Well, it's been a while.
Part of me wants to write down what I'm feeling and sensing in this crazy world, during these crazy times.
Why would I want to do that?
Why would I want to rub the noses of people I otherwise respect into the trash I see all about?
I don't want to rub anyone's nose in anything, but I have to say, people can be fucking stupid.
OK, let's see how this platform works for me after all this time.
Over or not...
Thursday, October 27, 2016
Sunday, May 31, 2015
Sunday, November 10, 2013
Frank DeBruin Valerius
Some time back, I wrote a post about a painting by Valerius (Frank DeBruin Valerius) that I inherited from my mother. Here's a link to that post. The painting in that post remains special to me, in particular because the child's expression, her tear, just seem perfect.
Anyway, Lucie DeBruin, the painter's daughter, kindly sent me some snapshots of other paintings by her father, Frank DeBruin Valerius, who is still painting at the age of 93. Good for him!
The snapshots that Lucie sent me appear below. I did a little fiddling around on them with The GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program), but obviously I wasn't able to do a professional job. See what you think.
Try clicking on the pictures to get a somewhat larger view. The escape key ("Esc", usually in the upper left of the keyboard) should bring you back here. Your browser may vary.
The first two paintings below are apparently from when Valerius was in Guatemala.
The following painting is of Lucie's grandmother.
I was pleasantly surprised to stumble on the item below. Google is awesome, making old newspapers searchable on the Web. Amazing. Click the image for a larger view of my "clipping", or here's a link to Google's archive of that edition of the Miami Daily News.
Now that I know Valerius' full name, I did a Google search (1) (2). The first hit I looked at was this, then this:
Then I found another clipping about the Ike portrait (again thanks to Google's digitizing of old newspapers). Sounds like Frank is a very nice guy.
More power to you Frank! Thanks Lucie!
Cheers from Phoenix. Steve
Anyway, Lucie DeBruin, the painter's daughter, kindly sent me some snapshots of other paintings by her father, Frank DeBruin Valerius, who is still painting at the age of 93. Good for him!
The snapshots that Lucie sent me appear below. I did a little fiddling around on them with The GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program), but obviously I wasn't able to do a professional job. See what you think.
Try clicking on the pictures to get a somewhat larger view. The escape key ("Esc", usually in the upper left of the keyboard) should bring you back here. Your browser may vary.
The first two paintings below are apparently from when Valerius was in Guatemala.
The following painting is of Lucie's grandmother.
I was pleasantly surprised to stumble on the item below. Google is awesome, making old newspapers searchable on the Web. Amazing. Click the image for a larger view of my "clipping", or here's a link to Google's archive of that edition of the Miami Daily News.
Now that I know Valerius' full name, I did a Google search (1) (2). The first hit I looked at was this, then this:
Then I found another clipping about the Ike portrait (again thanks to Google's digitizing of old newspapers). Sounds like Frank is a very nice guy.
More power to you Frank! Thanks Lucie!
Cheers from Phoenix. Steve
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
Sunday, November 18, 2012
Sunday, September 02, 2012
My Recipe for Yogurt
I've never liked yogurt. Actually, it wasn't that I didn't like it as much as that I never gave it a chance. Curdled milk?! Yuk!!
Then I got older and the doctor sent me to a dietician, who suggested I eat yogurt. I found that I kind of liked the Yoplait custard style yogurts so I settled on that. Then one day someone had me watch a documentary about high fructose corn syrup, which prompted me to check the ingredients in the Yoplait custard style yogurt I'd been eating. Sure enough...
So I switched to something else, and somewhere along the way took an interest in making my own yogurt.
As it turns out, before too long I was making yogurt that I liked pretty well and that was a hell of a lot cheaper than buying it at the store all the time.
I started out by buying a yogurt maker, which is just a set of seven glass jars and a thing to incubate them in. The instructions were to not touch the thing while it was incubating because you'd cause the stuff not to firm up as well as it would if you left it alone. This did not involve draining off any whey, obviously.
I didn't like that yogurt very much, so I started incubating it in as large a plastic dish as would fit in the yogurt maker, and then draining off some of the whey, adding some Splenda and whipping it with an immersion hand blender kind of like this one. I was draining off about a third of the total volume in whey before adding the Splenda, whipping the stuff and putting it in the jars that came with the yogurt maker.
Then I decided the little yogurt maker didn't make enough yogurt in one batch, so I started looking around for a way to make bigger batches. At about that time, I had also taken an interest in sous vide cooking, but you have to maintain precise temperatures in that process, and the sous vide machines are therefore much more expensive that I could justify spending. Figuring I could make something myself, I checked into various temperature controllers but didn't find any that I thought had a suitable combination of price and precision. Eventually, I found a number of sites where people had used an inexpensive PID temperature controller to achieve the temperature aims of sous vide cooking, and found the PID temperature controller they'd been using at Amazon. I figured I'd take a chance on the thing, and ordered the controller, a thermocouple and a solid-state relay plus a heat sink for it (probably not needed for this small a load).
I have not yet done anything with the sous vide cooking idea, but wound up using the controller to make a yogurt incubator large enough for bigger batches. It's really crude, but it works like a champ. Here are a few pictures.
The thing in the lower right of the picture above is just a switch to isolate the light bulb from the solid-state relay. I don't think it's necessary, but it's harmless enough, and might be a good place to put a temperature limiting safety device of some sort. Nothing wrong with belt and suspenders.
Here's how I make the yogurt. Greek style yogurt, which, as far as I can tell, simply means that you drain off more of the whey.
I dump a gallon of milk into a stainless steel pot and heat it to a boil, stirring constantly. The recipes I see all call for heating the milk to 180 degrees Fahrenheit, but for some reason I decided to boil the milk. Works fine.
I cool the boiled milk in a water bath until the temperature drops to about 115 or 120 degrees. No hotter or I might kill the yogurt culture. Maybe not, I don't know, the whole process seems very forgiving.
I mix in some yogurt from the previous batch as a starter to introduce the bacteria that do the actual work. It doesn't much matter how much starter goes in. Thoroughly stir in the starter and stick the covered pot into the incubator, with the controller set to 115 degrees. Like this:
I usually let it incubate for about 12 hours at 115 degrees F, then drain off about a quart and a half of whey, add a cup and a half of granulated Splenda (or the generic equivalent), whip it, whip it good, pour it into suitable individual containers and into the fridge.
As I already mentioned, the whole process is pretty forgiving and open to experimentation. I made one small batch with some sugar-free smooth orange-flavored Metamucil mixed in at the last minute. Turned out pretty good, actually, although my wife won't eat it. It thickened up the yogurt a bit more than it would be on its own, and it tasted OK. One time I added some vanilla extract, which was OK but my wife didn't like it. She, like I, has never been a yogurt eater, but she likes the stuff I make as long as I don't fiddle with it beyond the Splenda.
I've found the easiest way to drain off the proper amount of whey is to dump the stuff just out of the incubator into a large-enough container lined with sack cloth, or some other light fabric such as a large handkerchief (wash it first!), then hang the yogurt in the cloth over the dish until sufficient whey (about one third of the total volume), has drained off. At that point, take the curds from the sack cloth to a dish, add the Splenda (or whatever you like), and whip it. Whip it good.
Fun activity, cheaper than store bought and just as good if not better. Now if I could find a good use for the whey...
Some final thoughts...
Then I got older and the doctor sent me to a dietician, who suggested I eat yogurt. I found that I kind of liked the Yoplait custard style yogurts so I settled on that. Then one day someone had me watch a documentary about high fructose corn syrup, which prompted me to check the ingredients in the Yoplait custard style yogurt I'd been eating. Sure enough...
So I switched to something else, and somewhere along the way took an interest in making my own yogurt.
As it turns out, before too long I was making yogurt that I liked pretty well and that was a hell of a lot cheaper than buying it at the store all the time.
I started out by buying a yogurt maker, which is just a set of seven glass jars and a thing to incubate them in. The instructions were to not touch the thing while it was incubating because you'd cause the stuff not to firm up as well as it would if you left it alone. This did not involve draining off any whey, obviously.
I didn't like that yogurt very much, so I started incubating it in as large a plastic dish as would fit in the yogurt maker, and then draining off some of the whey, adding some Splenda and whipping it with an immersion hand blender kind of like this one. I was draining off about a third of the total volume in whey before adding the Splenda, whipping the stuff and putting it in the jars that came with the yogurt maker.
Then I decided the little yogurt maker didn't make enough yogurt in one batch, so I started looking around for a way to make bigger batches. At about that time, I had also taken an interest in sous vide cooking, but you have to maintain precise temperatures in that process, and the sous vide machines are therefore much more expensive that I could justify spending. Figuring I could make something myself, I checked into various temperature controllers but didn't find any that I thought had a suitable combination of price and precision. Eventually, I found a number of sites where people had used an inexpensive PID temperature controller to achieve the temperature aims of sous vide cooking, and found the PID temperature controller they'd been using at Amazon. I figured I'd take a chance on the thing, and ordered the controller, a thermocouple and a solid-state relay plus a heat sink for it (probably not needed for this small a load).
I have not yet done anything with the sous vide cooking idea, but wound up using the controller to make a yogurt incubator large enough for bigger batches. It's really crude, but it works like a champ. Here are a few pictures.
I did say "crude". That's a cardboard banker's box, a computer fan, some duct tape and a 100 watt halogen light bulb.
The round piece of wood shown below is just something I had laying around on which to mount the power strip and other pieces of this precision, custom-made incubator. The power strip supplies electricity to both the PID controller and to the heater (light bulb). The controller (black box at the right) provides a voltage signal to the solid-state relay (light colored box with the red light on it), which, in turn, operates the light bulb. The thermocouple (that tells the controller what the actual temperature is) is sticking into the box through a hole in the cover, which you can see in the upper right-hand corner of the cardboard box.
Here's a similar view showing the face of the controller. I did say "crude" didn't I?
