Lesus H Rice!

For those who trust anything with an official stamp, and who crave the opportunity to be the serf, what you gonna do when the holy seers prove to be less than divinely inspired?  Or when they simply prove incompetent?

The Vatican had to recall a commemorative coin because they misspelled Jesus.  They claim to be the insiders when it comes to Hay Seuss---an assertion which has never really influenced me.  I think they are much like all power centers; more about the power and control than anything else.

Be it the pope or our own wannabe kings, like Obama, I simply don't buy most of what they are selling, even when they use the "buy or die" sales pitch.

They put Lesus instead of Jesus on the coin.  I think they should have said nothing and just sold the trinkets, despite the bad editing and quality control.   Soon people would be naming the darlings of their litters Lesus.  I'm surprised it didn't say Lexus.

On the other hand, there are people who actually believe Obama and people like Harry Reid are honest, sincere, and "on their side".  That means lots of people will fall for anything and that means a person ought to be able to sell them anything and get rich.

Until they get all Goddy on me, and start up about abortion, some of the most reviled of "the radical right" make far more sense to me than those being parroted by mindless musicians and Hollywood nutcases.  Usually those people are a little too willing to allow a bloated, bully government to continue grabbing power (for our own good--the greater good), but I'm a minimalist when it comes to functions of government.  Many things work out. More don't.

Something is wrong with people if they trust government agents with guns more than they trust themselves.   Maybe they've never seen abusive law enforcement or military, and so they assume the stuff that is shown on the news and is all over the internet documenting official abuse is all edited to make the Man look bad.

I've both seen and felt first hand abuse from the Man.  I don't trust any of them with guns any more than I would random people in the public.  This is what happens when the rights of the individual are continually sacrificed to make way for some elitist's view of "the greater good".  I am fine with my neighbors being armed to the teeth if they choose. On Ballistic Mountain we have lots of ex-military, military, and strange yahoos.  They are armed and dangerous.

People just like to screw with people who pose no threat.  It is a sick form of power greed.

The Bloods and Crips wouldn't stand a chance up here.   I'm glad they are packing heat.  How often do good people go shooting others?  Yet those who don't see the real threats think that restrictive gun laws make for safety.  Didn't work in England or Chicago.

And this brings me back to abortion.   I don't like it, but it is not for me to decide.  Just leave it alone.  I don't think the state has that right, any more than they have the right to raise your child against your wishes.  However, a huge number of people who get abortions regularly are idiots and fools, and we should encourage them to not multiply, and maybe even let them kill their genetically disadvantaged kids that made it out of the oven.  Just leave them to it.  We will all benefit.

So, I do believe that in maybe 50% or more of the abortion cases, a great service is being done for the greater good.  Why would we want the worst of our kind to multiply?

And the other cases often involve circumstances which are none of our business, and those people shouldn't have to prove anything to an ever intrusive state and society.  If you want to be free, you can't force people to do it your way when they aren't treading on your natural rights.

In short, nominating yourself as arbiter of the rights of the "unborn" is beyond your legitimate authority over strangers.  And it is a mistake which further opens the door to controls which could put a damper on your day.  No matter how abhorrent you find it, taking up the anti-abortion crusade is somewhat suicidal, but it takes foresight to realize this.

Maybe think about the ridiculous wars which have no clear objective, often fought against those we've armed.  You think sending a dedicated member of our defense forces in to get blown up is somehow more reasonable than leaving pregnant women to handle things as they choose?  I don't.

If you go noodling in to control unborn people in the name of protecting "the rights of the unborn", what is to stop you from thinking you can decide everything for that child all the way to adulthood?  Don't abort if you don't want.  But please, butt out otherwise.

I wish I had the words to express what harm you do by making this a cause.  My failure to articulate what I know and feel does not make the case for your strident concern for the decisions of others.  Leave it alone.  If your example is worth much, then others may be influenced to do it your way. Forced behavior is not always the best approach. Rarely, if ever.

I think bragging about charitable acts and donations is wrong.  But I wouldn't picket, harass and silence by force the Jerry Lewises, and others who pat themselves on the back for alleged benevolence.  But I am not a fan of charity as a big business, or as something subject to government approval, which it is thanks to our insane tax code and the abusive corrupt outfit that enforces it.  Let others do it their way if you expect the same freedom of choice in your own life.

