Archive for January 2008
Fasting and Blood Glucose
Brad Pilon, author of Eat Stop Eat, raised an interesting issue having to do with blood glucose during a fast. Coincidentally, I read that while near the end of a fast, having just come from the gym and a heavy workout. I tested myself at 114 gm/dL, which is higher that I was testing before at any old time during the day (100-105, usually). Hmm… 28 hours into a fast, and after a series of heavy weight lifting. Isn’t the conventional “wisdom” that fasting is bad because your blood sugar lowers too much; and by all means, “you don’t want to exercise.” After all, Zeus didn’t make us like he made virtually all the other animals, who engage in their most strenuous activity of hunting when they’re really, really hungry. Right? So, on my next 30-hr fast a few days later, I decided to check BG right before I left for the gym, at about 25 hours into the fast. I measured 77, which is a very predictable result (normal BG is 70-140 mg/dL, in spite of what the pill pushers say) during a fast. I had an intense routine, but not nearly so much as the previous time. So,…
Read MoreNails & Heads; Hooks, Lines & Sinkers
Previous entries surrounding the Ron Paul Newsletter topic here and here. The first thing I read this morning was Raimondo’s piece, here, which is to date not only the best argued thing on the issue, but finally, finally includes the complete honest context of some of the quotes from the newsletters in question. If you care about honesty, you should be shocked; and you ought to condemn Kirchick, TNR, Reason, and Cato. The former two, for the dishonest journalism; the latter two, for jumping on the bandwagon before possibly having the time to fully research and reflect. Fuck them all. Here’s a couple of examples…on second thought, no. Dig through it yourselves and then ask yourselves how many of you swallowed that disgrace hook, line, & sinker.
Read MoreTruth and Honesty
Billy invokes the truth. But, I don’t get it, Billy. Clearly, Cato and Lew Rockwell aren’t comrades-in-arms. But I don’t know what “our movement” means. I have my ideas. I post them here. I support, agree with, and disagree with a variety of people, some of them the same people on different things. I suppose I’m part of the libertarian “movement,” but calling it “our” is insolent and presumptuous. Calling it a “movement” without qualification is rather like calling the herding of cats a “movement.” Yea, they’re “moving,” I suppose. I guess that to large extent, the whole kit & caboodle looks libertarian to me, from all corners, including the fighting and taking offense (some of it false, I am convinced). …Which is to say that when I hear talk of defining libertarianism in terms of what “self-proclaimed” libertarians aren’t part of it, it’s kind of a self-contradictory thing, to me. You get what I mean? I don’t know anything of the alleged racism of LRC. I’ve been reading them only for about six months, for the sole purpose of getting Ron Paul updates (I’ve really not seen anything that smelled of racism). I’ve seen lots of religious crap there,…
Read MoreThe Guilty Animal
Hasn’t it always been, in one form or another? When you think about it, Ayn Rand’s Original Sin, among her many from the perspective of all political sides, is her chief ideal characterization of man as the rational animal. That has implications. You see, if man has the capacity of rational action by nature, voluntarily, then his ability to mold material reality to serve his needs and desires is virtuous at his highest levels of production. But doesn’t that just throw a monkey wrench into every sort of power structure, from modern politics to the theocracies of old? There’s nothing new about any of it. Fundamentally, it’s always about painting man as a selfish beast who ought to feel guilty simply for the effrontery to exist, and the only virtue possible to any man is to spend his life in atonement for having been born. Karen De Coster loads up the latest outrage; the latest in a long list of examples of man’s devolution. Now, maybe the fact that drinking straws may no longer properly serve their intended purpose isn’t that big of a deal to you, but what about containers that used to keep your burger hot for the…