The thing in the lower right of the picture above is just a switch to isolate the light bulb from the solid-state relay. I don't think it's necessary, but it's harmless enough, and might be a good place to put a temperature limiting safety device of some sort. Nothing wrong with belt and suspenders.
Here's how I make the yogurt. Greek style yogurt, which, as far as I can tell, simply means that you drain off more of the whey.
I dump a gallon of milk into a stainless steel pot and heat it to a boil, stirring constantly. The recipes I see all call for heating the milk to 180 degrees Fahrenheit, but for some reason I decided to boil the milk. Works fine.
I cool the boiled milk in a water bath until the temperature drops to about 115 or 120 degrees. No hotter or I might kill the yogurt culture. Maybe not, I don't know, the whole process seems very forgiving.
I mix in some yogurt from the previous batch as a starter to introduce the bacteria that do the actual work. It doesn't much matter how much starter goes in. Thoroughly stir in the starter and stick the covered pot into the incubator, with the controller set to 115 degrees. Like this:
I usually let it incubate for about 12 hours at 115 degrees F, then drain off about a quart and a half of whey, add a cup and a half of granulated Splenda (or the generic equivalent), whip it, whip it good, pour it into suitable individual containers and into the fridge.
As I already mentioned, the whole process is pretty forgiving and open to experimentation. I made one small batch with some sugar-free smooth orange-flavored Metamucil mixed in at the last minute. Turned out pretty good, actually, although my wife won't eat it. It thickened up the yogurt a bit more than it would be on its own, and it tasted OK. One time I added some vanilla extract, which was OK but my wife didn't like it. She, like I, has never been a yogurt eater, but she likes the stuff I make as long as I don't fiddle with it beyond the Splenda.
I've found the easiest way to drain off the proper amount of whey is to dump the stuff just out of the incubator into a large-enough container lined with sack cloth, or some other light fabric such as a large handkerchief (wash it first!), then hang the yogurt in the cloth over the dish until sufficient whey (about one third of the total volume), has drained off. At that point, take the curds from the sack cloth to a dish, add the Splenda (or whatever you like), and whip it. Whip it good.
Fun activity, cheaper than store bought and just as good if not better. Now if I could find a good use for the whey...
Some final thoughts...
- Incandescent light bulbs are not intended to be cycled on and off continuously, and I've expected this bulb to fail for a long time. It keeps on working, though, which may be because the controller cycles it quickly enough to avoid the worst of the thermal shock. Obviously there is a great temperature difference between incandescence and dark, but at least the filament doesn't get cold during the off portion of the duty cycle. Some of the unexpected longevity is probably because I used a halogen bulb, in which tungsten that boils off of the incandescent filament is mostly re-deposited on that filament instead of on the bulb's glass (or so I understand). Eventually, though, a different heater is probably in order.
- A cardboard box is probably not the safest thing to use for this purpose. It's safe enough, but one of these days I'll find something more suitable.
- The controller, solid state relay and such should probably be enclosed. As it is, there's no shock hazard (well, not much), but UL certainly wouldn't approve what I've done. I'll do something about that eventually.
- I learned today that if the thermocouple comes out of the box, it's going to get quite a bit hotter than intended inside the incubator. That won't happen again.
- Learning to use the PID temperature controller actually required reading the manual, and reading the correct manual.
Sunday, May 27, 2012
To Wash or Not Wash Old Slides
My sister sent me some old negatives and slides to scan. These slides and negatives date back as far as the 1940's, and some of them are in pretty bad shape, contaminated with dust and mold.
The obvious question was whether or not I should wash the more valuable negatives and slides in order to improve the picture, or simply rely on the scanner software to do what it can to reduce the effects of age.
I selected one slide that probably dated back to the early 1950's, but with a quite common image less likely to be missed if I destroyed it. I removed it from its cardboard frame and washed it with warm water and some dilute dish soap, rubbing it gently on both sides with my fingers for a few seconds. Then I rinsed the slide thoroughly in warm, running water, and followed that up with a drenching spray of distilled water on both sides, then hung it up to dry.
I did not destroy the image, but I did have to use tape to fasten the slide to the remnants of the old cardboard frame in order to get the PC's scanner driver to recognize the image for some reason. (The scanner's driver worked fine, and is the better choice anyway, I've learned).
Here's an animated GIF of before and after the wash (click on it to see its full width, and sorry for the jumpiness between images). I think it was worth washing the slide, although I don't know how well the scanner's driver would have done cleaning up the unwashed slide in software. I'll have to make that comparison with another "less-precious" slide.
It seems there are a few spots that appeared after the wash, but all in all I think it worked.
I've since read that one should not use the method I used because, apparently, water is bad for some film emulsions (no harm done here, apparently). The recommended methods include a light swipe with a soft cloth and alcohol, or special cleaning fluid one can buy. I picked up a bottle of 91% isopropyl alcohol at Walgreen's and will try that next. (The liquor section had a stock of 190 proof Everclear, which is 95% alcohol, but it cost much, much more than the non-drinking stuff.)
I already mentioned that the two scans in the animated GIF above were made using the PC's scanner driver (because I had not realized that you have to fill a checkbox in the software for it to use the scanner's drivers). I'll try to make the next test, wash-don't-wash-with-alcohol, a little better and more complete.
My conclusion, so far, is that washing a precious slide that's been contaminated with dust and damaged by mildew can be worthwhile, but it's too much trouble to do routinely. I should probably mention that the scanner I'm using is a Canon CanoScan 8800F. Here's a review if you're interested. I'm not competent to recommend once scanner over another, but I like this Canon. It's done a fine job for me.
I should also mention that the image above was taken at my Grandparents farm, Finca San Rafael, on the outskirts of Guatemala City, where I did some of my growing up. It was a beautiful place, and I was extremely fortunate to live there for some of my formative years, but now it's all bulldozed and subdivided.
Out.
The obvious question was whether or not I should wash the more valuable negatives and slides in order to improve the picture, or simply rely on the scanner software to do what it can to reduce the effects of age.
I selected one slide that probably dated back to the early 1950's, but with a quite common image less likely to be missed if I destroyed it. I removed it from its cardboard frame and washed it with warm water and some dilute dish soap, rubbing it gently on both sides with my fingers for a few seconds. Then I rinsed the slide thoroughly in warm, running water, and followed that up with a drenching spray of distilled water on both sides, then hung it up to dry.
I did not destroy the image, but I did have to use tape to fasten the slide to the remnants of the old cardboard frame in order to get the PC's scanner driver to recognize the image for some reason. (The scanner's driver worked fine, and is the better choice anyway, I've learned).
Here's an animated GIF of before and after the wash (click on it to see its full width, and sorry for the jumpiness between images). I think it was worth washing the slide, although I don't know how well the scanner's driver would have done cleaning up the unwashed slide in software. I'll have to make that comparison with another "less-precious" slide.
It seems there are a few spots that appeared after the wash, but all in all I think it worked.
I've since read that one should not use the method I used because, apparently, water is bad for some film emulsions (no harm done here, apparently). The recommended methods include a light swipe with a soft cloth and alcohol, or special cleaning fluid one can buy. I picked up a bottle of 91% isopropyl alcohol at Walgreen's and will try that next. (The liquor section had a stock of 190 proof Everclear, which is 95% alcohol, but it cost much, much more than the non-drinking stuff.)
I already mentioned that the two scans in the animated GIF above were made using the PC's scanner driver (because I had not realized that you have to fill a checkbox in the software for it to use the scanner's drivers). I'll try to make the next test, wash-don't-wash-with-alcohol, a little better and more complete.
My conclusion, so far, is that washing a precious slide that's been contaminated with dust and damaged by mildew can be worthwhile, but it's too much trouble to do routinely. I should probably mention that the scanner I'm using is a Canon CanoScan 8800F. Here's a review if you're interested. I'm not competent to recommend once scanner over another, but I like this Canon. It's done a fine job for me.
I should also mention that the image above was taken at my Grandparents farm, Finca San Rafael, on the outskirts of Guatemala City, where I did some of my growing up. It was a beautiful place, and I was extremely fortunate to live there for some of my formative years, but now it's all bulldozed and subdivided.
Out.
Saturday, May 19, 2012
Well, this is kind of roundabout.
This morning I pearled an article I thought was relevant to bitcoin, and then G+'ed it from PearlTrees. Since it's already on Google+, why put it all here on Blogger? Here.
Damn! Next thing you know I'll be tweeting!
Naaaa...
This morning I pearled an article I thought was relevant to bitcoin, and then G+'ed it from PearlTrees. Since it's already on Google+, why put it all here on Blogger? Here.
Damn! Next thing you know I'll be tweeting!
Naaaa...
Saturday, April 28, 2012
Change the Same
It shouldn't come as any surprise that the White House would come out with loads of steaming dung in response to some of the most popular petitions on their We The People site, those having to do with cannabis. Check it out.
On the other hand, how could they respond otherwise in an election year, or even during a first term dominated by serious issues and partisan, win-at-any-cost opposition? Maybe, just maybe, something can be done during the second term of an Obama administration, but I'm not holding my breath.
It's completely clear that Federal drugs policy is a failure when viewed from stated aims. It is equally clear that Federal drugs policies serve special interests very well, and the public interest not at all. Civil liberties and respect for law give way to profiteering and corruption.
Possibly the most damaging aspect of Federal drugs policy is the undermining of respect for the law. The term "scofflaw"came about during the first Prohibition that so greatly increased their numbers in society. Now, Prohibition 2 accelerates the effect because when the law in an ass, people treat it accordingly.
When I try to look ahead, I'm afraid I see present trends continuing, with the result that a few years from now we'll see Prohibition continuing to facilitate all kinds of corruption, diminution of civil liberties, violence and cynicism, while becoming even more important economically. How can it be otherwise?
So our concern about marijuana is based on what the science tells us about the drug's effects.Oh, please!
