Opus 2017-247: The Rosy Glow

In reading an editorial in the Washington Times about John McCain’s betrayal I had a moment of clarity.  He doesn’t care.

He doesn’t care what the Washington Times thinks.  He doesn’t care what the conservatives think.  He doesn’t care what America thinks.  He is basking in that mental condition that elitists have which produces a rosy glow of power.  The elitists of the country want to be in control, not because they have a glorious dream for the future of the country, but because they like to run and ruin other people’s lives.  Think of administrators you have worked for.  Think of the clerk behind the desk at city hall or the DMV.  Think of the cop who pulled you over.  They are all little John McCains and you give them a rush.

Why do the elites hate liberty for the masses?  Because they like to see the sheep jump.  They like to see their victims squirm.  It reminds them that they are better than we are.

I doubt if even John McCain has another reelection campaign in him but there will be others seeking that kind of power.  We only have one power:  Vote the suckers out.

homo unius libri

Opus 2017-246: Digging into Deuteronomy: Fear Factor

(Deuteronomy 2:4 KJV)  And command thou the people, saying, Ye are to pass through the coast of your brethren the children of Esau, which dwell in Seir; and they shall be afraid of you: take ye good heed unto yourselves therefore:

This verse presents an interesting bit of advice.  The Children of Israel  are told to “take heed” (be careful NASB) (8104) because the others will be “afraid” (3372a).  When you think about it there is some truth.  People are the most dangerous when they are afraid, not when they are secure. 

Have you ever been startled in such a way that you lashed out?  Someone sneaks up behind you and thinks it will be funny to make you jump.  As you jump, you swing.  If you had seen them coming it would not have ended that way.  Many tragedies involving people shooting family members happen in the dark when the person with the gun panics.  

Bullies tend to look for people that are insecure.  They generally don’t bother people who look confident and strong. 

So a word of wisdom for you.  Be careful when you are around people who are afraid.

homo unius libri

Opus 2017-245: Headlines: Koreaphobia

I keep seeing references to the ability of North Korea to hit American cities.  The latest is Denver.  That is about 6,000 miles.  Interesting, if you consider fear mongering to be interesting. 

How much do we need to fear the missiles of North Korea?   Long range, if you excuse the pun, we will need to worry, but not yet.  The longest distance I could find so far was at Fox News with 1,700 miles.  If you read the article you will note that it went up and down so the distance is charting the entire curve, not the distance from North Korea.  Also there is no indication that they can hit anything.  So my analysis at this point is that anyone living withing 1,700 miles of their launch site can live in fear.  But keep in mind that the odds of hitting you when you are the target are pretty slim.  It is like being the target of the French army in 1800.  The safest place to be was in the sites of the musket because you never knew where the bullet would actually go.

Should the people of Denver worry?  Sure.  The chances of being hit are probably greater than being hit by an unnamed asteroid but are certainly nothing to stay awake at night about.  But if you look at a map you will notice that everything from Turkey on the west to India in the south are also in range and if you can’t guide your missile, anything is fair game.  It is like practicing with the slings that ancient armies used to utilize.  The stone would go a long way but who knows the direction.

An, no, I didn’t bother reading the article.  I think it was in the New York Times and I have a life.

homo unius libri

Opus 2017-244: DEFCON: AUTCON

I am wondering if a better name for DEFCON might be AUTISMCON or some such thing.  When I was teaching I noticed a steady expansion of special categories such as autism.  More and more people were being included under the banner.  The reason is, Federal Tax Dollars.  People that you would consider generally normal but flirting with strangeness are being labeled as autistic and given “special services” in order to prepare them for life.  You see the same thing with Spanish speakers, handicapped, the poor and any other group that can attract federal money.

