The War on Poverty, and Modest Means

It was LBJ, I believe, who conned voters with the War on Poverty. Since then others used the ploy with names like War on Drugs and War on Terror. You take something people don't want, like poverty, then claim you are waging a war against it. All the real details, like exactly what does that mean, remain vague as people rally to the cause. None of these wars carries a solid, specific definition or intelligible plan of action. But al do become an excuse for otherwise questionable actions.

In the case of terror, regular citizens and babies undergo humiliating scrutiny because we all have to make sacrifices if we are to lick this terror thing. Same with drugs. Bend due process a bit, and only slightly obliterate certain rights, because if you got nothing to hide, you shouldn't care. It's patriotic, dammit. Why am I not rich when the public demonstrates over and over again that they will buy anything?

So now the war on poverty takes a new twist. The assault is exactly what it says for a change. A change you might believe in, to steal a phrase, sort of. The war is on, and if you are in poverty or of modest means, your ass is going to get kicked, or you've already been bulldozed.

Take the Cash for Clunkers scam. If you are at whatever the legal poverty level is, your best bet for buying a car was under attack. They not only wanted to outbid the market so you could not compete as a buyer of the vehicle, but they wanted to destroy the item, Forget that it probably takes more energy and resources to do that than leave it alone. The "Save the earth" excuse was lame and bogus. Full of holes. Next time someone asks if I've been saved, I think I'll get hysterical and reply, "Me? Forget me. What about the Earth?" How will we know when the earth is finally saved? From what? People? Does this mean that to save the earth we have to all vacate the premises?

OK. The cash for clunkers scam hurts the poor by disrupting the cheapo car market. It also hurts them by removing a treasure trove of potential salvage parts, in case they have a car that might fit the clunker category and are handy enough to keep it going. Lots of people get parts from junk yards. That is why they are in business. Repair shops sometimes get things there, too, which lowers the cost of repair. And who needs low cost repairs the most? The poor, and those of us who are trying to get by with not so much cash flow in our lives.

Fortunately I think that program may be bust and with luck it will never happen again. But, then there are the rumblings of health care for all. Yippee!! If that goes through as many want it to, then once again those of modest means are forced to buy or be smitten. Maybe it will get gridlocked and fail. One can only hope. It does make it difficult. I can see someone trying to establish a life from scratch being faced with a choice--buy a cheap car, pay all the licensing fees, insurance and such, or get health insurance and have no reasonable way to work. If you go the "government option" whatever that really means, then I suppose they charge according to how much you make. And you have to subject yourself to a sort of welfare line bunch of garbage. No thanks. Maybe if you are very sick it won't be so bad, except that you may have better options now since you don't have to have the same degree of bureaucratic approval, and doctors are a little bit more free to treat as they deem advisable, without that added oversight which could be like trying to reason with the El Cajon branch of CA Highway Patrol.

These are not beneficial things for those in poverty. The ones who have succumbed to the government's solutions and dubious methods of "help" in the past have found themselves in perpetual poverty, government style. Their kids join gangs or live in fear and the idea of opportunity is just not in their minds. The war on poverty has made a hell of an impact on the poor. It has convinced them there is no way out. And the various assaults have cut down the escape routes rather effectively.

Penalizing private endeavor through unreasonable regulations and taxation take away the initiative to start your own enterprise from nothing, or to grow to the point of hiring anyone. Hiring people is a can of worms the sole proprietor is loathe to open unless he/she (can we please have the universal pronoun back?) is confident he has the means to deal with the liabilities (read "lawyers"), ever changing and more bizarre regulations, and general harassment. You get duped by an illegal, it is your fault, so you get punished for the crime of a non-citizen. You have to get involved in all kinds of things you may find distasteful, like serving as KGB agent for the government to help them keep tabs on whomever you might hire.

And there are always fees, permits and things that catch you by surprise. None of which have anything to do with the actual business you want to conduct. If you want to be your own company and you don't have triple the start up cash you think you need, stay under the table. There is a good reason the underground economy is so large, and growing. It is not lack of patriotism, or greed, or any of the garbage we may be told. It is simple survival. Some of us refuse to seek government loans or other traps they set to get their sticky fingers in our business. I mention that because people often point to "programs that are there to help people" who want to launch a small business. Once again, I fail to see why freedom is such a foreign concept in modern America.

I don't know where it will end up. Mama don't take my clunker car away...

The best step toward any true reform is term limits. Senate--no more than two terms, and those cannot be consecutive, House, no more than three consecutive terms, and no more than 5 terms total. President two terms, consecutive or not.

Take away all pension and health care, special gas pumps, and other undue compensation from these people. It was never supposed to be a career. When it is, by necessity it becomes unbelievably corrupt, and what we have is a sort of royalty. Back to the lord of the manor routine. Don't fly them around on military planes because they want to visit europe or the North Pole. If it is not the president or ambassadors and cabinet, they have no excuse to go on tax money. They rape and pillage enough at home, we needn't pay for ridiculous vacations thinly disguised as some sort of fact finding mission or goodwill tour.

If someone has no chance to be in power for long, then they may have less incentive to keep broadening the powers of office, which then entices private interests to bed down with them in order to get special legislation, direct wars, and otherwise run amok behind the scenes, using the power of government to further their ends and kill competition.

