I don't shed any tears for the slain Iranian nuclear scientists. In fact, my reaction is right on! Iran is a center for terrorism and fascism on Earth. Iranian leaders are savages. I think that Israel has the right to do everything within their power to reduce Iran.
Certainly the world would be a better place without Iran's tyrannical regime. The only thing Iran ever does is torture, imprison and kill good people, and assist terrorists and dictators like Assad and their own dictator. Iran is the embodiment of evil on earth.
This is one area where I do sympathize a bit with the Republican front-runners. However, I'm not sure. I have doubts that probably never occur to Republicans. My main issue is cost. Can Iran be reduced at low cost, or will it mean another trillion dollars gone?
It may become necessary to nuke Iran in order to prevent nuclear terrorism. The ultimate source of Iranian nuclear scientists is the Iranian people. Why pick off one nuclear scientist at a time, when you can eliminate the source?
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Russian Irony
Since the 1917 Revolution, Russia has supported tyrants around the world that make Tsar Nicholas look like an enlightened monarch. Lenin would be turning over in his grave to know that Putin supports Assad.
Monday, January 30, 2012
Obama is Safe
The only reason the right wing hasn't assassinated Obama is that they perceive he is one of their own: mediocre and conservative. In the U.S., only the best and the brightest get assassinated. Ours is a mediocracy.
The Right Way to Treat Pets and Children
The right way to treat a pet is as a member of the family, with gentleness and compassion. Always make sure the animal has enough to eat, clean water, and a good place to poop. What I'm against is the practice of chaining a dog to a tree for years, to the point where he has to walk around his own feces, or placing a dog in a small fenced area less than thirty feet squared. I have known even liberal and educated people to do this to their dog, and I thought it was indicative of mental illness. To see their dog wallowing around in a tiny area filled with feces made me think that the owners were lunatics or at any rate not very pleasant.
I also think that corporal punishment, e.g. a swat on the hind end, should be an exceedingly rare event. Especially when the human being is much bigger and stronger than a small pet, such as a cat, there are ethical problems with hitting. A cat loses all respect for an abusive owner. Most important between cat and human is the bond of trust. The cat realizes that the human being is bigger, stronger, and smarter. But if the human being is also perceived as mean or hurtful, then the cat will seek to evade the human being at all times, and then the relationship between pet and owner is over, and the value of the pet is nil. It is important to be a gentle giant. Always use strength in positive and helpful ways. When I visit a person and find that their cat is in hiding and will only come out to eat, then I know the owner is an abusive owner and not a very pleasant person. What pets say about their owners can be more revealing than anything else.
With an average animal, ninety-nine times out of a hundred, tone of voice or a hand gesture is sufficient to ensure compliance with basic instructions. The only scenario where I might swat a cat is when they have destroyed property, and even then one must be moderate and use restraint, because the difference in strength between humans and cat is very great. At all times I remind myself that I am a giant, enormous in their eyes, and I think of how I might feel if I were the cat. It is important to empathize with other creatures and try to understand them. I think the same general philosophy applies to the rearing of children. Total abolition of corporal punishment probably is not desirable, but it should be used sparingly if at all. I remember at work a couple of people would tell me that the whippings they received made them the great people they are today. But I did not think they were so great. I rather thought that they were insensitive, cold and taciturn. If a race of brutes is desired, then acts of brutality certainly will help to achieve that end.
I also think that corporal punishment, e.g. a swat on the hind end, should be an exceedingly rare event. Especially when the human being is much bigger and stronger than a small pet, such as a cat, there are ethical problems with hitting. A cat loses all respect for an abusive owner. Most important between cat and human is the bond of trust. The cat realizes that the human being is bigger, stronger, and smarter. But if the human being is also perceived as mean or hurtful, then the cat will seek to evade the human being at all times, and then the relationship between pet and owner is over, and the value of the pet is nil. It is important to be a gentle giant. Always use strength in positive and helpful ways. When I visit a person and find that their cat is in hiding and will only come out to eat, then I know the owner is an abusive owner and not a very pleasant person. What pets say about their owners can be more revealing than anything else.
With an average animal, ninety-nine times out of a hundred, tone of voice or a hand gesture is sufficient to ensure compliance with basic instructions. The only scenario where I might swat a cat is when they have destroyed property, and even then one must be moderate and use restraint, because the difference in strength between humans and cat is very great. At all times I remind myself that I am a giant, enormous in their eyes, and I think of how I might feel if I were the cat. It is important to empathize with other creatures and try to understand them. I think the same general philosophy applies to the rearing of children. Total abolition of corporal punishment probably is not desirable, but it should be used sparingly if at all. I remember at work a couple of people would tell me that the whippings they received made them the great people they are today. But I did not think they were so great. I rather thought that they were insensitive, cold and taciturn. If a race of brutes is desired, then acts of brutality certainly will help to achieve that end.
One Trillion of Taxpayer Dollars
These are the brainiacs that George Bush and Obama thought were worth $1 trillion of taxpayer dollars to "liberate".
The people of Afghanistan are ignorant savages only capable of rule by dictatorship, if at all. It is pointless to invest even a penny in that blighted nation of bandits. They have not had a republic in ten thousand years. Anyone that wanted a republic was killed. Once the U.S. leaves, business as usual returns. All of this is obvious. I wish our leaders would wise up and cut our losses now rather than later. Pride is an awfully expensive bad habit to maintain.
The people of Afghanistan are ignorant savages only capable of rule by dictatorship, if at all. It is pointless to invest even a penny in that blighted nation of bandits. They have not had a republic in ten thousand years. Anyone that wanted a republic was killed. Once the U.S. leaves, business as usual returns. All of this is obvious. I wish our leaders would wise up and cut our losses now rather than later. Pride is an awfully expensive bad habit to maintain.
Syria is the Dog of Nations
I wouldn't want to be an Alawite or a Christian in Syria, that's for sure. For that matter, I wouldn't want to be anyone in Syria. That country makes our country look good from every angle. Syria is one of the lowest dogs of the nations: led by a stupid thug of a dictator (eye doctor or not, he lacks the capacity to see the problem with clear eyes), isolated from the world, torn by civil war, and with Iran and Russia its two friends. Iran and Russia! One would think a clue would be due from having such friends. Any reflective person (which Assad is not) would look at Iran and feel a sense of nausea.
And I don't think Syria is going to get better in the next twenty years. Too much blood has been spilled. There will be vengeance on the minds of men for generations to come.
And I don't think Syria is going to get better in the next twenty years. Too much blood has been spilled. There will be vengeance on the minds of men for generations to come.
Sunday, January 29, 2012
The Government of Arizona
I never hear about Arizona in the news except more reports indicating that the Arizona government is composed of barbarians without understanding or intelligence.
Death is a Good Thing (in Dungeon Crawl)
I"m glad death is so cheap in Dungeon Crawl Stone Soup, because it forces a break in play. Otherwise, one could keep going at it all day long.
However, the constant dying reinforces the feeling I have that the game is pointless; every single character dies no matter what strategy is pursued. In fact, I would say one in a thousand could possibly succeed, if every turn was played in the perfect manner with knowledge of what would happen next. Without foreknowledge, one in a trillion characters might succeed. I doubt I will live long enough to see such a character. So, I am looking around for a game to replace Crawl.
However, the constant dying reinforces the feeling I have that the game is pointless; every single character dies no matter what strategy is pursued. In fact, I would say one in a thousand could possibly succeed, if every turn was played in the perfect manner with knowledge of what would happen next. Without foreknowledge, one in a trillion characters might succeed. I doubt I will live long enough to see such a character. So, I am looking around for a game to replace Crawl.
Dungeon Crawl is Literary
Dungeon Crawl Stone Soup is a literary game. I find delightful excerpts from all sorts of interesting poems and history books that I should have read long ago. Perhaps it is an educational game in some respects.
Food Lion Sux
Food Lion is a thoroughly detestable grocery store. One of those spoiled-milk stores went out of business recently, and everything was marked down 25%. I decided to stock up on laundry detergent at the 25% off Food Lion.
A week later, I discovered that my brand of laundry detergent was on sale at Publix, so I did a cost comparison. Even with 25% off, the Food Lion detergent was more expensive. Moral of the story: Food Lion sucks. If they don't get you with their spoiled milk and rotting meat, they will get you with their tricky pricing.
A week later, I discovered that my brand of laundry detergent was on sale at Publix, so I did a cost comparison. Even with 25% off, the Food Lion detergent was more expensive. Moral of the story: Food Lion sucks. If they don't get you with their spoiled milk and rotting meat, they will get you with their tricky pricing.
I Could Be a Republican
If twenty points were subtracted from my I.Q., and I abandoned ethics, I could vote Republican.
The race for the G.O.P. nominee interests me only for its soap opera value.
I'd like to see a real challenger to Obama from the left, not the right. The Republicans are in a race to nominate someone that is worse than Obama.
The race for the G.O.P. nominee interests me only for its soap opera value.
I'd like to see a real challenger to Obama from the left, not the right. The Republicans are in a race to nominate someone that is worse than Obama.
Friday, January 27, 2012
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Another Great SEAL Team Rescue
The real deal is much better than a Hollywood movie. I'd like to see a documentary with interviews with each hero of the SEAL team.
Note that even on an important article like this one, and even with computerized spell-checkers, the mainstream media could not avoid grammatical errors.
Note that even on an important article like this one, and even with computerized spell-checkers, the mainstream media could not avoid grammatical errors.
Passing My Piss-Test
There is a contradiction in a Republic when unreasonable search and
seizure is being conducted against bodily fluids. Piss tests are
something that no patriot who loves his country could ever support. They
are demeaning and degrading and aimed only at workers, not at the rich
and privileged owners and leaders who actually make the decisions that determine our national destiny.
If I am wrong, and urinalysis is right, then members of Congress and all CEO's should be piss-tested on a random basis for drugs and alcohol, and the results should be accessible on the web. Their jobs are far more important than ours and have far more impact on our nation's destiny. If checking urine is so important, then the urine of a CEO is more to the point than the urine of a Wal-Mart greeter. Have CEO's and Congress as a whole performed particularly well over the last twenty years? You tell me.
Sometime while I was ranting against the immorality of urinalysis tests, companies and government quietly decided to loosen their standards. I don't know when this happened and I don't know why. Old research indicated that marijuana could be detected in the urine for as long as 30 days after use, which seemed unfair, given that harder substances such as meth become undetectable much sooner. The "30 days" bit is an oft-repeated talking point. The reality, I have found, is rather different.
Recently, I was offered a job, contingent upon passing urinalysis. I researched NORML to learn more about the state of the art in regard to piss-tests. NORML is my go-to source for any questions regarding cannabis, and I regard it as the very best source on the Internet. Google should rank NORML as the #1 result for any search of "marijuana," but it doesn't. Instead, mainstream media sites with articles about pot busts are cited, followed by Wikipedia, a couple of other sites and then NORML around #7. I am not sure whether my Google results are the same as everyone else's, because Google is getting too smarty-pants, customizing their results for individual users.
Today, companies and government tend to have a cutoff point of 50 nanograms of THC metabolites per milliliter. Any amount in excess of 50 ng / ml triggers a "positive" result, with negative consequences for the poor soul being tested. However, recent research has found that this 50 ng / ml cutoff allows more leeway than previously thought and that people can pass piss-tests even if they have used marijuana two weeks prior. Marijuana remains the most easily detected substance, and the situation is still unfair. However, the "30 days" business only holds true for heavy daily users with high residual levels, the wake-and-bake crowd. A chronic daily user with a slow metabolism might test positive for as long as two months after the last use! However, an occasional, once-a-week user with a normal metabolism has little to fear after a dozen days of strict abstinence. I assume that this 50 ng / ml cutoff was established in order to eliminate the possibility of false positives, an occasional problem with urinalysis in the past.
For occasional users facing preemployment tests, there is an advantage to delaying the test as long as possible in order to increase the number of days of abstinence and reduce the metabolite concentration in the body. When an email is received with an invitation to test, there is typically a deadline to respond to the invitation. The moment the invitation is accepted, a piss-test "date" is made three days in advance. Thus, it is advantageous to wait until the very last day of that deadline before accepting the invitation. I wouldn't wait until the last hour, because the Internet may be down.
