I Quit Reddit

I quit Reddit today. Attention addiction is just another addiction and just as harmful and soul-diminishing as alcohol. Attention whores are as common as drunks nowadays. Best to nip it in the bud. I gained little from exposure to internet personalities but cold comfort.

N.R.A., Guns, and Gun Laws

I am not passionate about guns, but live in a country that is. In the U.S., gun deaths are an epidemic. Every few days, some man gets mad, takes out a gun and wastes a bunch of civilians. Could be me next, could be you.

Now, the threat is the angry man with the gun. Trying to find him before he strikes is like whack-a-mole. Too many of these nutcases. What do we do about that. Liberals say, it is easy, ban the gun. Conservatives say, no one is taking my gun. I say, stop the shooting.

The liberals have data on their side. Gun deaths are less in countries with strong gun laws. Conservatives have history on their side. The U.S. has had guns for so long, and has so many, they are practically a part of our DNA. I don't know how anyone would go about getting rid of all the guns. There are just too many. Everyone and their brother has one. Nowadays you can download a gun over the Internet and print it out on a 3-D printer. We live in a crazy world of violent morons.

In the end, the mad nincompoops win. Can't have a public anymore. No more school, no more workplace, no more tavern. Everyone is going to have to stay at home, behind bullet-proof walls. They work at their computer station. That is the only way to be safe.

That, of course, is not a palatable solution. There is another one, which no one wants to hear.

All the mad idiots, we have to abort their fetuses. No more uncontrolled reproduction. All these crazy ones being born and wasting resources and then killing people when they grow up--nip them in the bud. That is the ultimate answer to the world's problems, all of them, staring us in the face right now, but no one really wants to stare back and acknowledge the horrible truth, that in the end, the fault lies within us, we just need to stop reproducing like rabbits. Produce only good ones. The bad ones, don't even germinate in the first place. As you have quality control for manufacturing, so too we have a dire need for it in the human race.

Until such time as Joe Q. Public is willing to acknowledge and accept the one feasible solution to all society's ills, KABLOWEY! Read about the next blast-off, blow-up, brains splattered everywhere because some idiot got upset in the news media.

Higher Intelligence

There is a certain higher intelligence, a maturity, attainable only in sobriety, and only when desired above all else. Look down, as though from above, at this world with all its people, including yourself, and understand you are players, representations of the spirits, tiny little beings in the greater Cosmos. What is so important you must cry? Can it be anything really of weight, beside the galaxies moving through space? So, what little human being, let us call him or her X or Y or Z, what this little speck of dust, doomed to die in the blink of the eye of the Buddha, what it does or says is quite beside the point. I am saying listen to the roar of the Cosmos, and then you will view the squeak of the human beings in their proper perspective. Dust, gone and forgotten, is the fate of all, even the one that props himself up on a pedestal and croaks his silly boasts before the world of men, though he has decayed to an ugly frog in his advanced age.

You can control what you do or say. And that is all you need to do! What a relief! No need to control others or even to be concerned about them at all. Let people be people. What is wrong with that? People want to be themselves. Of course, people make mistakes, so let people make those mistakes, and if there are consequences, well then, that is a problem they will have to work out, isn't it?

There are not any things which "must not be done" by others. Others make mistakes, sometimes, terrible foolishness, but that is on them, isn't it? It is not a burden one must share or accept. I am not saying, do nothing all the time. Fight when necessary, avoid when possible, is my advice, because contemplation and work is preferable to pointless nonproductive fighting, which accomplishes little. What scientific discoveries did the Vikings ever make? Oh, do tell me about the longboat. For a thousand years, it is not much. Where is their literature, and how does it compare to our Canon? So fighting is necessary sometimes but is to be avoided, as the main glory is to be had by careful toil. I have always preferred to let the Vikings deal with the Vikings, because they will tend to devise effective solutions for one another.

I despise drinking, not for the reason of health, although that is a valid reason and supported by science, but for this other reason. Intoxication inhibits the higher intelligence, blinds us to the greater awareness, chains us to this material plane, imprisons us within our animal nature, so we do not know what it is we do or say. There is no getting around that it is evil. As to why it is popular and so common throughout all of history and civilization, there is a side of us that wants the Night. So the animal nature is definitely a powerful factor within us, and evolution's a work in progress, and it is known that monkeys, too, are fond of fermented fruit and will seek it out in the jungle. The question put before each human being is whether to indulge the base animal with its low instincts or to reach for the higher stage, for what will come next, if the species is to progress.

