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Tuesday, March 31, 2020

How can I trust reports of a virus pandemic?



We are all acting on an assumption, no matter how we are responding to the reports of a pandemic.

Is there really a coronavirus pandemic? How can I know? I can't trust the governmedia. I don't personally know anyone who is sick-- and even if I did, I have no way to independently confirm what they are sick with-- I don't have a lab or the proper training to uncover their pathogens.

All I have are reports and stories from other people-- and most of those other people work for government and are in a position to personally benefit from a panic, or they work for mass media and are also in a position to personally benefit from a panic.

To believe there's a pandemic going on I have to trust someone else to tell the truth, and not just "the truth as they see it", but to accurately report reality.

So, while I suspect there is probably a pandemic caused by coronavirus, it's only because I generally believe that the reports are directionally accurate. Even though I also believe the virus itself is less dangerous/deadly than we are being led to believe.

The panic, though, is dangerous. It's the panicdemic. Like an old, sweaty stick of dynamite; ready to explode if bumped the wrong way. Maybe it will and maybe it won't. But you never know which little bump will set it off, and it's getting bumped a lot. Every new tyrannical order is another bump. Tick tock, tick tock...

But I'm already seeing signs that people are getting tired of the high anxiety panic drama. It's hard to stay panicked for a long time. It gets old and tiresome. They start to ignore the calls to continue to panic. They get used to the situation. Will people tire of the panic and return to "normal" activities before the panic explodes into something worse? How will government respond if no one is still paying attention to their proclamations? Stay tuned...

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Monday, March 30, 2020

Different kinds of problems



Do you know what's crazy?

I am not even annoyed by the pandemic*, but I am at my wit's end over a dead refrigerator. One situation I can handle and even enjoy, the other has turned my house into a wreck and made me miserable.

Does that seem right?

It doesn't to me, either.

But, for me, it's easier to prepare for TSHTF than to prepare for an extra expense.

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*I'm highly annoyed-- angry, even-- over the panic and the tyrannical "response" to the virus by government parasites. But I wouldn't even notice the pandemic if not for governmedia "informing" me about it. I'll have more to say about that soon.

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Sunday, March 29, 2020

Panic not a good survival strategy

(My Eastern New Mexico News column for February 26, 2020)




Here comes Coronavirus; the threat of the month. How scared are you? How scared should I be? I'm not scared or even worried.

When Coronavirus hit the news I did some research on it at some reputable, non-sensationalist medical websites and decided it wasn't anything to hyperventilate over. In fact, they classified it not as influenza, but as a cold virus. A virus everyone will come down with at some point during our lives. This variety may be worse than the usual strains, but I'm not going to freak out.

I've been around long enough to see scare after scare come to nothing.

The Y2K thing fizzled, Ebola dropped from the news, and Hillary wasn't elected president. Life on planet Earth goes on pretty much the way it has-- but with more robots, rockets, and batteries.

There are still looming shadows on the horizon: human-caused climate disaster, failure of the power grid, a robot apocalypse, and more. These are all things people can panic over. Then they can make foolish decisions because of the panic. Foolish decisions such as saying "There ought to be a law". Decisions which will have worse consequences for more people than the original threat-- a threat which may be real or may be a figment of the imagination.

Someday a real pandemic or widespread disaster will happen... and be worse than we were warned it would be. Won't I look silly, then? But so far, not allowing myself to be panicked has worked out really well.

Do you really want to spend your life bouncing from one threat of disaster to the next, or are you willing to learn from the past?

Sure, there are occasional school shootings, impaired drivers, disease, and other human tragedies. That's life. But the track record of global doom and gloom scenarios should inspire optimism if you're paying attention.

It can be fun and exciting to prepare for the worst-case scenario. I do it, too-- in ways more fun than frightening. Panic is not a good survival strategy, even if something bad is going to happen. A panicked person doesn't think straight or behave rationally. They are more likely to make fatal mistakes. Don't let anyone cause you to panic... unless panicking is what you want to do.

In that case, I won't try to stop you, but please don't allow your panic to affect my life, liberty, or property, or that of my friends and family.

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My plea



I'm just going to lay this out there: I need more monthly subscribers.

I also need some donations. Very much!

I think I provide a perspective you can't get anywhere else. I know this is a rough time for everyone's finances, but I hope I provide insight and opinions you consider worth supporting, even if you don't always agree with me. If so, would you be willing to help?

I've mentioned that the household income has dropped recently. And, yesterday the refrigerator died.

I did everything I could to get it running again-- watching lots of YouTube videos and reading lots of appliance repair sites, and nothing I was able to do worked. I either need to get it professionally repaired or buy a replacement. And the appliance repair folks are shockingly unwilling to come work on anything at this time. Which meant they were more willing than usual to give advice and suggestions.

Usually, I would see if my parents could squeeze my refrigerated (and frozen) items into their refrigerators, but with the current pandemic, and with them trying to self-quarantine due to their ages, I am not comfortable asking them for space. So, in a matter of hours, even with coolers and ice, I'm going to lose a refrigerator/freezer full of food.

I know everyone has their own problems and that times are hard right now. I don't want the "regulars" to chip in-- you've already done enough; more than I have any right to expect. But if you're a reader and have thought about subscribing or donating and just haven't gotten around to it, please take this opportunity to get around to it. And, share this with anyone you think might be willing and able to help. Please!

And, thank you.

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Coronapanic and hospital capacity



Supposedly, hospital capacity is being strained by the coronavirus... in a way yearly flus don't do. I suspect if it is happening, it's due more to the coronapanic than to the virus itself.

I'll repeat that:
If hospital capacity is really being stained by coronavirus patients, it's not necessarily due to the virus. It may be mainly due to the panic caused by the media and government ("governmedia"?). The reason-- if it's true-- that this virus is putting more people in the hospital than the regular annual viruses may be largely due to its publicity and the panic this creates.

