Dog and Pony Show Continues

It gets to be far too bizarre to be believable. Manufactured drama in the world of the people who have the guns and the cages---government, (for the far too conditioned to reason folks).

No more than I care if anyone in professional baseball uses steroids or lies to lying congress hooligans, do I care about the president's alleged father or anything else of that nature. I do care about what he and his pals, and even his alleged enemies are doing to the illusion of freedom and justice for all.

But to think that any of the sides in this carnival act are true representations of some sincere philosophy is foolish. Just because you can't make good sense of this puzzle from the pieces given doesn't mean the projected picture is accurate. That part can be shot down with the info at hand.

Some people don't get that. They think that they have to know the real deal, so they buy whatever is thrown out there. The thinking is, "So, if this isn't true, then what is?". That is actually the reasoning process. It's like saying, "So, if you don't believe the sky is made of concrete, then what is the exact molecular composition of it?" That is too prove the concrete idea. You have to have the answer or that confirms the sky is made of concrete. Uh, I don't know, air and stuff, mostly.

At best, you get accused of believing B if you don't believe A. If I think Obama is the figurehead of an evil philosophy then I must love George Bush and old school Republican methods, and I am a racist if I agree with any Tea Party ideas. That's a bit more than just A and B. They do give a modified B these days.

It is all based on lies. And lies about the lies. For example, many who claim to be tea party come up with some lame assertions, but then they are represented in an even more distorted way. Often, Obama is painted in a distorted way. I find his policies radically weird, and more or less, on international matters, an unsupervised version of Bush foreign policy. That means highly irresponsible and cold blooded.

But the truth is, we have no idea from the info we get why our country is doing anything it is doing, domestically or internationally. If you actually look at facts and reasons given, they do not wash. All the medicare scare, etc. Lies on both sides. One side, in my view is preferable but that's an easy call when you want government out of medicine, education, food, and almost all else.

Spending money, tax money, to arrest an Amish guy for selling milk? As long as he did not represent it as pasteurized then forget it. We don't have the right to take our chances or follow our beliefs and choices?

I'm telling you, if the long arm, and the smug and smarmy arm, of government does not back off soon, this country is liable to blow. Kicking up food prices, killing the dollar and with gas prices going through the roof, things could go a couple of different ways. Maybe with the class warfare that has accelerated, post Obama, people will just act out against other races, the "rich", etc. There is a very small chance that enough people get it, or are motivated enough, to just quit contributing and cooperating with the dogs and ponies.

Kitchen Do's and Do Nots; part 52911

If you have a stove top espresso maker, and you think it needs cleaning, and maybe white vinegar is the way to go and you are working in dim light because the lamp at the back of the cabin is all that is on and you don't want to turn on the kitchen light because you worry about the landlord's electric bill, remember; the vinegar bottle under the sink looks exactly like the ammonia bottle and it could make for some very odd coffee.

Not to Be Ungrateful, BUT...

UPDATE: After considering the below mentioned people, I decided to do what the govt. does on freedom of information and blackout the name.
In one case, the person means well but is misguided. Let it go, but consider options.
In the other case, I think I resent myself for not taking initiative. I'd already resigned from life at that point, and it is not worth carrying the resentment. My idea, but that was it. I'd been so disillusioned and became so self medicated by then, I'd seriously given up on riding in the mainstream of civilization. It is done. Besides, his infant girl at the time liked me. She'd kick and smile whenever I came near--too little to walk then.

If you bother to skim this lengthy post, this will make sense

Today, I realized that the hardest and most challenging aspect of my job, aside from the PC part--to be explained--is the snapping of the snaps which dangle from cushions on outdoor furniture, You have to thread them between the slats and reach under to snap them. Hundreds of them. It is bend over work. And it is the most mentally challenging.

OK. I get paid, so who cares? Normally, no one. But when Ms Ecomania, the manager who writes my checks (on hello kitty check stock) is in an odd mood, one is reminded that he is merely hired help and his thoughts are probably inconsequential. This catches me off guard. I am used to little or no supervision. Leave me alone when I am doing my thing, please.