On the other hand, how could they respond otherwise in an election year, or even during a first term dominated by serious issues and partisan, win-at-any-cost opposition? Maybe, just maybe, something can be done during the second term of an Obama administration, but I'm not holding my breath.
It's completely clear that Federal drugs policy is a failure when viewed from stated aims. It is equally clear that Federal drugs policies serve special interests very well, and the public interest not at all. Civil liberties and respect for law give way to profiteering and corruption.
Possibly the most damaging aspect of Federal drugs policy is the undermining of respect for the law. The term "scofflaw"came about during the first Prohibition that so greatly increased their numbers in society. Now, Prohibition 2 accelerates the effect because when the law in an ass, people treat it accordingly.
When I try to look ahead, I'm afraid I see present trends continuing, with the result that a few years from now we'll see Prohibition continuing to facilitate all kinds of corruption, diminution of civil liberties, violence and cynicism, while becoming even more important economically. How can it be otherwise?
Friday, April 20, 2012
Not Wil Cardon for Senate
I received an email from Wil Cardon (at) politicalmediainc dot com.
Dear Fellow Conservatives, it began. It went on say why I should support him for Senate and not Congressman Jeff Flake, to whom he refers as Mr. Amnesty. (Strike 1)
The email was, essentially, an appeal for money ("$1000, $500, $250, $100 or even $25") wrapped up in an anti-Jeff Flake message. Jeff Flake, Republican Congressman from Arizona, is a conservative who gets some points from me for being strong on earmarks, but when Cardon writes that the election doesn't belong to "liberals like Barack Obama or Jeff Flake", Mr. Flake either laughs out loud or considers it blood libel. Probably the former. Jeff Flake, liberal? That's over the top.
The email doesn't say much, so on to Mr. Cardon's web site, will cardon dot com.
Standard stuff. Red, white and blue theme, with some orange thrown in for Arizona. Scrolling banner at the top. First scrolling banner says "Tell Jeff Flake to sign the Arizona First Pledge." Strike 2.
Enough on the banners. Standard right-wing political stuff. On to the "Issues" link.
Jobs & Economy. Secure the Border. Size and Role of Government. Healthcare/Repeal Obamacare. Unsurprising right-wing stuff.
Arizona Values. Family values. Uh-oh...
...father of five young children... I'm sure his five young children are in good hands, but Strike 2.5. Dude's part of the problem. That it's five and not one or two children plainly illustrates that Cardon is oblivious to the root cause of the globe's ever-sorrier state.
Social conservative. Pro-life. Supports pro-family policies. From conception to death. Strike 2.75. I take that to mean he's a "my way or else" religious nut.
Gun Rights. OK, me too.
Energy Independence. Drill baby drill. Remove EPA regulations. Strike 2.8.
Defense & Foreign Policy. Should not balance the budget on the backs of our armed forces. War on Terror. Blah blah blah. Nothing to indicate substance.
Keeping our Commitment to Veterans. Yes, good, me too.
Maybe, just maybe, Mr. Cardon is really a brilliant guy with a deep understanding of the big (really big) picture. Maybe this political claptrap is just one of the things you have to do to reach office in this country, and he's holding his nose while doing it. Doesn't seem likely, though. Strike 3.
Sorry Mr. Cardon, but no thanks.
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Instruments of Interstate Commerce
The story is about the first application of federal hate-crime law.
It's an unpleasant story about a bunch of, um, people, some of whom lured another such (who happened to be gay) on a mission to obtain drugs, but which wound up with the gay victim being beaten, apparently with the intent of killing him.
Somehow, during a lull in the beating, the gay victim got away. The attackers were arrested, and two women among them decided to plead guilty in an arrangement to aid in the prosecution of two men who did the actual beating. Something like that.
I agree that you have to try to deal with scumbags somehow, and that hate-crimes warrant special consideration, but there's something deeply wrong with this part:
Prosecutors said the attack on Pennington qualified for federal jurisdiction because Jason and Anthony Jenkins used instruments of interstate commerce in committing the alleged crime.Those instruments were a Chevrolet Silverado truck and U.S. 119, a federal road.
Commerce Clause? That thing needs to be rolled way back. By this interpretation, absolutely anything falls under federal jurisdiction.
Then again, I'm not a lawyuh. What do I know?
Saturday, April 14, 2012
Search Engine Optimizer Spam
I found this in my inbox today:
Jen Rhee rheester88@gmail.com via mailingcomplex.com7:47 PM (12 hours ago)...Hi Steve,I came across your site while searching for blogs and posts about Mexican drug cartels. That said, I wanted to reach out to see if you'd like to view a graphic that my team and I created which illustrates the benefits of marijuana legalization. Would you be interested in taking a look?I'd love to get your readers' feedback as well as yours!Thanks,Jen R.
"... gmail.com via mailingcomplex.com"? Hmmm...
This approach is a little classier than posting a vacuous comment containing a string of periods, each of which is a variant of a link to one or more websites, but no thanks.
Sneakiness is off-putting, Jen. Next time, try an honest appeal. Maybe something like, "Hi, I'm trying to boost the search engine rankings of a web site. In order that you receive some value from my intrusion, I've put a nice infographic there which, given the posts on your blog about marijuana legalization, I think you'll enjoy. Please check it out and, if you like it, feel free to link to the infographic."
You might also include a link directly to the infographic rather than, by omission, asking me to reply to you. Why would I want to do that?
Bye Jen.
Saturday, January 21, 2012
Rand Paul, the National Pro-Life Alliance and the Life at Conception Act
The other day, Rand Paul, Republican Senator from Kentucky, sent me an email. I know it was from Senator Paul because it said so, right there at the top.
"Dear Friend," he writes in the National Pro-Life Alliance's fundraising email pushing the Life at Conception Act.
"Dear Friend," he writes in the National Pro-Life Alliance's fundraising email pushing the Life at Conception Act.
Well, Dear Rand Paul and National Pro-Life Alliance:
The Life at Conception Act is a simple-minded and sectarian declaration reflecting a simple-minded religious outlook on a complex and divisive subject, and it will be resisted vigorously by those upon whom you pretend to foist it.
The Life at Conception Act says, with brevity matching substance, "... Congress hereby declares that the right to life guaranteed by the Constitution is vested in each human being. However, nothing in this Act shall be construed to require the prosecution of any woman for the death of her unborn child."
A Constitutional guarantee without a requirement for enforcement isn't a guarantee at all. It's a fraud, a lie.
The Act goes on, "For purposes of this Act:
(1) HUMAN PERSON; HUMAN BEING- The terms ‘human person’ and ‘human being’ include each and every member of the species homo sapiens at all stages of life, including the moment of fertilization, cloning, or other moment at which an individual member of the human species comes into being."
No. It's not like that. Declaring it so doesn't make it so, and your insistence is alienating.
Don't push your religion on the unwilling. You risk a backlash. Convert the unwilling if you can, but don't use the power of the State in a vacuous power play like the Life at Conception Act. Have some respect!
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
So be it...
Just checking out the "send to blogger" link in Google Reader.
The particular article that I'm "sending to blogger" (assuming it shows up here) resonates with me, but not enough to overcome the sort of resignation expressed in the second comment to the article at The Nation.
"So be it..."
Update: Well, the article didn't show up (problem between chair and screen).
Saturday, September 10, 2011
Subverse!
The news update on Bitcoin that Google so graciously serves up to me every day brings with it some interesting stuff from time to time. Subverse!
Today it was The Natives are REALLY Pissed!!!
I wasn't quite sure what to make of it. Subverse!
This comes on the heels of some right-wing horseshit that hit my spam box yesterday. It claimed that radical leftistas in the USA were planning something like the rioting that occurred recently in London and elsewhere over there. They wanted me to sign a petition and send in some money and call my congressperson and so on. Red white and blue. Sarah, Rick, Michele, God, Jesus and Our Tea Party Way Of Life.
Subverse!
Well, I didn't have much sympathy for the British rioters. It's actually more like, fuck 'em. Same for masked anarchist window breakers at economic summits. I'm not temperamentally disposed to such things. Fuck 'em!As I get older, though, it seems my disdain for such things is diminishing.
Less "fuck 'em", more "Hmmm..."
Subverse!
I can't quarrel too much with the following quote presumably from anonymous (whoever that is):
Well, I was young once, too. Then I started to get old, then I became resigned, and then, as the old song goes, "I'm younger than that now."
Subverse! Nice meme. I'd have Flattr'd you if I'd found the button. Instead, check this out about the London thing and Fight Club. You might like it.
OK, I'm done. Peace.
Today it was The Natives are REALLY Pissed!!!
I wasn't quite sure what to make of it. Subverse!
This comes on the heels of some right-wing horseshit that hit my spam box yesterday. It claimed that radical leftistas in the USA were planning something like the rioting that occurred recently in London and elsewhere over there. They wanted me to sign a petition and send in some money and call my congressperson and so on. Red white and blue. Sarah, Rick, Michele, God, Jesus and Our Tea Party Way Of Life.
Subverse!
Well, I didn't have much sympathy for the British rioters. It's actually more like, fuck 'em. Same for masked anarchist window breakers at economic summits. I'm not temperamentally disposed to such things. Fuck 'em!As I get older, though, it seems my disdain for such things is diminishing.
Less "fuck 'em", more "Hmmm..."
Subverse!
I can't quarrel too much with the following quote presumably from anonymous (whoever that is):
Many of us are scared and angry. We see that your money systems are imploding, and that your governments are growing more corrupt and oppressive every day.
Your political systems offer us nothing but false dichotomies. Every month, we see new half-cocked legislation targeting our lulz. When our brothers simply vandalize a website, you try to put them in cages for decades, crying“cybercrime” and “domestic terrorism.”
This is confusing, because we are in the right. You’re punishing us for simply voicing our displeasure, for saying that we aren’t satisfied with the status quo.
We see your control slipping. In 2009 Uncle Sam spent a third of ‘our tax dollars’ paying down the INTEREST on his credit card bill [1]. Most of those dollars go to the banks who own the Fed.
