Guilty

Don't you just hate being guilty of a crime until you are otherwise proven innocent? I am referring to the habit of retailers (you know who you are Wal-Mart) inspecting and verifying with their fancy little marking pen, every bill larger than a 10 spot. I will grant them that they cant accept counterfeit cash, but but they have to make it so blatant? Right in front of me, god and everyone? No one seems to care if your debit or credit card is fake or stolen as long as the machine says "approved." But hand them cash, and suddenly you become "Public Enemy #1" until that infernal little marker exonerates you.
I don't care what modifications have to be made to the banking system, or build scanners into the cash drawers, or some other technology, not my problem or responsibility. You don't want my cash? Fine, put up a small sign saying so and I will go elsewhere. But don't treat your customers like criminals.
I'm sure its all part of a conspiracy by the banking cartel to wean us off the cash standard, much like they did the gold standard in 1907. And of course the federal imperial government probably has their hand in on it too. The benefits to the banking, financial, and government agency's of a cashless monetary system are enormous... for them. For you and me, it only means less liberty, and more efficient means of tracking the individual. Already, a vast number of crimes are solved through following an electronic trail of money transactions. Unfortunately, a lot more legitimate transactions have to be scrutinized to find the criminal ones. Now imagine a world without cash, all electronic, easily accessible by any agency, or even hackers. The potential for abuse is unimaginable.
Do you really want your purchase history known to every government hack, and banking employee? For then to know that your last five purchases were a doctors services, a script for penicillin at Walgreen's, a box of condoms from Wal-mart, half a dozen leather straps from Luscious Leather Goods, and 3 porn DVD's from Woody's Toolshed? I didn't think so. And why? Because it is no one's business but your own.
So the next time your cash is inspected before its accepted, think about where its leading, and maybe protest a little at being guilty until proven innocent.

Irritating TV adverts

Don't you find some TV ads so irritating you want to throw something at the TV and maybe bitch slap whoever dreamed up such drivel? Currently the most irritating ad on TV IMO is one of those home security alarm companies. I'm sure you have seen the one where the guy is jogging along and stops to tie his shoe as the husband kisses his wife goodbye and then drives off. As the car disappears the bad guy pulls his hood up and runs to kick in the door, at which time the alarm goes off and the woman, who's doing dishes (yeah right) jumps and drops the dish as the guy runs away and a smarmy alarm company guy calls to ask if shes alright, to which she says "I think someone tried to break in."
Do you think lady? The front door in splinters wasn't enough of a clue for ya? Of course the implication here is that with the Whiz-Bang Alarm Company's service, you poor defenseless ladies wont be raped by hoodie wearing white guys.
For once I would like to see a more realistic ad....
Same scenario up till the guy kicks in the door.....
Cut to the woman doing dishes, she carefully puts the plate down silently...
Her right hand goes behind her back, camera angles to show a compact .45 caliber 1911 in a pancake holster in the small of her back being drawn.....
Gun drawn and braced pointed at the door to the hallway....
Bad guy bursts into the kitchen.... and skids to a halt....
Housewife orders scumbag to lie down and spread 'em...
Womans calls 911 and police are shown hauling bad guy off in cuffs.
Alternate ending -
Housewife orders scumbag to lie down and spread 'em...
Bad guy lunges toward woman, (she been to the range every week since she was 12) who expertly puts a massive round through his upper chest, puncturing a lung, breaking the clavicle, and blowing out the shoulder joint....
Bad guy, moaning in pain, is roughly hauled away by police....
Smarmy alarm guy is attacked by crazed hamsters.
Now THAT would be a cool ad!

Global Warming?

