Opus 2018-134: On the Street: Tactical Bathrooms

I read that Starbucks was closed yesterday to brainwash their employees.  Since I have always tried to avoid Starbucks, I must confess I did not notice.  I doubt if I will visit them often enough to feel the difference in diversity. 

However, I used the restroom at Panera yesterday and I didn’t need a key.  I simply walked in, went to the back of the store and pushed open the door marked “men”.  That was how I was identifying yesterday.  No one shouted at me or was rude.  No one asked if I was a customer or required me to purchase anything.  In fact, since they were out of the type of bread I had come for, I did not buy anything. 

To be honest, I rarely find a facility that has the ability to be locked, let alone one having the lock engaged.  I say that having visited bathrooms all across the country and even overseas.  I have a lot of experience.  When my son was young he took it on as his personal project to visit every bathroom within sensor range.  For years my wife has had issues that require up to three stops on the way to the airport.  I know my bathrooms.  They are rarely locked.

Restrooms that are locked are in areas where the service has been abused.  I can almost pick them out from the street.  Usually they have the cashiers behind grills or bulletproof glass.  They are in areas where you might expect to find a lot of homeless or the type of citizen who likes to carve their handle on the mirror.  They are in establishments who’s outside appearance make you decide you are not thirsty enough to stop and buy a drink.  The point is there is a reason why the bathroom is locked.

So I have serious questions about the event that sparked this whole white guilt event.  Is it possible that someone stepped out of line?  Sure.  Life happens.  People are not perfect.  Did it come down the way the media portrays it?  Is the Starbucks reaction rational?  Not so much.

Meanwhile since I don’t shop there and hope never to work there the only damage is the added sense of social justice smugness that has been reinforced.

I prefer Panara coffee anyway.

homo unius libri

Opus 2018-133: Remember Day

Sunday we visited a church we had never attended before.  I am out of town and so this would be normal.  I forgot that it was Memorial Day weekend and pastors always feel a need to do something.  When he asked for all veterans to come forward I was of mixed emotions.  No one would know the difference except my family.  Later my son said he wondered if I would get up and go.  At the same time I am not ashamed of my service and it is an important time. 

So I joined the old guys shuffling to the front.  They prayed for those who had not come home from the nations wars, for those who had and were injured and for those still serving.  It didn’t hurt me to participate.

I find times like that mildly embarrassing.  I am a veteran.  I served in Vietnam and never felt any shame about that.  Okay.  You are welcome.  At the same time I don’t think I should be lumped together with the warriors.  Although I was in a war zone and did go to places where people had died and I could have died, I was never in that daily atmosphere of the battlefield.  I was never shot at.  Although I did my service I did not know the terror that many felt.  I wish there was a way that we could somehow honor those warriors for what they went through.

War is terrible, but until Jesus returns it will at times be necessary.  There are bullies and bully nations who will never back down from aggression and intimidation until someone comes along and makes their behavior too painful to continue.  We now have an all volunteer military.  I hope and pray that we never have another need for universal conscription.

It is good to remember those who have fallen.  I think it is even more important to care for the families of those in current service and pray for those on active duty.  Those of us who came home healthy and went on with life should be aware of their sacrifice more than others.

homo unius libri

Opus 2018-132: Stroke Thoughts, Part 3 of 3, Opposites Attract

We are examining some logical reasons why the universe as we know it was not created by chance.  Keep in mind that if we got to today by a series of random events then tomorrow could be another random event and small details can have cosmic consequences.

What if positive and negative started repelling instead of attracting?  It is not just in romance that opposites attract.  It is at the root of the molecules that make up you and your toast in the morning.  How would the molecules that are you change if this concept were reversed?  Current science tells us that atoms are made up of protons, neutrons and electrons.  Every atom exists in balance between the positive and negative.  Change how they relate and all those electrons will suddenly fly off in every direction and the entire universe becomes a nuclear explosion.  Maybe that is what the Big Bang was all about.  You say, “That can’t happen.”  How do you know? 

Those are all possible if the universe is the result of a random series of chance events.  Maybe that works for you.  It makes things like love, compassion and kindness really stupid ways to spend your time unless you prefer the feeling you get from that to pure sensual gratification.  If that is where the universe comes from then it is all a cruel joke.  Hitler becomes an acceptable role model.  Murder just becomes a way to lower the population.  Kick your dog.  Put your elbows on the table.  Jaywalk, but remember, if someone runs you down, that’s okay too.

