This isn't the time to beg for more government

The situation happening south of here, where the turf claims of two criminal gangs meet, is 100% a problem created by, sustained by, and magnified by political government. It's a statist thing. It was never something government should have meddled with in any way, and once it started, all roads lead to this situation.

If you blame anyone else you've been fooled by government supremacists.

It's not going to be fixed by politics or by statism-light. 

This isn't the time to call for more government, doing more things that will inevitably make things worse in the long run. Government created the mess, more government isn't going to fix it.

It could be fixed by absolutely respecting private property rights and the fundamental human right to defend life, liberty, and that property with whatever force is necessary. From any threat.

This, of course, is something government will never allow. Government hates life, liberty (especially!), and property unless those things can be made to work in government's favor.

As always, your property-- and your life and your liberty--  is your responsibility. Whether you live in El Paso or in the middle of Wyoming. 

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You're not under my control

Most things are not under my control. Shocking, I know!

I can't control the weather, the climate, or time. I can't control society, or wars in other countries.

I can't really totally control my health-- although there are definitely things I can avoid doing to make things worse. 

I can’t control what legislation is imposed or which politicians are forced upon me. People who v*te believe they can control this to some extent. I know they do because I used to. 

I would get really upset after every election that didn’t go the way I wanted (which was the vast majority of them). I’m happier now.

I gained much peace when I realized I didn’t have any control over such things-  or make any difference with my v*tes. 

Even outside the political realm, I can’t control other people. People often do things I’d rather they didn’t. Both strangers and people I know. Family members do things I imagine might reflect badly on me. They are not under my control, nor should they be. I don't need to be running anyone's life but my own.

It’s hard to keep in mind that I can’t control anyone but myself— neither the person who does what I think is wrong nor those who come to conclusions about me based on what some other person does.

I can't control the local person who told a family member "I'm sorry" yesterday when they found out they were my relative. I guess they aren't a fan-- which is something else I can't control.

I can't control how people will respond to the things I write or the concepts I introduce. I can't control how people will react when confronted with something they don't want to hear.

What I can control-- or should be able to control-- is how I react to people and situations. I don't always react the way I ought to, but in that case, it's my fault. My responses are what I can control. I need to do better. I think I am doing better.

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Government can be useful

You probably never imagined you'd hear me admit that government can be useful. Of course it can. Many things you don't have the right to use, in the specific way you are using them, can be useful. 

Jeffrey Dahmer found knives and big cooking pots useful. He didn't have a right to use them as he did, but they were indisputably useful for his purpose.

So, yes, government can be useful. But it’s always cheating to use it.

If you can't get what you need or want through voluntary exchange, it is useful to have a tool for forcing others to go along. That tool could be a gun or a government.

The thing that makes the government the worse tool to use is that your victim isn't generally forced to buy the gun and ammunition for you to use against him. Not unless you work for government.

No one using a gun to force compliance can pretend to be the good guy, unless they claim what they are doing is "the law". In this case, the real weapon being wielded is government; the gun is just jewelry.

Government can be useful, but if that's the tool you have to use you should probably stop to think if you have a right to do what you're doing. And if you do, why are you reduced to cheating?

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Be a non-complier with tyranny

(My Eastern New Mexico News column for April 9, 2023- This one had been held in reserve for the occasion where I was unable to come up with a column.)

The last few years have been especially rough for those of us who aren't fans of tyranny. Or who won't tolerate it at all. It seems like the authoritarian control freaks of the world decided they could get away with anything. By the look of things, they might be right.

No, I don't believe they all got together in a secret supervillain conclave and decided this was their chance. I think they just did what they have always wanted to do, and the people let them do it harder than usual, and we ended up here.

People complain and protest, but they don't do the one thing it will take to topple the tyrants: they don't refuse to comply and then refuse to take punishments for their refusal.

Almost everyone complies with every ridiculous demand, even if they protest while doing so. Some, even though they were scared of a new cold virus, knew the mandates and restrictions were wrong, but they were afraid to be seen as disobedient troublemakers. So they went along.

