And, So It Begins

Actually, it started a long time ago, with the fringe monthlies that didn't kowtow to the Established Thinking.  There have always been those, largely mimeographed sheets of paper staples together, circulated by the convicted.

Don't know what a mimeograph is?  Ask your granny - maybe your great-grandpappy.

Or, just Google it.

The Samizdats did it, even earlier, with their revolutionary documents re-typed, from one to another.  Think of the work it would take to reproduce a book by re-typing it, or copying the book into longhand.

I teach American kids for whom cut-and-paste is too much work.

The trend accelerated with the introduction of fax machines.  What, they're lame technology?  Tell that to the Chinese youth that spearheaded the Tiananmen Square revolution.  They did that armed largely with fax machines to spread the word.

Oh, sorry, you probably CAN'T tell them - they are dead, in prison, or cowed into submission.  A few are still under house arrest or living abroad.

Fast-forward to recent times.

Today's kids use their cell phones to organize their social and political activity.  There is a downside to their method.  It is ephermal - lasting but a short time, and with no quick way to archive the conversation.

However, the videos/Vimeo/Snapchat means they most like to use have been mastered, and used to spread the memes of the Left.

Where does this leave blogs?

You are unlikely to make a financial killing with political blogs.  Sorry, that's just the way it is.  If money is your prime motivator, get a sales job.

The real effect of the political/cultural blogs is to Spread the Learning.  To provoke thought, to educate younger people about historical events that they have MIS-learned, and to build coalitions.

Alternative Ways to Spread the Learning:

• Pass on videos - on Facebook, on Google+, on your and others' blogs.  They should be SHORT, memorable, and educate the viewer.  Think of Andrew Klavan, Bill Whittle, and other Conservatives who currently dominate the media.  You could try producing your own, if you are inclined.  If so, send me a message, and I'll respond.


• Circulate static media - someecards, LiberalLogic101, photos with captions, etc.  To the above places to circulate, try SnapChat - the under 21 crowd ALL use it.  Your objective is simply to provide an alternative voice/meme for people to pass on.  Remember, the goal is to Spread the Learning.


• Read HARD copies of political/cultural books, and pass them on to your friends/library/school.  By doing so, you will maximize the effect of your buying dollar.


• Continue to educate yourself.  Read, discuss, take notes.  Try meeting with others in a book club, if you can.  If that's not possible, try the Ace of Spades online book club.  It's primarily for fiction, but you can also look around to find a like-minded group of readers for political/cultural discussions.  Try Joining Conservative Mentors, or another group - they exist in a wide range of philosophies.  I've also joined the Bible-a-Thon, which is set up to complete reading the entire Old and New Testament in a year.


• Right now, Facebook is experiencing a pushback from those on the Right who are concerned about its evident Leftist bias.  But, let's get real - Conservatives skew older, and FB serves to keep up with the kids and grandkids.  There have been rumblings about an alternative FB, but I haven't seen it happening yet.  There are some things we could try:
  
  
  
  • Migrate to Google+
  
  
  • Try to set up a No Facebook Day - pick a date at least 2 months in the future, and publicize it via - I love this - Facebook.  For 24 hours, set your picture to the logo, and refuse to use FB.
  
  
  • If successful, try setting one day a week - Sunday would be appropriate - to NOT use FB.  Again, make your reason clear with a picture logo, and a statement about your decision.
  
  
  
  

Feel free to add any further idea to this list.

Saturday Randomness

I was reading Fred on Everything (he is interesting - an ex-cop with a jaundiced view of some of them, an expatriate living in Mexico, who contradicts many of the stereotypes about Mexicans, etc.), and he posted on a hot topic - police presence in Black neighborhoods.  His take is - refreshing.

Another column of his that is worth reading is his analysis of how America is already in the dumps - BEFORE Trump.  We've already been taken over by special interests, and no longer live in a democracy (or republic).

If, like me, you want to return to a time of more freedom, pre-Federal-government-runs-everything, we might want to start planning how to take the Feds down - NOT with warfare, but with resistance, tactical refusal to give them our money, and state-by-state resistance.  I'm NOT talking revolution - that's a dead idea.  Instead, let's work incrementally, to chip away at Leftist strongholds.