Disagreement with the Man is a riskier business than I recall it being in the past.  If you make too much noise, they'll deplete your resources in a hurry.  Forget expecting  those who make and enforce laws to abide by them themselves.  Looking for the truth?  Ask, and ye shall receive---but you may not like what you get.

That tactic is the one now in vogue among the powers that be in DC.  Disagree in a big way?  Sick the IRS on them.  Question us?  We can't give info or answers--national security.  And the why of it is a secret, regardless of the what. Sorry, we can't tell you, but we are the most transparent administration yet.  Odd that so many still can't see through it.

How dare you question the Papa or the president.  WWLD What would Lesus Do?  My Lesus would smite them all with the jawbone of an ass.  It is only fitting.

Smartest Guy In The Room

Aside from the movie of similar title, that phrase often irked me.  Until now, I hadn't defined why.

For one thing, often the smartest guy in the room is a female, even if I don't know what constitutes being the smartest in a given room at a specific point in time.

Do some people look around a room, sizing everyone up to decide who is the smartest?  I wonder how many people in the room think, "Hmm.  I'll bet I'm the smartest guy in the room".  Even a female can have this thought without violating any PC mandates, I think.

I've noticed that different people have moments of clarity and inspiration at different times.  Some more than others.

So, even if the group is the same, at different times different people will rise to the position of Smartest Guy in the Room.  Or SGR.  Although a very small percentage will achieve the title regularly.

Nice Gathering

So, a friend who is more the target than I, of the previously mentioned drama, had a little jam at his house Sunday afternoon and evening.  It wasn't a jam like the kind where I learned to play with others, but it was a nice deal.  He invited people pretty much last minute and excluded the known drama purveyor.

Consequently,  no drama.
=======DRAMA UPDATE: the purveyor viewed the fb page of the guy who took these pics and left the classy comment, "Fuck this".  If you attended then of course it is about she who was not included.  It's like Mother Mary married to Satan, except the other way around.  
We are not talking children here.  
Welcome to the world of aging baby boomers, especially those who yearn to eternally protest, with or without a cogent cause, and be forever misunderstood flower children who've "got something to say".

I still want that amp he has.  He used the fact that the amp would be set up as bait in the invitation.  I like it when people think I do what I do well enough that they feel a need to coax me to show up.

He lives pretty much rent free in a house on a hill on the edge of El Cajon.  You can see a long way from certain spots up there.  It is closer to me than most of the places where people go to play.

I live somewhere over that ridge

someone else took the pics. i lifted them from fb

Point of interest--the mandolin player had a band back in the day which opened for the Moody Blues and some other very big names of that era.   Mandolin is a relatively new thing to him, an he rocks it.  The depth of talented musicians and songwriters in the San Diego area is surprising. 

Delayed Cognition

I saw an interesting quote somewhere, but I do not recall where.   Maybe on facebook or in a Mark Steyn essay.

What happens in these cases is that I take in some info, but I don't really process it until later.   Often, I remember things better an hour later than I do right after the event or reading.

This particular quote, which I am probably paraphrasing said, it is too late to hope for a perfect past.  That made sense to me, and is quite fitting in my case.  In other words, "Get over it."
=============================================

People are strange.  The east county open mic, backyard player circuit seems riddled with drama.  Actually only one or two create the tension, and then the enablers and instigators jump in to fuel the flames.  I've found that when people drink, and they are the type that become psychotic and/or total jerks, they'll zero in on you if you don't watch out.  It is the women who are often the most difficult.

Very odd dynamic. I attempted to avoid certain people because the encounters were always the same.  My boundaries get violated, I react, however diplomatically.  Boundary jumper goes off in drunken histrionics, maybe hiding in the forest until dark because I, or someone else, or "they" am/is/are a big meany.

OK. So, I dodge the encounters, so now other drama ensues.  Very hard to ignore, but that is all there is to do.

Friends usually know your tender points, but friends don't throw those things up to put you on the spot, embarrass you, or just make you feel bad in a social setting.  It is too bad when you encounter that behavior.  Especially if the boundary jumper's husband really is a friend.  But can't seem to go anywhere without toting the loose cannon along.