I wish politics had no personal impact, but it has come to a point that there is no escape, especially for those of meager means. Although the ones who have had the means to hire and drive commerce are also threatened, unless they are in with the in crowd. Good time to be a Chicago thug.

How can the poor fight back against this war on them? A good first step is not to take the bait, or take as little as possible. And get rid of the TV.

News From The Old Country

My old friend PhotoLady got a gig covering the Dali Lama. I wonder what his friends call him. Dali? Maybe something like Biff. Anyway, that's only minor compared to hearing that at least one ex band member says they miss me and my fired up way of playing (paraphrasing), it's not the same. PhotoLady ran into one of the guys and his wife, so that's where that came from. Fun knowing my replacement probably falls short. That could have gone either way. For all its faults Memphis has some very good harp players. I've never seen so many really good ones in one place anywhere else. It is fun having friends in high places.

It is more fun have friends in high up on the map places. Once again I am flying my new favorite airline up the coast to the other best city by the sea. It seems these places are at the two extremes, one on the north corner, one on the south corner. Same side of the box, though. We went west, young man, by golly. I finally have license plates so I guess I'm really here. Good number letter combo. Very acceptable numbers. I memorized it easily because it all fits and makes sense. License plates don't always do that.

Soon, I get to make that journey north, anyway. Just a week plus a day or so. This could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship. I stole that line from Casa Blanca. It is a great line and quite apt.

I'm really hoping this health care debacle falls flat. The idea of being fined for not having insurance is spooky. Surely you can pay as you go or opt to die of appendicitis or whatever. If you can afford the fine you could probably afford the stupid insurance. If you can afford neither and refuse government help, then I guess the rumors of jail time and a bigger fine may have some truth. Back to the days of Dickens and debtor's prison. How quickly people went from understanding the goal of being free of such intrusions to thinking everyone's business is their own. I do not know how I will be able to deal with it if it comes into action, or many other plans in the works. Either I get rich quick, or I find ways to dodge the jackboots out to save me from myself.

Oh well. I know a bed I can hide under once I manufacture the bridgework to hold it up off the floor. Perhaps a secret compartment, or apartment, can be designed into the structure, just in case times get dicey. But that's another story

The Anti-Logic School of Critical Thought; they get paid

So, here I am on my fourth level of GEICO hierarchy, heading for the home stretch, in which they are trying to give away the farm, cost themselves much money, and generally screw the goose (or is it pooch? maybe goose the pooch. queer the deal, at any rate). The most common phrase I have heard from them is, "Yea, but that's hard to prove".

If you look at a basic algebraic equation, it could appear hard to solve, but people do it on a daily basis. Example: What's your gas milage?

Wull, I dunno, that's hard to figure out.

Why don't you fill the tank, drive 100 miles then fill it again and see how much you
used?

Uh, but how will I know my milage?

Milage = miles driven divided by gas used

Well, I have driven over 100,000 miles in this car and don't know how much gas I
used.

Here's a pistol with one bullet. Do the right thing and use it wisely. I'll
leave you to it.

That's the nature of conversation I am having with these people. My accident was a strange one, but anyone with a brain can check out the scene, take into account it was at night, on an unlit road, note the nature of the damage as shown in good photos, note the intrinsic contradictions in the police report, and the obvious cover up by the other party, and by simply comparing other stories with mine conclude that there is only one way things could have happened. That result would put obvious responsibility on one Mr. Kennedy of Over the Hill Transport, of Sacramento, CA.

The good Mr.K sent pictures of his tractor trailer rig, showing he had all the lights and reflectors you could ever want on his 48' step flat bed trailer. One problem--it is not the same trailer he was hooked to when he parked with a corner of it sticking out three feet into the road, on a curve on a 55 mph highway, with shrubs and dirt hill obscuring the rest of the lovely rig.

If the unit in the pictures were the one which I met, then the damage would have included front fender and more, instead of just taking out everything four feet above ground level on the passenger side. Simple observation shows that. So, he's lying, or the axles had to be retracted toward the front of the trailer, which that type is made to do. That moves all the lights up there too. So, no markings where they can be seen.

I know, too much info, but the point is, even without directly trying to prove he was pulling a different trailer, the fact that no reflectors or lights were back there can be proved---even assuming the ringer he photographed were legit. GEICO says, "Oh, it's hard to prove."

They are at the mediation stage with some CA insurance board and decisions are based on the case and info they send in. If they do not drive home the important points, they don't collect from the other company and I don't get my 1K deductible paid to me.

I do not like it from many standpoints. First, the man lied, the police lied in their report about what I said, no one actually investigated, the police barely even asked the guy for his license while harassing me (I assume they saw TN plates and assumed I was whatever redneck CA cops think is stereotypical Tennessee). The only thing the got right was my name. They had the marked speed limit wrong, misspelled the road name, noted incorrect point of impact, etc. I think the place is prone to shady activity and that the cops were crooked, as well as the truck guy.

Every single step of the way I have had to cajole and do the legwork myself. GEICO did not have the initiative to get the police report. The investigator for his insurance company sent me a copy, plus I went to the dreaded HP station to get it myself the day before that. To their credit, GEICO finally agreed to list it as not negligence on my part which allegedly won't raise rates. Once this is done I'll switch to another company. It would be easier to do with that 1000 dollars in my pocket.