Some starting points:

• Stop sending them money.  Find work that can be done under-the-table.  No taxes, no Social Security.  That last part would be difficult, but COULD be made up by the local authorities, who could collect at that level what is needed by people with no other resources.  The fact is, most people have other resources (and, when they don't have to pay Federal taxes, they have more).  Stick your extra money under the mattress - you don't want to leave it in banks, where it is vulnerable to being confiscated.


• Refuse to give ONE penny to any college for worthless degrees.  Tell your kids - "I'll pay for you to get a trade".  That's likely to be the best thing you'll ever do for that kid - it's a way of earning a living that is less likely to be outsourced.


• Maine is one of the states that reduced its welfare rolls by insisting on able-bodied people actually looking for work, enrolling in job programs, or working at part-time unpaid activities.  Surprise, surprise, as Gomer Pyle would say - almost all said, "Not worth it", and dropped off the rolls.  Other states could do this.


• Return the Federal lands to the people.  In several states, this could be a new Settlement Rush.  If there are FEMA-type trailers stored in the state, let them be re-purposed (NO complaints about their condition - the receivers fix them up themselves, and Caveat Emptor).


• Take back the schools - clear out much of the administration, turn them over to local organizations, who are responsible for finding the funding.  Except in the poorest sections of town, schools should be fully funded by the LOCAL neighborhood.  Yes, I'm talking breaking up the big city schools.  With the administration gone, costs should drop, while STILL allowing the teachers to get paid reasonably.  Replace the assistant principals with recently retired military - the AP's are mostly used for muscle to control the students, so let's get in people who know how to keep people in line.  Actually TEACH reading - anyone who cannot read at grade level should spend 1/2 their day in disciplined phonics-based reading programs - reading content-rich practical text, or NON-dystopian literature.  Anyone who cannot do math at grade level should be spending the class time on old-fashioned programs, like Saxon Math.  What little time remains should be spend on civics education that actually teaches about the Constitution and other foundational documents and principles, and practical science.

This is a link to a VERY pessimistic column.  I'm not so sure they are right - while the young seem to embrace the Socialist Revolution, at this point, it's theoretical, and their "enlightened" attitudes don't cost them.  Once the impact of the price exacted comes home, I doubt they will continue their "yeah, let's spread money around" thinking.

One MAJOR reason that the country has changed is that there are a whole lot of women who are supported by government, whether directly, with welfare or government employment, or indirectly, in nonprofits and niches like Human Resources, which are required to be so bloated because of governmental regulations.  Take away the regs, and many women in these staff positions will find themselves on the street.  At that point, they MAY come to their senses.  Either way, citizens will no longer be funding their hectoring.

I'm thinking divide & conquer:

• Use legal means to reduce government.  Fewer regulations, liberation of federal lands (with encouragement to settle on them, we might reduce the numbers in the cities), reduction of administrative bloat in government.


• Write GOOD curriculum for all ages, to explain what good government looks like, and what limitations on the federal government already exist.  Offer it, free, to schools, along with e-books telling stories that reinforce those ideas.

Lastly, here is a link to someone who, like me, supported Cruz.  Now, she has to decide which candidate will do the LEAST damage to the USA.

I've been getting rosy economic stories from Liberal/Progressive friends.  Apparently, thinking that Obama's disastrous economic policies have created a hollowed-out economy is blatant racism.

Mea culpa.

Of course, there is this, and this.  BTW, that last stat?  Straight from the Labor Dept.



 

Apparently, no matter how you massage numbers, the damned things just keep adding up to the same conclusion.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PRO-Western Civ

Isn't it funny that such a statement makes me stand out?  I'll make it more pointed:

I am devoutly, unashamedly in favor of teaching ALL students who are on track to be high school graduates, the Foundations of Civilization, from the perspective of Western History.

This DOESN'T mean that students shouldn't learn about other cultures, just that we shouldn't glamorize them at the expense of their own culture:

• Learn about Japan, including its history of rule by military, its current political and economic structure, and, by the way, Japan's complete exclusion of other races/ethnic groups from full participation in that culture.  They are quite racist, as well.