If you make people afraid of a cough or a sniffle, you're going to have more of them get tested. The more tests that are done, the more cases will be found. Then, some number of those people will end up in a hospital rather than riding it out at home like they would have done under normal circumstances. Plus, making them scared isn't going to help their health even a little.

I'm still seeing "smart people" confusing numbers of deaths with the mortality rate. It's an important distinction, but one which gets glossed over and ignored. And, unless you can find out the total number of people who contracted the virus you can NEVER know the mortality rate. Never. And you'll never know how many people caught this virus because many of them (most of them?) never went to a doctor for it.
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Saturday, March 28, 2020

"Papers, please" is now reality


Even more than it has been, I mean.

And how much do you want to bet the "please" is a lie?

Local employers are now giving employees "travel papers" so they can prove to cops who might stop them for being out on the road that they are traveling "legitimately". I personally know that Walmart, Family Dollar, a cattle feed producer, and other businesses have issued such papers. Probably everyone whose business is deemed "essential" enough to be allowed to stay in business is doing the same.

So far, only the New Mexico parasites have clamped down on the right to travel, but the Texas employers around here are also issuing the papers because many people cross the state line, in both directions, for work.

How long until some Blue Line Gang scum murders someone for being on the road without permission?

Some statists seem shocked by this Nazi-ish turn of events. Yet it's their fault! Totally! Their ongoing support of the state, for their whole lives in most cases, has led directly and inevitably to this.

Who are these political thugs to decide which jobs are essential? They wouldn't recognize something essential if they stepped in it.

Every job is essential to those who perform it, and to those who rely on it.

The ONLY "jobs" which are non-essential are government "jobs"-- because they aren't actual jobs. Some of those "jobs" are even worse than non-essential; they are actively harmful. Keep these people off the roads if you have to keep anyone off.

Police officers, specifically-- your "job" is not essential by any stretch of the imagination. It is harmful and parasitical. You are a drain on society. The same goes for every bureaucrat, politician, and whatnot. YOU are the vermin who need to be out of a "job", now and forever. Let the productive people work while you rot in a hole in the ground.

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Friday, March 27, 2020

As government becomes more and more evil...



All political government is unethical. All of it, without a single exception. Sorry, but that's just the way it is.

Democracy is particularly disgusting because it fools otherwise sensible, ethical people into believing government can be good and that there's a "right way" to govern other people. It fools them into believing the lie "the government is the people".

Representative [sic] republicanism is no better, since it always goes through a stage of democracy as it rots from the inside out.

Once you accept the lies that government can be good or can be done right or that "the government is you and me", you've crossed the line to statism. Welcome to government-supremacism.

If you've been supporting government in the decades leading up to the current situation, the evil now being committed by government is partly your fault. If this has snapped you out of it, then that's wonderful! Welcome to the good side. Now be ready to fight for your liberty, since it looks as though the fight may be forced on us. Soon.

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Thursday, March 26, 2020

I'm a horrible person



I hate to admit it-- it probably means I'm a horrible person-- but I'm having fun. I'm enjoying the coronapocalypse. Just a little.

Yes, I feel a bit guilty for enjoying this as much as I am. I also know the enjoyment will fade the longer this goes on.

I feel bad for people who are really hurting and suffering. I feel awful for those who have lost loved ones. I have empathy for those who are scared. But this is the sort of thing I thrive on-- at least for a while. It's what I've prepared for... for decades.

Plus, I've been doing all I can for many years to tell people to prepare for this sort of thing. If they refused to listen...

I consider this a practice run for a real breakdown. I'm taking notes so I'll be even more prepared next time. Yeah, I know every event will be different, but I still plan on learning from this one.

I'm doing what I can to keep my family members safe and healthy. Nothing is guaranteed, obviously. But that's the case every day. I've had the rug pulled out from under me before.

My parents, who didn't take the virus at all seriously at first-- have gone into full-blown quarantine lock-down mode. I drop supplies and their mail for them in their garage and they go get it after I've left. I'm wondering if they are decontaminating it. As long as the electricity flows they aren't going to be running out of food for a very long time, having multiple freezers and refrigerators. And quite the pantry, as well. I enjoy doing what I can to help them. My mom is sewing masks for the family and my dad is watching Hallmark Channel Christmas movies that he has recorded, I suspect they are both kind of enjoying this, too.

I'm fine on food and supplies for a long time-- even if I couldn't buy anything new. But I can, even though the food aisles have gone eerily empty. People might not be able to buy what they wanted, but there is something available. My yard-- and every other yard in town-- is chock full of edible "weeds". No one will starve unless they choose to.

I'm taking long daily walks around town (as long a walk as I can take in this town-- I zig-zag a lot) in the sun and fresh air.

Money has gotten tighter-- your donations and subscriptions have become even more important than in the past (I also know some of you are probably losing income, too). I will get through this one way or another. Except in the unlikely event that the virus gets me-- which I highly doubt it can.

I feel as though I am in my element-- which is rare. I might as well have fun while I can.

Are any of you as awful as I am? Feel free to judge me.

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Wednesday, March 25, 2020

The good kind of "crime"



If you have a meth lab, I offer a suggestion: switch to making hydroxychloroquine. You'll get rich.

Yeah, it's probably just as "illegal", but it's more helpful. If you're going to violate prohibition anyway, why not be an outlaw hero?

(And if you think I'm joking, I'm not.)

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Tuesday, March 24, 2020

Costs of government action on coronavirus


Some whiny statists are complaining that not everyone is embracing the measures being imposed by government to "deal with" the coronapocalypse. It is claimed that they are endangering lives by "downplaying" the risk.

