I saw a news story the other day on yet another boat that is being intentionally sunk in the ocean to create an artificial reef. It sounds like a great idea and brings up wonderful images of fish and coral and tropical beauty. However, reality can be quite different. The phrase "artificial reef" is simply a nice way to say "disguised trash". We use this nonsense all the time to justify dumping trash into our oceans.
Here in South Florida some years ago, someone had the bright idea to dispose of old tires by depositing them into the ocean and creating an artificial reef. Can you guess what happened? Here is a USA Today story showing just how bad of an idea that was - and still is. Thousands of old tires tossed around in the ocean current as nothing more than the trash they are.
And yet we are still doing it. Every time we come up with a heap of trash that nobody wants to deal with, someone decides that the ocean is a perfect place to dump it. We send broken up concrete from buildings and bridges, old boats and ships, and lots of other things that don't belong in the ocean.
I have a better idea. Let's let the Earth create it's own reefs and find a way to recycle our trash. Humanity depends on our oceans for everything - without them we are dead. There is abundant life in our oceans - or at least there used to be. But as with all of nature - our oceans rely on a delicate balance that is easily destroyed making them unsuitable for life. It is careless and selfish to simply dump our trash there for any reason. Speak up against artificial reef projects - your life - our life depends on it.
Saturday, August 23, 2014
Saturday, August 09, 2014
Rx For Life (and possibly an early death)
I've written many articles in the past accusing the pharmaceutical companies of suppressing a cure for HIV / AIDS because there is more profit in treatment than there is for a cure. The same goes for the common cold - billions of dollars in profits would be lost if the common cold could be cured. Well I truly believe that there already is a cure for both of these viruses and many more ailments . But simply put - for big pharma - cures are bad for business.
The modern day focus of big-pharma is not only in perpetual treatment - but also in prevention through subscriptions. One might also call it subscription by fear. The more scary the ailment is - the easier it is to "sell" a subscription by fear. HIV/AIDS is a perfect example. PrEP using the drug Truvada is supposed to be the answer to all your fears. But you should be more afraid of PrEP.
A little background for those who might not know what PrEP or Truvada are. PrEP is defined by Wikipedia as "any medical or public health procedure used before exposure to the disease causing agent, it's purpose is to prevent, rather than treat or cure a disease". Truvada is a medication that has been historically used to treat those already infected with HIV. Now it is being marketed as a PrEP or pre-exposure treatment option. The target group are those people who are in relationships where one person is HIV- and one is HIV+ as a way to prevent the other from becoming infected. It sounds like a good thing - and in some cases it is - but there is a very dark side to Truvada.
First off - Truvada has a very long list of LIKELY side effects - the biggest of which is extreme liver damage. Other serious side effects are too much lactic acid in your blood which can cause a whole list of potentially life threatening conditions. Let me stress the word LIKELY here - MOST people being treated for HIV infections are already experiencing these serious side effects. And now they are wanting otherwise healthy people to go on a lifetime prescription of this dangerous drug in order to have unprotected sex with an HIV positive person(s). In my opinion - that's bad. Very bad.
Next - Truvada needs to be taken every day without failure to be effective. Some studies show that a skipped dose here and there might be OK but in reality - every day is the requirement. After all - if you skip too many doses and do get HIV - you will likely be treated with Truvada. This means that if the pharmaceutical company can convince otherwise healthy people to start this drug - they have a life long "client". Truvada is also an insanely expensive drug but it can be covered by insurance. In my opinion - that's also bad. Very bad. Those costs will affect all of our health care costs.
Here is where the really terrible part shows up. The makers of Truvada are also marketing this expensive lifetime prescription to otherwise healthy people who are sexually active as an ALTERNATIVE to condoms. That's huge. I get tested for HIV regularly and within the last couple of years - I've always been given a speech by the technician about the "option" of using Truvada. They are required to give this speech because the makers of Truvada are sponsoring the free HIV testing! Even my primary care physician has given me the speech because the foundation they work for are sponsored by the makers of Truvada.
So here we have a situation where health conscious people who are simply trying to get a free or low cost HIV test, are being marketed by their own fear of HIV into a life long subscription to a potentially deadly drug. Healthy people subscribing to a drug that will likely make them sick. And all it takes is fear. In my opinion - this is criminal behavior. But of course it is perfectly legal - no matter how wrong it is. This is proof positive in my opinion that big-pharma do not care about lives - they only care about profits. Can't say I didn't warn you.
Oh, and one more thing. Once you are convinced you can toss away those condoms that have proven to be very effective, very easy, and very affordable - you are now susceptible to all sorts of other STDs like gonorrhea, syphilis, herpes, HPV and many many more. Not to worry though - there are treatments for all of those provided by - you guessed it - big pharma. Cha-ching!
America and the world need to start fighting back against big pharma. We need to keep our own fear in check and let these companies know that we will NOT be a lifetime "client". We must DEMAND cures - not just treatments. This is the age of scientific discovery where we can produce human life in a test tube - surly we can find a cure for a few bad bugs. Next time you are getting an HIV test, grab some free condoms and tell the technician you will not be a pawn in this big money game. Say No to PrEP - say No to Truvada.
The modern day focus of big-pharma is not only in perpetual treatment - but also in prevention through subscriptions. One might also call it subscription by fear. The more scary the ailment is - the easier it is to "sell" a subscription by fear. HIV/AIDS is a perfect example. PrEP using the drug Truvada is supposed to be the answer to all your fears. But you should be more afraid of PrEP.
A little background for those who might not know what PrEP or Truvada are. PrEP is defined by Wikipedia as "any medical or public health procedure used before exposure to the disease causing agent, it's purpose is to prevent, rather than treat or cure a disease". Truvada is a medication that has been historically used to treat those already infected with HIV. Now it is being marketed as a PrEP or pre-exposure treatment option. The target group are those people who are in relationships where one person is HIV- and one is HIV+ as a way to prevent the other from becoming infected. It sounds like a good thing - and in some cases it is - but there is a very dark side to Truvada.
First off - Truvada has a very long list of LIKELY side effects - the biggest of which is extreme liver damage. Other serious side effects are too much lactic acid in your blood which can cause a whole list of potentially life threatening conditions. Let me stress the word LIKELY here - MOST people being treated for HIV infections are already experiencing these serious side effects. And now they are wanting otherwise healthy people to go on a lifetime prescription of this dangerous drug in order to have unprotected sex with an HIV positive person(s). In my opinion - that's bad. Very bad.
