I Heart My WetSaw

It is wet, and it works well on rocks of the West.  It is portable, and easy to set up.  The photo shown here may cause it to appear as large as a person,  It actually is not.

[thanks Class Factotum.  Yes, it is that very same unit of which I speak]

Mystery Brows of Senior Advisor Axelrod

How does he do it?   David Axelrod, who may or may not be paid (I guess the pres can call someone an advisor and pay him out of public money)  to speak as if he is the last word on the domestic and foreign policies of the USA, has the ability to move his eyebrows at least six inches above their at rest position.  They seem to make this journey on their own, independent of one another, and without apparent reason or stimulus.  

The eyebrows also look to be interchangeable with the mustache.  Interchangeable parts.   

What is most remarkable is that his eyebrows can move down below his eyes.   Yes, he can move his eyebrows down so that he can peek over them, and he does this when explaining the unexplainable to that nitwit Bob Scheiffer. 

I think there was a muppet with similarly mobile, autonomous eyebrows.  I'm not sure. I know I've seen the arrangement before, and on a puppet.   It is a new twist to see such facial gymnastics on the puppeteer. 

Why Naturalized Citizens Ought not Be President, in two words

The two words are:  Ah Noad

as in governor of CaleeForneeya

The legislative goons here decided to take a loan from the citizens, with or without their approval, and Ahnold is not vetoing it.  

How it works is that they take 10% more withholding tax than usual from worker paychecks.  Then, without paying interest they claim they'll give it back later, when people file taxes.   Is this totalitarian tactic not unnerving to the average person?   Of course, if withholding money from paychecks, in general, does not rub you the wrong way, I guess more of the same tyranny wouldn't bother you.   

Who do these progressive programs and "solutions" hurt most?   I'd say the working poor; those who attempt to earn their way, and better their lot, but who don't have much income or resources at present.  And of course the middle class, whoever they are.   Precisely the people those who create problems then look to solve them in this way claim to champion.  

The result is that people will find ways around it, and go somewhat underground in their dealings.  

It is increasingly more evident that Arnold has no idea whatsoever how a free people should be governed.  He clearly sees the benevolent dictator as the ideal, and even normal, model.     Increasingly, so do the majority of Americans, a huge portion of whom could not identify the branches of the federal government and the most rudimentary description of the functions of each.   So, it is no wonder that power which was forbidden the US government has been usurped without a fight.   A nominally bloodless coup.

I say nominally bloodless because, although their was no force of arms used to take control, more than a few lives have suffered.   We can't even get a straight answer regarding goals and justifications for most military actions and how they've been managed since the end of WWII.

So, I am quite happy that AhNold can never be president, although I do realize our present top executive is very much on the same page as the governator.  Too bad people didn't have the guts not to vote for either of the two main choices offered.    Mob psychology is a troubling thing when it has any power.  That is why these creeps have risen to power and managed to grab more power than the country's constitution allowed.   It only took 100 years or so for the present initiatives to become possible, but the rate of increase in encroachment on individual freedom follows a somewhat geometric rate of increase.  Actually it follows a more insidious pattern; very slow, with tiny incremental increases, then in the past decade or so the curve has risen sharply. 

If only there was a reasonable haven to escape such tyrants.  Once upon a time this was the place in which people found refuge from tyrants, preferring to chance the rough go of carving out their own future, enduring the attendant hardships by choice rather than submit to tyrants by force.   Now, we are becoming what we tried to escape.

Problem solving: part 1 of 432,000

How does one know where to start when seeking to affect a change of some kind?    "Change", in this case, is not defined as disrupting the lives of others or enslaving them.  Current use of the word may have some people confused.  I mean in the case of a change with some purpose and form, like, "I need to make more money so I can pay rent and buy a motorcycle".  Or, "I need to gain 20 pounds so I won't blow off of the deck in the wind."

So, I'd say the first thing to address is what is the problem.  Is it something you want to add to your life or remove from it?   Removing would be something like not wanting to spend your rent money on dope every month, or not indulging the pretend friend who always screws up your life, smiling all the while and professing friendship while you go under as a result.   Adding would be a project you want to do, or education, or getting involved in something new, hopefully not self serving pat yourself on the back community service.   True community service would be opening a theater in Descanso and showing primo movies and foreign films as well.  That would be supah.