• China - its colonization of other countries, including the country of Tibet.  Its shaky economic structure, its refusal to allow Free Speech, Freedom of Religion, and its use of political prisoners as slave labor.


• France - its interlocking elitist governance, its abandonment of elderly people to die, its colonizing past (which, when they left Vietnam, did nothing to restore the country and led the condemnation against America for stepping into the breach), and it willingness to cooperate with vile dictators, while villifying Israel.

I could go on and on.  We need leaders whose first impulse is not to apologize for our country, our culture, and our history.  We need students to learn about the GOOD our country, and the whole of Western peoples have done.  We need proud defenders of democracy, freedom, and Western culture.

Read more here.

What Education Has Become

I'm a teacher. The "Progressive/Social Justice" model was just beginning when I was certified.  I gotta be honest, at that time, I was all in on that approach.

Fast Forward 30 years:

Now, the SJW (Social Justice Warrior) model is the ONLY one. Those not toeing the line have been tossed out/retired/hounded by the RE-gressive Mob. As a result, the ONLY teaching model the younger teachers have been exposed to is SJW.

What has happened to education?

It's NOT a pretty sight.

Sobbing for Celebrities

I'm always puzzled by the extended outpouring of "grief" that emits from fans when their Idol has succumbed to death, untimely or not.

I mean, I want to give them a shake, loudly imploring, "Get a LIFE!".  I don't, instead ensuring my continued friendly relations by saying, "Oh, I'm so sorry to hear that", with that upturned eyebrows feign of sorrow and concern.

The celebrities that have generated the most waterworks:

• Michael Jackson - 50 year old - even I had to experience a momentary pause, thinking it was a shame that he died so young.  Then, I thought about his victims over the years, and that feeling passed.


• Judy Garland - 47 - addictions.


• Kurt Cobain - 27 - I was too old to even know his music.  He seemed to celebrate suicide and chemical addiction.


• Jimi Hendrix - 27 - again, an addict, fairly predictable that he would die young.


• Janis Joplin - 27 - see above.


• Marilyn Monroe - 36 - again, the addiction problems seem to be a theme here.


• Princess Diana - 36 - Car accidents can affect any age group, but excessive speed seems to have been a factor.  Apparently, she was trying to escape the press that she so cultivated in her short life.

For most of the above, the chemical dependencies were probably the major factor in their untimely deaths.  Which shows that FEELING like you're invincible is not the same as BEING invincible.  I'm NOT saying that drug addiction makes you worthy of death, but that there are consequences for abuse.

The celebrities deaths that were - more or less - to be expected at their age.

• David Bowie - 69


• Maurice White - Earth, Wind, and Fire - 74


• Abe Vigoda - 94


• Dan Haggerty (Grizzly Adams show) - 74


• Alan Rickman - 69


• Leonard Nimoy - 83


• Joan Rivers - 81 (You shouldn't TELL her age!)


• Lauren Bacall - 89

I don't think that it's the celebrity that the public is mourning - it's the realization that an integral part of their youth is gone.  For many, if not most, music evokes the emotions.  It's not the music or the celebrity that they miss, but the way the music made them feel - young, hopeful, and alive.

So, what does all this mean?  Beats me.  I do note that the celebrities that are having problems with their everyday lives are the most loudly mourned.  This might be aligned with their appeal to Drama Queens.

How People Choose Their Leaders

Actually, it's a LOT like they choose their bands, shoes, cars, and spouses.

Emotion.

In all of the above, they like how their choice makes them FEEL.

I was having a discussion with a friend who is passionate about rock bands.  I said, "My husband likes his 1950's singers for the same reason you like your bands."

He started to argue with me, pointing out all of the reasons why HIS bands ruled - the lyrics, the instrumental virtuosity, the unforgettable music.

Nope, I said.  You chose them for the same reason.

They make you FEEL like you were young again.  They remind you of how it was to be young, at the peak of your physical powers, and attractive to potential partners.

You love the FEELING, not the music.

Many people pick their shoes the same.  I've long been puzzled by the many celebrity women, who, judging from the deformations of their feet, will wear tremendously uncomfortable shoes, that cause their foot and toe structure to undergo permanent damage.

