[Date: April 6, 2014]
PN:
Re-statement of (Rant) Intent
Each time I add another person to my “PN” distribution the feedback (if any at all) often looks like this –
Time for me to state again what in the world this email is all about. The most complete explanation of what I’m doing was in the first Sunday Rant of 2013. Here’s what I said –
“A new slate in an old state…..
When I think of memorable instructors I’ve had the pleasure to know, number one on the list is Ms. E. Thrasher, who taught English at Colonel MacLeod Junior High School in NE Cowgary. I felt we had chemistry – she made me angry and I made her cry on more than one occasion. Among the things she told me (and there were many), one phrase rings clear: “Tell all, Drover. Tell all!” Many of you knew her, and heard the same. I love her memory to this day….. and that very pertinent lesson.
This rant started as a method for me to keep track of current events, important issues, human creativity, fun and funny stuff, and a rare bit of blinding science. And to corral my polymathic interests in some format I could re-visit. These rants are my journal. It is a great shame that I know a lot about a lot, but not much about anything. Every time I saw something that I wanted to remember, I included it in an email and sent it to myself. Wool gathering plus an attempt to vocalize my thoughts and / or position. Often, I would include people in the distribution I believed might have an interest in what I’d found noteworthy. Over three years have gone by. Instead of sending to a select few, I created a group mailing list I called “PN” (Personal Notes, or Private Network – either works for me) to simplify and save time. Occasionally I review the older notes to see what I was passionate about at the time, and to reflect on how I have changed (I hesitate to use the word “matured”). The group mailing also was a one sided attempt to stay in touch with many people whom I wouldn’t think to email on a regular basis. Kind of an hello in an impersonal broadcast way.
My major source of information is the Internet. THE greatest invention to date. Well, maybe second to the invention of God, but that’s another story. (Some argue hallucinogenic substances found in plants was the greatest discovery made by man, and precedes the invention of God. i.e. God was a good rush. This is an interesting topic for another day. Suffice it to say if it is so, I’d prefer the diet Jesus followed to the diet of Mohamed).
Because of technology, anyone with an unfettered “cloud” connection can distribute information in any format to the world. This alone will influence humanity more rapidly than ever before possible. The challenge is the same as always – it is just a machine – will it be used for good or ???(refer to gun debate, abortion debate, “stateism” debate, ad infinitum). Examples abound of news being reported on the Internet exclusively (such as Blazing Cat Fur’s expose of the Toronto School Board’s more shameful ideology). This type of news affects the culture, but will only get to the “main stream media” a week or weeks later, if ever..
I have a list of 100’s of web sites that I visit frequently. But I don’t stop there. Browsing, searching, and stumbling ( www.Stumbleupon.com – ing too) with no particular place to go works as well. I suggest everyone do the same.
But I digress…..back to the PN rant. I do not use blind carbon copy for this email. If any of you receiving this directly want to be removed from the group list, or you want to receive it but wish to be “blind” listed, say so and it will be done. I don’t care what you do with it – I’ve heard most people simply hit “Delete”, some scan the distribution to see if they know someone on it, some forward it to friends, and others actually read some or all. As John Wayne should have said “Fill yer boots, Pilgrim!”
I may or may not incorporate this journal on a web page at some future date. For now, it will remain a simple email, not a “blog”, not a “page”, not a “website”. I reckon when the web page time comes, I’ll be in a motorized wheel chair (e/w beer cooler and music system). I am currently too enamored of life (read: busy) to spend the time building one. As is my fate, I’m so on fire with new ideas and pursuits that I find it difficult to complete anything completely…… Is it worse than it ever was (or better depending on your perspective)? I say same as it ever was: [youtube http://youtube.com/w/?v=I1wg1DNHbNU] ………same as it ever was, same as it ever was, same as it ever was, same as it ever was, same as it ever was, same as it ever was, same as it ever was………………………….
Hoo! A shiny thing!:
[youtube http://youtube.com/w/?v=fymw5ie9Zd4]
Do you know what I mean?
Ahhh, the life of an Expressive.”
Not much has changed re: the above. Thanks to David S., a website is definitely in the future.
On with this week’s musings…………
Rant – Where Does Food Come From?