OK, so I want to make more dough.   The trick is to list possible efforts within my capabilities that I think might bring a dollar or two here and there, but do not list all the things that won't pay.  The negative stuff just lands you in the welfare line bitching about "the rich" and how they are robbing you.   Toss out the stuff I do not care to do, like anything that involves screwing people in the name of "just doing my job".   I'm not going to be a cop.  We already knew that, besides I don't qualify.  I won't list the things here because that would jinx everything.  And because this is just one example.   Also look at the safety nets.   Maybe if you have to you could sell something and downsize the lifestyle.    Ideally that is not the way to go.  

The main nemesis in problem solving on the personal level is the tendency to play negative soothsayer when examining possible initiatives to deal with the issue; assuming the worst without really knowing something won't work.  Along with that would be statements to one's self which start with words like always, never, everyone, no one, etc.   Big generalities which are not true.   You can't know what everyone does or say that no one ever gets a fair shake, etc. 

When I figure out what I'm talking about, I'll go to part 2, or so.   I know the exit from my past life involved this sort of thinking, and it all of sudden dawned on me that I had what I needed to move on, provided I had the nerve to jump off into the unknown.  Sometimes the unknown is an improvement over the known.  Especially when the known has become a toxic thing that is closing in around you.   

Now I know there are tons of places to pitch a tent, but not as many places as I'd like which let you build a campfire.  That's because forests burn and it makes for trouble.    Always good to know there is some escape.  

I hope this as been educational.  It was for me.  There are a few matters I need to sort out, so I thought I'd figure it out here while pretending to be an expert.  The cool thing is, when you do narrow things down, then act on the conclusion, it is rewarding, and sometimes chicks dig you.

Hiding From The Alleged News

Never did I dream that anyone could replace Ted K in my imaginary world of neighbors you'd be stuck with in Hell.  I was wrong.   Just one word out of Nancy Pelosi makes my skin crawl.  I think her hypocrisy and willingness to throw the public under the bus "for their own good" while getting rich in the process, equals similar qualities in the late great Liar of the Senate. 

I guess a lot of them creep me out.  

I can't take hearing McCain say anything about anything either.  Of course, he usually says nothing about something.   Or something about nothing .  He's another of the wannabe oligarchy  hoping to rule without limits.  

Oddly enough, I've noticed a great deal of snobbery among the air america types.  They claim to have a broad world view and knowledge of other cultures, yet they clearly know nothing about the vast majority of their own country.  The labeling of midwest, southwest, south, anything outside L.A., Chicago or NYC, as ignorant and intolerant, is prevalent and annoying, at best.   In a very loosely connected way, it adds fuel to my belief that states ought to be able to secede from the Union without finding themselves in a war.   That "house divided against itself" line was a false analogy.  It was about money, not so much slavery or freedom.  That is a shame.  It would be better if it had been about slavery and the principle of freedom.   

At this point, it is all about those who want to be forced to eat their ruffage and wear protective gear, as opposed to those who prefer to make their own choices and rely upon their own sense of autonomy and discipline, unaided and unsupervised by a surrogate parent, omnipresent warden.

Noting the ever growing tendency to demonize and silence anyone who disagrees with governmental policies now or over the last fifty years, or more, I would like to say that I still believe all of congress should have their pensions abolished as well as health care.  The nature of public office was never supposed to be a cushy vocation.  Giving elected officials health care and pensions is absurd.  The IRS is a crime against the principles of a free society as is the tax system they represent.  It is a huge scam which exists because the tendency to resent other economic classes has been applied effectively.  People think it's the other guy, usually the rich, getting screwed, and not to their c redit, they are all for it. Truth is, it is the poor and those who want to raise themselves up through industry and perseverance that get screwed.   

Why do you think we are still screwing around in the mid east with no intention of winning, and little idea of what would define a win?    Trading one war for another?  It is a crime against our military and our taxpayers.  

