Rick Gardasil Perry

Even living in Texas I don't know much about Governor Rick Perry.  My filter for state news disregards most  events but now and then there is an action, legislation or a lobbying effort that catches my ear. One of those items was regarding Rick Perry and his statewide mandate that girls as young as 11 be ordered to receive a three course vaccination at $120 per of the HPV virus vaccine developed by Merck.

My first thoughts of course were to my own 7 year old daughter and all the other daughters in the state. My second thoughts were to the tyrannical nature of the order.  The intrusiveness of this order was even one level deeper than Obama's mandate that all his subjects purchase health insurance because it specified invasive medical procedures and mandated specific drug consumption.  Put aside the danger and untested effectiveness of this vaccine, you're ordering me to inject my daughter with Merck's vaccine?  What is wrong with this picture?

At the federal level the corporate puppets are already mandating strip searches and feel-ups, insurance purchases and any number of other intrusive procedures and demands.  Chances are a presidential decree, sorry executive order, is much harder to dispute than the governor's decree.

Now Rick has apologized and said it was a bad idea (so sorry) but he's established a precedent for bad judgement, corporate influence, centralized planning and royal decrees.  We hear from these presidential candidates, then the MSM filters the real arguments and the public largely picks a presidential candidate based on their tailored pitch and how they look.  Past behavior and actions are much stronger predictors of future behavior.  Do we really want someone like Rick Perry with that kind of power?  Sometimes there are defining events in a politician's career. That was Rick's.

Can't Believe Your Own Eyes?

If you came down from outer space with no pre-conceived ideas what would this look like to you?
 
The problem is if you change your mind it raises a whole new set of questions.



Do you want the Red Pill or the Blue Pill?

This is a good video from the Architects and Engineers for 911 Truth.

TSA Frisks Spiderman

Is Superman next?
Not sure how to take the kids to the airport?

Fukushima Still Happening

This video from the national government broadcaster of Japan is incredibly sad. It describes the damages, uncertainties decisions and deception in the months after the melt-down at Fukushima. Many lives, many ways of life are changed forever and will continue to be affected by the disaster for many years to come.

Near the end a man giving up his lively hood after over 100 years in the race horse business spoke about his feelings. "I am confused at the unfairness of having to give up my assets my land, everything. Not only that, they say I may never be able to return. Why did this have to happen. I want someone to tell me." Not only looking for a new job but a new way of life.

Everything looks fine on the surface but the land is poisoned and you have to leave. Scientists in this video found people living in contaminated zones that were hotter than the Chernobyl exclusion zones.

The media has forgotten about Fukushima. If it had happened in the U.S. it would have been the event of the century. Let's hope it doesn't.

Ron Paul Gun Control Repeal Act

CNS News reports, “H.R. 2613, the Citizens Protection Act of 2011, would repeal the Gun-Free School Zones Act of 1990 and remove all federally created criminal safety zones.”

Mixed feelings on this one. If you were a student or administrator at Columbine or VA Tech during the murderous rampages on those campuses you would like to think you could pull out your Colt .45 1911A1 and put an immediate stop to the maniac plans of those disturbed shooters. There are probably many gun owners out there who feel the same way.

Does anyone believe that a "Gun Free Zone" sign in front of a school keeps their children safe from criminals with homicidal intentions? Does anyone believe that the sign is even a mild deterrent? Do homicidal maniacs stop to read those signs? Do they purchase their guns legally or obtain them illegally? Do laws serve as a deterrent in these situations or serve primarily as a means of revenge or justice after the fact?

No barriers including signs, laws, morals or even common sense can serve as a deterrent to a determined homicidal maniac. Force is the equalizing deterrent of last resort. Which parties should have the right and responsibility to respond with force?

People that think the police are there to protect them probably feel like common citizens shouldn't possess or carry firearms because it might be dangerous. As they say, "When seconds count the Police are only minutes away!" When faced with an immediate threat the police just aren't going to be there. First, it's impossible to be at all places at all times. Second, even when the police arrive on scene they have to assess the threat, organize the resources, plan an approach, in short, unless you have very brave officers who can immediately understand, identify and aggressively mitigate the threat, you are out of luck! Is the default really to surrender and wait for help?

Do barriers to gun ownership limit criminal ownership of guns? Do determined criminals have trouble sourcing a firearm? When facing a determined and armed criminal do we want to wait three minutes for police response?

There is an inherent discomfort with thinking that everyone you encounter could be armed. Let's draw some parallels to another deadly tool that most people in the U.S. over the age of 15 utilize in their daily lives to answer the question do we really want average citizens to carry a gun? Do you really want my 16 year old to drive a car at night on the interstate? Are you comfortable that because he has been certified by the government, after all he has a license, that he will be a safe driver? At what age would he be eligible to become a "safe driver". My 14 year old could be a lot safer driver than your 16 year old! The insurance industry thinks its age 25. There is ambiguity and uncertainty when you think about dangerous tools in the hands of your untrained neighbors. I don't want my neighbor or my neighbor's kid to drive a car or carry a gun. I would just as soon have the highways and the ammo to myself but since I don't want him or the government to decide if I can have those rights I have to be willing accept that everyone else has those rights. Obviously the government can't guarantee safety or limit the criminal access to tools that are capable of producing deadly force.

Government licensing doesn't filter out novices or irresponsible people and criminals will circumvent the process, so what is the benefit of the restrictions and who do you want to make that decision? Certification and deterrents serve as weak security blankets for the victims of criminal theft by tax and authoritarian regulation and control. Remember, the criminals aren't going to pay unless they get caught. You pay all the time in cash and in the loss of rights.