Next - Truvada needs to be taken every day without failure to be effective. Some studies show that a skipped dose here and there might be OK but in reality - every day is the requirement. After all - if you skip too many doses and do get HIV - you will likely be treated with Truvada. This means that if the pharmaceutical company can convince otherwise healthy people to start this drug - they have a life long "client". Truvada is also an insanely expensive drug but it can be covered by insurance. In my opinion - that's also bad. Very bad. Those costs will affect all of our health care costs.
Here is where the really terrible part shows up. The makers of Truvada are also marketing this expensive lifetime prescription to otherwise healthy people who are sexually active as an ALTERNATIVE to condoms. That's huge. I get tested for HIV regularly and within the last couple of years - I've always been given a speech by the technician about the "option" of using Truvada. They are required to give this speech because the makers of Truvada are sponsoring the free HIV testing! Even my primary care physician has given me the speech because the foundation they work for are sponsored by the makers of Truvada.
So here we have a situation where health conscious people who are simply trying to get a free or low cost HIV test, are being marketed by their own fear of HIV into a life long subscription to a potentially deadly drug. Healthy people subscribing to a drug that will likely make them sick. And all it takes is fear. In my opinion - this is criminal behavior. But of course it is perfectly legal - no matter how wrong it is. This is proof positive in my opinion that big-pharma do not care about lives - they only care about profits. Can't say I didn't warn you.
Oh, and one more thing. Once you are convinced you can toss away those condoms that have proven to be very effective, very easy, and very affordable - you are now susceptible to all sorts of other STDs like gonorrhea, syphilis, herpes, HPV and many many more. Not to worry though - there are treatments for all of those provided by - you guessed it - big pharma. Cha-ching!
America and the world need to start fighting back against big pharma. We need to keep our own fear in check and let these companies know that we will NOT be a lifetime "client". We must DEMAND cures - not just treatments. This is the age of scientific discovery where we can produce human life in a test tube - surly we can find a cure for a few bad bugs. Next time you are getting an HIV test, grab some free condoms and tell the technician you will not be a pawn in this big money game. Say No to PrEP - say No to Truvada.
Sunday, October 20, 2013
If It's Obama's Idea - It's Bad
President Obama has had to endure unprecedented opposition during his years in office. Republicans can't agree on one single idea or agenda. Several weeks ago it seemed we were on the brink of war with Syria. President Obama tried in vain to convince Republican leaders that military action was necessary to stop chemical weapons from being used against their own people. You read that right - President Obama failed to convince Republicans to go to war. Republicans love war - they make obscene profits off of war - so why do they oppose it so much now? Because it's President Obama's agenda. Only history will show if this is correct or not but I suspect the President is actually using that opposition to his advantage. If he had argued against military action - you can sure bet the Republicans would have argued in favor of it. If this type of physiological governing is real - I think it's brilliant! But it depends on total opposition - the kind that President Obama has had to deal with.
This is not the only example either. If you think back on the first election, President Obama argued against more off shore oil wells. Then, once in office and facing the total opposition - President Obama suggested we drill offshore. This was met with strong resistance from the GOP - even though they fought for it during the election. It sounds crazy but it just might be true. Again, only history will tell and even then it would be clearly debatable.
Perhaps President Obama should have strongly opposed the Affordable Care Act - maybe then it would have been fully supported by the GOP. After all, it was their idea to begin with.
This is not the only example either. If you think back on the first election, President Obama argued against more off shore oil wells. Then, once in office and facing the total opposition - President Obama suggested we drill offshore. This was met with strong resistance from the GOP - even though they fought for it during the election. It sounds crazy but it just might be true. Again, only history will tell and even then it would be clearly debatable.
Perhaps President Obama should have strongly opposed the Affordable Care Act - maybe then it would have been fully supported by the GOP. After all, it was their idea to begin with.
Fox News (Head) Spin
If you heard explosions last week - it might have been frequent views of Fox News heads exploding. I only saw re-caps on The Daily Show with John Stewart, but the message was clear - er I mean unclear - wait - what??
You see over the last several weeks the Government was "shut down" over budget battles and Obamacare. One could argue who was causing the problem (Republicans!) but the entertaining part of it was on Fox News. There they somehow had to juggle the idea that Government is bad - while also showing the outrage at things that were closed. They tried to convince viewers that the shutdown wasn't real by calling it a "slim down" (actually correct) at the same time blaming Democrats for closing the National Parks. If it's just a "slim down" then it's not really that big of a deal - right? But those darn Democrats caused this horrible mess! They also had to convince viewers that Republicans were correct in not negotiating on a compromise - while at the same time blaming the Democrats for the very same thing. If anyone is still considering Fox News as a legitimate news source they are crazy. But they do - and they are.
The thing Fox News didn't likely report on were the actual Government services that real people depend on that stopped. There was outrage at Veterans not being able to see a memorial - but no concern for those that might not have a meal - including some of those very same Veterans. People went without paychecks, necessary food recalls were not done, the FAA was not watching over your flight and the list goes on and on. All this from just a "slim down" - imagine if the Government actually had shut completely down. But that would be good - right? No bad - isn't it? Arrrgh!
If this were an isolated incident on Fox News it might actually be funny - but it wasn't an isolated incident. They twist, turn, and fabricate "news" into something that supports their agenda on a daily basis. It should be illegal. Yet somehow they manage to keep going - and the people still watch - and the people vote the way they were guided. Except in this case they might not know where they were supposed to be guided! Once your head explodes it's difficult to vote anyway.
You see over the last several weeks the Government was "shut down" over budget battles and Obamacare. One could argue who was causing the problem (Republicans!) but the entertaining part of it was on Fox News. There they somehow had to juggle the idea that Government is bad - while also showing the outrage at things that were closed. They tried to convince viewers that the shutdown wasn't real by calling it a "slim down" (actually correct) at the same time blaming Democrats for closing the National Parks. If it's just a "slim down" then it's not really that big of a deal - right? But those darn Democrats caused this horrible mess! They also had to convince viewers that Republicans were correct in not negotiating on a compromise - while at the same time blaming the Democrats for the very same thing. If anyone is still considering Fox News as a legitimate news source they are crazy. But they do - and they are.
