No more nonsense!

Now that I've caught Covid, I can say without hesitation I would not support even the "smallest" violation of your liberty to protect me from catching this virus. Not even if those violations could have worked. 

Your liberty matters to me more than that. 

No mandates. No shutdowns. No lockdowns. No forcible quarantines. I don't support any of that authoritarian nonsense.

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The progression of my symptoms

Just in case anyone is curious, here is how my symptoms progressed over the course of this illness:

The first 28 or so hours after I knew I was getting sick (beginning Saturday mid-afternoon), I just felt a general lack of energy and increasing muscle aches. 

A little over a day later (Sunday evening), the fever hit (somewhere just above 101° F, according to a crappy digital thermometer). I got a terrible headache and chills. I was shaking so hard from the chills I thought I was going to throw up. I wasn't nauseated; my abdominal muscles were just shaking so hard I thought it was going to force everything out of my stomach. I had a hard time even walking. I went to bed.

The next morning (Monday) I was back to feeling like I had before the fever hit, which I considered a huge improvement. I never took my temperature again, but if I had a fever after that, it wasn't high enough to really notice. 

The next couple of days I had headaches, coughing (with mucus), sharp little muscle pains (like being poked with pins, mostly in my thighs), transient stabbing stomach pains, mild dizziness, and lack of energy. 

Every morning since Tuesday I have pain in my lungs that fades after I get moving. It feels as though my lungs are sticking to the inside of my ribs. That's an odd symptom I've never had from anything else before.

The only loss of taste I have experienced has been similar to how nothing tastes good any time I'm sick, so that's not important. 

I never had any nasal problems like a runny nose, stuffy nose, or sneezing, which to me is the worst part of a cold.

I now feel mostly OK. Just mild tiredness and a very mild headache. The cough is still there, but getting less annoying. I doubt I would let this keep me from doing anything I was planning to do at this point.

UPDATE 1-30-2022: I still feel fine, other than the cough that just won't go away.

UPDATE 2-7-2022: The cough is slowly fading with time. It isn't really bothering me anymore, though. I consider it finished.

And, that's the symptom report. Just the facts, no speculation. If you have a question I didn't answer, ask in a comment and I'll answer it above.

I make no claim that I know it is Covid, or that Covid exists, or whether, if it exists, it is natural or synthetic or where it came from. 

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Has the definition of "vaccine" changed?

It has certainly expanded. Which is to be expected as new technology is developed.

The current Merriam-Webster definition of "vaccine" is too long to take a screenshot of every detail and example. The screenshot at the top of this post is just the highlights, cropped.

I have a few physical dictionaries, too, so I consulted them as well.

First is the 1994 Merriam Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, Tenth Edition (I think you can click on the pictures to make them bigger):

Next is from the 1979 Webster's New World Dictionary:

And finally, from the 1951 Funk and Wagnalls New Practical Standard Dictionary (sorry it's a little blurry):

One change that seems significant to me is that the newer definition doesn't mention "immunity", but "immune response". That's a fairly big difference.

Immunity, in those dictionaries, newer to older, is defined like this:

But "immune response", which doesn't appear in the older dictionaries, is defined this way:

So, yes, the definition of "vaccine" has been changed in ways that reflect advances in medicine, but also in ways that weaken the usefulness of things that would now be defined as vaccines to the benefit of pharmaceutical companies. 

You are free to draw your own conclusions from this information.

Some people say words don't matter and shouldn't be part of the argument-- but when you use the whole definition rather than the shorthand of using the word, they don't like that, either. I always wonder why.

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The Omicronians got me

The Omicronians got me. (Well, I'm assuming that's the specific variant.)

The one person in the house who got a Covid test has tested positive, so I'm sure that's what we all have. We all got sick within 24 hours, with the same symptoms. 

I'm not upset about it.

Since I only had around 36 hours of feeling like I had a fairly bad cold, and only 6 hours of feeling like I had the flu, I call that a "win".

