read longer without getting a headache which will be a big plus as well. (Right now if I read for more than half an hour or so I get a headache. Kind of limits all sorts of reading.)

I'm definitely not happy with most of the news I'm seeing but I'm feeling a bit of optimism. Obama right now is batting about .050 in getting things right but the Tea Party movement has given me new hope that perhaps America is waking up. I don't know if I want her for president but if you judge a person solely by who hates them then Sarah Palin has a lot going for her; the people who hate her and are terrified of her are the people that I want to see completely out of power. That's not the same as wanting her in the White House as I don't know if she is up to the job. She is however an important symbol for the forces of freedom, justice and simple goodness.

As I was contemplating what to say next my brother called. Mom is stable but we may have to put her in a nursing home. For now he is moving Dad to his house later today which would be easier on everyone. Mom is stable but she is on a ventilator and is in an induced coma. I kind of wonder if I have spoken to my Mother for the last time. If so I will have regrets as I really did not expect things to fall apart this fast.

Titans

2010-04-05T18:27:00.003-04:00

I just saw Clash of the Titans and while it wasn't bad, it wasn't good either. The only big improvement was the special effects and Medusa.

What was worse?

I didn't like the story line as well as the original movie. Both movies wandered a long ways from the original myths, movies always do, but this one seemed to wander a bit further. Actually it just didn't have the charm of the original.

The new Andromeda wasn't as stunningly attractive as the original.

I was also put off by the Humanistic outlook of the screenplay. Badly put off. It by itself almost ruined the movie for me. I have seen Humanistic movies that I was able to enjoy but this was so ham-fisted in it's worldview that it was actually very distracting.

They say man does not need a God. I remember that great line from Superman Returns:

You say that mankind does not need a savior and yet, every day I hear them crying for one.

Seeing Alice

2010-03-25T01:24:00.002-04:00

I saw the movie Alice in Wonderland this afternoon and really enjoyed it. The idea of an almost-grown-up Alice returning to Wonderland was an interesting twist. The story seemed to draw almost as much from Through the Looking Glass as it did from Alice in Wonderland. Some of the sets were over the top though, but that's Tim Burton's style. I did find the behavior of the White Queen distracting as the way she moved around was supposed to be flowing and whimsical but wound up looking just plain silly. Also I noticed some of the creatures were lifted right out of the original Disney animation; the talking flower garden was identical in the appearance and personalities of the various flowers.

I spoke of Tim Burton's style when it comes to sets and imagery. He used similar styles in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. It worked in that movie but he is also going to be directing the Johnny Depp version of Dark Shadows and that kind of concerns me. Part of what made Dark Shadows work is the juxtaposition of the seemingly normal town of Collinsport and the supernatural evils that hide there. I just hope he doesn't use surrealistic sets in that movie.

Charity

2010-03-23T14:23:00.003-04:00

The forces of Socialism/Fascism/Neo-Feudalism/Mordor have won a major victory and are bringing us to the precipice of a new Dark Ages. What many mistakenly believe to be a way to help the poor and exploited, many of whom really do need help is in fact nothing more than a power grab by a group of billionaires, who have owned the Democratic Party for years. They did this to gain control of other peoples' property and wealth under a guise of wealth redistribution which is 100% upward to them. Under Fascism you may own the property but the state tells you what to do with it. And if you control a Fascist government then you control everything even if someone else owns it on paper. George Soros and his buddies could possibly soon own this country and indirectly own everything in it. It all would belong to the state and they would own the state. End of story. The book Rules for Radicals, written to destroy Capitalism and empower the poor has instead empowered the super-rich to take over.

Now I have nothing against having wealth. The right to acquire as much wealth, knowledge, and prestige as you can and desire by legal means is a basic human right. I have a severe problem with the taking of other peoples' property by illegal means, or by immoral means made legal by immoral legislation. In the Old Testament the Prophets talked about oppressing the poor and near-poor by the wealthy and powerful and this is what those condemned by the prophets did; they would give the poor loans they could not afford and in the end would seize their property when the payment was not forth-coming. Thus because of unpaid loans and unpaid excessive taxation, the land of the poor wound up in the hands of the kings and the wealthy. God had forbidden both high-interest loans to the poor and the needless seizure of their property in the Torah and it was disregarded. In the end the super-wealthy will own or at least control everything courtesy of the government.

It's often pointed out that the semi-mythical Robin Hood robbed the rich and gave to the poor, and in the case of the mythical Robin Hood this was true (though the historical Robert of Loxley was quite different from the myth). What the myth-tellers often overlook is how those rich people he robbed got that way. They did not open factories, invent things or invest in the ideas and dreams of others, but they simply taxed the poor until they couldn't survive anymore. If the mythical Robin Hood were true it should honestly be argued that he had stolen from the taxman and given a refund to the tax-payers.

As a Christian I am all for helping the poor and helpless, but even Jesus said that giving to the poor had limits:

Do not cast your pearls before swine lest they trample them under their feet and turn and tear you to pieces.

Here Jesus was basically saying that you shouldn't give to those who did not appreciate your gift to them and would not give you a blessing and their goodwill in return for the alms. If nothing else, the recipients of charity owe goodwill to those whose labor feeds them. Instead of goodwill there are demands for more and more, followed by temper-tantrums and curses if the money is not forthcoming. Cheerfully giving to those is need is both the sharing and receiving of a blessing, but for those who are ungrateful, neither the giver nor the recipient is blessed or helped.

I enthusiastically support personal and religious charity, but am beyond skeptical when it comes to government charity. The recipients no longer see it as a gift of love (the original meaning of the word charity) and instead see it as an absolute right, which it is not. The goodwill that they are morally obligated to give to the tax-payers whose labor feeds and houses them is simply not there.

I Have Not Forgotten

2010-02-27T09:27:00.005-05:00

Work is going OK and moving is doing quite well as well. It is amazing how much stuff accumulates when you have lived in the same place since November of 88 and you don't own a pick-up to move it with. The bulk of moving is done and I just have just a few small things plus all my big things to move for which a pickup will be available to me. I plan to move the last of my things next week and then do a final clean-up of the old place. And I have internet access again - - - obviously.

I have found several things I had forgotten about including some paintings I have done and forgotten (so-so at best), my first novel, Green Paradise, which I wrote twenty years ago and is an embarrassing mess, and certainly not publishable. I may rewrite it as the core idea is good, but my writing was sloppy and silly. It's about life in America after sixty years of rule by radical environmentalists/leftists.

Dad is still hanging in there and seems to be in good spirits, though life is certainly hard when you are tough and independent at heart and have to live as an invalid. Mom was also in the hospital for a few days with an infection that is now treated. While Mom was in the hospital Dad was kept at a Hospice center for 5 days so that he could get the care he needed (and my brother who lives just a few blocks from them could get some sleep.)

As if that wasn't bad enough -- Penny, their Lhasa Apso has kidney stones (she is supposed to weigh about 12 pounds and is over 20 pounds, so the poor thing has to go on a diet as well,) She's like a daughter to them and keeps a close eye on Dad at all times. One thing after another.

Update: The date on the picture is wrong. Penny is only 3 years old. I have also had internet access for a few days now, but no time.

Still Moving

2010-02-17T16:37:00.001-05:00

Amazing how much time it takes to pack, move and unpack, even if you're only doing it a few boxes at a time.

Sorry to be absent but time is taken up right now.

Real world calls.

A Bit and A Bit

2010-02-09T17:44:00.003-05:00

Getting more stuff to my house. I, a cousin, and an old family friend will be taking care of some big things tomorrow. The old friend helped Dad with his household projects for years so he knows the place better than I do. Dad is hanging tough but we aren't kidding ourselves about it.

Friday evening we had a late truckdriver come in so I had to handle it. He was from Canada and he needed to get some paperwork faxed to his crossing point so he could get through quicker. As I was escorting him through the office area he said "This place is a maze." I replied "Not really. It's all L shaped and you ought to see all our hospitals." He then said, "Not anymore. Our hospital just closed." and inquired why and he said "Not enough doctors and nurses to staff them anymore." I snorted and said "And the experts here want to copy your system." He said "I hope Americans aren't that stupid. I need stomach surgery badly. I can barely eat and I'm on a waiting list for treatment." I suppose there are Canadians who love their system but I just met one who is suffering because of it. How many more are there?

I didn't watch but a few minutes of the Superbowl but I love this commercial.

I read some of the angry reactions to this posting and they just don't realize. Any cause can become oppressive when people lose perspective and respect for others. All too many can see only a threat from the other side. I can't ever be oppressive because I'm a progressive. That is why I am suspicious of people like Rand who are as far off the mark as Marx was, just in the opposite direction.

Please Pardon Me

2010-02-07T09:20:00.001-05:00

It will probably be Tuesday PM before I post again or visit your blogs. Nothing is wrong but time between now and then is all taken up.

Is This Racist?

2010-02-02T15:09:00.004-05:00

Saginaw Michigan is a moderately large city, but hardly a huge one, in the heart of Michigan. It has a little over 50,000 people last count and its population is declining as it is in an economic toilet. It also has a severe crime problem and has received an "honorable" mention as one of America's most dangerous cities. You watch the news on TV that covers the Saginaw area and you hear "a murder occured", "a body was found" etc with a regularity that is frightening for a city of less than a 100,000.

I on occasion pass through Saginaw on my way home but stick to the state highways and away from the hoods.

I have heard people refer to it as Sagi-nasty because of its run down appearance and its dangerous neighbor hoods.

Recently Delta College's student newspaper carried the following cartoon.

The comments were telling and there were well thought out ones from both sides of the debate, and a couple of real loony ones from both sides as well.

(purely an aside, I wonder what certain close kin of mine who live in Bay City think of the second panel.)

The whole thing turned into a controversy about racism.

Truth is that I think the majority of people who live in Saginaw, regardless of their skin color, are decent people who just want to live and let live. These good-hearted people are trapped in a culture that they want no part of. It is simple reality that in many neighborhoods the thugs rule the streets. I would prefer to see children, of any skin color, playing in their yards, parks and schools rather than hiding from gunfire. Gun control laws will not help one bit because criminals by definition tend to disobey the law.

People complain about the improportionate number of blacks in prison but I see an improportionate number of black Americans who are the victims of these criminals. I don't hear as many complaints about that statistic. I do hear some but not as much.

Rather than complain about the cartoon, which simply expresses what a couple of artists see, they should address the reality that causes that perception. That reality is that Saginaw is a dangerous, crime-ridden city. Change the reality and the image will slowly change with it. You may say the people need jobs and God knows they do, but there will be no jobs until investors feel that it is safe to invest in Saginaw. The crime must be seriously reduced before there will be a serious increase in the number of jobs.

There are many good things in Saginaw including hard-working Bible based pastors working to reach as many young people as possible, and indeed some of the most dedicated preachers I have ever met are in that community. I think these individuals are Saginaw's brightest hope.

Current Events

2010-02-01T18:35:00.004-05:00

Of course Dad is still in his condition. He is happy to be home but knows that it is only a matter of time for him. This is from a regular update that my brother sends to friends and family regularly.

Dad says "I am going away soon and want to be home to go" so we brought him home and have hospice coming in to help care for him. He has reached a point where medicine can maintain his health for a while but not improve it, nor do they feel he could survive another surgery. It is sad because his mind is so sharp, and he just can't get his thoughts out. We watch game shows, if they give a wrong answer he will say "NO".