How about you? Do you complain about all the ways government violates your rights and your liberty? Do you comply with the violations anyway? Nothing is going to change for the better until you stop complying.

What difference can one person make? Not much; just all the difference in the world.

One person isn't going to change things much right away. But by your refusal to comply, you'll inspire others to join you. No government is powerful enough to control everyone when the people simply refuse to be controlled anymore.

As long as you comply, it will never end.

It's dangerous to be one of the early non-compliers. You'll stand out and get their attention. The authoritarians will want to make an example of you. Think January 6th. Still, somebody has to do it. Someone has to go first.

On the other hand, those who are skeptical of government have been proven right over and over again. If you still trust what "official sources" and "experts" say by this point, you'll believe anything. If you aren't preparing for harder times to come, after seeing how fragile civilization is, maybe you deserve whatever happens next.

I don't want to believe that of you, though. You are better than that. You paid attention and have found your line in the sand. Maybe you've even been pushed over it. How will you react now?

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Pet parrots

Different topic, but I saw a person ask a question about this on Twitter and it's something I have experience with because of 2 decades at pet stores. several years of which were spent at a store that specialized in parrots.

I don't recommend parrots as pets. I could stop there, but people always want to know "why?"

There are some really great pet parrots out there. However, for every great one, there are dozens of miserable parrots who usually also make their humans miserable. Not pets or companions, but captives. I've seen so many get sold over and over because they just weren't what their owner thought a parrot would be.

And even the friendly ones are easily bored.

A bored parrot can (and will) destroy your house. Window frames, door frames, wooden molding, doors, wooden cabinets, chandeliers, sheetrock-- I've seen it all ripped to pieces in a couple of hours by a bored parrot.

They can learn to open just about any latch, and I've seen them break cheap padlocks to get out of a cage.

Cockatoos are parrots that have their own set of issues. Many cockatoos become very affectionate. But, the more affectionate they become, the needier they are. If you can't give them the massive amount of attention they need when they need it, they become emotional; loud, depressed, and self-destructive. You've probably seen pictures and videos of naked cockatoos, and this is nearly always a result of them either becoming upset at not getting enough attention or hating captivity. And they never recover enough to grow their feathers back. At least, I've never seen it happen.

The cockatoos that don't become affectionate are pitiable creatures. They stay terrified and scream and cower and pluck themselves. And they bite. The worst damage I've ever seen from a parrot bite was inflicted by a scared cockatoo. That one died of fear and trauma a few days after biting through a person's hand.

Even those who are generally friendly seem to enjoy biting. At least in certain moods. They seem to like the response it gets. Often there is one person they'll attach to and everyone else gets bitten, but most will also bite their favorite person if they decide it would be entertaining. Or if they have a grudge (they do hold grudges).

Parrots also love to scream. and they scream LOUD. They love the sound of their own screams. Some learn to put their head in a food bowl (metal is preferred) so they can scream and get a good echo back in their face. I don't know why, it's just something they like to do.

Parrots are messy. They scatter seed hulls far from their cage and they poop a lot. And cockatoos (including cockatiels) shed lots of waxy dust from their feathers that gets all over the house.

Most parrots never learn to talk. Those who do seem to learn to repeat what you'd rather not have them repeat, and will say it at the worst time. And, it's hard to get them to stop saying anything they can get a reaction for saying. Most still prefer to scream.

Parrots are smart. but sometimes this is more of a bug than a feature. 

A parrot is more likely to be a miserable, messy, destructor than a pleasant, talkative companion.

On the other hand, government has gotten more and more set against you owning a parrot, coming up with more paperwork, regulations, and warnings every year it seems. Anything government doesn't want you to have might be a good thing to have. Probably not in this case.

I'm not saying there's no chance you'd get a good parrot where both of you are happy. I just think the chances are so small that it's not a good idea unless you're prepared for what you're more likely to experience. I like parrots. I've never owned one myself-- not above the size of a small conure-type, anyway. For most people, a parrot isn't a good choice.

