Govern yourself so you violate no one else

(My Eastern New Mexico News column for March 30, 2022)

Life is too short to waste it trying to govern other people. If you're honest you'll admit you have enough to keep you busy just controlling-- governing-- yourself. Even if you have it all worked out and you are perfect, your perfection collapses the moment you try to govern someone besides yourself.

It's your responsibility to govern yourself. It's not your responsibility to govern anyone else. In fact, governing others is something no one has the right to do. Nor can you delegate to someone else a right you don't have. Being in the majority doesn't change this. A mob by any other name is the same.

Sure, you have the right to defend yourself and others from all violators. Governing others isn't the same thing.

We all know how others should live. They also know how we should live. Those visions don't often agree.

I'll give my opinion, obviously, but anyone is free to take it or ignore it. My only non-negotiable stand is that they keep their hands off my life, liberty, and property-- and off of everyone else, as well. Otherwise, they are setting themselves up to be the focus of defensive force. I'm not so self-centered as to imagine only my rights matter.

Long ago, when I was young and foolish, I thought it was a great idea to use government violence to impose my opinions on others. I supported legislation to punish-- and police officers (and a military) to fight-- whatever I thought was wrong.

I knew drug abuse was stupid, so I approved of having legislation to authorize government aggression against those who abused drugs. I thought it was a good idea to fight their stupidity with evil.

There were so many similar issues where I didn't like something, so I thought it was justifiable to force others to go along. I came to my senses eventually. It's called growing up.

My own life got so much better once I got over the idea that I should try to make others live as I knew they should. It's just another form of bullying, including when it is accomplished by voting for certain legislation or politicians.

Govern yourself so that you violate no one else, stand up for those being violated, and leave others to peacefully live as they see fit. Government and freelance crooks can't abide by this. I never expected they would. It doesn't excuse their behavior.

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Past time for an improvement

I feel uneasy about the future. About my future.

Maybe it's my upcoming medical tests-- I've been dreading May. Maybe it's the possibility of escalating problems with Russia and the supply chain. Maybe it's the lack of rain in this area. Maybe it's because everything I've tried to accomplish recently has ended in disaster. Maybe it's other things. Maybe it's a combination of multiple things.

Whatever it is, it's getting to me.

I'm about as prepped as I can be with the funds I have available. I still haven't gotten my garden going-- we had some late freezes that delayed me past the time I was gung-ho to get going. My fault, I know.

I'm stocked up on food and other necessities and conveniences. I'm somewhat stocked up on pet foods-- I could do better on that. The supply chain (and Russia-- short of nuking me) won't have an immediate effect on my quality of life. They could make things interesting in a non-optimal sort of way.

The medical stuff, I don't really know how to be prepared for that. If civilization collapses in the next couple of weeks, at least that will be off the table. A bright silver lining...

The lack of rain here is an ongoing problem. This is always a dry area, but it does seem worse than I've seen it. My parents had small sand dunes developing on their front porch last week. I haven't looked for them on my property, but they are probably starting to grow here, too. Most days the weather around here is either "Partly smoky" or "Mostly dirt". This evening we supposedly have a chance at "severe storms"-- with more strong winds, of course. The last time the weather forecast called for thunderstorms, we didn't get a drop-- they all developed east of here. That's typical.

Anyway, I hope I start feeling better about things soon. This isn't fun. 

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When you don't appreciate your "betters"

That sounds exactly like the justification that was used for not abolishing slavery sooner.
But go on; strut that wise superiority, John.

Also, this doesn't match my experience with cats at all. 

But then I respect cats and I respect their independence, I don't abuse or molest them, I don't try to control them arbitrarily. If I were abusive to them, I wouldn't expect them to thank me for it.

Maybe his opinion says more about him than he intended.

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I'm happy to see you happy

Some people only seem to find happiness-- or something they mistake for happiness-- by making others miserable or at least by seeing others in misery. They enjoy seeing others suffer, but can't share in the joy or successes of others. That's sad.