I considered substituting someone else's urine in the place of my own, but I was reluctant to blemish my record of having never cheated in all my life. I believe it is ethical to cheat on a piss-test, for the same reason that it is ethical for a nation to engage in espionage during wartime. Piss-tests are wrong, and thus any method that can circumvent them seems to me fair game. Anyone with the least amount of imagination could invent a dozen different ways to conceal and substitute another person's urine while maintaining a plausible temperature for the urine. Nevertheless, I just don't like the idea of cheating, even though I can't explain why. It is just a personal preference of mine. I prefer beating the test if possible through abstinence and background research of the testing technology. That is my way, because I'm a techie.
In the end, after researching NORML, I determined I would pass the test without any difficulty. I am an occasional user with a normal metabolism and do not drink. The test was scheduled exactly twelve days after my last use. According to the consensus of all my sources, the chance of my failing a piss-test with a 50 ng / ml cutoff was miniscule.
I did not bother with any vitamins or supplements and did not exercise any more than usual. I think that there is a lot of pseudoscientific hogwash about ways to defeat piss tests, with various vitamins and herbs promoted that have little or no actual effect but may make certain vendors rich.
I only did what NORML recommends--on the day of the test, I voided my bladder several times prior to my arrival at the clinic. This helps, because it is well-established and often repeated that the greatest concentration of metabolites is found in the first void of the day. Also, by drinking plenty of fluids, one dilutes the concentration of metabolites. The sample I provided contained only urine deposited in my bladder during a narrow 2-3 hour window. It had little or no color, because I had been drinking about double the usual amount of tea and water that day in preparation for the test.
I had no doubt whatsoever that I passed. The clinic never informed me, because their master is the employer, not me. However, the employer offered me a job, so there's my answer.
If I am wrong, and urinalysis is right, then members of Congress and all CEO's should be piss-tested on a random basis for drugs and alcohol, and the results should be accessible on the web. Their jobs are far more important than ours and have far more impact on our nation's destiny. If checking urine is so important, then the urine of a CEO is more to the point than the urine of a Wal-Mart greeter. Have CEO's and Congress as a whole performed particularly well over the last twenty years? You tell me.
Sometime while I was ranting against the immorality of urinalysis tests, companies and government quietly decided to loosen their standards. I don't know when this happened and I don't know why. Old research indicated that marijuana could be detected in the urine for as long as 30 days after use, which seemed unfair, given that harder substances such as meth become undetectable much sooner. The "30 days" bit is an oft-repeated talking point. The reality, I have found, is rather different.
Recently, I was offered a job, contingent upon passing urinalysis. I researched NORML to learn more about the state of the art in regard to piss-tests. NORML is my go-to source for any questions regarding cannabis, and I regard it as the very best source on the Internet. Google should rank NORML as the #1 result for any search of "marijuana," but it doesn't. Instead, mainstream media sites with articles about pot busts are cited, followed by Wikipedia, a couple of other sites and then NORML around #7. I am not sure whether my Google results are the same as everyone else's, because Google is getting too smarty-pants, customizing their results for individual users.
Today, companies and government tend to have a cutoff point of 50 nanograms of THC metabolites per milliliter. Any amount in excess of 50 ng / ml triggers a "positive" result, with negative consequences for the poor soul being tested. However, recent research has found that this 50 ng / ml cutoff allows more leeway than previously thought and that people can pass piss-tests even if they have used marijuana two weeks prior. Marijuana remains the most easily detected substance, and the situation is still unfair. However, the "30 days" business only holds true for heavy daily users with high residual levels, the wake-and-bake crowd. A chronic daily user with a slow metabolism might test positive for as long as two months after the last use! However, an occasional, once-a-week user with a normal metabolism has little to fear after a dozen days of strict abstinence. I assume that this 50 ng / ml cutoff was established in order to eliminate the possibility of false positives, an occasional problem with urinalysis in the past.
For occasional users facing preemployment tests, there is an advantage to delaying the test as long as possible in order to increase the number of days of abstinence and reduce the metabolite concentration in the body. When an email is received with an invitation to test, there is typically a deadline to respond to the invitation. The moment the invitation is accepted, a piss-test "date" is made three days in advance. Thus, it is advantageous to wait until the very last day of that deadline before accepting the invitation. I wouldn't wait until the last hour, because the Internet may be down.
I considered substituting someone else's urine in the place of my own, but I was reluctant to blemish my record of having never cheated in all my life. I believe it is ethical to cheat on a piss-test, for the same reason that it is ethical for a nation to engage in espionage during wartime. Piss-tests are wrong, and thus any method that can circumvent them seems to me fair game. Anyone with the least amount of imagination could invent a dozen different ways to conceal and substitute another person's urine while maintaining a plausible temperature for the urine. Nevertheless, I just don't like the idea of cheating, even though I can't explain why. It is just a personal preference of mine. I prefer beating the test if possible through abstinence and background research of the testing technology. That is my way, because I'm a techie.
In the end, after researching NORML, I determined I would pass the test without any difficulty. I am an occasional user with a normal metabolism and do not drink. The test was scheduled exactly twelve days after my last use. According to the consensus of all my sources, the chance of my failing a piss-test with a 50 ng / ml cutoff was miniscule.
I did not bother with any vitamins or supplements and did not exercise any more than usual. I think that there is a lot of pseudoscientific hogwash about ways to defeat piss tests, with various vitamins and herbs promoted that have little or no actual effect but may make certain vendors rich.
I only did what NORML recommends--on the day of the test, I voided my bladder several times prior to my arrival at the clinic. This helps, because it is well-established and often repeated that the greatest concentration of metabolites is found in the first void of the day. Also, by drinking plenty of fluids, one dilutes the concentration of metabolites. The sample I provided contained only urine deposited in my bladder during a narrow 2-3 hour window. It had little or no color, because I had been drinking about double the usual amount of tea and water that day in preparation for the test.
I had no doubt whatsoever that I passed. The clinic never informed me, because their master is the employer, not me. However, the employer offered me a job, so there's my answer.
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Preppers
I accept a slight possibility that the U.S. economy and even civilization as we know it may collapse in the near future. Too many of our leaders are corrupt, incompetent, or misguided. Corruption is perhaps the most common problem among both Republicans and Democrats. The Republicans are the worst, but that doesn't let the Democrats off the hook. This whole country has been going down the tubes for a long time. It is simply not possible for tens of millions of Americans to get a job in this economy, and that's a big deal that is going to cause social problems for generations to come. When so many able-bodied people are out of work, yes, that's a major problem, no matter what kind of government is in power. I expect higher rates of every variety of societal ill. I am glad I did not have children. The middle class is disappearing, particularly among the young, and people are becoming poorer and poorer. The old have it better, entrenched in their cushy jobs or rolling in their retirement funds. The young have it worse by far. The young cannot find decent jobs. The young wait tables, bag groceries, flip burgers at best.
"Preppers" are the survivalists of 2012. In a way I view them as sheep. They are stockpiling food in a kind of fortress mentality, thinking they will always be safe in their basement. If they have a lot of resources, and people know that they have a lot of resources, then they will not be safe. People will rob them.
I take a fatalistic view. If civilization collapses, then all bets are off anyway. The world will become much less pleasant, much less comfortable, much less enjoyable. Life will become cheaper, death and injury more common. In such a world, is it really important to survive?
I think it is better to assume that things will remain more or less as they always have. I don't think it is possible to prepare for an Apocalypse. In the event of societal collapse, it may become necessary to move at great speed, leaving one's possessions behind. All the food that one has stockpiled may become a burden rather than an asset. How can one predict the nature of an Apocalypse? I think it is a bit morbid and cheerless to prepare for such a thing in the absence of any direct and compelling evidence.
"Preppers" are the survivalists of 2012. In a way I view them as sheep. They are stockpiling food in a kind of fortress mentality, thinking they will always be safe in their basement. If they have a lot of resources, and people know that they have a lot of resources, then they will not be safe. People will rob them.
I take a fatalistic view. If civilization collapses, then all bets are off anyway. The world will become much less pleasant, much less comfortable, much less enjoyable. Life will become cheaper, death and injury more common. In such a world, is it really important to survive?
I think it is better to assume that things will remain more or less as they always have. I don't think it is possible to prepare for an Apocalypse. In the event of societal collapse, it may become necessary to move at great speed, leaving one's possessions behind. All the food that one has stockpiled may become a burden rather than an asset. How can one predict the nature of an Apocalypse? I think it is a bit morbid and cheerless to prepare for such a thing in the absence of any direct and compelling evidence.
Microwave Popcorn
Microwave popcorn is overpriced, bad for health, and contributes to obesity. A good food with a solid nutritional profile is rendered fattening and bad for health by cynical manufacturers who despise their customers.
It is both simple and cheap to pop kernels without oil by using nothing more complicated than heated air.
It is both simple and cheap to pop kernels without oil by using nothing more complicated than heated air.
The Solar Flare
I felt a bit odd last night and into Monday morning. I just had a feeling that conditions were unfavorable. It was almost as though there was too much noise in the background. Perhaps I have a pseudo-scientific explanation at hand. I just read that there was a massive solar flare Sunday night, and the Earth has been and continues to be bombarded with radiation. I wonder whether solar flares cause any psychological effects in human beings. I have a little hunch that solar flares may increase or accentuate the negative, that is to say the unpleasant and anti-social emotions, but it is only a hunch, and nothing I've read in reputable media gives any credence to that opinion. Lacking evidence, I must classify the notion that solar flares effect human psychology as a highly suspect hypothesis. But I think the question merits a bit of research by a graduate student or two. Most of all, I think a survey would be effective, asking a thousand people whether they felt better overall or worse on the day that the Earth is impacted by a solar flare. I felt a bit worse, and I think other people did as well. Some researchers merely analyze crime reports, because it's an easy thing to do. Feeling worse does not necessarily mean that rates of crime or violence will increase. In fact, the opposite may hold true; people may withdraw or isolate themselves when they feel bad, thus reducing rates of crime or violence.
Monday, January 23, 2012
Meth is the Most Difficult Drug
If I take the position that we should legalize drugs, then that means all drugs, even the very worst, such as meth, which is popular among stupid people. My position is that fools will find their poisons. It is pointless to take extraordinary measures (that result in loss of life, money and health) trying to protect a fool from himself. I say that in the case of drugs, let evolution take its course.
Here's a consequence of meth being illegal: burn victims. It would be kinder to let the meth user purchase meth at a meth store than to compel him to play around with volatile chemicals that he little understands.
Meth is the most harmful recreational street drug in existence and requires special sanctions, even if legalized. Meth should be manufactured to 99.9% purity in order to devastate the black market and drive the criminal class out of business. If all meth users know that the State offers the best and cheapest meth, then the drug dealers will be out of business. Meth should be taxed at a rate sufficient to compensate the government for the social costs it creates, and sold to adults at a single location, one per state, in small quantities suitable for seven days of moderate personal use. Those who purchase it should be required to be sterilized, so that they will not produce future generations, undergo testing for STDs, forfeit their drivers' licenses, vehicle registration, government benefits, children and firearms, and their names should be registered and made available to law enforcement. The dedicated meth user would be willing to do all of these things in exchange for a nearly pure, cheap and legal source of product. Those meth users that would not be willing to do these things would comprise a relatively small percentage, because the drug overwhelms the brain's faculty for reason.
This plan would greatly reduce the problems associated with the illegal black market in meth and reduce the number of accidental fires, burnings and overdoses. Fools would continue ruining their lives with meth, but there would be fewer cases of collateral damage against innocent bystanders, children, law enforcement, or the public health system. Fools would enjoy their highs until their deaths with less impact to the community.
An alternative to this plan would be to require prescriptions for the cold medicines that contain pseudoephedrine, because the criminal class lacks the competence to manufacture the key ingredient in meth. I would be in favor of reducing the availability of pseudoephedrine, because that would represent an effective method to eliminate meth from the world. Right now there is not an effective method to eliminate meth from the market. Who is against the ban of pseudoephedrine? Big Pharma. They want to continue making the big money associated with their cold medicines.