No, they are not endangering society, nor will they be the cause of millions (or even dozens) of extra deaths. People who are "downplaying" coronavirus are serving an important purpose. Besides disarming the panic-bomb, I mean.

What they are doing is acting as a drag chute to slow down runaway government overreach.

This is essential.

Those who object to the "downplayers" aren't adequately (or even minimally) considering the costs of government intervention. You've seen this happen in other topics as well, such as with AGCC/"climate change".

Government-supremacists are pushing the narrative that not taking the actions government promotes will cause deaths, but are ignoring the deaths which will result from doing the wrong thing, or even too much of the "right thing". They are not considering the costs and benefits of both courses.

Maybe doing nothing about COVID 19 would kill more people. Of course, you have the option of doing everything you ought to do without government mandating anything. Doing something doesn't require anything being done by government. That is a bad assumption to make. But, I will concede that ignoring the problem would probably result in some unnecessary deaths.

However...

Damaging the economy-- as government is actively doing-- will also kill people. For certain. It may, in the long run, kill more people than the coronavirus would have even if no one had done anything about it-- but we don't know. We won't know. There is no way to know because you can't rewind history and change what was done.

Yes, some people caution against comparing how many deaths are resulting now and comparing that to the total deaths in previous plagues after they were over. That makes sense. However, you can compare death rates in the midst of the event-- which is something government-supremacists don't seem to like for anyone to do. It gets in the way of the narrative they prefer.

This is why we need brakes on the speeding car of statism. Those who "downplay" the danger are those brakes. They complete the costs vs. benefits big picture for the situation. Without them you only get one side, advocating only one path. Objecting to the balance they provide is not productive or smart.

(I added a "coronavirus" tag to the blog so you can follow what I've said about this from the beginning, if you care.)
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Monday, March 23, 2020

In the interest of clarity


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Sunday, March 22, 2020

Gun rights decent political X-ray

(My Eastern New Mexico News column for February 19, 2020)




Whether or not you vote or otherwise pay attention to politicians, do you wish you had a way to see inside their minds to know what they think of you?

Libertarian science fiction and nonfiction author L. Neil Smith has pointed out that you can know what a politician thinks of you and your rights by examining his or her opinions on gun rights. Smith says it's as good as an X-ray into politicians' minds.

It works whether the politician is a Republican, a Democrat, a Libertarian, or something else.

Don't make the common mistake and assume the "R" by a politician's name on the ballot means they are a supporter of your rights and liberty-- most aren't.

Smith observes that any politician who is uncomfortable with the idea of you or anyone else walking into a store, plopping down the cash and walking out with any gun you want without showing a scrap of identification or signing even one form, is not pro-gun rights.

If a politician doesn't recognize your right to own and to carry, openly or concealed, any type of firearm you wish-- handgun, rifle, single-shot, "high-capacity", or fully automatic-- everywhere you go without asking permission, this politician is not a supporter of your gun rights and probably isn't a fan of your other rights, either.

Politicians may talk a good game about supporting rights, yet cling to the belief that rights can come with government-approved limits, licenses, and legislation.

They are wrong.

A right doesn't come with any such requirements, and anyone claiming they do is not respecting your rights. They're probably hoping you'll be fooled into confusing rights for privileges as people often do.

Any politician who doesn't fully respect your gun rights is likely to also believe you need permission or a license to marry, to drive a car, to open a business, to travel the world, or to consume certain plants. Such a politician will probably believe you owe a portion of your property to government. They may quibble over how much you owe, but they won't doubt you owe something.

I understand the argument for voting in self-defense. I don't believe it works, and I think there are better ways to defend yourself from politicians and their opinions. It's still good to know which politicians are worse than the others. Using their stance on gun rights is a convenient and accurate shortcut to find your sworn enemies. I suggest you use it.

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Fake economics in action



What do all those political folk who are promoting the idea to send everyone $1000 (or more) have in common? They are experts in fake economics.

Yes, I would love some money, but they can only "give" it to me now by stealing it from future me. And future you.

I don't know what my future financial situation will be like. I might be even worse off when that piper needs to be paid than I am now. I might be even less able to afford it then-- and this coronavirus "stimulus", with its devaluing effect on the currency, might even be the reason.

Fake economists, with their fancy degrees and such, are a stupid lot.

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Saturday, March 21, 2020

Interesting times

From Pinterest

It's been... interesting.

I'm not particularly concerned about the virus, but the way some people are behaving because of the situation worries me a little.

Of course, politicians are always a problem-- and I include freelance thugs and thieves in that category.

I've been doing more than usual to help my parents and make sure they don't have to go to stores. I've been trying to watch to see if anyone else needs anything-- but that's harder because I don't really have a social circle here.

My household income has dropped, as has my parents' income. Fortunately, I really haven't had to spend much, other than on the bills that come every month no matter what I'm doing. I don't really know my parents' financial situation because that's their business, not mine. Other than constantly ransoming their house from the state, I think their expenses aren't too bad. I keep checking with them to see what they need, but I'm trying to avoid going over there unnecessarily. No point in possibly exposing them to anything.

Outside my little sphere, I've seen and heard other interesting things, especially from YouTubers I informally follow. It's a crazy world out there. Makes me glad I have "defensive resources".

I'm probably in the minority since I am glad to see people defying (or ignoring) government orders. A slightly higher risk of more sick people is a small price to pay for pushing aside government's veil of legitimacy even a little. That people are willing to do so warms my heart.

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Friday, March 20, 2020

Dr. State-nstein wants to experiment on your rights


I'm a fan of experimentation. To a point.

Not all experimentation is ethical-- especially when you're talking about human experimentation. You can't ethically "just try something" to see if it works if it would violate natural human rights. No matter how good an idea you imagine it to be.

Scott Adams is guilty of this form of loserthink whenever he promotes some anti-gun scheme, saying to let states try different types of "gun control" [sic] to see what "works". He says not supporting such an idea means you aren't "part of the conversation". Ha.