Hard as it is, it is easier knowing that Mom and Dad have made this decision together. Dad has accepted the fact that his time with us is limited, he is not scared of what is to come and is okay with it. The commitment between my parents comes thru though, he is worried about Mom.

Right now Dad is very alert and seems happy, he is carrying conversations with everyone, best he can, anyways. He is also spending long hours in his recliner.

We're losing him. What more can I say?

And today I got into my house for the first time. It's not a major fixer-upper but a lot needs to be done. It will be mostly cleaning. Actually the people who tried to buy it left it in better shape than my nephew who was squatting there left it in for them. The sinks, bathroom utilities need to be thoroughly cleaned but other than that it isn't horrible. I do need to do a few minor repairs and re-install the garage door that they removed for some inexplicable reason. I was stunned when I saw the refrigerator because it was almost spotless. The stove has to be cleaned but I have seen much worse.

And a great variation on the "HOPE" poster for the old Obama campaign.

I love it. Thank You Dr. Douglas

Still Here

2010-01-25T19:21:00.005-05:00

Serious stuff first.

Dad is going home for hospice. He desperately wants to spend his last days with his family. Time is definitely running out on him. I only spend a day or two a week up there but he is constantly on my mind and in my prayers. I am usually up there Wednesday and Thursday. Friday, Saturday and Sunday are my heavy days at work as there are two of us who switch back and forth while the rest of the crew gets the weekend off.

The sale/inheritance of the house I will be living in is moving along. I was there this afternoon looking it over. The people who were living in it did not exactly trash it, but there is work that needs to be done. They were supposed to be out a week ago, but there is a lot of stuff in that house that belongs to them. (They were buying it, but a felony by the man of the house, resulting in a loss of 60 to 70% of the household income while he sits in prison for trying to kill his wife/girlfriend ? resulted in a voluntary foreclosure with the house reverting to us.) The inside of the garage looks like a dirty-minded ten year old decorated it.

Of course it's the 8+ acres of land, including a large yard, a field for a big garden, and a small woodlot complete with a pond that really interests me. That house and shed looks so small from space. I'm thinking about planting some apple, cherry, pear and plum trees, along with a grape arbor and strawberries and red raspberries but I don't know how many and will have to do it a few at a time. It's nice to live in the country where one has real space. So much is possible, God willing.

Denial

2010-01-21T07:24:00.004-05:00

I could post dozens of links but it's pretty clear without them that some are in denial.

I have read in newspaper comments and some blog comments that the Scott Brown won because the Obama was not left-wing enough.

Check out the comments from this column in the tabloid New York Times.

The very first couple of comments I read are repeated here.

The fantasy here is that Obama is, or ever was, a liberal. A generation ago, before the huge shift to the right that occurred in American politics, he would have been considered a moderate Republican, a category that no longer exists.

next comment

How old are you, 12? People didn't vote for Brown because Obama is too liberal. They voted for him because Obama isn't liberal ENOUGH. Look at the negative poll numbers on health care reform. A solid 25% say the health care plan doesn't go far enough.

One day, when you're all grown up, you'll get it. (That is, if maintaining your job doesn't demand that you stay in right-wing denial.)

I wonder what dimension these people live in. This is total denial of reality.

I just shake my head in disbelief. I know that there are some who are so far to the left that they have left their brains behind but I am sure that they are few in number. I remember many times in the library reading a narcotic (ie sleep inducing) article in The Nation in which they insisted that the left would win if they only would run real socialists because that's what the masses really wanted. It's like that old story of a newspaper reporter who couldn't believe that Nixon slaughtered McGovern so badly because she didn't know one person who voted for Nixon. All that story really told was how narrow her social circle was. I know a few people who still support Obama but there seems to be fewer of them every week.

I answered this page on Facebook. Now please note that the young people and computer savvy people are supposed to be his biggest supporters. Now look at what the supposedly young and progressive Facebook crowd is saying.

That is a big amount. Now the numbers could narrow some but I don't expect that gap to come anywhere near closing.

What really happened? Gagdad Bob said it best:

My friends, this is the moment when we said NO! to the dork farces who insist that you can fill the economic swimming pool by taking water from the deep end and pouring it into the shallow end. This was the moment -- yes, the delicious moment -- when we came together as a nation and made Tingles Matthews cry on national TV. And folks, it doesn't get any better than that.

The guy has a way with words.

At Last

2010-01-19T21:48:00.004-05:00

A few minutes ago, while eying the Drudge Report, I let go and sighed a sigh of relief.

Hopefully it is the start of something big and something good.

I have learned that when it comes to politics the good news is rarely as good as it seems and the bad news can be not as bad as it seems or worse than can be imagined. I know this is not the gateway to Paradise but it is a good first step.

☼☺☼☻☼

Hallelu - Jah.

Update

I wonder if they will be as honest as these two one-time foxes were in this song. Will the left admit what has happened.

H/T Hot Air

It Was a Rough Weekend

2010-01-17T11:55:00.003-05:00

Friday Night, about 40 minutes before my shift ended, I got a phone call from my brother who was very upset. Dad had just had a heart attack. I immediately arranged for someone to take my Saturday Shift and headed right up as soon my shift ended. I arrived at Bay Regional Medical Center at about 11:30 and saw my father. He looked at me and took my hand.

They have given medicine that stabilizes him but at the moment it appears to be only a matter of time now. It may be a few days or a few months but, short of Divine Intervention, he's not going to get better this time. Prayers are requested.

Just a Test

2010-01-14T17:01:00.011-05:00

I just want to see what others see when I do this.

΄Έν α̉ρχη̃ η̉ν ο̃̉ λόγος, καὶ ο̉ λόγος η̉ν πρὸς τὸν θεόν, καὶ θεὸς η̃ν ο̃̉ λόγος.

John 1: 1 in Koine Greek

בְּרָאשִׁית בָּרַא אֱלהִים אֶת־הָשָׁמַיִם וְאֶת־הָאָרֶץ׃

(Genesis 1: 1 in Hebrew)

One of the problems I ran into in What HE Said was the inability to use Greek and Hebrew fonts. Hopefully I have it licked. I originally attempted to write using Greek and Hebrew font sets but couldn't get them to transfer to Blogspot properly. Using the Character Map is much easier but still needs some work. The solution dawned on me while I was commenting about hidden icons at Carol's Blog.

I still need some practice with the accent and breath marks in the Greek fonts and the fact that Hebrew is read and written backwards (from our point of view) creates some problems that I need to learn to work with better as well.

Is It Beginning?

2010-01-12T19:15:00.002-05:00

or is it Ending?

Is it the end of the global warming hysteria or the beginning of the New Ice Age hysteria?

Read the article.

Whatever happens the eco-fascists will demand more power to deal with it.

When I was a young teenager, a Freshman in High School, I was genuinely concerned about the environment. I had seen the results of an invasive species first hand when I watched the elm trees die around 1970. No one wants zero environmental protection policy, but it has to genuinely protect the environment, not simply enrich the High Priests and Priestesses of Mother Earth and their cronies.

Too much environmentalism is nothing more than an excuse to control other peoples' lives.

We Have Some Winners

2010-01-12T17:53:00.004-05:00

and they would have rather not won this.

Darwin Awards are given, generally posthumously, to those who have selflessly eliminated the genes for stupidity from gene pool by taking themselves out of it in incredibly stupid ways.

Last year's Darwin Awards have been announced.

Two gentlemen arrive in a BMW to rob a bank. They use explosives to blow their way to the money, use too much, blow up the building and crush themselves to death.

Following a dream to closely can be deadly.

How about a controlled slide down the face of cliff - - on purpose? Hey! Watch This! Famous last words of far too many.

In countries where there is a military draft some people come up with brilliant ways to stay out of the military, and then there are some not-so-brilliant ideas.

I thought I knew a guy who was in running for a Lifetime Achievement Darwin Award but this guy has him beat.

Actually the "At Risk Survivors" section is a lot funnier.

Two Quickies

2010-01-07T13:32:00.004-05:00

First off the global warming crowd is going to keep on ignoring the obvious. I guess when everything you are is dedicated to an idea you can't let go of it.

Secondly, take a look at this poll results of Americans and their ideology. Actually there are several charts that carry good news on this poll.

This is by the "not so biased" Gallup Poll so they can't scream "Rasmussen is biased" on this one.

What do these two stories have in common?

It's Cold Out There.

2010-01-04T19:50:00.002-05:00

And I work mostly outside at night.

It looks like the temporary and entirely natural warming cycle of the 90s is now completely over.

Of course they will talk about it until they find a new environmental boogie-man to hit us over the head with.

1960s Litter and DDT
1970s Overpopulation
1980s Acid Rain
1990s Hole in the Ozone Layer
2000s Global Warming (AKA Climate Change)
2010s ????????

They'll "discover" a new doomsday threat. They always do.

Another You Gotta Be Kidding Moment

2010-01-04T16:59:00.002-05:00

Only in Berkeley . . . (sigh).

They are seriously considering eliminating Science Laboratory courses for High School Students in Berkeley. The first paragraph makes it sound tragic but necessary.

Berkeley High School is considering a controversial proposal to eliminate science labs and the five science teachers who teach them to free up more resources to help struggling students.

If the money is not there for the courses then it's not there. It's called reality and we have to live with it even if the results are undesirable.

But there's more to it after you get past the first paragraph.

The proposal to put the science-lab cuts on the table was approved recently by Berkeley High's School Governance Council, a body of teachers, parents, and students who oversee a plan to change the structure of the high school to address Berkeley's dismal racial achievement gap, where white students are doing far better than the state average while black and Latino students are doing worse.

Paul Gibson, an alternate parent representative on the School Governance Council, said that information presented at council meetings suggests that the science labs were largely classes for white students. He said the decision to consider cutting the labs in order to redirect resources to underperforming students was virtually unanimous.

Except for the fact that roughly a quarter of the students in those classes are Black and Hispanic. Maybe they're not authentic members of the said minorities because they are achieving something substantial in the academic fields.

The way to correct the racial imbalance in achievement is not to bring the white students to a lower level but to improve the achievement level of the minority students. To intentionally hold anyone back because of their skin color is racism, and whites too can be the victim of discriminatory policies.

If only a few minority students succeed because of these classes, it would still probably be a greater number than the number of them that find success in athletics and music. By slamming this door on white students they slam it on everyone.

The Golden Bough

2010-01-02T23:08:00.002-05:00

I have, of late, been reading Sir James Frazier's The Golden Bough which is a stupendous study of superstition and belief in magic through the ages. In fact it's a case of information overload as he repeats episode after episode of human beliefs and superstition.

I am less than 1/5th of the way through the book and I'm not even sure if I'll ever finish it. It would be fascinating if it wasn't so danged tedious. It's almost, not quite but almost, as bad as reading a law book (yes I have tried.)

A few things stand out but one thing in particular seems to strike me and that is his contempt for the ordinary people. He said the worst thing that happened to England was the American Revolution because it put ordinary, which in his opinion meant "ignorant and superstitious", people in charge instead of the enlightened nobility. He seemed to believe that a nobility consisting of people who are above the superstition and ignorance of the common people should lead while pretending to believe. (He actually gave backhanded praise to the fraudulent shamans and magicians because they saw through the nonsense yet used it to gain power which in turn benefited the masses.)