Plus, the worst part of a cold-- for me-- is the snuffy, runny nose, and this didn't come with that affliction, so I'm even happier with it.

Right around Christmas, I had thought-- and told some people-- that by the middle of January, I would either catch the Omicron Covid, or I wasn't going to catch Covid at all. So I was exactly on schedule, coming down with it on the 15th. Some people might not be as thrilled with this development as I am.

I still feel kind of "blah"-- worse in the mornings, better every evening, but that's sort of normal for me anyway. Mornings have never felt like "happy, healthy time" for me. I've still got various aches and pains and a cough. But I've kept going for my daily walk (or Gazelle session if it's cold outside), and I keep taking D3 and zinc. I expect to be back to normal soon. As normal as I ever am.

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Recovering, but not as quickly as I'd like

I've been sick for the past two days with cold/flu symptoms. Haven't really moved out of a chair today. But I don't feel as bad now as I did last night, so I'll be back-- but maybe not before Wednesday's newspaper column.

Be strong. Exercise your liberty.

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Predictions take paying attention

(My Eastern New Mexico News column for December 15, 2021)

This past spring I noticed a bigger than usual crop of the plant that becomes tumbleweeds when it dies and the wind blows. I told a few people to be ready for an epic tumbleweed season this year. Then, I failed to see many tumbleweeds last month and wondered what had happened to them all.

It turns out they had all gone to Oasis State Park to plot their attack.

So, I was right about the bumper crop, but I missed where they were going. I can't win 'em all.

Some things are easy to predict based on what you see happening in the world around you, but you have to pay attention to your surroundings.

When you watch government counterfeiting trillions of dollars and calling it a stimulus, you can predict Inflation. I predicted it early in the pandemic overreaction and got scolded mightily for doing so, but it's happening. No one who took me to task for warning of inflation on the horizon has apologized. I won't hold my breath.

When governments get away with telling people what to wear, ordering them to inject sketchy substances into their bodies, and dictating whether they can open their business, go to work, or even leave the house, you can predict authoritarianism is on the rise. It's being scaled back in some places but is still getting worse in others. The people have the choice as to whether it continues or gets stamped out. I have no prediction for how that will play out.

You could have also predicted shortages of goods based on a combination of the authoritarians' central planning schemes and too much efficiency. Central planning never worked in the Soviet Union and it won't work in America. It seems as though the market is routing around the damage caused by government interference and, at least for now, the shortages aren't as bad as they could be. It's an ongoing battle and I predict if the market doesn't win, there will be rough times ahead.

If you understand how viruses evolve, you could have easily predicted the end of Covid as a real threat. If you understand how government works, you could also have predicted Covid's continued usefulness as a political ploy.

The best predictions happen when you notice what's going on around you and view things realistically based on how the Universe works. You do have to be paying attention, though.

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How much would you bet that all cold viruses started, once upon a time, much more serious than they are now and turned into a minor annoyance over time? Just as Covid seems to be doing. Imagine if we allowed the political criminals-- our Ancestral Enemies-- to molest us using every one of those cold viruses as justification.

Defending the right to steal

Imagine if the Ancestral Enemies spent much of their time and effort defending the "right to steal". In places other than Seattle and San Francisco, I mean.

And imagine if even those who opposed a blanket "right to steal" were OK with theft as long as the thieves had government-approved papers showing they were citizens. 

Even if you had a private club where the members were permitted to steal from each other-- it was a condition of membership to agree to it-- this would describe a privilege, not a right.

The same applies to any imaginary "right to murder", "right to rape", or whatever. The very idea is ridiculous.

The "right to v*te" is equally ridiculous. You can't have any "right" to impose political criminals or their legislation on anyone but yourself. Being in the majority and fetishizing the process doesn't change this.

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The benefit of the Covid shot will drop over time, especially with Omicron (and future even weaker variants).
The risk of the Covid shot will likely remain stable unless the shot's ingredients are changed, even if that risk is never known. At some point, those non-parallel lines have to cross, if they haven't already, and the risks will outweigh the benefits.