I gave up on describing the real trailer and asking questions about the picture because terms such as "axle" were over the head of the dimwitted agent. After I convinced them to send me copies, I realize they did not understand the diagram I sent them or any of the discussions we've had. They actually encouraged me to send a diagram and explanation of things way back whenever this began. I ran it by a field investigator for another company and he found it intelligible, and legible.

Rather than keep going up the ladder, I've decided to go to the top and let them send me down the ladder. I believe the higher ups may have at one point in their lives been exposed to the rudiments of logic and reason so one of them may get it. They may not be as happy to let the company lose roughly 15K as the underlings, especially when no one made a sincere effort to prevent the loss.

It is disturbing to realize that these mindless agents, presumably each with his/her own little cubicle, are getting paid a living wage while a great number of better people are unemployed in this state. That is part of what has happened in the realm of both governmental and corporate bureaucracies; the idiots remain employed, while those with a sense of purpose and values, not to mention ability to think, fall by the wayside.

OK. I had to spout off just a bit.
Best line I heard all week was from Dennis Miller. Referring to Nancy Pelosi: "Her head is so far up her toucas they'll have to cut switch backs to get to it"

For All In Tents and Purposes

I should be a consultant to the diplomatic corps, or maybe ambassador at large, offering solutions when conventional wisdom gets in the way.

Case in point: Mo’s tent trouble. That’s Muammar Qaddafi, colonel.
Why would the top dog only be a colonel?
If it were me, I’d opt for the southwestern hemisphere favorite, (name of country) Strong Man, Generalisimo Juan.
Be that as it may, I would have spelled Mo’s name way different if I didn’t have google.
But I would have never spelled Bret Favre’s name the way he does if I hadn’t seen it. Come to think of it, I don’t believe I have ever had reason to spell his name, except maybe when writing checks or making hotel reservations.

Back to Mo, and diplomatic solutions.
Had the unofficial mayor of Coney Island, or the Mayor of New York, or even Hillary,
called or emailed begging for my thoughts on what they should do, I’d have said,
“I have three words for you–K O A”.
Really, what could be simpler? They have Kampgrounds all over the place, and it’s a name you can trust.

One has to wonder that a veteran camper and man of the world like Mo didn’t think of it himself.
No excuse for the others, either.
That’s the problem with people in power; they are dimwitted and unworthy.

Another option which could be a money maker, and to Mo’s delight, keep him in the limelight,
would be to supply him a barge on the Hudson, or thereabouts, and hold an event in which Robbie Knievel
jumps over the tent.

Find a relatively narrow spot.
It’l be a hit if he makes it, or if he lands on Mo’s big top.
Win-win.
Mo could get a cut of the tickets and advertising dollars if he insisted.

Another murderous dictator placated while Americans make some money.
Pay per view would be big in many parts of the world. Let them pay US, I say.

Kissing ass to lunatics needn’t always be a financial burden, as I think this example proves.

Are you as outraged as I am that I’m not on some sort of government payroll,
maybe on a retainer, to offer solutions to such situations?
No doubt, you are.
I’d settle for only two or three hundred thousand per annum, plus expenses, company car, plane, and ultralight.

Feel free to write your local charlatan representative on my behalf.

Thank you.

Time Travel

Sometimes you make time stand still, even though the clock doesn't
Best not to ask myself questions if I can't answer
It is, and it is good

Sing not Harmonicize

RE: request for covers: it has to be something I can do vocals on. They want me to front a song, which means sing like a bird or maybe some other wild beast.
I guess I wasn't clear. I play anything instrumentally but rarely want to. I did do Silent Night for a studio in Greensboro once.
This is a sing song.

Need a Song I can Cover

I'm not the biggest fan of covers because the original artist usually did it better than it will be, however I know that theory is full of holes. Anyway, not to be a coward, I am trying to acquiesce to wishes from the group and decide on a song I could do. It has to be something that works pretty much acoustically, so most Led Zeppelin is out, and I don't think Doors will fit the general tone. I hear old songs and think about it sometimes but just haven't settled. I'm sure even closest associates doubt my ability to pull it off, but I know better. The right thing and it will be legendary or, at worst, mediocre.
I'm toying with Catch the Wind, but I think maybe something else.

Something sexy and insane, yet sedate.
It must have an identifiable melody, not like the stuff Merv Griffin used to sing. Did anyone else ever see his show years ago? He would sing stuff that had no melody or anything. It made me worry about the composer. Holy smoke. I couldn't imagine anyone actually being excited about writing whatever that song was. Was it a song or maybe Merv was given to fits of insanity which led him to sing non songs. He seemed like a nice guy. Some of the tunes were, I don't even know the word.
Not tappers, those.
Help me, but no Merv Show debacles.
Do any of the thousands of readers of my blog have an idea?

Can of Worms; Cost to Society

A comment (at KCL) from the last post about a proposed extra tax on drinks containing sugar brings up an interesting point. The commenter feels that the bad habits of others pose a burden to those who live a better life. The implication being that the consequences of the personal choices of the individual are shouldered by the collective. Under some systems there could be truth in that.

Assuming that the medical costs resulting from various choices are paid by the collective population at large, then it is only natural for many to believe they have every right to penalize or control such behavior. In this case it is sugar consumption that is alleged to be a health risk. Smoking and the like were also mentioned.