The thing Fox News didn't likely report on were the actual Government services that real people depend on that stopped. There was outrage at Veterans not being able to see a memorial - but no concern for those that might not have a meal - including some of those very same Veterans. People went without paychecks, necessary food recalls were not done, the FAA was not watching over your flight and the list goes on and on. All this from just a "slim down" - imagine if the Government actually had shut completely down. But that would be good - right? No bad - isn't it? Arrrgh!
If this were an isolated incident on Fox News it might actually be funny - but it wasn't an isolated incident. They twist, turn, and fabricate "news" into something that supports their agenda on a daily basis. It should be illegal. Yet somehow they manage to keep going - and the people still watch - and the people vote the way they were guided. Except in this case they might not know where they were supposed to be guided! Once your head explodes it's difficult to vote anyway.
Saturday, June 29, 2013
You Can Bank On It
There seems something wrong when there is a bank on 3 out of 4 corners at a major intersection. It occurs a lot on major intersections here in S. Florida. Another thing that is bothering me about the banks is that that shortly after the "too big to fail" crisis, we suddenly started seeing a LOT of small banks with names - or just letters - that were not familiar. The marketing behind this must be that we now like "little" banks and feel safer putting our money there. However, I suspect that all these little banks are all owned by just 2 or 3 large bank corporations. So many are fooled by marketing - it's sad. I'll stick to my Credit Union where I don't necessarily feel my money is any safer - but where I don't pay any fees. Your marketing magic has no effect on me.
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
Marriage Equality
Marriage equality is now in the hands of the US Supreme Court. Equality is easy and if the court rules on the US Constitution and not on any religious document then these cases should be easy as well. Let's hope they do the right thing.
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
The Slippery Slope
Over the last election and the coverage of the deciding issues, one thing stands out to me when it comes to the GOP - they fear the "slippery slope". To them one thing will certainly lead to another and soon we all end up in Hell. Allow gay marriage? What's next - marrying your dog? Legalize pot? What's next - cocaine? Meth?? You get the picture.
I'd like to put their fears to rest. There is no slope - slippery or not. In fact it is more like a staircase - and the best news is that the stairs usually go up - not down. You deal with one issue at a time and then you move on. Go ahead and have that discussion about gay marriage - and when it is settled hopefully we have taken a step up. Everyone is still standing - it's OK. You can even rest on that step for a while - relax, it's safe. Now you say you still want to marry your dog? Ok - let's discuss that. When the discussion is over we can either take a step down, a step up, or even stay right where we are. It's not slippery - it's very stable.
The important thing to remember is that equality means we are all standing on the same step. When progress is made we all step up together. If failure occurs we all take a step down. The only time we slip is when we have inequality.
If you live in the world of the slippery slope - you cannot advance forward because you will always slip back. The stairs, however, make progress quite easy.
I'd like to put their fears to rest. There is no slope - slippery or not. In fact it is more like a staircase - and the best news is that the stairs usually go up - not down. You deal with one issue at a time and then you move on. Go ahead and have that discussion about gay marriage - and when it is settled hopefully we have taken a step up. Everyone is still standing - it's OK. You can even rest on that step for a while - relax, it's safe. Now you say you still want to marry your dog? Ok - let's discuss that. When the discussion is over we can either take a step down, a step up, or even stay right where we are. It's not slippery - it's very stable.
The important thing to remember is that equality means we are all standing on the same step. When progress is made we all step up together. If failure occurs we all take a step down. The only time we slip is when we have inequality.
If you live in the world of the slippery slope - you cannot advance forward because you will always slip back. The stairs, however, make progress quite easy.
WHEN it happens again.......
Harry Reid removed the assault weapon ban from the gun legislation being proposed because he didn't think he could possibly get the votes to pass it. Perhaps not - but when (not if) the next unfortunate mass shooting occurs, we COULD have said we tried.
I believe in the right to bear arms. I am from a family of hunters and also believe in self defense. We can have rights and limits at the same time - they can co-exist. When the gun lobby is more powerful than the government - we have a problem. America slips further into the darkness when Senators value their jobs over the lives of their fellow citizens. This is wrong. Terribly wrong.
I believe in the right to bear arms. I am from a family of hunters and also believe in self defense. We can have rights and limits at the same time - they can co-exist. When the gun lobby is more powerful than the government - we have a problem. America slips further into the darkness when Senators value their jobs over the lives of their fellow citizens. This is wrong. Terribly wrong.
Thursday, February 14, 2013
Words that Ire
I find some words or phrases irritating - and sometimes I don't even know why. In the recent past it was the phrase "reach out" - as in "reach out to Accounting and see if they have processed the payment". Why use more words than necessary? Isn't it more direct to say "Call Accounting....."? I cringed every time someone said "reach out...." Then came the word "chipolte" I don't like it. It doesn't sound right to me. Is it a real word? I believe some
marketing "genius" just made it up one day and now it's everywhere. It seems to be trending.
And that brings me to my current irritating word - "trending". The irritation factor is magnified by the fact that the word itself is trending and the cause of the word - social media - is also trending. It is all a big stupid fad.
Bangs are trending, Air Jordons are trending (or was that last decade?), skinny jeans are trending (last week?), the Kardashians are trending- fads fads fads. I've never been impressed with keeping up with the Jones' - or the Kardashian's. Fads come and go all the time - you might be cool now with those Michelle Obama bangs but next week you are gonna need a beehive or you are so uncool. Spare me (a trending phrase from not long ago).
Sure - I like to be "in style" as much as possible on my very tight budget - but I'd rather buy something based on it's usefulness, it's quality or it's cost / feature ratio. I don't buy what is trending. But the word trending does mean something to marketers. In fact they rely on what is currently trending to make the big sales. Trending equals dollars.
So now I've said the stupid word a lot in perfectly reasonable context. Does it bother you? It still bothers me. Why? Because it is the same as another perfectly good word that didn't need to be replaced. That word is "popular". Go back and read the last 2 paragraphs using the word popular instead of trending. Same difference. Apparently "popular" is no longer trending.
And that brings me to my current irritating word - "trending". The irritation factor is magnified by the fact that the word itself is trending and the cause of the word - social media - is also trending. It is all a big stupid fad.