Late last September (if my shabby memory serves), or maybe early October, on a snowy cold windy rainy sort of day, I felt the need to shop for some disposable work clothes. It was a Thursday (memory?? whatever). Daughter Kenda taught me to not be uppity about Value Village – there are bargains in them thar racks! I’ve often had difficulty finding my size at clothing stores; with my “over square” body; I’m not the Marlboro Man. More like Alley Oop with a 38 inch (OK, maybe 39. OK, OK, 40) waist and 30 inch inseam, 48 inch chest (including my manly man boobs). My Neanderthal mindset not withstanding. Surprise, surprise! Value Village has my size! There must be more Alley Oops in Vernon…………..
Anyway, in search of some cheap (but quality) disposable work clothes, I braved the weather in my trusty old Ford diesel truck and off to the Value Village and Walmart end of town I went. Listening to doo wop tunes (e.g. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OZ-bdlPqJME – Remember Then – The Earls, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-hgI1aGTtg – Pretty Little Angel Eyes – Curtis Lee). Not a care in the world.
When I sauntered through the non-automatic bum slapping doors of Vahlooooo Veeeelage it was like stepping off the plane in Central America. WTF? Is this Guatemala?
I quickly looked around for Rod Serling. Thought I’d inadvertently stepped through a worm hole into a Twilight Zone episode that was never filmed.
Everywhere I looked there were little brown people. Fondling the clothes. Picking up the items on the shelves, turning them over, showing their companions. Buying bags full of cheap clothing, household goods, and trinkets. Chattering that passionate machine gun sing-song Spanish patois I can’t follow.
Walmart was the same. Little brown people everywhere. Looking so out of place in my home town (as out of place as I would be in theirs).
Being of semi sound mind and obese body, my thinker parts didn’t take too long to wrestle down a modicum of mental clarity regarding this anomaly. These little brown people are the pickers and pruners and caretakers of the orchards and farms, on loan from their country of origin to harvest the bounty for the agriculturalists in the North Okanagan. The foul weather had given them some free time to experience “normal” life in Vernon.
Of course, my little pea brain had heard whispers and snatches about such proceedings, but it was my first real glimpse of the numbers. Lots of little brown people involved.
I (and Joe) may have harped on this subject in previous rants. If I am a record album, some tracks skip…. a lot.
Canadians used to do this work. When I was a much younger lad in the Okanagan, farm labor for harvest was often comprised of the indigenous population – you know, Indians. Competition came along. The East Indians were there for a while. But they didn’t last too long as hired labor – they pooled their resources and became the owners of the land. A lot of Quebecois kids came West to pick and harvest. You can still find all of these Canadians doing this work.
Now there are a lot of foreign workers whose seasonal presence is monitored and managed. They go home at the end of the work. I’ve been told. I hope. Canada already has an immigration policy / procedure that is in need of revision.
This all sprang to mind today when I read an Ann Coulter column about the impact of illegal immigrant workers on the economy of California, the United States, and the concept of “free enterprise”. She titled the piece “Millionaires Need Your Help”:
http://www.anncoulter.com/columns/2014-04-02.html
It is human nature (albeit base nature) to optimize benefits for self. Wouldn’t want it otherwise. A fair fight is a fair fight. Law of Nature and all……. What could go wrong?
The snag for me (and Joe) is when lobbyists and politicians conspire to “protect” some segment of the economy from competition. The usual method includes passing “laws” or “tariffs” to “level the playing field”. These are code phrases for “make competition null and void”. In this game of rubbing the politician’s belly to get a pat on the back, the one steaming pile of crap that stinks up the entire dishonest enterprise, the fact that is never mentioned (the elephant dung in the room) screams loudly: WHO IS PAYING FOR THIS?
It would be the taxpayer, the consumer, and society at large as Ms. Coulter not so subtly points out. Suckers, aren’t we. Those darned old “unintended consequences” get you every time………….
I and Joe are advocates of free enterprise. If it ever existed or exists, I can’t be sure. Another Yogi Berra moment (theory and practice). As it was said most eloquently and movingly in the movie “Second Hand Lions” by uncle Hub:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JXn5-r8mj-s
Quote: “You remember that, boy. You remember that. Doesn’t matter if it’s true or not. You see, a man should believe in those things, because those are the things worth believing in.”
I and Joe love that speech. An implied caveat of his words is that a man will stand responsible for his actions.