If there is issue with one then you have to avoid both.  Anything else doesn't work and seems inconsiderate.  Why be used as a vehicle for madness which only makes your friend's life less pleasant?

I tried every tactic I could think of but nothing worked for long.    You'd be surprised how many different ways there are to ask, "Do you still beat you wife?", in a public place.

Antidepressants and alcohol do not combine to enhance one's sanity or rational behavior.   Rationalizing, that combination will enhance.

A Relative Self-Esteem Trick

If you ever think to yourself,  "I'm really pretty flaky and maybe even stupid", just go to the comments section under news stories.  It matters not what outfit published the story, could be the mighty Marxist militia or the Son's of Anarchy, or Republicans Galore, or Democratic Extravaganza.  Commenter quality won't vary much.

In no time you'll be thinking, "There are legions of nitwits out there who make me look like a genius!".   Avoid giving in to the next thought, which is, "Oh my God.  Those people can vote."

What's even weirder is to consider that many of those comments are fake; shills for one interest or another.  Maybe each does a parody of the other side.  If so, many succeed well in looking bad and hurting their own arguments.

Hints of Santa Ana winds for next couple of days.  Not good due to fire hazard.  Relative humidity in single digits at times.  That is just wrong.

Living Well is Best Revenge, I guess

This is what proves that my brother and some other people I know are smarter than I am.  Many had some early motivating influence--bullies, who knows.

The significant thing is that they decided the best revenge is success in creating a good, happy life.  This was actually told to me by one such person.  Building the good life requires enough cognizance of reality to avoid the losing, non-essential battles.

What I tend to do is tilt at windmills.  I know it.  I don't like it. But I find it hard to give it up permanently.  I'll quit doing it for years at a time--if we look back far enough.  This neither seems like a time to jump on any bandwagons of cooperation with the nonsense, nor railing against it.

The question of importance is whether I am doing what I can to improve my world.  Obviously not.   How stupid is that?  Then again, I am not alone.  This is no comfort, but true nonetheless.

Is it just me? [charity thugs]

It's one thing if a checkout person offers to sell you fries, or a lighter, or ice for the beer and a cooler for the ice.

But asking me if I want to donate to the charity of the merchant's choice seems weird.  Of course, the job of asking rude questions is assigned to the cashier, so all I can politely do is say no.

The outfits with a charity money can at the checkout counter could be just disguising a tip jar.  In Miami, growing up, the first time I heard of unicef was from kids that made fake unicef collection cans and went around on Halloween, just like the regular ones did.  They made lots of money.

Now I realize that those kids may be the people running the big shows now.

If I want to do something of a charitable nature, I will.  I'm thinking of collecting for UNICEF this Halloween.  You can send checks or cash.

New Hampshire Still Looks Good, bring on global warming

Being one of those dangerous radicals that DHS demonizes, the free state project is of interest to me.  But that is in New Hampshire, a state with a climate much different that we experience in Southern California.

It does look like a good place for insurance fugitives and for those who'd rather live privately rather than under the wing and supervision of more agencies than I can count.  I'm not sure if I'd off myself rather than be a ward of the state, but I would not rule it out.  Cali is great if you are looking for a system to play.  Not so much if you are me, as far as the expense, rules and regs.  People in east SD county are friendlier than most everywhere else I've been in this state.  That surprises me.

But it is such a nice stretch of real estate.  Amazing that people manage to screw it up.  And they do it through government for the most part.  That is probably a fact of life and human nature that I need to learn to accept.  Running around thinking "don't tread on me" won't fix it.

I'll bet when I do all I can to improve my own world, I will feel better and not so cynically depressed.  Although stupidity, corruption and forced collectivism will probably always annoy me.

Speaking of annoyances, here are a couple of items that can trigger long expletive filled outbursts, if I let my self control lapse.

The first is a pic of just one of the many combat style vehicles landing in police and sheriff departments around the country.  Are they planning a war on the public?  I'd not mind them renting a few if they planned to take out Bloods, Crips, Latin Kings, Hell's Angels and all other gangs, but they aren't likely to take time out from harassing peaceful people to do anything so worthwhile.