Yes, the states were supposed to be something like laboratories of liberty (of LIBERTY, not of tyranny); to see what sort of things might work better than others. But, there was never supposed to be any flirting with tyranny. That means no anti-gun legislation at all, ever. And no government-controlled medicine, prohibitions, curfews, etc.

If your experiment to see what "works" violates the natural rights of anyone you have no right to perform it, and if you do anyway, you are a monster.
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Thursday, March 19, 2020

Public Service Announcement

Government is NEVER a credible source.

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Take it seriously, but don't panic



I will admit, I was caught off-guard by this coronavirus event. Not by the virus, but by the level of panic that is going along with it. Panic that is unnecessary and counterproductive. Panic which seems to be spread by certain folks in the media and encouraged by certain political folks.

It's not that I don't take this situation seriously. It's possible to take something seriously without panicking over it. Really, it is! Some people seem to forget this.

I'm taking the pan[ic]demic seriously. I've reduced my human interactions-- not that I was a social butterfly before. I am washing my hands more, especially if I go away from home, and I have actually used hand sanitizer some-- that's new.

I'm glad I have been a prepper most of my life-- taking prepping seriously. And I'm glad I'm not prone to panic.

How can you tell panic from "taking it seriously"?

Maybe the person who failed to prepare and is now desperate to buy treaty paper or bottled water isn't panicking but is only taking the situation seriously... however, if this person is getting into a fight over products in the aisle of the store, they are most likely panicking. They are making things worse, not better.

I'm not going to panic about the disease or about the panic, but I do take both seriously. I take the panic more seriously than I take the disease, seeing it as the far bigger danger.

I hope I've contributed to keeping those around me calm; being a voice of reason (as I see it) in a storm of hyperbole. I think my daughter is taking it in stride pretty well. And it seems my son and his girlfriend are being sensible during this situation, and I hope I've been a good influence there, too.

Of course, I also know people who are neither panicking nor taking it seriously. I hope their choice doesn't lead to trouble for them.

All in all, this situation really hasn't changed my life much, other than the financial blow due to the household (and almost every member of my extended family) losing work. Lots of unpaid "vacation" time and extended time off work. Less money, again. I'm kind of used to that by now-- seeing as how this is the direction it keeps going-- but it's not pleasant at any time. Yet I will be OK.  Mostly because I don't panic and I took the risks seriously enough to prepare long before this virus cropped up. I intend to be ready for the Next Big Thing, too, whatever it may be.

I sincerely hope things are going well in your area.

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Tuesday, March 17, 2020

"Good" way to do wrong?



There is no "right" or "good" system of political government.

If there were it would mean there is a "right" or "good" way to rob, kidnap, murder, or otherwise molest people... and there's not. It's just not within the range of possibilities.

Trying to govern other people is always wrong. It is exactly as wrong as refusing to govern yourself.

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Monday, March 16, 2020

Thinking the best of people


I usually think the best of people. As long as I'm able to.

I don't think the best of cops, rapists, thieves, and other politicians. They leave me no choice because of the choices they continue to make; the actions they continue to commit. And sometimes they even demand praise for committing them. That's not what good people do.

I still want to think the best of everyone.

If those who choose to live by archation would change their ways, I'd be able to change my opinion of them. Because, at the root, it's not the people; it's the acts.

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Sunday, March 15, 2020

No one policy good for everyone

(My Eastern New Mexico News column for February 12, 2020)




Did you enjoy our recent winter storm? I did, but I know a lot of people didn't. Most people are not fans of cold and snow. I don't like temperatures over 85 degrees Fahrenheit, especially if there's any trace of humidity, while other people love hot weather.

Variety is the spice of life and I'm willing to deal with things I don't like, without much complaint, so others can enjoy the things they like.

Since no one can control the weather, anyway, it's a healthy approach.

Natural weather patterns give the Earth variety. Everyone gets what they like, occasionally, within reason. You might not get snow days in the Amazon or picnic weather on the beaches of Antarctica, but you can still get nice surprises.

Sometimes, though, this variety means there are tornadoes, hurricanes, droughts, and blizzards. You might believe this justifies a weather control bureaucracy to program the weather, but I don't think it does.

If there were someone sitting in a government office somewhere controlling the weather, do you think they would serve up weather I like, or weather someone else likes? Maybe we'd all get whatever is dictated by policy. Would some people's weather preferences be ignored because they aren't popular?

I'm glad no one can control the weather.

Social control is similar to weather control. It's going to result in less variety-- not as much natural diversity. Even if you could control such things as the weather or society, should you? Whose preferences would be given priority and whose would be banned with reasonable-sounding justifications?

Complex systems with lots of randomness can't be controlled. Any time someone tries to control a fluid, complex system such as the weather, society, an economy, or health care, there will inevitably be unintended consequences which make things worse.

Just as no one type of weather is best for everywhere at all times, there is no government policy-- beyond respecting individual liberty-- which is best for every individual at every moment.

No matter how unqualified to run your own life you may feel, no one else is more qualified than you. No one knows all the details better than you. If anyone believes they can control your life better than you can, they are not living in reality. What they imagine to be good for you might destroy you. Yet they'll never suffer any consequences for what they've done to you-- all the suffering would be yours, alone. I can't support any such plan.

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Pets and other critters



I've always been an "animal person" but I've never been a "dog person". I was never a "cat person" either... not until having lived with two cat-crazy daughters over a period of almost 30 years. They converted me. No one has been able to convert me to dogs-- and many have tried.

I've even raised several orphaned puppies-- one from an hour or so after birth-- until they were weaned and I could find homes for them. They were attached to me, but it was never as mutual as it should have been. Most of them were already spoken for when I took them in, so it wasn't an issue.