Apparently she has been listening to environmental horror stories and getting angry. I already knew she thought all plastic of any kind was evil. I once tried to explain that all plastic is not created equal and that many petro products have valuable use in many aspects of life. This did not go over very well. I even wondered out loud about the disposal of curly light bulbs, and the net cost of producing batteries, etc. for a Prius, and if it really resulted in a significantly reduced carbon footprint, although if the car was free I would love it. Good fuel economy hits me where I live.

Today, before guests were to arrive, the A/C guy was to come and change all the filters. It is a regularly scheduled thing. Considering the fire fiasco last month, and the fact that I can still detect a hint of the odor, I figured it was not being done any too soon.

In case he arrived before Ms E showed up, I was instructed to order him to only replace the obviously dirty filters and leave the others. This is because she did not think the discards looked that dirty last time and felt it was "wasteful" and bad for the environment. I resisted the urge to explain that it is not always that visible at a glance and that clean filters save energy.

Fortunately, she arrived before the A/C guy.

Don't get me wrong, I am not a guy who throws plastic bags into the sea or razes forests in my spare time. However, I often do not buy the talking points of half informed ecology nuts.

So, I was done with things and had a couple of things used in my glamorous job in the laundry room sink where I wash them out. I noticed the soap dispenser was inop. Of course it is pewter and is some sort of accessory a designer mandated along the way. Those things are everywhere, and they are not very functional without regular attention. Since it was plugged up, I was trying to loosen the clog by running hot water into it. And the other stuff was getting rinsed as a by-product of my effort.

No big deal. Ms Eco comes by and strikes up a conversation about something from the doorway to my left. I continue what I am doing but look at the speaker, as is my custom. Then I turn the spout part over to let the water go the other way. I had actually just begun and was wanting the hot water to arrive at max temp. That takes a minute in the laundry room.

She suddenly asks if I am unaware that there is a water shortage in this area(which there actually isn't any more). It caught me by surprise. I explained I was trying to deal with the malfunctioning dispenser. She then proceeds to lecture me about how she only uses the water when absolutely necessary, blablabla. Sometimes my emotions are not well hidden. She detected my annoyance and then went into a bigger lecture claiming I was just running water, my hands weren't even under it, blablabla. I was stunned.

So I just shut it off and said OK. I was too stunned and proud to explain myself. It was absolutely ridiculous. The little estate there is very energy and water intensive in so many ways. I always keep my usage of things to a minimum anyway, but come on.

That incident, coupled with the note from the landlord saying they are again going to try to sell the house--and I think they are really out to do it this time, caused me to think that this trip may be well timed, and that I most likely will be making some changes. Maybe I should get myself a logo and incorporate that in a slogan, "change I can live with".

People are suckers when they get caught up in everything green. They rarely know what the hell they are talking about. I was thinking green before they called it green. My motives for this lne of thought was economic and somewhat political, as well as practical. I saw no good reason why one would be dependent upon government controlled monopolies for power or water.

It is my bad that I didn't follow through and quickly went on a multi year bender, then never pursued the ideas. At least I know part of one concept was patent worthy because an old "friend" whom I had shown the plan patented it under his name and enjoyed a lucrative career off of that idea. I didn't find out for over a decade. I still had the original sketches but have no stomach to sue. I'll just defame him when I can and let it go.

If it ain't a lie, it is not libel. Here's the devil of which I speak: (bold is mine)
United States Patent 5,695,004
B+++++++ December 9, 1997

Air conditioning waste heat/reheat method and apparatus

Abstract
An air conditioning system comprising a compressor, condenser and evaporator as functioning components in a primary loop for moving a working fluid in a continuous and automatic cycle of operation between such components. The system includes a plurality of zones through which the air to be conditioned is moved. The zones each include stacked horizontal tubes in a single coil with vertical heat exchanging fins in a parallel array with the tubes of each stack extending through the fins. A wrap-around heat pipe with first parallel tubes adjacent to the input of such zones and with second parallel tubes adjacent to the output of such zones and parallel horizontal lines coupling the first and second parallel tubes.
Inventors: B*******; W++++++ R. (Tampa, FL)
Appl. No.: 08/159,669
Filed: November 30, 1993

The bold italic part is the meat of the matter. This part of the patent doesn't explain a lot in detail. That's how they work. I also had a patent for something unrelated under my name. The rest of the patent info goes on and on.