Here's a consequence of meth being illegal: burn victims. It would be kinder to let the meth user purchase meth at a meth store than to compel him to play around with volatile chemicals that he little understands.
Meth is the most harmful recreational street drug in existence and requires special sanctions, even if legalized. Meth should be manufactured to 99.9% purity in order to devastate the black market and drive the criminal class out of business. If all meth users know that the State offers the best and cheapest meth, then the drug dealers will be out of business. Meth should be taxed at a rate sufficient to compensate the government for the social costs it creates, and sold to adults at a single location, one per state, in small quantities suitable for seven days of moderate personal use. Those who purchase it should be required to be sterilized, so that they will not produce future generations, undergo testing for STDs, forfeit their drivers' licenses, vehicle registration, government benefits, children and firearms, and their names should be registered and made available to law enforcement. The dedicated meth user would be willing to do all of these things in exchange for a nearly pure, cheap and legal source of product. Those meth users that would not be willing to do these things would comprise a relatively small percentage, because the drug overwhelms the brain's faculty for reason.
This plan would greatly reduce the problems associated with the illegal black market in meth and reduce the number of accidental fires, burnings and overdoses. Fools would continue ruining their lives with meth, but there would be fewer cases of collateral damage against innocent bystanders, children, law enforcement, or the public health system. Fools would enjoy their highs until their deaths with less impact to the community.
An alternative to this plan would be to require prescriptions for the cold medicines that contain pseudoephedrine, because the criminal class lacks the competence to manufacture the key ingredient in meth. I would be in favor of reducing the availability of pseudoephedrine, because that would represent an effective method to eliminate meth from the world. Right now there is not an effective method to eliminate meth from the market. Who is against the ban of pseudoephedrine? Big Pharma. They want to continue making the big money associated with their cold medicines.
Euthanasia
I've always been in favor of the right to die, also known as euthansia or mercy-killing. A recent case illustrates my opinion. I think it is barbaric that doctors are prohibited from easing the suffering of the distressed. One of the reasons that medical costs are so high in Western countries is that our governments foolishly prohibit mercy-killing. Herculean efforts are made to preserve the life of those who would, if given the choice, prefer death. Meanwhile, poor people who want to live die due to lack of basic medical resources.
Iraq Vs. Iran
Bush probably invaded Iraq due to dyslexia. He thought Iraq was Iran. At any rate, wrong country, wrong time.
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Megaupload
I don't have sympathy for the Megaupload tycoon. People that are in the scene to help others are one thing. Hackers understand the concept of friends helping friends, of sharing what one has. It is an old tradition that dates back to the discovery of fire. However, people that profit off the work of others are another scenario altogether. What did Dotcom invent, other than his last name? Dotcom's millions will be better put to the service of the U.S. or N.Z. governments. Dotcom is exactly the type of character that the corporations should have been going after in the first place, years ago, instead of the poor little grandmothers that they were punishing with expensive lawsuits and $3,000 fines for .mp3's that their grandchildren downloaded.
Failure
Many a night, for the past year or two, I've had the same dream. A comprehensive examination is scheduled tomorrow, and I just found out about it and haven't enough time to study. Or a twenty-page essay is due tomorrow, or in a few days, and I don't have enough time to conjure up something reasonable. Or a class that I signed up for has been meeting for months, and I only just remembered that I had signed up for it. I feel a panic and an urgency. Then I recall, as I wake up, that I'm not signed up for any class and have no tests or essays due. What a relief! The dream hasn't any basis in my past, other than a few instances when I was surprised by the syllabus, but in those cases I pulled all-nighters and studied enough to make a passing grade. I did really well in school, and if I had things to do over again, I should have gotten a Ph.D., and then I'd be set for life as a teacher, without the problem of knowledge's obsolescence which has set me back in the computer programming field.
In today's economy, companies don't want to talk to anyone that doesn't have two years' recent experience in the latest and greatest computer languages. They are unwilling to train and do not esteem experience, education or aptitude. There is absolutely no hope at all in the job market.
I may not understand many facets about the world economy or international trade, but I know this much. I am a good computer programmer. I think that if someone like myself can't find employment as a computer programmer, then the U.S. is in deep trouble. This country's day in the Sun is over, and the world is changing into a different sort of place, and I don't know whether Americans are going to like it very much.
In today's economy, companies don't want to talk to anyone that doesn't have two years' recent experience in the latest and greatest computer languages. They are unwilling to train and do not esteem experience, education or aptitude. There is absolutely no hope at all in the job market.
I may not understand many facets about the world economy or international trade, but I know this much. I am a good computer programmer. I think that if someone like myself can't find employment as a computer programmer, then the U.S. is in deep trouble. This country's day in the Sun is over, and the world is changing into a different sort of place, and I don't know whether Americans are going to like it very much.
Bush's Legacy
Bush's legacy is going to be Saddam 2.0.
I hope somebody thinks Iraq was worth a trillion dollars. I don't. Might have been a good idea to create a trillion dollars' worth of jobs here in the U.S.A., instead.
I hope somebody thinks Iraq was worth a trillion dollars. I don't. Might have been a good idea to create a trillion dollars' worth of jobs here in the U.S.A., instead.
Saturday, January 21, 2012
Steve Jobs
It's amusing that the media idolizes Steve Jobs. He is one of the worthless parasites responsible for the high unemployment rate in the U.S.
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Syria
The Syrian regime is really horrible and there are no two ways about that. The stories I read in the media leave me with the impression that Syria is run mafia-style by a bunch of bandits, and Assad is their chieftain. Possibly the Alawites were in ancient history a tribe of bandits. At any rate, they are now. Their relationship with the rest of their neighbors has certainly changed for the worse, and I think they are going to have difficult times in the future no matter what happens to their regime, whether it survives or not.
All that said, I find it difficult to get enthusiastic about intervening in Syria. We already did our usual number in Libya, and I don't see the Libyans clamoring to pay for any of the costs of the intervention. Mercenary armies traditionally have been paid for their services. We get paid nothing. Iraq's gratitude is laughable. How Iraq turns out remains to be seen. I find it difficult to have much hope for Afghanistan either. The trouble is with the people. They are not like us. They are not educated. They are extremely superstitious. They don't share Western-style values. Eventually a strong man always arises among those people. They have not had a republic in a thousand years. Where is their Thomas Jefferson, their James Madison, their George Washington? Once we leave, then they will revert to their old ways in time. That's my prediction. We are regarded as aliens, intruders, foreigners.
Russia supplied more arms to the detested Syrian regime recently. I imagine the Russians rationalize things this way. The whole Middle East, with the exception of Israel and maybe Turkey, is just a bunch of authoritarian regimes. The dust hasn't settled in Egypt and Libya and other countries yet. Torture and executions for spurious reasons are fairly commonplace throughout the Middle East. So if the regime falls in Syria, then Syria may become more efficient. It may become wealthier. But freedom? Civil rights? That's difficult to imagine. What Russia really fears is the Arabs coalescing into a coherent union, like the EU. They like the Syrian regime because it plays ball with them and does favors for them and keeps the Sunni majority in line.
For all the talk in the media about a civil war in Syria, I think the regime is going to endure and survive. It will be a little bit weaker, but it will survive just as the Iranian regime survived the turmoil of 2011. Iran and Syria have far too many ignorant and violent thugs that are in possession of gold and guns. I think that any ethical person in those countries does not really have much hope to lead a productive life, because to do so would be to serve as a tool of an unethical regime, which would be a violation of ethics. Eventually an ethical person would run afoul of the regime. Those two countries, Iran and Syria, will be bastions of violence and ignorance for generations to come.
It is depressing to think of Iran with nuclear bombs. The U.S. is not really in a position economically to begin another war, thanks to Bush's blunders, and all signs point to our steering clear of military conflict. I think what will really happen is that, if Iran hurts anybody with a nuclear weapon, then all life will be annihilated within Iran and possibly their neighbors and all of their allies. It will not be Mutual Assured Destruction, but Assured Destruction at any rate. That is why China and Russia don't care whether Iran gets bombs. Both of those countries already have sufficient deterrent. They assume that the Iranian leadership is not insane. Whether that is a safe assumption remains to be seen.
All that said, I find it difficult to get enthusiastic about intervening in Syria. We already did our usual number in Libya, and I don't see the Libyans clamoring to pay for any of the costs of the intervention. Mercenary armies traditionally have been paid for their services. We get paid nothing. Iraq's gratitude is laughable. How Iraq turns out remains to be seen. I find it difficult to have much hope for Afghanistan either. The trouble is with the people. They are not like us. They are not educated. They are extremely superstitious. They don't share Western-style values. Eventually a strong man always arises among those people. They have not had a republic in a thousand years. Where is their Thomas Jefferson, their James Madison, their George Washington? Once we leave, then they will revert to their old ways in time. That's my prediction. We are regarded as aliens, intruders, foreigners.
Russia supplied more arms to the detested Syrian regime recently. I imagine the Russians rationalize things this way. The whole Middle East, with the exception of Israel and maybe Turkey, is just a bunch of authoritarian regimes. The dust hasn't settled in Egypt and Libya and other countries yet. Torture and executions for spurious reasons are fairly commonplace throughout the Middle East. So if the regime falls in Syria, then Syria may become more efficient. It may become wealthier. But freedom? Civil rights? That's difficult to imagine. What Russia really fears is the Arabs coalescing into a coherent union, like the EU. They like the Syrian regime because it plays ball with them and does favors for them and keeps the Sunni majority in line.
For all the talk in the media about a civil war in Syria, I think the regime is going to endure and survive. It will be a little bit weaker, but it will survive just as the Iranian regime survived the turmoil of 2011. Iran and Syria have far too many ignorant and violent thugs that are in possession of gold and guns. I think that any ethical person in those countries does not really have much hope to lead a productive life, because to do so would be to serve as a tool of an unethical regime, which would be a violation of ethics. Eventually an ethical person would run afoul of the regime. Those two countries, Iran and Syria, will be bastions of violence and ignorance for generations to come.
It is depressing to think of Iran with nuclear bombs. The U.S. is not really in a position economically to begin another war, thanks to Bush's blunders, and all signs point to our steering clear of military conflict. I think what will really happen is that, if Iran hurts anybody with a nuclear weapon, then all life will be annihilated within Iran and possibly their neighbors and all of their allies. It will not be Mutual Assured Destruction, but Assured Destruction at any rate. That is why China and Russia don't care whether Iran gets bombs. Both of those countries already have sufficient deterrent. They assume that the Iranian leadership is not insane. Whether that is a safe assumption remains to be seen.
Monday, January 16, 2012
Old Age
Thanks to modern medicine, our bodies outlast our minds nowadays. Many people, if not most, die long before their physical deaths. They are walking simulacrums of the people that they used to be, with the same name but only the merest fragments of their original identity, their personality distorted and withered until they are almost unrecognizable. Nevertheless, they possess full legal authority and every right to surrender their assets to the evil-doers of the world. That is why evil-doers--telemarketers, salesmen and cultists--keep calling random numbers and knocking on random doors. They know that in some cases, they will descend upon a vulnerable person who is no longer capable of sound reason. And they can fleece such an individual with relative impunity.
Sunday, January 15, 2012
Obama Wins in 2012
Romney will be the G.O.P. nominee? I'll vote for Romney when cows jump over the Moon. Obama will win in 2012 by a landslide.
Another Brainiac CEO
Rich tycoons are just overflowing with brain power. Here's one that blew something around a quarter-billion of welfare for the rich government funds.
Saturday, January 14, 2012
Santorum's Charity
Here's an article about Santorum's so-called "charity" for the poor--or rather, charity for Santorum and his political buddies.
A Year Would Be Better
A day in jail is really too light for a billionaire who takes money from the U.S. government. I think a year in jail would be more to the point. Then the court can review what progress has been made on the agreed-upon project. The court should not be wasting taxpayer money reviewing the billionaire's deeds on a daily basis. One review, once a year, is sufficient. Until then, old Mr. Billionaire should be hanging out with Gen Pop in the county jail. The United States has too many greedy, selfish rich business criminals stealing from the government as it is. They have grown old, fat and lazy from a steady diet of easy money that they do not work for. Rich people have an entitlement mentality. They think money accrues to them because they are better than everybody else. Welfare for the rich needs to end.