I was always more a fan of the wild animals-- in the wild and as pets. Cats and dogs got in the way of that, usually seeing my wild friends as snacks.

Another part of my problem is that dogs have always seemed too needy. I prefer the independence of cats-- who are usually as independent as the wild pets I've had. Although I've had some rather needy wild pets, too. I also have a couple of pretty needy cats now.

I haven't had many wild pets in the past 20 years. My situation was often in flux, and then I started getting cats for my daughters and avoiding things that could have a problem around the cats.

But, no matter what kind of animals I like, or don't, I hate that anyone imagines they have the right to use government to prevent people from having the animals they want. And the list of "prohibited" animals has grown to include almost everything I've had over the years. I've even had animals become prohibited days before I planned to buy one.

Yes, if you have a pet that causes harm to someone or their property, you are liable. You owe restitution-- and if someone shoots your pet in defense, too bad. Whether the "law" agrees or not.

I've had a lot of problems with people's dogs over the years, but not with any of the breeds government-supremacists like to ban. It's always been stuff like Labradors, German Shepherds, mutts, and breeds like that. I take that back-- I once had a problem with a pitbull who decided to try to kill some of my pheasants and chickens. But not once did the thought "Someone should ban those" cross my mind. It's just not part of my nature, no matter what my personal opinion might be. I want people to be able to have those things, and participate in those activities, that make them happy. Even if I don't get it. Don't you wish everyone could do that?

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Saturday, March 14, 2020

The pan[ic]demic is a Rahm-portunity



As usual, I will assume my readers were not caught with their pants down when this coronavirus cold pan[ic]demic erupted. You're smarter than most people.

It isn't my intention to add to the panic with my previous posts on the local effects (link and link), but just to observe that being prepared for the unknown is always smarter than being unprepared. It's also my pat on the back to you for not being caught up in the panic.

Most of the people I see pushing the pan[ic]demic narrative are government-supremacists. They want government to save them in some way. They want government to do more and crack down on liberty a little harder to save us from this virus. Some of them want to punish you if you don't go along with whatever "plan" comes out of this Rahm-portunity.

If you don't panic you foil their scheme. If you were prepared all along so that this doesn't even require a change to your routine you've probably spoiled their whole day. They need you to be afraid so you'll clamor to be rescued.

I notice Scott Adams-- famous government-supremacist-- is getting angry over anyone who calls this a panic, saying it's "preparedness", not panic. Wrong-o.

Preparedness is what you do BEFORE the crisis happens. Months or years before you even know it's a possibility. Panic is when you try to "prepare" as the shelves are being emptied by everyone else who failed to prepare. This is panic.

As long as you prepare, there's no reason to panic. This may turn out to be a giant nothing. Or, it may become everything disastrous you are being told it will be. It will probably end up being somewhere in between the extremes, closer to "nothing" than to disaster. In any of those cases, being prepared is still going to make your life better. So why not do it? Make it a lifestyle or a hobby.

And, if I missed my guess and you weren't ready for this, remember this experience as soon as shelves are restocked and don't ever let yourself be caught short again. "Prepper" is not a dirty word. Preppers are the barrier between civilization and panic-- in some cases, the last stand of civilization.

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Friday, March 13, 2020

It's not only toilet paper

Just a quick update to the previous post about the coronavirus panic toilet paper crisis.

As I said before, people were beginning to turn to paper towels in the absence of TP. Well, now there are no paper towels:


And it's not only the paper products. Here is the canned food aisle as of this morning:


Were you ready?

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"My kingdom for a roll!"



Preppers aren't looking quite so crazy right now, are they?

A family member works at PlastiCrap World (this may be a pseudonym) and told me their shelves have been stripped bare of treaty paper ("toilet paper") and the customers are freaking out.

They are getting call after call begging to know when the next truck is coming to restock. They get many trucks each day, and don't know which-- if any-- will have the precious rolls. People are waiting at the doors from the stockroom, hoping to be the first to grab the new shipment as soon as it hits the floor. They are starting to buy paper towels and napkins as an alternative.

Also, a friend told me Amazon was out of all TP except one brand-- one she doesn't like.

How long until violence erupts?

Meanwhile, I'm feeling good (well, other than being sick) with my stash of the stuff.

Bottled water is also sold out, as are Clorox spray and wipes (and I would suppose other disinfectants), and hand sanitizer, but people aren't panicking over that. Yet.

I wonder what other things people are panic-buying.

How is the situation in your area? What is in short supply? And were you ready?

Every time I saw some list of things you should have on hand to ride out the pandemic, I already had it all. I'm sure I don't have everything I could possibly need in every circumstance, but it's amazing how often my SHTF supplies have gotten me through normal situations without needing to stock up on anything at the last minute. That's the plan and so far it has worked great.

Another couple of bits of interesting data: That store usually gets 2000 online orders (to be picked up outside) per day. Yesterday, they had already received 9000 online orders by around 9AM. People were ordering online to avoid coming into the store.

All employees have been given hand sanitizer and gloves to wear.

And this isn't a particularly populous area. I can't even imagine what urban areas are going through-- or will be going through soon. And still, it looks to me as though the panic is a much bigger problem than the virus. Interesting times, indeed. I'll just sit here and stew in my own viral broth and watch the world burn.

I'll also remind you that there are alternatives to "treaty paper" for cleaning your hind side. As long as there's running water, especially. There's really no need to panic.

For a little context, this is the toilet paper aisle at the local branch of PlastiCrap World as of Thursday afternoon, March 12, 2020:

Plus, a bit of an update: link

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Thursday, March 12, 2020

Census ad-- not the effect they intended



I've been sick with a miserable cold (no, I'm not going to get tested) for most of the week. This has resulted in me watching a lot more video fodder than usual. Recently, on some streaming service, I saw an ad for the 2020 census. In telling me why my cooperation is essential to the scheme, it said "[the census] determines where billions in funding will be spent".