It was a way to help dehumidify the air by augmenting the process utilizing energy already available from the air handler. It saved energy costs in the dehumidifying process. My application of the identical process was part of something else but this was just one application. This operation was discussed, including the valves, restrictors, etc discussed in the body of the patent.

I might have even let him use it for free if he;d been straight up in the process.

Took him four years before it was awarded. Long time patent pending is a desirable thing. Apparently he started manufacturing a few years before he filed. Good for him, and not so good for him. I would have agreed to an arrangement if he had called and asked. Oh well

His gain did not cause my problems. It was my idea and it takes a very small man to claim credit for the work or ideas of others. I'd rather be me. No lawsuit could punish him worse than life already has by making him be who he is.

Anyway, I was into generated electric power at the source way back when it was still illegal. The same people who like massive regulation now used it then, too. It was based on the same idea as this healthcare thing. Force everyone to pay so it will be cheaper.

It is possible the emergence of Ms E as a full blown eco nazi is a sign from the universe that I need to think of some alternatives to my present situation. I guess the note from my land people is the same thing. They did include a thank you to me for being "such a great tenant and good neighbor". Gotta love those people.

They'll keep me updated, and doesn't mean I have to hit the road right away. But if they sell the place, it could be Adios, Ballistic Mountain. Finding another setup like this for anything close to what I now pay would be quite a task. This was an incredibly fortuitous find.

Life goes on, and I guess this means I better sort, organize and get this tour on the road, quickly.

*****other bottom line: don't be lecturing me about no dadgum Green. I'm way ahead of my time and most eco nazis too***

if they were expensive in various ways. The history there was not one in which I received much benefit from various episodes prior to this.

+++another after thought: Bill taught me some lessons. ++++

It's a Bless their hearts situation. Not a case in which I couldn't have done something else, especially in the big picture. Better to assess how I can fix my world than to stew in anger citing the faults of others. My trials and tribulations are often of my own doing. Certainly any change in scenario can be greatly influenced by my own actions.

Update on the View Point Entrepreneur

Earlier I mentioned a lengthy conversation with a young guy whose car needed a jump.

I decided to call because I knew he was going to pitch an idea he has regarding education and parents of autistic kids to someone in the field. The idea did seem to get a little traction and the right person showed interest and is helping him refine the presentation and direct him on it.

That is a good thing. I can't define the idea because I don't do that, and besides, I gave my word.

In Life, as in what we are told is Life

What we are told is life includes all the stuff of the news, especially the fear mongering aspect.

The common thread is that a problem is generally ignored or The Great Pretense prevents the acknowledgement of the issue as it grows and festers. Then, all of a sudden, people look around and exclaim, "Oh my God! How did that happen?"

In the public realm, the slicksters who promoted the application of the Great Pretense during the growth of the aberration, now come forward to point fingers at other slicksters, promising to fix the problem by applying the exact same "remedies" that created it.

I notice that this happens in real life as well. I do it. I let some thing go, hoping it will either go away, or that it is just my imagination in the first place; my own private version of the Great Pretense (which has governed public affairs for a very long time). Then when there is no way to ignore the issue, I think, Geez, why did this have to happen now? Bummer.

The reality is that it was happening for a long time, but I did not want to change anything, and that meant I would keep feeding the problem.

Some people do it more than others. It is easier to point it out in the lives of others because it is no fun identifying your own self defeating habits because the next thought is that you should change that habit and habits are a real bitch to change.

This has been a public service message, sponsored by the ballisticTour and the CAD council.

Coyote Afternoon

The other day, yesterday to be precise, I found myself harboring what may have been a border jumper. I was way out east, near Boulevard, CA, on Highway 80, no doubt THEE Eighty in local parlance. The naked Buddhist retreat is somewhere in that area but I forget where so I did not go check it out. In some places you can see the border fence between Mexico and the USA.

I was driving east and decided I'd gone plenty far enough.

