Archives for July 2011

Just a quick quote from a commenter before heading out of town for a couple of days, one day business, one day pleasure.

It has to do with the first quote on the last post, specifically:

…who […] sees your success as entirely due to your own superiority to the masses, without recognizing the huge role that luck and opportunity played in it.

Actually, I certainly do see most success in life as being at root a product of fortune and opportunity (Taleb makes this point as well in Fooled by Randomness). But that’s not the end of it. I was going to write out why, but commenter Travis Steward did such a fine job I’d love for him to take credit.

The interesting thing about “luck” and “opportunity” that I’ve noticed in my life is that EVERYONE experiences these in spades many times in their lives, even the most dejected of society. The difference between those who take responsibility in their lives and those who blame their woes on others is that the former fucking RECOGNIZES it and takes ADVANTAGE of it. […]

You want a better life? You want a better life for other people? Then help then learn how to see with clearer eyes, to understand with greater knowledge, so when the opportunities that are offered to them don’t go by in a sad hail of misguided egoism and insecurity.

I come from nothing. I am surrounded by friends I grew up with who were given more opportunity than 99% of society, and I am doing better than all of them combined. Why? Because I learned how to take advantage of opportunity and make my life better through a pursuit of knowledge.

It wasn’t some fucking bureaucrat that allocated me my “opportunity”, it was just a mind and a pair of eyes that learned how to provide for myself even in the most scarce conditions.

Get some courage and take responsibility for your failure. And for god’s sakes quit pretending you have it figured out.

Some time back I was watching one of those news magazine shows and it was about luck and seizing upon opportunity. They took a bunch of people, interviewed them to assess and score which were overall positive and which were overall pessimist. Then they got permission to film them going about their daily lives. Unbeknownst to the the subjects however, was the fact that the producers had surreptitiously placed a $20 bill on the sidewalk in front of their path.

Guess which ones on average saw the money and which ones didn’t?

In two comments to my Animals Don’t Vote post, Dave and Mel pretend to know what they’re talking about, but only end up exposing their own ignorance. First, Dave.

W. elitist? That sure is the pot calling the kettle black. With no government by the people, even as fucked up as it gets, the people with the biggest guns will rule. Also, you use the word “commie” as though it were an insult…Obama is certainly more on the socialist end of capitalism, but comparing his political philosophy to Marx is a bit of a stretch. All socialism means is that you give a shit about other people and society as a whole, instead of just your own self-interest. You’re a sad, selfish little man who, like most rich people, sees your success as entirely due to your own superiority to the masses, without recognizing the huge role that luck and opportunity played in it. Even your introduction to paleo was due mainly to luck, yet you see yourself as superior to the poor clueless obese you see around you. It’s sad to see someone as old as you and as intelligent spouting Ayn Rand spiritual insect “philosophy.”

…As if the people with the biggest guns don’t rule (it gets worse)…

Rich people, eh? Project much? I didn’t get the memo on that, I guess, especially in view of all the balls I’ve been juggling, lately. …But wow, amazing what a post on not voting will do do bring out such extreme envy. There’s just not really much more substance to it than that he really hates rich & successful people, and it’s all because of luck & opportunity, and he hates that they are “selfish.” And, of course, if you have been lucky in life, then naturally, you should get in line for punishment and atonement for having the audacity to capitalize on the luck and opportunity that happened to come your way. And so on and so forth. Same old forever politics of envy and oppression of the poor poor masses.

Now, Mel.

Thanks for this comment Dave, I was going to say pretty much the same thing, but you beat me to it. I was once a devoted Ayn Rand fan, but then, alas, I turned 17. It always amuses me when adults actually discuss her hideous ramblings in serious tones. And her own personal life is even more repulsive…

Pretty amazing, given that I’ve been an anarchist for 20 years — something I’ve always made very clear in past posts that touch on politics — and the post was about not voting. Rand loathed libertarians and anarchists alike, was a staunch advocate of limited government and encouraged voting.

