Remember that line from the movie The Godfather? Actually the movie is only stating an unpleasant truth that people don't want to face. The truth is that force has the better of an argument. Nothing more different than Aesop's fable of the wolf and the lamb. Who wins the argument between the wolf and the lamb? Psst! It ain't the lamb.
Another scene I'd like to mention here regarding that movie is this: When Kate asked Michael Corleone if he had Karlo killed, Michael denied it. Of course, the audience has just seen that Michael confronted Karlo about Sonny's death, and Karlo admitted having something to do with it. So, Michael definitely had Karlo killed, and of course, the audience all saw Clemenza strangle Karlo just prior to the scene with Michael and Kate. So, we all know that Michael is lying about it, but Kate believes the lie. Why? Because in order to be lied to, you have to be willing to suspend disbelief. The liar cannot lie without a willing accomplice, which is his audience.
The point here is that any outrage over lying politicians is just as false as the liars themselves. We let them do it, or they would never be able to do it and get away with it.
Force has the better of an argument. If you don't like it, you just may get an offer you can't refuse. That is the 800 pound gorilla in the room. If you cannot have the courage to confront a liar, then you decide to let yourself be lied to. If you don't, the liar will just bare his fangs at you, and you could be in a lot of trouble. Most people, I would gather, do not have that kind of courage.
People get what they deserve after all.
Al Fin: "Cowboy Commentary", aka "Eat your veggies" The Flag banner is posted in order to defy those who would make patriotic symbols illegal or disreputable.
Friday, December 22, 2017
Thursday, December 21, 2017
Obligatory, 12.21.17
More discussion of the off-grid project here.
Even though I haven't been posting much about it lately, I have been thinking about it. As mentioned, I assembled the trailer. There have been a lot of posts in the off-grid series about using a trailer like this for living in, It seems a bit crazy, to be sure.
But most of the elements of executing this plan now exist. The trailer itself exists. The land exists. The incinerating toilet exists, and may be available.
A plan exists too, but is always changing. The question has always been what is the plan?
What do I put out there? It has always been a minimal kind of building project. The idea is not to build the Taj Mahal, but something functional and above all---- cheap.
The latest iteration of a plan is this: just build a carport. Park the trailer there when I want to stay on the land. Then go into the city to work, when desired. Seems that I have been here before with this plan. Of course. But the plan is now refined and more savvy due to experience.
Experience has taught me to build something that can last. Okay. It doesn't have to be expensive.
So, what is next?
Where to put the incinerating toilet? I thought of putting it in the trailer, but now I don't like that idea. I can always use the toilet as a dump station. I can keep the waste on board for a short time, and then dump it into the toilet for disposal. This saves money. Instead of paying somebody for the privilege of dumping waste, the toilet will do the job. Eventually, the thing will pay for itself in savings.
In other words, the toilet will be on the property. The property will also be used to reclaim water. I can build some solar distillers that can clean up the gray water. Maybe I can get the regulators to approve my plan as a substitute for a septic system.
The land can be my lab for this experiment. I can grow things after getting things established out there. Eventually, I may be able to stay there on a full time basis.
We will have to see on that one.
Even though I haven't been posting much about it lately, I have been thinking about it. As mentioned, I assembled the trailer. There have been a lot of posts in the off-grid series about using a trailer like this for living in, It seems a bit crazy, to be sure.
But most of the elements of executing this plan now exist. The trailer itself exists. The land exists. The incinerating toilet exists, and may be available.
A plan exists too, but is always changing. The question has always been what is the plan?
What do I put out there? It has always been a minimal kind of building project. The idea is not to build the Taj Mahal, but something functional and above all---- cheap.
The latest iteration of a plan is this: just build a carport. Park the trailer there when I want to stay on the land. Then go into the city to work, when desired. Seems that I have been here before with this plan. Of course. But the plan is now refined and more savvy due to experience.
Experience has taught me to build something that can last. Okay. It doesn't have to be expensive.
So, what is next?
Where to put the incinerating toilet? I thought of putting it in the trailer, but now I don't like that idea. I can always use the toilet as a dump station. I can keep the waste on board for a short time, and then dump it into the toilet for disposal. This saves money. Instead of paying somebody for the privilege of dumping waste, the toilet will do the job. Eventually, the thing will pay for itself in savings.
In other words, the toilet will be on the property. The property will also be used to reclaim water. I can build some solar distillers that can clean up the gray water. Maybe I can get the regulators to approve my plan as a substitute for a septic system.
The land can be my lab for this experiment. I can grow things after getting things established out there. Eventually, I may be able to stay there on a full time basis.
We will have to see on that one.
Wednesday, December 20, 2017
Charades - by Robert Ringer
Charades - by Robert Ringer: Watching the lies coming out of Washington — “tax reform,” “Russian collusion,” “sexual harassment,” to name but a few — reminds me of one of my favorite movies, Charade. …
$$$ Quotes:
$$$ Quotes:
- "people love to be deluded"
- "lying is a way of life for politicians"
- "it’s wise to be vigilant about monitoring your perception of reality as a protection against buying into the charades that surround you."
Comment:
Here, here. Did you know that Moore got a lot less votes than Trump? The people who voted for Trump did not vote for Moore. Did they buy into the charades against Moore, but not Trump? What was the real difference between Trump and Moore? There must have been one. Yet, Bannon campaigned for Moore, so go figure. Alabamans must have been listening to somebody.
Ann Coulter called Moore a Holy Roller Christian. Why? For defending the Ten Commandments and traditional marriage? Again, why do people listen to these charades? Ten Commandments and traditional marriage are pretty fundamental to Christianity, not "holy roller". Maybe Ringer has it right. They love to be deluded.
What can be done?
