Opus 2023-223: Old Time Solutions

When I was a kid I was taught that the police were my friend.  We watched Dragnet, Perry Mason, 77 Sunset Strip and a long string of shows that told us life was fair and we had a bright future.  

I guess I have grown up to face reality or reality has been changed.  Either way I am watching the heroes of the FBI become KGB operatives.  I want to avoid any brush with the court system because all the ones that make the news are agents of the Fascists in charge.  There seems to be nothing left to do.  People are talking revolution and civil war.  Those generally don’t work out very well.

I have a suggestion that might help:  Bring back the tradition of dueling.

I have been interested in the click bait about a fight between Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg.  I don’t think it will ever happen but it shows the possibilities.  If you could call someone out instead of needing to hire a lawyer then we might see a lot of things change.  

Who would not like to see Donald Trump challenge Merrick Garland to a duel.  If he was the challenger then Garland could pick the weapons.  A dawn meeting could be televised with the proceeds to pay for funeral expenses.  Of course Garland might choose air-soft pistols at 100 yards but you get the idea.  

Think of all the government officials we could deal with and not have to worry about going to jail.  It might make some judges think twice before they ignored the law.

I am sure details would need to be worked out but it could keep the republic from disintegrating.

homo unius libri

Opus 2023-222: Time for Show Trials

We need to discipline our comments about Covid.

First, in our daily organ recitals and pain reports, we need to stop blaming every ache and pain on Covid.  It is just another virus and, like the Devil, it is neither omnipotent nor omnipresent.  In spite of all the hype and panic the virus remains little more than another flu virus.  People who are at risk die from the flu.  That is what happens when you have one foot in the grave already and a few toes from the other side.  We need to stop feeding the monster.

We need to keep demanding an accountability to the criminals who knowingly poisoned a population, and even worse, a generation.  The danger was obvious long before the government and media would admit it.  They used the bully pulpit and our tax money to threaten and coerce anyone who would call attention to the facts.  As I have read several places and will repeat for you here, they were not wrong.  Then were not mistaken.  They knew and they lied.  When you deliberately do things that cause damage and death in real life you are held accountable.  The same should be applied to these monsters.

Among the would-be elitests who know what is best for us, the dockets need to be filled with these parodies of humanity.  Let the trials begin.

homo unius libri

Opus 2023-221: Another Shoe Drops

Today I am going to a funeral.  I am expecting to possibly shed a few quiet tears over the death of a man I hardly knew.  The tears will not be for him or for me.  They will be for the empty spot beside his son on the pew next Sunday.  

They will be tears of joy.  If you don’t understand that then you need to get more serious about who Jesus is and the hope that we have in Him.  I am at the age where the second shoe could drop and they will call for the cremation team.  I hate to tell you, but so are you.  It doesn’t matter how old you are.  I hope to be taken by surprise.

I am ready.  So was he.  I find myself smiling.  

homo unius libri

Opus 2023-220: Weaponize the Supreme Court

For a few searches I was afraid that Google had forgotten about Andrew Jackson.  Every response I got brought back references to the current justice who does not know what a woman is.  Eventually I found what I wanted.

Among other impeachable offenses of Joe Biden, we have seen him openly ignore the ruling of the United States Supreme Court.  He is not the first to do so.  When the Cherokee Indians, with the mistaken idea that Democrat presidents were required to follow the law, sued to keep their land in Georgia, the Supreme Court sided with the Indians.  Andrew Jackson removed them anyway.

He is credited with a quote, which is claimed to be apocryphal, “John Marshall has made his decision, now let him enforce it.”  We have come back to the day when this seems to be the theme song of the Democrat party.  The Department of Justice should enforce the law as interpreted by the court.  They seem to be shrugging their shoulders and seeing what else they can get away with.

We need to form a SWAT team for the Supreme Court.  They could be sent out to deal with recalcitrant government officials.  They could enforce, with prejudice, the decisions of the court.