Read MoreBreak Out The Shoeboxes
A package showed up around Christmas time from the parents-in-law. Included was a CD that Sam (father-in-law) recorded with two of his six bothers (he has five sisters too) back in around 1972. Trio Hermaos Fabela. There were two songs: Surfro Tu Ausencia and Mananitas a Mi Madre. Once I got a listen, I determined that something more needed to be done — and we were headed down to the in-laws this weekend. “Break out the shoeboxes.” In all, they got 43 photos of the brothers in various settings going back to the 50s and beyond, singing. It’s what they did when they got together every Sunday afternoon. I used the Sanyo C40 to snap photos of the photos, then cropped and did a little editing, tossed ’em all into iMovie, and was done in a jiffy. It was so easy I’m floored — and tickled a bit pink. So go watch. The versions on my .Mac Gallery are full resolusion, but if you don’t have Quicktime already plugged in that can be a pain if you’re on a Windows machine (I just spent a while getting it going in a Vista PC — shit!). Go here for the first…
Read MoreBitch Charm
As the YouTube description says: Our 3-yr-old Rat Terrier Nanuka (“Nuke”) tuns on the charm as her preferred method of getting a toy from another dog — in this case a chewed up tennis ball from her main puppyhood playmate Cumie, a Daschund mix. May not be work safe {g}. She eventually succeeds, and at the end is a shot of Rotor, our 9-yr-old male who has the sense to stay out of this kind of stuff. There’s also the hi-res wide screen version version on my .Mac web gallery. This is taken with my Sanyo C40, which I just love for video and still. I’ve got a rather high end (well, it was) digital camera with 10x optical zoom and it sits at home. I probably ought to throw it on Craig’s List or eBay. Same with my Sony digital camcorder. All rendered obsolete by this cool device. That was my first shot at iMovie, and of course there’s nothing fancy in this project; only the quick and easy joining together of separate clips, as well as snipping out little bits here and there. Under five minutes, I was done. One click publishing to YouTube, right from the application….
Read MorePrescient California
Billy: You’ll recall the other night on that phone call where I told you how I often tell my wife to pay attention when she walks the corridors of the school district, so’s she can remember that it either hasn’t changed, or only gotten bigger, the next “budget crisis” to come along and there’s fewer teachers and larger classes. I know what you think of public schooling, but it’s the same thing all over California. Last night, for instance, I was racing down I-5, the primary route to connect Northern and Southern California, not to mention one of the two primary routes that service the products produced in the valley where VDH farms. Do you know what? For one, it’s only two lanes in each direction, which is an outrage in itself, and especially considering there’s a median strip larger than the existing four lanes put together. Also, because of the very heavy large truck traffic, the right lane is literally unsafe for lighter cars traveling at high speed in some areas, the road surface is so badly torn up. Hanson says exactly what was going through my mind, in disgust. We in California, given the past budget implosions, know…
Read MoreIn The Dead of Winter
Here in Vista, CA. It’s just killing me, I tell ya.
Read MoreVista
No, not the bomb; where I am: Vista, CA, just east of Oceanside a few clicks. Just for the weekend. Drive time from San Jose, down I-5 and straight through LA: 6 hrs, 15 min. Stopped at Harris Ranch for an early dinner, which is always a nice place to stop.
