Hey Prius Driver!

Can you stop saving the world long enough to check your blind spot? I'd rather not knock your carbon-intensive batteries out of your back end with front end of my Earth-killing Bimmer.

The Least

I just read an editorial piece in our local newspaper, The Register Guard. In it the author cites religion as proof and justification for a single-payer health care system in the United States.

This is what angers and frustrates me about organized religion. Because we are taught by Jesus Christ in the scriptures that to help the poor and needy is a blessing, we must be forced to participate in such, literally at gunpoint (try not paying your taxes and let me know how that works out for you). The US government is the only organization that can legally take your money at gunpoint.

My limited understanding of the Gospel is that we are here on earth to exercise our agency, to choose right from wrong. I also understand that Satan's plan for us was that we be forced to obey God's will at the end of a whip. Which does a single-payer, tax-funded health care system resemble?

Do away with every government-funded entitlement program and this country would witness an upwelling of local community and church-based charity like never seen before. When presented with the needs of our neighbors I will respond. When presented with the requirement of government I recoil.

In Matthew 25:35-40, Jesus tells us:

35 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:
36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.
37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?
38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?
39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?
40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

Clearly we need to care for the least of our brethren. But I do not want my secular government forcing my hand. Let me choose and let me experience the blessings of helping my brethren.

Piano!

This is why my wife and I need to get a piano:



I would LOVE to pull something like that off when we're 50, let alone 90!

Earth Day Sucks

I am driving my car to work today instead of riding my bike. Why? I don't want to be mistaken for "doing my part" in saving the Earth from the evil humans.

I don't believe in AGW (Anthropogenic Global Warming), or man-caused global warming. This is not because I have taken someone else's word for it. I've done the research and read the arguments from both sides. I even watched the entirety of Gore's movie. Did you know that it is illegal to show that movie in British schools without first pointing out 9 inaccuracies? Where I come from we call those lies.

But I digress. I want to have a healthy planet just as much as the next guy. Our climate is changing. It has always been changing and will always be changing. So we'll have our Medieval Optimums (much warmer than most dire GW predictions) and our Little Ice Ages (well, cooler, to be sure). But humans will continue to adapt and survive.

If you have several hours to kill and want to learn more go here.

Pageants Suck

If you don't want my opinion, don't ask.

Minimum Wage Sucks

We all know the stories of how little our parents made when they started out, but consider the following:

I work in an industry that provides equipment and systems for the recycling industry. While most of the separation of what you throw into the big blue bin is done mechanically, some human intervention is still required. Most often the people performing these tasks earn minimum wage or close to it. So along comes Congress and up goes the minimum wage. Now these folks take home a little more cash, right?

Here's what really happens. When we design our systems we are constantly weighing the cost of automation versus using manual labor. As labor costs increase, higher levels of automation become economically viable. In other words, increasing the minimum wage ultimately results in fewer manual labor (minimum wage) jobs. In fact the increased machinery needed to automate the previously manual function creates more demand for higher-skilled and higher-paying jobs such as welders, fitters, and engineers.

Unintended consequences strike again.

Rain sucks

We had a sunny day a couple of days ago, but today is rain showers. Funny thing is, when I ride home from work I actually don't mind the rain. Something about doing something most people wouldn't want to do makes it enjoyable.

Is that strange? Probably not.

Everyone likes to feel a little special. I just like feeling special in my rain pants and bike helmet.

I realize now that I have no pictures of myself in full waterproof regalia. Not that this is a bad thing, mind you.

Perspective Sucks

"Luke, you're going to find that many of the truths we cling to depend greatly on our own point of view."

-Obi Wan Kenobi

Would that we had Ben here to help us out with the economy. AIG is about to give out $165M in bonuses after receiving $173B in government bailout (taxpayer) money. Am I outraged?

Nope.

I did the math:

165,000,000 / 173,000,000,000 = 0.00095 = 0.095%

In other words the bonuses are less than one tenth of one percent of the bailout money. That's like spending 25 cents on a candy bar on the way home with your $300 Christmas bonus.

So the bonuses, which are paid according to employment contracts established before AIG received bailout money, are not the travesty. The travesty is that candy bars cost way more than 25 cents.

Atlas Shrugged - Part II

According to the Ayn Rand Center for Individual Rights sales of Ms. Rand's 1957 novel Atlas Shrugged set record sales in 2008. And thus far in 2009 sales have tripled over 2008 numbers for the same period. It seems people are finding Ms. Rand's vision of a socialist America interesting, if not a little frightening. Frighteningly real.

I recently placed my "Who is John Galt" sticker on my car window. I've received a few inquiries, but for the most part it's just my way of letting others of like mind know I am one of them.

What to do, what to do?

Tea party?

Go Galt?

I can't really afford to drop out. Or at least I haven't thought of a way just yet. So that leaves organizing or participating in a tea party. Yes, I think that is what I will do.

I'm in it for the Corn

I think I will spite the world around me and be happy.

I think I will shrug off the power bill and mortgage payment and water heater repair bill and vet bill and be happy.

I will whistle through 50-hour weeks and fast food lunches and hours hunched at my laptop at the kitchen table late at night and be happy.

I will do this because perhaps prosperity follows those who need it least for their own happiness.

Besides, I have all my teeth.

There's No Place Like Home

One more utterance of the supposed democracy in which we live and I will barf.

The United States of America is a constitutional republic. Look for the word democracy in the Declaration of Independence. Look for the word democracy in the Constitution of the United States.

"A democracy is nothing more than mob rule, where fifty-one percent of the people may take away the rights of the other forty-nine."

-Thomas Jefferson

Not an Option

I told my wife some time ago that we could lose everything - absolutely everything - and I would be okay with that. As long as I have the essentials I will be okay. I need, and I mean need, my wife. If I have my kids on top of that, better than good.

I have faith that we would do whatever it takes to get by. I am not above living in my parents' basement. Or attic. Or wherever. I am not above flipping burgers or delivering pizza. (Actually, delivering pizza is an awesome job.) I don't expect it would be easy or that I wouldn't want something better for my family.

But this is not an option:

http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/01/28/family.dead.california/index.html

Atlas Shrugged - Part I

"Every government interference in the economy consists of giving an unearned benefit, extorted by force, to some men at the expense of others."

-Ayn Rand

Back On or Near the Top

I recently puzzled over the order in which the blog links on my wife's website were arranged.

Alphabetically? Nope.

In order of most preferred? Surely not; mine was near the bottom.

Randomly? Perhaps.

Then I realized the blogs with the most recent posts were at the top. Lazy posters such as myself were delegated to the rear, as it were.

So I post.

Limelight, you are mine!