On a lesser note he sees two kinds of magic in the world which he dubs "sympathetic" and "contagious" one being a link between similar things (a man and a voodoo doll for example) and the other being a link between two things that were once one or at least in close contact (a primitive fear of another finding his fingernails and using them to harm him from afar.) I can think of at least two other kinds, at least one of which is still popular today: "Mind Over Matter" (Common today in some circles) and "Memic Magic" born of the belief of the masses manipulating reality.

There is obviously more to reality than what meets the eye. The fact that the more we learn of subatomic particles and the universe, or even multi-verse, as a whole the less sense it seems to make clearly points in the direction.

I believe in Divine Intervention, though it is relatively rare at the moment, but I reject human magic of any sort as wishful thinking.

Remember These?

2009-12-28T00:16:00.004-05:00

Dad is currently in a rehab center where they want to work with him and see if they can help with a few difficulties. He will be there for a couple of months. This will also give a few members of my family a badly needed break.

One thing that we have been doing is going through old boxes and finding old things, including something that I had when I was a kid.

These eleven blade pocket knives were something of a fad when I was ten to twelve years old (late in the 60s).

Their blades included:

Cutting knife
Scissors
Awl
Saw
Bottle/Can Opener
Fork
Spoon
Leather Punch
Screwdriver
File
Cork Screw

While they looked and seemed cool they were overloaded and too unwieldy to really work with and were pretty much forgotten after a few years. And for the record, I don't know of anyone using the fork and spoon to eat with.

Truth is that I had completely forgotten about it until I saw it.

The Gift Of Eternity

2009-12-25T10:56:00.004-05:00

In Egypt's sandy silence, all alone,
Stands a gigantic Leg, which far off throws
The only shadow that the Desart knows: --
"I am great OZYMANDIAS," saith the stone,
"The King of Kings; this mighty City shows
"The wonders of my hand." -- The City's gone, --
Nought but the Leg remaining to disclose
The site of this forgotten Babylon.

We wonder, -- and some Hunter may express
Wonder like ours, when thro' the wilderness
Where London stood, holding the Wolf in chace,
He meets some fragments huge, and stops to guess
What powerful but unrecorded race
Once dwelt in that annihilated place.

Horace Smith Ozymandias

Man and all of his works are temporary and, as far as the material universe goes, doomed.

Surely the people are grass; the grass withers, the flower fades, but the Word of our God stands forever. (Isaiah 40: 7-8)

But the Eternal has made His presence known.

And the Fact became flesh and settled amongst us and we observed His glory, glory belonging to One Unique of the Father, full of Grace and Truth. (John 1: 14 Personal Translation)

This life is temporary, humanity is temporary, earth is temporary, and the universe is temporary. Only that which exists outside of the space-time continuum is truly eternal.

But for one brief (33 year) instant the Eternal became part of the temporary so that the temporary could become eternal. God became man so that man could be reconciled to God.

When we celebrate Christmas we celebrate Eternity and the One Who brought it to us.

Merry Christmas.

Two By Others.

2009-12-25T10:47:00.002-05:00

First off from Don's Mind. It appears that even Ray Stevens has had enough of him.

What can I say but AMEN.

Best Christmas posting is by Beth at Five ft Three. Read and appreciate.

Morning Musings

2009-12-21T17:32:00.002-05:00

Wrote these unconnected thoughts while sitting in the shack last night.

Well it's Sunday night, or actually Monday morning. Normally I work Sundays on 2 pm to 10 pm but because of a colleague on vacation I work tonight from 6 pm to 6 am. At least it works out to be more overtime. The plant is going to be open all week except for Christmas day. I have to work regardless but I have trouble seeing why we have people working when the warehouse is overflowing. I kind of mildly screwed up though as I showed up at 1:30 to start because I forgot the unusual hours that night.

Two inexplicable questions about truck drivers. How can someone who can't speak English get a license to drive trucks in America? How come so many truck drivers who do speak English don't know how to read a map? Especially when Yahoo Map will give you corner to corner instructions on how to find us. My Dad worked with my brothers and myself so that we could read a map almost expertly before we were ten. It really isn't that hard to look at a map and figure it out. If I get lost it's because I didn't look at and study a map. I can understand being a few miles away and needing exact instructions but if they are several states away they should be able to look at a roadmap and figure the best way to get within shouting distance from here. In fact I believe I have seen a Trucker's Road Atlas for sale in bookstores.

Another little oddity. On 3rd shift I am required to go through the locker/restrooms and check for leaks, running utilities, overflowing utilities etc. You ordinarily think of a men's locker room being full of "cheesecake" pictures, but there isn't a single picture of a scantily clad female anywhere that a person passing through could see. Plenty of "beefcake" in the women's locker room though. I wonder if those pictures could be consider sexist. Of course we guards are the only males who ever set foot in there. I really don't care but the double standard would probably exist if one of the guys hung a centerfold on the wall of the mens' room.

Last night I went to Walmart and was stunned at how busy it was and I'm glad I got my serious shopping done a couple of weeks ago. I had forgotten my days when I worked in a shopping mall and how crazy Christmas season was.

Early today I was feeling pretty down about the direction our country is headed but I listened to nothing but Gospel music, especially heavy metal gospel, and it lifted my mood quite a ways. In darkest of times we must remember that this world is not our home and that to be a Christian is at times to be at war with the entire world. I think of the martyr Antipas who is mentioned in the 3rd Chapter of Revelation. He was offered freedom if he would simply declare Kyrios o Kaiser (Caesar is Lord) and he refused. He was reminded that the entire world was against him and he gave the perfect answer; If the whole world is against Antipas then Antipas is against the whole world. That's the attitude we need; if the world is against us then we are against the world. So be it. Our King will be victorious. (Curiously Antipas is Greek for "against everything." It was probably a nickname.)

However there was a bit of good news at Copenhagen. The tyrannical left trying to impose the entire world under their thumb under the excuse of the need for climate control ran into a near brick wall. What climate change does exist is natural and these people know it but it's an inconvenient truth that they can't live with. They still can't explain how come it happened on Mars at the same time.

I have received a Christmas present already from a co-worker who gives gifts to all co-workers who treat him decently. It's kind of embarrassing really.

I was astonished and somewhat saddened to hear of the death of Britney Murphy. I never really gave her a thought, she was just in a few movies I had seen over the years, but I don't think she deserved to die.

Still Busy

2009-12-14T13:34:00.003-05:00

I think I've been off-line for various reasons for 5 days now. I have a lot of catching up to do. I finally bought a "pocket drive" or "memory stick" so I can use both my computers more. (My laptop is not internet ready at this time.) I was at Mom and Dad's most of Wednesday and Thursday. Friday through Sunday was taken up by errands and work.

Mom is showing more and more signs that her mind isn't what it used to be and she is beginning to show some severe problems. It is beginning to look like we are going to have to take some steps that we really don't want to take. Dad does not appear to be in any immediate danger but he is showing signs that he isn't feeling well either, above and beyond being paralyzed. I am almost certain that this will be the last Christmas with both of my parents, even though I think I said that last year too. I guess it doesn't hurt to be aware of the possibility.

One possible bit of good news is that I just might wind up in possession of the house I grew up in. The house is old and not in the best of shape, but it includes about nine acres of land which I am much more interested in. It is uncertain at this point because there a couple of issues that need to be settled first and it will be March at the soonest before I occupy it, if it happens at all.

Playing Catch Up

2009-12-07T13:17:00.004-05:00

First off Mom is home. I'm not sure I completely understand what happened to her. She filled up with fluid which had to be drained. I talked to her last night and she sounded better.

There are, however, some dark clouds on the horizon. Let's just say she is getting very forgetful. It worries me because she is the main care-giver for Dad and if she slips too much we will have problems. Already my brother is doing far too much for them and I live over an hour away and can only give him very limited assistance.

I have a couple of regular posts bubbling in my mind and hope to write soon.

Just In

2009-12-01T18:09:00.001-05:00

I just now got word that my Mother is in the hospital. I'm not sure at all what the situation really is. No internet access for a couple days again. I'll be leaving as soon work is settled.

Peace?

2009-11-30T17:44:00.002-05:00

There is an old cliche' that says "Let's be reasonable. Do it my way."

There is another similar idea here. "All I want is peace so give in to every one of my demands and we can have peace, after all isn't that what we both want. Only a warmonger would resist me."

That's exactly what I hear when I hear a leftist or Jihadist talk about wanting peace. Their idea of peace is that we give up and let them walk on us. "Who speak peace with their neighbors while evil is in their hearts." (Psalm 28: 3)

We could have had peace in the mid 20th Century. All we had to do is surrender to Hitler. (I know it's beating a dead horse, but I consider Hitler a leftist because he believed in a state-run economy and wealth redistribution.)

Those who want peace at any cost will be a terrible price for it, and then will probably not get it. Those who have a price they are unwilling to pay for peace will ultimately get it at a much lower price.

Kind of Busy . . . Sort of

2009-11-25T17:58:00.001-05:00

I am paying special attention to Revelation, Daniel, Zechariah, and Isaiah in a close study. I will share some thoughts shortly.

These Guys (and Gals) Don't Scare Me

2009-11-17T16:47:00.004-05:00

I certainly am not going to let this, admittedly propaganda, poster scare me.

Once again the Michigan Citizens' Militia is in the news. It seems they are growing again and that has some on the left worried. Should they be? That depends on their true intentions. The members of these groups were very critical of Bush for failing to secure the border and his failure to secure our national sovereignty. If they criticized a semi-conservative Bush for it will they let an out and out leftist get away with it?

If the Constitution and the entire Bill of Rights, not just the parts the left agrees with, are respected then they have nothing to fear. I know several men who belong to the local unit and the things that they are most concerned about America ceding its sovereignty to an international organization, Jihadists, and a Federal Government going amok. I don't know with any degree of certainty that the current administration is planning to put people in concentration camps or re-education centers, but there are people associated with him who have expressed a desire to do some things that have me concerned. I am not alone and even that (sarc on) extreme right wing(sarc off) network MTV has carried a few warnings, though I'm not sure who the enemy they fear actually is.

I will say this about the men I know who belong to this outfit. They are good friends, good co-workers, and good neighbors who have a live and let-live attitude and generally mind their own business. You can safely turn your back on them and not fear what they will do. And they definitely are not racists, unless you define a racist as anyone who questions strict leftist orthodoxy, or unless you consider militant Islam a race. Actually they seem more concerned about international organizations and our failure to take the home Jihadists seriously than they are about Obama; they are not fond of him but consider him to be a puppet and are more concerned about his puppet-master.

Now the militia does contain a number of groups and some of them are a little strange, such as one that a few years ago was trying to take elected officials to court for failing to uphold the State Constitution (they considered the Federal Constitution dead) and were trying to put liens on the officials houses to force them into court. This appears to have been a small group and it does not seem to be around anymore.

How One Talks and Writes

2009-11-10T12:44:00.005-05:00

This post is because of a comment I read at another blog.

When I was graduating from High School we had our Senior Giftatory where we were given gag gifts by a committee of classmates that reflected our personalities. One guy who always fell asleep in class was given a box of NoDoze. Another deluded young lady who openly believed she was high society was shocked to receive a bottle of HiKlas soft drink. A kid who missed a lot classes was given a map that showed where the school was. I was one of about three who got a dictionary of words of three or fewer syllables.