When you ask them why they wear those shoes, they exclaim that the shoes are SO comfortable.

Their own body tells the lie.

So, why do they choose those shoes?

Because when they wear them, they FEEL glamorous, sexy, stylish.

It's about the FEELINGS.

That's a major reason why Ted Cruz - some say the MOST qualified person in the presidential race - cannot gain traction.

True, he is also handicapped by a (until recently) crowded field.  But, that doesn't tell the entire story.  He is appealing to our reason, our logic - but, that's NOT how most people make their choice.

Cruz is not gifted with the ability to touch people's emotions.  I'm not sure that it's a teachable skill - it my be one of those things you either have, or have not.

______________________________________________________

I think I figured out WHY Rubio was so slow to quit the race.  He had to realize that the numbers were not his friend.  So, it makes sense that winning was not, after the first few primaries/caucuses, his motivation.

I think he stayed in deliberately to tank Cruz's chances.  I think his ego was involved.

Why Cruz?

Because only Cruz could block him from being the FIRST Hispanic President.

And, therefore, being in the history books for all time.

Anyone else wouldn't keep him from realizing his dream.  Only Ted stood in the way.

Beautiful, But - The PRICE!

The gowns are lovely (although that dress that Shasha is wearing is a LITTLE too mature for a 14-year old).

But - almost $20,000 for a dress for a TEEN?  When the economy is tanking fast?

NOT good political thinking.

Unless you're Marie Antoinette.

Something to Think About - A LONG March for Conservatives

Bookworm's Link - you need to read it.

In some respects, our current situation with the nomination is our own fault - for too long, Conservatives have been narrowly focused on POLITICAL solutions:

• Passing legislation to stop Obamacare, keep the status quo regarding man-woman marriage, stop abortion clinics from exploiting women, etc.


• Suing in courts to enforce Constitutionally-guaranteed rights


• Electing reliably Conservative politicians

After all that effort, we find ourselves watching a NON-Conservative wanna-be candidate taking over "our" party, and being unable to stop that juggernaut, despite the Republican party having a RICH trove of potential candidates standing by.  One by one, they have been savaged in the media, until, we are down to 2 top choices - either Trump, or a man that - although I support him - is not exactly Mr. Charismatic.

Folks, we need to focus more of our attention on the CULTURAL hegemony.

What is "hegemony"?

Progressive/Liberals/Leftists have imposed THEIR Cultural Hegemony on the rest of us - the majority - to the extent that it can be worth your life, your livelihood, and your reputation to challenge that Belief System.  From Wikipedia:

In Marxist philosophy, the term cultural hegemony describes the domination of a culturally diverse society by the ruling class, who manipulate the culture of that society — the beliefs, explanations,perceptions, values, and mores — so that their ruling-class worldview becomes the worldview that is imposed and accepted as the cultural norm; as the universally valid dominant ideologythat justifies the social, political, and economic status quo as natural, inevitable, perpetual and beneficial for everyone, rather than as artificial social constructs that benefit only the ruling class.

As Saul Alinsky said, "Make them live up to their rules."  Make the Progressive Rulers live up to their cultural norms - force them to accept alternative viewpoints by challenging them in their own words.

 

On My Last Nerve

I'm pretty well worn out today, by a combination of things:

• House(s) issues - they seem to drag on forever, and, just when you think it's over, another problem pops up.


• Money issues - my husband and I disagree on spending.  He has declared, for the last 5 years, that THIS SUMMER, we will take a cruise.  Each time I hear that, I say, "as long as we don't put it on a credit card", which is the match lighting for a good fight.  I think we have WAY too much stuff; he thinks of shopping as a recreational activity.


• I've been trying to work out on a regular basis - life keeps handing me a curve ball.  Sometimes, I have gotten injured; other times, I'm so overloaded with meetings and grading, I just don't have the energy.  I'm still stuck at the same weight I have been for 3 years.