Another idea might be to remove the Marine Corps from the President’s chain of command and assign them to the Chief Justice.  That could get some action.

Until such day dreams become reality we should impeach, defund and sue most members of the administrative state.  It would seem to me that if Georgia can indict Donald Trump then any state could sue Merrick Garland.

Let us get creative.  There are many things that can be done before it comes to Lexington and Concord.

homo unius libri

Opus 2023-219: Will We Ever Know

One reason conspiracy theories are so common is because they turn out to be accurate.  Another is that they are really fun.  It is a powerful combination.

My conspiracy theory about the Maui fire was that it was started by the indigenous Hawaiians as a way to deal with the pesky haoles who hung around in Lahaina.  We used to own a condo in Hawaii and made regular trips.  One year we spent six weeks immersed in the aloha spirit.  We spent enough time there and talked to the locals enough to realize that there was a growing animosity from the locals toward the mainlanders.  It was one of the reasons we sold and stopped going.  Lahaina was mainly a tourist trap.  It would represent everything that the locals hate.  So my theory was that they started it to clean out the pestilence.

The one I am hearing that is better than mine involves lowering the price of real estate.  I don’t bother with the articles but I do enjoy the click bait headlines.  One says that a month before the fire the developers got a law passed that allowed them to buy property cheap if it was destroyed by fire.  Another pointed out all the rich, powerful, and usually Democrat celebrities that are buying up large tracts of land on Maui.  (Play music from Twilight Zone here)

Personally I think that there is some kind of skulduggery behind the fire.  I am not sure if we will ever find out what the plan was or who planned it.  Meanwhile we will have fun in our imaginations.  

You might also want to file away the thought that if someone rich and famous ever wants to buy your home it could be a good idea to sell.

homo unius libri

Opus 2023-218: On the Street: Et Tu Cactus

As I am sure you have heard, it has been hot lately.  That is not all bad.  One advantage is no mowing.  Grass, and even some weeds, somehow stop growing when it is hot and dry.

As I was walking this morning I saw a testimony to the conditions:  The cactus is wilting.  Cactus is designed for hot, dry weather.  It is a survival plant.  Today I noticed that one large growth was not only pale and turning brown on the edges but was collapsing in upon itself.  Once I noticed it in one place I noticed it all along the way.

The weather app on my phone is being psychologically supportive by acting like we have a chance of rain today.  I don’t believe CNN.  I don’t believe the L.A. Times.  I don’t believe the weather app.  I still like to use my personal version.  I stick my head out the door and if it feels hot then I decide it is hot.  Works every time.

homo unius libri

Opus 2023-217: Happy Father’s Day

I don’t understand the need for a formal Fathers’ Day on the calendar.  My daughter made some statement about it recently and I pointed out to her, as I buckled my grandson into his car seat, that every day I got to see my grandchildren was a father’s day.

Yesterday that involved having two children scream with laughter when I knocked a pill box off the shelf.  That of course gave me a reason to threaten them with “I’ll give you something to laugh about,” and chase them across the house.  At one point it involved having a three year old climb up on the back of the couch, sit on my neck and pat my hair while the five year old explained an important part of her life to me.  

The biggest struggle of the day was getting up off the floor.  The five year old wanted to make the alphabet with some old wood blocks we had in a basket.  Of course she could not do that on a table like a civilized human being.  It had to be on the floor.  And of course the three year old had to get involved which meant sitting, and bouncing, on top of grandpa.  The struggle came from getting up again.  I made it.  More good news.

Dinner was at an Italian restaurant and involved watching my granddaughter carefully eating a plate full of her “favorite kind of pasta”.  I got to give her a lesson in generosity by giving her a five to put in the jar of the lady playing accordion in the entry.

All in all it was a great father’s day.  I hope yours went as well.  Expect to have another one soon.

homo unius libri

Opus 2023-216: Alternative to Division

The rule of law has been perverted by the Proregressives*.  The chances of getting any kind of justice on the federal level has almost disappeared.  If you are involved in something that has nothing for the left to steal and the stakes are small, you have a chance.  Anything that the mysterious elites lust after they will destroy you to grab.