Bangs are trending, Air Jordons are trending (or was that last decade?), skinny jeans are trending (last week?), the Kardashians are trending- fads fads fads. I've never been impressed with keeping up with the Jones' - or the Kardashian's. Fads come and go all the time - you might be cool now with those Michelle Obama bangs but next week you are gonna need a beehive or you are so uncool. Spare me (a trending phrase from not long ago).
Sure - I like to be "in style" as much as possible on my very tight budget - but I'd rather buy something based on it's usefulness, it's quality or it's cost / feature ratio. I don't buy what is trending. But the word trending does mean something to marketers. In fact they rely on what is currently trending to make the big sales. Trending equals dollars.
So now I've said the stupid word a lot in perfectly reasonable context. Does it bother you? It still bothers me. Why? Because it is the same as another perfectly good word that didn't need to be replaced. That word is "popular". Go back and read the last 2 paragraphs using the word popular instead of trending. Same difference. Apparently "popular" is no longer trending.
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
President Obama Makes History Again
I finally had the opportunity to watch the Presidents inaugural speech for his 2nd term and it was wonderful! I couldn't let this historic week pass without mentioning in my blog how proud I am to be a gay American in this time and how proud I am to have a sitting President recognize our struggle for equality. The Stonewall riots were indeed the beginning of the gay civil rights movement and we have come a long way - but we can't be equal until we share the same rights as every other American. President Obama has taken a gigantic step in that direction and with the support of others like him I'm certain that one day soon we will find equality for all - including gays, women, and minorities of every type - to be the undisputed American way.
Thank you President Obama!
Thank you President Obama!
Tuesday, January 08, 2013
World Peace - NRA Style
The National Rifle Association (NRA) has stated - quite vehemently - that the answer to gun violence is to put more guns in the streets, classrooms, theaters, churches etc. The theory is that the good guys would then be able to shoot the bad guys before they inflicted as much damage.
Let's see how that logic applies on a global level with regard to weapons of mass destruction (WMD's). Using NRA logic the answer to the threat of rouge nations with WMDs is to ensure that every country is fully armed with equal WMDs. Then, when a terrorist decides to launch an attack on an innocent country, all the other countries could use their WMDs in a counter attack. So lets start shipping some WMDs to Libya, Pakistan, N. Korea (as well as Canada and Switzerland of course) and then we can all feel very safe - right?
I wouldn't feel safe at all in that scenario.
There is a big problem with this type of logic - it is not logical. The first flaw is that a tragic incident would still have to occur in order to trigger a counter attack. So either way - armed or not - the incident would still occur first. The other argument the NRA uses is that weapons don't kill - people with weapons kill. It is a fun catch phrase and it is actually true but the flaw in that logic is that a powerful weapon must be present in order for a tragic incident to occur. If no powerful weapon existed then mass causalities would not be likely.
WMDs do exist and therefore must be somehow controlled. America's current strategy is to keep the police state (America) armed and the rouge states unarmed. That seems to have worked out fairly well so far - except for those countries America has had a feud with. We spend massive amounts of borrowed money to ensure that America remains the single most powerful country in the world. The same people who support the "guns for everyone" theory also support keeping WMDs away from rouge nations. Contradictory principles are typical to this type of thinker. A rational logical thinker is not so easily contradicted.
Rational logical thinkers can apply their principles on both small scales and large scales. The answer to gun violence in America should be the same answer to WMD's in the world. Real logical thinkers realize that all people (and all countries) have the right to protect themselves but that WMDs need to be controlled on both a world scale and in America.
Real logic tells us that bad people will always eventually get what they need to accomplish their terrorist goals. Real logic also tells us that an abundance of weapons makes that goal very easy where a lack of such weapons makes that goal more difficult. The terrorist may have to settle for a less powerful weapon if their weapon of choice is not available. That's where logic tells us that we are safer with fewer and less powerful weapons in open circulation.
I believe in the the 2nd Amendment right to bear arms. I choose not to be armed myself but most of my family are avid recreational hunters. However, if you need a semi-automatic weapon to hunt you are not a very good sportsman. In fact I've never heard of a hunter using this type of semi-automatic weapon for recreational hunting. There is simply no need for typical Americans to own this type of weapon. Fear and paranoia drive this type of backward logic. Excessive fear and paranoia are also symptoms of mental instability. Mentally unstable thinkers should not be making rules and laws for the rest of us. The NRA is very wrong on this topic and they are losing credibility. Americans should - and do - have the constitutional right to bear arms - they do not however, have the right to be terrorists with WMDs.
Let's see how that logic applies on a global level with regard to weapons of mass destruction (WMD's). Using NRA logic the answer to the threat of rouge nations with WMDs is to ensure that every country is fully armed with equal WMDs. Then, when a terrorist decides to launch an attack on an innocent country, all the other countries could use their WMDs in a counter attack. So lets start shipping some WMDs to Libya, Pakistan, N. Korea (as well as Canada and Switzerland of course) and then we can all feel very safe - right?
I wouldn't feel safe at all in that scenario.
There is a big problem with this type of logic - it is not logical. The first flaw is that a tragic incident would still have to occur in order to trigger a counter attack. So either way - armed or not - the incident would still occur first. The other argument the NRA uses is that weapons don't kill - people with weapons kill. It is a fun catch phrase and it is actually true but the flaw in that logic is that a powerful weapon must be present in order for a tragic incident to occur. If no powerful weapon existed then mass causalities would not be likely.
WMDs do exist and therefore must be somehow controlled. America's current strategy is to keep the police state (America) armed and the rouge states unarmed. That seems to have worked out fairly well so far - except for those countries America has had a feud with. We spend massive amounts of borrowed money to ensure that America remains the single most powerful country in the world. The same people who support the "guns for everyone" theory also support keeping WMDs away from rouge nations. Contradictory principles are typical to this type of thinker. A rational logical thinker is not so easily contradicted.
Rational logical thinkers can apply their principles on both small scales and large scales. The answer to gun violence in America should be the same answer to WMD's in the world. Real logical thinkers realize that all people (and all countries) have the right to protect themselves but that WMDs need to be controlled on both a world scale and in America.