Read MoreBanned Again
In the continuing saga of “neolibertarian” political prisoner Steven Rhett, it looks like my unbanning at Q and O was short lived (see Franks’ comments, there), and curiously, I only made one or two comments since reinstatement, neither of which were volatile in the slightest. And in fact, I backed off one of my strongest pronouncements — copped to it, because I no longer thought it reflected my actual considered view of the thing. Honesty, in all things, to every extent possible. That’s what this blog it about; and I endeavor to walk it, as well as talk about it. So here’s the comment I was trying to post on the newest of the entries, since Franks couldn’t stand the heat and shut this one down. Jon Henke, normally the most offensive of the “libertarian” lot over there, says: I would have chosen differently. Whether I would have voted for jury nullification or simply explained beforehand that I could not vote to convict in the absence of harm or fraud, I do not know. Nevertheless, I would have done so because of personal moral ideals, not because I reject the very premise of government itself. You know what, Jon? I…
Read MoreCrusaders
A public, solemn nod and salute to Billy Beck. I wasn’t disappointed for a moment that he wasn’t actively engaged. I knew he was watching; every godammed detail. And then. Follow Billy’s links, or mine. They ban me, and they get a half dozen in my place, all at least as capable, and some more so. Go see. And hats off to those who jumped in on my own say-so. You guys are terrific and I won’t forget it. Thanks again, Beck. You lined up all the implications and you, above all, know the importance of this. This isn’t about winning a debate. That was 1995. This is about 10 years of a man’s one and only life. What you’ll see demonstrated, there, at those links, is the highest form of charity and goodwill you’ll ever witness. It’s in defense of Steven Rhett, a man none of us know, but he has a life.
Read MoreHey Bay Area
You can relax, now. The San Mateo SWAT team has raided a house, machine guns drawn and pointed, and prevented peaceful people their natural right to peaceful assembly and mutual association. Another very fine day in the “Land of the Free.” You go, “America the Beautiful.” There’s a lot more “God’s Shedding Grace” where that came from. Be proud.
Read MoreDale Franks and Bruce McQuain: Liars and Cowards
[Update below] Dale Franks, of QandO Blog, and his partner in crime, Bruce McQuain, have predictably banned me from posting comments on their site. Sure, I could easily get around it, but in fact I do respect their property rights — though they don’t deserve it; and after Franks’ locking up a peaceful innocent man for 10 years, then bragging about it, then both of them defending it…they both would deserve anything that came to them. The man Franks stole 10 years from, in enforcing a public policy he disagrees with while being perfectly within his legal rights to delay process by hanging the jury, or doing his moral duty to stand up for his own stated principles as well as his policy disagreement by trying to sway the jury: Mr. Steven Rhett. Instead, he “followed his orders” and “just did his job,” and put a peaceful man away who wasn’t hurting anybody. Ten years in federal penitentiary, a clear and direct violation of the man’s natural right to his own life and property. Understand: It had to come to that. I was going to push it all the way, i.e., until they faced the music and at least engaged…
Read MoreContinental
If you don’t know what I mean by the reference, that’s fine; it’s esoteric. Watch this anyway. I think it makes a good deal of sense — and if for nothing else, in its pointing out indisputable absurdities.
Read MoreMedicine Men and Witch Doctors
Read all about ’em. According to Radley Balko, they’re the top 100 quotes from Fundamentalist Christian chat rooms. I figured to add that, because I had second thoughts about so insulting the intelligence of medicine men and witch doctors. Oh, be sure not to miss the condolences to the mom whose son committed suicide because he was homosexual in a Fundamentalist Christian household, and well…you get the picture. Why do I post things like this? Well, because these insane people vote, that’s why. Why do you think I’m against the state, anyway? Look right up there. It’s plain to see. Now, you can choose to spend your life fighting for control of the reigns of power with nut jobs like those, but just as soon as you knock them out, more will take their place. There are plenty of nuts, and they all want the power to control your life. I’m perfectly happy to have lots of such nuts around, just like I’m happy to go to the zoo and watch the monkeys at play. But monkeys don’t vote. If they did participate in state, would you be anti-monkey-voter, or just go right to the root, to anti-state?