There are many choices that cost the general population. What are the ubiquitous WE to do? The easy solution would be not to shoulder the responsibility for the choices of individuals. But that would remove the legitimacy of controlling the behavior and habits of others. No, that won’t do. Best to find more ways to regulate and tax, and to save these costs.

One huge burden to society is the insistence of many on reproducing. All those damned kids in public schools and just hanging around. Schools cost a ton, not to mention the children’s section of the library, and all the diseases they spread. WE could save billions by taxing the hell out of giving birth, or enforce limits. 1.2 children per couple. If you have a child then get divorced, no starting over with the next spouse. Zero for you.

Wait a minute, once again, China beat us to it. Their version may be slightly different, but the idea is the same. Those who know best, and are in a position to enforce their wisdom, wisely keep tabs on these things. They must have saved a lot of money. Not only that but violators of this rule and dissenters can serve as very cheap labor, hence a thriving global economic force. Enough humans being produced to keep the army strong and replace police and government clerks as needed. There are even enough to populate the Olympic team. Not sure about their sugar intake or tobacco use.

So, the argument that justifies the state enacting measures to penalize or control personal habits and behavior gains leverage the more the state handles the responsibility for the individual. That brings to mind the current health care debate. Would more control actually lead to more freedom of choice or would it lead to stricter monitoring of body fat index, diet, drug choices, alcohol use, exercise, etc.?

What if there are current beliefs which prove faulty? Surely tort reform should be examined. Can WE afford more junk science lawsuits like the famous one in which John Edwards channeled an unborn child, resulting ultimately in a rash of unnecessary C-sections which may have posed more danger to mother and child than natural birth? That was expensive. Not sure who paid, but it was apparently “the rest of us”.

Remember when “cocaine is not addictive”? That was not so long ago. It was in the paper and opined by people with the finest credentials. They missed the boat on that one. Not so long ago the egg yolk was considered the good, healthy part. It gets complicated. If WE are going to be in charge of everything They do, We better figure out everything and the possible changes that might come to light.

And those people who live to 90 or so, eating food with sugar and smoking cigarettes; they need to be banned. It screws up the absolutes when dictating personal habits to others

More Fun From Elitists Who Know Best

Artificial sweeteners just don't do it for me. Some are better than others, but I avoid diet drinks, and that's that.
I caught some news bit about how some legislative body is seriously considering a "soda tax" on the ones that have sugar, like regular Coke. So much per once.

A Duke professor of some kind was quoted as saying he thought this was a step in the right direction. "Our national health" and all that. Once again, my own way of life gets threatened for the "greater good". Or some elitist's opinion of the greater good. Someone knows best what everyone should do, and in order to be sure people comply, institutes a tax to modify behavior. I wonder who the sugar industry pissed off.

I go on the theory that artificial sweeteners cause odd behavior in laboratory animals. That's enough for me. Besides, I am not fat, so a few extra calories, empty or not, won't hurt me or affect the "obesity crisis". That is why I do not like the collectivist philosophy; it is complicated, and usually involves minding my business or altering it when I am bothering no one with my habits and hobbies. In the world of totalitarianism, they just never stop with these things. First you have random road blocks, for the public good, then they tax old school pop drinkers who still like the kind with sugar.

Almost always, if not 100% always, there are special interests behind these things who stand to gain monetarily or in power, at the expense of competitors or other threatening groups. Usually said groups are companies or well placed individuals. It is corrupt, in any case. Some of those scams in the past were well clouded, publicly, and beyond belief in the real. Unfortunately I happened to stumble into one or two such things, and it shed light on the process. Once you see it, other things that come up are more transparent. Like a magic trick involving a fake thumb I was once shown. Once you know, it stands out. Before you know, it is not obvious at all.

Per Doug, 7 things I like that don't require people

Thanks Doug, for the award.
Apparently the seven things only loosely don't require people. Most of what I like involves something people made in some way.

1. I like to drive through mountains and on back roads.
2. Reada a book.
3. Sleep, when sleep is good.
4. go hang out at Mt Laguna
5. Write my rebel thoughts, hoping that one day I can state it so that smarmy elitists actually get it and see the point.
6. Make things that actually come out OK.
7. Dream dreams, sometimes involving music, sometimes new ways of doing things, sometimes just things I hope come to pass.

This may have been a pass it on thing, but I am not too good at figuring out how to do that without making trouble.
I'd list, Bobby, Breath-e, Factotum, and Scribbler, were I to list the four people.
Oh, and give them the Kreative (with a friggin K?) blogger award.
Bobby because he is living the good life, and scratching it out the whole way. He earns it, and he plays music and likes his family. Always something to learn there.
Breathe because I am forever surprised and totally partial.
Factotum because she is brilliant and nuts, and very kind.
Scibbler because I have my reasons and he is my friend and a hotshot writer.

That is all if I were to pass it on, name people, and include a blurb about each stating why, which I'm not doing because I am almost a hermit.

Fishing is a Privilege

You have to have a license to fish, and if driving, which also requires a license is a privilege, then there you have it. I've often argued with fascist friends about that concept---to no avail. Admittedly, many drivers are terrible at handling a motor vehicle. That should help my point, but my fascist friends somehow think the police and heavy handed state can somehow make them better. The license certainly has no influence on it.