As if I needed another reason to ignore them when they show up... like I did last time.

I have no right to spend other people's money, nor to encourage anyone to spend other people's money. Not for my benefit nor for the benefit of anyone else. It's simply none of my business beyond opposing theft under all circumstances.

Don't rob people on my behalf and then say I can help you decide where to spend it. It's not the right angle to use if you want to encourage me to cooperate.

And, as I have pointed out in the past, I understand the Constitution requires them to ask, but I've never seen where it requires me to answer. Move along now.
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Monday, March 09, 2020

Being different



Different doesn't mean wrong. But different can be wrong.

There are lots of times I discover someone does something-- or thinks-- differently than I do. Sometimes I decide to try their way. Often there's a reason I don't. But just because their way is different doesn't mean I automatically think it's wrong.

I like to consider different ways.

Obviously, if someone has a different way to wire a house for electricity but the lights don't work or it causes that house to burn down, that way was wrong.

Or, if they think differently about taxation-- insisting it's not theft or extortion-- that opinion is objectively wrong.

But often, things aren't that cut-and-dried. People will have a different perspective that doesn't automatically result in disaster or violate anyone's life, liberty, or property. Then it may be different, but not wrong.

As long as it works and doesn't violate anyone, it's a right way. For most things, there are lots of right ways, many of which are yet to be discovered. If you haven't found a right way which works, try something different. Keep trying different things until you find something that works without violating anyone.

If it doesn't work, it's wrong. This is probably the most common condition there is. I would magically make everyone free and rich... but magic doesn't work, so focusing on this wrong way is a waste of time. It's disappointing news, I know.

If it works but violates someone's life, liberty, or property, it's a wrong way. Legislation is always wrong. No matter how essential you believe it is to do something, if your only path is to violate others, it's the wrong way. To invoke legislation means you've failed to do something the right way, even if it would be right to do it. Many are disappointed by this... or they would be if they'd accept its truth. But they won't. They don't want to hear it so they don't listen.

Apparently, it is no longer acceptable to tell people their different way is wrong. Truth is less important than sparing their feelings. Just let them be different and walk right off the cliff so you don't make them feel bad, I guess.

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Sunday, March 08, 2020

'Red flag' laws violate human rights

(My Eastern New Mexico News column for February 5, 2020)




New Mexico politicians are hopping on the "red flag law" bandwagon; scheming to commit wrong in the name of imagined "safety".

Red flag legislation is all the rage, politically. I don't call them laws because they aren't laws. Laws can't violate natural human rights; this legislation does. Imposing or enforcing legislation which violates life, liberty, or property in any way makes you the wrongdoer. It doesn't change matters to write words giving yourself permission to violate people. Legislation can't make wrongs right, and it is wrong to punish someone for something you imagine they might do.

It's misguided to violate someone's rights because they've done wrong. To do so before they've done wrong is pure evil.

Yes, unhinged people cause tragedies. The correct approach is an unyielding commitment to human rights. Don't build a legislative maze making it harder for people to possess the proper tools with which to defend themselves. This is what red flag legislation does. It causes tragedies everywhere politically unhinged people impose it.

Many people see an attempt by badged government employees to steal their property-- to seize their guns-- as a line in the sand which can not be tolerated. It has already played out with tragic results in the states where such policies have been implemented.

It's never about "public safety", but about asserting government supremacy. However, both sides need to remember: the people always remain supreme over government.

While it's claimed this legislation only targets those making violent threats, it will be abused.

The easiest way to make sure your intended victim can't fight back is to report them as a risk and let legislation enforcement officers disarm-- or kill-- them for your convenience.

This legislation will also become "The Bitter Ex-Wife Revenge and Empowerment Act".

The hijacked firearms are supposed to be returned to the rightful owner once the threat is over, but it doesn't always happen. A friend of mine was acquitted after defending himself, without firing a shot, from an attacker. The attacker filed a false report after the incident. Upon acquittal, my friend was told he had to jump through months of bureaucratic hoops to get his property back. He did everything demanded of him, but by then his gun was mysteriously missing. The state's response was "Tough luck".

Enemies of liberty often embrace communistic red flags. This time it's the same story. Respect liberty-- reject the red flag. There's no legitimate reason to support this kind of legislation.

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Early-Worm appeasement time



Don't forget, children, to mis-set your clocks because Big Daddy Government tells you to.

As if pretending one day per year is only 23 hours long so that time "changes" thereafter is anything but delusional.

Why can't the Early-Worms who want to go to work an hour earlier and get home an hour earlier just, you know, GO TO WORK AN HOUR EARLIER AND COME HOME AN HOUR EARLIER without coercing everyone else to mis-set their clocks so they can pretend this isn't what they are doing?

I resent having to mis-set my clocks to appease those who aren't responsible enough to just change their business hours if they want to open earlier during Spring, Summer, and Autumn.

In the past I have tried not mis-setting my clocks, but it doesn't work well because almost everyone else mis-sets theirs when told to do so. And it's already confusing enough here, straddling the time zone line like I do.

No, picking Daylight "Saving" [sic] Time to stay on year-round isn't just as good as getting rid of it entirely. It just goes back around to that same point-- if you want to get up an hour earlier and get home an hour earlier so there's more daylight left after work, just do it. Don't expect the whole planet to accommodate your desire to set your clocks wrong.

Maybe morning people aren't affected this badly, but I am. Even when I manage to go to sleep an hour earlier, I still need to sleep until my body knows it's really time to wake up, regardless of what the lying clock says. That doesn't change just because I went to bed earlier and slept the regular number of hours. That never worked for me. I'm going to be grouchy and feel bad for a couple of weeks (at least) over this silly, outdated authoritarian ritual. It's long past time for it to die.