You know what I find 17ish? Whenever I see an argument that begins with “I was once…and then I saw the light.” It’s so cheap, easy to do, and I have always, always found those retorts to be big fat lies. That’s right. I don’t believe Mel. I think she’s lying.

So there.

And whatever you might think of Rand, you are simply deluding yourself if you think that intelligent, serious minded people and scholars do not take her very seriously.

I realize not everyone has a chance to run their life this way, but hopefully you can take a bit of inspiration from it and get someplace like it some day.

So this is my new office. I work just about every day right here for a few hours. Fast Wifi, and there’s none of the work I do that can’t get done (Skype, VOiP soft phone, cell phone). And I can go for a dip or bathe in the sun any time I want.

Slaving Away

I posted this before, but this is where I have been writing almost all of my blog posts as well as my other writing projects.

Stand Up

Well, back the the grind…

Or, if they do, it’s with paw or hoof, tooth or claw

I asked the 20-somethings at The 21 Convention why they would be interested in a one in 300 millionth say in their own affairs and, and, why they would clamor for who’s gonna rule them next. That’s kind of a melange of principle and practical, really, but it’s often not a bad idea to hit a person with the practical first: how’s it working’ out for ya? Maybe you’ll get their attention.

There was a lot more to that part of the presentation, of course, but that will come out in due course when the video is released. During the Q&A, I got predictable questions.

“How how hard is it to go vote; how much time does it take?”

The practical: Too much. And it’s not just the little time and effort it takes to go vote. It’s useless, nothing changes, and most voters spend a lot of time agitating months or even years in advance. It’s a drain on your life that returns nothing if you’re a producer and not a parasite.

The principle: I don’t have a right to even a 1 in 300 millionth say in your affairs and I would not do that to you. In summary, I don’t vote because I have no moral right to, even before the fact that it’s totally masturbatory on a practical level.

Next question: “How about the lesser of two evils?”

Answer: Thank you for pointing out that it’s all evil. I’m not interested in evil. Next.

Anthony, the organizer of the event asked me to clarify, and specifically, about any particular candidates I might judge differently. Well, of course, I immediately mentioned my infatuation with Ron Paul’s campaign and money raising last time around for the next King…er…President.

Sure, admittedly, since nothing will really change, I welcome more rational depth than not. Obama is a commie. W. Bush was an elitist incompetent, far worse than his dad which isn’t saying much, Clinton was a fucking liar of epic proportions and Reagan was a superstar personality who set us off on the greatest federal spending spree since Johnson. Carter is still an embarrassment in every way I can imagine as a man. Ford knew more about baseball than history and Nixon was a general shitbag.

That’s the extent of my personal first hand knowledge. Fuck them all. Why the hell should I vote?

But again, that’s merely the practical. It’s a fucking waste of time and mental energy and you will do well to simply ignore it and channel that energy into life enhancement, entrepreneurship, creativity or whatever else floats your boat or gives you a hardon.

My curiosity is why a human animal would want to subjugate itself to such a process. We’re social animals, but did not evolve in an ant hill or bee hive; we evolved in very small societies where you-animal could account for every other member. And every other member could account for you. Compromise is actually natural in this sort of setting. You compromise all the time in your close social circle and it’s perfectly natural and makes the world go round.

We don’t mind — if we’re rational — lending hand, being generous, charitable, and on and on. But ants and bees are actually quite dumb individually. It is merely the fact of mass collectivization in the billions and trillions that has rendered an insect that collectively, does amazing things.

So that’s what you want? You want to quit being a proud and capable individual animal in exchange for sacrificial insecthood?

Clap, clap, clap.

Be proud, America.

Beyond that, I simply cannot understand the desire to impose my will upon others simply because I can, by chance, happen to vote with the bigger mob.

I’d feel ashamed. Shit, I can even get my non human dogs to feel a sense of shame.

So what’ll be the next Neolithic Mind Toxin? Given events in Norway, I was thinking: defenselessness. We’ll see.

Update: A simple rhetorical question that I recall from USENET many years ago: what if they held an election and no one showed up? It’s rhetorical, so give it your best.

