Several things I feel like saying

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Item 1: Losing My Religion

Section A:

Video of law enforcement officers shooting a homeless camper in New Mexico has made the rounds of the talks shows (I guess), the Internet and certainly some "Christian news" outlets. There's my issue.

These "Christian" media sources have no problem in showing a video in which a real man is shot with real guns and dies a real death. Regardless of the expressed opinion, if there is one, these media outlets are showing a very real death.

Kids see this.

And yet, seeing a video of two people having sex is harmful, degrading, evil, destructive, ruinous, dangerous and will lead to all kinds of immoral and illegal behavior.

Section B:

Pat Robertson has suggested that atheist women were possibly raped or otherwise attacked and now have demonic forces driving them away from God.

I guess he forgot about that whole "Free Will" thing.

Conclusion: If I relied on man for my faith in my Creator, I'd be a rabid anti-theist.

Item 2: Freedom Reigns, just sometimes reigned in.

Section A:

Hobby Lobby is suing to prevent the Abominable Care Act from forcing the company to provide abortion services as part of the health care plan. Company owners say it violates their religious principles. In SCOTUS hearings this week, the Supremes seemed to come down hard against the ACA and in support of Hobby Lobby et al.

Given a lot of thought to this.

As an employer, I expect certain behavior from my employees. As long as what they do in their off time does not affect their job and how they do their job, I don't care what they do. In that regard, their health insurance is their business.

As an employer, whatever I provide to my employees should be something I control. I control the wages. I control the climate in the office. I control the building. I control the tools they use to do their job. While on the job, I control my employees, i.e. they do what I tell 'em. If they don't like my instructions, they can find another job.

In short, if I pay for it, I control it. If I am being forced to provide, out of my pocket, health care coverage (and I hugely object to this), then I should have the right to decide what that coverage is.

If the employees wish to pay for their own health care coverage from their pocket, I don't have a say in what they get for such insurance. They can get whatever they want.

Section B:

It appears Russia and the US are headed to talks over Crimea. The current US liar in chief and President Putin (every time I hear his name I say POOOOOTIN'!)  are at odds over this.

Every time I hear this argument over Crimea I think of Adolf Hitler and these words penned more than 200 years ago: "When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation."

Conclusion: Individual rights are the most important.

Item: Twisting A Chain Of Logic

Section A:

MA posted a challenge on her FB page. To wit: If anyone can prove pink unicorns do not exist, she can use that same chain of logic and reasoning to prove God does not exist. I replied that as soon as I figure out how to visit other dimensions (which SCIENCE! says exists) and manage to send back an intelligible report, I'll let her know.

In the shower last night I figured out a way to prove invisible pink unicorns do exist. Empirically prove it.

Here's how:

Invisible. Find a person blind since birth. Since they cannot see, everything is invisible to them.

Pink. As the person can't see, colors are a moot point. But for this experiment, get a bucket of pink paint.

Unicorn. Get a Rhinoceros unicornis.

Dump paint on rhino. Introduce rhino to the blind person. HUZZAH! Proof an invisible pink unicorn can exist.

Section B:

This year's $1000 Find the Ant contest has reinforced, in me, the fact that most people cannot communicate unless that put massive thought into it. Because of this and if the ant is not found by Friday, I'm thinking about letting the ant hunters ask me a question. Normally hunters get to have a clue explained OR get a new clue by Friday.

As quite a number of the ant hunters apparently don't pay attention to what I say, I like the idea of them asking a question because I pay VERY close attention to what they say. I can just imagine the consternation Friday when someone asks:

"Will you tell me where the ant is?"

To which, I reply, "Yes," and walk away because the question was answered and they have an hour before they get to choose another hint, explanation or clue.

Georgia's new Gun Law - Part I

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In what gun rights activists are hailing as awesome news and gun grabbers are moaning, the Georgia Legislature passed a sorta bill codifying more rights into Georgia’s law. The idea that gun grabbers are appalled gives me cause to rejoice. That this bill is minor in most areas annoys me.

I call it a “sorta” bill because that is what it is.

To start with, this is a bill from the State Legislature. No action by a legislative body is permanent, except one to disband. So, what has been done can be undone.

Here’s the specifics on HB 60 followed by my take on ‘em

    •    Prohibit the state from creating and maintaining a database of WCL holders.

The state. Says nothing about local Probate Courts, which issue said permits, from keeping and maintaining database. This is a useless - neutral item. Henceforth referred to as UNI.

    •    State that under a declared state of emergency, all law-abiding gun owners will not have their Second Amendment rights restricted or infringed by executive authority through Emergency Powers protection.