The MLK King Monument Misquote
From the Christian Science Monitor:
Personally, I think those two knuckleheads mentioned made an obvious mistake that would have been apparent to a bright fifth-grader. The sculpture itself is ugly. I would not hire Yixin to carve a poodle. I think the entire monument should be scrapped and replaced by another one, this time made by a talented sculptor.
So much of modern art is ugly. I think most modern artists don't even attempt to create beautiful things. The only reason modern artists thrive is that many people just go along with whatever the marketplace says or whatever their friends say or whatever they suppose is interesting; they ignore their native aesthetic sense of beauty. Future civilizations will not be interested in much of the "art" produced today.
"What appears to have happened is Lei Yixin, the Chinese master sculptor commissioned to create the monument, and the monument's American inscription carver, Nick Benson, had an aesthetic problem they wanted to solve by shortening the quote. The change was made after the official plans of the monument were unveiled, meaning that the Interior Department and other supervisory committees had no input."
Personally, I think those two knuckleheads mentioned made an obvious mistake that would have been apparent to a bright fifth-grader. The sculpture itself is ugly. I would not hire Yixin to carve a poodle. I think the entire monument should be scrapped and replaced by another one, this time made by a talented sculptor.
So much of modern art is ugly. I think most modern artists don't even attempt to create beautiful things. The only reason modern artists thrive is that many people just go along with whatever the marketplace says or whatever their friends say or whatever they suppose is interesting; they ignore their native aesthetic sense of beauty. Future civilizations will not be interested in much of the "art" produced today.
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Why I Didn't Buy a Kodak this Year
I'm not surprised Kodak filed for bankruptcy. Kodak has for a long time been run by idiots. The executives are mentally retarded. If the executives were ejected, and the company run by workers, then Kodak would become the dominant brand in the marketplace. Instead, Kodak was run by greedy, stupid morons who did everything in their power to destroy the Kodak brand.
Kodak Easyshare is a case in point. That bit of software was absolutely required to download photos from Kodak cameras. Other cameras do not have this peculiar limitation; you can simply download via Windows or any third-party program. Not so with Kodak. Kodak requires a memory-resident program to be alive in your computer AT ALL TIMES, sucking up resources and doing who knows what. Sometimes it even caused my computer to crash. Its features were junk. It was little better than a glorified Windows Explorer. Basically it just sat around reducing my computer's memory and taxing my patience.
Why did Kodak require Easyshare software? Simple. They wanted to sell a bunch of useless unwanted crap on their online site. Easyshare pesters the user with all kinds of unwanted offers, because the Kodak CEO has the mindset of a mafia boss. It was a slap in the face for trusting what I thought was a reputable American brand.
Needless to say, when the time came around to replace my Kodak, I did not even consider buying another Kodak, no, not at any price, even though Kodaks are selling for dirt cheap nowadays because everyone now realizes Kodak is a synonym for crap. I will never buy a Kodak again in my lifetime. Millions of other former Kodak customers had a similar experience and feel the same way. Hence, Kodak filed for bankruptcy.
Kodak Easyshare is a case in point. That bit of software was absolutely required to download photos from Kodak cameras. Other cameras do not have this peculiar limitation; you can simply download via Windows or any third-party program. Not so with Kodak. Kodak requires a memory-resident program to be alive in your computer AT ALL TIMES, sucking up resources and doing who knows what. Sometimes it even caused my computer to crash. Its features were junk. It was little better than a glorified Windows Explorer. Basically it just sat around reducing my computer's memory and taxing my patience.
Why did Kodak require Easyshare software? Simple. They wanted to sell a bunch of useless unwanted crap on their online site. Easyshare pesters the user with all kinds of unwanted offers, because the Kodak CEO has the mindset of a mafia boss. It was a slap in the face for trusting what I thought was a reputable American brand.
Needless to say, when the time came around to replace my Kodak, I did not even consider buying another Kodak, no, not at any price, even though Kodaks are selling for dirt cheap nowadays because everyone now realizes Kodak is a synonym for crap. I will never buy a Kodak again in my lifetime. Millions of other former Kodak customers had a similar experience and feel the same way. Hence, Kodak filed for bankruptcy.
Alawites
Regarding Syria, it seems to me that the Alawites are in the midst of a public relations disaster. They are committing medieval acts of barbarism in the modern era. But that is par for the course for the Middle East. Iran's a barbarous nation, and the same could be said for Saudi Arabia. But the problem for the Alawites is that there aren't many of them, but there are many Sunnis around the Middle East. The Alawites really have wagered everything on the regime in Syria. If it falls, I really doubt there will be any forgiveness or mercy for the Alawites. Sectarian tension is likely to persist for a very long time.
Smoking Pot Vs. Smoking Cigarettes
What pot smokers have known forever, scientists are discovering through experiment. Pot is not nearly as harmful as either tobacco or alcohol. The fact that it is illegal all over the world is a clear indication of the stupidity and insanity of world leaders and their disconnect from reality.
Obama is one example of an over-educated fool who does not understand science.
Obama is one example of an over-educated fool who does not understand science.
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Hunstman > Paul
This article says it all.
Ron Paul is 76 years old, fer Chrissakes. I can understand why his handlers are protective. He's probably in better shape than the average 76 year-old, but he's still 76. That's a pretty big reason to support Huntsman over Paul.
Ron Paul is 76 years old, fer Chrissakes. I can understand why his handlers are protective. He's probably in better shape than the average 76 year-old, but he's still 76. That's a pretty big reason to support Huntsman over Paul.
The Executive
I believe it is wise to let the Executive remain the final authority. By that I mean not allowing emotions to run away, not giving in to fancies, fictions and false aspirations. There comes a time when one must think in cold blood and in truth, one should be doing it all the time. In cold blood, one realizes what is important--loved ones, society, living creatures, self. In cold blood, one determines whether it is prudent to maintain or initiate contact with other individuals.
People get into trouble when they allow their desires and aspirations to dictate decisions. Cold blood is required to perceive the world as it is. Some find this too cold. They are mistaken, and their mistake will lead to other mistakes.
---
Building a splendid life is an engineering problem. It requires patience, thought and care. There is less luck involved than one might suppose. Life demands discarding what is bad and retaining what is good.
---
Sometimes the kindest thing that one can do for another person is to leave them alone entirely. There is the question of compatibility, after all. Not many people are really compatible. They may have different theories about the world, different personalities, different values.
I had an old friend of over twenty years' acquaintance, but I perceive that inside, all his affection and admiration has withered, and what is left is resentment and contempt. One must cut one's losses. Of course, it is a pity to do so. But it would be foolish to believe that the corpse of a dead friendship can claw its way out of the grave. It cannot. The friendship is over and done with, and what is left is the corpse of a friendship, not very becoming and beginning to smell bad. Being in the presence of the corpse only fills me with sorrow for what had been or what could have been. The Executive alone understands that this is a small thing and that it will pass and that it was inevitable, all things considered. I have experienced similar scenes often enough before. The final act has already passed, and we are even past the epilogue. I could have predicted everything. Sometimes I think it matters, but other times, I don't. I believe that in time, I will forget, and I am determined to do so.
May the river of forgetfulness run over me and erase all thoughts of the past that seems so inferior to the present.
People get into trouble when they allow their desires and aspirations to dictate decisions. Cold blood is required to perceive the world as it is. Some find this too cold. They are mistaken, and their mistake will lead to other mistakes.
---
Building a splendid life is an engineering problem. It requires patience, thought and care. There is less luck involved than one might suppose. Life demands discarding what is bad and retaining what is good.
---
Sometimes the kindest thing that one can do for another person is to leave them alone entirely. There is the question of compatibility, after all. Not many people are really compatible. They may have different theories about the world, different personalities, different values.
I had an old friend of over twenty years' acquaintance, but I perceive that inside, all his affection and admiration has withered, and what is left is resentment and contempt. One must cut one's losses. Of course, it is a pity to do so. But it would be foolish to believe that the corpse of a dead friendship can claw its way out of the grave. It cannot. The friendship is over and done with, and what is left is the corpse of a friendship, not very becoming and beginning to smell bad. Being in the presence of the corpse only fills me with sorrow for what had been or what could have been. The Executive alone understands that this is a small thing and that it will pass and that it was inevitable, all things considered. I have experienced similar scenes often enough before. The final act has already passed, and we are even past the epilogue. I could have predicted everything. Sometimes I think it matters, but other times, I don't. I believe that in time, I will forget, and I am determined to do so.
May the river of forgetfulness run over me and erase all thoughts of the past that seems so inferior to the present.
Monday, January 9, 2012
Haley Barbour's SS
There's a Republican who might be building an SS. Looks like some recruits were made the other day. Wonder what secret tasks they are going to be made to do?
Yoga is for Idiots
I hurt my back once before trying some stupid yoga positions and vowed never to do it again. I've been of the opinion that yoga is a bad idea for the vast majority of people, and now there's an article in the New York Times that concurs with my belief. Yoga has just as much basis as astrology and is popular for the same reason, because people want to believe.
If everybody believes something, then that is the clearest possible indication that it ain't so.
If everybody believes something, then that is the clearest possible indication that it ain't so.
Our Heroine
Gabby Giffords is a real American heroine.
Nobody can write off politicians when there is one that is so true to the American ideal as she is. She sacrificed a great deal in service to this country.
Nobody can write off politicians when there is one that is so true to the American ideal as she is. She sacrificed a great deal in service to this country.
Sunday, January 8, 2012
Republicans on Marijuana
Here's a good look at the Republican candidates' positions on marijuana.
G'rinch wants to butcher pot dealers, which is in keeping with his general policy to kill off Americans in war or otherwise. He loved the Viet Nam war while doing everything in his power to avoid getting sent over there (that's why he's "Doctor G'rinch.") Viet Nam was great because 50,000 Americans died. G'rinch loved it! More! More!
Santorum wants to cut humanitarian aid to foreign nations and redirect it to bullets, bombs and chemical pollutants to kill off foreigners that might be growing things he doesn't like. Why save people, after all, when you can murder them? Santorum is all about the killing. The more people dead, the better in his book, because it serves "Satanorum."
Romney would put the terminally ill in prison for pot, moralizing to them about how they should be swigging legal whiskey like John Wayne instead of using bad, bad pot.
Basically all the Republican candidates are hypocritical, bloodthirsty Neanderthal meatheads with the exceptions of Ron Paul and Jon Huntsman, just as I expected.
G'rinch wants to butcher pot dealers, which is in keeping with his general policy to kill off Americans in war or otherwise. He loved the Viet Nam war while doing everything in his power to avoid getting sent over there (that's why he's "Doctor G'rinch.") Viet Nam was great because 50,000 Americans died. G'rinch loved it! More! More!
Santorum wants to cut humanitarian aid to foreign nations and redirect it to bullets, bombs and chemical pollutants to kill off foreigners that might be growing things he doesn't like. Why save people, after all, when you can murder them? Santorum is all about the killing. The more people dead, the better in his book, because it serves "Satanorum."
Romney would put the terminally ill in prison for pot, moralizing to them about how they should be swigging legal whiskey like John Wayne instead of using bad, bad pot.
Basically all the Republican candidates are hypocritical, bloodthirsty Neanderthal meatheads with the exceptions of Ron Paul and Jon Huntsman, just as I expected.
Newt Gingrich & Viet Nam
During the Viet Nam War, where was Newt Gingrich?
Safe at home.
Boc - Boc - Boc - Baccaw!
He's the guy that wants to send our troops all over the world fighting wars. As long as other people die, war is okay in his book.
Safe at home.
Boc - Boc - Boc - Baccaw!
He's the guy that wants to send our troops all over the world fighting wars. As long as other people die, war is okay in his book.
Saturday, January 7, 2012
Ron Paul and the Racist Video
It is unfortunate that a racist video surfaced from a Ron Paul supporter. Unfortunate because, as Cindy McCain hinted, Ron Paul does have somewhat of a history in regard to unpleasant and uncivilized rhetoric. Yes, the newsletters.