Real logic tells us that bad people will always eventually get what they need to accomplish their terrorist goals. Real logic also tells us that an abundance of weapons makes that goal very easy where a lack of such weapons makes that goal more difficult. The terrorist may have to settle for a less powerful weapon if their weapon of choice is not available. That's where logic tells us that we are safer with fewer and less powerful weapons in open circulation.
I believe in the the 2nd Amendment right to bear arms. I choose not to be armed myself but most of my family are avid recreational hunters. However, if you need a semi-automatic weapon to hunt you are not a very good sportsman. In fact I've never heard of a hunter using this type of semi-automatic weapon for recreational hunting. There is simply no need for typical Americans to own this type of weapon. Fear and paranoia drive this type of backward logic. Excessive fear and paranoia are also symptoms of mental instability. Mentally unstable thinkers should not be making rules and laws for the rest of us. The NRA is very wrong on this topic and they are losing credibility. Americans should - and do - have the constitutional right to bear arms - they do not however, have the right to be terrorists with WMDs.
Thursday, December 06, 2012
Hush the Harley
I've waited over 3 years to write this article because I figured it was a
lost cause - but then I decided every cause is lost if it is never addressed - so here goes.
I rode a bicycle all the way across the United States of America in the summer of 2009 - and I didn't make much noise doing so. But there were lots of other bikes on the road that were not so quiet - in fact they were extremely noisy - and they were everywhere quiet was expected. I camped for most of the 3 months it took me to ride across the USA and I lost a lot of sleep due to these horrible loud machines. They came roaring into the campground at all hours of the night and worse, they roared out early in the morning. A bicyclist who has ridden 80 - 90 miles in a day sleeps pretty soundly and it takes some noise to wake them but a Harley motorcycle with modified pipes can do it from over 100 feet away. Boo-hoo I didn't get to sleep much - big deal right?
Now let's talk about our national treasures - the parks. I rode through some amazingly beautiful State and National parks including the Badlands and Black Hills of South Dakota and Yellowstone. The scenery was amazing but the sounds of nature were even more incredible from the seat of a bicycle. I could hear birds, waterfalls, crickets distant thunder and even just the wind blowing through the trees and fields of corn. It was amazing and just as I was entranced by all this natural wonder BRRRROOOOOMMMMMMMMM!!!!!!!!! The sound of that one motorcycle was louder than any fully loaded 18 wheeler climbing a mountain - and I mean that seriously. After it had passed - the sound trailing for several minutes in the distance - all I could hear was a ringing in my ears and the silence of the startled animals. In the larger parks like Yellowstone, the noise never ends. I could be in the middle of vast wilderness and yet the drone of Harleys was ever present in the distance. One after another VROOM! VROOM! VROOM!
I kept joking to myself that if we only had some sort of technology to somehow muffle these machines we could ALL enjoy nature in a much more natural way. But of course we do have such technology - it was invented shortly after the invention of the internal combustion engine a few years back. So why can't we force these bikes to use this technology? Well we can - and we do - or at least we try. In researching for this article I learned that all motorcycles are manufactured under strict EPA noise regulations and that no Harley in the USA is built with those loud pipes. Furthermore, we have laws in many states that forbid noise over a certain level. This outrageous noise is actually a choice that people I will now call FOOLS illegally pay extra for because they think it's cool. It's not cool - not even to other experienced bikers - which is another fact I learned while doing my research. Isn't that interesting?! Even other experienced bikers think these people are fools. Yet they continue to get away with this violation because they have an intense political lobby (money) and the noise ordinances are difficult to enforce.
The only argument these FOOLS have for wanting to be this noisy is that it is a safety issue - as if they can only be seen by other drivers if they are heard first. To that I would like to quote a line from the beginning of this article "I rode a bicycle all the way across the United States of America in the summer of 2009 - and I didn't make much noise doing so". That's right folks - 4800 miles on a bicycle and I made it there alive. I'm not the only one either - lots of people ride bicycles on the very same roads the Hogs ride every day - safely. How is that possible without being heard??? Their argument is just stupid.
I want to make a difference on this issue - more than just griping about it in my blog. I think it's time for me to get involved politically and I found there are some good groups that are already working with current laws and EPA standards to hush the Harleys - one called Noise Off and another called Noise Free America. Fools who think they are entitled to make extreme noise under the guise of the Constitution are a tough group to battle and it will take an army of people I will now call "Real Patriots" to make them stop the foolishness. I hope any reader who is annoyed by these fools will also became a Real Patriot and join a group to help fight for quiet.
If we could be successful it would would make a huge difference and I'll tell another brief story from my bicycle trip as proof. One day riding through the mountains in Washington State I was stopped early in the day due to a thunderstorm. A local resident pointed out the county fairgrounds as a good place to camp for the night but mentioned there was a motorcycle club staying there that night. Just wonderful I thought - no sleep for me again. With little choice I set up my tent, crawled inside and read a book for a while until the storm which actually wasn't too intense finally let up. I emerged from my tent only to realize that dozens of motorcyclists had arrived while I was reading and they were all setting up their tents and enjoying the day. How did I not hear that many motorcycles arrive? It turns out this was a BMW motorcycle club and they were all properly - legally - muffled machines. I enjoyed hanging out with that group and we all chatting at a normal voice levels without yelling over the noise of illegal pipes. I slept like a baby that night and in the morning I once again emerged from my tent to realize that many of the bikers had already left and I didn't even hear them leave. That is a true story. Isn't that the way it should be? It is called common courtesy - which isn't so common among the Harley riders. Let's make a change.
I rode a bicycle all the way across the United States of America in the summer of 2009 - and I didn't make much noise doing so. But there were lots of other bikes on the road that were not so quiet - in fact they were extremely noisy - and they were everywhere quiet was expected. I camped for most of the 3 months it took me to ride across the USA and I lost a lot of sleep due to these horrible loud machines. They came roaring into the campground at all hours of the night and worse, they roared out early in the morning. A bicyclist who has ridden 80 - 90 miles in a day sleeps pretty soundly and it takes some noise to wake them but a Harley motorcycle with modified pipes can do it from over 100 feet away. Boo-hoo I didn't get to sleep much - big deal right?