So the republic is dissolving right before our eyes.  It is wide open where it will end up.  One of the solutions being discussed is dissolving the union.  That would involve dividing into at least two countries but it won’t be that easy.  

How do you divide?

We can never divide into blue states and red states.  I am in Texas.  We have the People’s Republic of Austin as our capital.  What do you do with all the California expatriates if Texas pulls out of the union?  In Texas, as in all states, the cities are blue.  If the divide became violent then it would not be a civil war between states but a general free for all.

Perhaps we can develop a city-state polity.  Let Austin, New York, Chicago and all of there brothers in the blue be independent and go their own way.  Let the Americans in the rest of the country go their own way.

We can avoid violence if the blues will just let the reds alone.  Liberty loving Americans are not looking for a fight.  The problem is that the blues refuse to leave us alone.  Freedom offends them.  A large group of non-elites living in prosperity and with options offends their sense of entitlement.  It isn’t even about sharing the wealth.  They want it all and will not be satisfied until the deplorables are rounded up and assigned gulag quarters.

Duly elected Republicans and any Democrats with a shred of decency can still pull the chestnuts out of the fire.  They can start impeaching anything that looks like it has ignored the Constitution.  They can get their lawyers out and start filing law suits on every level.  If they can find this many things to indict Trump on just imagine out much they would have on the J6 junta and all the three letter agencies.  Aren’t most members of congress lawyers?  They don’t even need to hire anyone.  Do the job yourselves.  

Act before the country reaches the point of no return.

*(Liberals, educators, the media, socialists, communists, crony capitalists, fascists (I repeat myself), elites, Rinos, Democrats, leftists, Never Trumpers, Antifa, BLM, MSM, Deep State, etc.  Synonym for swamp dwellers)

homo unius libri

Opus 2023-215: Tasteless Buds

I am wondering if my taste buds have taken another step to the left.  I decided I would try some dark roast coffee and see it my memory had gone elder.  I bought some French roast, brewed it up using the French press and tasted it from a China mug.  I was surprised that it actually was enjoyable.  I would say “good” but I realize that some people can’t stand coffee.

Keep looking for the new and even revisiting the old.

homo unius libri

Opus 2023-214: The Sodom Ten

If you are a believer in the God of the Bible you are familiar with this concept of “everlasting” (5769) God.  He is eternal.  This is significant in such things as the difficulty of science in explaining what set the Big Bang to banging.  What was the Prime Mover, the First Cause.  Although they have the concept of infinity they cannot understand everlasting.

It occurred to me the other day that while we contemplate eternity we sometimes forget today.  We read the term “everlasting to everlasting” and are impressed.  In our awe we tend to forget that this everlasting God is also present in every moment in between everlastings.  He is God today and tomorrow.  The same Prime Mover that started it all keeps it going.

So relax.  Take care of the things that are on your job description.  Make sure that the soup on the stove doesn’t boil over.  Don’t run out of ketchup.  Remember to pay the utilities.  Get some exercise.  Hug your children.  Complement your wife.  Praise your husband.  Take cookies to the neighbors.  Volunteer for the church nursery.  Your list may vary.

Leave the big items on God’s job description.  Write your letters to your congressman but precede them with prayer because the influence on his mind comes from God, not you.  Think about all the things that you can do nothing about.  Can you prevent an EMP or massive sunspot?  Didn’t think so.  Can you force the federal government to balance its budget?  Only from your personal Napoleon suite at the local hospital.  

Your job is to be one of the Sodom 10, you know, the ten righteous that Abram could not locate when God offered to spare the city.  You are to be salt and light not savior.  (Posted, August 16, 2023, MOW)

homo unius libri

Opus 2023-213: A Logical Conclusion

If I believed in the evolutionary model for the universe it would bring me to certain logical conclusions.