The government has no business in business. The government is at the very best a necessary evil – a parasitic tumorous dangerous coercive and deadly lure for the corrupt and corruptible. And who isn’t corruptible in our midst?
As for Joe and I, we aren’t multiculturalists, or moral equivalenters, or diversity worshipers. Nor are we “racists”, although we’re not too sure of the exact meaning of that word. We do have our prejudices, our discrimination, our experience, and our favorites on our mind. We are advocates of the smallest minority – the individual. We don’t object to these little brown people working in the Okanagan (or wherever else they find themselves). If that arrangement is the best cheapest most dependable labor that our agriculturalists can find on the face of the earth, and the contract is entered willingly by both parties, and of the free will of all parties, bravo for them I say. And, of course, they are using their own $$$ to make this happen, right? No government “subsidies”, right? No tariffs, regulations, taxes, restrictions, or embargoes to hamper “free trade”, right?
Beware! Who in the end pays the piper? To paraphrase Pink Floyd, “Leaders, leave those taxpayers alone!” ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YR5ApYxkU-U )
Ms. Coulter, you cut to the core. I love you man.
CANADA
Pathetic Politics
Two tributes to PET’s excellent haired offspring. Great titles. Recorded content about a pathetic world class underachiever –
1. The Liberal Party of Canada’s Air Head in Chief:
http://eyecrazy.blogspot.ca/2014/04/the-liberal-party-of-canadas-airhead-in.html
2. Some careless Liberal handler let Justin Trudeau off his leash, and he poo’d all over his party’s credibility again:
http://eyecrazy.blogspot.ca/2014/04/some-careless-liberal-handler-let.html
I and Joe are about done hoping this “vacancy only” politician will bring anything good to the people of Canada. We can only hope the young / uninformed / emotional citizens of this great country see through the fool…. This cartoon from years past is as relevant as the day it was drawn –
Quebec Follies
Once again the Parti Quebecois is using tribal and cultural differences to divide the populace and enrage thinking Canadians everywhere. Couldn’t find a better cartoon regarding the ethics of Pauline Marois –
Tuesday will tell. I and Joe still maintain that Quebec is a wonderful part of Canada – with or without the Francophone population.
THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Ethics and Voting
“Democracy” is a frightening enough concept for any thinking person. As Winston Churchill said, “It has been said that democracy is the worst form of government except all the others that have been tried.” What does one think about “democracy” in the face of massive voter fraud? News from the States:
35,750 people vote in two states with the same first and last names and the same last four digits of their Social Security number? Coincidence? For shame, people. Evil is everywhere.. That number cannot be innocent – it is the machination of organized and intentional fraud.
At the very best, “democracy” is mob rule. The term has become both a catch-all phrase and an aberration of meaning (much like the term “organic” when referring to food – name one food that is not organic). The Founding Fathers intended the United States to be a Republic. The word “democracy” is not mentioned in the U.S. Constitution, Declaration of Independence, or the Amendments. It wasn’t omitted by coincidence. “The Framers of the Constitution went to great lengths to ensure that the federal government was not based on the will of the majority and was not, therefore, democratic.” – ( http://www.cato.org/publications/commentary/democracy-versus-liberty )
The criteria for voter participation was not defined in the Constitution. “The Constitution does not set forth requirements for the right to vote. As a result, at the outset of the Union, only male property-owners could vote. African Americans were not considered citizens, and women were excluded from the electoral process. Native Americans were not given the right to vote until 1924.” ( http://www.constitutionfacts.com/us-constitution-amendments/fascinating-facts/ )
Changes to voter law in the U.S. of A. (and Canada!) are necessary if this charade of “democracy” (mob rule) is to be continued.
I and Joe believe in the words of Thomas Jefferson on the subject – “Whenever the people are well informed, they can be trusted with their own government.” It is a great sorrow that there are very few “well informed” voters. Canada is no better. Furthermore, altruism in voting is cowardly and fraudulent. It is as bad as voting your appetites. “It takes time to persuade men to do even what is for their own good.” – Thomas Jefferson
The end does NOT justify the means in all endeavors. Lust for power over others is a fatal flaw of character. “Government is not reason; it is not eloquent; it is force. Like fire, it is a dangerous servant and a fearful master.” – George Washington
Fort Hood vs Political Correctness
Another nut-bar runs a muck. Peirs Morgan froths at the mouth. The progressives all fill their pants. The MSM swallows it’s tongue. Yawn……
Time for the military to draw a line in the sand. No more PC madness. No more passing the buck. Buck up and be accountable. The Western world cannot afford a lax and weak military.