Read MoreSafety, Reasonable Doubt, and Anarchy
Consider this, in the context of the oft quoted Ben Franklin, that, and paraphrasing: “those who would would trade freedom for safety deserve neither.” Let’s suppose it’s true that the purpose of the legal standard of “reasonable doubt” in criminal matters is to protect the innocent. In other words, even if you think he’s probably guilty, if you have doubt/s that are reasonable, i.e., plausible, logical, then you acquit. Period. In this way, it’s far more likely that you’ll let the guilty go (to kill, rape, murder, steal again?) than it will be to convict an innocent. Of course, this all presumes competence on the part of the judge (courtroom referee), honesty and integrity on the part of the prosecution and its witnesses, and intelligence on the part of the jury, which, as we know from The Innocence Project and many other sources, is a shaky assumption at best. (Side note: I’m very often told that the essential justification and necessity for the state is to ensure and guarantee “objective justice.” Did you check that link?) But we’re talking principles and ideas, so let’s proceed. So, do you notice anything in that that’s apropos to the freedom/safety trade off? You…
Read MoreHe’s Back
Mike Huckabee promises to fight global warming so the earth can live another 6000 years. Laf, right fucking out loud. Glad I finished my red wine from dinner minutes ago. It could have been a disaster. Anyway, that’s Kyle Bennett, HonestyLog.com’s most cherished commenter, back blogging. Perhaps this was the motivation to kick it off, again. It’s amazing, insightful, historic and Godfatherly all in one. Don’t miss it. For my part, I’ve always appreciated what is at least the mystique surrounding the Mafia. Nobody puts a gun to their head, until they’ve agreed to it. His most recent is certainly prescient in light of this. Do go over, and watch that Utube. Watch how uncompromising principles confront state. I think Kyle ought not to have told you this was Canada, so you’d be all thinking “first amendment,” then when given the punchline, wondering to yourself on what possible authority he could confront the state without that oh-so-cherished Constitution. Sound principles are universal, folks. They know no silly lines on maps, or continental drift. Y’all head over and make Kyle feel welcome and encouraged to keep it up, y’hear?
Read MoreLibertarianism 101
I really had only a raw sense of my view of the Ron Paul vs. Some Libertarians (note: I am never referring to the LP, unless I write ‘LP’ or ‘Party’) over racists and other bigoted remarks in newsletters published under his name when I wrote this. Karen De Coster does a far more thorough job of it, touches on other idiosyncrasies concerning the libertarian movement, and hashes out some good background. This is an interesting connection I’d never really thought about. One thing rampant among libertarians is their lack of the ambition gene outside of libertarianism and the web. So many of these people have no real job, no career, and in fact, if they can’t align themselves with some small-time, paid position at some libertarian outfit, they remain unemployed. As such, they will do anything to not make enemies in the movement, and in fact they must win friends in order to write columns and hope for paid gigs. They are low-paid and no-paid libertarians. Their perspective on the real world is warped because they sell their principles for a paycheck or a job. I’d always had a sense about that. I think it was Greg Swann who…
Read MoreOutrage
I think what follows qualifies for the term. I don’t follow QandO Blog on a daily basis. I check in every so often. Last night I did just that, and came across this entry documenting the federal jury service of Dale Franks, one of the principal self-described libertarian writers of that blog. “Free Markets, Free People;” so they say. Well, let’s see about that. In short, “Mr. Rhett” got stopped at the San Ysidro border from Mexico into the U.S. while going about the affairs of his business: his life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness. Without putting up any resistance, or doing harm to a soul, border agents discovered he was transporting a significant amount of an herb that “the public,” according to Franks, has deemed “contraband.” (It’s always convenient to have euphemisms close at hand; it really greases the skids when it comes to lying to one’s self, or others.) Here’s Franks: So, essentially, we sent Mr. Rhett to a ten-year stretch on the federal pokey. It was really an interesting process—from my point of view, if not Mr. Rhett’s. Especially the deliberations. We really did go through the exhibits carefully, in some cases finding information that hadn’t been…
Read MoreElectoral Compass
As usual with these sorts of things, from a true libertarian perspective there’s a few “when did you stop beating your wife” questions, i.e., begging the question in asking a question. Like: ‘should the money go into the schools, or vouchers?’ How about stop being a bunch of fucking thieves? Ah, but I always ask for too much. But there you have it. I just answered “no opinion” on those impossible ones and still came out just where I’d have expected.
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