Euthanasia would make sense.  When a body ceases to be productive or becomes a guaranteed drag on the community then it needs to be disposed of.  Those who are handicapped to the point that they can not contribute should be eliminated.  Any weakness that could be passed on genetically would need to be culled.  This will enable the species to grow stronger.  We see this in the animal world.  The old and weak are the first victims of the predators.  The weak newborns are not able to access food and starve to death.

Harems would make sense.  Only the best males should be allowed to reproduce.  The temptation here is to just let muscle power predominate but over time the power of the mind could compensate even for that.  Females who were found to have no desirable traits could be sterilized and sent to the fields or given drudge work.

Become Klingons.  I am not a Trekie but what I remember about the Klingons in the original series was that no one could trust anyone else.  Everything was a matter of deceit, back stabbing and the sword.  The fact that such a system would never develop an advanced technology or cooperate enough to form an empire is immaterial to these people.  It is, however the way in which the tooth and claw nature of evolution would exhibit itself.  

Bring back the labs of the holocaust.  Experiment on people to find out what works.  You would start with misfits to get a beginning bit of data and work your way up the social ladder to find out what works best for the elites.

Encourage cannibalism.  This culture is going to be eliminating a lot of people.  People are made of muscles.  Muscle is edible.  It would not do to waste such a source of protein.

My suggestion is that you better hope that evolutionists never actually begin to live what they believe.  

homo unius libri

Opus 2023-212: Worth the Paper It Is Printed On

As a retired public school teacher I think I can safely say that having a degree or certificate does not mean that you know anything worth knowing or how to do anything worth doing.  It used to be that you wanted the piece of paper because it was required to get through a door you wanted to access but I have read headlines that at least imply a college degree will not be necessary for many positions that previously demanded them.  

What are the odds that graduation makes a difference?  What is the ratio of people that education turns out as fools as opposed to actually being able to think?  Are you born a fool and your degrees just add to your vocabulary?  Does the arrogance of knowledge frost your view of the world?  I have met people from Harvard that seem to have a brain and know how to use it.  Is that because of Harvard or in spite of Harvard?

I think the evidence is increasingly showing that it is in spite of.

We still have many situations in which we must make decisions and commitments.  Are you going to trust the guy who tells you the Air Conditioning is shot and needs to be replaced?  Do you believe you need to take the medication that is being presented to you?  More and more we are going to need to do our own homework.  We will need to check with people we trust and see if they have any input.  It is also a good idea to develop a track record with service personnel to see if you can trust them.  I have a cardiologist.  One reason I listen to him is because he has not tried to push cures for things that are not really broken.

Keep your brain plugged in and use discernment.  Don’t forget that you can’t believe anything you hear from main stream sources.  Be responsible for your own life.

homo unius libri

Opus 2023-211: The Disappearing Comments

I am starting to wonder if the censors are beginning to reach down to my level.

My curiosity started when I did not see comments and responses that I thought had come to my blog.  I don’t get a lot of comments so gaps don’t mean much but it seemed like I could remember some really clever responses that were not showing up.  I wrote it off to my senior memory.

Then I read another blog where the author stated that Blogger had clearly been removing things from his blog.  I imagine that eventually they will come for all of us so I don’t think I am just being paranoid.

This is not a churning for comments, rest assured, but if you have left a comment on my blog, or others, and it does not show up after a reasonable time you might want to consider that it is not the casual attitude of the blog host as much as the malevolent interference of the app.  As far as I know I have always responded to comments that have been left and I only delete those that are offering me a discount of Viagra or an introduction to Russian singles.

Life is wonderful.  Be glad that you are not so bored that you need to meddle in other peoples efforts to express themselves.

homo unius libri

Opus 2023-210: Principles Trump Laws

In Proverbs 8 wisdom is declared to have existed from before creation.  

Does that mean that the laws of physics are a part of wisdom?

Does that mean that the Ten Commandments are a part of wisdom?