The second random pisser would be the three stooges pictured below.  No need to embellish too much on that.  I'm glad to see they aren't all getting along.  These privileged creeps are set for life on the public dime.  Why?   No elected official should be provided a pension and benefits.  They take.  They do not serve.  I hate it when they pretend that their "public service" is some high calling.  Self righteous bastards!  They even exempt themselves from laws they inflict on others, while playing to the most stupid of sentiments to get votes, because people are dumb enough, or greedy enough to go along with it.

I know I'm not cool, and if I had any audience, really cool creeps I'd like to punch, like Bill Maher, would call me names and present half true jokes at my expense.  I don't care.  I'm tired of the big pretense and the pressure to go along with nonsense.  The picture above is a small sampling of the sociopaths who control the guns and money.  I only know a little first hand info about those who control these sociopaths.  Or at least the one in the middle.  Some of the puppeteering is obvious from a distance, anyway.  You don't have to have an inside view to sense it.

My God!  If the holy government "shuts down"(another misleading, half true political phrase), the panda cam at the San Diego zoo will go offline!!!   I know I feel good paying federal tax because I can't live without the panda cam.  Or the various insane wars in the mid east.  If my money isn't supporting arming people who stone women to death and turn the weapons on us eventually, I feel like I'm being ripped off.

Come here!  I want to chop your head from your infidel body.  

zippidy do dah....we stone you if you smoke the cigar, we stone you if you dare to drive the car, we stone you if you tell of the rape,  we stone you if you go on a date,   Do not feel so all alone, every body (I mean uppity female and infidel) must get stoned!

If things that get shut down are termed "non-essential", why do those things exist?   The trouble is, being the cesspool of insanity and deception that it is, the federal government mislabels some things as non-essential, and others as essential.  Too bad. If they labelled correctly, I'd be cheering shutdown.

Why does government do anything that's non-essential?  Never mind.  That category covers about 87.6% of everything they do. Maybe as much as 93.2%.  What the hell.  As long as we can stay in a perpetual state of undeclared war, who can complain?

I'm praying the north warms up due to man's activities so that New Hampshire will enjoy a more temperate climate.  Then I'll try that for awhile before I'm too old to be a vagabond.

I hope someone reading this is really buying the bullshit being put out about healthcare, foreign affairs, obesity, and all the rest, so I can piss you off and accuse you of being a nincompoop and a danger to all that is worthwhile in our species.
the end

update: forget last part.  After viewing some facebook discussions, I see that a huge number of people buy all the bs.  I was going to get some koolaid but I see it has all been consumed.  Frustrating.  This snowball is still barreling downhill and there is no hope of it stopping or reversing direction.

Remove the Power From Petty Criminals, Give it to the Pros

May the health gods keep smiling upon me.

So, with the irrelevant debate about healthcare and affordable care act (names of bills in Congress have little to do with honest description), I thought, OK, let me check out the easy, helpful calculator some outfit has online.   How would they know if I lied about smoking?   I quit for hours, sometimes years, at a time.

It doesn't make much difference anyway.   Most likely being in California yields a different result than being in Texas or some other state.   The actual premium is close to the amount of money I made last year.   I live cheaply, and could probably cut that by 20% or so with no reduction in quality of life.

Then I see that I can get this subsidy, that whatever, some kind of California medicaid thing, etc.  Even "earned income tax credit"---which really means the opposite; they pay me for not earning much income.

I did that one time--filed tax and took the credit.  I still feel terrible for it.  The American taxpayer does not owe me an income.  I can live cheaply.  I had a car and a pack of cigarettes, and a cat.  Really, the world is responsible to me for things not germane to my survival?

OK.  So, here's the deal.   I can get insurance that YOU pay for as long as I fill out all the government stuff, disclose all my details, etc.

The thing is I do not want anything like that from the state.  I do not want to depend on the state for such things.  I like it that they may even be confused about who and where I am.  I hate dealing with governmental agencies.  I do not trust them any more than I would a crime syndicate or gang.

Obviously the insurance game had some corruption and sneaky practices.  I never had much trouble, but I rarely had to use health insurance when I had it.

It is another case in which there is some problem, then a bizarre cure is embraced which is worse than the disease.
That "we have to take action" bs which is used by politicians and government types to grab more money and power.  Climate change?  Oh my God, we must act!  Let's tax stuff!  That'll fix it.

world's greatest and greenest scientist.  Family fortune made in tobacco, coal, politics and selling carbon indulgences.  his education in government, divinity school, and law uniquely qualify him as the world's premier climate expert, and best judge of effective solutions to keep climate trends where they belong

Oh on that subject, just a few comments from people here and there who have nerve enough to think the UN would tolerate any corruption or agenda driven reports.  Hell, any outfit that has nations like Libya on their human rights committee can't possibly be corrupt, or useless.