• Politics - I never thought I'd say this, but I'm sick of it - BOTH Democratic and Republican.  Trump is on a roll, in great part to the ego problems of people who wouldn't get out of the race until the last 2 weeks.  Neither Cruz nor Rubio will budge (although I think they should meet, and show their hole cards - what do they have on the other, that would make their loss in November a virtual certainty.  I'm personally guessing that Rubio has a woman problem - no evidence, but that's my gut feeling.  For that reason alone, I think he should gracefully bow out, and support Cruz.)  At this point, I just think whoever drops out should cede their support to the other, and beat Trump.  The more the public learns about him, the less they like him.


• Whoever wins the election, I'm going to be working to:
  
  
  
  • Get out of debt
  
  
  • Diversify my assets
  
  
  • Stockpile a WTSHTF go-box
  
  
  • Get the rest of my life in order
  
  
  
  

Folks, this disruptive time is NOT just about your personal survival - it's about the survival of our civilization.  Pray for America, but also work for its survival.

Conventional Wisdom

One major aspect that is wrong with American Life is that minority viewpoints use our basic desire to compromise as a way of "pushing the camel's nose into the tent".  What is that?  Here is one example of the story:

One day an Arab and his camel were crossing the desert. Night came and the temperature became colder. The Arab put up his tent and tied the camel to it. The Arab went to sleep.

The temperature became slightly colder and the camel asked the Arab if he (camel) could just put his nose in the tent to warm up. The Arab agreed that the camel could just put his nose in, because the tent was small and there was no room for 2. So the camel's nose became warm and after a while the temperature went down even more.

The camel asked the Arab again, if he (camel) could just put his fore legs in because they were very cold. The Arab reluctantly agreed that the camel could only put his fore legs in and no more. So the camel moved in his fore legs and they became warm. After sometime the camel asked the Arab again that he had to put in his hind legs or else he won't be able to make the journey the next morning with frozen legs. So the Arab agreed and once the camel moved his hind legs in, there was no more room in the tent for the Arab and the Arab was kicked out.

The concept of conventional wisdom is always defeated by an entity determined to get its way, first asking for a "harmless" concession of a tired opponent, then, incrementally, continuing to push to achieve its long-term goal.  Just keep that in mind next time you're asked to make ONE TINY compromise.

Hold firm.

In other news:

P. J. O'Rourke has gone out of his mind.

He is foaming at the mouth about Ted Cruz.  Yes, TED - Blanking - CRUZ.  According to P. J., having Cruz as the Republican candidate would be THE Ultimate Worst Thing (I assume that he is patenting the phrase).

Why?

Because Ted is not fervently in favor of SSM (Same Sex Marriage) and legalized marijuana.

Really.

That's it?  One of the most qualified Republicans - one that ACTUALLY held the line when the Dems tried to push their agenda on the Senate - and the problem he has with Ted is that he thinks we ought to not upset a socially-recognized marriage tradition that has lasted for all of recorded history.  Oh, and, that, absent GOOD - not anecdotal - scientific evidence that pot is worth legalizing, we shouldn't change its status.

Really.

Now, many disagree about the SSM thing.  I do understand that.  From my perspective, I'd rather the government get the Blank out of the marriage endorsement altogether, and just institute Civil Unions.  Those who WANT to get married, can - assuming that they can find a minister, Internet-ordained person, Cultic Leader, or other person that can persuade a religious/spiritual/frankly-nutty-offbeat-organization to handle the ceremony.

No - absolutely NO - pressure on churches/temples/mosques to marry people against their principles.

Got few problems with that.

Oh, and, if someone has a preferred title - Mr., Mrs., Miss, Ms., Supreme Leader, whatever - let's accept that addressing them by that title is optional, not mandatory.  Most people will go along.  Some will have objections.

Let's just decide that "Citizen" is the acceptable alternative for those with philosophical objections.  As in, Citizen Cruz.  Citizen Clinton (either).  And, Citizen O'Rourke.

And, the pot thing?

Listen, I've taught for many years.  Before that, I often encountered people under the influence of Wacky Weed.  Including one of my roommates, and her friends.

I can assure you, with absolute confidence, NOT ONE of those so impaired was in any way smarter, more rational, or having razor-sharp reflexes.

In fact, there was little to distinguish them from someone born Lazy, Mentally Slow-Processing, and, to be honest, Dumb as Dirt.