It is more fun to foment revolution against those who ignore their oaths of office than it is to figure out how to pay rent.  Knowing what could be different in the world of law, energy, transportation, etc., and which would at the same time maximize personal freedom is one thing, actually taking steps to make things materialize to prove it is another.   I have no doubts about these things, but the uphill battle to pursue any of it is pretty much out of my energy range.  It's frustrating, watching the usual pompous types close out the market as if only they could have the answers.  It is the flaw in letting government control science and research while subsidizing weak entries into an industry.   Subsidizing products which can't quite do the job cheaply enough to earn a place in the market merely slows true progress.   Political progressives are, in truth, regressives, in that sense.   In most senses.  

If the Copenhagen cap and trade scheme is embraced by Obama, and he signs up on behalf of the USA, I would say that pretty much seals the deal, and hope for a peaceful prosperous future is dead, at least for many decades.  That would be akin to slicing our own carotid arteries.  It is likely to happen.   

Trouble

Still sick and wondering what's what.  Here's another glimpse into the surreal waking/dream condition that this stuff brings.  

It gets weirder at night.  The best thing is to breathe so subtly and slowly that your lungs don't sense your effort, otherwise they rebel and make you cough until small parts of internal organs break loose.  

 I'll bet THEY created this virus and spread it around to further their secret diabolical agenda.  I feel like a sell out for playing into their hands.  With luck it won't be fatal, leaving me future opportunities to redeem myself. 

Picture of the Plague

I can't explain exactly how it feels, and I've been told I can't label it without first paying a doctor to do a test to tell me what it is.  

However I can illustrate the condition by posting this photo, taken of myself just today

Flew Away

It is possible that I contracted the R2D2 flu, or the H1N1. Then again it could merely be another plague from another crisis. Whatever it is, it had me fooled. I thought it was almost gone, then it attacked with a passion. It is not fun but I am sure my system is fighting it off. All the cells of my being have been instructed that we cannot afford the usual indulgence into illnesses in which many luxuriate every few months, or at least once per year. Those things are for the rich, and unionized workers.

Off that topic, but on my mind, is the ever growing tendency for written material to mix the words "then" and "than" as if they were synonymous. They are not. Than indicates a comparison, and then indicates a sequential relationship.

Examples: John Holmes was bigger than a Cuban cigar. First she said "no", then she said, "yes, yes, yes!".
See what I mean?

Several times lately, I have seen then used instead of than, and vice versa, in various publications which pay their writers, and editors. On the amateur level, these things happen, and I don't nitpick grammar, but paid professionals should hold to a higher standard and be a source of reference regarding how words are properly used, to some extent. Maybe when we give way entirely to modern hieroglyphics these things won't matter. I have visions of odd graphics involving Holmes and Fidel.

I need to wash my mind out with soap or paint thinner. That last vision was a bit much.

Blame this illness for my inappropriate entries. I ate one pound of party peanuts in 24 hours. That seems excessive. They were on sale.

It does seem that the wealthier areas of the city tend to be home to the most shapely and in shape women. I wonder if that doesn't create some sort of genetic disposition to be both wealthy and beautiful after a few generations, or if it is all done with surgery and polymers. Once again, I urge people not to support any of the attacks on the rich. Leveling everyone down could result in all of us being ugly or unremarkable, and that would be no fun, and make my work environments less enjoyable. From a distance it is easier to appreciate people for things other than their minds. Close up, it is often impossible to appreciate them for their minds. I like keeping the distance.

oh great. The cell connection dropped. I think someone has a jammer on Ballistic mountain. It drives me nuts. I expect the phone to be spotty but the computer is on another network that should be reliable up here. I think it is due to my subject matter and non compliance with the prescribed thoughts we are supposed to embrace. The Thought Czar may be on to me.

If All Your Friends Jumped Off A Bridge, Would You?

Back in the day, before such things were dealt with by lawyers and child services, teachers and parents often posed the bridge jumping question to kids who used the “everyone else is doing/did it” in an attempt to gain permission for something, or to water down the blame for an unacceptable act. My reply was, “It depends on the bridge”.

On a larger scale, the world of adult governance, commerce, and general mayhem seems to follow this same principle. There have been those in America who forever yearn to be chic like France and other European countries, or regimented in military lockstep like China or other totalitarian states. I never understood the thinking. Why would we want to emulate cultures that we’ve either had to rescue from themselves or that place so many restrictions on individual autonomy?