Do with that what you will.

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Never a clear answer

Why is it so hard to get a clear answer from a statist?

I watched an interaction where a statist advocated solving some problems with laws. He was accused of promoting violence for this stance and he denied it.

Then, he was asked a very simple question: How are laws enforced?

He deflected rather than answer the question. So, he was asked again. And again. Over and over. 

He wouldn't-- or couldn't-- answer the question. 

So, since he kept ignoring the other person, I stepped in and asked him how legislation is enforced. He claimed he had already answered the question and was tired of being asked. (I'm sure he was tired of it!)

I posted a link (see the end of this post) that would have answered the question for him if he had bothered to read it. As was clear from his subsequent responses, he didn't.

He went into rants saying he doesn't think v*ting for legislation is advocating for violence, and that he doesn't object to being forced to do community service if he is ordered to do so for breaking a law.

I tried to get him back on point.

I asked him to assume I (and the other person) didn't see his answer, and just clearly answer it for me.

He didn't. 

Instead, he posted a screenshot of a partial answer he had given earlier, ignoring all follow-up questions by saying he'd already answered. His "answer" stopped at the non-compliant person being taken to court for refusing to do what government demanded. I asked what happens when the person refuses to comply with the court's ruling.

He said he'd already answered and again posted the same screenshot that stopped with the non-compliant victim of legislation being taken to court.

I told him this was like answering the question "How to bake bread?" By saying "Plant some wheat". 

He couldn't go beyond that step, then started complaining that he didn't see how his v*ting for "expanding healthcare" was a threat to anyone. Oh, and then kept calling me a "Republican"/"MAGA"-- with hashtags and everything!

I try my best to stay civil. I think I did, even when he hurled insults.

It's hard-- or impossible-- for a government supremacist to see where their path leads. They just aren't honest enough to face the reality that every single "law" is enforced with the threat of death.

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The reasonable middle ground that no one likes

An unfortunate truth I've noticed is how often the desire to be empathetic-- kind, compassionate, and understanding-- leads to the opposite result.

That’s how you end up with “gun control”, "equity", and saving bad guys from the consequences of their actions. It leads to homeless camps in town and gender ideology. Really stupid things.

People will bend over so far trying to put themselves in the other guy's shoes that they end up hurting the innocent. Sometimes, killing them.

Of course, the opposite approach isn't any better. Being authoritarian "for your own good" leads to results that are just as bad.

This is how you end up with substance prohibition,  overflowing prisons, and "immigration" control. Really mean things— that are also really stupid. 

It leads to a dystopian police state just as horrible as the one the other extreme leads to. 

Is there a solution? A rational middle ground? Probably. But humans may be incapable of dwelling in it for more than a minute or two.

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Liberty isn't ONLY about guns, but...

I think it would be boring to talk about guns all the time. It would bore me, anyway. I like to discuss a variety of subjects.

It’s also true that to discuss liberty for long means the topic of guns will keep coming up. So, I don't want to avoid the topic of guns, either. A healthy mix of subjects would be nice, but "healthy mix" is subjective.

I like guns. I like most gun people. I like seeing people carrying guns. As long as they aren't wearing a government costume or otherwise acting like a threat, I feel safer with them around.

When I lived in Colorado I open-carried much of the time-- while I also carried my Charter Arms Undercover .38 special concealed at the same time. 

My open carry was often a Remington 1858 cap & ball revolver. The other half of the time it was my flintlock Kentucky pistol. I never had anyone have an issue with me carrying either of them, and I went just about everywhere except government buildings (courthouse or post office, and I already avoided going either place as much as possible). I did carry guns into the local gov-school (with permission) and that only went wrong once. There are pictures of me posing with people from all over the world-- in their vacation albums.

The presence of guns in the hands of regular people makes me feel more free, kind of like seeing Cannabis stores, even though I don't use the plant. The presence of guns has never caused me any fear or stress. Even when I've been around people who didn't handle their guns safely, if they wouldn't listen to my advice I just got away from them and made a mental note about who shouldn't be trusted.