Now let's talk about our national treasures - the parks. I rode through some amazingly beautiful State and National parks including the Badlands and Black Hills of South Dakota and Yellowstone. The scenery was amazing but the sounds of nature were even more incredible from the seat of a bicycle. I could hear birds, waterfalls, crickets distant thunder and even just the wind blowing through the trees and fields of corn. It was amazing and just as I was entranced by all this natural wonder BRRRROOOOOMMMMMMMMM!!!!!!!!! The sound of that one motorcycle was louder than any fully loaded 18 wheeler climbing a mountain - and I mean that seriously. After it had passed - the sound trailing for several minutes in the distance - all I could hear was a ringing in my ears and the silence of the startled animals. In the larger parks like Yellowstone, the noise never ends. I could be in the middle of vast wilderness and yet the drone of Harleys was ever present in the distance. One after another VROOM! VROOM! VROOM!
I kept joking to myself that if we only had some sort of technology to somehow muffle these machines we could ALL enjoy nature in a much more natural way. But of course we do have such technology - it was invented shortly after the invention of the internal combustion engine a few years back. So why can't we force these bikes to use this technology? Well we can - and we do - or at least we try. In researching for this article I learned that all motorcycles are manufactured under strict EPA noise regulations and that no Harley in the USA is built with those loud pipes. Furthermore, we have laws in many states that forbid noise over a certain level. This outrageous noise is actually a choice that people I will now call FOOLS illegally pay extra for because they think it's cool. It's not cool - not even to other experienced bikers - which is another fact I learned while doing my research. Isn't that interesting?! Even other experienced bikers think these people are fools. Yet they continue to get away with this violation because they have an intense political lobby (money) and the noise ordinances are difficult to enforce.
The only argument these FOOLS have for wanting to be this noisy is that it is a safety issue - as if they can only be seen by other drivers if they are heard first. To that I would like to quote a line from the beginning of this article "I rode a bicycle all the way across the United States of America in the summer of 2009 - and I didn't make much noise doing so". That's right folks - 4800 miles on a bicycle and I made it there alive. I'm not the only one either - lots of people ride bicycles on the very same roads the Hogs ride every day - safely. How is that possible without being heard??? Their argument is just stupid.
I want to make a difference on this issue - more than just griping about it in my blog. I think it's time for me to get involved politically and I found there are some good groups that are already working with current laws and EPA standards to hush the Harleys - one called Noise Off and another called Noise Free America. Fools who think they are entitled to make extreme noise under the guise of the Constitution are a tough group to battle and it will take an army of people I will now call "Real Patriots" to make them stop the foolishness. I hope any reader who is annoyed by these fools will also became a Real Patriot and join a group to help fight for quiet.
If we could be successful it would would make a huge difference and I'll tell another brief story from my bicycle trip as proof. One day riding through the mountains in Washington State I was stopped early in the day due to a thunderstorm. A local resident pointed out the county fairgrounds as a good place to camp for the night but mentioned there was a motorcycle club staying there that night. Just wonderful I thought - no sleep for me again. With little choice I set up my tent, crawled inside and read a book for a while until the storm which actually wasn't too intense finally let up. I emerged from my tent only to realize that dozens of motorcyclists had arrived while I was reading and they were all setting up their tents and enjoying the day. How did I not hear that many motorcycles arrive? It turns out this was a BMW motorcycle club and they were all properly - legally - muffled machines. I enjoyed hanging out with that group and we all chatting at a normal voice levels without yelling over the noise of illegal pipes. I slept like a baby that night and in the morning I once again emerged from my tent to realize that many of the bikers had already left and I didn't even hear them leave. That is a true story. Isn't that the way it should be? It is called common courtesy - which isn't so common among the Harley riders. Let's make a change.
Thursday, November 15, 2012
If You Can Read This - I Didn't Write It
My handwriting is terrible. My signature is even worse! I used to have fairly neat handwriting both cursive and regular and my signature was easily readable. I may have spelled things incorrectly on occasion but the writing was beautiful. I blame computers. I simply do not write anything by hand anymore. When I do I really have to think about it and concentrate to get it readable. I'm a whiz at typing and the computer will even correct my spelling. But it has made my handwriting lazy.
I wonder how the kids of today will be affected by this? Most learn to type on a computer before they even learn to write by hand. I'm certain they still teach writing in schools and probably even still teach cursive, but if the students never have a call to actually write things manually I wonder if it will even stick in their brains. In my day (I can't believe I justwrote typed that!) we were asked in class to type reports - on a typewriter - just to ensure that we could actually use the typewriter. If I were a teacher today I would insist that my students submit all reports in handwriting - just to be sure they could do it. That's quite a reversal.
Maybe I should hand write my blog. Wait - that would never work. But seriously, it might be time to do some manual letter writing just to get back in practice. It probably would be wise for everyone to do some form of regular manual letter writing before we all forget how. Imagine if a giant solar flare knocked out power on earth. Only us old folks would know how to write!
By the way - I can't do math anymore either due to the computer. I guess I should turn the computer off and do some fractions as well.
I wonder how the kids of today will be affected by this? Most learn to type on a computer before they even learn to write by hand. I'm certain they still teach writing in schools and probably even still teach cursive, but if the students never have a call to actually write things manually I wonder if it will even stick in their brains. In my day (I can't believe I just
Maybe I should hand write my blog. Wait - that would never work. But seriously, it might be time to do some manual letter writing just to get back in practice. It probably would be wise for everyone to do some form of regular manual letter writing before we all forget how. Imagine if a giant solar flare knocked out power on earth. Only us old folks would know how to write!
By the way - I can't do math anymore either due to the computer. I guess I should turn the computer off and do some fractions as well.
Friday, November 09, 2012
Thursday, November 08, 2012
Awesome Election!
The election is over (almost - Floriduh!) and it was a nail biter for sure! I've been watching this past election very closely with both anticipation and entertainment for at least the last 2 years. It was the best reality show on TV and the good news is that it had a happy ending.