Brain-Dead Academia

I think certain librarians need to have their salaries halved, because clearly they have nothing better to do with their time but denigrate the canon of American literature, such as Laura Ingalls Wilder. Picking on the dead is always fashionable. They can't respond on Twitter, you see. Such idiocy! What's next, kick Shakespeare off the shelf, because of sexism?

French Law is Soft

French law is soft, because the French are stupid. That is why they lost WW2 and got taken over, until the United States came to their rescue. That is also why a notorious gangster escaped by helicopter from prison. If the French had any brains in their vacant skulls, they would have punished the criminal in the correct manner after he killed a policewoman. They would have poked a stick through each of his eyeballs and scraped out his brains. Then, no escape in 2018. There is no known escape from the crypt. In a way, the French deserve what happens to them. The gravest crime in the Universe is stupidity. The punishment is severe and often comes quickly. The French really have been stupid for hundreds of years. It was pretty obvious after Napoleon invaded Russia, but even before that, the excesses of the French Kings, driving their country into debt for the sake of stupid and pointless wars pointed to lack of intellectual prowess.

To Know that there is No Hope

To know that there is no hope seems like a doom. It is not. When savored fully, the revelation is a liberation. From futile, needless wants. The knowledge is a mighty gift, scorned by the foolish, esteemed by the Wise, sent by those who Watch and Listen.

Generation after Generation

We read in the media about cases of child abuse that are sickening and just indicative of the low level of maturity and low level of intelligence that some adults possess. There are a number of sadistic bullies out there with no morals, acting as Mother or Father. In cases of severe child abuse or neglect, where grievous harm has been committed, in addition to whatever prison sentence is determined by the courts, the parent(s) should be surgically sterilized, to prevent further costly problems that the rest of the society has to deal with. There are a lot of people that really have no business having kids. They are not mature, not intelligent enough to navigate today's society, and hardly capable of taking care of themselves, let alone a future generation. These types need help, and in exchange for that help, they can pay a visit to the local surgeon, who will remove the problem-causing organ from their body.

Welfare and food stamps, too, should be conditional upon permanent, surgical sterilization. If someone wants to keep having babies, then they can get their own food, or else go without. It is not the responsibility of the taxpayer to enable some low-life to keep pumping out babies, which they then mistreat and neglect. This is a symptom of the degeneration of the human race, when we are in a situation where the worst, the most horrible people reproduce and have kids. Not because they planned it, not because they are ready financially, mentally or spiritually, but because of sex and they do not understand how to use a condom or "it just don't feel the same."

Those that want to pay extra taxes to support generation after generation of welfare recipients and low-life criminals can pay extra on their tax bill to do so, but it should be a voluntary thing. I'd rather my tax-money go to other things, or better yet I'll just keep my money and choose where to spend it myself.

Silence is Underrated

Silence is really underrated. Half people's problems could be cut out, if they would zip it. That advice certainly applies to our inept President, who suffers from foot-in-mouth disease. Quiet efficiency is really what is desired, not petty drama, airing of petty grievances and vendetta, or even ill-advised and bumbling attempts at small talk.

The best conversations I have had have been one-sided monologues, that is to say, reading books, such as, recently, books by esteemed author, Donald Tyson, who specializes in an unpopular subject in which he has achieved status as a scholar. In the final analysis, it is not necessary to know a mind on a personal level, and is often more of a distraction full of baggage than anything useful. Ideas are best transmitted cold, using a cold medium, such as a book. I wrote Tyson once, but he never replied, and although at first I felt the dismay of rejection, upon reflection I find it matters not at all, and may be the best outcome, the right one. One sends probes in many directions during life, and odds are, most will be rebuffed. In the end, the world of the intellect is where minds can truly meet.

To Be Underestimated

To be underestimated is a gift of immeasureable value, pearl of Great Price given freely, for the silence & shadow of no-awareness is Loki's garden.

Withdraw, withdraw

All we have to do, in the U.S., is announce immediate withdrawal from NATO and all European military bases by 2019, and the E.U. will back down, in 24 hours, if demanded, and exact a 10% tax, from all countries in Europe, to be paid to the U.S.

Europe has been freeloading off the blood, sweat, and tears of the United States since 1942. Reckoning time.