This guy is an actual climate scientist from MIT, used to be at Harvard, which puts him on a credential par with anyone involved in various international committees devoted to selling theories to justify taxing air and expanding their own influence and importance.

“I think that the latest IPCC (the UN climate committee--intergovernmental panel on climate change) report has truly sunk to level of hilarious incoherence,” Dr. Richard Lindzen told Climate Depot, a global warming skeptic news site. “They are proclaiming increased confidence in their models as the discrepancies between their models and observations increase.”

The Associated Press obtained documents that show the Obama administration and some European governments pressured UN climate scientists to downplay or even omit data that shows the world hasn’t warmed in over a decade.

“[I]n attributing warming to man, they fail to point out that the warming has been small, and totally consistent with there being nothing to be alarmed about,” Lindzen said. “It is quite amazing to see the contortions the IPCC has to go through in order to keep the international climate agenda going.”

I won't argue the science of climate because I have never studied it to any degree, and I don't care to do that. I will argue that governments of the world are hardly the best source of truth or solutions when it comes to such matters---most matters. I will also point out that few people who depend upon tax money and alarm for their livelihood and position want to bite the hand that feeds them.

Every day I see these mock debates which seem designed increase central control over people and things, while reducing standard of living, mobility and choice. And people sucker for it.

Even those pushing the healthcare act---I am sick of the term obamacare--he seems to get a big ego boost from that---even the people pushing it in Congress did not know exactly how it worked or even what was in the bill. They admitted that. Obviously whoever owns these representatives had a vested interest in pushing it through. And to put the IRS in charge of getting it done? WTF?

So, I can do the smart thing; violate my own sense of right and wrong, by doing exactly what they want me to do, which is become dependent upon you for income, insurance, and whatever else you can't really afford. In return all I need do is subject all my decisions and choices to government approval, put up with having to prove how sorry and useless I am so that I can qualify for the max, and maybe vote democrat, though it really makes little difference. Right now, it is a safer bet to be a registered dem if the IRS is involved.

I actually registered libertarian; more as a statement than anything. I don't know that the libertarian party is going to hold to solid beliefs, although, unlike the democrats or republicans, they can and do articulate a specific, consistent philosophy. OK, dems do, too; they promote more extreme control of everything except abortion, and sometimes marijuana. I have no idea what republicans think because they seem to be pretend opponents to democrats' nonsense, yet they do more to sell that bs than anyone, with a few exceptions.

I'll ignore the whole thing. More than likely I'll move in a few years unless I make some serious money. California is a good place for the very poor and happily government-dependent, and the very rich. No good for mid to lower mid income range, especially if I do not want my life to be overly enmeshed with the state. That appears to be their design.

You may think I am nuts, and I may think you are a coward. When this sort of thing crosses the line of the individual's sovereignty far enough, you either quit cooperating or you just go along. Both choices carry their dangers.

Geez, according to Homeland security, libertarians and those who do not see the state as an answer to all things are terror threats. That's rich, considering that they seem to be in competition with the irs to see who can be most abusive and intrusive in their attack on the citizens of this country.

if words are missing s d or r, it is because they don't work half the time and I miss it as I type. I try to catch it.

I've never seen so much blatant propaganda, demagoguery, lies, and insulting paternalism from the state pushed on us all at one time. It does influence how people think and behave.

Taking it from an observed behavior point of view, I'd say this is not a good thing. But I do love the backlash. The internet helps that a lot. That is why those scumballs in DC are dying to regulate, control and monitor the web way more than they do now.

Best to get while the getting is good.

In short: the corrupt elements of the healthcare/insurance world were rank amateurs compared to the outfit we've now got running that show.

Not really a new thing.

Many people buy into the bs. Suckers!!