Yeah, after spending the better part of the day getting caught up on the "news", I am pissed off again.
My buttons have been pushed, just like I said. Now, I am sucked in again. Ain't modern life grand?
But chill out, I say. You have to distance yourself from this somehow.
Maybe my idea to go out west is really the best idea after all. This is how you can disconnect from the money power that drives all the garbage that you see today.
If people would get back to the land, things may have a chance to settle down. But don't count on it. The world doesn't work that way.
There's always somebody out there ready to piss on your cornflakes.
My buttons have been pushed, just like I said. Now, I am sucked in again. Ain't modern life grand?
But chill out, I say. You have to distance yourself from this somehow.
Maybe my idea to go out west is really the best idea after all. This is how you can disconnect from the money power that drives all the garbage that you see today.
If people would get back to the land, things may have a chance to settle down. But don't count on it. The world doesn't work that way.
There's always somebody out there ready to piss on your cornflakes.
Data is back, so am I
After a several day shutdown, the blog is back in business.
I am suspicious of Verizon. The service is good, but the claim that I use this much data is very suspicious to me. I got back my data just a few hours ago, and the thing says I have already used over 300 MB. I don't believe that. I haven't watched a single video, and haven't even visited all that many websites.
So, unless I fork over more money, I am likely to run out of data again. That is why I am suspicious.
After such a long hiatus, I used the time to consider a few things. Call me paranoid, if you wish, but I am going to write it up anyway. Politics is designed to suck you in. The political class has us wrapped around their little fingers. They know how to push everybody's buttons, so then you get excited about stuff, and that's how they get you sucked in.
Once I disengaged, I felt a lot differently. Like everything was normal. Nothing had changed, except my participation in this system. Once I dropped out, I felt better.
I don't know if dropping out is the answer, though. You have to pay attention to this stuff. But on the other hand, everybody is being manipulated. So, if you participate, you are manipulated. At least, this is what I think.
Anyway, Merry Christmas. [ Bah!, Humbug! Way too much commercialism. I blame the corporations.]
I am suspicious of Verizon. The service is good, but the claim that I use this much data is very suspicious to me. I got back my data just a few hours ago, and the thing says I have already used over 300 MB. I don't believe that. I haven't watched a single video, and haven't even visited all that many websites.
So, unless I fork over more money, I am likely to run out of data again. That is why I am suspicious.
After such a long hiatus, I used the time to consider a few things. Call me paranoid, if you wish, but I am going to write it up anyway. Politics is designed to suck you in. The political class has us wrapped around their little fingers. They know how to push everybody's buttons, so then you get excited about stuff, and that's how they get you sucked in.
Once I disengaged, I felt a lot differently. Like everything was normal. Nothing had changed, except my participation in this system. Once I dropped out, I felt better.
I don't know if dropping out is the answer, though. You have to pay attention to this stuff. But on the other hand, everybody is being manipulated. So, if you participate, you are manipulated. At least, this is what I think.
Anyway, Merry Christmas. [ Bah!, Humbug! Way too much commercialism. I blame the corporations.]
Obligatory, 12.14.17
Updated, 12.20.17
The trailer has been assembled, except for the wiring. I am waiting on that for
a couple reasons.
In the meantime, my data should be high speed again soon, and I will resume posting.
The phone company is slow to update the thing to show that I have paid for the
new data. I suspect that they are doing this deliberately in order to get me to
make a new purchase.
Updated, 12.15.17:
Almost done with assembling the trailer. I should emphasize that this whole
idea is pretty tentative. I haven't decided to do anything with it at all.
With it assembled, I would have to do something with it. Maybe sell it.
the original post follows:
Nearly out of data. This will have to be short.
As mentioned in an earlier post, the 5x8 trailer has some renewed interest for me.
Yesterday, I partially assembled the trailer. As of yet, it isn't a commitment. If
I decide to build it out, then that would be a commitment.
What I'd like to do is to use it for traveling. If I can obtain the incinerating
toilet, I could make the trailer into a rolling bathroom. I could pull it with the
van, and build out the van as a sleeper and a small galley for cooking meals.
Thus, I may be all set up for living on the road, so to speak.
An idea is to put the car into a storage location in El Paso. When I wanted to
work, I would go into town, get a parking spot for the trailer. Then drive over,
and get the car. Work as much as I wish, then put the car back into storage. Drive
back to the trailer, hitch her up, and go home.
I could practice the idea in this place before leaving for parts west.
The trailer has been assembled, except for the wiring. I am waiting on that for
a couple reasons.
In the meantime, my data should be high speed again soon, and I will resume posting.
The phone company is slow to update the thing to show that I have paid for the
new data. I suspect that they are doing this deliberately in order to get me to
make a new purchase.
Updated, 12.15.17:
Almost done with assembling the trailer. I should emphasize that this whole
idea is pretty tentative. I haven't decided to do anything with it at all.
With it assembled, I would have to do something with it. Maybe sell it.
the original post follows:
Nearly out of data. This will have to be short.
As mentioned in an earlier post, the 5x8 trailer has some renewed interest for me.
Yesterday, I partially assembled the trailer. As of yet, it isn't a commitment. If
I decide to build it out, then that would be a commitment.
What I'd like to do is to use it for traveling. If I can obtain the incinerating
toilet, I could make the trailer into a rolling bathroom. I could pull it with the
van, and build out the van as a sleeper and a small galley for cooking meals.
Thus, I may be all set up for living on the road, so to speak.
An idea is to put the car into a storage location in El Paso. When I wanted to
work, I would go into town, get a parking spot for the trailer. Then drive over,
and get the car. Work as much as I wish, then put the car back into storage. Drive
back to the trailer, hitch her up, and go home.
I could practice the idea in this place before leaving for parts west.
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