I consider driving a right, obviously subordinate to the rights of others. You have to be reasonably safe and follow the conventions of the road or you are hindering others in exercising their right to be mobile. Usually my discussions on the subject find me fielding questions like, "So, does Stevie Wonder have the right to drive then?" My fascist friends tend to piss me off. Obviously that is not the point, or even a reasonable question. Stevie can do whatever he wants as long as he doesn't pose an undue hazard to others. Unlike the CA Highway Patrol. They do what they want regardless of the consequence to others. At least the El Cajon crop.

So, you can get a license to fish without taking a test or even knowing how to fish. I like to think of it as a privilege. Do it wrong and your fishing privileges could be revoked. The idea of it comes down to the same thing; control and money.

These are the little things that seemed like a good idea, after all we are only protecting ourselves and our fish, and keeping track of everyone at the same time. I tend to think the purpose could have been served more creatively and without restricting freedom on a wholesale basis. These little things led to the "us vs them" mentality of law enforcement. "Them" being anyone who isn't a cop or a government official that could make trouble if subjected to the tyranny the rest of us enjoy.

It is a bucket that was filled a drip at a time. Until they got impatient and started dumping in a cup load at a shot, and now simply put the hose in and turn it up full blast. It almost makes me mad at the people who are dissenting. You could see this coming for fifty years, minimum. That's if you were half blind.

Now, if you disagree with the fascist totalitarian proposals they call you racist. Jimmy Carter does, anyway. It is the new technique being used to kill examination of principles and bring it back to personalities. Total bullshit and he knows it. Hell, more people absolutely despise Nancy Pelosi than they do Obama, even if they vehemently disagree with his policies, appointments, friends, colleagues and general philosophy. Does that mean they are sexist? Or maybe that, too, classes them as racist. They keep people ignorant so that they can play on that ignorance at times like this.

I absolutely believe we are headed toward a form of fascist state. Under Bush, we saw more of the framework set in place; homeland security dept, harassment of citizens who travel, etc. But it was not a cult of personality thing going then. Enter Obama and we have the charismatic leader who gets away with playing savior, dictating policy to private firms, heading up nationalization of any number of industries, etc. And his cronies plant little media seeds to villainize dissenters, and spread outright lies. People like me would be lumped in with religious right and God only knows who else.

I'm for legalizing freedom, and limiting the hell out of the power of any government. If we functioned under the constitution it would help. It leaves a lot to the states and I'd be wanting to find the one whose power was the most restricted. No state is within bounds at this time. They all got sold out, or bought out, due to the feds extorting them with their own money.

For many life will continue to be good even if the executive branch assumes pretty much all power. They are well on their way. The long term result and the consequence to many will not be so pleasant. It will be fine for those who play ball. But freedom as we used to think of the word will be dead. Some people just can't live in a world where being asked for credentials and to prove innocence at random is accepted. On top of that, even if the state is OK with you smoking a joint the feds come and raid the legitimate suppliers. Makes me think they are tied in with the foregn drug cartels and like the way it works; gangs and all that.

I just had to get this out, again. Obama was making a speech about how HE was going to make this and that against the law for the insurance companies. What gives him that power? Making laws? And telling private firms who they can do business with and how? I guess he'll force them to keep their doors open if they find his way to be highly unprofitable. Maybe he's a racist.

I threw that in for anyone who wanted something irrelevant to spice up the argument, like Carter claiming racism is behind the dissent. Turning the tables with equal justification in the assertion.

Real Life is Good

Unlike the subject matter of the last post---things "they" create and butcher---real life, as lived by me, is not bad. No way to be too down when driving from here to the Duke's in the most perfect weather ever, with mountains and blue sky and breeze. When my spirits are high, people smile at me, even young pretty people. It is really amazing how that works.

In early Oct I get to journey north again, and I do like journeys.

Funny how I lose a bit of optimism when I ponder the police state, whether it is the one in which I live or the national hoax. I feel obligated to remain aware because that is how it happens and has in all the famous fascist or totalitarian states; people were stupid and compliant. Yet, the nature of that insanity is such that it causes me to lose sight of the real opportunities for the good life that are in my world. By good life, I don't mean the stuff of Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous. Just pleasant life filled with ideas and good people..

Things We (I) Ponder

I remember when I first read the "we" bit which has a name I don't know. It is the same we they used in the Playboy advisor, like, "we think the FSU coeds are the hottest". How do I know that? When I was maybe 15 or so, I thought Playboy knew something. They could get good looking babes to hang out in the buff--more than I could do. Back then plastic parts were rare or non-existent. Air brushing was rampant. I'm glad I developed a taste for the real and more plentiful.

Anyway, we wonder how many in America have the slightest clue how cause and effect, quid pro quo, and even gravity work. It may be that there is some kind of hard wired need for humans to be led and exploited, even if they are robbed so that the exploiters can carry out their control. The cash for clunker debacle was an example of this. People being bribed with their own damned money.

The way many mafia figures are revered and held in high esteem is another example where people sell out cheap to those who hold the guns and have no hesitation in using them should their path get cluttered by things such as values and individual rights and freedom. Always there are those who benefit from this tendency in average people to serve unworthy masters.