And for the cost of a couple wars, you could have converted all our cars to sustainable alcohol fuel and built another space station to boot.
But you don’t want that. You can’t exist without the archaic institutions that you have built, like the oil and war industries, the prison-industrial complex, America’s state education system, and centrally controlled money systems. If you allowed free markets to exist, you would be bankrupted by competition. You are parasites on the backs of the human race.
Tools like Bitcoin, gpg and darknets allow us to escape your control systems. We’re going to trade, work, and live without playing your silly games and you can’t do a thing about it.
Know that you can’t silence us and you can’t scare us. We’re not going to fight you, because you have guns with psychopaths behind them. Instead, we are subverting you.
We’re building our own systems to replace yours.
They’re better systems, with blackjack and hookers. And every time someone chooses our systems over yours, your power wanes another tick. We won’t stop until you’ve become the Powers that Were.
-anonymousHmmm... I'm way past these guys. They still have hope. I think the modern tools they are so expert with may have distorted their forward vision. Do they really think that they can build a system to replace the the one they are so pissed off at? Do they really think that Bitcoin, gpg and other such brilliant stuff, coming from genius though it does, are silver bullets? Do they think this stuff will still be available after the shit has hit the fan?
Well, I was young once, too. Then I started to get old, then I became resigned, and then, as the old song goes, "I'm younger than that now."
Subverse! Nice meme. I'd have Flattr'd you if I'd found the button. Instead, check this out about the London thing and Fight Club. You might like it.
OK, I'm done. Peace.
Tuesday, September 06, 2011
Cheney: US different if Hillary Clinton president
Hillary Rodham Clinton isn't president, but Dick Cheney says that if she were in the White House rather than Barack Obama, then things might be different today in the country.
Yes, because the Republicans would have worked so much better with a white woman than a black man.
I wonder how much difference it would have made to the country had President Cheney not been at the helm for so long?
Saturday, August 20, 2011
"Aliens Could Attack Earth to End Global Warming, NASA Scientist Frets"
The Fox News headline characterizes this study, the report of which is entitled, "Would Contact with Extraterrestrials Benefit or Harm Humanity? A Scenario Analysis", with the following headline:
Aliens Could Attack Earth to End Global Warming, NASA Scientist Frets
Aliens Could Attack Earth to End Global Warming, NASA Scientist Frets
NASA Scientist *Frets*!?
Sure enough, Al Gore was mentioned derisively by one of the first commenters, whose chorus is along the lines of "global warming is a hoax". The story has generated over 1200 comments as I type, approximately all of them (based on what limited sampling I could stomach) having dutifully swallowed the spin so quickly they must have felt a violent wrenching sensation in the gut.
Oh, well...
Monday, July 25, 2011
More Power to Bob Fletcher
...
Bob Fletcher – who officially turns 100 on Tuesday – didn't see combat in World War II. But he was shot at for being a Japanese sympathizer when he quit his job to save three local Japanese American farms whose owners were sent to internment camps.
...
Bob Fletcher – who officially turns 100 on Tuesday – didn't see combat in World War II. But he was shot at for being a Japanese sympathizer when he quit his job to save three local Japanese American farms whose owners were sent to internment camps.
...
Sunday, July 24, 2011
One Monster's Favorites
This is some of the music that Andrew Berwick, aka Anders Behring Breivik, particularly admires. He recommends some nationalist themed songs from a band called Saga (and some other stuff that doesn't ring my bell).
The Saga singer has a nice voice, and on their face I kind of like the songs. The lyrics are unusual, but were I to hear them out of the blue I wouldn't take much note of them. They certainly wouldn't inspire me to nationalist violence, or even to nationalism (one of humanity's illnesses). But then, I prefer this sort of thing: With God On Our Side and The Band Played Waltzing Matilda. As for the non-Saga stuff Breivik recommends, it's not my cup of tea at all.
In his Manifesto he wrote of Saga:
One Nation Arise
Breivik continues:
The music stuff above starts in page 848, and there's an eye-catching section entitled "There are no atheists in foxholes" starting on page 1344, in which he discusses the value of pragmatic prayer (prayer by even an atheist in the heat of battle for it's calming power).
Whatever dude. You should have smoked some pot instead of whatever toxic shit you ingested.
The Saga singer has a nice voice, and on their face I kind of like the songs. The lyrics are unusual, but were I to hear them out of the blue I wouldn't take much note of them. They certainly wouldn't inspire me to nationalist violence, or even to nationalism (one of humanity's illnesses). But then, I prefer this sort of thing: With God On Our Side and The Band Played Waltzing Matilda. As for the non-Saga stuff Breivik recommends, it's not my cup of tea at all.
In his Manifesto he wrote of Saga:
I will now show you several music tracks you should acquire as soon as possible which are ideal for the purpose of maintaining a high level of motivation and confidence:
Motivational music tracks, artist: Saga
Saga is a courageous, Swedish, female nationalist-oriented musician who creates pop-music with patriotic texts. She is, as far as I know, the best and most talented patriotic musician in the English speaking world. And for those of you, like myself, who hates "metal", Saga is one of the few sources available that offers quality patriotic pop-music with brilliant texts. Most of the tracks are in English and some are in Swedish.
Marxist and multiculturalist character-assassins will claim that Saga is an evil, national-socialist monsterband from hell, due to her success. However, this characteristic couldn't be anywhere further from the truth. Although the environment surrounding Saga, the former NSF – National Sosialistisk Forening (a former Swedish Indigenous Rights Movement demonised as "evil Nazi monsters"), used to be self-proclaimed national socialists; it has become evident that most of them now has embraced a more national conservative ideological denomination of conservatism, very similar to that of Knights Templar Europe. Saga has created several pop-tracks with nationalist-oriented texts that will appeal to all conservatives, and especially revolutionary conservatives of all conservative ideological denominations.
Saga has the credibility to use the texts presented vocally as she has been a Swedish and European conservative resistance fighter for more than 10 years, working for the political and cultural interests of Sweden and the interests of all Swedes, Scandinavians and Europeans. Saga and similar patriotic heroes and heroines of Scandinavia, who unlike individuals like myself who has yet to come out of the "revolutionary conservative closet", has had to face political persecution and demonisation for years. Yet they continue their brave struggle to prevent the demographical and cultural genocide of the Scandinavian and European tribes. Instead of "physical" revolutionary or democratic resistance, she fights through her music by inspiring the best in us.
I discovered Sagas music relatively late, in 2008, but have enjoyed it ever since. I have listened to many of the tracks several hundred times and I don't seem to get tired of them. I would HIGHLY recommend that all Justiciar Knights of Europe and other revolutionary conservatives use these tracks for self-motivating purposes. Don't just listen to the tracks but learn the texts as well. It has worked brilliantly for me and it will likely work just as well for you. However, "soon-to-become conservative martyrs" should be careful when acquiring the tracks (use anonymizer software and take other necessary precautions) as it is likely that the distribution of the music is monitored by the Swedish intelligence agency, under directive of the Swedish multiculturalist regime.
So here are the Saga songs Breivik recommends:Motivational music tracks, artist: Saga
Saga is a courageous, Swedish, female nationalist-oriented musician who creates pop-music with patriotic texts. She is, as far as I know, the best and most talented patriotic musician in the English speaking world. And for those of you, like myself, who hates "metal", Saga is one of the few sources available that offers quality patriotic pop-music with brilliant texts. Most of the tracks are in English and some are in Swedish.
Marxist and multiculturalist character-assassins will claim that Saga is an evil, national-socialist monsterband from hell, due to her success. However, this characteristic couldn't be anywhere further from the truth. Although the environment surrounding Saga, the former NSF – National Sosialistisk Forening (a former Swedish Indigenous Rights Movement demonised as "evil Nazi monsters"), used to be self-proclaimed national socialists; it has become evident that most of them now has embraced a more national conservative ideological denomination of conservatism, very similar to that of Knights Templar Europe. Saga has created several pop-tracks with nationalist-oriented texts that will appeal to all conservatives, and especially revolutionary conservatives of all conservative ideological denominations.
Saga has the credibility to use the texts presented vocally as she has been a Swedish and European conservative resistance fighter for more than 10 years, working for the political and cultural interests of Sweden and the interests of all Swedes, Scandinavians and Europeans. Saga and similar patriotic heroes and heroines of Scandinavia, who unlike individuals like myself who has yet to come out of the "revolutionary conservative closet", has had to face political persecution and demonisation for years. Yet they continue their brave struggle to prevent the demographical and cultural genocide of the Scandinavian and European tribes. Instead of "physical" revolutionary or democratic resistance, she fights through her music by inspiring the best in us.
I discovered Sagas music relatively late, in 2008, but have enjoyed it ever since. I have listened to many of the tracks several hundred times and I don't seem to get tired of them. I would HIGHLY recommend that all Justiciar Knights of Europe and other revolutionary conservatives use these tracks for self-motivating purposes. Don't just listen to the tracks but learn the texts as well. It has worked brilliantly for me and it will likely work just as well for you. However, "soon-to-become conservative martyrs" should be careful when acquiring the tracks (use anonymizer software and take other necessary precautions) as it is likely that the distribution of the music is monitored by the Swedish intelligence agency, under directive of the Swedish multiculturalist regime.
One Nation Arise
Life is a struggle in these changing times
Thoughts once natural are now classed as hate crimes
Those now in power, they fear no one but one
A man with open eyes and a sober mind so strong
It's been said before, but still we do not heed
To free the enslaved minds of the sleeping mass
we must cast away the yokes, ignore status and class
Barriers were built to make us forget blood ties
And now we aren't as one, and egos benefits on lies
It's been said before, but still we do not heed
Folk and Nation first, and blood - not personal greed
And it's been said before, but still we do not heed
Free your enslaved minds and open up your eyes and see
The strength of your people, one Nation arise!