A mile or two before turning around, I saw a guy walking on the side of the road. He looked pretty tired and like the heat was getting to him. I kept going--he was walking west.



After turning around I saw a border patrol jeep by the side of the road stopped--not an uncommon sight.

After traveling west another mile I caught up to the pedestrian mentioned previously. Thee Eighty is two lane and there is not much of anything out there. You hit a few tiny towns consisting of a few buildings and dwellings, but that is it. No stoplights. No nothing for the most part.

This time the pedestrian, who was walking on the left hand side of the road stuck his thumb high in the air. "Please give me a ride", was what he seemed to be thinking. My car was loaded with junk, laundry, all kinds of stuff, including on the front passenger seat. Who knows why I stopped. I guess I thought I'd hate to be walking out there and would appreciate a ride if I was the one hitch hiking.

By the time he got around to the passenger side and I opened the door, he seemed like he could hardly stand. Not drunk, just very thirsty and tired. I cleared the debris from the seat and he got in.

No luggage, no gun, no bundle of belongings. And no English. My Spanish is a bit rusty. It takes me some time before I am able to understand or communicate. I have to be around it awhile. Even so, I managed to get some information.

He wanted to go to LA. I think he had a friend or relative there. He had been walking for three days. From Mexico. The guy appeared to be rather clueless regarding immigration issues or the fact that if he kept going on that road, he would walk into a check point. If he jumped up to Thee Eight he would also walk into a checkpoint.

Soon enough I figured out that I was transporting an illegal alien. Why did you leave Mexico, I asked in something akin to Spanish. For work, was the reply in what was definitely Spanish. Oh boy. I hate to encourage the immigration problem, but something in me caused my first reaction to be how to get this guy past the MAN. Unbelievable.

He was not a thug, and probably had a relative or friend in LA who said, come here, Amigo. They pay money for work. Easy to get work here.

My view of the mess is that, number one; the 14th amendment was never intended to provide for the anchor baby loophole. That amendment came shortly after the Civil War to prevent the temptation to not recognize the citizenship of freed slaves or any other Black people living here. The bastardization of that amendment through faulty interpretation and application has caused much problem.

The other problem is that no one but US citizens or legal aliens should benefit from social security, welfare or public education. Anything other is just not sustainable.

And lastly, if we did away with the income tax debacle, going to a consumption tax, as described in the Fair Tax initiative, issues of tax and all that would be moot. It would make it easier to produce goods here and hire whoever will work.

Of course, you always run into various complications, but those things would improve the situation immensely, much to the chagrin of La Raza and other power hungry groups who are about their own desired tyranny, not the people they pretend to love.
Some of the la raza folks seem confused that La Raza began when an Aztec woman(some would say a traitor to her people) befriended the evil Spaniard Cortez, giving rise to The Race, unique to Mexico. There is a holiday there commemorating the event. Of course Aztec was only one ethnicity there, and Aztecs destroyed or conquered and incorporated many other groups, as well. But the race, La Raza was born, and to the pride of those who descended from its creation.


Anyway, I felt that I was in potential trouble if I carried my pal to a check point. If I didn't just throw him to the agents, then I'd be in trouble, I'm sure. In any case they would probably want to converse with me for a longer time than I desired. My guess was, I'd be fried for driving Mr Alien no matter what.

My decision was to go as far as I could without hitting a check point and drop him somewhere I thought safer than the side of a road traveled heavily by border patrol vehicles. I dropped him at Acorn Casino, a nice little facility in the middle of nowhere, adjacent to both Thee 8 and Thee 80, which is large enough that a savvy visitor could remain fairly unnoticed, grab a little food, and get out of the sun.

When he entered my car, I produced a gallon container of water because he was so dry he could hardly speak. He drank at least half the gallon in maybe twenty minutes. He never asked me for anything. He did call someone on his cell phone--a prepaid Mexican unit, I'm guessing. I caught bits and pieces. The person on the other end seemed worried that he was in the car with a stranger---"but the senor gave me water!" That part I did catch.

I tried to alert him about the checkpoints, suggested that there would be Spanish speaking people who worked in the casino, and good luck.