I prefer going down the path that says there is a God who planned and created all of this.  That does not deliver you non-stop at the door to a Christian heaven but it does point you in the right direction.

Or all of this post is just accidental.  You know, like the monkeys in a room full of typewriters eventually producing the Encyclopedia Britannica. 

homo unius libri

Opus 2018-131: Stroke Thoughts, Part 2 of 3, Be Afraid

If you believe in evolution then you need to be prepared for the end of the world.  Everything could fall apart very quickly.

Let’s take a look at your favorite cold beverage.  The chances are you have ice cubes in the container.  You will notice that they are floating at the top.  Did you ever stop to think about that?  Do you remember the scientific explanation?  You are observing something that defies the general rule of physics that says things expand when they are heated and contract when they are cooled.  Most people know that.  There may be other exceptions but an important one is water.  Ice floats because when it crosses the threshold and and gets cold enough to change phases, i.e. goes from a liquid to a solid, instead of contracting it expands slightly.  That means that its mass becomes less than the water around it and it rises.  Simple science.  Understood physics. 

What if, by random chance, that law of nature decides it is bored and wants to change its behavior?  Ice stops floating.  It contracts like it is supposed to do.  It accumulates at the bottom of the ocean, far from the heat of the sun, and never melts.  The next layer of ice forms and sinks.  Soon you have the oceans frozen over and life as we know it is impossible.  I have no idea how this would effect the rest of the universe.  That would be enough.  So if you believe in evolution and random chance, be afraid.  Be very afraid.  Tonight, while you are sleeping could be the moment.

And keep an eye on the ice in your glass.

What about diffusion?  If I remember my high school science, diffusion is the movement of molecules from an area of greater density to an area of lesser density.  It is how our lungs work with oxygen and carbon dioxide.  It is how you smell the roast burning in the oven when you are in the living room.  It is a common event.  It is regulated by a lot of laws of physics that I would not even know how to look up.  What if tonight while you were asleep the laws of physics were tweaked and the oxygen and carbon dioxide stopped moving back and forth?  Or what if it only slowed down 50%?  If you believe that life is a series of accidents then you have no reason to believe that could not happen tonight, or before I stop writing.

Be afraid.  Be very afraid.

To be continued...

homo unius libri

Opus 2018-130: Stroke Thoughts, Part 1 of 3

An acquaintance just had a mild stroke.  He is not a believer.  How do you talk to something like this?  His journey has taken him through a number of different religious experiences and left him outside of all of them.  How do you discuss the big questions if they come up.  Obviously you make small talk and cover sports and the weather but when you have had a brush with death it is possible that the conversation will get a little more serious. 

When you come close to death you wonder what is the meaning of life.  Is there any?

The evidence leads me to one of two options:  Believe in personal God or sink into nihilism.

To start with I reject the evolutionary approach.  My main reason for this is not that there cannot be any kind of change or development, there can and is.  What I reject is that the universe is the result of random events, or chance.  Under this theory the universe as we know it is an accidental creation.  In an infinite series of possibilities, this reality is only one of many.  In an infinite number of possibilities everything will eventually happen.

Okay.  I do not say that is not an option, I just say that if that is the answer then I might as well commit suicide because everything is meaningless.  If the universe as we know it is the result of a series of random changes then there is nothing to keep another random change from negating all that exists.  Consider the gambler who is on a roll.  He has had a series of hits playing a specific number at roulette.  He keeps putting all of his winnings on a random number.  He roles again and wins again.  Rinse and repeat as the label says.  In an infinite set of realities there is one where he will keep winning just because that will happen sometime in an infinite series.  The problem is that it only takes one miss to wipe him out.

If you believe in random evolution then you also need to believe that it all could disappear in the next second.  If you are going to be consistent you need to grab for all the gusto while you still have a chance.  Nothing matters except your immediate gratification.

“Nonsense,” you say.  Nothing could make that happen.  Well, let me give you a few examples that even I a non-scientist can see.

To be continued...

homo unius libri

Opus 2018-129: More Ivanhoes Needed

I used to hear the phrase “barking up the wrong tree”.  I apologize for pointing this out if you are familiar with it but the way our culture is going you never know what is still known.  It is amazing some times what you need to explain.  An example from the other direction, I had to have my middle school students explain to me who Kim Kardashian was.  I am still not sure what she has ever done besides exude sex.