NOT what I want to see as the norm for American Citizens.  Nor, for that matter, those under the age of 18.

Oh, but, legalization will only affect those OVER 18.

Right.

Sure.

Of course, the fact that buying or using pot by a minor will be against the law will TOTALLY stop them from doing it.

Just like the fact that it's illegal now stops them.

/sarc

According to Hoyt

She has the neatest blog - politics, culture, and, of course, fantasy and sci-fy (she is an author, having been published both IRL by Baen and in digital form).

One of the best things is the way she analyzes America from the standpoint of an outsider, which she was, initially.  Sarah was born and raised in Portugal, and retains the ability to see us at a distance.

"The Long March" is 2 days old, but worth the time reading it.

Probably  the most crucial part?

There is strife.  Strife means the old blood and the new don’t agree.  Another way to look at it is renewal.

Problem is advocates of liberty are about as good at coordinated action as a bunch of cats

It's true, the Left outflanks us at unified action.  Gone are the days when Democrats proudly proclaimed, "I'm not a member of a political organization - we're not organized at all".

Mao and his ilk would be bursting his jacket-buttons at the way modern American Leftists have managed to corral ordinary American citizens into lockstep.  They've done it by the time-honored manner used by so many Leftists - enforcement of cultural norms and social shaming, pressure on their peers to banishment the non-conformers, and threats - threatened and actual - against employment.

Who could have predicted that the Woodstock Generation would turn to methods they ridiculed when they were the outsiders?

What is Dumber Than a NYT Columnist?

The answer is:

Nothing.

Nothing is dumber than a NYT Columnist.

A perfect example of that is the mindless regurgitating of an academic study that explores why some people, in extreme situations, freeze in place.  The brain activity that causes it, the possible alternative ways to keep that from affecting peoples' survival in crisis situations, and all of that other academic hedging is explained.

Why?

Because the academic has explored bold new territory?  Come up with novel solutions?

No.

Towards the end, only a hint of POSSIBLE ways to fight the freeze are given.  No doubt, this "conclusion" will be used to argue for more money to study the problem further.

Whereas any "uneducated" Redneck could tell you the solution to the problem.

Join the military - particularly the Marines.  I guaran-damn-tee you that your "hard-wired" tendency to freeze will completely disappear.  It will be replaced by practiced, rote training that overrides your instinctual freeze.

Funding agencies, please contact me for information about where to send the check.

What is an American?

I've written on this before.  It's a subject that fascinates me, as I grew up in a working class neighborhood that, during my childhood, was apparently the destination of choice for many immigrants.

Some of the nationalities I've known in my younger days:

• English - my best pal's father was a retired military man from England


• Irish - both Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland


• Yugoslavian


• Greek (one of my dad's best buddies was a Greek who became an American by volunteering for the Army)


• Egyptian - my daughter's friend in high school was Coptic


• Arabic - both Christians and Muslims - many friends of both groups


• German


• Brazilian


• Romanian


• Hungarian


• Polish - my aunt married a Pole who was a Byzantine Catholic


• Swedish


• Estonian


• Russian


• Japanese

That list is just off the top of my head, and would probably be 2-3 times longer if I took more time to think about it.

The thing is, I lived surrounded by people who originally were from someplace else, and I spent enough time with them to get a feel for how their home language sounded, what they ate, how they interacted with each other and with Americans, what their political and religious beliefs were - it was a good introduction to Assimilation 101 as you could get.

Sarah Hoyt writes here about her experiences in America after leaving Portugal.

As a result, I do understand that fitting in is tough, that feeling like an outsider is emotionally draining, and that even a country like America, which does accept outsiders into the family, also harbors preconceptions about their "foreignness".

I've even had experiences with being the New Kid, as a result of marrying a man who likes to pick up and move to new places.  I initiated only one of those moves, to the South.  Surprisingly, I was able to assimilate more easily than he was.  Some of that was due to long practice with having to make new friends in a strange place.  Some of that was my ease with taking on a new culture.  Like some who find themselves in a new land, I am more than often charmed by the regional differences, and willing to adapt to them.  After all, the locals stayed in their original location, and are presumably happy with their home.