Time's Up flags on Zazzle

At the suggestion of a reader, I tried Zazzle for the flags. That will probably work for now.

Time's Up flag
by KentForLiberty

The flags aren't regular flags, but are "house flags". They are more expensive, since I'm not subsidizing them this way. Still, it's better than nothing, and even though I won't make much from them, I won't be losing money by simply offering them for sale. It's a net win.

I was also able to add car flags.

Time's Up car flag
by KentForLiberty

So, there they are. Feel free to buy as many as you want.

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Play with fire and you'll get burned

I knew Stewart Rhodes-- online-- back before he started Oathkeepers. I've been critical of the group because I don't think the kind of people he tried to influence to not be criminal scum are redeemable. But I don't blame him for trying. It's good to do your best before writing off an entire category of people as tools of the Ancestral Enemies.

I also criticized the group because, obviously, they ignored the numerous violations committed just by joining the legislation enforcement gang or the government's military-- before any other crimes were committed.

But, Stewart always seemed sincere and optimistic. And peaceful and liberty-loving. If he became "far-right", he changed since I knew him-- but why would I believe anything the fake news says about him? That would be stupid. His only flaws were that he believed in the Constitution and wanted to work within the rigged system, playing by its rules. He wanted to effect a positive change and avoid war. And he got screwed.

Those who arrested him-- kidnapped him at gunpoint-- violated their oaths by doing so. Where were those who were keeping their oaths by defending him from the violators?

Rhodes' arrest is a warning to not get involved in politics. Don't try to play the rigged game by their rules. They are the enemy and they will use your friendliness against you. 

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Extra strong marijuana = Stumbleweed.

Time's Up for the flags

Last call for Time's Up flags. I'm closing the Shopify store sometime next week regardless of whether any sell between now and then. I've been losing money on them, so it's time to pack it in.

I may consider trying it again if people start asking for them in the future, but I have to sell at least 3 or 4 per month to break even, and that number may get higher in the future. I still have a couple I can sell myself (through eBay), but the price is going way up on those right now.

I'm glad I was able to help some people get them after several years of none being available. 

UPDATE: I took the suggestion to try Zazzle, and here is what I came up with: link and link. I'll post a new blog about it, too.

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Anasazi

Government-- political government-- is the Ancestral Enemy of humanity. It's our Anasazi.

Can't put liberty in a jar

It's tough to accept that my contribution to the world has less market value than jars of bad air. But apparently, that's the case. It can be discouraging.

I know liberty isn't particularly popular, but sometimes events demonstrate just how unpopular it really is, compared to other things. 

But the market will do what the market will do. The marketplace of ideas might just squeeze out some things in favor of others. If so, that's just how it is.

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Authoritarianism is unacceptable

There is no justification for authoritarianism that is good enough to convince me. None.

Authoritarianism is a violation of liberty and fundamental individual rights. That's the end of the discussion for me.

I don't care if they say it will save lives-- even if it's true.
I don't care if they are scared to lose their culture-- any culture that makes room for authoritarianism isn't worth saving. I don't care if they are scared of other things, real or hypothetical.
Nasty excuses like equity and "social justice" won't sway me. 

Either they find a voluntary way-- a win/win-- to get what they want through unanimous consent or they accept the loss and move on. I will not bend on this.

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Just give me a shady vine and a good view

There may be a prepper tendency to want to watch the world burn. At least, I am susceptible to that tendency.

I know it wouldn't be good for anyone, including me, but sometimes you just get tired of watching morons and political criminals destroying stuff and you just get to the point where you say "Screw it all. Let them have the destruction they've been trying so hard to get."

They've earned it.

I get to that point a couple of times per year. I'm teetering on the brink of that right now.

Just let them deny reality-- but stay out of the way. Reality isn't going to be forgiving.
Let them try to destroy liberty. Liberty always strikes back.

