Truth is truth regardless of the source

I've gotten to where I believe fewer and fewer alleged quotes by historical figures. Especially the ones that seem the most true and smart. Someone will always inform you that "it's not a real quote-- he never said that", as if this proves something useful.

I also have gotten to the point where it doesn't matter to me whether that individual said that exact thing or not. If it's true and smart, someone either said it or wrote it, because I'm reading it. It doesn't matter to me who that someone was.

Whether it's the alleged quote from a Japanese admiral about the impossibility of invading America because there would be a "rifle behind every blade of grass", which has been fact-checked to death as not a real quote, or Lincoln's quoted warning to not believe everything you read on the internet, which is obviously real.

Truth is truth, wherever it comes from. Wisdom is wise whoever says it. Keep the truth and wisdom; put less weight on where it came from. Because that part doesn't even matter.

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How to be the most wrong

I know people get tired of hearing me say "Politics makes people stupid (and usually evil, too)", but this is a message that is critical to hear.

It's completely true, and the faster you learn it, the faster you can avoid problems. Those caused by others or yourself.

No matter the topic, the people trying the hardest to make it political are invariably the ones who are most incorrect. And they are almost always advocating evil.

So, it you want to have the worst possible take on any subject, or if you want to seem like a supervillain, make it political and you'll be most of the way there.

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More RUDs, please

SpaceX Starship has lots of RUDs ("rapid unscheduled disassembly"). That’s how they learn and build the technology. It's how they get better.

Government needs to experience even more RUDs. If it is to be successful, that’s what DOGE will do- help government RUD.

It is essential for humans to become multiplanetary if the species is to survive. For that to happen, government must be stopped from having the power to keep us trapped on earth. 

I have my issues with Elon Musk, but it’s just as important that government parasites lose their “jobs” to DOGE as it is to rapidly iterate Starship- even if that means lots of RUDs (rockets and government). 

Elon can and should do both.

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Helping Butters (with updates)

I'm heading to the vet with one of my older cats. Butterscotch ("Butters") is having mouth pain and odor. She'll probably need dental surgery. She's 12.5 years old now, so I'm a little worried about her.

If anyone feels led to help with the expense, I would appreciate it. If not, that's fine. 

PayPal.me/dullhawk   or  Venmo

Thanks.

UPDATE: She’s having dental surgery on Thursday. They gave her long lasting antibiotic and steroid shots. Her age makes anesthesia more dangerous, but it’s worth the risk to fix her mouth.

UPDATE 2: She's home and feeling pretty good. She was very happy to see us when we picked her up this afternoon. She had 6 teeth left; 4 of those were removed. She only has her top canines left-- and I kind of wish they'd removed those, too. just to prevent future problems. She has another dose of transdermal pain medication for tomorrow afternoon.

Are statists even conscious?

The aborted insult of "You're just a communist because you don't support my political party", when thrown my way by someone literally talking about "my country" or "our government" while advocating for government power, is too funny for me to feel insulted.

Then they claim I'm wanting Utopia while telling me "we" can only be saved by v*ting for their preferred political criminals.

These people have zero self-awareness.

I had one the other day ask what problems his party had caused in the past 150 years. So I gave him the first example I could think of. He then said it was really the fault of the other party's policies.

So I gave him another example. Again, he blamed the other party and their policies.

So I gave him a third example. He claimed it only became a problem once the other party was in power and started abusing it.

Then he started repeatedly demanding I give him specific examples to back my claims-- studiously pretending I hadn't already given multiple specific examples. And, of course, saying I'm a statist and a communist because if I don't v*te for his party I'm guaranteeing the other party will gain power. 

He can't see that both "sides" work together against the people. This is just how it works.

I told him I've had the exact same conversation with people in his opposition party. Over and over again. And it was no more convincing when they did it. So he called me a communist again.

I muted the conversation at that point. Not playing pigeon chess with him any more.
Zero self awareness whatsoever.

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Democracy no more than mob rule

(My Eastern New Mexico News column for March 5, 2025)

Has your democracy been lost yet? Has someone stolen it?

Silly questions for a silly era asked of silly people who worship mob rule as long as they are on the majority side. They have no problem ignoring the will of those who disagree with them; they only wring their hands when they end up on the losing side...read the rest...

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New prez won't change politics as usual

(My Eastern New Mexico News column for January 26, 2025)

Are you tired of overwrought political drama? Can we stop hyperventilating over the political hysteria of the past and get on with real life again? I hope so, but I've seen an awful lot of panic on social media over the past few days. Some people are coming unhinged and could become dangerous. If you think the world will end-- or has been saved-- because there's a different president, you put too much faith in politicians.

Now that there's a new (or perhaps "recycled" is a better word) president, how are you feeling? Optimistic? Doomed? Wondering "What's a president?"

I'm glad Biden is gone, but now the work to point out the bad things President Trump will do begins. Again.

The only promise Trump made that I cared about was his promise to free political prisoner Ross Ulbricht on "day one". He technically broke the promise but got around to it the second day. Better late than never. Politicians never care about their promises as much as we care about them being kept to the letter.

Whatever else Trump does, I'm grateful he followed through with this one.