Then I checked out a country road for the heck of it. After a few minutes I decided it went nowhere so I turned around. As I passed the casino to continue west on Thee Eighty, I noticed a Border Patrol jeep heading up the drive to the casino complex. Then another.

I hope they just go there for fuel, or to get some coffee. There is nothing else nearby so that is a possibility. Oddly, I hope no one called them.

The guy was probably in his mid twenties, and little chubby and only had the clothes on his back. What is really nuts is that since he asked me for nothing, I asked if he had cash to buy himself some food. He had nothing, apparently, so I gave him some money. What am I doing? I have no money to burn. I'm pretty sure he was hungry and had not eaten in awhile. Dumb as it sounds, I had a good feeling about the guy and it seemed OK.

He was too far from the car when I realized he still had the bits of leaves and such on his back from sleeping on the ground. I regretted not being able to advise him to get the evidence knocked off of his shirt.

I'm opposed to sanctuary cities and all that stuff, but I guess, like charitable endeavors, I deal one on one, case by case. But I wouldn't force anyone else to do so based on my wish or judgement. That is where I am diametrically opposed to most of the people who use political and governmental power to exercise their benevolence. They are using resources which belong to others, claiming them as their own to dispose of as they see fit. Wrong thing to do in my book.

This is the sort of thing that has to go. I give no credence to complaining leeches and thugs. My pal is not like that


Anyway, we never even exchanged names. I thought if I got stopped and knew his name, claiming that I didn't understand anything he said and had no idea he was a wetback would be harder to sell.

How weird. I was coyote. Transporting an undocumented non-worker. I guess that is what you call an undocumented worker who has no work. The thug lobbyist groups hate the phrase, "illegal alien", but if you are from another country, you are considered an alien and if you aren't here by legal means, you are here illegally, hence the classification, illegal alien. It is neither racist, xenophobic nor demeaning. Just the way it is.

But, I still hold that changing some of the root issues which are problematic would do wonders. People rarely want to look at that, though. Crime pays better and eliminating the incentive doesn't fly. La Raza, the unions, and most politicians do not want to improve the world and promote freedom.

Decriminalizing drugs like marijuana might help as well, and then take a real good look at how inner cities and gangs are handled might be in order. It is not being handled effectively, but they at least have succeeded in perpetuating racial and class hatred. That is exactly how those groups want it. It is the livelihood of the LaRazas, the Jesse Jacksons, Al Sharptons, all race based groups and charlatans claiming to champion those they keep angry, not free thinking, envious, etc. They are the racists, and ones who think they are the elite.

I'm hoping my friend, whom I've dubbed Manny, is at least comfortable and not thirsty or being harmed in any way. As naive as he seemed, I see no way he made it out. Maybe he'll do someone some good in Mexico and be OK. LA is no place for nice people.

Everyone is, or was, A Friggin Genius

I was reading some comments elsewhere. Not a friend's place, so forget me promoting it. What got me was that at least three people had to say how they were in advanced high school before college, were encouraged to skip this or that, exempted this and that in college, etc. In other words they were claiming to be super geniuses. And that pisses me off.

Why?, you ask. I'm thinking it is because when you are the real deal and stylishly humble, such poor form hits a nerve.
Or it just annoys me because I see it as a way to scare off dissenters. Who wants to debate Leonardo DaVinci or Albert Einstein?

It could be I feel like it points me out to be a dimwit by implication. Whatever the case, if everyone was that smart, then I doubt we'd have wars and way too expensive gas, and Cuban coffee now at 6.99. So, not all those people are what they say.

I don't engage people at those places anyway. They might make me look stupid, and they might be nuts who would come hunt me down.

IT does get me sometimes, how many people seem to be so damned smart, according to them. I consider the smart people as the ones whose kids still speak to them and who have some semblance of security as well. The very smartest are those who have been married forever, still like their spouses, have offspring who speak to them, and who have a decent livelihood as well. If they did it honestly then I think they are brilliant. I never did figure out how to do those things. To me, that is true genius--a happy family unit.

The next best thing? A Ballistic Tour!!!

I guess I have finally committed myself to the road trip. I'm hitting it in a few weeks come hell or high water. Gas prices will be what they be and I hope it levels off.