I don't think guns are more important than any other liberty issue, but they are often the most enlightening. If someone doesn't trust me with guns, I don't trust them. And if I trust someone, I trust them with guns. There are no exceptions.

Maybe guns don't quite equal liberty, but they are very nearly the same thing. So, if I sometimes get on a kick where it seems guns are all I talk about for a while, you'll understand why.

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Regarding Perry vs Foster

I've heard so many contradictory accounts and accusations regarding the death of Garrett Foster at the hands of Daniel Perry.

I've seen posts claiming each of them was acting within his rights. Well, someone was.

I wasn't there. I don't exactly trust witnesses in cases like this. Witnesses are unreliable and sometimes lie to advocate their preferred narrative, especially if they perceive one of the parties as being on their team. 

The accused person, of course, will also lie to try to get out of trouble. 

And then, in the heat of the moment, perception isn't the most reliable thing, either.

It all comes down to whether Foster pointed his gun at Perry when he approached Perry's car. 

If he did, the shooting was completely justified since there was a credible threat.
If he didn't, it was not justified since there's no threat inherent in simply carrying a rifle.

Again, I've heard biased people make both claims.

Nothing else is relevant. Not the past or biases of either of them. Not whether either or both had a right to be where they were, doing what they were doing before their fatal encounter. Not whether or not they were good people. Not even whether Foster was libertarian.

Yes, I realize Perry was driving through a crowd of protesters who were trying to block the road. If you find yourself in such a situation, you probably should not stop moving no matter what. We've all seen what can happen if you do stop.

You're not likely to see me protesting, counter-protesting, or in an area where I'm aware a protest might be happening.

Whenever I've seen someone commenting on this incident, they've come down firmly on one side or the other. I don't. And you might as well know why I don't. I simply can't know for sure who was the aggressor. You might think you do, and that's fine. I don't.

I suspect, as in so many cases, I wouldn't personally like either of them. I could be wrong. As it is, I have no knowledge of who was in the right and no opinion as to who was in the wrong.

You might wonder why, in light of such an admission, I bothered to comment. Because I couldn't think of anything else to write about after getting home from my slightly upsetting* doctor's appointment. I saw something about the case somewhere and it was on my mind.

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*"Slightly upsetting" because the urologist wants to see me again in 3 months because he's still concerned that my Frankenstein urethra will swell shut with new scar tissue after being so aggravated by the catheterization.

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Happy Star Wars Day

I'm off to the Big City for-- hopefully-- my last surgery-related follow-up. 

For Star Wars Day I'll remind you that we who understand (the) Force are the real Jedi.

I'll leave you with this, which I would very much like to build one of for myself (if you aren't interested in his preliminaries, skip to 7:28):

 

May the 4th be with you.

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Regular happenings not a surprise

(My Eastern New Mexico News column for April 2, 2023)

Many situations come around on a regular basis. Christmas, summer heat, days of blowing dirt, utility bills, and election seasons with their political schemers all come back time after time like clockwork. Expect them.

I don't understand the people who seem genuinely surprised every time one of these regularly occurring events crops up again. Do they have no long-term memory? These are the people who are scrambling around in a panic when one of these things is happening tomorrow. They are frequently also the people who try to blame someone else for their lack of proper planning.

"How dare you close your store early on Christmas Eve! Now where will I buy everything I put off until the last moment?" It's as if they've rehearsed this chorus.

The weather apparently surprises people constantly, too. Who expects it to get miserably hot in the summer, bone-chillingly cold in the winter, and periodically windy at any point on the calendar here on the high plains? Well, I do and I hope you also do. When you use more utilities to stay comfortable through whatever the weather throws at you, the higher bills shouldn't be a shock. You knew you were using energy.

Politicians and the drama that comes with them are just as predictable as the above. They will keep coming around as long as people put up with it. They will continue to do what politicians have been doing since roving bands of marauders first decided to put down roots and pose as protectors of the populations they had previously raided on an irregular basis: the birth of the career politician.