It was a bad habit that I had. My mother would constantly rebuke me for using "big words" and friends would sometimes ask me to "Say it in normal words."

A couple of things started me thinking. One was in Mad Magazine's regular feature of The Lighter Side . . . by Dave Berg, which many of us may remember as some of the most true to life comic strips ever. This one showed an obvious repairman working on a TV set in a home and the customer was asking "Can you fix it?" and the repairman said "You had the primary source of power uncoupled from the main load. I simply re coupled it and it should work fine." or words to that effect. The customer is thrilled and the repairman is thinking "He would refuse to pay me if I told him that I just plugged it in." His response contained no advanced vocabulary but it fits the same pattern.

The other was a base newspaper when I was in the Navy where they were asking the opinions of several random sailors and Waves about a topic of interest. One was by a Wave Lieutenant who gave several sentences of polysyllabic terminology (big words) and catch phrases as her answer, as opposed to the enlisted personnel who gave simple concise answers. I had to reread her answer a couple of times before I realized that her answer could be summed up as "There is so much involved that I can't giver an answer that will please everyone and I'm not so sure I know the answer." She felt that she had to sound highly intelligent while saying "I don't know."

What struck me in both of these examples was that the speech was not to communicate to a listener/reader but to befuddle them. The repairman didn't want the customer to know how simple the repair job really was. The Officer couldn't simply acknowledge that she either hadn't thought about the question, had conflicting thoughts on it, or simply didn't know; her need to be seen as one with all the answers did not allow for it, so she had to hide her ignorance or unthinkingness behind an empty but high-sounding answer.

In college I took a course called Homiletics, which is the science and art of sermon preparation and delivery. I was one of several of whom our professor said needed to simplify their language. It was his friendly rebuke that got me to really try to stop using high language. He quoted some scripture to us in regard to what he called a bad habit.

And when I came to you, brethren, I did not come with superiority of speech or of wisdom, proclaiming to you the testimony of God. For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. (I Corinthian 2: 1 & 2)

One who speaks in a tongue edifies (i.e. builds up) himself but the one who prophesies (i.e. preaches) edifies the church. I Corinthians 14:4 which is technically about speaking in tongues, but as our good professor pointed out, the same principle still applies. " What good is it to preach if no one understands you? " "You are not in the pulpit to show off your vocabulary but to deliver a message to anyone who is willing to listen and you are responsible to make it understandable." "You're not lawyers trying to confuse a jury but messengers delivering a message to all."

I'm not sure but I think it was Isaac Asimov (a man I loathe to quote) who said that a true sign of genius is to make complex concepts easy to understand. He was wrong on so many things but he got that one right.

Of course there is always technical language and that is fine, but a good doctor will discuss a case in technical terms with another doctor and use ordinary language with the patient.

Equally important is not talking down to or patronizing those with "less education". They may not quote the classics or know the big words, but their "simple wisdom" is often more profound than some of the most learned books in history. Respect their innate intelligence and speak respectfully to them in a manner that they will understand. If you must use a technical term then take the time to explain it to those who don't understand.

I used to know a young man who was taking a course in Philosophy at Michigan State and he gave me one of his papers to proofread. His grammar and spelling were impeccable but I couldn't follow his logic at all. I told him that the paper, in spite of its high language and multiple catch-phrases, made no sense at all and he responded "I know! Professor ______ likes that because he is skeptical of all answers." I could only groan.

Yesterday I was reading another blog when I came to comment that was an incredible pile of words that I spent several minutes untangling before I realized that the commenter was simply telling the poster how stupid and unenlightened he was without giving any concrete evidence whatsoever. Why couldn't he have simply said "You're wrong and here's why." Instead the commenter barraged the blogger with several paragraphs that said absolutely nothing but sounded intelligent.

I still use big words from time to time, but hopefully I speak clearly to those who are listening.

To The Honorable Senator

2009-11-09T18:22:00.003-05:00

Sen. Joe Lieberman, an independent from Connecticut, said that "if the public option plan is in there, as a matter of conscience, I will not allow this bill to come to a final vote because I believe the debt can break America and send us into a recession that's worse than the one we're fighting our way out of today."

Senator Lieberman

Thank you for having the courage to stand up to your former party mates and speak out against the monstrosity that they are trying to force down our throats. I don't always agree with you but you are a rare man, a man of principle and one of the few of those in Washington. I wish more conservative Republicans had your backbone.

I hope you have the courage to continue to stand against those who hate what America is and are trying to remold us into an America they can love, a sickly, dying banana republic. Please, for America's sake, continue to stand in the breach.

and don't ever insult your good name by attaching a (D) to it again. They don't deserve you.

And by the way, thank you also for having the courage to tell the truth about the terrorist activities of a certain Jihadist at Fort Hood.

In The Hands of a Good Person

2009-11-06T23:12:00.003-05:00

One woman with a gun stopped the massacre. The fact that she was a police officer was secondary. Would Columbine been different if there had been a couple of armed teachers there? Would Virginia Tech had gone a little differently if there had been a few armed people near the shooter? Most likely. People would have died but not as many.

A gun is in and of itself a morally neutral thing whose actions reflect the morality and sanity of the person holding it. It the hands of an evil or crazy person it becomes an item of destruction and murder. In the hands a heroic person it can stop an evil or crazy person from harming others.

It is a great equalizer. It is as effective in the hands of a 100 pound woman as it is in the hands of a 200 pound body builder.

One of the few true things that Chairman Mao said is that all political power comes out of the barrel of a gun. For the people to have the power the guns must be in the hands of the people. An armed population is a free population.

Legal or not, criminals will always have guns. No law will disarm those who intend to break the law. Disarm the honest citizen and he will be the prey of both kinds of criminals, outlaws and autocratic lawmakers.

And those who want to leave the law-abiding citizens as helpless victims are not giving up.

OK

2009-11-04T21:57:00.003-05:00

Got my computer hooked to the net again, but am having trouble with my E-mail and Facebook. I guess you gotta solve your problems one at a time.

Here is an interesting political cartoon blog. Give it a peek.

UPDATE: Got my E-mail accounts and Facebook going again. Now I just got one more thing to figure out and I am back to normal.

What's Happening With Me

2009-11-02T11:35:00.004-05:00

I, for the first time in days, am able to access the net through a library computer.

Events of the last few days.

Last Sunday my computer gave me its first clue that something was going wrong when it started to reset itself regularly (ie it would act as if someone had hit the reset button that computers used to have.) It would suddenly turn off and start up again. I figured it was a power-supply problem and the computer was rather old (about 4 - 4 1/2 years) so I started arranging to get another one.

I believe that it was Monday that I posted that I was experiencing problems and that it may be a while without a posting. That afternoon I had purchased a laptop that is fine, but I was not set up to get it on the net. Tuesday I completely lost my old computer just as I was transferring files to a disc. It's power supply was dead, dead . . . dead.

Wednesday and Thursday I was up in Bay City visiting my parents, who don't have net access.

Friday, Saturday and Sunday I work a lot of hours and my hours did not allow me to use the library.

I want to keep my old IPS (along with its benefits) so I have declined to go wireless at this time, until my provider starts offering it. I am having trouble connecting my new system to the net so I will be paying for a service call in a day or two. Until then it's Library Computer time. I did purchase a used computer tower and had my old drive installed as a slave drive on it, so I am able to rescue old files, and, for now, I intend to use it rather than the laptop as my main internet connection, but right now it doesn't seem to want to connect.

Sorry Again

2009-10-26T18:13:00.000-04:00

I have only intermittent internet access at the moment. Yes it is computer problems.

Why I Groan Sometimes

2009-10-20T06:28:00.003-04:00

You can't have non-partisan elections because blacks need to know who the Democrats are so they can vote for them.

No Kidding.

The city of Kinston N.C. voted to do away with party affiliations in local elections, but the Federal Government decided that they can't do that.

I can think of several things wrong with this.

1) The Constitution does not recognize political parties and they are a pragmatic rather than legal structure that is outside the Constitution. I can't say that they are unconstitutional, but rather they are NON-constitutional. So what gives the government the need or right to enforce their existence?

2) Why does the Justice Department equate one party with one race? This is blatant racism and blatant partisanship.

3) As long as people are not denied the right to vote, what does it matter if a local jurisdiction wants to recognize parties or not?

4) And of course we need to look at the previous decisions by the unelected bureaucrat that made this decision. Sad to think that such people have any authority whatsoever.

I Vote Present.

2009-10-19T19:40:00.002-04:00

I'm still here. I am just a bit distracted plus a big case of writers' block.

Is it "Writers' Block" when it's on the net?

You know there is really a lot of things going on, but, as far as the news goes, I feel like I'm in mode of just watching and waiting. A lot of things has piqued my interest but nothing that has me ready to stand up and either shout or scream.

Class Room Pressure

2009-10-11T11:04:00.003-04:00

Z at her blog talks about a student flipping out in class and physically assaulting another, whose life was saved only by quick thinking by fellow students. Some would suggest that classroom pressure caused this. Possibly it is part of the problem but not the whole problem.

Even in mental collapse one needs to remain responsible.

I did see a student go crazy once.

I was in the Navy at the Nuclear Power School in Orlando. Nuclear Power School was not easy, but it was harder for some than others. (I was far from top of the class but I did well enough to earn a meritorious release from Friday field day - - that's cleaning the classroom - - almost every week.) In another classroom a student suddenly threw everything down and ran screaming out of the room and building. A half-hearted (and futile) attempt was made to find him. I did not hear about it until the events that took place that night were happening.

I was sound asleep after midnight when I awoke to the sound of someone screaming outside. I went to the window and looked outside. There was a man about my age (I was 19 at the time) walking down the sidewalk in his skivvies (undershorts) screaming that he could feel fingers going through his brain and they were going to take it and attach it to a reactor. Then he started picking up rocks and throwing them through windows. Another student went outside and approached him and got a knocked to the ground with a bloody lip for his trouble.

The Barracks Officer of the Deck (A Chief Petty Officer) could be seen making a phone call and then approach the man. This Chief was experienced enough to handle it differently than the sailor who was decked. He let the man lunge at him but would step aside and let him pass him, and usually stumble to the ground. This kept him busy until several Shore Patrol units showed up and subdued him.

He had obviously flipped out but he was still held responsible. He was medically discharged after he had paid for the windows he had broken.

I agree that temporary or long-term insanity should always be considered, but a person must still be held responsible. If sanity is an issue in a crime than ease up a little on the punishment, but don't let the person completely off the hook.

UPDATE 11:28 PM Z is need of prayers as she just lost her husband.

Car Body By

2009-10-09T12:53:00.004-04:00

This was parked outside the Bank this morning.

The front of the car said "OBAMA MOTORS.

Just thought it was cute.

Seven Deadly Sins

2009-10-05T14:53:00.002-04:00

The Seven Deadly Sins, contrary to what many believe, are not listed as such in the Bible but is a list assembled over the centuries by Christian Theologians. Even though the list as such is extra-Biblical, this is one tradition that is not only theologically harmless, but actually profitable.

A couple of quick observations.

First off all seven of them reflect attitudes and patterns of behavior rather than actual acts. This fits the teachings of Jesus and His Apostles who emphasize that sin begins in the heart of the person, and that is where true sin lies, while sinful actions are as much as a consequence of sin as they are actual sins. Jesus taught that erotic fantasies are as sinful and destructive to the soul as is the actual act of adultery. He taught that out of control anger and the desire to kill people is as destructive to the soul as the actual act of murder. He knew that we would never totally conquer such things in this life but He wanted us to be aware of the problem and the potential consequences if we make no effort to control them.