I've even seen government-supremacists showing doubt in their beloved institution recently. They want to believe government is legitimate, but government is working hard to poke holes in that delusion. 

You should have seen the reaction I got from one the other day when they were complaining about the most recent fraudulent election, but then pivoted to complaining about "illegal aliens" and I mentioned that the Constitution doesn't allow government to control "immigration". After a brief pause followed by a short explanation, I got a "Huh" and they moved on without objection. They seem ready to accept some truth they weren't ready for before. And I think it's all thanks to government behavior and overreach. When something puts in the extra work to prove itself illegitimate, you might as well accept it.

Either enough people will start getting a clue that disaster will be avoided, or they won't. I'm kind of past caring which way it goes... at least for now.

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If not, tell me how I can.

Best to let people make own choices

(My Eastern New Mexico News column for December 8, 2021)

I love people. I also know that humans are deeply flawed. This combination explains why I'm a libertarian.

Every other position insists that no one is smart enough to run their own life while also believing most people are smart enough to run the lives of people they've never met. This running of strangers' lives is carried out through voting and wielding political power. It's not a realistic position.

The libertarian position recognizes that most people are better at running their own lives than others would be and no one is qualified to run the lives of other people, not by a vote nor by having political power. Plus, no one has the right to run anyone else's life.

This doesn't mean everyone will be successful at running their own life.

Those few who can't are free to ask for help from those who are equally free to help or not, or they can choose to do things-- commit crimes-- which may result in suffering acts of self-defense directed against them. They are free to choose their path, but complaining about where the path leads won't change things.

Even those who can't run their own lives have the right to try, and no one has the right or the imaginary political authority to forbid them from trying. Letting them do it wrong is the right thing to do if they won't listen to your advice.

The person who tries to control others is worse than the person who won't control himself, regardless of how things turn out. I speak as someone who has suffered from the bad choices of people who didn't control themselves, so don't imagine I have some rosy picture of everything being butterflies and rainbows if people are left to make their own choices.

Some of those you think can't run their own lives have simply never been given the chance. Either they've been coddled like children and told others are doing what's best for them, or they have been punished for making choices others don't like.

The loving thing to do is to give them the chance and let them live with the consequences of their choices. This includes being held accountable and owing restitution for any actual harm they cause. How can they ever be functional members of society otherwise? Most people live up, or down, to your expectations. Keep your hands off and give them the chance.

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Suspender holster

I've shared my journey to find a good EDC holster, but I haven't shown (or I don't think I have) my backup.

This is a holster I made for my little NAA mini-revolver. It attaches to my suspenders, and is worn under my vest. Cute, ain't it? I guess it could be called a "susPEWnder holster".

I made this one with some salvaged leather, from a paper pattern I created. I think I could now make an even better model since I've worked out the kinks, but I haven't bothered yet. It'll happen when it's time.

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A resolution?

Yeah, it's a week late, but I didn't resolve to be punctual.

I don't really make New Year's resolutions. I did when I was young. They usually lasted a few days.

Several years ago I made a New Year's decision-- to completely stop sitting at the computer and to only use a standing desk. That one was easy to commit to-- I got rid of the chair, built a shelf for the computer, and didn't really give myself a choice. It's handier, since I don't feel anchored down and can dash off to deal with crises (daughter, cats, etc.) much faster. It has also made me feel so much better; less "blah". I still haven't broken that one, although I have allowed myself to work from the couch a few times when I was sick.

Anyway, I saw a friend post the above Malcolm Reynolds picture and I loved it. 

Yeah, if I were to make a resolution, that would be it. I resolve to not be compliant or obedient when it comes to authoritarian demands-- no matter who is making them or how they justify them, whether they are in the name of w0keness or nationalism or whatever-- unless it is to simply avoid being shot right now. Political criminals will always be political criminals and it's sometimes useful to live to misbehave another day when they have the drop on you. Martyrdom is overrated.

Of course, that's not really much of a resolution since it's no different than last year or any year in the past few decades.

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