Every year at DEFCON we notice that the halls are full of people flirting with strangeness.  Geeks tend to fit into the description of the autistic.  They tend to be either anti-social or non-social.  They often do not know how to relate to other people.  That is one reason they are so in love with their computers.  Their computers understand them and are non-judgmental.  As DEFCON expands and the ranks are diluted with growing numbers of the mainstream sheep, the stereotype geeks become less obvious.  I would also postulate that they are starting to stay away because of the crowds.

This is not to say that autism is not real.  Some of the real victims are totally cut off from contact with reality.  The big issue is that no one really knows how to help them.  Part of the arrogance of educators is that they think they can fix everything and everyone.  This applies even if they don’t want to be fixed.

Be nice to the autistic.  You might be one and not even know it.

homo unius libri

Opus 2017-243: Headlines: Check Your Links before You Click

I am not going to bother clicking on the link.  Drudge had it, “As Venezuela Prepares to Vote, Some Fear End of Democracy”.  Anyone who can put “Venezuela” and “Democracy” in a sentence as if they had something in common must work for the MSM.  As I hovered over the link it told me that the source was the New York Times.  Enough said, or should I say, enough read.

I hate to point it out to the Democrat’s favorite mouthpiece, but democracy died in Venezuela a long time ago.  Our concern is that we don’t start the mantra, “As Venezuela goes, so goes the USA.”

homo unius libri

Opus 2017-242: A New Focus for Repeal and Replace

What will be the issue that realigns political parties in America? 

If you read history you have heard of the Whig party.  They elected a number of presidents and were the balance to the historic Democrat party.  The issue that finally brought them down was slavery.  Historically the party of slavery and servitude has been, and continues to be, the Democrats.  That is historic fact.  In the 1850's the issue of slavery was tearing the nation apart.  The Democrats were solidly in favor and the nation was looking to the Whigs for an alternative voice.  They did not get it.  The Whigs dithered and danced.  They refused to take a stand.  They tried to ride the rail. 

Enter the Republicans.  This is the Republican party of 1856, not the party of 2017.  They had a mission and it involved advancing the cause of common people:  Free land, free silver, free men.  They ran solid in 1856 and because the Whigs continued to be moderate and bipartisan the Republicans took the Presidency in 1860.

Then it was slavery.  What will it be today?  Will one, or both, of the current dominate parties fade into history books?  Who will replace them. 

The lack of principle demonstrated by McCain, Collins and Murkowski could cause the “repeal and replace” mantra to move from Obamacare to the Republicans.  The refusal of the Democrats to listen to the people could cause the same thing to happen to them.  I know that I, for one, am ready to listen to an alternative voice.  Someone once said that the Democrats were the problem but he wasn’t sure that the Republicans were the solution.

I agree.  The people want repeal.  If they can’t get it with Obamacare they may get it with a political party.  Until that happens we can always start with individual politicians.

Vote the suckers out.

homo unius libri

Opus 2017-241: DEFCON: Uber Alles

This is going to be the year of the Uber at DEFCON.

DEFCON is a conference held yearly in Las Vegas involving internet security professionals.  That is what it has become.  It started as an official party location for hackers but even hackers grow up and become respectable.  This is the 25th year.  My son has been bringing me since DEFCON 9.  It is an annual pilgrimage for us.

This year we decided to use UBER instead of renting a car.  It remains to be seen if it is cheaper or not.  If you are a technology dinosaur and don’t have a geek in the family, don’t even consider it.  Using UBER requires a smart phone and a credit card.  It involves punching a few buttons and waiting a few minutes.  So far it has worked well.

If you ever decide to use it keep in mind that during areas of intense usage they have a “multiplier” that adds to the basic fee.  That hit us the first time we used it to get home from the airport in LA during rush hour.  It has not come into play here, yet.

It works well for us here in Las Vegas but I would not want to become dependent on it.  It is a wonderful tool for the day that Big Brother gets really serious about watching you.  My son showed me how he could go back for years and show me maps of every trip he has taken on UBER.  If they know, THEY know.

Welcome to 1984.

homo unius libri