Secondly all of them are to some degree inherently good things that have gone beyond their natural and intended roles in our lives to become destructive forces. When pride drives us to improve ourselves it is good but when it makes us unable or unwilling to see our faults or the value of others it becomes a destructive force in our lives. The libido is a good thing that ensures our survival as a species but when you want to have sex with every cutie that you see you've got a problem. Gluttony and sloth are natural and very real bodily needs taken to a destructive level. Greed and envy will force us to improve our situation but when they are allowed to harm others they are again destructive. Anger can be the drive for justice but it can just as easily become a cancer that consumes our soul.

The Sins themselves

ANGER : Proper anger is not in and of itself sin as it is often a force for justice and law, but it must be under control at all times. Paul the Apostle said Be angry and sin not, nor let the sun go down on your anger and do not give the Devil an opportunity. (Ephesians 4: 26 & 27) To paraphrase the passage it could be understood as, If you have cause get angry, but don't do anything evil or stupid in your anger and then get over it so that Satan can't use your anger as a tool against you. When anger is allowed to fester and grow it becomes hatred which is an anger that is insatiable and will be pleased with nothing less than the destruction and damnation of the target of that anger, and it grow to the point that it consumes you and soon there is nothing left of you but that anger. It can also lead to bitterness which is an anger toward the entire world where you are unable to find joy or happiness and eventually it too can consume your soul until it becomes nothing but a mass of bitterness.

ENVY: Believe it or not, in its proper place envy can be a force for good. If I am envious of something worthwhile that someone else has and I take the proper steps to gain the same thing it then it is has driven me to improve myself. It becomes destructive when it drives one not to improve themselves, but to destroy, steal and belittle what another has or is. If I had a neighbor with an Olympian physique I would probably be envious. If it causes me to go to the gym and workout to improve my own physique then the envy was a positive force but if I start belittling him, running him down, and finding every fault with him that I can then the envy has become destructive and can only lead to bad results. Sadly the second route is much easier to follow than the first so envy all too often destroys rather than builds. It is so much easier to complain about greedy rich people than it is to either be satisfied with your place in life or to improve your own life. It is so much easier to belittle the talented people than it is to find your own talents and make the most of them.

GLUTTONY: Let's face it; one has to eat to survive, but as Ben Franklin once commented One should eat to live, not live to eat. Gluttony is not an occasional feasting but a habit of over eating or a habit of bad eating. It may not seem as spiritually deadly as the other sins, though it can be deadly, it has an unavoidable physical consequence of weight, cholesterol build-up, strain on the heart, potential diabetes etc. This could also include drunkenness and drug addiction. In the Dungeons and Dragons Dark Sun campaign there was a type of undead, whose name I have forgotten, that was born of a severe glutton who would rise from the dead and endlessly seek food but the more they ate the hungrier they became and as they feasted they would feel like they were starving. This is true in a spiritual sense because many gluttons are trying to fill an inner emptiness that can never be filled with food and the more they eat the more stark their true inner hunger becomes.

GREED: Greed is kind of hard to pin down. Is it the desire to improve your condition, a desire to take more than you need, or a desire to take what belongs to another? I guess all three of them could be called greed but the first one is generally a positive thing and I'm not sure it can properly be called Greed. The other two are not so positive. Jesus condemned all greed and treated the rich wanting more and more exactly the same as the poor longing for the possessions of the rich. The bad things about greed are that it makes you hostile toward others and that it directs your mind to material wealth and social station rather than spiritual things.

LUST: The desire to have sex ensures the survival of humanity and works also to create a special bond between a husband and wife. Sex for pleasure is not inherently bad but it is not the reason sex exists. The problem starts when the natural sex drive becomes the overpowering thing in your life. You start to see everyone of a given description as a potential partner or as one you wish to have sex with. It has several spiritual problems. It often dehumanizes others as you begin to see them primarily a source of pleasure. It makes it difficult to create that special bond that should exist within marriage as one's sexual relationship is no longer unique in that life. Finally, like gluttony, the desire for sex becomes the driving force in one's life.

PRIDE: I prefer the word ARROGANCE to pride. Pride that drives us to be the best we can be, that forces us to do the right thing, that will not let us fail, is a positive thing. Arrogance is pride gone bad. Pride tries to make us the best we can be while arrogance simply assumes that we are better than others. Arrogance tries to convince us that we don't need others. It makes us try to see others as below us. We fail to see our own limitations and the value of others. Proper pride drives us to improve ourselves while arrogance drives us to destroy and belittle that which is better than us. Arrogance will allow us to have no betters. Sadly that often includes a refusal to bow to God as well. Needless to say this will destroy them in the end. To combat pride one needs humility, which is not a negative self-image but a realistic assessment of one's strengths and weaknesses, an acknowledgment of the weaknesses and a recognition of the abilities and worth of others with no feeling of resentment or strong envy.
I capture more souls through vanity than lust. Al Pacino as Satan in The Devil's Advocate.

SLOTH: Sloth is better known as laziness. Now we all need to rest from time to time as nonstop work will lead to an exhaustion that cannot be assuaged by a good night's sleep but one does need to work in some manner. First off it guarantees one's chances for survival are improved. Secondly it keeps one out of trouble. Third it makes one a useful part of society. Sadly some believe the world owes them a living and they don't have to work for it. I feel contempt for both the idle rich and idle poor; the rich should be closely involved in their enterprises while the poor who receive public aid should be expected to do something for it, even if it's sweeping sidewalks or picking up trash. There is also a contempt for those who believe you earn a paycheck simply by showing up for work, not actually doing it. Only the severely disabled should get a free ride in life. Also physical laziness can lead to spiritual laziness which can result in more problems.

One thing I note is that the deadly sins overlap each other in so many ways. Every one of them is also a natural, potentially good thing, run amok. Also it does not speak of actions, but what is behind the action. If I do not hate because of anger or envy, then I am not going to kill or rob my neighbor. If I do not see women as primarily potential sex partners then I am going to treat them better as I see them as people and, seeing them as fellow humans, I will not rape or seduce them, or cheat with them.

Sinful conduct begins as a sinful heart, driven by one or more of the deadly sins.

Bumper Stickers

2009-09-28T18:56:00.001-04:00

Just something to let you know I'm still around.

This was sent to me by my brother who got it from our Uncle.

I roll my eyes at a few of them but most of them are on the bull's eye.

click the picture to see it larger.

Safety at Work

2009-09-23T06:35:00.002-04:00

I have to go in today on a day off for a safety meeting.

Now I don't mean to disparage safety, but these meetings cover things like spill control, lock out-tag out, safety glasses etc. and all of these are important, but I have never heard them discuss the most dangerous things I see at work.

I have yet to see a MIOSHA (Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration) film on the dangers of drug and alcohol abuse in the work place. I have seen tens of thousands of dollars in damage done and people seriously hurt because of an intoxicated co-worker. A drunk or high person is always a danger to themselves but when they are fork-lift drivers or equipment operators or maintainance workers the danger is even greater. Every year the AFL-CIO puts out a list of employees who have been killed on the job and I can't help but wonder how many of them are due to either being intoxicated themselves or an intoxicated co-worker. I believe that the greatest single danger faced by many workers is drunk and intoxicated co-workers. Because of lawsuits etc. it is very difficult to effectively deal with this particular problem.

Another major cause of injuries that I have seen that doesn't get the discussion is improper or poorly maintained equipment. One of the most common sources of injuries with my previous employer was workers using razor blades without putting them in the proper handle, just using them bare handed. I have seen a lot of stitches given because of that. My father lost a couple fingers when he was 30 because a stamping press wasn't operating properly.

I have yet to see a film on improper training, plain stupidity, or inattentiveness (guilty as charged). I have seen a guy who was working near an oven who got tired of sweating so much so he quit taking in water; they found him lying on the floor from heat stroke. I have seen guys jump on pallets to break them up only to get a nail driven into their foot. I hate to admit this but I once got brained by an item hanging from the paint line because I was looking the other way and wound up in the Doctor's Office (Nearly 20 years on the factory floor and that was my only injury and it wasn't that serious. It was however, my own fault.) I have seen people overcome by fumes because the respirator was uncomfortable.

And don't even get me started on poorly trained or inattentive fork truck drivers. I have seen them break water lines, gas lines, accidentally run into fire alarms, drive them off the end of loading docks, knock people over, and more.

Employees face real dangers but MIOSHA safety films seem to concentrate only on a few areas. The problems they do deal with don't seem to be the ones that I have repeatedly seen with my own eyes.

I Had To Grow Up

2009-09-22T18:42:00.003-04:00

When I was 5 years old I did something that was not only childish, but mean, pointless and destructive. A neighbor had an expensive toy, I won't say what, and he wouldn't share it so I ruined it. Dad had to pay for it and I was on the receiving end of a very well deserved and very painful disciplinary action that I never forgot. I ruined it because I figured that if I couldn't have one he shouldn't have one either.

Please note: I was five years old at the time. I only had a Kindergarten education and a Kindergarten understanding of reality. Makes me wonder about a book I've seen but never read All I Ever Needed to Know I Learned in Kindergarten.

It never occurred to me that he was under no obligation to share.

I grew up and realized that people have the right to do what they want with their property, even if it does not benefit me.

At fourteen I became fascinated with the idea of socialism. It was so logical and so fair.

It never occurred to me that under from each according to his ability, to each according to his need, all needs would become maximum and all abilities would become minimum. It is simple human nature to get as much as possible for as little effort as possible. Any economic system needs to take that aspect of human nature into account.

I grew up and realized that the vast majority of people are completely self-interested and an economic system that works needs to find a way to make self-interest and public interest converge. It needs to encourage and reward work on an individual basis, not a collective basis. It needs to punish laziness on an individual basis, not a collective basis. We are individuals, not hive entities like the Borg in Star Trek or the Bugs in Starship Troopers (both of which are literary symbols for Communism.)

It's true that our economic system is unfair, but in real life what is fair doesn't work, and works isn't fair. That's reality. I had to learn to live with it.

Are You a Walnut?

2009-09-20T18:53:00.003-04:00

From a comment at Michelle Malkin's blog.

I heard ACORN has a new adversary group. It’s called W.A.L.N.U.T.:

Workers Against Lazy Non-producers United Together

I love it.

I think I'm a Walnut.

Read This

2009-09-14T21:06:00.001-04:00

Once again Gagdad Bob knocks the ball out of the park.

Way to go Bob! Circle the bases and come on home!

Have They Gone Crazy

2009-09-14T17:22:00.002-04:00

This is not a political posting at all, but about RPGs.

Several years ago I used to love Role Playing Games but I haven't played them in quite a while.

I first played D&D back in 1976 and found it captured my imagination. As the game grew I found it better and better, and more and more fun to play.

I quit playing Dungeons and Dragons when the 3rd Edition came out because they changed the game so much that I felt it was almost fraud to call it Dungeons and Dragons. In an RPG newsgroup I wondered how long it would last before the 4th edition came out. The 2nd Edition lasted 12, 13 years while the 3rd only lasted 6 or 7.