This made me think about how some talk about the Ten Suggestions.

Are the Ten rules or principles?  We tend to think that principles are easier to manipulate but for the honest soul it is just the opposite.  If you understand the principle behind the commandment then you are able to apply it in righteousness through a multitude of unforseen situations.  In fact, you are required to apply it.  A law only applies to a specific case, a principle is universal.  A law can be worked around.  A principle guides you.

Of course the issue is the heart doing the applying.  Anything can be manipulated.  That is why the Christian walk is dynamic, personal and demanding.  Anyone can follow ten commandments but only those in touch with the Spirit of God can live the Ten Commandments.

We see this going on in our court system.  It has become a game of law instead of a seeking of justice.  The results we see are not those that indicate truth has been achieved but that the best gamer of the system has put another merit badge on his chest.

I often recommend voting out incumbents.  I think that goes double for judges.  The federal judges cannot be touched.  They serve for life.  We might investigate impeachment and establish some new laws if necessary.  State and local judges are usually required to stand for reelection.  They can be removed and in many cases need to be.  Consider that when you get ready to vote.  Look for input on the judges.  That is one of the ingredients in taking back our republic.

homo unius libri

Opus 2023-209: An Un-Hyphenated American

If you have not listened to any of the interviews by the Babylon Bee staff you might be missing something that can inform as you enjoy.  At the very end of the interview they have a time they call “Ten Questions”.  The last one asks if they will accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.  They asked Elon Musk.  They asked Dennis Pragar.

In a recent interview with Voddie Baucham they did not need to ask because he was obviously a man of God.  I have been seeing him more often on You Tube click bait.  I listened to part of a speech he made that was imbedded in another post.  He shared a bit of his background but I don’t have a feel for much of it.  He is currently in Zambia working to establish a college based on the classics.  I believe he said that Greek and Latin are required in the curriculum.

One of the things that caught my attention was his proclamation that he was very much aware that he was not an African and never would be an African.  He was an American.  He also declared that the United States was the most diverse country in the world and the least racist.  I heartily agree.

What brings this to mind was a note I made on March 24, 2011,

“Americans are not haters.  A lot about hate speech and such in the press...  That comes from the philosophies of Europe and other religions.”

I stand by that.  Do Americans hate?  Sure.  Most of us feel that way about the people trafficking in children and making billions on child pornography and prostitution.  We hate evil and we hate people who commit evil acts.  We do not hate based on class, race or national origin.  

There is a difference.  When you hear the distortion, speak up.  Don’t let the real haters control the narrative.

homo unius libri

Opus 2023-208: Election 2024: Gas!

It is time for us to put on our campaign filters.

Filter what we hear.  Most speeches will be bombastic verbosity.  They don’t mean a whole lot.  Extreme statements will be made.  Get a salt shaker because there are a lot of grains you are going to need to take.

Filter what we say.  This is advice mainly to those doing the speaking.  It might be a good idea to have your mother proof-read your speech to see if it meets the sniff test.  Of course if your mother is a never-Trumper that won’t do any good.  Find someone who is easily offended and have them review what you are going to say.  Use the time to build a vision instead of tearing down the opposition.  Think ahead a bit because you may need those people to support or defend you at some future time.

Filter what you read.  How do I get this across?  The media lies.  The government lies.  Scientists lie.  Even conservative sites, who should know better, lie.  We call it exaggeration or click bait but that is because we feel a need to defend our allies.  The basic fact is, they lie.   I have jokingly commented that if someone tells me at noon that the sun is up, I will go outside and check for myself.  Yes, it is that bad.  It reminds me of basic training when they forced us to walk through a room filled with tear gas.  When we smelled it we were supposed to yell, “Gas!”  We were then to put on our gas mask and try to breathe normally.  It took awhile but could be done.