The conspiracy nuts are barking up the right tree.  They have all kinds of complicated plots going on by the cabal of the deep state.  Everyone they don’t like is deep in the world wide conspiracy involving drugs, slavery, pedophilia, murder and body parts.  You might have a white hat today but be “exposed” tomorrow as a closet black hat.  Then the next day you can be Ivanhoe again. 

Keep in mind that just because a peanut looks like a nut, has a shell you crack, tastes like a nut, has a name that includes “nut” and is found in cans of mixed nuts does not make it a nut.  That is to say that many of the conspiracies do have genuine roots.  I believe the problems are more common that most of us know.  I also believe it is not as pervasive as they claim.

It sounds like President Trump is starting to move against these entrenched forces of evil.  We need to be praying for his safety and wisdom.  Evil exists.  Evil has power.  There is little we can do against EVIL but there is everything we can do against evil.  We can clean up our little corner of the world.  We can refuse to compromise for our short term gain.  We can vote thoughtfully. 

I don’t know the exact original quote but the idea that people get the government they deserve keeps coming  back to me.  Do your best to deserve the best.

homo unius libri

Opus 2018-128: 0 for 2

There are two big events that I have not followed, the royal wedding and the film festival.  I see them getting a lot of press coverage but really, I could not care less.

I wish the Royals every happiness.  I hope they have a long and satisfying marriage.  It will be an uphill battle in this day and age, but I hope they make it.  I doubt if I will check in with them again.

As far as Cannes goes, I hope they lose a fortune on every film they make.  None of the titles do I recognize.  Few of the names ring a bell with me.  Their importance to the well being of the world is in the negative realms of nonsense.  Tide coming out with a new and improved formula would be more important to the world.

homo unius libri

Opus 2018-127: A New Game

I just thought of a new game.  At least it is new to me.  You may have been playing it for years.  How about a competition to see who can bring up a specific ad on their computer.  Or you could go for how long it would take.  Have you noticed that when you look for something you start getting ads related to your search?  For instance, I looked at book shelf and now I am inundated with offers for furniture. 

The rules would require some kind of limitations, like if you were looking for left-handed monkey wrenches you could not use any of those words or even the word “tools”.  The prize could be a cookie that banned all advertising.

The world of the internet is the source of continual creativity and endless bargains.

homo unius libri

Opus 2018-126: Headlines: Where Have All the Babies Gone

The lead story at the Washington Free Beacon dealt with a decline in the birth rate in America.  This is not a new issue.  The graph they showed had a steady decline for over 10 years.  They gave a lot of reasons for the decline including some who are blaming it on President Trump.  Go figure.

Some of the theories are just liberal boiler plate.  For instance, one of their big reasons for the decline in the birth rate was economic problems.  People felt like they could not afford to have children.  This was obviously written by someone who didn’t get out much.  The decrease in the number of children is not obvious in the poorer areas.  I used to work at a school full of poor people and those women just kept pumping them out.  It is the wealthy that are having fewer children.  Actually I should say the middle classes.  I don’t know many wealthy people but I do know a few in the middle classes.  It is amazing how many of my children’s generation are not having children.  They are educated and have good jobs.  They are wonderful people who would make great parents.  They don’t seem to be able to have children.

Then there is a theory I picked up on some fly-by-night web site somewhere in my foggy memory.  Their theory was that since it is cool to be thin women are not having children.  It wasn’t the obvious look of pregnancy.  It had to do with the theory of evolution and how women were designed so that if they did not have enough body fat their fertility would go down.  It was supposed to protect them during times of famine.  Since the poor tend to be more obese it stands to reason that the fashion conscious yuppies and millennials have a harder time getting pregnant.

I think the lower birth rate is a sign of economic prosperity.  It has been noted that as societies get wealthier the birth rate declines.  As health care improves the birth rate declines.  If you know your children are going to live you know you don’t need to many to guarantee some will survive.  If you know you can buy a tractor and milking machines you don’t need so many for labor around the farm. 