I've never understood those people, and I've known too many over the years.

Now, I don't want to see someone find happiness through harming others, but otherwise... be happy with whatever you can.

I like for people to have nice things happen to them-- as long as it doesn't come at the expense of others.

And if it does come at the expense of others...
Since I'm not a fan of punishment/revenge I'm not really interested in seeing those who enjoy hurting others suffer. Unless that's what it takes to make them stop. If their actions lead to their suffering-- they spun the wheel and won the prize. That's why I don't care when a cop shoots and kills an actual bad guy in the act, nor when a cop is shot and killed while enforcing unethical legislation. They both knew what they were getting into. It was a choice.

Not caring isn't the same as making me happy, though. I'd be happier if people didn't choose to be thugs or scum. If they'd choose a voluntary life, I'd love to see it work out and make them happy. I want more happy people in the world. There's no way that wouldn't be better for everyone.

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I'm not really a supporter of the Second Amendment. Government has ignored it to the point where it is mostly irrelevant, and it didn't "give" anyone any rights; it forbade government to touch the people's guns (and defense rights), but they do it anyway. However, if it can be used as a tool against political criminals, I'll happily use it.

Burn 'em both

No, really, it's Florida's outline with cartoon mouse ears. I swear!

Some topics cause me to want to see all those involved burn. Disney vs the Florida government is one such topic. 

I used to love Disney entertainment, but as their w0keness increased, my interest declined. 

I've never had any love for any government.

So I can't side with either one, but side against them both. I want them both to lose in a painful way.

There should be no such thing as government-employed "teachers". If there is anyway, those "teachers" shouldn't be discussing their sexuality-- or sexuality in general-- with the kids, especially not with little kids (pre-pubescent children). Anyone who feels different about this is someone I wouldn't want anywhere near my kids or anyone else's kids. That's creepy.

There's no such thing as legitimate legislation, even legislation that is supposed to do things I agree with, such as preventing government employees from discussing sexuality with little kids.

When someone lies about something, such as dishonestly portraying such legislation as "Don't Say Gay", for example, they automatically put themselves on the other side from me. Those who are on the ethical side don't have to lie.

Corporations equal government equals corporations. Rights are individual, not collective, so neither corporations nor governments have any rights. 

I don't want any corporation to "pay" any taxes, not because I love the corporation, but because I don't want government to be funded. So I would rather Disney not be taxed by government-- they should keep their own money to fund their own expenses. 

I also don't want government to have the power to give or deny permission to corporations' business decisions, nor to shield corporations from paying restitution when they harm someone's life, liberty, or property.

This fight is just between nasty collectives that want to violate you in some way. I hope there's some way for both of them to lose.

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The Censorship Clan is apparently having a bad day. Poor little fascist-socialists.

The reality of the threat

Government is the biggest threat to you. 

The chances of being violated by a freelance criminal are higher than any of us would like, but the chance of government violating you is much higher. It's 100%. 

It's not a close contest. Just like the body count of the worst freelance psychopaths in history compared to the body count of government-- the freelancers would need a big boost and a telescope to even see government on the distant horizon.

The impact common thugs have on your life is no match for the impact you'll suffer due to the crime of government throughout your lifetime.

Still believe political government is ever legitimate or necessary? Why?

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'Law' always benefits the elite

(My Eastern New Mexico News column for March 23, 2022)

It's aggravating that the state Supreme Court decided the petitions aimed at possibly holding the New Mexico governor accountable for her Covid overreach were "legally invalid". Aggravating, but not surprising.

Somehow the "law" always benefits the elite political class and their schemes at the expense of the rest of us and our liberty.

Whenever mere people try to hold government accountable and make it stay within its clear boundaries, the state finds a way to brush their concerns aside. It finds those boundaries to be the ridiculous complaints of conspiracy theorists or extremists, even when it doesn't use those precise words. This time it said the petitions are "legally invalid" because, in their biased opinion, there was no crime. How could they have ruled otherwise when they are complicit in the political crimes?