It is good versus evil, it's the eternal fight
To overcome the darkness we must spreed the light
It's been said before, but still we do not heed
Folk and nation first, and blood - not personal greed
And it's been said before, but still we do not heed
Free your enslaved minds and open up your eyes and see
The strength of your people, one nation arise!
Hypocrite Thoughts once natural are now classed as hate crimes
Those now in power, they fear no one but one
A man with open eyes and a sober mind so strong
It's been said before, but still we do not heed
To free the enslaved minds of the sleeping mass
we must cast away the yokes, ignore status and class
Barriers were built to make us forget blood ties
And now we aren't as one, and egos benefits on lies
It's been said before, but still we do not heed
Folk and Nation first, and blood - not personal greed
And it's been said before, but still we do not heed
Free your enslaved minds and open up your eyes and see
The strength of your people, one Nation arise!
It is good versus evil, it's the eternal fight
To overcome the darkness we must spreed the light
It's been said before, but still we do not heed
Folk and nation first, and blood - not personal greed
And it's been said before, but still we do not heed
Free your enslaved minds and open up your eyes and see
The strength of your people, one nation arise!
Too many people spend their time
spreading gossips and complaints
they seek someone to hang
they seek someone to blame
In their search for a scapegoat they forgot to look in the mirror
apathy of weak people is what caused this daily horror
You're the one - the one to blame, oho
People like you - cause us pain, oho
You're the one - the one to blame, oho
Start to act - but use your brain
Use your brain, now
People like you who haven't got
the guts to stand up for your views
you forget the simple fact
it's people like you who makes us loose
You complain about the politicians
but still you vote them in
you've lost your soul
you coward to sell your pride is a sin
You're the one - the one to blame, oho
People like you - cause us pain, oho
You're the one - the one to blame, oho
Start to act - but use your brain
Use your brain, oho
Use your brain
You complain about the immigration
you really make me sick
it was your vote that opened the border
you filthy hypocrite
You say one thing but do another
just how weak can one man be
You're the reason for our misery
so blame yourself and don't blame me
You're the one - the one to blame, oho
People like you - cause us pain, oho
You're the one - the one to blame, oho
Start to act - but use your brain
Use your brain, oho
You're the one - the one to blame, oho
People like you - cause us pain, oho
You're the one - the one to blame, oho
Start to act - but use your brain
Use your brain, now
Black Bannered Legion spreading gossips and complaints
they seek someone to hang
they seek someone to blame
In their search for a scapegoat they forgot to look in the mirror
apathy of weak people is what caused this daily horror
You're the one - the one to blame, oho
People like you - cause us pain, oho
You're the one - the one to blame, oho
Start to act - but use your brain
Use your brain, now
People like you who haven't got
the guts to stand up for your views
you forget the simple fact
it's people like you who makes us loose
You complain about the politicians
but still you vote them in
you've lost your soul
you coward to sell your pride is a sin
You're the one - the one to blame, oho
People like you - cause us pain, oho
You're the one - the one to blame, oho
Start to act - but use your brain
Use your brain, oho
Use your brain
You complain about the immigration
you really make me sick
it was your vote that opened the border
you filthy hypocrite
You say one thing but do another
just how weak can one man be
You're the reason for our misery
so blame yourself and don't blame me
You're the one - the one to blame, oho
People like you - cause us pain, oho
You're the one - the one to blame, oho
Start to act - but use your brain
Use your brain, oho
You're the one - the one to blame, oho
People like you - cause us pain, oho
You're the one - the one to blame, oho
Start to act - but use your brain
Use your brain, now
Raise the flag of solid black
to keep the memory alive
Of black clad legions
who fought and died for our folk in '45
Black is the colour of mourming for the martyrs of Vinland too
Matthew and Kirk and Singer and Rockwell and Kahl stood true
Raise the flag of destiny
as black as the wing of a raven
And change it not nor raise another
'til we have a folkish haven
Raise the flag of destiny
the flag of destiny
Black is the colour of midnight which
the tyrant shall learn to dread
As we honour fallen martyrs with steal and fire and led
The ancient Aryan Symbol is also drawn in black
so underneath that colour
we will take our Nations back
Raise the flag of destiny
as black as the wing of a raven
And change it not nor raise another
'til we have a folkish haven
Raise the flag of destiny
And when we have that land of our own
then on that holy ground
we'll plant our flag of raven black
upon a scared mound
Raise the flag of destiny
as black as the wing of a raven
And change it not nor raise another
'til we have a folkish haven
Raise the flag of destiny
Raise the flag of destiny
as black as the wing of a raven
And change it not nor raise another
'til we have a folkish haven
Raise the flag of destiny
Ode To A Dying People (he says it's the most popular track on Saga's album On My Own) to keep the memory alive
Of black clad legions
who fought and died for our folk in '45
Black is the colour of mourming for the martyrs of Vinland too
Matthew and Kirk and Singer and Rockwell and Kahl stood true
Raise the flag of destiny
as black as the wing of a raven
And change it not nor raise another
'til we have a folkish haven
Raise the flag of destiny
the flag of destiny
Black is the colour of midnight which
the tyrant shall learn to dread
As we honour fallen martyrs with steal and fire and led
The ancient Aryan Symbol is also drawn in black
so underneath that colour
we will take our Nations back
Raise the flag of destiny
as black as the wing of a raven
And change it not nor raise another
'til we have a folkish haven
Raise the flag of destiny
And when we have that land of our own
then on that holy ground
we'll plant our flag of raven black
upon a scared mound
Raise the flag of destiny
as black as the wing of a raven
And change it not nor raise another
'til we have a folkish haven
Raise the flag of destiny
Raise the flag of destiny
as black as the wing of a raven
And change it not nor raise another
'til we have a folkish haven
Raise the flag of destiny
Eyes shining bright with unspilt tears,
Thinking about all these wasted years.
Everything worth living for is gone,
Brother, i find it hard to keep fighting on.
Falling down towards the abyss,
The reaper embraces me with his kiss;
It makes me want to refuse to care,
To watch this all unfold - too much to bear.
If this is the way it ends -
If this is the way my race ends . . .
If this is the way it ends - i can't bear to witness
Disease encroaching on all i hold dear,
Somehow i gotta get my soul outta here.
Heart of agony, faint burning hope,
I'm finding it hard to try to cope . . .
Because liars own the world with conquering poise,
In a wasteland of meaningless noise;
We don't stand a chance with dormant pride,
The heroes of our race have already died . . .
If this is the way it ends - if this is the way my race ends. . .
If this is the way it ends - i can't bear to witness . . .
To imagine it has all come down to this,
Apathy and suicidal bliss . . .
It's all over except for the cryin',
With a whimper instead of the roar of a lion . . .
The greatest race to ever walk the earth,
Dying a slow death with insane mirth,
The tomb has been prepared, our race betrayed,
White man, fight the flight towards the grave . . .
If this is the way it ends - if this is the way my race ends . . .
If this is the way it ends - i can't bear to witness . . .
If this is the way it ends - if this is the way my race ends . . .
If this is the way it ends - i can't bear to witness . . .
Don't let it end this way,
Don't let it end this way,
Don't let it end this way, i can't bear to witness . . .
The Nation's Fate Thinking about all these wasted years.
Everything worth living for is gone,
Brother, i find it hard to keep fighting on.
Falling down towards the abyss,
The reaper embraces me with his kiss;
It makes me want to refuse to care,
To watch this all unfold - too much to bear.
If this is the way it ends -
If this is the way my race ends . . .
If this is the way it ends - i can't bear to witness
Disease encroaching on all i hold dear,
Somehow i gotta get my soul outta here.
Heart of agony, faint burning hope,
I'm finding it hard to try to cope . . .
Because liars own the world with conquering poise,
In a wasteland of meaningless noise;
We don't stand a chance with dormant pride,
The heroes of our race have already died . . .
If this is the way it ends - if this is the way my race ends. . .
If this is the way it ends - i can't bear to witness . . .
To imagine it has all come down to this,
Apathy and suicidal bliss . . .
It's all over except for the cryin',
With a whimper instead of the roar of a lion . . .
The greatest race to ever walk the earth,
Dying a slow death with insane mirth,
The tomb has been prepared, our race betrayed,
White man, fight the flight towards the grave . . .
If this is the way it ends - if this is the way my race ends . . .
If this is the way it ends - i can't bear to witness . . .
If this is the way it ends - if this is the way my race ends . . .
If this is the way it ends - i can't bear to witness . . .
Don't let it end this way,
Don't let it end this way,
Don't let it end this way, i can't bear to witness . . .
The best are condemned to useless lives
when chaos regimes and the merchant thrieves
The basest sort then make sport
of those who die with anguished cry
because they told the Nations fate
Gods of the rabble are greed and lust
love and honour turned to dust
Patriots in cages and liars as sages
the tyrants rage in every age
Black is white and evil is good
and nothing pure is understood
Emotions grow cold and the future is sold
the senses are sated and the prophets are hated
because they told the Nations fate
Gods of the rabble are greed and lust
love and honour turned to dust
Patriots in cages and liars as sages
the tyrants rage in every age
The state and the press and the church are a tool
an honest man is labelled a fool
Every man must abase
every kin and every race
Or face the fearsome despots plan
to destroy every man
The whores of merchant pave the road to hell
twisting words to weave a spell
Master deceivers making believers
misleading men with a cunning pen
to hate those who tell the Nations fate
Gods of the rabble are greed and lust
love and honour turned to dust
Patriots in cages and liars as sages
the tyrants rage in every age
Gods of the rabble are greed and lust
love and honour turned to dust
Patriots in cages and liars as sages
the tyrants rage in every age
Tomorrow Belongs To Me when chaos regimes and the merchant thrieves
The basest sort then make sport
of those who die with anguished cry
because they told the Nations fate
Gods of the rabble are greed and lust
love and honour turned to dust
Patriots in cages and liars as sages
the tyrants rage in every age
Black is white and evil is good
and nothing pure is understood
Emotions grow cold and the future is sold
the senses are sated and the prophets are hated
because they told the Nations fate
Gods of the rabble are greed and lust
love and honour turned to dust
Patriots in cages and liars as sages
the tyrants rage in every age
The state and the press and the church are a tool
an honest man is labelled a fool
Every man must abase
every kin and every race
Or face the fearsome despots plan
to destroy every man
The whores of merchant pave the road to hell
twisting words to weave a spell
Master deceivers making believers
misleading men with a cunning pen
to hate those who tell the Nations fate
Gods of the rabble are greed and lust
love and honour turned to dust
Patriots in cages and liars as sages
the tyrants rage in every age
Gods of the rabble are greed and lust
love and honour turned to dust
Patriots in cages and liars as sages
the tyrants rage in every age
The sun on the meadow is summery warm.