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Saturday, March 07, 2020

Ruffling feathers



I'm back to posting on Twitter. I'm sharing my blogs and columns there, but mostly I'm sharing my Quora answers-- many of them per day-- just to poke government-supremacists for my amusement.

Follow me there to join in the fun-- and re-tweet whatever you think would get under a statist's skin the most.
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Cops: just plain old sh-... poop

Coprolite- photo credit

A coprolite is fossilized poop. It's poop that's worth something only because it's a fossil.

Copro- is short for coproach-- the proper term for a cop-- and -lite means it's a rock.

A cop, minus the -lite, is therefore poop that's still worthless because it isn't fossilized.

You don't want plain old poop messing up your world. I mean, it's OK to bury poop in your garden to fertilize your plants, but you wouldn't want to track it in your house or car.

Keep cops where they belong.

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Friday, March 06, 2020

Statism-- Irrational excess and threats



I ran across a statist who assumed he was being reasonable about governing "better". He admitted that change is probably necessary but he advocated "rational reform based on moderation and compromise".

There's no such thing.

If you advocate political government you are advocating neither moderation nor compromise. You are advocating excess and making threats. You are demanding a one-size-fits-all approach, and the minority is just out of luck. That's not rational.

Those who would call for "rational reform based on moderation and compromise" are always government supremacists who would be upset that anyone would resist their enlightened benevolent governing. After all, "government is necessary". Statists are both irrational and superstitious. They are also elitists.

What they seek to rationally reform is those loopholes of liberty they don't like... by closing them. They propose to compromise them away because they are uncomfortable allowing them to exist.

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Thursday, March 05, 2020

Thoughts on current politics



See, this is what happens when politics intrudes on my thoughts. This is why it's best if it doesn't.

To the extent I think about politics and elections, which isn't a lot, I would always prefer that the most amusing candidate "win".

That-- besides my decades of despising Hillary RODHAM* (*Clinton) in a Very Special Way-- is why I hoped Trump would be the nominee and beat her last time around, even though I no longer v*te (not since Michael Badnarik) and don't support Trump or any other president. I don't need a president, nor do I need to be governed, nor do I want you governed on my behalf. Because I'm not a psychopath.

I've been thinking Bernie Sanders would be the most entertaining candidate to have running against Trump now. Too bad the game is rigged against him.

The others bore me so much-- other than the festering boil that just dropped out: old Mikey Bloomiepants, whom I've had decades of experience despising for his haughty anti-liberty bigotry. He might be a mini-hooman, but he's a giant oozing boil on humanity's tailbone.

Sure, all of the candidates are anti-liberty bigots. All the DemoCRAPublicans-- including Trump-- are. But this time around all my Very Special Feelings were reserved for Bloomberg-- I'm glad he's out. I'll refrain from unwisely saying in public what I want his near future to look like.

My only thoughts about the DeepState's Choice, Biden, involve remembering he was caught up in some plagiarism scandal long ago. I doubt he has evolved into a better person since then since he's still seeking political power. And he does like to touch people inappropriately. But who doesn't? Otherwise, he's too boring to bother thinking about. His accelerating mental decline might change that and make him more interesting, though.

Yes, I think Bernie would destroy the economy. But any of them could since economies are not suited for centralized control, and that's all they know how to do since they all rely on politics. Knowing this harsh truth is part of why I "prep". If you try to control something that can't be controlled you're courting disaster-- or if you're Joe Biden, you're just breathing heavily in its hair.

Yeah, I admit to a certain amount of "watch the world burn" motivating my inner thoughts and emotions concerning politics. It's ugly, but it's in there. If the world is going to burn anyway, I might as well enjoy the show.

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Tuesday, March 03, 2020

Cough. Sniffle. PANIC!



These days a guy can't get a sniffle without everyone wondering if you have a corona-cold.

Everyone in the house suddenly came down with mild cold symptoms Monday. Well, mild so far.

My daughter went to the doctor and was given some meds. Of course, now she's sitting around the house happily yapping about having the coronavirus (which means she apparently doesn't feel very bad). No, the doctor didn't even suggest that's what she has, but you know how kids are.

I'm self-medicating with the supplements I normally use at the first sign of a cold (or when I suspect I've been exposed to one). If this works as well as it usually does I'll probably avoid getting very sick and any illness will be abbreviated.

I'm also going to be nice and not go around exposing people to whatever I may have. Although, yes, I know that by the time any symptoms appear you've already been infectious. I can't help that. But I can avoid frightening those already primed to panic at the sight of someone with the sniffles. I don't need to be confronted with torches and pitchforks.

I think limiting the exposure of others is always the responsible thing to do. I'm glad I have that freedom (even though it comes with economic sacrifice).

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Monday, March 02, 2020

Helping the "homeless"

All the cries to "solve the homelessness problem", especially by using political government, fall flat with me. It's not that I'm heartless. I've even been homeless myself, so I should have empathy. But I also have experience with homeless people.

Years ago I met a homeless guy named Paul. He was nice enough, but it was clear he wasn't "all there". He had left his home in Kentucky and traveled in his car (I'm assuming it was his) to western Colorado. There he spent the nights in his car, which he kept parked in the back-country, and walked into town almost every day.

He told me tales of his affair with a ghost back in Kentucky, and told me he left home because his parents wanted to have him committed to a mental hospital. I could see their point.

I did what I could to help him. I taught him some survival skills I thought might help. I gave him a hatchet that had been mine since I was a teen and also gave him some candles and other things I thought he might benefit from. I gave him food a few times.

Paul liked to hang out in my store and visit. I did sometimes get tired of him-- my enthusiasm for socializing can get used up pretty quick in any situation that's not karaoke. He often smelled bad-- but he did bathe at campgrounds from time to time.