Ehhh, OK. Considering what happened in New Orleans this is probably a good idea.

    •    Strengthen current firearms preemption statutes through further clarification of the regulatory authority of local governments, excluding firearm discharge ordinances.

Possibly good. But the existing laws are pretty straightforward on what local governments can do where guns are concerned.

    •    Create an absolute defense for the legal use of deadly force in the face of a violent attack.

A strengthening of the current Castle Defense law. Good news.

    •    Allow for the use of firearm sound suppressors while hunting.

About bloody time!

    •    Remove fingerprinting for renewal of Weapons Carry Licenses (WCL).

UNI. Once done, the fingerprints are in a database. Once there, they can never be removed.

    •    Lower the age to obtain a concealed WCL for self-defense from 21 to 18 for active duty military, with specific training.

Pushing close to UNI. When a person turns 18, they are an adult. Period. No ifs. No ands. Not buts. Quit plugging in exceptions.

    •    Repeal the unnecessary and duplicative state-required license for a firearms dealer, instead requiring only a Federal Firearms License (FFL).

Good.

    •    Prohibit a ban on firearms in public housing, ensuring that the right to self-defense should not be infringed based on where one calls home.

Probably the best single provision of this law. Needed. Welcome. Thank you General Assembly.

    •    Codify the ability to legally carry, with a WCL, in sterile/non-secure areas of airports.

Should have already been in the law. Good.

    •    Include a provision that would have the state report those persons who have been involuntarily hospitalized or have been adjudicated mentally deficient to the NICS system while also providing ability for relief through an application process to the court system for the purpose of restoration of rights.

UNI. Already exists

    •    Create an opt-in provision legally authorizing churches to make the decision to permit or prohibit carrying a firearm with a WCL within their confines, and lowering the penalty for violation to a civil infraction carrying no more than a $100.00 fine.  

Excellent. A church, being private property, should be treated as such. None of government’s business who does what inside provided no one is being harmed.

    •    Eliminate the extensive limitations on legally carrying a firearm with a WCL in a bar.

I like this too. Bars are private places. Let the owner decide.

It's gonna cost you

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This is not the image I wanted to post. The one I want, which I am not posting, contains a far stronger F word than forget. You get the idea now.

Today's topic is brought to you by the My Little Pony crew and Grayson Bruce.

Opinion on Mr. Bruce and his choice of luggage is pretty much divided into three camps.

1) You da Man (aka Bronie). They have a movie now. This is the biggest group.

Bronie. Note lack of girlfriend and sentiments in this column.

2) Yer a total wuss. (Smallest group)

3) Do your thang, but understand the world is not a forgiving place, it ain't fair and some people are just looking for people like you to abuse.

I am firmly ensconced in this third camp.

I firmly support Mr. Bruce and his decision (group 1). He's not the same kind of rebel I am, but he's a rebel (group 3).

He's standing out from the crowd, being his own person and trying to send a message that yes, we all can get along. As I understand it, the My Little Ponies show is strong on friendship et al. I've never watched it and don't plan to, but I do not criticize it.

Some of the Camp 3 crowd are faulting Mr. Bruce's parents for not preparing him for the backlash that he's apparently encountered at school. Maybe his parents did brief him, maybe they did not. If they did, more power to 'em as parents. Support your child! If they did not tell him what to expect, then they made a parenting mistake. All parents make mistakes. All. Parents. Let ye who is without sin cast the first stone.

Mr. Bruce now knows the world is not as accepting as he wishes. I hope this does not dampen his ardor to continue to go his own way and invite others to tag along.

In case you were wondering, the world is under no obligation to be fair. The world is under no obligation to provide justice. See group 2. The world operates under modified Darwinian rules. Modified, because things like charity, apathy, compassion, compersion, hate and love exist.

Some people in groups 1 and 3 say the school should do more to stop the bullying Mr. Bruce is experiencing. This assumes the school has not taken steps to stop it. It further assumes the school hasn't done all it can.

If you are in those categories, i.e. the school should do more, I'm going to step into group 2 for a moment. I must repeat something:

In case you were wondering, the world is under no obligation to be fair. The world is under no obligation to provide justice. The world operates under modified Darwinian rules. Modified, because things like charity, apathy, compassion, compersion, hate and love exist. However, you are still going to get clobbered and sooner or later, no one will be there to help you get back up.


Bullying is going to happen. Teachers cannot be the NSA, or Big Brother if you prefer, and put school kids under constant immediate and continual surveillance while the kids are in school. Nor should they.