Back to quid pro quo and all that. The term "health insurance" has come to mean "health assurance" in public debate and legislative halls. The fact that most bills are passed by people who don't even read them is another matter. Insurance counts on one thing; that the average person will pay more in during their lives than they take out. How else could such a company exist? Why would they exist? In the case of large insurance, they also use that money to invest in any number of things that yield a profit of some kind. That is only smart, and it helps keep premiums down. So does competition.

Almost all large corporations look like they are made of money and must be reaping obscene profits but the reality is that they do not make even double digit profits in most cases. The IRS influence bastardizes the basic market principles more than any other factor, excluding direct government payments and control. How you can expect an organization which enforces its will with guns and force, and which has no intrinsic expertise in any business other than the military, to provide a better service at lower price is beyond me. They have no competition and can smash any competitor because they play by one set of fluid rules while enforcing other rules on normal organizations and people.

Health insurance does not equal a healthy life. It just means a contract whereby the agreed amount is paid if you find yourself in need of medical services. Some people pay as they go, and some don't go due to religious reasons or disgust with the corrupt AMA. They bet a different way. It was once their right.

Every now and then I get a little worked up when I see or hear the thuggery of unlimited government being sold as intellectually sound, beneficial to the little people, and good. People are being bribed with their own money, and at the cost of better opportunity and often better technology. Half the things the green zealots are trying to force would have been in much better condition but for the influence of a government which has overstepped proper limits for at least 100 years.

They did it because all you have to do is paint the opposition as uncool, usually singling out one vocal opponent. Twist the words and focus on the personality--forget the principles in question. It works like a charm. I remember the way the opponents to adding fluoride and other non essential chemicals to water were painted as wacko extremists. Now the same general group who pushed it through buy bottled, purified, chemical free water. They do it because it is hip. They think and do everything according to whether it is accepted by their group, which sees itself as elite and superior.

This current coup is a pack of lies, from the bailouts, to the airport and border security, to health care, to cap and trade. It has gone on for a long time. Now it is in the open and heading toward the police state at full steam.

I know there has been a lot of dissent and much is not reported or minimized. Hundreds of thousands marched on Washington. Not much of stir there. They also took their trash with them when they left, from what I heard. Even the inauguration crowd left mountains of trash behind, and they weren't even protesting. Yet that crowd of dissenters is labeled as nazis and worse. No possible justification for that. I think anyone wanting a national security force run by government, independent of military and police, is more nazi-like than people who oppose nationalizing industries and who oppose restricting speech and other rights.

It is good to see some backlash. Soon the bogus homeland security method of protecting against terrorists will label such activity as a threat to national security. I'll bet Obama and Pelosi secretly thank the Bush crowd for that on a daily basis. He didn't let a crisis go to waste, a la Rahm Emanuel.

I'm just spouting off because I can, because I am glad to hear rumblings of rebellion to this insane path we are on, and because the alleged debate on these issues does not exist, is not allowed, and almost never allows a full accounting of the real motives for proposed action, or the true long term causes of the alleged crisis that is claimed to need fixing.

We have heard over and over that we are in a health care crisis, yet we don't see John Edwards and others who directly raped the medical industry in ways that raised the cost for all forced to answer for their actions. I don't know if there is a crisis. It will be a crisis if I can't go in, pay cash and let a doctor poke where she (hopefully) will. I don't care to pay a man to poke me. You do what you must when in pain so who knows.

Everywhere in which people think they have a great, free system, things have deteriorated and the wealthiest come here to save time. Nothing is free. Air used to be, but not the labor, skill, products and expertise of others. They have needs too, so they take payment. If you don't pay, someone does. If you pay tax then you pay thousands of other people to pay for what you get. It is not just the middle man you pay, it is the middle multitudes.

People hate freedom, especially the freedom of others. They'll sacrifice their own just to feel the power rush of limiting someone else's freedom. It is a sick trend.

Like The Moon; Waxing and Waning

t must be the way of life, cycles. If you lrack a point on a wheel rolling along, depending on the location of the point and the angle of the viewpoint, it can trace a curvey track that loops back on itself, or just an up and down yoyo, or maybe something akin to a sine curve(not too sure about that one.--doesn't matter). The one that curves up and down and loops back on itself seems the most accurate. It is the way of progress toward something. Three steps forward, one or two back, if you are lucky. Being lucky is the way to go when you can, but it does take a little effort. I call it luck, but I don't actually believe in luck in the usual sense of the word.
Good fortune, and being open to it, I can understand. Then there are circumstances some just have to experience that others don't. I don't know why; whim of the Gods is my guess. Or factors beyond this dimension. Whatever it is, I believe it is out of the reach of lawyers and police, which that gives me comfort.

Once again, the babble is a bit vague. There is an obscure Donavan song that puts a little clarity to the real subject at hand.

Whatever the meaning, I think I now know what I'm shooting for in a general way. It is all possible, even though it is about like building a bridge out of cardboard boxes. It is possible to do that and make it strong enough to hold a car. Got to be corrugated cardboard. I've seen it done. Still, it is a fragile and somewhat tenuous endeavor. OK. Maybe that is a stupid comparison. The point is, things like this are fragile and strong and the same time. The goal is to build toward the goal, fragile bit by fragile bit, and if it is done well, all those bits combined make for a structure as strong as you need.