• Police and certification don't protect people or serve as much deterrent to determined criminals
• Your government and your neighbor are not better judges of basic skills and fitness than you are
• Rules and signs don't protect you or your family in life or death situations
• Freedom, rights and responsibilities are uncomfortable but it beats the alternative

There isn't a blanket solution to the danger of homicidal maniacs in schools or other "gun free" zones. If it were my family or yours, I'd rather you be armed than wait for a government committee to respond.

For more information see this post on The New American

Driving vs. Flying - 12 Tips to for the Long Haul

Again we chose to pile into the miniature van drive 1200 miles one way for our family vacation this past week. Both coming and going from Houston to Myrtle Beach, SC we left at 9pm and arrived close to dinner time the next day.

It was so nice to have the car, to be able to come and go as we please without the pressure of getting to the airport early for ritual abuse. On the downside we had several close calls, one large truck tire in the middle of the road, one roof carrier in the road, one constructions zone deceleration challenge, 70mph to 0 mph in a screech and more than one 45mph driver in a 70mph traffic stream. There is literally nobody on the road after midnight in rural Alabama and Mississippi so the real challenge is to take enough breaks, stay awake and keep the speed reasonable. Twenty hours is a long time to drive straight through and there are a few tips for those of you who are considering taking up the challenge.

• Drink a lot of water - a hydrated brain is a sharp brain and you need to stay awake and alert to make it to your destination safely and filling your bladder will remind you to take a break every two hours to stretch your legs and change your visual focus.
• Minimize sugar - sugar makes you high for a few minute but it leads to a crash in your energy level. A smooth steady energy level is what you need to drive safely for a long period of time.
• Coffee - lighten up on the coffee, see "Sugar" above. Caffeine is similar to sugar in the boost that you get but it is a spike and crash boost that you can't afford.
• Don't stop to sit and eat - bring your own sandwiches or run in and run out and remember keep the sugar to a minimum. Driving is like exercise, once you get the moving a short break helps re-focus but a longer break make you want to quit! Keep it to 10 minutes and you won't blow the schedule.
• Engage your co-pilot - if you're like me you don't like to give up control try taking a nap while your spouse drives. Even a few hours of a long trip offline allows you to power through long distances.
• Stop at the rest areas - if you don't need gas most of the rest stops are conveniently set up in a pit stop configuration, drive in, drive out, usually they're clean, well lit and you don't have to get onto the surface roads and fight the traffic lights and locals for road space.
• Keep the gas tank half full - remember, less stress is better. Driving through Kansas on empty at midnight with 10 miles between exits is stressful! Stopping every couple hundred miles to refill the tank is a great excuse for a break.
• Gas stops - most rural gas stations are slow and quite in the middle of the night but be aware of your surroundings and keep your drive team in sight. I've been approached several times for cash at gas stations in the big city and it can be disconcerting. If things look strange, dimly lit or closed then try to find a truck stop. Truck stops are always open and provide consistent quality, semi-clean restrooms, snacks and gas at all hours
• Entertainment - bring along entertainment for the kids, it's a long trip. Ipod Touch, DVD player, etc. keep harmony in the cargo area.
• Don't speed - most of the speed limits are 70 mph on the interstates, 75 is more than enough, and you want to stay safe, save some cash and keep that stress level to a minimum, the blue light special is too stressful.
• Stay alert - look out as far ahead as possible because at highway speeds danger comes up fast and you may not be as awake as you need to be. With slower reaction times you need a bigger time cushion for margin of error.
• Big Cities - plan to pass through before or after peak traffic hours for example if you're trying to get through Washington, DC don't get there between 4 and 7pm.

Two trips for four people and a lap dog saved $4000 so far this year. No airport police state, robocop, radiation pornoscanner, feel your groin, jam yourself in a 12 inch seat abuse and no worse for wear. Feel and be FREE to eat what you please, stand up and stretch, go to the bathroom, turn up the radio, make inappropriate jokes all you want. If you still want to take your shoes off and pull your pants down go ahead! Just remember, driving is more dangerous than flying. Keep your wits about you! Take your time, pay attention, take breaks, get your family there safely, maintain your dignity and save a bundle.

Fukushima

Check out this video from Potrblog on the radioactive rain in St. Louis from the Fukushima nuclear disaster. Let's put this together. We've created an energy source that was supposed to be inexpensive in dollars terms. One downside is that the energy source produces toxic waste that lasts for human purposes forever. Another downside is that if the energy source gets into the atmosphere the toxic effects can spread widely. Plutonium toxicity effects the genetic makeup of the victims so future generations as well the current population. Plutonium has a half life of 24,000 years, basically forever.

Nuclear plants as we've seen are complex systems. The space shuttle, a fighter jet, deep water oil wells and nuclear plants are examples of complex systems. Even my xbox is a complicated system but the relative consequences of failure of each one of these systems are at opposite ends of the spectrum.

Think about the consequences of nuclear failure, potential eternal poisoning of the land, generational sickness, basically eternal damnation of some land mass and it's population. Should we reconsider the cost benefit analysis of these complex systems? If the odds of failure are a million-to-one but the consequences are so grave then is it worth the risk? As we've seen, the odds of failure increase as the complexity of the system rises. It is virtually impossible for governments and corporations to measure the current economic benefit of these complex systems in comparison with the potentially catastrophic generational devastation caused by failure.