It is probably a good thing for politicians that most of the public has a short memory. I doubt anyone would still play their rigged political game otherwise.

A newer recurring theme is the opposing side trying to find ways to "get" or prosecute the most recent former president from the other team, whoever it may be.

One potential positive result from this could be discouraging anyone from seeking the presidency. Who would invite this kind of persecution?  If Joe Biden survives his term in office, do you think he and his supporters will act surprised when the ritual they helped perpetuate is used against him?

When something happens regularly, good or bad, and nothing changes to disrupt the pattern, don't be surprised when it keeps happening. Be ready and expect it.

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It's authoritarian to ban drag shows

I have zero interest, or less, in drag shows. That doesn't necessarily mean I'm automatically against them and it certainly doesn't mean I want government to ban them.

I once won $15 (1st prize!) at a karaoke Halloween party (20+ years ago) because my best friend made me up to look like a (6' 3"+) woman. She had a strange compulsion where that was concerned. On the upside, I got more positive female attention that night than just about any time in my life. So, I'm not going to judge such things with a blanket condemnation.

But, I also didn't look like a drunk's interpretation of what he imagined a woman might look like if she were the victim of vandalism by a gang of clowns on LSD. I don't think drag performers look anything like women; more like sex clowns.

Not my thing, but you do what you like. I don't think there's anything wrong with it.

On the other hand, I don't think a responsible parent would take their kids to a drag show-- especially not one where the performers are simulating sex acts with each other and the audience (including the kids in attendance). Maybe you could convince me it has some educational value or something in specific circumstances, but I'm skeptical. Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence.

You might say this just means I don't understand. You'd be right. I don't. There are many things I don't understand that I don't judge. And there are many things I judge internally that I'm not going to throw stones at you for disagreeing with me.

I also don't think a responsible parent would take their kids to the types of "high fashion" shows I've seen clips of. 

I've been to places and events personally where I don't think kids should be, even if I don't think it was wrong for adults to be there. There were sometimes kids in attendance and I never attacked the parents for bringing them.

I'm not sending government after you if you make different choices than I would. Your kids are your kids, they don't belong to me, the collective, or the village, and you can feel free to ignore my opinion and my inner judgment. I just may not think you are responsible. That shouldn't carry any weight at all if you disagree.

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The anti-creatives

Those who ban and censor are the opposite of those who create.
They are the destroyers; the despoilers. The Luddites and the backwards thinkers.

I can't see the sense in banning or censoring. Not even the things I dislike.

If I have to defend myself and others from someone, so be it. That seems much more rational than trying to ban things or censor words and thoughts.

I have no respect for those who ban or censor-- either through government/corporate power or freelance bullying, They are not my people.

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Gun-hate cripples the mind

Anti-gun bigots don't think rationally.

I saw one arguing (in support of an anti-gun politician's bigoted claims) that guns "cost society", so gun owners need to pay those costs, and any gun owner who doesn't is shirking this responsibility.

There's so much bad "thinking" going on here.

Guns do figure into murders. They also figure into defense and thus lives saved. To pretend there's only a cost and no benefit is to be a liar. 

It's easy to calculate the number of innocent people harmed or killed by evil losers who use a gun because there are so many eager to blame guns-- they'll find and report every instance-- but it is completely impossible to calculate how many lives are saved by defenders using a gun. Most of the good guys who use a gun in defense are never going to report on themselves and face possible government persecution for their heroic act.

Anti-gun bigots aren't good at evaluating the situation and drawing good conclusions. They just hate guns and will hallucinate whatever it takes to justify this insane position.

Another big issue I have with this is that it advocates collective punishment. I'm against punishment in general (because I prefer justice, instead) but I passionately hate collective punishment.

A school "teacher" who punishes the whole class because of the behavior of one or two people is a disgusting individual. An anti-gun bigot who wants to hold the gun owners who didn't harm anyone accountable because of the acts of those who did is possibly even worse. Because the consequences are even worse. 

