Can't Hide from Big Bro or Sis, dammitt!!!

So, there I was in Starbuck's, where you can find me about once every three months. My thermal cup of Cafe Cubano had spilled nicely on my shirt and more pertinent areas of my work jeans.

Imagine my surprise when, as I was adding sugar--real sugar--to my espresso (which you shouldn't do as per government advice and studies), I see a placard there on the condiments table explaining that, in compliance with prop 65, they needed to advise me that roasted coffee contains acrylamide--a substance which occurs naturally when certain plant matter is heated or fried. Of course, like many things, in California it causes cancer, birth defects, and horrors beyond your wildest dreams.

That's what they always write, "In California" xyz has been shown--or is considered--to bla bla bla. I can't cite the examples just now, but some of the studies which landed things on the list were proven to be bogus, corrupt, or both, yet California doesn't budge. Most likely I have been shown to cause trouble in California and soon they'll tattoo all the info on my forehead, or worse.

The placard rambled on about what the FDA has to say, which was nothing definite, but rest easy, they are continuing to wisely use tax money to study this pressing issue and will publish dietary guidelines accordingly.

Here are the substances which very well could go the way of trans fats. Or DDT. All or any of the contraband below could kill you if you are a laboratory animal and regularly ingest the stuff for the equivalent in your little years of 70 years to a human.

French fries, potato chips, other fried and baked snack foods, roasted asparagus, canned sweet potatoes and pumpkin, canned black olives, roasted nuts, coffee, roasted grain-based coffee substitutes, prune juice, breakfast cereals, crackers, cookies, bread crusts, and toast all contain varying levels of acrylamide

Oh, he's making this up. No, he ain't. The above is copied off a CA government site.

Sometime in the past I guess the people of California saw fit to vote for what seemed like a proposition to ensure safe drinking water and food that was reasonably sanitary. It apparently contained few limiting clauses, if any. Air will kill you if you only inhale and never exhale. Just wait, that will soon be discussed by these LEADERS, and with a straight face.

It is good have the ability for the populace to take initiative, but here is an example of what majority rule unhindered can do. If you simply could not involve the government in so much, many fewer problems would be had. People don't see that. Live, let live, mind your own business and don't tread on me or others.

Just the way fat politicians discuss obesity. OK for them to be plump but you should feel guilty. Talk about cruel. Why do people put up with this stuff? Oh yea. Most people get a payoff in one way or another so the whole thing just snowballs.

I'll tell you right now--they screw with coffee and I am out of here. Or I become a java smuggler. Juan Valdez and his little hijo, whatsisname, don't need no steenkeeng evangelical do-gooder committee putting them out of business.

There are a number of ways a substance can get on the list. Of course it is all highly scientific and, therefore, unbiased and altruistic. The comittees and such are to the agencies and governments involved what the extended family is to a fertile Cuban couple in Miami--multitudinous and sympathetic. That is not a racial slur.

That culture treats even the in-laws' brother like gold. I know first hand and I like it. But you can bet, if they wanted a particular answer from me on whatever matter, I'd do my best to supply the answer that pleases them.

See what I mean?

Maybe you do. Or maybe you will now conclude that my very distant Cuban relations have convinced me to ban coffee, or at least tax the hell out of it and require a prescription if you want to own it. People have concluded things equally far fetched at times. On the personal level, and on the big time news level. Just follow the antics of Al Sharpton for example.

That brings me to the latest update in political correctness. Never use the term "Black cloud" in a metaphor of any kind. I assume "dark cloud" is also out. Any reference to the color black, whether connected to shoes, cloud color, or mood is now a racist slur or the lowest, meanest, most malicious intent, no matter what you were saying.

Guess my trip gave the big O the itch. He's tooling around the heartland in not-white busses***, and the battle has begun. This will be the most underhanded, embarrassing, full of mis-information campaign yet. And it isn't even 2012 yet. Screw them all.
And anyone who thinks I'm crazy. I'm going to ignore it and vote for Ron Paul.

People go, "oh but he's a nut", yet they agree more with him than the other clowns. Who would you most trust if you accidentally left a bag of billions in gold on a park bench---Ron Paul, Obama, Romney, Perry, Jon Stewart, etc. If I had my number on it, I bet Ron would be the guy who'd call.

Besides, he's not a fan of centralized anything. Or the IRS, or however many bizarre wars we are fighting (within strict limits of engagement) etc.

They say hindsight is 20/20. Bullshit.

If that were so, there would not have been slavery after the first millennium or earlier, every damned idiot country and state in the western hemisphere would not have financial and production issues, they wouldn't build gigantic high schools that resemble prison cubes--I could go on and on.

You think people would have allowed more of this sanctioned bullying if they looked back and learned anything? Come on. The idiocy is well illustrated in what England just experienced. Riots kill. Always have and always will.

They result in more control and less prosperity. Innocent people get hurt, ruined and go uncompensated. So, it does not take a genius to know that rioting is not a very smart move, unless you are the one waiting to seize control.

On the flip side, history shows that people will kiss a better life tomorrow goodbye for a flat screen TV today.


***I spoke too soon. Apparently Oba mostly flew in, had the busses flown in, then did appearances not so far away. Not a real road trip, but if I had the company plane he has, I'd forego the busses altogether. Try as I may, I have difficult finding common ground with the Big Cheese or than we've both smoked and maybe "experimented" with other stuff at one time or another. What a BS phrase, "experimented with x, y or z". You were hoping you'd do better with the chicks. You were experimenting on getting lucky, or possibly hoped it would make you play music better.