I was the traveler, who moved here.  I should adapt.  And, mostly, I have.

That's what I expect from immigrants - that they recognize that THEY were the ones who left home, and that THEY should make some personal changes to fit in.  Not give up everything, like the Fresh Off the Boat show, but make an effort to learn the language - enough to communicate with Americans.  We're not that fussy; we'll learn to handle your unique accent, your occasional mangled syntax.  Well, we might tease you a little, but we do that to many people (for example, Yankees and Southerners).  Our teasing implies that we consider you one of us, and it doesn't mean we don't like you.  Quite the opposite - we only tease family.

That's the important thing - America is one of the few places on Earth that will not only let you in, but, eventually, let you into the family.  You become an American.

Americans not liking immigrants?  Ridiculous!  I don't know anyone who doesn't tear up at the sight of each new batch of Americans reciting the oath that makes them Americans - it's like America's way of adopting new family members.

We do not, however, warm to lawless groups of border-jumpers.  Most of us are in favor of rounding them up and returning them to the country they came from.  And, as for those who do it more than once - I'd have no problem sending them to prison for 10 or more years, followed by deportation.  In fact, I'd like to explore a prison set up off-shore (there are a lot of islands in the Pacific who would love to have the money coming into their communities) specifically for 2nd-time offenders of immigration law.

What about their families in America, particularly those who have American-born children?

They can select from:

• Voluntarily returning, taking their American children with them - suspended fines, to be imposed if they come back.  The child may return after achieving their majority.


• Leaving their American children with an American family of their choice, to be raised by them in America.


• Giving up custody of their American children, to be adopted by Americans.

That's it.  I'm not willing to bend the rules just because they managed to evade the law long enough to create an American child.

Ending the Subsidization of Our Own Downfall

The next President must dedicate at least a little energy to halting the free reign of 501(c)4 organizations.

They are organizations that are not supposed to be overtly partisan or political.  However, in practice, they usually are.  One such organization is Organizing for America (really, it's Organizing for America's Downfall!).

Here are the rules for 501(c)4's.

On a related note, universities seem to be particularly exempt from rules of basic decency.  They scream about "equal pay for equal work", yet ignore on of the most egregious examples of its lack on campus.

Equal pay for equal work may be a national rallying cry. Yet for some reason, academia expects that it can pay a graduate-student teaching assistant or a PhD-holding part-time instructor a fraction of what it would pay a tenured full professor for teaching the identical class. The gulf between a full professor and a part-timer — in terms of money, power, and status — far exceeds that between the WalMart manager and his greeter at the door. And at least the latter pair have far different tasks. Is such disparity liberal?

Read more at: National Review

 

Maybe We Are on a Road to the Future

I've been reading Sarah Hoyt lately - she has an interesting slant on the Human Condition.

I need something to inspire me today.

Some Catholic Things

I was watching a video from Word on Fire (Fr. Barron), and thought it was a useful explanation of the role of the Pope in the Catholic Church.  If you are not a Catholic (and, maybe, if you are/were), the authority of the Pope is not well understood.

Some non-Catholics think that we blindly follow every statement from the Pope (do those people KNOW any Catholics!), others that everything the Pope says is divinely inspired, still others believe that Catholics are not familiar with the Bible, as they are believed to be forbidden to read it.

Addressed in order:

• NO, we don't all follow the Pope's religious instruction - many, for example, insist on using contraceptives, do not attend Mass regularly, ignore what is said about charity, war, modesty, et al.
  
  
  
  • One issue is that once baptized, and unless formally excommunicated, you are considered a Catholic for life.  The great majority attend only at Christmas and Easter, and ignore the little bit of doctrine they actually know.  Others, like Joy Behar, continue to self-identify as "raised Catholic" - not practicing in decades,  disagreeing with everything, and woefully ignorant of just about anything in the actual Catholic church.
  
  
  
  


• Everything the Pope says is NOT divinely inspired - only those things relating to faith or morals teaching are considered infallible.  So, don't take his advice on how to bet on a horse race (no more reliable than any other person).  Also, this does NOT mean that the Pope never sins - he does, after all, have to make his Confession just like everyone else (and I assume he also loses his temper, tells "white lies" to avoid hurting someone's feelings, and harbors ill feelings towards annoying people - he is, after all, human).