Only an evil and lazy person punishes the innocent along with the guilty.

My guns have never harmed anyone-- not even a bad guy. To falsely claim I "owe" society because I have guns is evil and lazy. Those who harm others owe restitution; no one else does. No one else can.

If you want gun owners punished for the acts of evil losers just because you irrationally hate guns, you are also an evil loser-- you are as bad as a mass shooter. Maybe worse, in the long run.

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Post-modern neo-statist gets confused

Throughout all of human history and prehistory, there have been individuals whose behavior we would now describe as "libertarian". Or Voluntaryist, abolitionist, or anarchist-- however you'd prefer to describe it.

But, I had a guy tell me that no one could have been libertarian before the word "libertarian" was coined. (I checked his bio and he promotes "post-libertarianism", which I suppose is neo-statism, with a dash of post-modernism.)

I asked him if dogs existed before the word "dog" was created. He argued (in a "no such thing as reality" post-modernist sort of way) that they did not. He demanded I "prove" dogs existed before the word "dog".  There's just so much wrong with that approach, including language differences and the fact I can't time-travel to the past.

But, besides his post-modern post-libertarian neo-statism, he wasn't even starting from a position of understanding the topic. No wonder he couldn't discuss the topic in a sensible way.

He kept trying to frame libertarianism as strictly a political movement rather than an ethical philosophy or way to live. This will always lead you astray.

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Don't walk behind a sick elephant or you might slip in a Dettelbach

I really don't respect politicians. But... I did enjoy seeing Thomas Massie humiliate BATFEces director Steven Dettelbach with regard to the illegal and ignorant pistol brace rule. And, no, I'm not generally a fan of Massie either, even though he sometimes does good stuff like this.

In the clips I saw on the confrontation, Massie was relentless and the BATFEces trash was utterly outgunned and outclassed.

That slimy puddle of diarrhea-- Steven Dettelbach-- couldn't even explain what his gang is doing or what they think their illegitimate rules apply to. All he could do was look exasperated as he fumbled with his excuses.

If America were still America, Dettelbach would not be working to violate your liberty while you are forced to pay him for his crime spree. At least, he wouldn't be doing this in a safe way, but would have to risk his life like any other crook every time he chose to show up for "work". As it is, that nasty criminal gets to commit his crimes openly without fear of justice.

The recent kidnapping and caging of Matt Hoover/CRS Firearms and Justin Ervin should be the straw that breaks the camel's back and ends the "ATF" gang's crime wave forever.

The "ATF" needs to be abolished and replaced with nothing. And it needs to happen now. There is nothing legitimate they do, they have no "authority", and all the power they wield is stolen from you and me. They are garbage.

I hope this situation doesn't continue. I don't think it can continue in this way. I don't care who ends it or how-- even if it's done by a politician. End the BATFE.

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Anti-political activism

Around town, there are political yard signs appearing for a candidate for something (sorry-- I didn't pay that much attention) whose name is "Les Ball".

Would it be excessively rude and juvenile of me to get a big marker and under cover of night run around town and change all the signs to add the first name of "Juan"? (The name "Les" would then be redundant.)

Personally, I feel it would be an improvement. Or, maybe my sense of humor belongs to a 12-year-old boy.

Apologies to the real Les Ball. I'm sure he's a wonderful fellow-- other than the whole "seeking political power over me" thing.

Added: I went out and took a picture of the actual sign:

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Essential to stop what's not working

(My Eastern New Mexico News column for March 26, 2023)

Whenever a government program is failing, the instinct of those who work in government is to do more of it. They insist on spending more money on it; finding ways to be more involved and controlling. It's a bad instinct and leads to bigger failures. Eventually, failures so big they cause a collapse. It's only a matter of time and degree.

One recent example in the news involves schools. Schools fail to educate adequately, so government sentences the school inmates-- sometimes called "students"-- to even more hours of what isn't working. Cutting into more of the students' lives; further reducing their valuable free time. Free time is essential and schools aren't designed to educate anyway.