I'm opposed to videos. I hate the way videos are replacing the written word. Videos are stupid. But racist videos are even stupider than regular videos.
Definitely a candidate's children should be off-limits in any kind of campaign, unless the children insert themselves into the public eye. I'm not sure how I feel about Americans skipping American orphans and going overseas to import foreign kids. It does smack of anti-Americanism. Probably they are doing it in order to get dibs on the healthiest and youngest and most attractive kids they can get. But there are a lot of older orphans that could benefit from adoption. What about them? However I feel about this issue, it seems mean-spirited to bring it up during a political campaign.
Ironically, the video reminds me of my chief reservation regarding Ron Paul. I'm afraid he is a mean-spirited crank. I hate to say it because I'm disposed in his favor based on some of his positions on the issues. However, it seems like he's opposed to the rights of the individual, but in favor of the rights of big business. That's his brand of Libertarianism. He's against abortion rights, against gay marriage, and on the campaign trail, he never says anything about the drug war, whether he wants to end the DEA or not. The only thing I like about Ron Paul is that he has enough common sense not to want to meddle in the affairs of other countries. For this economy, especially, that is a wise policy. I say let the other countries start chipping in for their own defense. We don't need to be policeman of the world unless the world starts paying the policeman a salary. How many cops work for free? We do, and that's just stupid.
I like Ron Paul in Congress very much, but I'm not so sure about him in the Executive role. I'd much prefer Jon Huntsman, who is in favor of civil unions for gays and who seems to be a modern man in many ways, not a Neanderthal like the G'rinch.
I'm opposed to videos. I hate the way videos are replacing the written word. Videos are stupid. But racist videos are even stupider than regular videos.
Definitely a candidate's children should be off-limits in any kind of campaign, unless the children insert themselves into the public eye. I'm not sure how I feel about Americans skipping American orphans and going overseas to import foreign kids. It does smack of anti-Americanism. Probably they are doing it in order to get dibs on the healthiest and youngest and most attractive kids they can get. But there are a lot of older orphans that could benefit from adoption. What about them? However I feel about this issue, it seems mean-spirited to bring it up during a political campaign.
Ironically, the video reminds me of my chief reservation regarding Ron Paul. I'm afraid he is a mean-spirited crank. I hate to say it because I'm disposed in his favor based on some of his positions on the issues. However, it seems like he's opposed to the rights of the individual, but in favor of the rights of big business. That's his brand of Libertarianism. He's against abortion rights, against gay marriage, and on the campaign trail, he never says anything about the drug war, whether he wants to end the DEA or not. The only thing I like about Ron Paul is that he has enough common sense not to want to meddle in the affairs of other countries. For this economy, especially, that is a wise policy. I say let the other countries start chipping in for their own defense. We don't need to be policeman of the world unless the world starts paying the policeman a salary. How many cops work for free? We do, and that's just stupid.
I like Ron Paul in Congress very much, but I'm not so sure about him in the Executive role. I'd much prefer Jon Huntsman, who is in favor of civil unions for gays and who seems to be a modern man in many ways, not a Neanderthal like the G'rinch.
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Iowa
Iowa was an I.Q. test for the Republican party. They performed about as I expected. My opinion of Republican intelligence remains unchanged.
Self
So the latest Republican blowhard, Santorum, says liberals worship Self.
Translation: Santorum worships Self. Looks like Santorum took care of him Self.
Whenever a right-winger talks about "the opposition," inevitably he is exposing his own beliefs.
Santorum cares about nothing in this world save personal power. He is without ethics and does not understand the difference between right and wrong. His religious beliefs are a convenient cloak disguising his utter lack of any type of ethical compass. It is interesting how similar his name is to that of his actual Deity. He is an ugly, stupid, and vile piece of work, interested only in self-enrichment and personal power.
Google is correct in regard to the definition of Santorum.
Translation: Santorum worships Self. Looks like Santorum took care of him Self.
Whenever a right-winger talks about "the opposition," inevitably he is exposing his own beliefs.
Santorum cares about nothing in this world save personal power. He is without ethics and does not understand the difference between right and wrong. His religious beliefs are a convenient cloak disguising his utter lack of any type of ethical compass. It is interesting how similar his name is to that of his actual Deity. He is an ugly, stupid, and vile piece of work, interested only in self-enrichment and personal power.
Google is correct in regard to the definition of Santorum.
A Believer
The similarity between Iran's fundamentalists and our homegrown fundamentalists is striking:
Iran has put on a brave face. Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi said on Thursday Iran would "weather the storm".
"Iran, with divine assistance, has always been ready to counter such hostile actions and we are not concerned at all about the sanctions," he told a news conference.
Divine assistance, huh?
The main difference with the Iranian believers is they tend to be crazier on the whole.
Iran has put on a brave face. Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi said on Thursday Iran would "weather the storm".
"Iran, with divine assistance, has always been ready to counter such hostile actions and we are not concerned at all about the sanctions," he told a news conference.
Divine assistance, huh?
The main difference with the Iranian believers is they tend to be crazier on the whole.
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Poetic Irony
I love this story. What's not to like? Black church becomes legal owner of KKK store.
That would be like PFLAG becoming legal owner of Michele Bachmann's husband's psychotherapy practice.
That would be like PFLAG becoming legal owner of Michele Bachmann's husband's psychotherapy practice.
Sunday, January 1, 2012
In America
In America, the corrupt and evil become powerful. Those that work hard, do what's right and represent what's best in America are shot, usually in the head. That is the conclusion that anyone would gather from following American history and American politics. Evil-doers are plentiful, prosperous, and entrenched in power, and they always have a love for guns and believe that, through guns, they will control what goes on in America. That is why the right-wingers, the Republicans and the social conservatives place guns before people whenever they can. People are expendable. People are difficult to understand. Guns are easy to understand. Bullets are cheap. That is why the right-wingers love guns and bullets. It is the only thing in this world that they truly understand backwards and forwards. Human beings remain a mystery. The world remains a mystery. Philosophy might as well be Egyptian hieroglyphics. But guns and bullets, oh my. Easy.
If all the liberals could escape the world for just a generation... in the meantime, while they are gone, there would be a blood bath on Earth. The right-wingers would turn on each other and there would be killing like no one has ever seen before. Liberals are the brakes. Without liberals, the killing starts, and once it starts, it snowballs.
But it would be a good thing if liberals could take a vacation from the Earth for just a single generation. By the time they returned to Earth after twenty or thirty years, the world population would be in the hundreds, rather than the billions.
There is really something wrong with a person who loves guns more than people. Gunslingers are stupid, stupid animals. This news article illustrates my point. One of my pet ambitions from long ago was to become a park ranger. Intelligent people all over the world are trying to live a decent life, and there are animals out there determined to cause misery and mayhem. I guess I can understand why some people choose to become cops, to try and rectify the situation of the world and clean up some of the detritus.
If all the liberals could escape the world for just a generation... in the meantime, while they are gone, there would be a blood bath on Earth. The right-wingers would turn on each other and there would be killing like no one has ever seen before. Liberals are the brakes. Without liberals, the killing starts, and once it starts, it snowballs.
But it would be a good thing if liberals could take a vacation from the Earth for just a single generation. By the time they returned to Earth after twenty or thirty years, the world population would be in the hundreds, rather than the billions.
There is really something wrong with a person who loves guns more than people. Gunslingers are stupid, stupid animals. This news article illustrates my point. One of my pet ambitions from long ago was to become a park ranger. Intelligent people all over the world are trying to live a decent life, and there are animals out there determined to cause misery and mayhem. I guess I can understand why some people choose to become cops, to try and rectify the situation of the world and clean up some of the detritus.
Thursday, December 29, 2011
Ron Paul May Be the Only One
Ron Paul and Jon Huntsman are the only Republican candidates that can plausibly defeat Obama in 2012.
Personally I'm willing to overlook the incendiary newsletters of the past and a great deal else in return for the magical words "reduce our overseas commitments."
The U.S. should not be giving billions in free money to countries like Pakistan. That we do means our leaders are morons.
Personally I'm willing to overlook the incendiary newsletters of the past and a great deal else in return for the magical words "reduce our overseas commitments."
The U.S. should not be giving billions in free money to countries like Pakistan. That we do means our leaders are morons.
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
The Lesson of Iran
Iran's a key exhibit in my position against foreign intervention, also know by the crasser term, meddling. Iran would not be the freakazoid it is today if we hadn't gone in there and posed as buddy-buddy to the detested Shah. I'm afraid that was the old (30+ years') premise upon which a good portion of the current regime's hostility is based. The regime that replaced the Shah began with the assumption that the U.S. was the enemy, even though most Americans had never even heard of Iran nor could locate it on a map prior to the 1979 hostage crisis.
Left to their own devices, it is unlikely Iranians would care much about America, other than wanting to buy our products and travel to our country as tourists. Iran had little or no contact with the United States until relatively recently, possibly around WW2. Unfortunately, the dead hand of the past has dominion over the leaders of Iran, who can't seem to envision the mutual benefits that cooperation on various matters of contention would bring. It is very peculiar for Iran to blame the U.S., which is such a good oil customer, for so many things, many of which seem to have little basis in reality. Of course, no country is perfect but the U.S. probably behaves about as decently as any other country around the world, with the possible exception of those oddly pacifist nations in Northern Europe.
Left to their own devices, it is unlikely Iranians would care much about America, other than wanting to buy our products and travel to our country as tourists. Iran had little or no contact with the United States until relatively recently, possibly around WW2. Unfortunately, the dead hand of the past has dominion over the leaders of Iran, who can't seem to envision the mutual benefits that cooperation on various matters of contention would bring. It is very peculiar for Iran to blame the U.S., which is such a good oil customer, for so many things, many of which seem to have little basis in reality. Of course, no country is perfect but the U.S. probably behaves about as decently as any other country around the world, with the possible exception of those oddly pacifist nations in Northern Europe.
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
By the Skin of My Teeth
I lost some material in this opening, a hybrid Marshall Defense, but it proved to be an extravagant gambit resulting in early victory. My best move was b5, on move 14, sacrificing a pawn in exchange for a devastating attack. Once I know my opponent is a pawn-grabber, then I will gladly feed them pawns. The object of chess is not to gather pawns, but to gather a King.
[White "anon"]
[Black "igor"]
[Result "0-1"]
[TimeControl "120+12"]
1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 d5 3. c4 Bf5 4. Nc3 e6 5. Bg5 Bb4 6. Qa4+ Nc6 7. Ne5 Bxc3+ 8. bxc3 O-O 9. Bxf6 Qxf6 10. Nd7 Qg6 11. Nxf8 Kxf8 12. Qa3+ Kg8 13. cxd5 exd5 14. O-O-O b5 15. Qc5 Rb8 16. a3 Na5 17. Qxd5 Bb1 18. Rd2 Nc4 19. Rb2 Nxb2 20. Kxb2 Qc2+ 21. Ka1 Qxc3+ 22. Kxb1 b4 23. e3 bxa3+ 24. Ka2 Qb2# 0-1
[White "anon"]
[Black "igor"]
[Result "0-1"]
[TimeControl "120+12"]
1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 d5 3. c4 Bf5 4. Nc3 e6 5. Bg5 Bb4 6. Qa4+ Nc6 7. Ne5 Bxc3+ 8. bxc3 O-O 9. Bxf6 Qxf6 10. Nd7 Qg6 11. Nxf8 Kxf8 12. Qa3+ Kg8 13. cxd5 exd5 14. O-O-O b5 15. Qc5 Rb8 16. a3 Na5 17. Qxd5 Bb1 18. Rd2 Nc4 19. Rb2 Nxb2 20. Kxb2 Qc2+ 21. Ka1 Qxc3+ 22. Kxb1 b4 23. e3 bxa3+ 24. Ka2 Qb2# 0-1
Credit Card Companies
Credit card companies should be fined thousands of dollars every time they send an unsolicited credit card offer through the mail or via telephone or email. Their CEO's are unethical criminals, all of whom deserve to be shot. Their entire lives are dedicated to causing and then profiting from the financial harm and ruin of middle and lower-class Americans.