The stag in the forest runs free.
But gather together to greet the storm.
Tomorrow belongs to me.
Tomorrow belongs to me.
The branch of the linden is leafy and
Green,
The Rhine gives its gold to the sea.
But somewhere a glory awaits unseen.
Tomorrow belongs to me.
Tomorrow belongs to me.
The babe in his cradle is closing his eyes
The blossom embraces the bee.
But soon, says a whisper;
"Arise, arise,
Tomorrow belongs to me"
Oh Fatherland, Fatherland,
Show us the sign
Your children have waited to see.
The morning will come
When the world is mine.
Tomorrow belongs to me!
The Snow Fell The stag in the forest runs free.
But gather together to greet the storm.
Tomorrow belongs to me.
Tomorrow belongs to me.
The branch of the linden is leafy and
Green,
The Rhine gives its gold to the sea.
But somewhere a glory awaits unseen.
Tomorrow belongs to me.
Tomorrow belongs to me.
The babe in his cradle is closing his eyes
The blossom embraces the bee.
But soon, says a whisper;
"Arise, arise,
Tomorrow belongs to me"
Oh Fatherland, Fatherland,
Show us the sign
Your children have waited to see.
The morning will come
When the world is mine.
Tomorrow belongs to me!
He sat in a room
in a square of the color of blood.
He'd rule the whole world
if there was a way that he could.
He'd sit and he'd stare
at the minreds on top of the towers.
For he was a beast
as he hatched his new plans to gain power.
(chorus)
And the snow fell
covering the dreams and ideals.
And the snow fell
freezing the blood and the wheels.
And the snow fell
they had to keep up for survival.
And the snow fell
defeating the beast's only rival.
They took the old roads
that Napoleon had taken before.
They fought as a force as a light
against the darkness in a holy war.
One day they were looking around
and the sun was shining on the cold flowers.
The next day they were freezing to death
in the sleet and the ice cold showers.
(chorus)
Then came the deadly roads
back from the stairs of their retreat.
The cold racked their bodies
but worse was the pain of defeat.
Many people who had hailed them once
now turned and looked away.
These people now knew
that the beast was on it's way.
(chorus)
You finally came back
to the borders of your fatherland.
Now enemies came
traitors everywhere at hand.
Many people who had fought and died
knowing that they had to win.
It still sickens my heart
to see the picture of the red flag in Berlin.
(chorus)
Breivik lists 5 other tracks in Swedish, and goes on to say he'd limited his list to those he felt were worthy and available.in a square of the color of blood.
He'd rule the whole world
if there was a way that he could.
He'd sit and he'd stare
at the minreds on top of the towers.
For he was a beast
as he hatched his new plans to gain power.
(chorus)
And the snow fell
covering the dreams and ideals.
And the snow fell
freezing the blood and the wheels.
And the snow fell
they had to keep up for survival.
And the snow fell
defeating the beast's only rival.
They took the old roads
that Napoleon had taken before.
They fought as a force as a light
against the darkness in a holy war.
One day they were looking around
and the sun was shining on the cold flowers.
The next day they were freezing to death
in the sleet and the ice cold showers.
(chorus)
Then came the deadly roads
back from the stairs of their retreat.
The cold racked their bodies
but worse was the pain of defeat.
Many people who had hailed them once
now turned and looked away.
These people now knew
that the beast was on it's way.
(chorus)
You finally came back
to the borders of your fatherland.
Now enemies came
traitors everywhere at hand.
Many people who had fought and died
knowing that they had to win.
It still sickens my heart
to see the picture of the red flag in Berlin.
(chorus)
Breivik continues:
Other artists:
Lux Aeterna by the English composer and musician Clint Mansell
Comment: I love this work. Lux Aeterna means "eternal light" and it really is an appropriate title. I've listened to this track several hundred times and I never seem to get tired of it. The track is very inspiring and invokes a type of passionate rage within you. In Lord of the Rings – a good version of this track (Requiem for a Tower version which I think is the best) is performed during the most intense fighting of one of the central battles. Since it has worked for me, it is likely that it will
work for you. An invigorating piece of art.
Motivational music tracks, artist: Helene Bøksle
The following is Helene Bøksle`s - Age of Conan theme music. Three of the tracks surpass almost anything I've heard before. The tracks are in old Norse tongue (old Norwegian), truly epic, very
powerful and motivational and even worthy of playing during a martyrdom operation (in addition to Saga and Clint Mansell).
Track 1: The Dreaming - Ere the World Crumbles
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Kn99vRCbww
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-g5KYv2oqXk (live version)
Track 2: Nighttime journey through the Eiglophian mountains (Ascending Cimmeria)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7GVMEdIfaJQ
Track 3: The Dreaming Anew - Memories of Cimmeria
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=deDNzOYHu-4
Imagine the following; at the end of your mission, when you have completed your primary objectives - imagine fighting for your life against a pursuing pack of system protectors (or as I like
to call them: armed defenders of the multiculturalist system, also referred to as the police). You try to avoid confrontation but they eventually manage to surround you. You hear this song as you push forward to annihilate one of their flanks, head shotting two of your foes in bloody fervor trying to survive. This angelic voice sings to you from the heavens, strengthening your resolve in a hopeless battle. Your last desperate thrust kills another two of your enemies. But it isn't enough as you are now completely surrounded; your time is now. This voice is all you hear as your light turns to darkness and you enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. This must surely be the most glorious way to claim the honour of martyrdom in battle.
The following is also decent track for maintaining a high morale during a limited battle confrontation although it lacks vocal:
The Awakening - Hyborian Adventures
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aHrE_fU2OtY
I'm certainly not about to read the 1500+ pages of Breivik's "Manifesto", but jumping down the pages and scanning a bit is an interesting experience. The guy seems pretty bright, and clearly put a lot of work into compiling the thing. He claims credit for having written about half of it.Lux Aeterna by the English composer and musician Clint Mansell
Comment: I love this work. Lux Aeterna means "eternal light" and it really is an appropriate title. I've listened to this track several hundred times and I never seem to get tired of it. The track is very inspiring and invokes a type of passionate rage within you. In Lord of the Rings – a good version of this track (Requiem for a Tower version which I think is the best) is performed during the most intense fighting of one of the central battles. Since it has worked for me, it is likely that it will
work for you. An invigorating piece of art.
Motivational music tracks, artist: Helene Bøksle
The following is Helene Bøksle`s - Age of Conan theme music. Three of the tracks surpass almost anything I've heard before. The tracks are in old Norse tongue (old Norwegian), truly epic, very
powerful and motivational and even worthy of playing during a martyrdom operation (in addition to Saga and Clint Mansell).
Track 1: The Dreaming - Ere the World Crumbles
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Kn99vRCbww
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-g5KYv2oqXk (live version)
Track 2: Nighttime journey through the Eiglophian mountains (Ascending Cimmeria)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7GVMEdIfaJQ
Track 3: The Dreaming Anew - Memories of Cimmeria
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=deDNzOYHu-4
Imagine the following; at the end of your mission, when you have completed your primary objectives - imagine fighting for your life against a pursuing pack of system protectors (or as I like
to call them: armed defenders of the multiculturalist system, also referred to as the police). You try to avoid confrontation but they eventually manage to surround you. You hear this song as you push forward to annihilate one of their flanks, head shotting two of your foes in bloody fervor trying to survive. This angelic voice sings to you from the heavens, strengthening your resolve in a hopeless battle. Your last desperate thrust kills another two of your enemies. But it isn't enough as you are now completely surrounded; your time is now. This voice is all you hear as your light turns to darkness and you enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. This must surely be the most glorious way to claim the honour of martyrdom in battle.
The following is also decent track for maintaining a high morale during a limited battle confrontation although it lacks vocal:
The Awakening - Hyborian Adventures
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aHrE_fU2OtY
The music stuff above starts in page 848, and there's an eye-catching section entitled "There are no atheists in foxholes" starting on page 1344, in which he discusses the value of pragmatic prayer (prayer by even an atheist in the heat of battle for it's calming power).
Whatever dude. You should have smoked some pot instead of whatever toxic shit you ingested.
Saturday, July 23, 2011
Highlighted Irritants
Somehow I wound up on their emailing list, so yesterday I received this invitation from the Arizona Republican Party. Highlighting a few of the things I found most irritating about it, I reproduce it here in case you didn't get it. If you really care, though, you'll have to click the image to see it its full glory.
Since I know the Republicans care deeply about my opinions, I feel I owe them a little constructive criticism in the way of an explanation behind my irritation at various parts of their mailing. Here we go, starting at the top.
At the upper left, I highlighted part of the Arizona Republican Party logo. The irritant here is "Republican Party". As is the case with lawyers, I've known lots of good people who happen to be Republicans. Enough said.
Moving down... Steven Seagal??? Please. OK, so he's made a couple of movies I thought were passable, others not so much. I don't know how much of that stuff about sexual exploitation and lies (google it) actually sticks to Seagal, but even if he is actually a saint, his inclusion here is for the purpose of drawing a crowd I'm happy not to be a part of.
"Restoration of The Republic"
Ok, I'll let that one slide. It's empty.
"We the People"
We WHAT people?