A recent article explains a scientist's desire to place sensors on the moon from which to measure and study so called global warming. Or more accurately, solar radiation fluctuations and its effects on its satellites (the moon and earth).
The overwhelming arrogance of some people to believe that mere humans and our assorted activities have a major impact on the (average) mass of the atmosphere of about 5,000 trillion metric tons, is astounding in the extreme. A single volcanic eruption spews more "greenhouse gases" and particulates into the atmosphere than all human activity for a decade. And yet the worst that happens (globally) are beautiful sunsets for a couple of years then its gone.
I suppose the reason for the popularity of the belief in global warming is so that folks won't feel small and insignificant.
Hundreds of years ago the earth was the center of the universe and folks felt mighty important to be living on the only inhabited rock in the whole of creation. Heady stuff that! But now, with the advance of science, we know just how small and infinitesimal, our entire existence really is in the grander scheme of things. What better way to recapture our former grandeur, than to think we, and our activities, make a difference. We demand to be important again!
Heh.
The most logical and common sense reason for climate temperature variations is that great, bright, flaming ball of fusing hydrogen in the sky. Which, by the way, is known to be variable in its output. So putting a sensor array on the moon, away from the influence of human activities , will finally settle this matter once and for all, so we can get on with more important matters. Like fair taxes, or ending genocide, or who will be the next "American Idol".
Oh, and if you really want to reduce CO2 emissions, plant a few trees or flowers, they love the stuff. Now thats a "green" idea! (Pun intended)

Conversations with a soldier, 1

Here are a few excerpted comments from my side of the conversation after my son expressed dismay at the lack of backbone in American society and global politics.
This country has morals, a majority in fact, the problem is that the people in power are the ones with no morals. If 3 million people that are in positions of influence are corrupt and immoral, that leaves 99% of the population, yet the perception is one of overall immorality.
Far too many baby-boomer's think that if we could all stand around holding hands and signing kumbaya, we would all live in peace. What these fuckwits don't acknowledge is that the other motherfucker only wants to kill us or convert us. As we both know, and Patton said, the way to win a war is not to die for your country, but to make the other dumb bastard die for his (religion).
Most Americans would settle for a 'leave me alone, leave you alone' attitude, but since the islamofascists have set the bar higher at 'die or convert', only a fool would still try to play the game at the lower threshold. In that vein, if the threshold is set that high we have but one choice...
Kill 'em all.
Unfortunately, you are going to have to spend a lot of time in a sandbox and a lot of American civilians are going to have to die, before the powers that be realize this truth.

Boring?

My eldest son is currently 3 months into his second tour of Iraq, only 12 more to go. I was chatting with him awhile ago online with one of those Instant Messenger services. Its amazing that such close contact can be maintained with a soldier who is deployed to an active war zone! Unprecedented, and I venture to posit, historic in its magnitude. More about that some other time though. My chat with him was rather short and superficial in its entirety. This isn't really a bad thing, inasmuch that other than classified events that he is prohibited from talking about, a lack of noteworthy events in a war zone is fantastic. He, of course, has far more to chat with to his friends his own age, than to dear old Dad. This bothers me not at all, and is normal and expected.
What is noteworthy is the lack of significant events. Who ever heard of fighting a war thousands of miles from home, surrounded on all sides by hostile forces and nations, and not having something to talk about? Its similar to having a factory job, boring and routine, yet this is a war.
Now don't get me wrong, I know over 3000 Americans have fallen during the last 4 years, and I mourn the loss of these brave soldiers. But as I was pointing out to my soldier son awhile back, more Americans died as a result of alcohol related traffic incidents in the first 3 months of the year, than during 4 years of war.
If the rest of his deployment is this uneventful, I will consider it a roaring success.

Umm, could be rabbit!

"Politics is supposed to be the second-oldest profession. I have come to realize that it bears a very close resemblance to the first." Ronald Reagan
So does this mean the 'john' is the taxpayer, who has to pay to get screwed? I think ol' Ron was more right than he knew.

Grand (Re)Opening

The overly opinionated old goat is back. I had thought about resuscitating the old "Infectious Individualism", but couldn't remember the user name, or password. I had closed it anyway. R.I.P. Its still a good read IMO, but then I'm biased aren't I? Give it a read if you wish.
Funniest thing though - I hadn't looked at the old blog in a year, and upon rereading my last post was amazed and a bit shocked to see that the very news and events that I had ranted about then, 54 weeks ago, could have been todays headlines! I suppose it just goes to prove the old adage, "Same Shit, Different Day"
Anyway, I hope to get a chance to rant, at least semi-intelligently, here on occasion. My hope is that not only will I have an outlet for my musings and random thoughts, but to be thought-provoking and perhaps even entertaining to any who may stumble upon these words.
I invite comments of at least room temperature IQ. Since I am often accused of being an ogre, be warned, ogres hate trolls, not only will I crunch troll bones, I delete their comments too.