Monday, December 26, 2011
What Does OKIDATA Mean?
I discovered what OKIDATA means. The English translation is: "Service Call, Fatal Error."
Saturday, December 24, 2011
Doctors
Doctors, and in particular surgeons, are sometimes truly amazing people, to be able to open up a living human body and fix what's broken. If I had my life to do over again, I'd have applied myself to the study of medicine, no question about it. There can be no greater purpose than saving lives. Of course, it may seem like doctors are overpaid, but they should be paid at least as much as the typical CEO, because unlike CEO's, doctors actually perform useful work. The fortunes of the average corporation would improve greatly without the useless bloat at the top. Most CEO's do not know their hind end from their head.
Friday, December 23, 2011
Aid to North Korea
I can't believe the U.S. sends food aid to North Korea. That country should be paying us tribute. Not a dime of taxpayer money should go to NK or any other fascist country. I shouldn't have to be blogging about this--it's ridiculous that our government even considers doing such stupid things. I've read the government confiscates the food and sells it at full price to those who can already afford it in the marketplace.
And good riddance to that idiotic buffoon, Kim Jong-Il, a worthless bag of gas if there ever was one. I hope his ugly, spoiled, frowny-faced son follows him to the grave as soon as possible. If only there were a coup by truly patriotic North Koreans!
And good riddance to that idiotic buffoon, Kim Jong-Il, a worthless bag of gas if there ever was one. I hope his ugly, spoiled, frowny-faced son follows him to the grave as soon as possible. If only there were a coup by truly patriotic North Koreans!
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Ron Paul & the Newsletters
I'd be willing to buy that Ron Paul didn't write the incendiary passages in those newsletters of his, but ultimately, such foolishness reflects poorly upon the management skills of a leader. His name was, after all, on those newsletters. One would have hoped he would have done a competent job at overseeing their content. At the very least, he should have read and approved each and every article. That is what is implied by having one's name in the title--approval. So there are two possible conclusions for our dear Republican presidential candidate. Either he was negligent in a manner some might label gross, or he indeed wrote the articles himself or approved them after having read them. Either way, it's a bad lemon for the campaign.
Seems like most of the candidates were doomed from the get-go. Once they go double-digit in the polls, the powers-behind-the-throne unlock a skeleton from the closet and parade it in the media. The candidates don't really know how to handle a media firestorm, and maybe there is no way to handle it.
I still think Ron Paul is better than many of the other candidates, however. I really like his non-interventionist foreign policy. His views on the economy have relevance. Although many of his detractors claim that he has radical views, in reality it is they who have the radical views, while his are more consistent with the mainstream. Ron Paul is often the only one talking in the whole debates that makes a lick of sense. The others are history, language and thinking -challenged. They smile and shake their heads, as if they are hearing a fantasy, when Ron Paul says quite obvious things that are true. The others tend to march in lockstep with their party's social conservatives. It is clear that they have been told what they are to say, how they are supposed to feel, how they must think. On the other hand, Ron Paul has decided for himself how he will speak, how he will feel, what he will think. That is both original and refreshing. One is willing to forgive quite a bit of such a leader.
Conservative Jews are all in a lather against Ron Paul (see the WSJ for a completely rabid over-the-top attack on Ron Paul as "home-grown propagandist for our chief enemies" by Lyinbitchowitz), for one reason, because he might cut aid to Israel. Siphoning funds from our bank accounts on behalf of Tel Aviv has been a long-time favorite of some of the Jews in America, and they pretty much compel every Presidential candidate to swear fealty to the cause of Israel no matter what the cost to the U.S.
I support Ron Paul because of the enemies he makes. If the powers-that-be like the owners of the WSJ are against Ron Paul, then he might be good, because WSJ is a newspaper that prints lies with regularity and is in part responsible for the financial crisis and the financial meltdown. Why didn't the WSJ raise any alarm about the conditions prior to the financial meltdown? Why did the WSJ snooze through the first ten years of this century? I think the WSJ is a chief enemy of the United States, not Ron Paul. The WSJ represents everything that is wrong in this country and the people who create financial problems for the United States.
The one thing I dislike about Ron Paul is that he is big on freedom when it comes to big business, but he's not so keen when it comes to personal freedoms like abortion. If I were a woman, I'd want the right to abort.
Seems like most of the candidates were doomed from the get-go. Once they go double-digit in the polls, the powers-behind-the-throne unlock a skeleton from the closet and parade it in the media. The candidates don't really know how to handle a media firestorm, and maybe there is no way to handle it.
I still think Ron Paul is better than many of the other candidates, however. I really like his non-interventionist foreign policy. His views on the economy have relevance. Although many of his detractors claim that he has radical views, in reality it is they who have the radical views, while his are more consistent with the mainstream. Ron Paul is often the only one talking in the whole debates that makes a lick of sense. The others are history, language and thinking -challenged. They smile and shake their heads, as if they are hearing a fantasy, when Ron Paul says quite obvious things that are true. The others tend to march in lockstep with their party's social conservatives. It is clear that they have been told what they are to say, how they are supposed to feel, how they must think. On the other hand, Ron Paul has decided for himself how he will speak, how he will feel, what he will think. That is both original and refreshing. One is willing to forgive quite a bit of such a leader.
Conservative Jews are all in a lather against Ron Paul (see the WSJ for a completely rabid over-the-top attack on Ron Paul as "home-grown propagandist for our chief enemies" by Lyinbitchowitz), for one reason, because he might cut aid to Israel. Siphoning funds from our bank accounts on behalf of Tel Aviv has been a long-time favorite of some of the Jews in America, and they pretty much compel every Presidential candidate to swear fealty to the cause of Israel no matter what the cost to the U.S.
I support Ron Paul because of the enemies he makes. If the powers-that-be like the owners of the WSJ are against Ron Paul, then he might be good, because WSJ is a newspaper that prints lies with regularity and is in part responsible for the financial crisis and the financial meltdown. Why didn't the WSJ raise any alarm about the conditions prior to the financial meltdown? Why did the WSJ snooze through the first ten years of this century? I think the WSJ is a chief enemy of the United States, not Ron Paul. The WSJ represents everything that is wrong in this country and the people who create financial problems for the United States.
The one thing I dislike about Ron Paul is that he is big on freedom when it comes to big business, but he's not so keen when it comes to personal freedoms like abortion. If I were a woman, I'd want the right to abort.
Sunday, December 18, 2011
Funny?
Is it bad to think this story is funny? I don't know.
Poster boy of transgender servicemen, Bradley Manning is not. I imagine a thousand mascaraed lashes rolling Heavenward.
Poster boy of transgender servicemen, Bradley Manning is not. I imagine a thousand mascaraed lashes rolling Heavenward.
Friday, December 16, 2011
Oil Changes
Finally, the world is waking up to the fact that cars don't need oil changes every 3,000 miles.
For decades, I read that cars need an oil change every 3,500 miles, and each time, I thought to myself, "What a great lie those oil companies are spinning--how profitable!" And think of all the Jiffy Lube's that benefited from the pile of horse crap.
How'd I know? I read the manual for my 1982 Honda Civic. It said change the oil every 7,500 miles. The manufacturer would not have put that information in the manual if he thought it would make his product less reliable. So I always changed my oil after a year or two or 7,500 miles, whichever came first. In cases where the engine is old and burns oil or where the oil turns pitch black, I change sooner.
Apparently, high oil prices are the reason for the increased publicity counteracting the marvelous profit-making lie that extracted $20-$50 every 3,000 miles from legions of gullible car owners.
For decades, I read that cars need an oil change every 3,500 miles, and each time, I thought to myself, "What a great lie those oil companies are spinning--how profitable!" And think of all the Jiffy Lube's that benefited from the pile of horse crap.
How'd I know? I read the manual for my 1982 Honda Civic. It said change the oil every 7,500 miles. The manufacturer would not have put that information in the manual if he thought it would make his product less reliable. So I always changed my oil after a year or two or 7,500 miles, whichever came first. In cases where the engine is old and burns oil or where the oil turns pitch black, I change sooner.
Apparently, high oil prices are the reason for the increased publicity counteracting the marvelous profit-making lie that extracted $20-$50 every 3,000 miles from legions of gullible car owners.
Curbing Animal Research
I applaud these efforts to curb animal research in laboratories. Especially in cases where the only thing at stake is mere profit, animals should not be considered for painful or harmful laboratory experiments. Where human lives are at stake, then animal research may be alright, if necessary in order to proceed with discovery. I think a judge should be the arbitrator, a judge armed with a law that expresses a general philosophy with guidelines rather than a thousand-page law of specific rules for every conceivable case (inevitably there will be cases that would fall outside any such law).
Gingrich
There is no reason to take anything Gingrich says seriously. His intelligence and all of his feelings have to do with power and nothing else. Wives come and go, friends come and go, allies come and go, but what remains is the overwhelming desire for easy money, influence and most of all, power. He's about as intelligent as I am without my ethics. I look at him and I see me without morals. I've seen him on the Daily Show. He's willing to lie repeatedly and mislead in order to further his ends. Truth means nothing to him. All he is concerned about is sounding plausible and misleading just enough people to stay in the game of politics, where he intends to make money and be a powerful croaking frog.
He definitely has the will to power, but what good is it? I don't know that he ever considered for an instant what he will leave behind. I suppose that when human beings are viewed as nothing more than convenient means to selfish ends, then for him the sole goal is ego gratification and nothing else. That makes Gingrich an exceptionally boring individual. I do not think he will be remembered in quite the manner that he would prefer. I look at his photo and I see a sugar cookie with two rancid raisins for eyes.
He definitely has the will to power, but what good is it? I don't know that he ever considered for an instant what he will leave behind. I suppose that when human beings are viewed as nothing more than convenient means to selfish ends, then for him the sole goal is ego gratification and nothing else. That makes Gingrich an exceptionally boring individual. I do not think he will be remembered in quite the manner that he would prefer. I look at his photo and I see a sugar cookie with two rancid raisins for eyes.
Thursday, December 15, 2011
Romantic Love as Sold by the Music Industry
I think that in every case of romantic love in my life, where I fell in love with a person, it was, at least in part, inculcated, instigated and nurtured by many Rock-n-Roll, Country, or even Folk songs that I listened to over and over again until I had memorized the plot and meaning of the lyrics and the music.
Rock-n-Roll songs often deal with observations about romantic love. These dramatic works do not admit to shades of gray or the complexity and fluidity of human emotions and allegiances, but deal with simple, stupid and unrealistic absolutes. Music industry songs are the disembodied fantasies of calculating business people intent upon selling their products, which are highly desirable fantasies that replace a tepid reality in the user, who is motivated to replace his reality. The songs have little or no relation to the reality experienced by the billions, and therein lies their danger. Because they are nice to listen to and sweet honey to the receptive mind, they can influence people to make uncharacteristically stupid decisions and to be very gullible. In that way, Rock-n-Roll can serve the same function as a drug and even be more dangerous than a drug.
Rock-n-Roll songs often deal with observations about romantic love. These dramatic works do not admit to shades of gray or the complexity and fluidity of human emotions and allegiances, but deal with simple, stupid and unrealistic absolutes. Music industry songs are the disembodied fantasies of calculating business people intent upon selling their products, which are highly desirable fantasies that replace a tepid reality in the user, who is motivated to replace his reality. The songs have little or no relation to the reality experienced by the billions, and therein lies their danger. Because they are nice to listen to and sweet honey to the receptive mind, they can influence people to make uncharacteristically stupid decisions and to be very gullible. In that way, Rock-n-Roll can serve the same function as a drug and even be more dangerous than a drug.
Groups
The story of how Iran cracked our drone's security is appalling.
I don't consider myself an expert on security-related matters, but I certainly would never have approved such a system that is in place in our Sentinel drones. The vulnerability is obvious. In fact not very much intelligence is required at all to see the weakness in the system. I can only conclude that the top brass in our military may be swift on military tactics, but apparently is in the dark about other matters, for instance relating to computers and engineering. In other words, they are narrow geeks with limited vision. I suspect the military is being just as mismanaged as our financial corporations have proven to be. There seems to be a rot in the system, or maybe there always was.