.just a side note: it didn't take long before I could not stand to watch or hear the last three presidents
Did that class me as a racist then, too? Or only now? Bush made me cringe, so did Clinton, and Bush 1. Obama makes me cringe big time. I don't think race is the issue. I think power and lying is, and has been. And really, the last 2 presidents, W and O, project an air of oblivious incompetence that is painful to watch. I rarely agreed with clinton, but he didn't have that air about him

Between The Lines

I'm not one who is likely to be accused of welcoming rules, regulations, and other intrusions upon my own private judgement and pursuit of happiness.  Some people seem to base their self worth upon compliance with such things.  Often the sort of person whose number one claim to fame on the job is that he's never even a minute late to work, but other than that his work is sub-mediocre.

However, in a different context, setting the boundaries and rules leads to great things.  That is how good invention and innovation work.  Taxing behavior and creating a false market through subsidies and penalties actually gets in the way.   People are fooled into thinking otherwise, hence the incredibly complex enmeshment between government and business--a seething, rotten bog of corruption and skullduggery.

The reason we live longer now than in centuries past is that people have created ways of insulating themselves against the whims of nature, found ways to produce food and make it easily available, and created ways of reducing the labor and danger involved in adding value to resources.

Without Al Gore, or any other government minded pseudo scientist dictating where technology needs to go, people have, for many decades, been scheming ways to increase fuel economy in automobiles, produce electricity on a localized level cheaply, and find new ways to power things.  Unfortunately, many in the community of business-government partnership went to great lengths to stifle such efforts.  Even to the point of making it illegal to produce your own power.  That was as big a sin as distilling your own alcohol.

Instead of laying out parameters like, I want to harness wind energy without killing birds and dotting the landscape with bizarre, giant eyesores, we have GE in bed with the feds, and designs which are great in some ways, but which violate those stated parameters.

It is like the extra thinking it takes to be funny without cussing or talking sex.  It takes thought and creativity.  So, when it comes to technology, I am one who believes in setting the lines and staying within them.  That is what scientists and engineers are supposed to do, but no longer do.  The reason is that they are fed by the government partnership.  And by grant and subsidies.  In many cases there is incentive which moves such a person from pure hearted problem solver to political animal.

Global warming, or climate change is an example.   Keep in mind that these are the same people who facilitated the restrictions which, in the past, inhibited the development of new energy means and such.  Regardless whether man's activity significantly influences long term climate trends, or not, I find it suspect when people wave their scientist badge as they suggest taxes on CO2 and promote intrusive regulations which are more political than related to science.

That proves to me that they actually do not understand how inventors think, they don't understand how a natural, minimally corrupt market works, and they are taking the easy way to maintain their own gravy train.  I'm too lazy and blue to actually attack the market myself, but I should.   There are many ways, both known and unknown, in which energy can be produced, heat transferred, crops grown, cats skinned.

What you do is try to define you parameters, then design within that framework.  That is what engineers are for, though not enough seem to know it.  Even Ford, Edison, Lindbergh, and some of their contemporaries were hoping to find renewable fuel sources.  And Tesla was way ahead, and apparently  that put a target on him.  The foresighted and brilliant have always had to deal with ignorant, greedy, agenda driven antagonists.

Yet the bloated lawyer/legislators and politicians pretend with a straight face that all this is new, and without their help and guidance no one would be attempting to create anything new and better.

Nothing could be further from the truth.  Those people retard innovation even more than thuggish businesses and modern labor unions do.  Of course career government types do so in partnership with the thug outfits just cited.

Oh well.  The important thing is for everyone to get on board with government approved health insurance.  It is so wonderful.   I guess we decided along the way to try what has never worked out, especially on a large scale, an all encompassing centralized authoritarian state.

I rambled instead of making my point or stating the premise that I was thinking.  My firm belief is that the main solutions to most of the problems of the world can be found in the proper application of technology and invention.  Some of which might have to be used to rid us of terrorists and thugs.

Political and governmental action is likely to amplify and create problems, unless such action involves measures to reduce the scope and power of government and divorce it from any "alliances" with alleged leaders of business and labor unions.  Prevent force and fraud.  Shoot looters, thugs and other aberrant life forms.  Clear the field so that inspired inventors and  visionaries can privately, independently, introduce improvements to the process of living life.

It's cool when women in the grocery store give me an unexpected smile.  I always look in the mirror later to figure out if they were laughing at me for having stuff on my face or something.  Now if they'd just back up the smile with a pleasing proposition, we'd be in business.