If it gets bad enough, I'll sell the car and buy a motorcycle. Or not.

Anyway, I hope to get to all the places I need to go; AZ to see my long time Miami friend, TX for relatives, MS to meet Sugar Blue, NC to catch up with the Bass/harp man and to check out a place in the mountains, and hit the Outer Banks, maybe see if Bobby is up for letting me sit in up the coast in VA, then maybe get up to NY to see my old pal, and MA to see the other old pal, and NH just because.

There are other Sugar Blue Videos but this is the best. I like this band the best, too. They know how to bring it down and then back up.
This is a blues man. Maybe my favorite. Blues genius, since we were talking genius.


Maybe I won't get even to NC, but I hope so. I'm not sure about the rest. The farther away, the greater the chances that time and money will not work out.
It's been negative investment long enough--may as well use it and go from there.

I look out at these little mountains and hills and kind of think I will like coming back west. I just wish the west hadn't suckered for being so high priced and over regulated. I do like the wide open thing of points west in this country, and the giant mountains. With luck I can loop the return trip through CO and some of that.

I have 3 tents, one of which is a bit battered from the winds in Taos and Page, AZ from the big Tour to the unknown which landed me here. Hotels cost too much, and much as I hate to admit it, I kind of look forward to seeing if I can do it this way.

Been cooking on a hotplate for 2 years, so that's almost like camping. But this bed, with that memory foam on top is way comfortable. Not sure how to cope with missing that for a month or 6 weeks.

View Point

Because I grew up and lived most of my life elsewhere, I always called it a scenic overlook. In California those places are labeled "view point". To me that term is synonymous with point of view; something having to do with opinion and belief. Here, it is a point from which you can view the countryside.

But, Interstate 8 is known as The 8. Every highway with a number is known as The (whatever the number). I'm not out to change the local lexicon or anything else, just noting the difference in customs and culture. Maybe that will earn me a grant of some kind from the Department of Diversity. They must have a diversity czar. I'll check it out.

I can note the differences from place to place in how they refer to and deal with roads and roadside matters. For example, in Florida they had Slow Work Ahead, and it usually was. They also had Slow Children, poor little unfortunates. But, no child left behind, please, help them out!

Now that I think of it, there were slow children in other states too. No need to put that in my grant application. I need to check it out first hand to be sure.

What they don't know is the unusual people you meet at the View Point who have a very unusual view point. For instance, tonight, on my way home from the therapeutic gathering of those who have been somewhat where I've been, I stopped at the View Point on The 8. I do that often because I like the place, it is unlit, and usually deserted. A good place to clear your head.

At times, I've helped motorists in distress, given directions and generally had interesting interactions. Tonight was one of those times.

The young guy in the old Diesel Mercedes, who was working there all day on hydrogen generators had run his battery down by leaving the trunk light on. My usually trustworthy battery pack/jump starter/air compressor/12volt power source unit did not have enough juice to do the job.

Ever since my debacle in Indiana, some months prior to the Ballistic Tour, (and prior to the Tourmobile purchase), which involved boosting someone's truck and frying my little car's computer, I don't jump from a car with a computer. That covers most vehicles and certainly the latest Tour Mobile. However, I can't just leave a fellow traveler stranded. It is not a huge thing to disconnect my battery and boost off of that. Resetting the clock and the radio is not a big deal. So that is what I did.

We ended up talking about electricity, wind turbines, hydrogen generators and learning aids for autistic children for three hours. It was all interesting. The kid--I swore I'd never be one to call young adults "kid"--was full of enthusiasm and ideas. He has a four year old autistic son. The kid is doing OK, reportedly.

There were other things going on but why get into that?

The point is that I tend to strike up odd friendships in the middle of nowhere under unusual circumstances. Most of the time I never see the people again. I may check up on this one to see how a particular initiative goes. He claimed that after talking to me he thinks he can press forward, and he was feeling like he couldn't before our talk.

Enthusiastic people with ideas and creativity always get my encouragement. It doesn't matter if the idea is perfect or not. I am not one to rain on the parade. I've found the refinement of the idea is a small percentage of the picture. The drive to push through and make it happen is the lion's share of what it takes. Refinements will naturally occur as you go. Some of this guy's ideas are not bad at all.