No More Asylum Cases

The number of asylum seekers that should be admitted into the U.S. is zero. They should be sent to a country more in line with where they came from, like Syria or El Savador. The United States is not the welfare charity for the entire world. People need to think about seeking asylum next door, not moving into the richest country and then asking for welfare for the next fifty years. It is clear that people are flying, sailing, driving or walking thousands of miles, in some cases many thousands, to bypass all these other countries and make a beeline for the U.S. simply because they want some of our money. The amount of money we have for them is zero, but we should take some money from them in the form of organ donations. They can donate their bodily organs to pay for a one-way ticket back home. The U.S. taxpayer cannot pay for the airfare, but what is in their body can pay for it, and the organ can help a needy person on a waiting list. If they don't want to donate an organ, then they can work in a prison factory for a couple years, earning the going rate for inmates, about .75 per hour. Once word gets out about the new change in policy, the number of asylum seekers flooding the immigration courts will drop precipitously, thus saving the taxpayer money.

Trump the Grump

Every time I start thinking positive about Trump, he pulls a petty, underhanded stunt that makes me think he's evil. This thing with Trudeau, the bickering and sniping, reflects back upon Trump twenty-fold. Old man, withered, vindictive, angry, petty. Cannot in any circumstance be expansive, big, compassionate, understanding. Not at all like Reagan. Trump is an infernal spirit, there is no getting around that, and the alliance the fundamentalist Christians forged with him smells sulfurous and reflects back upon them, as well.

Shut Down the Bases

I read this morning that the EU is planning to retaliate against the U.S. for the new tariffs. Trump would be justified in initiating a withdrawal of U.S. troops and equipment from all military bases in Europe. Let the Europeans pay for 'em. The cost-savings can be used to compensate any American businesses hurt by the European tariffs. It is likely that the cost-savings would greatly exceed whatever is lost on Europe's new tariffs. If the U.S. did not get itself involved in so many overseas conflicts, conflicts that do not really involve us, we could save hundreds of billions of dollars every year. Maybe Europe can start paying for their own defense, as they should have been doing all along, instead of leeching off of the American taxpayer.

China and Europe

All those U.S. companies that invested billions, not in America, their homeland, but in China, a communist dictatorship--they deserve to lose their investment. A trade war with China would be just the thing to bring justice to their share price. Apple could lose half its value overnight. Steve Jobs, the one with the misnomer for a last name, hated America with an unholy passion, and he was the one that sent all the jobs overseas. If China is so great, then these CEOs need to move over there, and live in Beijing and see what that is like. I bet after a couple decades actually living in China, they may come around to seeing why America is a good place to live.

As for Europe, it may be that their leaders don't want to negotiate an end to the high tariffs their countries impose on American products. It may be that they match Trump tit-for-tat in a trade war. If so, the U.S. should withdraw all American troops and shut down all the military bases in Europe, and see if they still feel it is wise to go their own way. Perhaps they can start trading with Russia, exporting 10% of their citizens for slave labor in Siberia in exchange for not getting invaded. Biting the hand that feeds you is never a good idea.

Europe's been euraping the U.S. for far too long on trade. Too many tariffs on American products, too many other barriers. They need to encourage American imports, not discourage them. Europe should be paying the U.S. trillions in protection money, to compensate the U.S. for the high cost of our military. We never did receive reparations for WW2, which was all Europe's fault. Europe is just a big whining baby, with greedy hands always grasping for more money. The Europeans need to apologize for their poor behavior at the G7 Summit, and develop a plan to make reparations to the U.S. for their decades-long unfair trade practices. Otherwise, U.S. markets should be closed to European products.

The U.S. has always been self-sufficient. There is nothing that the Old World has that the New World doesn't. I have always been puzzled by this tendency to look far overseas for goods and services, when there are so many natural resources and labor here in North America and also South America. The rest of the world can really carry on by themselves. The rest of the world is nothing but warfare, bickering, dictatorships, warfare, terrorism and stupidity. It is only in North and South America that one finds moderation and conditions amenable to business and long-term investment. This will become more evident over time, as those that invested in China discover the folly of their way.

Truth Gift-Wrapped with a Silken Ribbon and Bow

Truth is freely given, left upon a street corner, gift-wrapped with a silken ribbon and bow, free for the taking, but the World passes by, many a fool pausing only to spit upon the precious Pearl of Great Price, and cars meantime running over the priceless jewel and destroying all evidence of its existence.