Can we find our way through the labyrinth of lies?  To some degree.  Start with a foundation of truth.  For me that is the basic principles of the Bible.  Everything must mesh with that truth.  Then I look at the click bait and automatically rule out anything making claims that are scintillating.  I will then do some reading.  Over time we find people that seem to be more reliable than others.  I think of Dr. Malone on the covid brainwashing.  As a general rule he seems to be sharing truth.  I listen to people like that more than the CDC or, now days, the Salvation Army.  

Over time I think you can get a feel for what is true and what is not.  Does that tell us what is going to happen next?  No, simply no.  It simply helps us to make wise and moral decisions.  So, is murder wrong?  Yes.  Simple.  Is vigilante justice wrong?  Not so simple but still a question we may need to answer soon.

For the next year and a half keep in mind that campaigns are not a proclamation of truth.  What a candidate says on the hot seat is not like Moses coming down from Mount Sinai.  Wait it out.  Listen for the principles behind the proclamations.  Remember how each person has performed in the past and get ready to vote.

Gas!

homo unius libri

Opus 2023-207: The Never’s

I recently saw the term “never-Biden” used in a post.  I think the idea behind it was to equate never-Trump people with the idea of never-Biden.  It wasn’t just anti Biden, it was also a backhand at Trump.  There is some similarity but the facade dissolves when you turn on your brain and ask yourself why the “never’s” exist.  On one side we have people who are offended by some mean tweets and someone who points out things they don’t want to deal with.  Never Biden people have a long list of moves he has made to destroy the country.  Not biased, am I?

Compare the differences of results if you need an indicator.  You see the memes all the time.  When Trump left office we were at peace and he helped Israel sign some first ever treaties in the middle east.  Today we are slowly being drawn into another war.  In 2020 we were energy independent and gas was about half the cost it is now.  Food has skyrocketed since Biden’s inauguration.  The southern border is now leaking like an FBI secret.  Our military was respected and full of patriots.  Leaders were appointed based on skill not quotas.  

I have seen these lists so many times that I can’t remember half of them any more.

So, yes I am never-Biden.  It will take more than someone who is brash and outspoken to want to replace a success story for America with someone who seems to be lining his pockets at America’s expense.

Color me biased.

Opus 2023-206: Boggles

I had another crude insight into the nature of God.  In comes from the weather app on my phone.

My screen represents just one of millions of data points being fed into a central computer.  I can touch the icon and all the information for my location appears on the screen.  I can scroll down and check things out.  I can swipe to a screen for whatever cities I have entered and in theory I could check almost any location on earth.  Sounds pretty sophisticated and it is, in human terms.

To God it is too crude to mess with.  He can access all of the pages at the same time and be aware of every data point on every page.  

My mind boggles at how my mind will boggle in eternity.

homo unius libri

Opus 2023-205: Standing Up for the Band

I must run in very restricted circles.  I have yet to find anyone who enjoys what churches are calling “contemporary worship”.  Of course I have not talked to anyone in a praise band.

The thought I had one morning was wondering if anyone would be able to recognize these songs if you just played the melody without the accompaniment.  They tend to be so monotonous, repetitive and unimaginative that I would fall asleep if I wasn’t expected to stand.  Maybe that is why contemporary worship has the congregation stand through all the singing.  I guess it also gives the various musicians a chance to show the licks they learned this week.

Call me a cynic but don’t play me your music while you do it.  I might get violent.

homo unius libri

Opus 2023-204: Author’s Alzheimer

In the past year I have read two books by Niall Ferguson, Empire and The Ascent of Money.  While they were interesting, they left me scratching my head over what he included and what he left out.  

I have just begun a third book called The Square and the Tower.  I am only on page 16 and I am already beginning to wonder if it is worth finishing.  Let me try to explain.

In these early pages he spends a lot of time belittling people who believe in conspiracy theories.  If he had listed specific things that I also tend to ignore such as the 9/11 conspiracy or the JFK assassination I would have given him the benefit of the doubt.  There is doubt because most of the so-called conspiracy theories of the last few years have turned out to be solid facts.  Instead of focusing on the obvious extremes he went for the pitcher of kool aide built around the idea of Russian collusion.  The problem is in this case he believes the conspiracy theory of the left.