Perhaps all nations and all ages suffer from pure negligence. It is easy for a man to sort his own affairs. It is when men get together and form a group that individual intelligence ceases to apply. The perfect dictatorship of an intelligent mind, esteemed by Plato, is replaced by the cacophony of voices, some informed, some not; some wise, some not. And who is to sort through all the voices? Sometimes the loudest voice prevails, but loudness is not akin to correctness.
Groups are too recent an innovation in our evolution and maybe that is why we have not perfected them yet. It is difficult to identify a single group of more than a hundred members that operates with efficiency and enlightenment.
I don't consider myself an expert on security-related matters, but I certainly would never have approved such a system that is in place in our Sentinel drones. The vulnerability is obvious. In fact not very much intelligence is required at all to see the weakness in the system. I can only conclude that the top brass in our military may be swift on military tactics, but apparently is in the dark about other matters, for instance relating to computers and engineering. In other words, they are narrow geeks with limited vision. I suspect the military is being just as mismanaged as our financial corporations have proven to be. There seems to be a rot in the system, or maybe there always was.
Perhaps all nations and all ages suffer from pure negligence. It is easy for a man to sort his own affairs. It is when men get together and form a group that individual intelligence ceases to apply. The perfect dictatorship of an intelligent mind, esteemed by Plato, is replaced by the cacophony of voices, some informed, some not; some wise, some not. And who is to sort through all the voices? Sometimes the loudest voice prevails, but loudness is not akin to correctness.
Groups are too recent an innovation in our evolution and maybe that is why we have not perfected them yet. It is difficult to identify a single group of more than a hundred members that operates with efficiency and enlightenment.
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Listening
The older I get, the more I prize congenial relations with others. I'm less eager to look for slights and quicker to empathize with other people. I find that I've learned valuable ways of promoting good will and that I prize these skills much more than my other skills, certainly more than my technical skills. I have learned that by expecting, bringing notice to, and rewarding good behavior in others, one encourages its recurrence. It is good to be liked and respected, and a bad thing to be held in contempt, to be despised. Yet someone who has known respect and admiration for a long time grows in confidence so that the occasional exception, when encountered in strangers, is of no consequence at all.
One who is ethical is usually very concerned with the opinions of others, and well he should be, because other people serve as sounding boards for his own opinions. He might not trust in his own reasoning completely, because of the plausible expectation that there may be a mistake, great or trivial, in his reasoning or in the data in the formulae. Human beings get things wrong often enough that it is well to listen to the observations of others.
One who is ethical is usually very concerned with the opinions of others, and well he should be, because other people serve as sounding boards for his own opinions. He might not trust in his own reasoning completely, because of the plausible expectation that there may be a mistake, great or trivial, in his reasoning or in the data in the formulae. Human beings get things wrong often enough that it is well to listen to the observations of others.
Monday, December 12, 2011
Romney Vs. Gingrich? What Kind of Choice is That?
I don't give two hoots about Romney's $10,000 bet. If the Republicans are down to Romney versus Gingrich, I'm for Romney, because he at least has a lick of common sense and is willing to listen to other viewpoints. Gingrich is a faux intellectual, a puffed-up frog that thinks he knows it all. The other day he delivered a Christmas present to the Palestinians and their brethren, the Arabs, calling the Palestinians a made-up people with no basis in history. Gee, G'rinch, can't the same be said about the Israelis? I suppose G'rinch points to the Bible, countering that Israel existed for a brief moment in ancient history before being crushed by neighboring empires. That's a thin reed, G'rinch. Mighty thin. If G'rinch leads the country, he will be worse than Bush.
Maybe G'rinch is just a decoy employed by the powers-behind-the-throne (the owners) to make us happy to see Romney finally emerge as the candidate. I still think Jon Huntsman is the best candidate in the G.O.P., by far, but Republicans are far too stupid to pick him. Second-best candidate is Ron Paul, but Republicans are too stupid to pick him either.
Maybe G'rinch is just a decoy employed by the powers-behind-the-throne (the owners) to make us happy to see Romney finally emerge as the candidate. I still think Jon Huntsman is the best candidate in the G.O.P., by far, but Republicans are far too stupid to pick him. Second-best candidate is Ron Paul, but Republicans are too stupid to pick him either.
Sunday, December 11, 2011
Technology
Our ancestors would be shocked by the technology that we take for granted. Moving pictures on a screen would seem like magic. There was nothing comparable to television hundreds of years ago. It is quite a leap to visualize our grand technological idea that data can be transmitted through the air via radio waves that are invisible to our sight and completely undetectable by our other senses, and this data can be reproduced using a natural force of electricity and producing artificial light in fine colors and resolution, not just for short bursts but continuously. They would be amazed and think it was magic. I wonder what gadgets of the future would inspire in me a similar wonder? A time machine, I think. That to me would be magic. Or a device, such as a cloak, that rendered a person invisible. I would not understand these things, but they would delight me. Maybe magic is and always was just science that was beyond our current level of understanding.
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Teachers
I'm reminded of my middle-school chess club. Our faculty sponsor had just learned how to play. Everybody in the club could beat him. He had so little interest in chess, I could only suppose he sponsored the club because that was the way teachers got ahead in their careers, by doing extracurricular crap, and chess sounded easy and air-conditioned as opposed to strenuous basketball, etc. The extent of his involvement with our chess club was posing for the yearbook photo.
I read in TIME magazine the other day that in Norway teachers are respected professionals like doctors and lawyers. They are not crapped on by politicians as they are here in the U.S., where the rich want the poor to be ignorant slave labor like it was in the good old days, before the War of Northern Aggression. In Norway, teachers are required to have Master's degrees. That means they have something going on upstairs. In my schools, there was some dead wood along with the good teachers. I mean, there was good and bad. It was a mixed salad. Some people went into teaching because it was their true calling, while others did it because they couldn't do anything else.
I think teachers should earn a minimum of $50K per year in today's economy (and no, that's not too much money) with excellent medical and dental benefits, and their jobs should not be guaranteed (I don't believe in tenure). I think Master's degrees are a good idea actually. Anyone who teaches should be pretty damn comfortable with academia. I remember one of my teachers told us he scored a 1000 on the S.A.T. That was on the same day that he told the class we were all a bunch of losers destined to dig ditches. Yep, I've had some crappy teachers in my day, but you know what, the system is rotten because the system put them in the classroom.
Spend more money on education and less on bombing faraway countries, and the country might become more intellectual and capable of understanding and thriving in this complicated world. People have been saying this for decades--all my life--but most people continue voting conservative, Republican, anti-progress, anti-hope and every which way to ensure that the U.S. will continue its long and steady decline.
I read in TIME magazine the other day that in Norway teachers are respected professionals like doctors and lawyers. They are not crapped on by politicians as they are here in the U.S., where the rich want the poor to be ignorant slave labor like it was in the good old days, before the War of Northern Aggression. In Norway, teachers are required to have Master's degrees. That means they have something going on upstairs. In my schools, there was some dead wood along with the good teachers. I mean, there was good and bad. It was a mixed salad. Some people went into teaching because it was their true calling, while others did it because they couldn't do anything else.
I think teachers should earn a minimum of $50K per year in today's economy (and no, that's not too much money) with excellent medical and dental benefits, and their jobs should not be guaranteed (I don't believe in tenure). I think Master's degrees are a good idea actually. Anyone who teaches should be pretty damn comfortable with academia. I remember one of my teachers told us he scored a 1000 on the S.A.T. That was on the same day that he told the class we were all a bunch of losers destined to dig ditches. Yep, I've had some crappy teachers in my day, but you know what, the system is rotten because the system put them in the classroom.
Spend more money on education and less on bombing faraway countries, and the country might become more intellectual and capable of understanding and thriving in this complicated world. People have been saying this for decades--all my life--but most people continue voting conservative, Republican, anti-progress, anti-hope and every which way to ensure that the U.S. will continue its long and steady decline.
N.O.M. Morons
The morons in the National Organization for Marriage (and Scotland for Marriage) should be for people getting married, if the name of their organization meant anything at all. Instead, they are opposed to people getting married. That suggests to me that they misunderstand the meaning of the word "for". I suggest that they return to elementary school and learn English before getting involved in politics.
People that do not have a basic intelligence, say at the fifth-grade level, should not be permitted the vote under any circumstances. A simple one-question test should be given to every voter in the booth to ascertain that he can solve a quadratic equation, one that is randomly created by a computer program. Anyone that cannot solve a quadratic equation has no business deciding who will lead the country. Their votes should be discarded, and they should be referred to the nearest elementary school to continue their education with their peers.
People that do not have a basic intelligence, say at the fifth-grade level, should not be permitted the vote under any circumstances. A simple one-question test should be given to every voter in the booth to ascertain that he can solve a quadratic equation, one that is randomly created by a computer program. Anyone that cannot solve a quadratic equation has no business deciding who will lead the country. Their votes should be discarded, and they should be referred to the nearest elementary school to continue their education with their peers.
Chess
It is disconcerting that players that normally would never win against me are able to beat me on my bad days. My playing strength varies a great deal. I think it has to do with stamina and physical fitness. Chess is extremely demanding intellectually and even physically due to the great strain of making fast and accurate calculations in games that often permit less than twenty minutes per side. On certain days, I see many moves quickly, but on bad days, my thought processes slow down, with devastating impact to performance. I would characterize my strength as erratic.
I would like to be more consistent, of course, but there are many things one would like to happen. . . The best I can do is to manage, avoiding chess on my slow days and only playing when I feel strong.
I would like to be more consistent, of course, but there are many things one would like to happen. . . The best I can do is to manage, avoiding chess on my slow days and only playing when I feel strong.
Breaking Bad
Breaking Bad is a good show about a bad man I just started watching. It's about a guy who lives a normal middle-class life until he decides to start manufacturing meth for profit and to bolster his own self-esteem. I think he does it not for the money but just to show to himself that he could do it, make a fortune and get away with it. He is trying to validate his sense of self-worth, which has been battered by unfavorable comparisons to his brother-in-law and more successful old acquaintances.
It is strange indeed how the audience sympathizes and identifies with a manufacturer of meth. I consider meth possibly the most dangerous scheduled recreational drug in existence. I had to specify 'scheduled,' because there are more dangerous legal substances that our government has overlooked in its ignorance, incoherency and negligence. I feel no need to mention them here. They are not of interest to me.
Before watching the show, I felt that dealers in meth were dealers in death, the scum of the earth. After watching the show, I note shades of gray in their business. Their product I researched on Wikipedia. Meth has been around for about sixty years or so and was stockpiled by the Japanese military during WW2. It was used by their kamikazi pilots. In the short term, it offers certain benefits in terms of alertness--if dosage is measured precisely in order to avoid paranoia, the jitters and other side effects. I suppose small doses might make a front-line soldier more effective for a few hours before his death, if he is suffering from malnutrition or injury. For a country at peace, meth has no real purpose and, worse, is toxic to the human body, even in its pure form. I did not like the word I saw on the Wikipedia article, "neurotoxic."
I would place meth dealers in a similar category as manufacturers of cigarettes, except meth dealers are worse, because their product is more dangerous. Are they evil? Yes. But do they deserve prison for manufacturing or distributing meth? That is the tricky question, fraught with baggage that has implications for civil rights.
Should meth be legal? Do I have a right to ban it just because I despise it? Reluctantly, for the sake of consistency, I would say, meth should be legal, but its sale controlled, just as we control the sale of alcohol, but with even more controls in order to make assurances for purity and safety. I believe legality removes much of the violence and poisoning associated with the meth trade. It is a bad product, yes, used by fools, but fools will find their poison. I think that is the point of the show. Make something illegal, and it sometimes becomes more attractive than would otherwise be the case. The crime associated with illegal drugs is worse than the illegal drugs themselves. If all drugs were legal, the cartels would be placed in a very difficult situation. They could turn their hand to prostitution, but that is a far more difficult trade than the drug trade. Drugs are comparatively easy money, and whenever there is easy money, wicked men will kill for it.