When government wants to do something which is clearly illegal-- unconstitutional-- the courts the government owns and controls nearly always find a way to twist-- "interpret"-- the Constitution so they can do it. This is what "interpreting" the Constitution means; bending it away from its main purpose of restraining government just enough to let government get away with a crime.

Crimes like Covid shutdowns or mandates. Or legislation concerning firearms or other weapons; legislation which isn't allowed in America. Or the crime of government-controlled schools, the issuing (or denial) of licenses to ration natural rights for a price, patrolling the roads to waylay travelers, or whatever government was never intended to be allowed to do in America, under the US Constitution.

This continues until there's no liberty left for the people, but government has the freedom to do anything it wants.

The benefit of the doubt is always given to government interests over those of the people and their liberty; the opposite of how it has to be. Government has been allowed to police itself-- a practice which never works with any institution anywhere.

It's as though government doesn't realize that when you remove the ability to rein it in by peaceful means, such as with petitions, you force the people to use other means. This won't keep going the way government believes it will. They can only push so far before they've gone too far. They won't know they've gone too far until it's too late. That won't be a pleasant day for anyone, and it will be because government won't allow the people to tell it "No".

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I gave gun shows another chance

A month or so ago I went to a gun show with my dad, and yesterday I went to another one with my son. 

I didn't buy anything at either show. Prices on ammo were higher than the prices I've seen in stores lately, and guns were priced similarly-- and out of reach. Am I dreaming, or didn't I used to go to gun shows to find good deals? If so, maybe those days are over.

Was I disappointed by the shows? No!

I hadn't been to a gun show in several years, and the last few I went to had almost no guns. They had coins, jewelry, baked goods, toys, and one or two tables of guns in the whole place. Not worth the price of admission, nor really worthy of being called "gun shows".

These two were probably 80% gun-related and maybe 10% knives (still OK). More like the good old days and a welcome change. There were even a couple of politicians trying to convince gullible people to v*te for them, based-- I guess-- on setting up a booth at a gun show to show their "pro-gun" creds, Easy enough to ignore.

I had a good time at both shows.

As my son said yesterday, "Pretty good way to spend a morning".

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My one-of-a-kind Bowie knife

Back in the late 1980s I decided I needed a Bowie knife.

I bought a full-tang Bowie knife blade blank-- really just a blade-shaped slab of steel-- from Dixie Gun Works. Turned out, it was pre-hardened for some reason, and files had no effect on it. Someone my dad knew offered to soften the steel, grind it into shape, and re-harden it for me. So I let him do so. He ground it "roughly" which turned out to be a little rougher than I would have preferred, but it worked out well in the end. He put a false edge on the top point-half. He also installed a brass guard on it, after asking if I would like him to do so. 

When I got the blade back, I took the old broken hickory (I believe) handle of a grubbing hoe that had belonged to my paternal grandfather and made handle slabs from it. The wood was so hard, having seasoned for somewhere around a century, that it burned up a couple of drill bits (and made a ton of smoke) trying to drill it for the rivets. Trying to saw, carve, and sand that rock-hard wood was a nightmare and took far longer than I imagined it would. But it has been sturdy!

Eventually, I got the wood shaped, drilled, and sanded. I used Liquid Nails and some cutler's rivets to attach the handle scales.

More about the knife after the pictures...

The knife is 15 3/8" overall, with a 9 13/16" blade. The blade thickness is 3/16".

It has no maker's marks on it but has plenty of identifiable scars from years of hard use. 

I made a leather sheath, tacked together with brass-headed tacks. Then I covered the leather with some brain-tanned deerskin. A red "white-heart" bead hangs from the sheath, near its throat.

It has been unchanged since I completed the project about 6 months later-- other than sharpening as needed. It holds an edge very well. It can shave hair, even after chopping wood without sharpening it between tasks.