Shortly after the election in 2010 I wrote about the Political Tsunami I felt was building behind the Tea Party quake of that year. I just read through that article and I was pretty much right on track. The political tsunami indeed did happen - but it was not totally what I had imagined. I expected a landslide win for Obama and it was - but much closer than I thought. The big surprise for me was the other historical liberal "firsts" that happened this year including:
Needless to say I am thrilled with the results of 2012 - but it will likely be short lived. It is a fact that there are far more registered Democratic voters than Republican voters and we should be able to win most elections. But the sad truth is that many Democrats do not vote in mid-term elections like the one in 2010 and the GOP takes full advantage if that complacency. Hopefully we can keep the momentum of this year going into 2014 and get more Democrats out to vote. We didn't take control of the House this year - and in a way I'm glad because at this point I believe we need that balance. We are already seeing - the House sticking by their same old "no compromise" attitude. That should also help in possibly getting the House control back in 2014. A new prediction? Perhaps. :)
Shortly after the election in 2010 I wrote about the Political Tsunami I felt was building behind the Tea Party quake of that year. I just read through that article and I was pretty much right on track. The political tsunami indeed did happen - but it was not totally what I had imagined. I expected a landslide win for Obama and it was - but much closer than I thought. The big surprise for me was the other historical liberal "firsts" that happened this year including:
- Gay marriage approved in 2 states by popular vote
- Marijuana legalized in 2 states by popular vote - and not just for medicinal purposes
- The first openly gay person voted into the Senate
- And many more as reported by this Washington Post article
Needless to say I am thrilled with the results of 2012 - but it will likely be short lived. It is a fact that there are far more registered Democratic voters than Republican voters and we should be able to win most elections. But the sad truth is that many Democrats do not vote in mid-term elections like the one in 2010 and the GOP takes full advantage if that complacency. Hopefully we can keep the momentum of this year going into 2014 and get more Democrats out to vote. We didn't take control of the House this year - and in a way I'm glad because at this point I believe we need that balance. We are already seeing - the House sticking by their same old "no compromise" attitude. That should also help in possibly getting the House control back in 2014. A new prediction? Perhaps. :)
Tuesday, October 09, 2012
God Is An Engineer - Not a Magician
I grew up Catholic and I believed all the stories. Adam and Eve, Noah's Ark, the Earth created in 6 days, God needing rest on the 7th day, immaculate conception, Jesus born in a manger, 7 wise men and even Sodom and Gomorrah. As I got older, educated and started thinking independently , I realized the stores I've been told were not very logical. Yet I still believe in God and even in the power of prayer. The Earth and the Universe are just too perfect to be an accident in my opinion. But I just can't put much faith in the bible stories anymore.
I do believe the Earth and the cosmos are perfect and amazing but not unexplainable. In fact there are clues to our existence everywhere. Science has revealed many clues and even a few answers. Every answer seems to bring up a new question which in turn - through research brings more answers. It seems a never ending cycle but that is just because there is so much to learn. The universe is larger than we can even imagine - and it might not even be the only one. Wow!
If God were merely a magician who can bring things out of nothing and end it just as quickly, I think a lot of it wouldn't make sense - the clues wouldn't match and the logic wouldn't work. Yet we have discovered how stars work, how planets and moons form, and perhaps even how life may have evolved out of the chaos. We've also discovered how tiny things work - like how viruses spread disease and what makes up objects on a molecular scale. If studied logically - it all makes sense. We have so much more to learn but there are not many magical surprises once we open our minds to learn.
Therefore, while we still can't completely explain how or why we are here, I've concluded that God is (at least for me) an engineer - a scientist - a logical force. Those that don't have logically thinking minds may disagree. An artist's concept of God may be less logical and more mystical. They may believe the bible's stories of creation more than the science- and may have even written them. I certainly believe that God is an artist - what beautiful wonders we have to behold! But an artist isn't a magician either.
Of course it is not up to me to determine who is correct - the artist or the scientist. I suspect in God's realm they both are. But in my mind, God is an engineer and things make sense that way.
I do believe the Earth and the cosmos are perfect and amazing but not unexplainable. In fact there are clues to our existence everywhere. Science has revealed many clues and even a few answers. Every answer seems to bring up a new question which in turn - through research brings more answers. It seems a never ending cycle but that is just because there is so much to learn. The universe is larger than we can even imagine - and it might not even be the only one. Wow!
If God were merely a magician who can bring things out of nothing and end it just as quickly, I think a lot of it wouldn't make sense - the clues wouldn't match and the logic wouldn't work. Yet we have discovered how stars work, how planets and moons form, and perhaps even how life may have evolved out of the chaos. We've also discovered how tiny things work - like how viruses spread disease and what makes up objects on a molecular scale. If studied logically - it all makes sense. We have so much more to learn but there are not many magical surprises once we open our minds to learn.
Therefore, while we still can't completely explain how or why we are here, I've concluded that God is (at least for me) an engineer - a scientist - a logical force. Those that don't have logically thinking minds may disagree. An artist's concept of God may be less logical and more mystical. They may believe the bible's stories of creation more than the science- and may have even written them. I certainly believe that God is an artist - what beautiful wonders we have to behold! But an artist isn't a magician either.
Of course it is not up to me to determine who is correct - the artist or the scientist. I suspect in God's realm they both are. But in my mind, God is an engineer and things make sense that way.
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
Wait For It................
The Presidential Election is only weeks away and most polls (except those on Fox News of course) are showing President Obama strengthening his lead. But it is still a bit too early as things change quickly in the political world. Add to that the extremely short attention span of most Americans and the race is still totally up in the air.
I have a feeling that somewhere about 2 weeks from the actual election date, we will see some big damaging "thing" launched against President Obama by the GOP. I would have no idea what that might be but I suspect they have something up their sleeve. It is, if you recall, their number one goal and since they haven't done anything regarding the number 2 goal (the economy) they must be too busy working on #1.
I guess we will wait and see.
I have a feeling that somewhere about 2 weeks from the actual election date, we will see some big damaging "thing" launched against President Obama by the GOP. I would have no idea what that might be but I suspect they have something up their sleeve. It is, if you recall, their number one goal and since they haven't done anything regarding the number 2 goal (the economy) they must be too busy working on #1.
I guess we will wait and see.
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Tired
I had a hard time getting through today. I felt like I never really woke up totally - even now at 11:30pm. In fact I put off a painting side job this morning and went home and slept for an hour. It didn't really help much.
Animals sleep way more than people do. So do infants and children who don't have a pressing schedule. I think it is entirely possible that people believe we need way less sleep than we actually do. It could also be a reason for many health issues - including ADD. I wonder if coffee shops would be doing such great business if we were all totally rested. Perhaps we would even use more of our brain power as sleeping seems to enhance our thought process. Forgive me for rambling - I'm tired.
