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.