I carried it daily for years, and used it to cut down small trees, chop and split firewood for campfires, flesh deer and elk hides, and just general camp chores. I've used the butt as a hammer, too. About the only things I avoided doing with it is digging holes or using it as a throwing knife. It was my most-used tool, by far.

I'll never sell this knife, and probably wouldn't ever give it away while I'm alive.

The knife should outlive me by centuries. I post this story, and the photos, in the belief that the internet may survive us all, and if someday, someone is in possession of this knife and wonders about it, maybe they'll find this post and be able to use the photos for positive identification and to know its origin.

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The sight of Weed Stores warms my liberty-loving heart

I have to admit feeling delight at seeing marijuana stores opening up around me. I don't even use it or have much interest in using it, but it still feels "free" to see the stores and ads.

Of course, I live right on the Texas/New Mexico line, and on the Texas side, the politicians are falling all over themselves to "inform" the people how extraordinarily dangerous Cannabis has recently been discovered to be. Sounds like a retread of "Reefer Madness" to me.

But, just over the state line, a building was quickly erected recently. Everyone wondered what it was going to be. Well, a couple of weeks ago, when the new rules took effect, a sign went up and declared it a weed store.

Here's a picture of it from the Texas side of the line. The concrete pylon between it and me is the "official" state line marker.

I expect the Texas legislation enforcement gangsters are watching the cars that leave the store and drive east. Targeting them for molestation. What's stopping these thugs? They've already threatened to do so. I really despise them, for so many reasons.

Next, of course, I'd like to see the "tax" part of "legalize and tax it" abolished, but it won't be. Not until the Age of Government ends-- which can't come soon enough for me.

Actually, I'd like to see marijuana and gun vending machines. But then, I value liberty over everything.

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Old Joe and anti-gun "laws"

Did Old Joe illegally possess a "ghost gun" during a recent political circus?

No.

There is no such thing as a legitimate "law" against gun possession, not "even" in Washington D.C. and not even if the criminal in question is Joe Biden. All anti-gun legislation and rules are BS. Government doesn't have the authority to forbid it. Don't fall for the trap.

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I nearly deplatformed myself

My blog has never been in the top (few) thousand, but after last week's link trouble my visitor numbers have crashed. It's a bit discouraging.

If I had known and had time to prepare and warn my regular readers, it probably wouldn't have been as bad. But, even then, only those who visit every day would have been expecting it, and I'm not sure how many that is. I know many (if not most) of my readers seem to visit a few times per week at most.

As long as I keep on blogging, I expect the numbers to rise from where they are now. And, since I largely write to help myself think things through, the blog serves a purpose whether it gets read by large numbers or not.

It is still appreciated when you share links to these posts with others on social media or in emails. Might as well not be content to sit in the dark talking to myself.

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The "news" isn't reality

I don't watch "the news". My exposure to "news" is unintentional-- unless something catches my eye and I look it up to see if something is going on that might affect me. Maybe something like the US feral government murdering a bunch of people near Waco, Texas-- and then convincing most of the public to blame the victims instead of the murderers. (4/19!)

I haven't watched the incidents of Old Joe's confusion that I've seen mentioned, not even his Easter Bunny handler that I saw referenced several times in various places over the past days. (Or, I hadn't seen it until I looked it up on YouTube just now. Amusing. Or elder abuse.)

I have no doubt whatsoever that he's impaired, but I'd bet he's not quite as senile as he's often portrayed by the anti-Democrat media. Although, I could well be wrong and other political criminals might just be working overtime to protect him from honest scrutiny.

I'm sure he's not as capable as the anti-Republican media is still trying to make him look.

It would be interesting to get him alone somewhere and see if a normal conversation, about a random topic he hasn't prepared for, were possible. Then I could come to my own conclusions. I don't trust any media corporation to tell the truth.

But, on the other hand, I'm not sure whether a president really affects my life that much, as long as he doesn't do something to get us nuked. Every president is probably more of a figurehead than anything else; even the executive orders are written by someone else and just rubber-stamped and promoted by the Political Criminal in Chief. The president is an unnecessary complication, only there to fool gullible people into believing tyrannical rules are somehow legitimate in some way. They aren't. Not ever. No matter who's president.