This failure doesn't only apply to school systems, though. It's the same old story over and over again whenever government gets involved in anything.

Anti-gun legislation causes crime to increase, so legislation addicts double down and do more of what drives the problem. They apparently don't care as long as they can sound enlightened and concerned when speaking to the misinformed public on television.

Welfare and other social programs, supposedly implemented to fight poverty, caused more poverty and trapped families in a cycle of poverty for generations. So, obviously, the solution is to do more of the same?

Prohibition has increased the strength of the drugs available and directly created cartels and crime. Instead of abandoning something which has failed as hard as anything can fail, the prohibitionists choose to make things worse with even more penalties.

Pick any government program and the story is the same.

Do they not see the results of their policies? Or, is this level of failure acceptable as long as it looks like they're "doing something" and keeps the tax money flowing into the coffers, keeping politicians without any useful skills off the streets?

I understand-- it is hard to admit you've been doing something stupid; something which is making a problem you claim you want to solve worse than ever. It's hard to change course, especially if you're part of an institution which wants to present itself as the adult option. Government is still institutionalized failure.

It's essential to stop doing what's not working. It's unforgiveable to insist on doing more of it, harder than before, rather than admit you're the problem. If something is imporant in any way, it's too important to allow government to be involved. Unless you prefer to fail.

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Update to the surgery bleg- Updated 5-13

I figured it was time to update the surgery bleg.

Added 4-28-2023: I got one hospital bill, so the revised total I currently owe is now... right at $6,500. It could be worse, but I don't know if that's the entire thing yet, or if more bills will be arriving.

ADDED 5-13-2023: Got another bill, this one from the anesthesia department. I'm going backward! Ugh.

[The following paragraph is outdated, but I will leave it.]
At the moment, the amount I borrowed for the surgery and still owe is just over $3,100 (but see the above note). I haven't started getting bills from the hospital yet-- they've been busy sending me "satisfaction surveys" instead (don't worry: I rated them highly). I guess they want to get the satisfaction surveys out of the way before they start sending bills. Probably a smart move.

Medically, I'm doing well.

I stopped bleeding (due to the catheterization) about 2 weeks after the surgery. The catheter was by far the worst part of the ordeal. The pain from the incisions was never too bad-- the pain from the laparoscopic inflation was worse and longer lasting, but it was gone about a week after surgery. I finally stopped itching in the incision areas about 2 days ago. The scars are minimal. Everything seems to be working fine.

My blood pressure has even dropped to normal in the aftermath; whether that will last is unknown. It had stayed high ever since the kidney stone over 8 years ago, until this surgery. No idea why it came down.

I'm going to keep this post pinned to the top of the sidebar for a while. I know it's annoying, but I really need to keep this reminder up until I either get it all paid off or give up.

So, if you want to help, and if you can, please do. You can give through GiveSendGo or at my regular PayPal or through Venmo.

And share my GiveSendGo or this blog post anywhere you think might generate some interest. Thank you. Really!

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The world is topsy-turvy

In the future, medical science may find a way to actually change a person’s sex. If you think I'd be against that you'd be wrong. I would consider this progress; a good thing. 

I suspect this may turn out to be harder than achieving a self-sufficient civilization on Mars, but maybe I’m wrong. I hope both come to pass. 

For now, though, all that’s available is medicalized cosplay. It sentences nearly all of its victims to a lifetime in a sexual “uncanny valley”, where— at best— people they meet are expected to pretend not to notice something’s “off” about their appearance. 

To claim this is intended to help their long-term mental health flies in the face of reality. 

I wouldn’t prohibit it, but I can’t be evil enough to encourage it. Especially not for kids and teens. 

But encouraging this (or even shoving people down this one-way path) is called “compassionate” while telling the truth about the situation, and warning people of the consequences of what they are considering doing to themselves, is called “hate”. The world is topsy-turvy.

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Help me cover the expense of my colon surgery, if you can and if you want to. Thank you!