PN:
Joe’s Comment – Last month Dr. Louis B. and I had the above talk. After some deliberation, we agreed on a joint solution. More exercise, better diet, a few pills. So far, so good. Damn tickle cough in the morning and night. Our target is 50 pounds in 12 months. That is, 50 pounds LESS.
I’m gonna miss being fat…..
Hey, hey, hey!
Murder Inc. U.S.A.
The statistical distribution of homicide in the U.S. is not homogeneous.
Of course, Joe and I never would believe such a claim should someone make it.
We have posted data and statistical analysis about this subject previously.
The website Crime Prevention Research Center has a lengthy report on the 2014 murder statistics, focusing on where the crime was committed. One of many graphs from the article below. It shows the high crime areas in shades of red –
54% of counties have 11% of the population and none of the murders. Over half of the murders were committed in less than 2% of the counties. Click the link above to see the details.
What does it all mean?
Another anomaly is that within the high murder rate counties, there is no homogeneous distribution: those counties have high rates in certain areas within the county.
Again, what does it mean?
If you read the article, you discover that these numbers have changed. From 1977 to 2000, there were 78% of counties with zero murders.
What can it possibly mean?
The conclusion drawn by the author is as follows “This study shows how murders in the United States are heavily concentrated in very small areas. Few appreciate how much of the US has no murders each year. Murder isn’t a nationwide problem. It’s a problem in a very small set of urban areas, and any solution must reduce those murders.”
Joe and I read most of the article and stared at the charts and graphs. Then we read a large number of comments, below the article.
Our conclusion is that the conclusion is accurate, but not complete.
There is no discussion of race.
There is no discussion of culture.
There is no discussion of population density, although by viewing the map distribution above, it seems probable that the incident of murder has a correlation to the number of persons per square mile.
In the comments, the word “poverty” is flogged like a dead horse. With about the same result. This is not the primary causality. As one of the commenters points out, in the 19th century damn near everybody lived in poverty. Per Dr. Jordan Peterson, most people were living on less than one dollar per day, in today’s money.
Canadian numbers aren’t available (leastwise, we haven’t discovered any).
Joe and I believe that it is a complex problem.
If it were as simple as poverty or education or law it would have been solved by now.
We think that intelligence plays an unfortunately large role in promulgating this criminal behaviour.
Hungry Mommies
There is a serious psychological pathology that is commonly referred to as “the devouring mother”. This is the mother who isn’t wise enough or secure enough or (fill in the blank) enough to release her children into the world to make their own way without interfering in a destructive manner.
This excellent discussion between Dr. Jordan Peterson and Theryn Meyer was hosted by UBC in April 2017.
Many of Dr. Peterson’s theories and philosophies are the grist for this mill:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mSQ_pZCP1w8
The Wild Wild Left
Whatever happened to the progressive / leftist heavy lifting of the “working class” out of “oppression”? What about their concern for the poor? And their abhorrence of the über rich?
The entire mob has gone bonkers with identity politics, “vulnerable” minority issues, racial lunacy, and a host of issues which are stretching the social fabric to dangerous extremes.
In the US of A, the official political representative of the left is the Democratic Party. The Democrats are being found guilty of extremely treacherous and treasonous actions against their permanent political foes. The FBI and CIA and who knows how many other government agencies are complicit in criminal activity.
In a constitutional republic based on the rule of law, this is bad ju-ju.
Dr. Jordan Peterson undertakes to give the left some good advice in this video titled “A Left-Wing Case for Free Speech”:
False Truths
There are a number of commonly held falsities in our culture.
We won’t take time to list any, for the list is lengthy and legion.
One of these false truths is part of the lyric in a foxtrot written in 1921, titled “Ain’t We Got Fun”:
The lyric is “….. the rich get rich and the poor get poorer”. However, as pointed out by Friedrich Hayek, Thomas Sowell, many many other economists, and again by Prager U (below), it just ain’t true. Here is Daniel Hannan to speak truth to the facts:
Pass the Ammunition
A popular song in the war years, written in 1942, “Praise the Lord (and Pass the Ammunition)” promoted the idea that doG was on the ally team, and all will be well, especially when the guns are warm:
For some arcane reason, the people who advocate severe firearm control can’t seem to grasp the concept that the criminal element will only do as they please.
Ronald Regan delivers an excellent punch line in this address to the NRA, long ago and far away:
Joe and I do not have an arsenal. We are pro-gun, pro-firearms.
A firearm is nothing more than a tool.
It is the use of the tool by a human hand that determines a noble or evil outcome.
Firearms exist.
Ergo, to plant your head firmly in the sand and pretend that this particular toothpaste can be stuffed back into the tube is a form of lunacy.
Further, the agencies of government will NEVER be unarmed.
Joe and I are old enough to know that government as an authority, whether good, bad, or benign, is a poor second choice to individual autonomy when making life choices. If you deny the individual any of the tools required to enjoy freedom and pursue happiness (fulfill destiny), it is a degree of tyranny being exerted.
Joe says the government in it’s well meaning ignorance often favors the criminal over the law abiding citizen.
I say it ain’t any better here in Canada.
In Passing
Barbara Bush died this week.
Here is a picture of her at graduation in 1943 –
Another of her young family in 1955, with both Georges –
Joe and I watched the funeral on television.
We aren’t fans of funerals.
Many moving speeches and heartfelt personal stories.
Two Presidents in one family: she is one of only two first ladies whose husband was president and a son was president.
From all reports, she was a strong intelligent moral family matriarch, dedicated to her family and her families fortunes. May she rest in peace.
POLITICS, POLITICIANS, WACKJOBBERY, HUMOROUS, STUPID
SUNDAY SERMON
This week Dr. Jordan Peterson continues his psychological analysis of the Bible with series X: Abraham: Father of Nations:
WEATHER (OR NOT)
This week in Vernon BC, Spring has continued it’s struggle to distance itself from Winter.
Not doing too good a job of it.
Terrace Mountain is visible from Vernon. It is covered with snow, and looks eerily similar to Mount Fuji in J.A. Pan & Co.
We can’t remember a time when that much snow was still visible three + weeks into April.
Every day this week has had potential, but gray skies and some rain and some wind have kept temperatures below average.
This might be a “good thing©” because if we DO get some warm weather for more than an hour or two a day, there is one hell of a snow cap that will get runny and head for the lakes.
The dry well pump has been running since March 14th.
No end in sight.
This is going to be one of those 6 month winter years.
Sunday afternoon was sunny for an hour or two, but the chill wind took pleasure from T shirt dress.
Oh well, what the hell.
There’s always next year.
Joe (cold tan) Mekanic
p.s. Ramirez for all –