Yes, we should teach kids bullying is wrong. Modification: Parents should be doing this, school teachers to a lesser extent. However for some parents bullying is way of life and they see nothing wrong with it. For that matter, some teachers are bullies.

It ain't fair. It's called life. Kids need to learn to cope with life. Completely removing all bullying from school, removing all the negative stuff, means kids leave school ready to be annihilated by the real world.

In other words, do not stop all the bullying. It hurts kids down the road when they have to encounter it in the workplace and the real world.

Getting picked on happens. 

So, we, that is parents, should be teaching our kids the world is gonna be mean. We should give them coping skills, self defense skills. Teachers need to back up these lessons.

Learn how to deal with the bad stuff. Get used to the idea that the cavalry is not just over the hill. The bomb expert is not going to clip the wire to stop the countdown with three seconds left. Roll up your sleeves, grab a shovel and start shifting manure.

For that matter, we need to teach kids things like charity, apathy, compassion, compersion, hate and love. Yes. We do.



"But teach 'em hate? Baker, you've lost your mind."

Pay attention. I said teach them hate. I did not say teach them to hate. Teach them hate. What is it? Why does it exist? What is it a symptom of? Can it be overcome? Is it necessary? How should it be dealt with? You get the idea.

That's me. Standing out and being happy. Really.

This is teaching is nothing more that a proper education on how to be a human. Education is a constant and continual process. Every child can learn and every child should be taught.

So yeah, I'm also in group 2. Don't whine if the world doesn't live up to your rose-colored glasses view expectations. People are mean. I'm mean. You're mean. We're all mean. Even Jesus had a mean streak. Cope.

Reality is not going to reorder itself because you don't like it.

Put another way, if the truth hurts, yer living wrong.

In case you're wondering, I'm also a part of group 1, except I know next to nothing about My Little Pony. But I do know about other nerd things that make me and folks like me the subject of ridicule.

Chances are extremely good that you too have something in your life that caused you to be ridiculed, like Mr. Bruce. Betcha didn't think of that. Chances continue to be good that you too have ridiculed others. Why?

If the truth hurts, yer living wrong.

Like Mr. Bruce, you got stung, hammered, beat, etc. What did you do then? Some people got mean. Some people got their game face on and muled ahead.

Some people caved and became drones. Wuss. Every. Single. One. Of. Them. And I mean that sincerely.

Some peoplelike Mr. Bruce stepped up and tried to change things.

You may being saying "Alas old Sisyphus, we know ye well."

I ask again, what have done? What are doing? What are you gonna do? How about it? What are you going to do now?

As for me? You can push that great damned rock all you want to. Me and Pancho, we gotta ride. There's dragons over that hill.

And exactly what's your experience with it?

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For the next week or so there will be plenty of complaining about how the Rebels (the high school here) basketball team performed in the state championship game.

Quite a number of these comments will be negative.

Lemme ask ALL of you who are complaining this one question:

How much experience do you have coaching a high school basketball teams to a state championship basketball game?

I take the sound of crickets chirping in the background as evidence you have no experience in this.

"But" some will say.

Shut. Up. I say.

Unless you have played on a high school basketball team that made it to the state championship game, Shut. Up.

Unless you have coached a bunch of high school kids all the way to a state championship game, Shut. Up.

"But."

But. Nothing. If you ain't been there, you don't know what it takes to get there. In basketball, George Kennedy and the ladies who went to state a few years ago have room to talk and be critical of the boys' basketball team. George & Co. went there. Did that. Got the trophy, the memory and the tears that erupted after taking second in the state to back up whatever they say. A few other former students and their coaches also have room to talk. Turner County has a number of state champions and a 2nd in the nation 4-H Shotgun team.
Unless you were on one of those teams, you don't. Shut. Up.

Unless.

Unless you want to talk about what an awesome ride it was. Unless you want to say how proud you are of this team and the girls team for that matter. Unless you want to say how proud you are of ALL the students in the school system who show up and put forth the effort to succeed.

If you are here to yell GO REBELS! We're proud of you! then say on, say on.

I'm here to be proud of them. All of them. All the students. I routinely say every child in the Turner County school system is my kid. I am proud of all of them and support them all as much as I can.


If you are here to complain, Shut. Up.

Alternately, put up. Get yourself some room to complain. Go to college. Get a teaching degree and learn to be a coach. Then YOU coach a team to a high school state championship. When you get done, regardless of winning or losing that game, then I'll listen to what you have to say.
In the meantime, yeah.