He comments on Trump’s 2016 victory,

“One of the many reasons why he did not lose was that Russia’s intelligence network did its utmost to damage his rival’s reputation, using the website WikiLeaks and the television network RT as it principle instruments.  In the words of a partly unclassified report by the US intelligence agencies, ‘the Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered an influence campaign in 2016' that was intended to ‘denigrate Secretary Clinton, and harm her electability and potential presidency’, reflecting the Kremlin’s ‘clear preference’ for Trump.”  pp. 11-12  

His footnote says this came from an article in the Washington Post.  I assume this was the blatant lies relentlessly pushed about Russia, Russia, Russia, and ignores the undisguised illegal actions of Hillary Clinton with her e-mail servers.  If he is as informed as he is supposed to be it would be hard to miss such details.

Earlier when he was going on about absurd conspiracies he had said this,

“The standard version of the conspiracy theory links the Illuminati to the Rothschild family, the Round Table, the Bilderberg Group and the Trilateral Commission - not forgetting the hedge fund manager, political donor and philanthropists George Soros.
    “Such theories are believed, or at least taken seriously by a remarkably large number of people.” p. 6

Notice that George Soros is labeled as a “philanthropist”.  This is the man who is spending the wealth he accumulted trying to undermine governments for the purpose of destroy the American election system.  I believe the copyright is 2018.  That means the shenanigans of Soros were well known.

Another interesting bit of information comes from the introduction,

“As a consequence of my work as a writer and professor, I have also joined a number of economic and political networks such as the World Economic Forum and Bilderberg meetings.” p. xx

This is the same World Economic Forum that wants us to eat bugs and tells us we will own nothing and be happy.  It seems there is a bit of doubt about his qualifications.

Does someone with so little discernment have anything to say to someone who can remember what he wrote a few paragraphs earlier?  I have not made up my mind yet.  The good news is that if I decide not to finish it, I can turn it back in to the library at no cost.

Ferguson, Niall.  The Square and the Tower.  New York:  Penguin Press, 2018.

homo unius libri

Opus 2023-203: Don’t Die Young

Being old I find that I am surrounded by people even older.  Many of them seem to be more mobile than some young people.  Meanwhile we hear that the average life expectancy of Americans has gone down, especially white males.  Does that mean we are living shorter lives?  The fact that the life expectancy today is close to 80 and 200 years ago it might have been 40, does that mean people live twice as long today?

The answer of course is yes and no.

This is a matter of statistics.  We are talking about averages and what most people forget is there are at least three different types of average:  Mean, mode, median.  The mean is what most people think of as an average.  You add up all the numbers and divide by how many numbers were in your sample.  Median is the score half way between the bottom and the top.  Mode is the most frequent.

Give examples.

Assume that a couple has four children and only two survive to adulthood and they live to be 80.  The other two died as infants.  The mean average would be 40 years.  The median would be 40 years and the mode would be 80 years.

Take the same family and three live to be 80 and the other dies in infancy.  Then it is mean, 60; median is now 80 and the mode is still 80.

Again you have one that lives to be 80, two to sixty and one as an infant.  Now it is mean 50, median 60 and mode 60.

Notice that the life expectancy is actually 80 in all cases but the averages are changed based on how you figure the numbers.  It has been pointed out to me that the life expectancy is higher because with modern medical advances and improved sanitation, children survive to adulthood.  The top number does not change significantly.  It is what happens before that number is reached that changes the statistics.

So you have as good a chance of living to 100 as anyone ever has and the longer you make it the better your chances because you have already gotten past childhood diseases, the foolishness of youth and the age to be drafted for a war.

Keep in mind the example of Moses,

(Deu 34:7 KJV)  And Moses was an hundred and twenty years old when he died: his eye was not dim, nor his natural force abated.