The reason not to use meth is simple. It is toxic and harmful and capable of killing the user. It is also extremely addictive. The only reason I can see for people trying it is that they have a death wish, they are flirting with Old Mr. Bones. People have their reasons for wanting to die. The pleasure meth might bring is short-lived and just not worth the trouble. All these things are immediately obvious to most people. Most people would not be willing even to try meth. That is why making meth legal is not a bad thing. I would not use it even if it were dispensed in vending machines on every street corner for twenty-five cents. Just knowing it is bad for you is enough. For the same reason, I avoid coca-cola and cigarettes, although their harm is much less.
It is strange indeed how the audience sympathizes and identifies with a manufacturer of meth. I consider meth possibly the most dangerous scheduled recreational drug in existence. I had to specify 'scheduled,' because there are more dangerous legal substances that our government has overlooked in its ignorance, incoherency and negligence. I feel no need to mention them here. They are not of interest to me.
Before watching the show, I felt that dealers in meth were dealers in death, the scum of the earth. After watching the show, I note shades of gray in their business. Their product I researched on Wikipedia. Meth has been around for about sixty years or so and was stockpiled by the Japanese military during WW2. It was used by their kamikazi pilots. In the short term, it offers certain benefits in terms of alertness--if dosage is measured precisely in order to avoid paranoia, the jitters and other side effects. I suppose small doses might make a front-line soldier more effective for a few hours before his death, if he is suffering from malnutrition or injury. For a country at peace, meth has no real purpose and, worse, is toxic to the human body, even in its pure form. I did not like the word I saw on the Wikipedia article, "neurotoxic."
I would place meth dealers in a similar category as manufacturers of cigarettes, except meth dealers are worse, because their product is more dangerous. Are they evil? Yes. But do they deserve prison for manufacturing or distributing meth? That is the tricky question, fraught with baggage that has implications for civil rights.
Should meth be legal? Do I have a right to ban it just because I despise it? Reluctantly, for the sake of consistency, I would say, meth should be legal, but its sale controlled, just as we control the sale of alcohol, but with even more controls in order to make assurances for purity and safety. I believe legality removes much of the violence and poisoning associated with the meth trade. It is a bad product, yes, used by fools, but fools will find their poison. I think that is the point of the show. Make something illegal, and it sometimes becomes more attractive than would otherwise be the case. The crime associated with illegal drugs is worse than the illegal drugs themselves. If all drugs were legal, the cartels would be placed in a very difficult situation. They could turn their hand to prostitution, but that is a far more difficult trade than the drug trade. Drugs are comparatively easy money, and whenever there is easy money, wicked men will kill for it.
The reason not to use meth is simple. It is toxic and harmful and capable of killing the user. It is also extremely addictive. The only reason I can see for people trying it is that they have a death wish, they are flirting with Old Mr. Bones. People have their reasons for wanting to die. The pleasure meth might bring is short-lived and just not worth the trouble. All these things are immediately obvious to most people. Most people would not be willing even to try meth. That is why making meth legal is not a bad thing. I would not use it even if it were dispensed in vending machines on every street corner for twenty-five cents. Just knowing it is bad for you is enough. For the same reason, I avoid coca-cola and cigarettes, although their harm is much less.
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
The Simple Truth
The simple truth is that if you do all the right things, work hard, study, make good grades, and show initiative, you get nowhere in America. Hard work means nothing, and initiative means nothing. The owners decided a long time ago to outsource jobs to China. So all of the old mechanisms such as college don't work anymore for the middle class. You either have money or you don't and you never will. This is no longer the land of opportunity. It is the land of the McJob. And if you get cancer or some other ailment, best get ready for the boneyard. That is why the birth rate is down in this country, way down.
Reincarnation
Our atoms were once part of a multitude of things and beings before becoming us. The notion that we have a soul that survives death is a charming illusion nurtured by the ego, which fears its inevitable annihilation and yearns for permanence. People are ruled by fear to a large extent. As a myth, reincarnation is not without value, because it encourages sympathy with animals and encourages us to look for human traits in animals. I have found that cats and dogs have a certain intelligence that is different from ours in some ways and similar in others. I do not understand it completely. They grasp certain things at once that might elude a human, but are forever mystified by things that seem obvious to us.
Monday, November 28, 2011
Herman Cain
Herman Cain's sexual conduct is not germane to his run for the Presidency. As far as can be discerned, all of the candidates running for President are in possession of genitalia that they probably have used at one point or another in their long, sweet and easy lives in a manner that they would not wish everyone to discover. I won't vote for Cain because he does not understand. Period.
Saturday, November 26, 2011
Alekhine's Defense
I love Alekhine's Defense, specifically the Brooklyn Defense, which wins me games in part due to its obscurity. There is considerable shock value in resetting Black's position on the second move. It is quite natural for White to feel contempt for the opening, which apparently achieves nothing after the second move, but is the contempt justified? In the following game, my opponent underestimated it--and me--and was shocked to find himself on the losing end.
I am not sure whether I played the best moves in this game, but I have no complaint with the result. I would hazard a guess that my opponent played too passively. Alekhine's is a scrap, nothing else to say about it, and those who expect the initial peace and calm of something along the lines of a Benko's Opening are in for a surprise.
[White "anon"]
[Black "igor"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "1856"]
[BlackElo "1882"]
[TimeControl "900"]
1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Ng8 3. d4 d6 4. exd6 Qxd6
To recapture with a pawn is just too passive for Black in my opinion, although it may appeal to players of the Sicilian.
5. c4?
A mistake, in my opinion, albeit a tempting move for White because it resembles the usual pawn structure of the Queen's Gambit.
5. .. e5?!
I don't see why I can't play this move, but I have a strange feeling there could be a refutation out there. Until someone shows me the error of my ways, I intend to continue. Perhaps 6. d5 is White's best response, but I'm not quite sure yet.
6. Nf3? exd4!
White's center takes a hit. I believe I have at least equalized. White's pawn on c4 merely deprives his King's bishop of a good post. I actually tried 6. .. e4? in the past, but it's a bad idea to leave White's center intact, and defending the pawn on e4 is not really feasible.
7. Qxd4 Nc6 8. Qd3?
White would be better off trading Queens rather than giving me more tempos.
8. .. Bg4
No unnecessary pawn moves for me. After my first two 'crazy' moves, I adhere to the maxim of rapid development.
9. Nbd2?
Just too passive and reactionary. White needs to play bolder moves and sooner rather than later.
9. .. O-O-O!
Not looking good for White. I imagine he is sweating now.
10. Qxd6
Finally White wises up and gets rid of my irritating Queen.
10. .. Bxd6 11. Be2?
Again, just too passive. One does not win games through defense alone.
11. .. Nf6 12. O-O Rhe8
My development is complete, but White has a bishop stuck on the bottom rank and his rooks are idle.
13. Re1 Nb4!
Threatening a fork.
14. Nd4
I found this position complicated and spent three minutes pondering it, which seems excessive. I hadn't drunk enough tea this morning. White's potential Bxg4+ kept coming up again and again in my calculations. In the end, I decided I had to take the bishop and be done with it or else risk giving White a critical tempo.
14. .. Bxe2 15. Rxe2 Bf4!
My dark-squared bishop was idle, so I found employment for it. White's weak spot is clearly the knight on d2. White wants very much to move it to a more profitable square, but I do not wish to allow that. If 16. N2f3, then 16. .. Rxe2 17. Nxe2 Rd1+ and mate in the next move.
16. Rxe8 Rxe8 17. Kf1 Nd3 18. N2f3?
My opponent was moving too fast, angling for a time advantage, since I was down by four minutes. 18. N4f3 seems better for White. 18. .. Ne4 can be countered by 19. g3! and I don't get much more than a pawn for my trouble.
18. .. Bxc1 0-1
He could have played on, but I think he was annoyed at losing a piece to such an "inferior" opening. At any rate, with almost eight minutes remaining, I think I could have won. He challenged me to a rematch immediately after, but I don't like to play rematches immediately. I need downtime after a game to collect my thoughts. I like to engage in post-analysis of my games as well.
I must admit the chief appeal of Alekhine's for me is that it is not the Sicilian. Playing the most popular openings exposes one to prepared lines and novelties. Alekhine's lures White into playing Black's game. I feel that the Brooklyn Defense may be the optimal variation of the Alekhine's, if for no other reason than shock value and breaking out of book early. One of the things I never liked about the traditional Alekhine's was how White gets another free tempo (c4) and exiles Black's knight to Siberia over on b6, where it is of minimal use.
I am not sure whether I played the best moves in this game, but I have no complaint with the result. I would hazard a guess that my opponent played too passively. Alekhine's is a scrap, nothing else to say about it, and those who expect the initial peace and calm of something along the lines of a Benko's Opening are in for a surprise.
[White "anon"]
[Black "igor"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "1856"]
[BlackElo "1882"]
[TimeControl "900"]
1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Ng8 3. d4 d6 4. exd6 Qxd6
To recapture with a pawn is just too passive for Black in my opinion, although it may appeal to players of the Sicilian.
5. c4?
A mistake, in my opinion, albeit a tempting move for White because it resembles the usual pawn structure of the Queen's Gambit.
5. .. e5?!
I don't see why I can't play this move, but I have a strange feeling there could be a refutation out there. Until someone shows me the error of my ways, I intend to continue. Perhaps 6. d5 is White's best response, but I'm not quite sure yet.
6. Nf3? exd4!
White's center takes a hit. I believe I have at least equalized. White's pawn on c4 merely deprives his King's bishop of a good post. I actually tried 6. .. e4? in the past, but it's a bad idea to leave White's center intact, and defending the pawn on e4 is not really feasible.
7. Qxd4 Nc6 8. Qd3?
White would be better off trading Queens rather than giving me more tempos.
8. .. Bg4
No unnecessary pawn moves for me. After my first two 'crazy' moves, I adhere to the maxim of rapid development.
9. Nbd2?
Just too passive and reactionary. White needs to play bolder moves and sooner rather than later.
9. .. O-O-O!
Not looking good for White. I imagine he is sweating now.
10. Qxd6
Finally White wises up and gets rid of my irritating Queen.
10. .. Bxd6 11. Be2?
Again, just too passive. One does not win games through defense alone.
11. .. Nf6 12. O-O Rhe8
My development is complete, but White has a bishop stuck on the bottom rank and his rooks are idle.
13. Re1 Nb4!
Threatening a fork.
14. Nd4
I found this position complicated and spent three minutes pondering it, which seems excessive. I hadn't drunk enough tea this morning. White's potential Bxg4+ kept coming up again and again in my calculations. In the end, I decided I had to take the bishop and be done with it or else risk giving White a critical tempo.
14. .. Bxe2 15. Rxe2 Bf4!
My dark-squared bishop was idle, so I found employment for it. White's weak spot is clearly the knight on d2. White wants very much to move it to a more profitable square, but I do not wish to allow that. If 16. N2f3, then 16. .. Rxe2 17. Nxe2 Rd1+ and mate in the next move.
16. Rxe8 Rxe8 17. Kf1 Nd3 18. N2f3?
My opponent was moving too fast, angling for a time advantage, since I was down by four minutes. 18. N4f3 seems better for White. 18. .. Ne4 can be countered by 19. g3! and I don't get much more than a pawn for my trouble.
18. .. Bxc1 0-1
He could have played on, but I think he was annoyed at losing a piece to such an "inferior" opening. At any rate, with almost eight minutes remaining, I think I could have won. He challenged me to a rematch immediately after, but I don't like to play rematches immediately. I need downtime after a game to collect my thoughts. I like to engage in post-analysis of my games as well.
I must admit the chief appeal of Alekhine's for me is that it is not the Sicilian. Playing the most popular openings exposes one to prepared lines and novelties. Alekhine's lures White into playing Black's game. I feel that the Brooklyn Defense may be the optimal variation of the Alekhine's, if for no other reason than shock value and breaking out of book early. One of the things I never liked about the traditional Alekhine's was how White gets another free tempo (c4) and exiles Black's knight to Siberia over on b6, where it is of minimal use.
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