So up to a certain point the declining birth rate can be a plus factor.  Just because I want more grandchildren doesn’t mean it is going to happen.

homo unius libri

Opus 2018-125: Prepare Yourself

In Texas we are going through another heat wave.  We need to remind ourselves about the tendency we have as humans to respond to anecdotal experiences instead of evaluating the full slate of evidence.  I refer to the manipulation called “global warming”.  Those of us who have memory spans longer than the time between Fake News Trump Attacks realize that the data does not back up anthropomorphic climate change.  Let’s act like it.

There is a movement in the intellectual elites of the left to change from the scientific method to the Marxist method.  That means the published evidence is the group of carefully selected facts that back up the conclusion we want to reach.  I saw it when I was teaching.  The administrators and their gurus began talking about evidence backed research instead of scientific studies.  Evidence backed research is based on collecting stories that reinforce you point and only telling those stories.  You see it every day in the Acronym media.  One example I kept hearing was that when you fail students it causes them to doubt themselves and so they don’t graduate from high school.  The point was that we were causing them to fail.  It never occurred to them, or if it did they would not admit it, that people who will drop out of school would also be the ones who tended to not have the skills or habits to make them successful.  Which caused which? 

When we were going through cold spells we had all kinds of jokes about global warming.  Now that the days are getting longer it is inevitable that the days will get hotter.  At present they are talking about record highs.  I am sure we will see some swipes from the climatistas about how it is all because of “climate change”.  No, it is because of spring and summer.

Enjoy the heat because that thing called winter will be back.

homo unius libri

Opus 2018-124: Firsts: Walking the Dog Texas Style

Texas seems to have its own way of doing things.  We have one family down our street that is out daily walking their three dogs.  Today I had a quick glace of someone out walking his pets and I had to get where I could take a second look.  He was walking a dog, a pig and a goat.  None of them were on leashes or harnesses.  They all responded to his direction and seemed very happy to be part of the family.

Only in Texas.

homo unius libri

Opus 2018-123: GPS Walk

It has been around 50 years but I still remember the faith walks.  It was part of a college Psych class and was all the rage.  You would submit to a blind fold and have someone else lead you around the campus and you would trust them to keep you safe.  On the secular side it had to do with being able to trust other people.  The spiritual lesson for Christians was to illustrate the idea of walking by faith. 

In current culture this is lived out every day by people who would reject the whole idea of walking by faith.  In this case it is the GPS interface that is being trusted.  If you are one of the few who have never used them they can also inform you about road conditions and traffic flow.  If you have blind faith you will find yourself being led around the barn to get in the front door.  If you insist on following every direction you will find yourself driving into ditches when your phone tells you to turn left and the road goes right.

When it works as intended it is a perfect example of what it means to walk by faith.  You will get directions and they may take you in a way that makes no sense to you but the GPS knows things you don’t, just as God knows things we don’t.  One of the problems my wife has when I try to use it involves the fact that she wants the phone to tell her things it is not ready to tell her.  She wants to be in charge.  When dealing with cyber gods I agree with that.  When waiting on the God of the universe I need to learn patience.

Technology imitates life. 

homo unius libri

Opus 2018-122: Japan: Star Trek Bathrooms, Part 9 of ?

Public rest rooms in Japan almost make the trip worthwhile.  They really get into their sanitation.  Relieving yourself becomes a major event.

The have heated toilet seats.  Maybe your Lexus has heated seats but have you ever considered one for the bathroom and of course they are padded.

Then there are the bidets on demand.  In addition you can have a rectal shower with controls for how strong the flow would be.  I must confess that I don’t have any idea the difference between a bidet and the shower feature.  I was not even close to trying them.

They also have what you might call Music to Fart By.  This is more in the lady’s room than the men’s.  The idea is that the music will drown out any offensive noises that you might make while doing your thing.  The stalls are also often totally confined rooms so you have to live with what you make.

Then there are what are called “Squatty potties” by some.  These are holes in the floor that meet all your needs.

To top it all off there are no paper towels.  I always found an electric dryer but I have heard that some places do not even offer that.  People carry their own little towels to use when needed.

If you feel you have done everything that America has to offer you might want to take a trip to Japan just for the experience of their bathrooms.

homo unius libri

Opus 2018-121: Thanks Thoughts: Yokes

I was reading in Proverbs and came across this verse.

(Proverbs 14:4 KJV)  Where no oxen are, the crib is clean: but much increase is by the strength of the ox.