All you need is a diet of manna and quail with an exercise routine of walking through the desert for 40 years.

homo unius libri

Opus 2023-202: Embracing Woke

Woke is a great term.  It is accurate, useful and, best of all, their idea.  It is not a part of any historic vocabulary so there will be no traditions to worry about.  We can thus use it and not be labeled in the standard hate-Jesus mode.  

Using “woke” could free up a lot of words the Proregressives* have highjacked and perverted.  Useful and meaningful words such as “progressive”, “spiritual formation”, “evangelical” and even “Christian” can again be used to communicate and not just to confuse.  I am not sure if we can just substitute it pure or whether we will have to hyphenate the words such as woke-progressive.  We might make it a prefix such as wopro or wogressive.  It will be a very handy and accurate way to label.  It would be like using “left-handed” in regard to things like scissors and a multitude of other things I would never think of needing an adjective for.

So lets continue to run it into the ground.  It may lose its meaning the way “racism” has but that is a risk we should be willing to take.

Because we are so good at mental humor the cultural elites are already pulling away from “woke.”  Let’s woke them until their eyes start to twitch.  Every time someone does something really stupid like pat the king of England on the back we need to say, “Now that is really woke.”  Or we might just get in the habit of yelling “Woke!” the way we do “Squirrel.”  

Fun times ahead.

*(Liberals, educators, the media, socialists, communists, crony capitalists, fascists (I repeat myself), elites, Rinos, Democrats, leftists, Never Trumpers, Antifa, BLM, MSM, Deep State, etc.  Synonym for swamp dwellers)

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Opus 2023-201: To Know or Not to Know, That Is the Question

I was contemplating about ignorance and wisdom.  It is amazing how much people don’t know.  It is boring how much I don’t know.

Maybe I need a different word.  We are all ignorant in some areas but the term carries a lot of negative baggage.  If you want to discuss how to rebuild your car engine, color me ignorant.  If you have questions on where to put in the gas, I am your man.  I am aware of my ignorance and it doesn’t bother me.  There are certain types of knowledge that are not necessary to live a productive life.

Other ignorance is destructive.  If you go to the voting booth without any preparation then you are part of the problem.  If you buy a diesel, 3/4 ton truck for your commute to work because your uncle Fred recommended it, you will pay for your choice.  And pay.  And pay.  Or maybe that is my ignorance.  If you marry someone because of their looks, I have bad news for you.  The tone of ignorance depends on the context.

Maybe we need to use theological terms.  Maybe we should talk about being an atheist when it comes to news as opposed to being agnostic.  An atheist rejects.  He knows what he knows, or rather what he has been told.  He has considered the facts and says, “No.”  An agnostic, assuming he is honest, simply does not know enough to make a statement or take a position.

I remember in 2020 asking people to give me a reason why they would vote for Biden instead of Trump but they had to do it without talking about mean tweets.  I never got anyone to give me a reason to vote for Biden.  Even I could do that.  The reasons to vote for Biden are exactly the reasons why I would not vote for him.  The moral issues of abortion and homosexuality are enough to show you what I mean.  If you want to kill babies, Biden is your man.

We face those kinds of decisions every day.  We face them in deciding where to shop and throw our economic influence.  Not shopping at Target is an example.  We show it by sending our children to public school.  We show it by the church we attend.  Do we seek one that actually takes a stand for truth?  

To not decide is to decide.

Overcome your agnosticism or be an proponent of the end of America and a welcome mat for the Great Tribulation.

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Opus 2023-200: Perks

I can’t run a mile, but then I never could.  I can’t even run 100 yards but I have enough money that I don’t need to beat people to the last item on sale.

I can’t lift 100 pound sacks of cement any more.  That weakness is more than compensated for by having the wisdom not to try.

When I think of retirement benefits I don’t just think of a pension and Medicare.  I think of things like daily naps, grandchildren, being called “young man”, and knowing better.

Enjoy the anticipation or the payoff.

homo unius libri