Sitting by the pool at The Los Gatos Swim & Racquet Club enjoying the sun, the cool water, people of all age and gender who look like a human animal ought to look, reflecting on my recent experience at The 21 Convention, looking forward to The Ancestral Health Symposium, and feeling as though I’m recapturing an excitement and enthusiasm for That Paleo Thing I was beginning to fear was lost for good.

I suppose the secret to that is I don’t really think of it as “Paleo” as much as I do the appropriate diet, movement, exercise, sleep, sex, mindset, philosophy, relationships, social behavior and thought processes of the human animal in an evolutionary context; and Freeing that Animal from the stifling, stagnating domestication of the CHAFO (Concentrated Human Animal Feeding Operation) that involves not only the fattening up and disease process, but the mind poisoning that is the result of Neolithic toxins such as organized religion and ant hill collectivism in politics.

So let’s move forward on all of these topics, shall we, over time?

Something else that seems to have had a profound effect on my overall attitude and enthusiasm for all of this is that I stopped doing the daily eating window of fasting (8pm to noon) and am on my 2nd fast in the old way: 30 hours, lunch to dinner the next day. It’s been 28 hours now since I had a lunch of hanger steak, eggs sunny side up, and sautéed vegetables with Keith Norris and Jolly (and his SO), a reader of this blog who did the still photography for The 21 Convention and who will also be doing it for AHS. He’s a very delightful, smiling and positive influence — Jolly — so those of you going next week, be sure to go over and chat him up. You won’t regret it. He was one of the first to introduce himself to me in Orlando and it was really a joy talking to him over those two days.

Meanwhile, Keith Norris is the archetype of “the nicest guy you’d ever want to meet.” We were brothers in arms those whole two days and it was an absolute joy meeting him and hanging out. And he is just as lean and rock solid as his pictures show.

The 21 Convention turned out to far exceed expectations for me. I hit on on everything very, very hard. An hour.25 presentation, I used up every second and then some, and I held back not a whit. I hit the religion and politics just as hard, just as ridiculing as I do here, and I had many come up to me and thank me for making them think, helping them, and letting me know I helped get them started on resolving things that have been bugging them.

That’s no surprise to me. They are far less invested in a failed Neolithic system of domination, domestication and trying to live at the expense of everyone else than are older people with families, a big mortgage, two-car payment and stressful careers, times two. If they ever wanted to make a move, now is the prime time. That was part of the message: NOW, gentlemen.

I’ll let y’all know when the video comes out.

As to AHS, I now have a clearer path to the nuts & bolts of talking about self experimentation. I’m going to hit on the religion and politics there, too, but from a slightly different angle. Come see, watch online, or see it later. I’m chomping at the bit, now.

It’s also time to confess my “sins” to the only entities I’d ever give a fuck about doing so: you readers. From the time of my cervical vertebrae injury last December, I put on about 15 pounds simply because being in chronic pain, I didn’t give a shit (it was actually even worse than that, mentally, for a long time). The lowest I got in weight through this whole process was 175, but I didn’t feel so right initially and got back up to a 180-185 range before embarking on Leangains. By the time of the injury I was in the 175-180 range again, but had packed on a good amount of lean, so I was leaner and felt really good. But through the pain and not giving much of a shit, I went back to a 190-195 range. I was able to hold it there, and adding carbs may have had something to do with that, ironically. I stopped further gain.

In the last couple of weeks or so, by employing the new fasting method coupled with eating big protein before the fast and to break the fast, I’ve taken off 10 of those gained pounds (back to 180-185). Now I have a solid goal and am just as enthusiastic as ever, in spite of my pain coming back a few weeks ago after working overhead for a day cleaning ceiling fans and lights getting my cabin ready to be a vacation rental (which is going very, very well in terms of bookings). I didn’t freak out, and it gets better by the day with minor ups & downs.

OK then. Onward. I’m going to go make a chicken and cod Thai green curry with some crunchy veggies to break my fast. I’ll post a pic to the FTA Facebook Page and to my Twitter account.