This is why those who know remain silent and keep their knowledge close, even to the grave, because to reveal is to invite criticism. No one really wants to know. Knowledge shatters illusion, which is all that keeps some people going. Do not underestimate the importance and the precedence of lies and falseness in daily life. They are essential and as necessary as vitamins and daily minerals. Without them, many would wither and perish. Truth is potent, like fire, and destructive.

Tariffs

I don't believe all the crap I read in the news media about the tariffs and the trade war. Truth is, the media and the elite hit the snooze button while America burned. Factories closed, cities fell into ruin and decay, and nowadays, many millions of American working people juggle multiple part-time gigs just to get by, never mind saving for retirement or having any medical insurance. The elite could give a crap about workers. Sure, they are against any trade war, against any tariff that may impact their stock investments. To hell with all of them, they deserve the ruin they wrought upon others.

The United States requires zero trade with other countries. No trade is not such a bad scenario for us. These United States have sufficient natural resources. No goods need be imported, ever again. The other countries can bicker and squabble among themselves, and China can continue employing their slave labor and polluting their cities. Everything that is needed can be produced here in the U.S. of A. If other countries want to get in to this lucrative, wealthy market, well then, perhaps they can just hurry their behind over to the bargaining table.

How to Ward Off a Hare-brained Occultist

A cross is effective against vampires, and some Christians get frightened by a simple pentagram, so what scares a hare-brained occultist?

Well, I brought up Science, and a popular scientific experiment, and Lordy, that occultist cleared out. Science is their cross, their pentagram. The notion that all their fancies will be proven false, and they will be made a laughingstock scares them away.

Wise is to avoid conflict with Science, by co-opting it into one's beliefs, as I believe the Catholic Church has been doing for the past hundred years. Science revises Man's conceptions and understanding of all things, including magic. It is unwise to hold magic as a special egg immune to the overwhelming penetrative power of scientific inquiry. Why can the two not be as one?

Zombie

My dream seemed commonplace and unscary, only because it was inspired by the many zombie shows. A friend of mine, who I cannot even remember, came to school, but he was dead, and his body showed signs of being, well, past its prime. People complained, but not in a hysterical way like you would think. The more I think about the premise, the more it seems illogical. He was pale as a ghost, and certainly did not act normal, but was not threatening in any way, just, well, dead--animated dead.

I don't know what the significance of that dream was, or what possible relation it would have to my life. I don't even know the friend was or if it was indeed a friend. I think the whole thing was a bad TV show. I decided, no more wearing a pentagram in bed.

School Shooters

It would be satisfying to take the latest school shooter, string him up in his front yard, and leave him there until the crows pick his bones clean. Then incinerate bones, home, and everything in the home. I wonder how many school shooters would play copycat after that spectacle gets live-streamed on YouTube. My guess is not as many. The glory and notoriety factor would work in the opposite direction from what it is now, where these school shooters are sitting in prison watching TV news about themselves and browsing their sick fan mail.

The Demise of Unions

It is amusing to watch U.S. companies grovel before the Chinese Emperor. Gap, Marriott, and all of these huge multinationals obey Chinese censorship, even when selling products in the U.S. Interesting. All it takes is power.

Who cares what Americans think?

The working man used to have power, when he gathered together to form unions, but the smart folks brainwashed the masses, to make them think unions are bad. In the end, working people lost a great deal--benefits, job security, and salary. And that's not ever going to come back, because without unions, workers can be treated just any which way. If the American worker gets too uppity, then companies need merely to shift production to China. Who really cares what Americans think? What's important is what the Chinese Emperor thinks.

Now China owns both our politicians and the heads of companies and can get them to do whatever it wants them to do. Everyone is scared to death of incurring the wrath of China. The writing is on the world--U.S., has-been, washed-up relic of something that used to be. China, ascendant master of the Universe, with just a matter of time before it seizes Taiwan and other territorial ambitions. Is democracy doomed? Probably. If the best that the U.S. can do is put up a dolt like Trump, then the best is behind us. The U.S. got tired of smart (Obama), so settled for its opposite. Twenty-plus trillion in debt, with no end in sight to the national debt, and quite likely to default on Social Security and Medicare obligations, the U.S. has betrayed the working people. Who cares? Working people have no power.