Hopefully the Chargers will prevail over the dreaded Oakland Raiders tomorrow. I expect they will.

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The Script

The bane of my existence is that I don't know the lines and continually miss my mark. Oddly enough, there are those who are aware of this, and keep track of each deviation from the script. Nice people, sometimes. It is not a thing I can help.

That Terrible Thing; the mind

Many pathways in the mind are so well traveled that they form an indelible groove which, seemingly, cannot be changed. It’s as if an entire array of stimuli all go to the same roundabout, and instead of taking any number of roads out which make sense, they all get off at the one which ends with some inner voice announcing, “You ain’t right, Son, an’ you ain’t never gonna be neither”. On a good day, it adds, “But no need to worry none, cause nothin’ you do gonna make no never mind no how, so relax.” The voice is not a grammar specialist.

In many cases the well worn grooves help people be more productive and balanced. Maybe they make you get up early every day of your life, or prevent you from getting sloshed and ending up with that very disgusting person. The one you would never normally even consider, in the Biblical sense, without barfing. Or you never let things get unorganized to the point of total chaos. Things like that.

My well worn grooves seem to lead to the grammatically impaired guy who says the things described above. I know better. Knowing better and forcing the thoughts to take another exit from the roundabout are two different things.

Blind, or not so blind, faith tends to provide the most relief. Not faith of the variety that people tell you how to have. It is different and no one can tell you exactly how to do it, or what to have faith in. Except that it is all OK. The details aren’t someone else’s to provide. So, if that crazy well guy(who cut power to your cottage, without notice, and parked in your driveway) asks accusingly, “YOU A CHRISTUN?”, I wouldn’t assume he has much to offer other than a quick contrast to show you that you aren’t as crazy as some folk.

The main thing is that the roads in the mind most traveled can often lead to reactions and conclusions which are at odds with your desires and needs, and which make no sense in the context at hand. Situationally inapropriate and irrelevant. It happens all the time. It can be the result of the famous “baggage” people allegedly carry, things ingrained in you at an early age or who knows what. Doesn’t matter. Those habitual grooves can be life inhibiting and depressing, not to mention costly on many levels. Very annoying.

I don’t know how to effectively counter this syndrome. Faith is the best I can do on that. What that means is probably something only the individual can half way know.

If I Could Explain, I Probably Wouldn't

Since I can’t explain it, the question is moot. What a dumb sounding word. It’s the one that fits, though, so there you have it.

My horizons broaden. Must be something in my horoscope.

Another great and adventurous week to add to all the other good weeks this year has offered. It amazes me.

You almost kicked my tennis butt into next week, however I remain the greater 212th place champion. The nerve of those school kids, playing sports after school, hogging the court instead of showing initiative by holding up liquor stores, 7-11s, and tourists. Serious trouble there.

I’ve got a piece of the Douglas fir, just in case.

It was a very close call in the enchanted forest, as night fell and the bread crumbs disappeared. I thought trolls would be making trouble and asking difficult riddles. They did make mischief with the signs. Good thing I have an inner compass that is as reliable as a sun dial in Seattle or who knows what might have happened. Glad I could rescue you. Just doing my job.

I’m pretty sure Bogart actually Bogarts in Key Largo. I didn’t catch it in CasaBlanca.

That Save the Children guy accosted me again but remembered me from last week. I promised to check out their web site. They pay those people to do that, but I don’t think they pay much. He was into it so what can you do. Anyone that cheerful and concerned at the same time can’t be faking it, I don’t think.

I hope you got the message on the little square of paper closest to where you keep your brain at night. It was as comfortable a flight as I’ve ever had, except I wouldn’t have minded if it got put off a week or 3, dontcha know, I tell you what..

I do tell you what—if you think a squirrel can kick your butt (and they can. I know first hand), those raccoons could tear a person into such little pieces they’d never be able to put it back together. Not like the wood cube. More like a jigsaw puzzle but with no picture to go with.

My blue bag from the 80s will last until 2012, minimum. Nice repair work assures this. I know the people at the airport were all wishing they had a cool suitcase that gets bigger and smaller and can fit in the overhead or be easy to identify if some interloper doesn’t have the only other one like it in existence. Was that guy my doppelganger?

Slept like a baby. Probably one who makes a racket.

That’s life, and now back to work. Yes, I have work. Not everyone does. I can’t believe it.

Never was Casa Blanca so enjoyable, even though Boggie did not Bogart in that one.

Summertime Blues

Maybe if the DMV hadn't made me three months younger I'd feel differently. Probably just a matter of maturity, or lack thereof.

Tomorrow is a day of much work so I hope the energy is there. Good thing they are the kind of jobs I like. The result is visible and easy to define. Time is short, since in just a couple of days it's off to see my friend who never ceases to confound amuse and astound. Hell if I know. It will be good. Let's hope it is cold enough that no AC is required. At least the plane has that essential element.

Universal health care? Forget it. What about universal Air Conditioning? Better yet, I guess I could save up and buy my own. Landlord would not be keen on the idea, no doubt. Maybe I could be real ambitious and just buy a place with AC. Or live in my car and leave the engine and air running 24/7. Maybe not. Oh yea. I can make my own version of a swamp cooler, except it will be art as well. I forgot. That was supposed to be done by now--been too hot to work on it.