Today I was at a local bookstore and was thumbing through some of the 4th edition and just shaking my head. Weird RPGs are OK, but they should not be the foundation of the whole idea, but I looked at this and couldn't help but feel that the game had "jumped the shark."

Part of a successful fantasy story or RPG is the suspension of disbelief that allows the game to be played. In order for this to happen there has to be a logical order to the story and its background, and it has to be "real" enough that your mind can accept it. In a well done game dragons, chimeras, manticores, etc. were all unusual but everyday creatures were everywhere which gave our fantasy world a link to reality. Even in completely alien worlds the basic critters were things that theoretically could have existed on earth.

I read the new Monster Manuals and all I see are creatures that exotic and deadly. You want a few of those in most adventures but you want enough normal that the world can seem "almost real" to you. You read Tolkien and you only encounter a couple of totally exotic creatures, The Orcs, dwarves, and elves, though not real, are human enough and real enough that you can connect to them. If every creature is a Nazgul or a Balrog you would have difficulty connecting to such a world.

More than one horror writer has said that a realistic setting makes a horror story all the more frightening. If you can connect to the place then the story hits you harder. If the place is surreal then it will quickly lose its impact.

Dungeons and Dragons has quit being a cultural phenomenon. It will be around for a while yet, but I can't help but believe that it is downhill from here on for it.

I Knew The Man

2009-09-12T21:28:00.008-04:00

It was in the Drudge Report and World Net Daily, as well as several mainstream news outlets. An anti-abortion activist was gunned down in front of the High School at Owosso Michigan. There was also a second murder by the same killer.

This was a little more than a distant name to me.

I knew Jim Pouillon.

I can't say that we were really friends as I hadn't carried on a conversation with him in couple of years, though if we passed on the streets we would exchange pleasantries. I became acquainted with him through a couple of mutual friends. On several occasions we were both seated with a number of people at a restaurant table drinking our beverages, talking and laughing. He was noted for his graphic posters of aborted children and his lack of any sense of propriety on where to protest. He was good hearted and completely non-violent, but not very bright. But he believed very strongly in the right to life. Even a lot of people who didn't agree with him admitted that he was basically a very good man.

He was also on oxygen and wore a leg brace.

While I agreed with what he was trying to do, I felt that he was frequently protesting in inappropriate places. They complained about his graphic signs and a couple of them were very graphic, but he also protested with a sign that had a smiling baby and the world LIFE beneath it and a similar ultrasound of a baby in the womb.

While officially he was killed because the killer had a personal grudge against him, local information is that his anti-abortion activities were the source of the grudge.

The killer was a local man who had snapped and just started an intended killing spree, complete with a hit-list when he was caught.

It's bad enough to read about strangers but it is shocking when the victim is someone you know.

Update: I did not intend to ignore the second murder victim, Mike Fouss. He was a local businessman who was part owner of several businesses. I knew him only by reputation.

UPDATE: The killer attempted suicide while in jail.

The spot where Jim died.

An Honest Leftist

2009-09-09T12:12:00.007-04:00

I want to thank Thomas Friedman for writing this column.

He openly says that he wants everything the right accused the left of. He doesn't think a Chinese style aristocracy that can impose the right answers on the unwashed masses is a bad idea and America and Americans would benefit from it. In his not-so-humble opinion we rednecks are far too stupid to understand what is our own best interest.

This column needs to be read by every American.

Thank you Tom for showing America your true colors (and the true colors of the left.)

What amazes me is that this guy has the gall to actually print this, but then he probably knows that real Americans don't have time to waste reading tabloids like The New York Times. He knows that he is preaching to the choir for the most part.

Tom, if you like China's system so much why don't you just your bags and go move to the most polluted industrialized nation on Earth. (Hint: It's not America.) Oh . . . and can you take Michael Moore with you when you go?

Lots and Lots.

2009-09-07T16:27:00.005-04:00

So Obama has released the speech he is going to give to school children. Seems pretty benign and even silly, but I wonder if this is the same speech he planned on giving. What would that speech have been if there hadn't been outrage? We have no proof that it isn't but my gut tells me that it's not. The difficulty is that I trust Mr. Obama about as far as I can spit a mouthful of fishhooks. With him you must always assume the worst and thank God when you're wrong.

The Obama administration has had what history will consider its defining moment. This could almost be his equivalent of Chappaquiddick, except it was done by his followers instead of him. Unless something even worse or dummer happens it will be remembered as long as there is an America. However it says so much about some of the people who support him. First blood drawn and it's by the left.

I also kind of wonder about the Ivy League. Schools listed in that elite group are considered the best in America but I wonder if they resting on their past glories. The last few presidents have all come from Ivy League schools and two were bungling but good intentioned (the Bush men) and the other two were competent con-artists (Clinton and Obama.) I kind of wonder if there is something in the water at those schools or what. While they pretend to have high scholastic standards they have in have fact succumbed the pseudo-scholarship of victimology, political correctness and deconstruction. The only thing they appear to have retained is Nose-in-the-Air arrogance of superiority because they went to an Ivy League school. They do have high entry requirements, but what do they actually learn? I would like to see a comparison of acquired knowledge (what the student knew about the real world, its sciences and arts on the day they entered versus the day they graduated and see which group of students actually learned more.) I'm sure that the University of Michigan could hold its own against them, even if it too has become a bastion of politically correct indoctrination instead of true learning, but I suspect that even smaller state universities and even larger community and city colleges would do quite well against a watered down elite college. I 'd be willing to bet a months pay that Sarah Palin has as much true knowledge as Mr. Obama does after you eliminate the victimology, political correctness, and deconstructive studies (none of which are legitimate fields of knowledge). As I look at the Ivy League I wonder how far they can fall before they realize they have a problem.

America trying to swallow Obama care.

An Old Propoganda Poster

2009-09-02T11:33:00.011-04:00

Linkiest (previously called Conservative Grapevine) has a link to bunch of propaganda posters from all sides during WWII published by Life magazine.

One of them stood out.

I'm not really sure who did it, but unlike so many left-leaning political propagandists of today, the people of that time knew that Hitler and his cronies were no friends of Christianity. National Socialism ( aka Nazism) is a mixture of Socialism, Social Darwinism (taken to a murderous extreme), eugenics (ditto), Teutonic paganism and a denial of the humanity of the other. This is not any form of true Christianity, except maybe the perversion of the gospel preached by the likes of Jeremiah Wright. Of course today it is politically expedient (and thoroughly dishonest) to link Hitler and his followers to the Christians who believe in traditional values.

Perhaps those who consider Hitler and his henchmen to be Christians should ask a true Christian who suffered under him what she thinks.

How much longer before they try to censor comic strips that dare to tell the truth?

Now I am going to get ready to go to Bay City.

My mother is going to put on a garage sale and I can't give a lot of help but I can give some.

Catching Up Again

2009-08-31T14:34:00.007-04:00

I cannot believe that I haven't posted in a week.

Work is actually picking up a little, mostly because our competition is mostly out of business. We still have a couple left, but several of our competitors have shut their doors. I sympathize with those who lost their jobs and hope they can find new ones soon. Since we are aftermarket we are not quite as subject to new auto sales.

I can't say Dad is doing well but he is doing better than I expected. I'd like to spend more time up there but work schedule makes it difficult and car problems, soon to be fixed, are only making it worse. (I got one problem solved, and now another related problem.)

I have been giving a lot of thought and doing a lot of research into eschatology for the last week. This is of course a touch subject because prophecy has a tendency to be obscure until it is actually fulfilled and mistaken interpretations are all too common. The disciples of Jesus did not realize how many prophecies He fulfilled until He ascended into Heaven and they started studying the prophecies and were amazed. One of the biggest obstacles to pre-Christian students of Hebrew prophecy was how to reconcile the two images of the Messiah, the Suffering Servant and the triumphant King. Today we understand it but it was a source of a lot of confusion until it was fulfilled. Of course there are always skeptics, and always were. I would have loved to have seen the skeptics in the crowd when Lazarus came out of his tomb.

So many have written about that idiot cop who told a conservative protester that "It ain't no more" that nothing more can be said. He should be a poster child for the Obamaniacs.

Do you need a good laugh. Check out this post at Pasadena Closet Conservative. It gave me a badly needed laugh.

Here's something amazing. My parents should be rightly proud of 53 years together, but this couple has them beat. How often do you hear of a Diamond (75th) Wedding Anniversary. Ruth and Raymond Zink of Suburban Flint Michigan have done it. Hats off to them for an incredible feat.

A Bit of a Shock

2009-08-25T15:45:00.004-04:00

I got some troubling news today.

No it's not my father and my job is OK.

It involves some old friends.

I first met them when they were my neighbors during my teen years. They had four kids and the older two were capable of watching themselves when their parents were away but the younger two needed adult, or at least near-adult, supervision and they were a handful to say the very least. I babysat them.

Toward the end of my teens they bought a laundromat/dry-cleaners and went into business and for many years did quite well. The economy has reached them and they have had to shut their doors. While their laundry business was alright, the economy caused a large cut in their dry-cleaning and they were no longer able to survive.

It's odd but I feel terrible for them. They are wonderful people who don't deserve this. They are old enough to retire but their children have worked for them for thirty years and don't know the first thing about a job hunt. I guess they'll have to learn.

I guess their competitors will now see an increase in business.

How Far Away Is the Private Manned Launch

2009-08-21T12:21:00.006-04:00

A private company is going to succeed where the government is dropping the ball.

Perhaps that's how it should be.

Private enterprise is cheaper and more efficient than the government because it has to be. It has competition and needs profit to survive so it has to be more efficient and cheaper without being more dangerous. The Dragon may well be doing this two to three years before the Orion is ready. You can be sure that NASA will be all over this once it works.

And it will work.

Watch the Dragon spread its wings and soar.

Beautiful. What other word is there for it.

Will private enterprise be the next to walk on the moon? I wouldn't be surprised.

From My Brother

2009-08-19T18:32:00.006-04:00

"We've got a duty to die and get out of the way with all of our machines and artificial hearts and everything else like that and let the other society, our kids, build a reasonable life." Former Governor Richard Lamm (D) of Colorado.

In the book Logan's Run (which is very different from the movie) children are brainwashed to believe that it is selfish to want to live past your allotted time and those who run from death are morally equated with murderers. (In the book your last day is your 21st birthday). I never thought I would see that become a potential reality.

Sadly I don't know if this is just a joke or could one day be a painful reality. While I doubt that it would reach this level, I do believe our president would allow old people to die simply to save money, and those who deny it are living in a dream world. Remember the words of an equally infamous Democrat, former Governor Lamm of Colorado who said that old people have an obligation to die and get out of the way. I wonder if those who rightly furious about that are furious about this. (Of course Lamm was foolish enough to say what he thought where he could be heard and quoted.)

My brother sent me this joke.

"CASH FOR CODGERS":
...and it works like this... Couples wishing to access health
care funds in order to pay for the delivery of a child will be
required to turn in one old person.
The amount the government grants them will be fixed according
to a sliding scale. Older and more prescription dependent
codgers will garner the highest amounts.
Special "Bonuses" will be paid for those submitting codgers
in targeted groups, such as smokers, alcohol drinkers, persons
10 pounds over their government prescribed weight, and any
member of the Republican Party.
Smaller bonuses will be given for codgers who consume beef,
soda, fried foods, potato chips, lattes, whole milk, dairy
products, bacon, or Girl Scout Cookies.
All codgers will be rendered totally useless via toxic injection.
This will insure that they are not secretly resold or their body
parts harvested to keep other codgers in repair.
Run my old friend, Run

Remember this movie? If your old enough?