Joe the Plumber isn't a plumber, and had it not been for heavy Republican manipulation of a media accident involving his uninformed questioning of candidate Obama, he might have actually bought the small plumbing business he was supposedly attempting to buy, and then gone on down the drain in the economic collapse without ever wondering whether starvation of the beast had been a good idea after all.
Sheriff Joe Arpaio. This is the guy who wanted to ring Maricopa County in roadblocks as a tactic in the War on Some Drugs. I tend to like his tent cities, chain gangs and baloney sandwiches, but I don't like ... never mind.
Benefactor Levels. I wonder what Thomas Jefferson would think of this? God bless America.
I have to stop this. Otherwise, I may not survive the next 14 months.
Since I know the Republicans care deeply about my opinions, I feel I owe them a little constructive criticism in the way of an explanation behind my irritation at various parts of their mailing. Here we go, starting at the top.At the upper left, I highlighted part of the Arizona Republican Party logo. The irritant here is "Republican Party". As is the case with lawyers, I've known lots of good people who happen to be Republicans. Enough said.
Moving down... Steven Seagal??? Please. OK, so he's made a couple of movies I thought were passable, others not so much. I don't know how much of that stuff about sexual exploitation and lies (google it) actually sticks to Seagal, but even if he is actually a saint, his inclusion here is for the purpose of drawing a crowd I'm happy not to be a part of.
"Restoration of The Republic"
Ok, I'll let that one slide. It's empty.
"We the People"
We WHAT people?
Joe the Plumber isn't a plumber, and had it not been for heavy Republican manipulation of a media accident involving his uninformed questioning of candidate Obama, he might have actually bought the small plumbing business he was supposedly attempting to buy, and then gone on down the drain in the economic collapse without ever wondering whether starvation of the beast had been a good idea after all.
Sheriff Joe Arpaio. This is the guy who wanted to ring Maricopa County in roadblocks as a tactic in the War on Some Drugs. I tend to like his tent cities, chain gangs and baloney sandwiches, but I don't like ... never mind.
Benefactor Levels. I wonder what Thomas Jefferson would think of this? God bless America.
I have to stop this. Otherwise, I may not survive the next 14 months.
Sunday, July 17, 2011
7,000,000,000
Apparently the human population of Earth is set to zoom past 7 billion sometime later this year.
Seems, too, that forecasts for a leveling off of human numbers somewhere in the 9 to 10 billion range have been revised upwards for some reason.
PBS - Need to Know: Standing Room Only
Nobody knows what can happen, but it's tough to be optimistic about the future for humanity and the ecosystem that supports it.
Seems, too, that forecasts for a leveling off of human numbers somewhere in the 9 to 10 billion range have been revised upwards for some reason.
PBS - Need to Know: Standing Room Only
Nobody knows what can happen, but it's tough to be optimistic about the future for humanity and the ecosystem that supports it.
Saturday, July 02, 2011
"Priceless"
My first exposure to WikiLeaks was when they outed Barclays Bank's tax avoidance schemes. I thought the outing of Barclays was well in order, and it prompted me to send WikiLeaks a small contribution (probably via PayPal).
WikiLeaks is like almost any other organization I've ever supported. NRA, ACLU, whatever. I can't dictate their agenda, but if, on balance, I like their general stance, then I might support them from time to time.
It annoyed me to no end when PayPal froze WikiLeak's account and cut them off. Who is PayPal to tell me where I can send my money? Who is MasterCard, or Visa, to make such decisions for me? How long before they cut off organizations working for change on the basis that what they advocate is illegal (drug policy, assisted suicide, ...). As far as I'm concerned, that's unacceptable. Where will it end? One of these days I might not be able to send money to Planned Parenthood on the basis that it's illegal to kill babies. Screw that.
Maybe there's a real need for something like BitCoin. Despite the down-sides.
I think I'd like to see WikiLeaks continue and BitCoin succeed.
Here's WikiLeaks' parody ad: Priceless. Good stuff!
WikiLeaks is like almost any other organization I've ever supported. NRA, ACLU, whatever. I can't dictate their agenda, but if, on balance, I like their general stance, then I might support them from time to time.
It annoyed me to no end when PayPal froze WikiLeak's account and cut them off. Who is PayPal to tell me where I can send my money? Who is MasterCard, or Visa, to make such decisions for me? How long before they cut off organizations working for change on the basis that what they advocate is illegal (drug policy, assisted suicide, ...). As far as I'm concerned, that's unacceptable. Where will it end? One of these days I might not be able to send money to Planned Parenthood on the basis that it's illegal to kill babies. Screw that.
Maybe there's a real need for something like BitCoin. Despite the down-sides.
I think I'd like to see WikiLeaks continue and BitCoin succeed.
Here's WikiLeaks' parody ad: Priceless. Good stuff!
Nuke plants deploy bio-defenses
Nuke plants deploy bio-defenses
Health and Safety staff at nuclear plants have urged workers to wash their hands frequently or use alcohol-based hand sanitizers, citing such measures as the best way to prevent transmission of cold and flu viruses.
In other news, a nuclear worker was nuclear injured in a nuclear fire at the nuclear-flood-threatened nuclear Fort Nuclear Calhoun Nuclear Station Nuclear.
Health and Safety staff at nuclear plants have urged workers to wash their hands frequently or use alcohol-based hand sanitizers, citing such measures as the best way to prevent transmission of cold and flu viruses.
In other news, a nuclear worker was nuclear injured in a nuclear fire at the nuclear-flood-threatened nuclear Fort Nuclear Calhoun Nuclear Station Nuclear.
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
High on Drugs: Breaking the Just Say No Addiction | Science | Religion Dispatches
High on Drugs: Breaking the Just Say No Addiction | Science | Religion Dispatches
I had just finished reading this depressing and annoying piece when I came upon High on Drugs: Breaking the Just Say No Addiction. I don't know much about the drugs the author mentions other than to have read his words in different form elsewhere, but I do know the author's piece is a flash of brilliance in contrast to the propagandist drivel that continues to ooze from the likes of DEA and ONDCP.
Congratulations Gary Laderman. I'll have to go back and read some of your other stuff.
I had just finished reading this depressing and annoying piece when I came upon High on Drugs: Breaking the Just Say No Addiction. I don't know much about the drugs the author mentions other than to have read his words in different form elsewhere, but I do know the author's piece is a flash of brilliance in contrast to the propagandist drivel that continues to ooze from the likes of DEA and ONDCP.
Congratulations Gary Laderman. I'll have to go back and read some of your other stuff.
Saturday, June 11, 2011
It's not my money. I shouldn't take it.
Good for you Robert Adams!
– Thu Jun 9, 5:05 pm ET
ROLLING MEADOWS, Ill. – Robert Adams craved an ice-cold drink after finishing his shift on a sweltering workday, but not having enough money to buy the burrito he also wanted left him with two obvious choices: Stop at the ATM, or find a bag containing more than $17,000 in cash.
"I wanted to get a large horchata, which is almost like a rice or coconut milk," Adams told the Daily Herald (Arlington Heights) for a story published Wednesday. "I would have grabbed a chorizo burrito, too, but I didn't have enough money."
That changed Monday when the Chicago-area man stood at a Chase ATM in Rolling Meadows, looked down and discovered on the sidewalk near a newspaper box a clear plastic bag containing receipts, checks and $17,021 in cash — mostly $20 and $100 bills bound by a rubber band.
"I see this plastic bag. It's clear plastic and it's half full of money," Adams said. "I figure this is a joke. Somebody took some napkins and made it look like money. This has to be a setup. People are going to look at me and start laughing."
Adams said he never had the urge to keep any of the money.
"It's not my money. I shouldn't take it. I don't care if you put another zero on there, I wasn't raised to take money that isn't mine," said Adams, a 54-year-old single man who lives in Arlington Heights and credits his deceased parents for teaching him right from wrong. "If I saw you drop it, I'd say, `Excuse me, sir. I think you dropped something.'"
The word "Chase" was printed on the bag, so Adams carried it inside the nearby branch.
"I walk up to the teller and say, `I think you might have left this outside,'" said Adams, figuring an employee left it behind after restocking the ATM. But employees told him the machine is filled from inside and the money didn't belong to the bank.
Adams then called police, who along with bank officials later determined the money was meant for an ATM in Midlothian and had been under the care of Loomis, an armored truck company. Rolling Meadows police took the money to the station, where it was picked up by a Loomis official.
Loomis officials said they were investigating, but have not said whether Adams will get a reward.
"I really don't know what happens with this situation," Adams said.
Onesimo Santillan, owner of the Senor Taco restaurant where Adams originally was headed to indulge his cravings, said the actions of his longtime customer don't surprise him.
"He has been coming in for years, always orders the same thing, very nice guy," Santillan said. "It's hard to find people like that, honest people."
Rolling Meadows Police Chief Dave Scanlan said Adams did good: "We all said right away that this guy deserves something — credit for being an Honest Abe."
___
Information from: Daily Herald, http://www.dailyherald.com
Saturday, May 21, 2011
Google Sidewiki entry by Steve
Pfff... Surely he said more than that because, if that's all he said he marked himself as brain dead, stupid, uncaring, a bullshit artist or worse.
in reference to:"Colom told a Mexican radio station Friday that the flow of illegal weapons to drug cartels should be cut off to prevent further killings."
- Guatemalan gang members, no Mexicans, in massacre - Forbes.com (view on Google Sidewiki)
Friday, April 22, 2011
Drug gangs muscle into new territory: Central America | McClatchy
Drug gangs muscle into new territory: Central America | McClatchy
Yeah, but...
There is one economy. Just one. That it is composed of legal and illegal sectors might as well be by design.
The legal part of the economy is much more complex, thus much more difficult to deal with, than the illegal part of the economy. When the legal economy declines you have to mortgage the future, start hot wars and apply complex, politically challenging programs to try to avoid depression.
It makes little sense to damage any part of the overall economy, especially at a time when the legal sector has been so severely challenged as of late.