It was a good thing. I came home feeling OK for being me. Not many people are likely to float around at the overlook, jump start the needy, and encourage the pure of heart in their quest for creativity and fulfillment. That could cement any suspicions that I am a lunatic, but that's the way it is. Given the opportunity, there are people who find great relief in being able to tell someone who gets it what is really on their mind.

And don't hypothesize about any weirdness. That is not how I roll. I do attract the unusual like a magnet, but I do very well at only letting the right ones through the barrier. Like the guy I gave a ride home from the Mobile station who had me come upstairs and play harmonica for his wife, and who made me watch ten minutes of Cadillac Records with them, then they both made me promise to rent it first chance I got (since I couldn't just stay there and watch it with them). Most people would not have given him the ride. He had bags of groceries and missed the bus. I thought he'd be OK. Even if I am white. See? It usually works.

If I read them wrong and get shot one day, I won't like it, but I won't regret the times I took a chance when I was right.

Cadillac Records was about Chess Records and a lot of it had to do with this guy, Little Walter

Things You Can't Know, and for other purposes

((((whenever they introduce legislation, they cryptically describe what the bill is supposed to do, then add the phrase, "and for other purposes". I'm for abolishing that practice. It has nothing much to do with this post))))
=================================================================

Quite often you will hear governmental agencies, police, charities, the friggin Ad Council announce that some practice or restriction has saved X number of lives. In reality, there is no way of knowing how many lives their pet projects saved.

The reason it can't be known was quite eloquently illustrated in Mark Twain's short story, The Mysterious Stranger.

For example, they may claim that a general road block to filter out drunk drivers saves lives, and it may seem like it does. Usually it is more successful at nabbing people with too many parking tickets, past due license renewal or broken tail lights.

What if, because of that simple delay, Sally did not meet Biff at the local art gallery, and therefore the chance that they would produce a child named Dexter was lost?

Dexter would have been conceived at just the right time and temperature for all the genes and juices to create a benevolent super genius. Dexter would have raced through his education, obtaining a doctorate by age 13, and by age 20 he would have found they key to curing AIDS, as well as the common cold, cancers of all sorts, and psoriasis.



But no! Officer Dimwitty of the El Cajon branch of the CA Highway Patrol, and his sidekick Officer Juan Mamaculo, had to put up a roadblock, delaying some drivers more than others. They spent just enough extra time trying to look down Sally's blouse, asking stupid questions, that by the time she arrived at the gallery, Biff had hit the road. Fate had been duped by the Man.

So, in reality many lives which would have been saved were lost. We can't know that will happen, but we can't know it won't.

That debunks assertions that they know how many lives are saved.

Anyway, after the fate twisting roadblock Sally marries a sociopath who does things of which I cannot speak. Her life is forever plunged into darkness and despair. Biff becomes the Democratic congressman from East San Diego county and introduces a bill requiring everyone to fly naked, wrapped in ten layers of plastic wrap, with little holes poked in it so you can breathe.

Biff's bill results in a drastic increase in the cost of air travel, and necessitates that everyone arrive at the airport 6 hours in advance so they can be stripped, wrapped and loaded by conveyor into the aircraft.

The country then wonders what happened to the air travel industry. Like always, when things go awry, the public media take on it is that it somehow mysteriously happened all of a sudden. Cause and effect has been stricken from the collective mind. Perhaps it has something to do with sensitivity or giving back, or chem trails--who knows?

Because the airline industry demise is so bewildering, the president initiates a plan to bail out the airlines at a cost of 3 trillion dollars.

It turns out the bailout money is not closely followed so the CEOs who supported the president's campaign are able to receive huge bonuses and billion dollar salaries before their companies declare bankruptcy and they resign to take prestigious jobs in the executive branch of government. Then Congress authorizes a second bailout to keep the companies from going under and to get them out of bankruptcy.

All because of a life saving roadblock.

This is what happens when you have policies which treat everyone as guilty before proven innocent and 4th amendment protections against unreasonable search and seizure are ignored.