• Practicing Catholics, whether they realize it or not, are intimately familiar with the Bible - Old and New Testament - a good portion of it is read each day in the Mass - a reading from the Old Testament, one of the Psalms, a reading from the New Testament, and the Gospel.  It's on a 3-year cycle, rotating from the various Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John), and other books of the Bible.
  
  
  
  • Most Catholics own at least one Bible (I have 5-6 of them, in various places).  True, most don't often break it out, unless it is to check out something someone said, but it's a rare home of a practicing Catholic that doesn't have a Bible.
  
  
  • I own:
    
    
    
    • A Gideon NT - received from the Gideons when they were doing a distribution at my college - portable and useful for comparing with the Catholic versions.
    
    
    • A Douay-Rheims - Big, seldom taken off the shelf, bought during our first year of marriage.
    
    
    • Several St. Joseph versions - often used in Catholic high schools.  One is very small (about 4 x 6), and useful when traveling.
    
    
    • New American version - I think it's my husband's.
    
    
    • New International version - can't remember when we got that.
    
    
    
    
  
  
  • I also facilitate our Wednesday Adult Faith group, and read the next Sunday's Mass readings, as well as help focus the discussion of their meaning following that.  Right now, we're also viewing a video about the Gospel of John, and how it applies to our lives.
  
  
  
  

I'll be posting about once a week more about the Catholic faith, and how its teachings are a part of my life.

Heinlein's Crazy Times

In some of his books, Heinlein refers to the time period in which society's foundations totally collapsed, and government was incapable of performing even the most basic protective functions, as the Crazy Times.

We're at least in the cusp, if not fully at that point now.

Words fail me.

The Antebellum Campus

Today's campuses have a LOT in common with the Old South, pre-Civil War:

• ALL women are fragile, delicate flowers


• They cannot TAKE coarse, rough language


• They are put on a pedestal (in today's terms, they CANNOT be criticized for ANYTHING)


• They can say or do anything, without forfeiting their position


• They can chastise any men, without fear of being contradicted


• They are prone to the vapors if the subject veers into potentially upsetting topics


• Their virtue (sexual and otherwise) may NOT be questioned


• They are not responsible for their actions - it was ALWAYS the fault of the big, bad man


• They are ENTITLED to support from some man, or the government - surely, you don't expect them to PAY for their upkeep?

The Atrocity From Planned Parenthood

Yeah, I know, there are ALWAYS atrocities from them.

This one involves selling human body parts from abortions.

'Cause, ya know, you NEED to make your money back!  Plus some more!

If you are not OUTRAGED, if you are not APPALLED, then move on.  And seriously question your humanity.

Follow the logic. If children can be bought and sold, then what do we call that?

It’s called slavery.

So, when is the mainstream media going to find it important to talk about, write about, and urge Americans to protest it?

 

Some "Solutions" Cause More Problems Than They Resolve

This change is one that has been suggested by MANY people.

Although it would avoid the problem of the state forcing compliance on the Church, it would be more likely to end up with something like they have in Europe (which does things this way, for the most part) - most couples just use the state-sponsored method of getting official recognition of their marriage.  Few bother with the Church Wedding (or, do it for the sake of the parents, who might be pressuring the young couple).

One of the side effects of Church weddings is that it's an opportunity for Church representatives to spend some time with the couple.  It can be a teaching opportunity, and a point of catechesis.

I DON'T believe that this will lead to fewer problems - in fact, it is likely to lead to more.  For those couples that were previously told that they couldn't be married in the Church, imagine the OUTRAGE of an already-married - or will-be-married couple who is informed that they are not eligible for a Church wedding.  I can see the bonanza for lawyers who will sue the Church.

This will not just be gay couples, but also previously married and divorced people, cohabiters, and - if my expectations are realized - still-married potential polygamists.

The Progressive lobby will be encouraging the lawsuits, picketing, protests - not because they give a rat's @$$ about Church weddings, but because it will tie up Church funds, time, and energy, as well as provide a platform for their posturing.

Beware of "simple" solutions.