Someone somewhere somehow decided we need 8 hours of sleep. I think they may have underestimated.
Animals sleep way more than people do. So do infants and children who don't have a pressing schedule. I think it is entirely possible that people believe we need way less sleep than we actually do. It could also be a reason for many health issues - including ADD. I wonder if coffee shops would be doing such great business if we were all totally rested. Perhaps we would even use more of our brain power as sleeping seems to enhance our thought process. Forgive me for rambling - I'm tired.
Someone somewhere somehow decided we need 8 hours of sleep. I think they may have underestimated.
Friday, August 24, 2012
War On Religion
Some claim there is a war on religion happening right now - and they might be right. But what they might not understand is that it is not a war between those who believe against those who do not believe. The war on religion is being fought between the believers themselves. That's because faith and religion - two different things - are both very personal and different for everyone. Faith alone is very benign and belongs only to one's self. A lack of faith is much the same in that it is personal and belongs only to one's self. Those with faith (but not religion) and those with no spiritual beliefs do not feel the need force their beliefs or disbelief on others. However both of these groups may fight for constitutional rights based on the constitution alone and not on their faith or lack of faith.
Religion is quite different. Faith becomes religion when it is felt you must share your beliefs with others so that they may believe as you do. Most religions also feel that if you do not believe as they do, then you are surely going to Hell and therefore you must be "saved". While many different religions exist around the world, all believe that their particular religion is the correct version blessed by God and that all other religions are false. Further, they believe their particular religion - being the correct one - should be the basis of morality our country is governed by. Unfortunately, even though our nation's constitution was based on one of these religions, the constitution itself does not hold up well to many religious beliefs - especially those of other religions. The Founding Fathers knew this and fashioned our constitution with a separation from religion. That was brilliant forethought in my opinion. The religions however do not agree.
Armed with the "knowledge" that their religion is in fact the will of God, these religions cling to their belief that all morality should be based on whatever article of faith they believe is the actual word of God. Problem is there isn't just one article of faith or one "word of God". Some cling to the Bible - some to only certain parts of the Bible, some to the book of Mormon, some to the Koran, some to the teaching of Budah etc. etc. Not even their particular Holy Days occur on the same day causing friction and disagreements between the various religions. In this age of technology these arguments and disagreements are more evident than ever. A Facebook post or a Tweet can cause an instant firestorm of controversy. The war has begun.
Those without faith and those with faith but no religion appear as if they are involved in the war because they are forced to defend their constitutional rights against those who wish to deny them equality based on their particular religion. But the truth is that the non-religions faithful and those without faith are not fighting religion - they are fighting only for their constitutional rights. This is a very important distinction because the constitution is necessarily separated from religion. So how can those who are fighting for constitutional equality be waging a war on religion? The simple answer is they are not. The war on religion has been started by and is being fought exclusively by the various religions. In the past, slaves fought for freedom based on the constitution even though some religions condoned it. Likewise women fought for the right to vote even though some religions state that women are not equal to men. In the end the constitution of our country eventually solved these disputes and continues to do so today.
There is only one way to end this war and that is for all the religions to co-exist. Further, the various religions must remove themselves from politics. The constitution of the United States can be defended and supported based solely on itself. It was written with that intention and has endured the test of time - with a few modifications - because that is the only way our magnificent country can be strong and united. I am not here to tell you religion is bad or that a person should have faith or not. I am perfectly comfortable with you enjoying your beliefs or lack of beliefs and sharing that with like minded individuals. All I ask is that you do the same. Live your life and let others live theirs. It is the only way we can truly be the United States of America.
Religion is quite different. Faith becomes religion when it is felt you must share your beliefs with others so that they may believe as you do. Most religions also feel that if you do not believe as they do, then you are surely going to Hell and therefore you must be "saved". While many different religions exist around the world, all believe that their particular religion is the correct version blessed by God and that all other religions are false. Further, they believe their particular religion - being the correct one - should be the basis of morality our country is governed by. Unfortunately, even though our nation's constitution was based on one of these religions, the constitution itself does not hold up well to many religious beliefs - especially those of other religions. The Founding Fathers knew this and fashioned our constitution with a separation from religion. That was brilliant forethought in my opinion. The religions however do not agree.
Armed with the "knowledge" that their religion is in fact the will of God, these religions cling to their belief that all morality should be based on whatever article of faith they believe is the actual word of God. Problem is there isn't just one article of faith or one "word of God". Some cling to the Bible - some to only certain parts of the Bible, some to the book of Mormon, some to the Koran, some to the teaching of Budah etc. etc. Not even their particular Holy Days occur on the same day causing friction and disagreements between the various religions. In this age of technology these arguments and disagreements are more evident than ever. A Facebook post or a Tweet can cause an instant firestorm of controversy. The war has begun.
Those without faith and those with faith but no religion appear as if they are involved in the war because they are forced to defend their constitutional rights against those who wish to deny them equality based on their particular religion. But the truth is that the non-religions faithful and those without faith are not fighting religion - they are fighting only for their constitutional rights. This is a very important distinction because the constitution is necessarily separated from religion. So how can those who are fighting for constitutional equality be waging a war on religion? The simple answer is they are not. The war on religion has been started by and is being fought exclusively by the various religions. In the past, slaves fought for freedom based on the constitution even though some religions condoned it. Likewise women fought for the right to vote even though some religions state that women are not equal to men. In the end the constitution of our country eventually solved these disputes and continues to do so today.
There is only one way to end this war and that is for all the religions to co-exist. Further, the various religions must remove themselves from politics. The constitution of the United States can be defended and supported based solely on itself. It was written with that intention and has endured the test of time - with a few modifications - because that is the only way our magnificent country can be strong and united. I am not here to tell you religion is bad or that a person should have faith or not. I am perfectly comfortable with you enjoying your beliefs or lack of beliefs and sharing that with like minded individuals. All I ask is that you do the same. Live your life and let others live theirs. It is the only way we can truly be the United States of America.
Thursday, August 23, 2012
Twisted Truths and Outright Lies
Only months from the election and the presidential candidates are neck in neck with Romney pulling slightly ahead of Obama - in the lie department. Source PolitiFact.com as of today 8-23-12
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