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I don't carry weapons. I carry tools. Whether those tools turn into weapons depends entirely on the behavior of people in my vicinity.

GiveSendGo vs. GoFundMe-- final thoughts

Due to circumstances beyond my control which all conspire to limit my writing opportunities, I'll link to something I wrote earlier last week for The Libertarian Enterprise: GiveSendGo vs. GoFundMe

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Blame inflation on century of bungling

(My Eastern New Mexico News column for March 16, 2022)

The US government is probably relieved it can now blame the results of some of its past crimes and bungling-- such as inflation and other economic disasters-- on the Russian military invasion of Ukraine and most people will believe it. In fact, the same is likely true of every government in the world.

The fact is, this train pulled out of the station years before the Ukrainian invasion was considered.

The inflation was caused by the Federal Reserve's destruction of the dollar followed by a century of governmental meddling in the economy.

The huge counterfeiting operation they called a "stimulus" was going to cause higher inflation. It was inevitable. That's what adding money backed by nothing to an economy does; every dollar already out there becomes worth less and less. Shutdowns and crippling regulations imposed as an overreaction to Covid added to the trouble.

If this invasion hadn't happened, the US government would have needed to find another phony reason for the hard times; an excuse which didn't point back at themselves. The Covid excuse wasn't working so well on the population anymore. They needed a new one.

Now they can blame Putin and many people will believe it. His invasion of Ukraine didn't help matters, but it's only a contributing factor, not the main cause.

Yet, the US government also shares in the blame for the situation in Ukraine. The invasion was largely caused by decades of provocation by the US government and NATO. They asked for trouble and they got it.

Most people don't realize this.

Don't worry though, rich celebrities are willing to suffer for the cause. Or, they are willing to see you suffer for the cause since they aren't the ones who will suffer. They say they are willing to pay more for gas, and by saying so are demonstrating their economic ignorance.

Higher fuel prices aren't just about gasoline. They will make all prices go up. Fuel is required to manufacture everything-- especially since nuclear energy has been demonized for so many decades-- and fuel is needed to move raw materials around. It's needed to get finished products from manufacturers to stores.  Add this to the devalued currency-- thanks to the stimulus and other things-- and hard times may be on the horizon.

I hope that instead of waiting for government to ride over the hill to save you, you prepared well ahead of time. If not, start now.

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When the EMTs came to help my dad, who was weak and confused, the first question they asked was whether he had recently gotten a Covid "vaccination". The FIRST question. There are several ways to interpret that, but it was interesting to me.

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This may be the foundation of prepping

My dad fell yesterday and it took us hours to get him off the floor and into a chair. I was there for 2 and a half hours or so and my mom had tried for 45 minutes before she called me. He isn't strong enough to lift his own weight, or even really to help us lift him-- plus he is 81 years old. 

He didn't want to call the EMTs, or even any other family members to help. But I told him he couldn't just stay on the floor-- we HAD to get him up somehow. I understood his reluctance, but I wasn't going to leave him on the floor.

It eventually took 6 people to lift him-- we recruited neighbors. And we were barely able to manage it at that.

Then my sister arrived and called the EMTs despite his protests, just to check him out (but they really didn't do anything we hadn't already done to check his condition). He was OK at that time.

Then later we called the EMTs back because he couldn't stand and seemed confused. So we spent half the night at the ER. He was admitted to the hospital.

But this got me thinking...

It's a problem to weigh too much for a reasonably strong person- or two reasonably strong people-- to lift you in an emergency.

At a bare minimum, stay active and keep your weight in check, especially as you age. If you can do anything at all, keep active! Yes, age is still going to get you, but inactivity and obesity will only make things worse whatever age you are. It may be the most important part of prepping, maybe even more important than skills. Knowing what to do but being physically unable to do it isn't preparedness.

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