It stood out to me because I had quoted it to some people working in a cluttered environment.  I was pointing out that clutter is often the sign of work going on.  As I read it I noticed one thing that was not mentioned:  the yoke.

Certain inventions have changed the way our society functions.  They have made it possible for common people to gain security and success.  One of them was the yoke.  Before the yoke draft animals were only for the rich.  An ox or horse could not earn its daily grain because it could only pull so hard with a rope around its neck without choking.  The yoke put the pressure on the bones of the shoulders and produced much more work for the same effort.  Suddenly the peasant could afford an ox because the ox generated wealth.  No longer did he need to hook his wife and children to the plow. 

How many little things will I use today that were once revolutionary?  Do I marvel every time I flick a switch and the light comes on?  Am I overcome with awe when I zip my pants up in less than a second?  Do I rejoice when I hop in my car and drive seven miles to pick up a quart of milk?  How about when I hear the thump in the night and realize that I not only have a baseball bat but six rounds of lead if the wood isn’t enough.

So much that we take for granted.

homo unius libri

Opus 2018-120: Cornerstone Considerations: CUSA, The Iran Deal

I have not read any “news” articles about it but I am coming across the idea that Iran might release a list of people who took bribes to endorse the big payoff they received from Obama.  It sounds good but I am afraid we need to get out the salt shaker and take a few grains.  My guess is that there will be some interesting revelations but the spill as a whole would fall into the category of fake news.  Since when can we take the word of Iran on anything?

As much as we might want to see and believe the list I think it would need to be verified.

If it can be, then it is time for some trials for more than bribery.  Some crimes are well defined in the Constitution. 

Article IV, Section 3.

1.  Treason against the United States shall consist only in levying war against them, or in adhering to their enemies, giving them aid and comfort.  No person shall be convicted of treason unless on the testimony of two witnesses to the same overt act, or on confession in open court.

The Founders were serious about this.  Maybe we should be too.  And when it says “two witnesses” it doesn’t mean CNN and MSNBC.

homo unius libri

Opus 2018-119: Firsts: Eco-Wasping

This was not the first time I have attacked the wasps around our house.  It was the first time I did it without insecticides. 

We are out in the country.  Wasps have a place in the food chain and I accept that.  However, there place is not on my porch or in my living room.  If I never got buzzed I would be willing to let them live in the brush around my house.  I generally don’t mess with spiders if they stay outside.  If I could communicate I would tell them that but they don’t seem to want to listen.

I have used different sprays and they work well.  I have no complaints on that but I begin to wonder about the possible build up of toxic chemicals.  As an old man I figured I could out live the results but now I am a grandparent and things look different.

So I went on line and looked for alternatives.  One that I kept seeing was a simple solution of dishwashing soap and water.  If you want to get fancy you can add some peppermint oil.  In all the videos the wasps would drop fast enough that I would not need to worry about revenge.  One guy was spraying the wasps inside a small greenhouse with no special clothes and his son playing around his feet.

I gave it a try.  I went out around dawn.  The wasps are supposed to be sleeping in at that point.  I had found a series of new nests the day before and had plenty of targets.  I hit the first one and some of them literally dropped like rocks immediately.  Others struggled for a bit but did not know what hit them.  I tried a second nest and one managed to fly away so I decided I would retreat while still enjoying the flush of victory.  Later I will check to see the results and knock down the residue.

Why the peppermint?  They say that peppermint and water by itself will kill the larvae but the main reason was that wasps don’t like the smell and it will keep them from coming back. 

Now I have to deal with my wife asking, “What happened to all my dish soap?”

homo unius libri

Opus 2018-118: Firsts: NRA Convention

When my wife suggested getting out of town for a few days she had a number of items on her agenda.  The only one that materialized as planned was attending the NRA convention.  This was the first time I hazarded an appearance.  I do not like big crowds and long lines.  I assumed I would not be attending the events with big names and waiting lists.  My experience at conventions is that the sessions that are really worth going to are so crowded that the benefit is sucked out of the air as far as I am concerned.

I set my sights on not attending any of the big events and it seems my expectations were correct.  By the time I got around to checking things out everything was sold out.  My main interest was walking through the vender section and seeing what it was like.  We went on Friday afternoon hoping that would be the least crowded time.  Dallas traffic reminds me of L.A.  Every time we went somewhere in the area we ran into accidents and construction that snuffed out spontaneity.  That worked out well though.  We were able to listen to President Trump’s speech while we enjoyed the red tail lights in front of us. 