It's no longer about age but it seems eerily familiar.

They Influence You

2009-08-18T16:09:00.002-04:00

B F Skinner was probably one of the most destructive thinkers of the Twentieth Century. I have said before but will repeat the vary basics of what he believed. He basically believed that freewill is simply an illusion and it really does not exist. To him our brain is like a computer with an incredibly complex program running it but it is still just a program. We will do what we are programmed to do, we will think what we are programmed to think, we will decide what we are programmed to decide. We really have no choice.

Now most leftists would find this whole idea as repulsive as most conservatives would find it. They will honestly say they don't believe in it, but it still influences their thinking. Many educators do believe in Skinnerism and teach accordingly. You may not believe in Skinner but did the professor who taught you political science base his course on Skinner's ideas? Did your sociology professor base the course you took on Skinner's philosophy?

There are a couple of side effects of believing in Skinner or being taught by those who believe him. To Skinner freedom and choice are an illusion and you're going to do what you have been conditioned to do along with your genetic predisposition. Thus freedom as understood by the founding fathers does not really exist. The only freedom they see is freedom from exploitation and they consider all other freedoms expendable for this big one. (Of course the fact that they simply replace the old exploiters and become the new exploiters is lost on them.) They want to take over your conditioning so that they can condition your children to be model citizens of Utopia. (Note how well that worked in Brave New World or A Clockwork Orange. -- the book not the movie!)

Secondly, if people are doing only what they are programmed to do then you are not responsible for what you do; the people responsible for your "conditioning" did it. If I were to take a bunch of weapons and go downtown and start shooting random people they would look for a "root cause" rather than hold me responsible. Though I would deserve to die they would try to stop it because it was not my fault. I am the true victim of a combination of whatever caused me to snap.

Our actions, thoughts, beliefs, and decisions are from a number of sources. We have our genetic predispositions -- which are very real but are not always destiny. We have been taught certain things from childhood which influence our thinking. The public culture bombards us with stuff that influences our thinking. Our education influences it. Moment to moment variations in ourselves and the environment influence it. Angelic and Demonic forces are constantly working on our minds as well. And in the end we have another thing - - - Our God-given freewill.

Then I should be in Slytherin house

It's true that you possess many of the qualities that Voldemort prizes in his followers. Skill, determination, resourcefulness, and if I might add . . a certain disregard for the rules. Yet the sorting hat placed y0u in Gryffindor . . . why is that Harry?

Because I asked it to.

Exactly! You see Harry, it's not your skills or abilities that decide who are you are . . . It's your choices.

A Lot of This and A Lot of That

2009-08-12T20:25:00.004-04:00

A great cartoon that says it all

And another

I am thrilled to see that Dr Sanity, who suspended her blog indefinitely last month is back with a vengeance. She is one of the best writers on the net. I don't often comment but I read most of what she says.

I was going to go to the County Fair tonight, but I thought better of it. All I do is walk around and eat, and three dollar hot dogs (just for starters) is a bit absurd.

When you work third shift in a guardshack there's only so much you can do so you watch a bit of TV. You sometimes feel a little guilty because you're getting paid to watch television but it keeps you awake so you can see and hear what is happening. (As my boss told me We'd rather you watch the tube than doze off! ) PBS is a favorite, as long as you ignore political propaganda and one of my favorites is Nova Science Now. They had an interesting thing on stem cells and a Japanese scientist who had moral problems with embryonic stem cells may have found what may soon be a workable solution; he found a way to turn regular cells into stem cells. It's not perfect and it has an unfortunate side-effect, but it's a major step in dealing with a major moral conflict. Like the attempts to grow in vitro meats, thinking outside the box has the potential to solve many of society's disagreements in some areas.

Another episode was about Dark Matter and I found it fascinating but it started my, admittedly over-active, imagination going. When I was studying nuclear power we spent a lot of time on Physics and one of the things we learned was to think of not only time and space as dimensions, but also mass and charge were to be thought of as dimensions as well. Anti-matter of course is like matter but the charges are reversed so you have an anti-proton and positron instead of a proton and electron. Anti-matter's existence is confirmed even though we have no large amounts of it, which we couldn't contain anyway. Now imagine if you would that matter and anti-matter were viewed as 180 degrees apart. Is it possible that charge goes into more than two directions? Could there be something like matter that is, let say 30 degrees removed from our conventional matter? Could such matter exist and be detected? Could Dark Matter be matter slightly out of phase with our matter yet still intrude gravitationally into our existence? Just a pointless meandering of a bored mind at work.

One more thing, commenting at Z's blog I remembered a movie called Harry's War and would like to find a DVD of it. However it seems to be kept carefully tucked away from the public. Any ideas anyone? It is available on Netflix, but I don't use that service. I just found a possible source at the link I guess I'll see. Yes I can get it here . Amazing what one finds as one searches.

Catching Up?

2009-08-10T18:41:00.002-04:00

I have not been doing much with either Blogspot or Facebook for the last few days. Been in kind of a funk.

Dad is not doing too well and he could hang on for a while but he could also go at any time.

Yesterday I was strolling along and ran into an old co-worker from my previous employer. We ate lunch together at Wendy's and talked over old times. It's amazing how much you get to miss people. This particular guy used to load parts onto the paintline to be painted, and though he is legally blind, he could see well enough to walk without a cane and could keep up with the guys who had normal vision and could run circles around a couple of them.

I was between two storms last night at work, or was actually in a quiet spot in a stormy area and watched the distant rain, lightning, and darkness in relative quiet. It made me think of where my country is now and that perhaps a storm is coming and there's no stopping it. Our country is divided like it hasn't been in over a century between those who want someone else to take care of all their needs and those who want to be as responsible for themselves as they can be. Trouble is if no one has to be responsible no one will be and everything will collapse. Or we get a police state which is what they want, even though they will never admit it. (How can it possible be a tyranny? I'll be the one in charge and I'm a good guy interested only in justice!")

Or we say enough and stand our ground and stop the would-be dictator from encroaching on our rights and our responsibilities.

Whoa!!

2009-08-05T13:24:00.005-04:00

A probably innocent woman was the unfortunate collateral victim of an American missle in Pakistan and at Jihad Watch a Muslim commentator is using this as a distraction from multiple Islamic killing of targeted innocents.
Link

She was murdered as a result of a hellfire missile hittiing her father's house when she went round for tea. The US OC of the drones falsely assumed that where she goes Mehsud would be found....and that has not been the case.

She hardly died as a shahid sipping tea and talking to her father about Mehsud not being able to eat properly these days due to his busy schedule. I doubt that she achieved "eternity in paradise", she did not die fighting and she is a woman. ....it's simply a cruel and sad way to go.

(You have to open all available comments to find it.)

I doubt that she achieved "eternity in paradise", she did not die fighting and she is a woman.

You just can't make things like this up. Holy Cow.

Of course Robert Spencer, the sites main writer, is a right-wing hatemonger to some. Keep in mind that the modern definition of a hatemonger is one who tells a politically incorrect truth and we cannot let the politically correct thought police obscure the truth.

Also collateral damage and deaths is an inescapable reality. They are horrible and we must minimize them, but we will never eliminate them, except by the absolutely impossible feat of eliminating war (dream on dreamers!). The Jihadists never seem to even try to minimize collateral deaths from their attacks because they don't care. The more deaths the better. They complain about it to us because they know we do care even if we can't totally eliminate it.

Update: This writer seems almost to be a parody of a Jihadist and I considered the possibility that it was meant as satire, but his initial comments in the thread convince me otherwise.

Initial comment
And killing the Pakistan Taliban commander's INNOCENT wife by crusader drone missile is not going to help matters either. It's bad enough that they cannot sleep at night due to the drones and sleep during the day in a different bed and different locations.

You can bet that Baitullah Mehsud is not going to take this lying down. He loved his wife very much and I think it was her father who had tried to broker that Sharia for weapons down deal in teh 1st place.

A Bad Day

2009-08-03T00:12:00.002-04:00

Today did not go at all as planned.

My brother from Florida was up and we were going to have an cookout as a family. I drove up to Mom and Dad's place and was there about 20 minutes when Mom was giving Dad something to eat.

Suddenly he went into a seizure. The ambulance was called and he was taken into the hospital.

At the moment we have no idea what has happened, but there are several possibilities, most of them not-good-at-all.

Prayers will be appreciated.

The New Opiate of the Masses

2009-08-01T21:49:00.003-04:00

Karl Marx is well known for his foolish statement that Religion is the opiate of the masses used to make us not notice the suffering our oppressors are putting us through. Sure society uses opiates to quiet the masses. It uses bread and circuses to keep the mobs content as ancient Rome did. It buys people off with welfare checks.

There was once a Calvin and Hobbs strip where Calvin was reading a book and read Religion is the opiate of the masses and wondered what he meant. The Television answered and said It means Marx had no idea. The television also functions as an opiate of the masses.

Today we have a new opiate of the masses.

As freedom of the press, freedom of thought, freedom of religion, economic freedom, the right to defend yourself, the right to your own property etc seem to be boxed in more and more through the actions of the PC thought police one realm of freedom is growing and it is the true opiate of the masses.

In Huxley's Brave New World the state used the drug Soma and sexual promiscuity to control the crowds. (Both were social opiates though Soma was literally one.) By keeping one's mind on sexual activity and tuned to sex the people were prevented from thinking about anything else.

Another, lesser known but still interesting, Dystopian novel is Robert Silverberg's The World Inside . (I must say though that I speak of this book with some reservations as it is mildly pornographic -- though far from graphic by today's standards.) It takes place in large structures called Urbmons which are thousand story tall buildings in which a Utopian society exists. It is a society of sex, drugs and reproduction where it is a criminal offense to reject a sexual request. Sadly many correctly see the warning of overpopulation in the book but fail to see the other warning. In the end the only freedom the people have is sexual freedom as everything else is controlled. Yet even sexual freedom doesn't exist because you don't have the right to say no.

As the book progresses you begin to see how empty the lives of these people are. Sex is easy to get and meaningless and even love is hard to see. Then you begin to understand that those who control society use sexual pleasure to control the masses.

Today we are barraged with sexual stimuli that is used for advertising and art. Even, otherwise innocuous, childrens' movies and cartoons contain sexual content. Kids are beginning to believe that the sex drive must be fulfilled. Who benefits from this promiscuity? It sure isn't those who practice endless sex.

Is sexual freedom the bait that will be used to draw people into giving up their other freedoms? While many support "sexual liberation" without a political agenda, I am not so sure that the educators, psychologists etc who support this are (ahem) "pure" in their motives.

Give up all of your other freedoms and I will give you endless varieties of sexual pleasure.

The Soviet Constitution

2009-07-30T10:51:00.002-04:00

Out of sheer curiosity I took a brief look at the Soviet Constitution.

It is an astonishing, and dishonest, document to say the very least. Ninety percent of it is methods of administration and some surprising little absurdities, but the guaranteed rights of Soviet Citizens was a bit of an eyeful, and was by far the most intersting part.

Here's a real beauty from their equivalent of the Bill of the Rights. (or Chapter Seven Rights in their terms.)

Article 54. Citizens of the USSR are guaranteed inviolability of the person. No one may be arrested except by a court decision or on the warrant of a procurator.