It brings back memories of high school history and government teachers who longingly discussed unicameral legislative bodies because they are “more efficient”. Obviously they did not understand the purpose of the system we have, which is to hedge against too efficient a system of making laws and spending money. If you have ever had to deal with a large mob, swaying them from near riot to placidity, you know how easily and quickly a majority changes its stripes and opinion. By making the process slow and difficult, acting on imprudent whim is minimized. The majority is very prone to stupid snap decisions.

The latest and most dangerous instance of all our friends jumping off the bridge is this proposed Copenhagen treaty for climate change and bankrupting developed nations. China is not buying into this. That is one thing about super police states, they don’t pretend to be sorry or out to promote the welfare and threat of enemies. Only Europeans and Americans do that. We are all ashamed and feel guilty for odd reasons. Mostly for behaving in the past somewhat like third world countries and self proclaimed victim states behave now. The worst of old Europe barely approaches the worst of present day Islamic states.

Still, we don’t want the rest of the world not to like us and withhold their approval; even if we have to buy it by slitting our own wrists.

The predictions of doom and assertions that “the science is all in on global warming climate change” remind me of that Mark Twain story in which the guy convinces the people he made the sun go away and come back because he knew when the solar eclipse was due. It is slightly different, but placing blame for slight trends in climate, and convincing everyone if they just stand on their heads and hold their breath that we can fix it is not too far from the general idea.

Who wants to stand against the crowd? You get painted as an evil redneck by the usual suspects who talk down at the masses in their best disapproving intellectual voice, spouting obscure half truths based on questionable studies and dubious conclusions.

Then again, just because the proof is lacking in solid basis, and dissent is akin to a scientist asking to have his career and reputation crushed, it doesn’t mean the sky isn’t really falling, or could some day.

We better jump off the bridge so no one thinks we are weird.

Finally, Someone On the Global Climate Religious Fringe is Taking Dogs to Task; and spying on me

I won’t go find the article. It is more fun when people think I make things up, or get mad and lecture me on the finer points of wildlife management and such.

However, it seems like the astute academicians who discovered this new global threat are out of New Zealand ( a beautiful country which unfortunately already has one very strong strike against it in my book of personal geographic plusses and minuses). The geniuses in question point out in their new book, and I may be paraphrasing, Save the Planet, Eat Your Dog, that the carbon footprint of owning a full sized dog is the same as that of owning a Land Rover and driving 10000 KM per year. Of course that’s only about 6000 miles per year.

*****OK. There was much more to this when I wrote it last night. Today, it is gone. That is because these pet eating environmental extremists have censored me. I’ll bet they are watching me right now; probably with pepper and spices in one hand, knife and fork in the other. First they eat their pets to save the earth, next they’ll be eating useless citizens–those who don’t support them and buy their book.

New Zealand has the ambiance of a peaceful place with an abundance of very good looking women, but the island is besought with demon people who mingle among the population wreaking havoc. Most people don’t know this. I was lucky to escape with my life and without committing serious crimes like extended neck wringing or feeding someone to the sharks. I knew something was up when I discovered that NZ drivers do not stop and slow down for pedestrians, they actually speed up pretending pedestrians are invisible.

So, if you are one who thinks the earth can be saved and that it is truly under threat of dying from man made things like indoor plumbing and the Vincent Black Shadow, and you have a dog and/or a cat, or multiples thereof, you are contributing to the problem as much as the person who drives the Hummer that you think is evil. Hypocrite. You can only regain an air of integrity by eating the pooch.

Just wait, the pet carbon footprint crisis will be the next one used to control behavior similar to the devastating and crucial obesity crisis. I can only guess at the SUV equivalent of maintaining a child. Better be careful, today your mutt, tomorrow your bratty little offspring.

It’s good to see a modern religion that may get around to human sacrifice. Actually, it already has, but in more subtle ways than the old Aztec method. The Save the Earth church of behavior modification and hatred of humankind; no longer just for the wealthy radical chic.

Maybe if I become a deacon, or whatever their holy rankings are called, I can avoid being had for dinner.