In contrast to the legal sector of the economy (where you must have massive, complex and at least somewhat transparent bureaucratic programs to prop it up) the illegal sector of the economy is relatively simple to deal with.
Yes, you have to apply subsidies to the illegal sector of the global economy in order to bolster its contribution to the whole, because what's good for the illegal sector of the economy is good for the whole economy. Part of the genius of Prohibition is that it applies the required subsidy to the illegal sector of the economy at virtually no cost. The measly few billions in the budget for the ONDCP, for example, generate two or three orders of magnitude greater effect in the illegal sector of the economy, providing greater bang for buck than almost any other government economic program.
There are intangible social costs of applying such subsidies to the illegal sector of the economy, of course, but intangibles are essentially unquantifiable and therefore, as in other arenas like anthropogenic climate change, these not much weighted in such analyses.
The policy of Prohibition must be maintained in order to maintain the contribution of the illegal sector of the economy to the overall economy. This is especially true with marijuana because of its dominant role in the illegal economy.
How could it be otherwise?
Yeah, but...
There is one economy. Just one. That it is composed of legal and illegal sectors might as well be by design.
The legal part of the economy is much more complex, thus much more difficult to deal with, than the illegal part of the economy. When the legal economy declines you have to mortgage the future, start hot wars and apply complex, politically challenging programs to try to avoid depression.
It makes little sense to damage any part of the overall economy, especially at a time when the legal sector has been so severely challenged as of late.
In contrast to the legal sector of the economy (where you must have massive, complex and at least somewhat transparent bureaucratic programs to prop it up) the illegal sector of the economy is relatively simple to deal with.
Yes, you have to apply subsidies to the illegal sector of the global economy in order to bolster its contribution to the whole, because what's good for the illegal sector of the economy is good for the whole economy. Part of the genius of Prohibition is that it applies the required subsidy to the illegal sector of the economy at virtually no cost. The measly few billions in the budget for the ONDCP, for example, generate two or three orders of magnitude greater effect in the illegal sector of the economy, providing greater bang for buck than almost any other government economic program.
There are intangible social costs of applying such subsidies to the illegal sector of the economy, of course, but intangibles are essentially unquantifiable and therefore, as in other arenas like anthropogenic climate change, these not much weighted in such analyses.
The policy of Prohibition must be maintained in order to maintain the contribution of the illegal sector of the economy to the overall economy. This is especially true with marijuana because of its dominant role in the illegal economy.
How could it be otherwise?
Monday, April 04, 2011
NRA asks: President Calderon’s Eyes On The Wrong Border?
I'm generally in agreement with the NRA when it comes to gun rights, but I don't think they are serious about rights in general. Maybe someone has studied the question and could correct me if I'm wrong, but I perceive the leadership and membership of the NRA to be, generally speaking, a bunch of right-wing authoritarian followers, unconcerned with rights in general.
What sets me off is this annoyingly written piece, President Calderon's Eyes On The Wrong Border? Oh, what the hell. Here it is:
Restating the obvious for the NRA, the root of the problem IS north of the border. The root of the problem is the enormous subsidy provided to "the wicked cartels" by the idiocy that is prohibition. That's not the party line, though, is it?
What is it about these True Red White and Blue patriot types that prevents them from seeing the
Never mind. Hopeless...
What sets me off is this annoyingly written piece, President Calderon's Eyes On The Wrong Border? Oh, what the hell. Here it is:
President Calderon’s Eyes On The Wrong Border?Keep it simple, dumbshits. Don't write anything deeper than you absolutely must.
Friday, April 01, 2011
Blaming America for Mexico’s problems has been something of a national pastime for Mexican politicians for many years. True to tradition, Mexican president Felipe Calderon has been blaming Mexico’s astronomically high murder rate on Americans who buy drugs and who sell guns, rather than on the Mexican drug cartels who commit a vastly disproportionate share of those murders, and the historic corruption in Mexico, from which the wicked cartels have spawned.
However, an article published by the Mexico City newspaper La Jornada suggests that el Presidente might better serve the good people of his country by looking to his southern border, instead of al norte.
As explained in English by the Latin American Herald Tribune, “The most fearsome weapons wielded by Mexico’s drug cartels enter the country from Central America, not the United States, according to U.S. diplomatic cables disseminated by WikiLeaks and published on Tuesday by La Jornada newspaper. Items such as grenades and rocket-launchers are stolen from Central American armies and smuggled into Mexico via neighboring Guatemala, the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City reported to Washington.”
The article also refers to “Fast and Furious,” an element of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives' “Project GunRunner” operation that allegedly knowingly allowed more than 1,700 firearms to be smuggled into Mexico from our country, including those that may have been used to murder U.S. Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry in December and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Special Agent Jaime Zapata in February.
Increasingly, the question is who knew about the operation, and when. President Obama has stated that neither he nor Attorney General Eric Holder were aware of the scheme. Holder is said to have told his subordinates that letting guns “walk” to Mexico is wrong and should not be repeated. The McAllen, Tex., newspaper, The Monitor, quotes the Mexican government as saying that it “did not have knowledge on an operation that included the controlled traffic of weapons in Mexican territory,” and that “The Mexican government has not and will not give any implied or formal authorization for this to happen.”
Meanwhile, Fox News reports that U.S. Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.), chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, today issued a subpoena to the Justice Department demanding that the BATFE respond to his March 16 request for information about the operation, the deadline for which passed on Wednesday. Rep. Issa is quoted as saying, “The unwillingness of this administration—most specifically the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms—to answer questions about this deadly serious matter is deeply troubling.”
CBS News similarly reported that “The Department of Justice and ATF have missed repeated deadlines to turn over information and documents” to Congress, and further noted that the investigation of Project GunRunner may significantly delay hearings on President Obama’s nomination of BATFE agent Andrew Traver, an activist gun control supporter, to head the BATFE.
The BATFE has until April 13 to respond to Rep. Issa’s subpoena. Stay tuned.
Restating the obvious for the NRA, the root of the problem IS north of the border. The root of the problem is the enormous subsidy provided to "the wicked cartels" by the idiocy that is prohibition. That's not the party line, though, is it?
What is it about these True Red White and Blue patriot types that prevents them from seeing the
Never mind. Hopeless...
Monday, March 28, 2011
The New Yorker - Unravelling the ultimate political conspiracy
In case the Rodrigo Rosenberg case interested you and you have not already seen this.
Cheers from Phoenix! Steve
Monday, March 21, 2011
Bitcoin
Bitcoin. Bit. Coin. Two little syllables. They seem completely natural together.
I think Bitcoin stands a good chance of becoming a big deal. A great big deal.
Lots of questions though.
Bitcoin is a new electronic currency. A currency out of the control of bankers or governments. It's an open source currency running on open source software loaded on standard computers of various OS flavors. It'll be immune from inflation because the total, ultimate amount of coin is embedded in the system.
I've said virtually nothing above, and already I'm saying more than I know. I only know that it smells significant to me.
It'll be interesting to watch this develop. Will governments and banks subvert it by various means. Will they be able to do so? Will it eventually take on the role of global reserve currency? How will it avoid total reliance on breakable infrastructure and dependence on public utilities and communications channels? What about money laundering?
What if I need to stop payment?
I'm thinking about setting up a node, just to learn more and support the effort, but what if I change out my hardware or software, or if my house burns to the ground? Or gets destroyed in an earthquake and tsunami. I don't think it's a simple as joining SETI. I've never allowed port forwarding at my house; what are the security implications of opening ports in my firewall to receive incoming Bitcoin traffic?
Do I have the capacity to understand Bitcoin? I recognized 25 or 30 years ago that asymmetrical, public key cryptography was probably going to become a great big thing, and yet I barely understood it. Now that it has become a great big thing, I still don't really understand it.
So what if I don't understand it? I don't understand much of anything, really.
I guess Bitcoin could be broken some time, just as the cryptography that's central to today's online economy could be broken by the use of chemical genetics in a massively parallel approach to cryptanalysis. Or something. Quantum computing. Who knows?
I'm pretty sure, though, that this will be an interesting thing to follow, and maybe join.
There are lots of really smart people in the world. Sometimes that alone is enough to give me hope.
Usually not, though.
Go Bitcoin!! Suppertime...
I think Bitcoin stands a good chance of becoming a big deal. A great big deal.
Lots of questions though.
Bitcoin is a new electronic currency. A currency out of the control of bankers or governments. It's an open source currency running on open source software loaded on standard computers of various OS flavors. It'll be immune from inflation because the total, ultimate amount of coin is embedded in the system.
I've said virtually nothing above, and already I'm saying more than I know. I only know that it smells significant to me.
It'll be interesting to watch this develop. Will governments and banks subvert it by various means. Will they be able to do so? Will it eventually take on the role of global reserve currency? How will it avoid total reliance on breakable infrastructure and dependence on public utilities and communications channels? What about money laundering?
What if I need to stop payment?
I'm thinking about setting up a node, just to learn more and support the effort, but what if I change out my hardware or software, or if my house burns to the ground? Or gets destroyed in an earthquake and tsunami. I don't think it's a simple as joining SETI. I've never allowed port forwarding at my house; what are the security implications of opening ports in my firewall to receive incoming Bitcoin traffic?
Do I have the capacity to understand Bitcoin? I recognized 25 or 30 years ago that asymmetrical, public key cryptography was probably going to become a great big thing, and yet I barely understood it. Now that it has become a great big thing, I still don't really understand it.
So what if I don't understand it? I don't understand much of anything, really.
I guess Bitcoin could be broken some time, just as the cryptography that's central to today's online economy could be broken by the use of chemical genetics in a massively parallel approach to cryptanalysis. Or something. Quantum computing. Who knows?
I'm pretty sure, though, that this will be an interesting thing to follow, and maybe join.
There are lots of really smart people in the world. Sometimes that alone is enough to give me hope.
Usually not, though.
Go Bitcoin!! Suppertime...
Sunday, February 27, 2011
sls
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