Article 55. Citizens of the USSR are guaranteed inviolability of the home. No one may, without lawful grounds, enter a home against the will of those residing in it.

Article 56. The privacy of citizens, and of their correspondence, telephone conversations, and telegraphic communications is protected by law.

Article 57. Respect for the individual and protection of the rights and freedoms of citizens are the duty of all state bodies, public organisations, and officials.

Citizens of the USSR have the right to protection by the courts against encroachments on their honour and reputation, life and health, and personal freedom and property.
Article 58. Citizens of the USSR have the right to lodge a complaint against the actions of officials, state bodies and public bodies. Complaints shall be examined according to the procedure and within the time-limit established by law.
Actions by officials that contravene the law or exceed their powers, and infringe the rights of citizens, may be appealed against in a court in the manner prescribed by law.
Citizens of the USSR have the right to compensation for damage resulting from unlawful actions by state organisations and public organisations, or by officials in the performance of their duties.
Article 59. Citizens' exercise of their rights and freedoms is inseparable from the performance of their duties and obligations.
Citizens of the USSR are obliged to observe the Constitution of the USSR and Soviet laws, comply with the standards of socialist conduct, and uphold the honour and dignity of Soviet citizenship.

Article 59 appears to be an escape clause to justify the state ignoring all those other rights. These absolutely essential rights seem to have been totally ignored by the authorities of the old Soviet government. (Numerous examples could be cited but it's virtually common knowledge, except amongst those who believe that only America can be wrong.)

Actually it's full of high sounding stuff that in reality was never observed, and it is full of these escape clauses that enable the government to do whatever it deemed fit.

Or their "Freedom of Speech and the Press" Take special note of what is I have marked in Green.

Article 50. In accordance with the interests of the people and in order to strengthen and develop the socialist system, citizens of the USSR are guaranteed freedom of speech, of the press, and of assembly, meetings, street processions and demonstrations.

Exercise of these political freedoms is ensured by putting public buildings, streets and squares at the disposal of the working people and their organisations, by broad dissemination of information, and by the opportunity to use the press, television, and radio.

I think it comes down to this article

Article 39. Citizens of the USSR enjoy in full the social, economic, political and personal rights and freedoms proclaimed and guaranteed by the Constitution of the USSR and by Soviet laws. The socialist system ensures enlargement of the rights and freedoms of citizens and continuous improvement of their living standards as social, economic, and cultural development programmes are fulfilled.

Enjoyment by citizens of their rights and freedoms must not be to the detriment of the interests of society or the state, or infringe the rights of other citizens.

I can't help but notice that it includes the "right" to things like education, healthcare, a job, the right to have museums (no kidding! Article 46!) The rights of the accused on the other hand are not well defined.

A lot of what they wrote sounded good on paper, but a bill of rights is only as good as the people who have power are determined to let it be. The fact that so many of the articles included the escape clause "in the interest of Communism" or words to that effect frequently nullified the meaning of the rest of the clause. You were free to speak so long as what you said was in the "interest of Communism". Sounds like Political Correctness was written right into that Constitution.

Apologies Again

2009-07-27T16:24:00.001-04:00

I will be gone probably until Thursday due to work and a long overdue visit to my parents.

How About This?

2009-07-22T20:12:00.004-04:00

I admire our founding fathers but there are things they did not anticipate happening, like huge bills voted on in Congress that no one has ever read. Something tells me that our Founders, and most later statesmen as well would have been horrified at the mere thought of an unread bill becoming the law of the land.

I don't think they ever considered this possibility.

Another proposed Constitutional Amendment that will never pass.

When a bill is presented to the full House and full Senate for final vote nine tenths of the given house must be present and the bill shall be read aloud in its entirety to the assembled legislators by one or more readers designated by the Speaker of the House or the President of the Senate. The final vote shall be held at least twenty four hours after the reading of the bill is completed except in the case of a declaration of war or response to a major natural disaster which would require an immediate vote. A legislator that was not present for the reading may not vote on that bill. All legislators will be given at least twenty four hour notification prior to such a reading.

They'd hate it. They'd have to know what they were voting for. I'd especially like it if all the readings were live on C-Span.

Our Nation's Greatest Accomplishment

2009-07-20T12:57:00.007-04:00

Great because no one else has ever done it.

A recent reunion shot of the crew of Apollo 11.

The three greatest positive historic events of the Twentieth Century

1) The rebirth of Israel.

2) The retaking of the Temple Mount by Israel.

3) Apollo 11.

The moon is the first major land mass of which we can name the date and name of the first person to walk on it.

I was sitting in my living room with my family and two elderly neighbors (one of whom was a WWI vet) as we watched the indistinct images of the first moonwalk. I, being all of 12, felt such great hope for the future. We were on our way. We would have a large space station soon with a small base on the moon. Another ten years and there would be tourists going to the moon. twenty to twenty five years and we would do the same to Mars.

Quid non? Why Not?

We're fooling around in low-earth orbit. Yes it's expensive but the nation that dominates space would gain a lot on earth as well. Some say there is nothing of value on the moon, but we have barely even looked at it. Think of it! Billions of years of no air or water! What compounds would occur in nature if they didn't react to contact with water or air? What medical or industrial use would we find for such compounds that would almost have to exist? We have no idea of what's really up there. The cure for cancer? The cure for AIDS? Something that can be used as another source of power? Will China find out before we do? We're not going to find them in a few hundred pounds of rock.

We have a formal plan to go back but do we still have the national will to do it? Or have the mindless screaming mobs of the blame America first crowd totally sapped us of our national will to even survive, let alone prosper?

Half-Blood Prince

2009-07-16T20:52:00.002-04:00

The prince was half-blood and the price was full blood.

I don't have a lot to say about it except that I did enjoy it but there was so much missing. Sadly you almost have to have read the book to really understand what is going on in the movie. Until the big event at the end of the movie (avoiding a spoiler here) it was almost a comedy with Harry and Ron and their girl problems and teen-aged angst problems.

In many ways this, and its corresponding book are not so much stand alone, but lay the ground work for the seventh and final installation. (Or in the case of the movie, installation 7 and 7 ½.)

It lacks the relevance to the current world situation that Rawlings inadvertently(?) included in The Order of the Phoenix such as political correctness endangering innocent people because those in power felt threatened by the people knowing what was really happening.

The girl who played Ron's initial girl-friend, Lavender Brown, really did a good job of playing a world-class ditz. I just hope she was really acting and not just being herself. Also Emma Watson, who plays Hermoine, is really turning out to be an attractive young woman who also quite a good actress; I was quite unimpressed with her early on and am pleasantly surprised.

Three stars. I expect the finale to have 4+.

Bit of a Problem

2009-07-15T15:33:00.001-04:00

Computer is now in the shop. Windows won't start up. See what happens.

I am now using a library computer.

Capricorn One Was Fiction

2009-07-14T16:13:00.003-04:00

When I was in college the movie Capricorn One was released that was a fictionalized account of a faked landing on Mars.

We are approaching the 40th anniversary of Apollo 11 and some people think we still haven't gone to the moon yet, even during the Apollo mission.

I have seen every charge (that I am aware of) leveled by those who believe the moonlandings were staged convincingly answered from various sources, but I have my own objection to the conspiracy theory.

Twelve men have walked on the moon. Others were involved in such a way that they would have known about a hoax. There would have been dozens if not hundreds of people who would have known that it was fake. All it would take is for one of them to talk. If it were a hoax it would be worth millions to the whistle blower. None of them have, and unlike Capricorn One, no one has tried to kill an astronaut to keep them from talking. A couple of the astronauts have died and no deathbed confessions of a hoax. By now someone on the inside would have talked.

Furthermore would we have fooled Russian scientists who were watching the Apollo landings very closely?

I do sort of wonder though, had the Soviets won the race to the moon would these questions be asked? Perhaps. Perhaps not. Perhaps by different people. (Link shows intentions and prototypes of the Soviet LK Lander.)

We are approaching the 40th anniversary of one the greatest human triumphs in history.

Uncle Bob 1935 - 2009

2009-07-12T11:30:00.015-04:00

He was the first uncle on my father's side that I got to know. As a very young child I knew him as the uncle who smoked cigars, always carried a beer in his hand and like to laugh. He was always laughing. And when Dad and Uncle Bob went places we kids we're almost always included. Dad and Uncle Bob always went to much more interesting places than Dad went with Mom; we went to junkyards, auction sales, and other such places. My brother says that Uncle Bob was Dad's big brother and best friend and that's the truth.

He lived just down the road from us, about four doors down, so he also a neighbor when I was younger. As a teenager my father was frequently on the road because of his job. When I needed assistance that Dad would normally give I could almost always turn to Uncle Bob for that assistance.

He was a through and through redneck, (and keep in mind that I do not consider that an insult). I couldn't picture him in a 3-pc suit or eating lobster. He had a bumper sticker that said God Guns and Guts made America Free. Let's Keep All Three. He was a a shadetree mechanic like no other and was the "king of cobble" who could do more with Duct Tape, a can of WD40, and wooden mallet than most could do with a garage full of proper tools. (Needless to say his "hero" was Red Green. But unlike Red Green, Uncle Bob was practical and made it work.)

He was also a prankster and loved a practical joke. You had to be on guard at all times around him or something would happen and you'd hear his booming laughter. He was also a good sport on the recieving end too.

As he aged he drank and smoked less and less and, with his second wife, enjoyed life more or more, including frequent trips to Alaska and Canada. I accompanied him and Dad on a few trips to Canada and Northern Ontario is the only place to fish.

When Dad had his stroke Uncle Bob was devestated. Uncle Bob died suddenly and without warning of a heart attack. This is very hard on Dad.

Update 12/13 His eyes have already been transplanted into a woman, identity unknown. His bone marrow appears to be a match for someone needing it. (From my mother.) A large number of organs were removed and are being used by those in need. It is some comfort to know this.

Karen Carpenter's Niece

2009-07-10T00:50:00.008-04:00

Mindy Carpenter

As a singer she is very talented but she is not in her aunt's league. (But then who is?) She is at least as talented as most other recording artists today. Perhaps comparisons are unfair because no one can fill the shoes of Karen Carpenter; judged on her own personal talent she is quite good. All five of Richard's children will have to be compared to Karen as a singer and that would be intimidating no matter how talented they are. Of course her voice may improve drastically as she learns better vocal control, and she seems to hit the low notes in much the same manner as her aunt. Plus you see a bit of Karen in the area of her eyes, except that they're blue instead of brown.

What intrigues me is the song she chooses to sing.

And that middle-aged guy on the piano is her father, the same Richard Carpenter who accompanied a legend.

Update: This should really be a separate post but in consideration of the spiritual nature of young Miss Carpenter's performance, I will attach it here. I just lost an Uncle and he was very close to my Father. It was without warning and was a heart attack. He was my Dad's older brother. Please pray for my father.

Economic Good News(?)

2009-07-09T11:38:00.002-04:00

Our economy lost only 565,000 jobs in June. That's the lowest since Bush was in the White House.

It's really quite amazing that this would be spun as a good thing. Fortunately the article is much more honest than the headline, but sadly too many read only the headlines.

We have more people on unemployment now than we've had since 1967 when we started keeping careful records of this.

I would consider a decline in new claims good news if there were other positive factors to go with it and I don't see it.