The coast does not have this issue to the same degree. The heat that is. The lack of air conditioners is as widespread there, even in the nicest areas. And I wonder why they say people are nuts out here. At least we have something in common. I like them but I have to do something about this resistance to real climate control. They think they can control the weather but won't control the temp in a building, which is a proven possibility. I don't get it.

Crisis Upon Crisis

One of the great things about growing up when I did is that I went several years after I was old enough to be somewhat conscious without hearing the word “crisis”. My TV is picking up one station tonight. I thought I’d see what was up while I ate a late dinner. It was a very similar meal to the one I filmed for the pilot of the hit series, “What Do Hermits Eat?”. You can rent it for free on youtube under the harpofly collection.

So, ignoramus that I am, I learned that I was totally unaware of our ongoing epidemic, this long term healthcare CRISIS—OBESITY. Oh my God, we’re not dying of starvation, we are losing self esteem and years off our lives because “Americans are in a crisis’, an obesity crisis. They used the word several times. Actually they used the word “obesity” several times, and the word “crisis”. Like they say, never let a crisis go to waste.

Americans are eating themselves out of their clothes. They are violating every law of fat control. One day we'll all just roll off the planet, or maybe influence its spin and balance and all hell will break loose. And it will be ALL OUR FAULT for being F A T.

I’m pretty sure I am not the only one who sees green energy in all this (alternative energy source at any rate)
Under present philosophy, your weight is the business of all of us, and SOMETHING MUST BE DONE!!! Time is running out!!! Time is always running out when it comes to crises I hadn’t bothered to notice until the smarmy news person sincerely, and with great concern, narrates a heart wrenching documentary piece on the subject. Did you know you may be overweight? Yep. And we aren’t going to stand for it.

Since, as I already said in my belabored way, your weight is our business, I am pretty sure that rather than putting people in prison for not meeting body fat index specs, they will do mandatory liposuction and run power plants off of the fat they gather. It is my suspicion that the point of entry may not be the choice of the offending field of harvest. It really shouldn’t matter because we’ve been taking it there for awhile, and it is obvious much of America likes it. Or thinks so. Some are beginning to wonder what they welcomed. Even those who were once fooled by the Republican machine.

Many of them have come around finally to the realization that their party was merely a stepping stone to this insane new democratic party; the haven of elitists who think they have the right to tell you whose opinions you may hear, and what car to drive, manufacture, wreck, and that’s just a grain of sand on the beach of things these idiots and charlatans desire to control.

Was it Boxer or some other moron I heard claiming that Che is the one who kicked out Batista (the rich) in Cuba, then they searched high and low for a great leader and discovered Fidel Castro? The dimwit doesn’t even have the story remotely straight. What is it with these people and butchers of humanity? Just because both parties have supported dictators and terrorists does not make it sane or right. But the continual, and recently increased, whitewash of complete thugs and tyrants is alarming.

I expect that out of Sean Penn and people like that. They are clueless and go off half baked in reaction to what they see as neo-Puritans who would limit their artistic expression. Stupidly they play into the hands of those who would totally control such expression. I hear talk from political elites these days which sounds like a push to rationalize the censoring of free thought and criticism of those in power. They feel the critics don’t analyze these things as they should so they think a neutral party, like themselves, should decide what is OK and what is balanced.

If I wanted balance I’d spend more time listening to Air America. It is hard to do. They take up the first hour in hypothetical visions of what those they call right wing idiots do and don’t do. Did you know that none of the people who express opposition to the health care debacle have passports? That’s right. I heard it on Air America. Further, almost no one in Kansas or other heartland states travels. No one in a so-called red state anyway. They also have no education, and do not think for themselves. Unlike people in NY and LA, and of course, Chicago. I’m not making this up. That’s what they said.

Air America spends so much time calling everyone idiots, except themselves, that they rarely get to the point of demonstrating what is right about their view, and wrong with the opposition. It is often hard to get a clear idea what their view is, except they are for whatever involves the most government control, unless it deals with immigration or the military–unless of course that involves sending troops where Obama wants to send them. I try, but I can’t listen to Air A. without wishing someone would punch them. That’s because I am one of the ignorant fools who doesn’t like much control placed over my life. I do have a passport. I don’t think that makes me smart.

I’m sure there are no offices issuing passports in Kansas or Oklahoma. Very hateful people on Air America. But they say the strategy for Cuban style revolution–communistic type socialism–is to avoid arguing principle but to personalize the argument then attack the face you put to it. It is nothing new. What is new is the history being spouted in Congress regarding Castro, Chavez, Stalin, Kennedy, and the monetary system.

With my appreciation of this administrations policies, I suppose I should be carrying a bible I can’t read in one hand and a gun in the other, as I yell at my wife/sister to cook me some grub—according to Mike Malloy, and this Fuquit Elliott in San Diego. An entirely different definition of freedom, I think. Somehow they have the idea that we had freedom and it didn’t work. To them freedom is the freedom to have things and services you want without stressing over it. Of course they assume some enlightened group like themselves would handle all these things. Elitists and stubborn as hell. I sense a great deal of hatred for anyone who succeeds in a substantial field like manufacturing or oil. And an even greater hatred for those who want to be left the chance to sink or swim on their own.

This was not what I was going to write. oops
the end