It was an overwhelming display of free enterprise and enthusiasm about the Second Amendment.  People were friendly and polite.  It was crowded but there was very little pushing and shoving.  My wife commented on how clean cut the crowd looked.  I guess she was expecting a Duck Dynasty style.  I don’t know if she was disappointed or encouraged.  There was a lot to look at and if you had to spend money you could find a lot of outlets.  I did not see any seedy gun hustlers.  I am sure that you could have purchased a gun but the general pattern was you placed an order.  Of course I did not have time to see everything so they may have been hiding some dark tunnel.

So I have been to an NRA Convention.  Will I do it again?  I don’t know.  Ask me next year.  It depends on how bored I am.

homo unius libri

Opus 2018-117: Election 2018: Selective Shutdown

I was drawn to a post at the Daily Signal that turned out to be letters written in response to an earlier interview with Betsy DeVos.

Since she is Secretary of Education you can assume it had to do with education.  It was interesting enough in its own way but the comment I read in the first post about shutting down the Department of Education was what got my attention.  It was not mentioned in the interview.

It should have been.  Shutting down the Department of Education should be the focus of educational reform.  I am sure they mean well and think they can tweak the existing structure.  The power brokers in D.C. may have even thought of that years ago but there is something that happens when people become a part of the institution.  They forget that the institution is not the end but the means.  When it ceases to produce results it needs to be done away with and they are still trying to fix it.  Think of a field that has had corn or cotton planted year after year.  Every year the yield gets smaller until it is useless.  It is time to change the crops.  Maybe it is time to build condos.

These articles dealt with the Department of Education.  It is just one of many federal behemoths that have become useless tails looking for a dog to wag.  I think this could be an issue in the campaigns for 2018.  We don’t need reform that is incremental.  We need to fumigate.

If they can’t see the picture, vote the suckers out.

homo unius libri

Opus 2018-116: On the Street: It’s Funny How That Works

My wife recommended a book to me written by Jerome Corsi called Killing the Deep State.  It is in the conspiracy theory genre and is very supportive of President Trump.  Since I had a gift card from Barns and Noble, I figured I would use it to bring my cost on the book.  I went shopping.

The sales clerk knew the book.  She knew what it looked like.  She knew where it was supposed to be.  No book.  She spent some time on the computer and took me to the section it would have been in if it wasn’t on the kiosk for new releases.  No book.  She checked the computer again and it said there were four of them in the store.  Still no book.  She checked with other employees and no one could find any of the four that were supposed to be in the store.

I have heard about this phenomenon but never experienced it.  On the kiosk were the books by Hillary and Comey.  There was a book by Madeline Albright and a selection of other works by people who had no place in their world for Donald Trump.  The only one missing was the one by the conservative.  Strange how those things happen.

I eventually found the book in another Barns and Noble store.  It was where it was supposed to be along with the others.  It took me about 30 seconds. 

This is one reason why people go to the internet and the local stores are struggling.  It is also an example of the kind of subtle forces of the left that are trying to mold the thinking of the masses.

homo unius libri

Opus 2018-115: Japan: The Price of Polite, part 8 of ?

Japan is a polite society.  They are bowing all the time.  It is a part of their culture. 

On the return flight you see it.  The people at the desk bow to you as you come and as you go.  The gate attendant would stop and bow to the entire room before he preceded to open the door to the ramp.  When they began to give the safety lecture before take off the attendants would bow several times to the passengers. 

The ultimate was after we boarded the airplane and it started backing away from the gate.  If you looked out the window at the right time you could see the entire ground crew lined up.  They would bow to the plane and then wave as you began your journey.  Nice touch.  That of course stopped once we were on the return flight and the Americans took over.

On their cross country trains you are considered very rude if anyone can hear you talking.  It is considered the ultimate in vulgarity to blow your nose in public.  They have little access to napkins.  You are expected to bring your own.  As an extension of this they have no public trash cans and yet there is no litter. 

There are no Politeness Police that I noticed.  They don’t need them.  The social pressure is enough to keep everyone in line.  They are polite and seem to be happy as a people.  At the same time the suicide rates in school age children are out of site.  While they are hard working, punctual and trustworthy, Japanese are not known for being creative or original in their thinking.