The worst thing (for me) he did was hit on women who would come into my store-- right in front of their husbands. I told him he had to stop this or he couldn't come in my store anymore; he was driving away what few customers I had. This made him angry and he said he would come smash my front window that night. I had a few overnight armed vigils in the back of the store but he never acted on this threat. And soon enough, he acted like he forgot this had ever happened.

That summer, the sidewalk in front of the store was being torn out and replaced and I found an old horseshoe in the dirt under the concrete. I put it on display in my store. He became very interested in this horseshoe and wanted to take it to his car and let it "speak" to him overnight. So I let him.

He came back the next day with stories of what the horseshoe had "shown" him. He even wrote an account of some of this-- minus the darkest parts about dismembered bodies in steel barrels-- on a notepad I had given him. (See the scans at the bottom of the page.) He just told me those parts but didn't include them in the written account for some reason.

But he became convinced the horseshoe was cursed and that was the reason my store wasn't flourishing. Its presence was the problem.

He said I had to get rid of the cursed horseshoe before something horrible happened to me. To humor him I tossed it.

Oddly, things didn't improve.

He told me one day that Fall that he was moving to Utah. He packed up his car, I contributed some gas money, and he took off. I thought that was the end of that.

A week or two later I saw a very scruffy-looking guy crossing the street and thought it looked like Paul. It was him and he was soon in my shop again. He was dirtier and smellier than ever before. It turned out he had driven almost to the Utah line, but then turned up the interstate and headed toward Denver, and then his car had stopped running. I don't know if he was out of gas or if it broke down. He didn't stick around to see, but started walking back "home". That was over 130 miles, and maybe a lot more, depending on how far he'd gone on the interstate. He abandoned all his possessions there in his car on the side of the interstate, never to be seen again.

He said he'd gotten one ride-- an insistent cop had picked him up on the west side of one of the very few towns along his route and dropped him off on the east side of town so he could continue his journey. He refused all other rides along the way, and slept in the grass beside the highway every night.

His feet were sore, and now he had no place to sleep at night. A preacher friend of mine happened to come in the store about this time and heard the story. He offered to have the town's ministerial alliance pay for a hotel room. Paul refused, saying he wouldn't accept anything from them because he didn't know them. The preacher said, "but that's what we do-- help people who need help". Paul was having none of it and my preacher friend finally went on his way.

So, instead of a nice hotel room, Paul started spending the nights in a porta-potty at the construction site of the new school. It was now late November, with the temperatures falling well below freezing, and often dipping below zero. I gave him a few candles for warmth.

I began to see less of him, usually only every few days or so.

Around this time there were reports of homes in that area being entered during the night-- their toilets being used and food being eaten. Only one homeowner caught a glimpse of someone fitting Paul's description walking away from their house. It was in the paper and I suspected it was him, but I never found out for sure.

Not long after that, Paul decided to go see if there were more opportunities for "the homeless" in Denver, and he somehow got a bus ticket and left, and I never saw him again.

One result of this experience is that it kind of made me skeptical about the homeless. Yes, he was only one example (although there have been others I've met who were very similar). But homelessness isn't about a lack of homes. Paul had a home and he left. He had opportunities to be housed, he rejected the offers. He was a beggar and didn't want anything to jeopardize his chosen lifestyle.

At least I don't believe he was an addict; his mental issues were burdensome enough.

I know most (or all) of the beggars here locally are the same way. Their signs say they are stranded and need gas money, but they live in houses. Here. And have for years. Stranded? Where do they imagine they are going?

I was homeless for a time several years ago. But I didn't sleep on the streets (I slept in the woods) and I didn't get handouts or steal from anyone. I kept my job and worked to get myself out of that situation. But I also wasn't addicted or mentally ill (some might disagree on that last point, though).

It doesn't bother me if people choose to give to the homeless, but I know it's not going to fix anything. Nor would building houses for them. They generally have issues beyond what those things can solve. Paul was a case in point.

Below, for posterity, are scans of Paul's "horseshoe visions".



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Sunday, March 01, 2020

Being forced to help not helping

(My Eastern New Mexico News column for January 29, 2020)




I want you to hunger for liberty; to crave the freedom to do everything you have a right to do, even if you choose to not do it all. I want you to want liberty as much as I want it.

I also want you to respect the liberty of others. To govern yourself and no one else-- this is your primary obligation to others.

I realize some people are scared by the thought of liberty or freedom. I've even seen people complain that libertarians want to "force people to be free". This has become something of an in-joke among libertarians; we want to take over and leave you alone.

No one can be forced to be free, and I wouldn't if I could. This would defeat the purpose without accomplishing anything.

If liberty isn't freely chosen, it's worthless. It won't be valued and it would be easy to give it up the first time some creepy politician says you need to give up some liberty so you can be safer. 

You've got to want liberty bad enough to fight for it against those who want to violate it. You've got to want it bad enough to do whatever it takes once you discover that protesting and voting don't work.

If you don't value liberty this much, you won't care enough to make an effort to protect it. You'll never make liberty a priority.

I can't change your priorities.

What I can do is remind you of everything you're cheating yourself out of, hint at all you are missing, and tease you with the possibilities you may not have considered. I can also share with you my confidence that you don't need to be governed or controlled. You can handle life.

To say I'm willing to leave you alone means I wouldn't try to run your life. It doesn't mean to leave you without social support. There's no reason you can't ask for help; nothing to prevent you from reaching out to help others without being forced to "help" them by legislative threat. Being forced to help isn't helping. Complying with a threat doesn't make you a compassionate or moral person. It shows you can be manipulated and easily scared into doing what someone else thinks you should instead of acting on your own values.

I'm not willing to do this to you. I want liberty and I respect you too much to violate your liberty by forcing it on you.

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