As for the rest, I expect politics as usual when it comes to liberty. Politics is easy; liberty is hard for politicians. It goes against their instincts and makes the other government functionaries angry. They'll look for any excuse to avoid respecting liberty. It's why they prefer to use the watered-down word, "freedom".

Some of the things conservatives want from Trump would be a good change for liberty. Others are as disastrous as the things the Biden administration was doing, just in different directions. Authoritarianism of any flavor is always the wrong way to go.

Maybe I'm jaded. Maybe there will be a positive change. I would love to be pleasantly surprised. Whatever happens, we aren't out of the woods. As long as there's a political government designed to violate your liberty, as they all are, and politicians willing to be the ones committing the crime of governing others, there will be work to do.

Protecting liberty-- your freedom to do everything you have a right to do because it violates no one else-- is a never-ending task. It's one no politician is capable of doing. Or willing to do. Defending liberty is something only you and I can do. I intend to do my part; I'm counting on you to do yours.

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What is praiseworthy?

Your “race” is not something to be praised.
Your sex is not something to be praised.

These things are beyond your control, and none is better than any other. Praising (or rewarding) anyone for something like that is dumb.

Also, what you do with your genitalia is not something to be praised, as long as you aren't violating anyone else with what you do.

This brings up what is worthy of praise-- not violating the rights of others. When you don't stand in the way of their liberty. Regardless of the excuse you use, including if you use "race" or sex as your justification. This is usually better than "helping" them.

You can still speak out when you think (or know) they are doing something that will result in them hurting themselves. You can tell them, ridicule them, or beg them. Those things are within your rights, even if they don't like it. You simply have no right to initiate force to stop them. "Force" includes legislation; the threat to kill them with government.

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Thank you to those who ignored the rules

Back when I first began carrying a gun, it wasn’t “legal”, but I had no clue that it wasn’t. I didn’t think to check or ask about that. My boss suggested I get a gun (if I didn’t have one) and start carrying at work. My co-workers all carried. Not one person even brought up government rules.

I’m glad for that.

If I had thought about “legality” I might have hesitated. I might have acted guilty.

As it was, I understood that “concealed” meant "don’t talk about it" as much as it meant don’t flash it to people. So I didn’t. It just became a part of getting dressed and starting my day.

Now the rules have changed, but the ethics of it haven’t. I’ll be forever grateful to the people who encouraged me to begin carrying but didn’t take political criminals’ opinions into account.

It’s how I always try to approach liberty. As I say, “Assume liberty”, don’t assume you’re government property.

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Is there gold in them there vaults?

Is there gold in Fort Knox? If so, is it more than a plating of gold over tungsten bars?

My assumption, for decades, has been that either there's no gold there or any gold within is whatever amount it takes to fool anyone who walks through and looks.

I would have to take a random sample bar, test its weight to volume against real gold, cut it in half to see what's in the middle, and then do the same for other random bars before I would be convinced that there may be actual gold bars in Fort Knox.

Or maybe it holds gold-foil-wrapped chocolate bars.

I would probably never be fully convinced it holds as much gold as the feral government claims. I don't trust government, or anyone acting on behalf of government, to tell the truth. Why would I?

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Choosing which flavor of tyranny to live under

I've lived in a variety of places- places with widely different cultures. (Mostly rural, but still different.) I was okay in all of them, even though I was more comfortable in some than in others.

Personally, speaking only for myself, I am more comfortable in a "conservative" territory than in a "liberal" place. 

This doesn't mean I don't get angry at the stupid anti-liberty nonsense that is imposed in "conservative" places-- I do, and I speak out-- but those things don't generally affect me on a personal level. It's still enemy territory, but it's slightly more tolerable for me.

I don't use Cannabis, I'm not gay. I'm not an immigrant. Legislation that violates the rights of those affected is abhorrent to me, but it doesn't really impact my day-to-day life. I'm lucky in that way.

Oh, and I'm not looking for an abortion, either.

The one thing that makes the biggest difference in my own life is that my natural human right to own and to carry a weapon not be violated. Of course, it is violated everywhere to some extent, but not as badly here, now, as in other places I've lived at other times.

I loved Colorado, but I'm glad I no longer live there. The local sheriff was a flaming turd, but I never had a run-in with him. The bigger issue is that their current anti-gun rules are simply too oppressive. Even guns I bought when I lived there would probably be illegal to buy now. The place where I lived was pretty good about ignoring Denver's bad rules when I lived there, but from what I've heard, even they have drifted far left since. I don't think I could live there anymore, and I'd even be hesitant to visit now (even if I avoid the authoritarian slime pit of Denver). 

Pennsylvanians seemed to love guns, but they also were eager to lick jackboots and prove they were worthy to own them. And the local sheriff once threatened me with arrest if he ever caught me carrying a gun outside my door. Which was illegal for him to do, but I guess he was accustomed to getting away with it.

So I feel more free, and safer in exercising the rights I normally exercise, here than in other places I've lived. Especially now.

I realize that this is only my experience. Others who have different priorities would choose differently. That's okay. As people who value liberty in a world that hates and fears it, we have to figure out what works for us. At least, for now. I look forward to the day when we don't have to choose which flavor of tyranny we can tolerate.

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