Is there a cost for all the rigid traditions?  I think so.  Much of the price they pay is something they are willing to accept.  They have an orderly life but they live in very small houses, drive tiny cars and have fewer options.  Those are not evil but they are things that most Americans would not settle for.

To be continued...

homo unius libri

Opus 2018-114: Headlines: Why Alfie Needs to Be Remembered

Alfie Evans has died.  It may be that he would have died no matter what course was taken.  We will never know.

His death saddens me.  This is partly a personal reaction.  I have just experienced the joy of having a grandchild.  Already she has been back to the hospital.  It grabs hold of your heart and squeezes when it happens.  I can remember a time when my son was in a coma and not responding.  I know the fear and when it becomes a reality you want to go into denial.  So it touched a chord.

The way he died fills me with horror.  To think that a government agency would be able to make the kind of decisions that were made means tyranny that we can only have nightmares about.  And people want to bring British style medical care to the United States.  The terror is not personal.  I am not afraid of dying.  I am getting up there.  I know Jesus.  I am ready to go.  No big deal.  The day may come when my children are forced to approve the removal of life support.  I guess you could say I can live with that.

But I have children and a hope for future generations.  I fear for them if the Democrats (Progressives, liberals, socialists, communists, Rinos, elites) have their way and decide what is best for each of us.  It wasn’t that they turned the machines off.  That may have been a necessary move.  There are times when you take away the artificial supports.  But then the death panels continued to make decisions they should not have been allowed to do.  Food was withheld.  At one point water was withheld.  That is criminal.  Then you have all the outside groups that volunteered to take the baby and see what they could do at no expense to the British Government.  I understand even the Pope tried to intervene.

The government had decided that this child had to die for his own good.  That was not their decision to make in a free country.  I guess that tells you something about liberty in Great Britain.  And again, keep in mind, the liberals want to bring it here.  Alfie may have died anyway.  I guess we will never know.

Next time you hear a liberal talking about health care for all, remember Alfie.  Vote the suckers out, while you still have a chance.

homo unius libri

Opus 2018-113: On the Street: Vulture Envy

Have you ever been jealous of a vulture? 

I was sitting out on my porch playing my guitar as the day faded.  It was cloudy and very windy.  If you were in a bad mood it would be dismal.  If you had watched a horror movie you would have been convinced that something wicked this way came.  Since I had a porch, a guitar and a view I was enjoying the moment.  Then I noticed the vultures and got a bit jealous.

I am told their correct name is turkey vultures and they are usually busy working to clean up the highways.  Today they were obviously not hungry but they were rejoicing in their niche in creation.  They were soaring, diving, ascending and just rejoicing on being vultures on a windy day.  They were probably laughing at me because I was stuck on the ground.  At one point a few went by to see if I was road kill.  I wanted to get up and join them.

It was not to be.  I probably would not have enjoyed their idea of dinner either.

homo unius libri

Opus 2018-112, Cornerstone Considerations: CUSA, Time for Section 4

I am thinking that the United States Army may need to invade the People’s Republik of Kalifornia soon.  They will do so on Constitutional grounds.  You find the following in the Constitution, Article 4, Section. 4. 

“The United States shall guarantee to every State in this Union a republican form of government, and shall protect each of them against invasion; and on application of the legislature, or of the executive (when the legislature cannot be convened), against domestic violence.”  

California is moving away from being a republic.  The move started with the open primaries.  With open primaries the domination of one party is assured.  Last time I voted in California I was not able to vote for any candidate who was not a Democrat.  One party rule does not a republic make. 

Now we are moving to open tyranny and violation of the First Amendment.  A recent article in the Gateway Pundit pointed out that a bill has been introduced into the state legislature that would allow prior restraint of free speech.  To those of you who were not paying attention in civics, that is called censorship when it is done by the government and the bill plans for the government to be the one approving on-line content.  How do you think that will go in California?

So the federal government has a clear responsibility to restore a free society.

The second part of Section 4 has to do with protecting against invasion.  If there is a state being invaded it is California.  Being masochistic, California is enjoying the pain but it is still an invasion.  One wave comes from Latin America.  A second wave is coming from Asia.  It is very similar to the German barbarians flooding into the Roman Empire and if it is not stopped the results will be the same.

So it is time for the federal government to do its job.

homo unius libri