Condolences to all the victims and their families. Shame on the PC military leaders and the entire American political elite.
NORTH KOREA
What an incredible world we live in, filled with goodness and righteousness. Exceptions exist. A certain locale of note –
They must be running low on food and materiel charity from the West again. Or their master (ChiComs) is putting them up to something unsavory. A first class farce on the global stage. Excellent graphic from Earl of Taint. Nice ass hat, Un-boy.
POLITICS, POLITICIANS, WACKJOBBERY, HUMOROUS, STUPID
SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, AMAZING STUFF
The Beauty of Numbers
A card deck has 52 unique cards. How many ways are there to arrange the deck? The answer may surprise you. Here are the factorial!s:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uNS1QvDzCVw
No wonder I can’t win at solitaire……
Liberals and Conservatives
There IS a difference between the two. This machine can sniff it out:
http://www.amren.com/news/2014/04/this-machine-can-tell-whether-youre-liberal-or-conservative/
What is possible and what is a dream? Next up will be genetic markers for partisanship….
PHILOSOPHY, PHILOSOPHERS, SMART THINKING
A short video by Mr. Friedman titled “Lesson of the Pencil” that explains the quote above:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ERbC7JyCfU
The power of the free market cannot be measured. Conversely, examples of the damage caused by governments and corporations trying to “control” the free market are all around us. As Mr. Friedman states, it is NOT a zero sum game. It is a measure of wealth when both parties prosper. Wealth IS created, and wealth can be destroyed.
GUNS, GUNNERS, GUNNERY
Missouri is taking center stage in the fight against federal gun controls. They have passed a bill which states as its objective the nullification of any and all existing and future gun control legislation:
To all my progressive and green friends this may sound radical. Au contraire mes amis! It is simply the application of the Constitution. Well done Missouri!
Chicago has posted the lowest homicide rate since 1958 first quarter this year. Progressive policies? Hardly. Illinois was the last state in the union to pass a “conceal carry” law. It became law. People started carrying concealed weapons. Homicide rates went down. Coincidence? Hardly.:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/04/01/chicago-homicide-rate-2014_n_5070438.html
Of course, the police aren’t totally up on the “non-coincidental” aspect. Meat meet mete.
THE RELIGION OF PEACE (ON ALL OF US)
What have the murderous savages been up to lately? Here’s some info from jihad watch:
Of course, what week would be complete without the scorecard? Now an impressive 22732 (and counting) deadly terror attacks since 9/11 (that we know of):
http://www.thereligionofpeace.com/
The pass that religion receives from Western culture needs review. I put public artifacts and demonstrations of religious orientation in the same distasteful category as public masturbation. I’m much happier if all y’all do your worshiping in the basement at home late at night in silence.
Joe doesn’t quite see it that way. He views organized religion as an example of insanity for the masses. Tribal tides run deep in our genes and cultures. Hard not to pick a team.
As always, Ramirez has the last word –
SUNDAY SERMON
Setting the stage for today’s sermon is Yogi Berra. He said “If the world was perfect, it wouldn’t be.”
Sam Harris speaking his mind about “Morality and the Christian God”:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-i3mX0YRrjM
WEATHER
This week has been a lot of time in the pits of the race for Spring weather. Up, down, frost, rain, glorious sunshine, gloomy gray skies, wind. Typical early Spring. Typical reaction to early Spring weather – anxious and impatient. As the cartoon suggests, time for Mother Nature to sober up –
Despite the reluctance of Spring to spring, progress is all around. The trees are budding, the flies are flying, and in certain locales the honey bees are being. Being obnoxious. The cool weather makes them a bit stupid I think. Thought I could post a picture of the hearty, persistent, enduring, and ever so faithful daffodildos flowering next to the attached garage. Alas, the weather is still too cool –
Next week some pretty flowers to show.
Joe (Sapflow) Mekanic
p.s. Ramirez is perpetual Spring –