The public was assured by the cheerful TV newslady that "it's a lot safer out on the highways this holiday season!!" She may have had something else to say, but I got distracted trying to look down her blouse.

I'm Not The Only Radical

Great news!! In Georgia, of all places, someone introduced a bill that disputes the notion that driving (use of public thoroughfares), is a privilege instead of a right. I've never gone along with that idea--that driving or any other exercise of freedom is a privilege instead of a right. Who decides who has the right to decide if I can exercise my rights? You cannot grant me privileges which involve my own life and rights. Privilege to travel?

People still have to drive safely--as if they do now--ever driven in Atlanta?--but they can't be forced to be licensed in order to travel.

Georgia Assembly
10 LC 34 2350
House Bill 875
By: Representative Franklin of the 43rd


Go representative Franklin.

At first this sounds so radical and scary, but that is mostly because of conditioning to believe the behavior control and security of the government works out well. I tend to think the idea of a driver's licence was first seen as a source of revenue, then as a way of keeping track of people so they could be hit up for more money later, and the very least of the motives had a thing to do with safety.

I'm astounded that an elected official anywhere would seriously challenge such an accepted, though nefarious, institution.

When something has been hammered into your mind long enough, you tend to accept it and even defend it. Facts often get in the way, and reason does as well.

It's what makes it so easy for wars to keep being waged. Except we don't call it war. That is just one example.

There are many things that are considered necessary, and which have become accepted facets of government and restrictions on rights which we could do without. Those who think the increase in war, crime, sociopathic gang behavior, failing schools, etc. is somehow not the fault of governmental policies and encroachment upon life, would disagree with me. I believe the policies of the last 100 years, and more, have been the root of most evil. There are a couple of things which have gone counter to that, but the reality is these were used to smokescreen very strong moves to restrict the universal rights of all.

I'm back to searching for a hollow tree, far away from anything I know--not sure I will survive in the world as I know it.
That part is my fault.

I don't expect anyone to agree with me, and I know some who are very big on the idea that everything is a privilege, not a right. Guess we'll just continue to disagree, but one day the squeeze of the state will affect your life in an unpleasant manner and you will wonder how it happened.

I suppose I am one who feels at least as threatened, or more, by government than I do by those from which it claims to protect me. Seriously, I do not automatically trust police or government officials regarding any matters whatsoever. You never know what you will get, and it is not right that such human beings have that power which can be used as a weapon on a whim. More power, in many ways, than the power a punk weilds when he holds a gun. Not such a different mentality in many cases.

Something is wrong with the set up when punks and police are often equally antisocial. It's because 90% of police work involves matters which aren't the proper function of government, and which violate basic rights and freedom. Also the methods are generally dishonest and based on the assumption that the average citizen is a a criminal who needs to be caught and trapped doing something evil, like speeding, growing a pot plant, minding his own business without prior permission.

BOTTOM LINE: The main problem is that packing to many people together too tightly, combined with too much central authority over their lives makes for trouble on all fronts. And the temptation to get away from filtering restrictions through the test of if an act constitutes force or fraud--restricts the rights of others--seems too great to resist. Hence you often hear a defense of "We've done nothing illegal" when there has actually been an act of deception or force.

UPDATE: re: right vs privilege -- even if I agree with licensing, (I'm on the fence on that issue), if I demonstrate the skill to safely operate a machine, vehicle, perform a task, etc. it is my right, then to undertake that endeavor. Privilege implies that my right to freely travel, or work, is bestowed upon me by some higher authority, and can for any reason be revoked. I hold that it is my right as long as I am not infringing on the ability of others to exercise their rights.

That is why I do not shout down people with whom I disagree in a public forum. That is not exercising free speech, it is attempting to curb the exercise of that right by the one with whom I disagree.

Right to travel freely is even addressed in the Magna Carta. People forget that the Bill of Rights was limited and intended to reinforce the idea that rights not granted to the government were retained by the people. I tend to believe it is my right to do whatever I please within bounds of not violating rights of others. Many of those rights I would not exercise, like putting opiates in my oatmeal or molesting a particularly affectionate sheep.