US Civil War in 2010

Well.  The predicted killer earthquake never happened. I even gave it the 5 day window and we're all still here without even a shudder. I guess that confirms that the Web bot is so much crap when it comes to things like natural disasters at least. Maybe other things that originate with man...but natural disasters predicted because the combined subconscious anxiety of humanity as a whole has predicted such a thing?  yeah, I don't hardly think so. 

Now here is a new prediction. This Russian guy says that within 18 months the United States will go the way of feathered hair and leg-warmers. By July of 2010 the US will have slipped into such a state of economic despair that we'll turn on each other in a massive civil war. He said that people used to laugh when the fall of the Soviet Union was predicted. Then it happened. But the thing he doesn't account for is that the Soviet Union was a confederation of countries that still had a national identity that was non-soviet. It was ripe for the picking. I'd like to think that Americans, regardless of the state they live in take a little more pride in being Americans. 

After the September 11th attacks, when our country was in a very fragile state, Americans didn't turn on each other, but rallied together. I still remember seeing people waiving flags from Interstate overpasses and hearing commuters honk in support. We're a different breed and I find it very difficult to accept the idea that we would be so quick to dissolve into civil war. Here is the link from the Wall Street Journal

http://online.wsj.com:80/article/SB123051100709638419.html

I was right about Franken, let's hope I'm right about this as well...and by the way. Franken, WHAT THE HECK?!?  There was actually a ballot clearly marked for the republican candidate...no doubt at all about it and they awarded the vote to Franken!  Way to steal an election you cheating liberal SOB's!!!!

Common Sense

Common Sense by Thomas Paine

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
Exactly as the title describes, a common sense view on the purpose of government, the problems with monarchies, and the reason why rebellion against England was justified. I would add this to the list of must reads.

View all my reviews.

Rockin' and Rollin'

It's coming up to a rather interesting weekend. We here in the Pacific Northwest may get some snow. My bet is that it won't happen but will rain and freeze. That's typical December. It usually doesn't snow until after the first of the year. How can I be so sure? Don't I trust the weatherman? Sure I do...to an extent, but it is real science and so I should probably put more faith in that than...

This article "Ringing Ears, Tired George" found at www.halfpasthuman.com and www.urbansurvival.com. It is reported that web bot technology has been used to predict a pair of killer earthquakes somewhere in the world in the next few days. I heard one prediction that said it would start in the Pacific Northwest. Another said that the middle part of the country would be hit.

I guess the gist of it is that people have a psychic event and start to chatter about things like this that are especially distressing. The result is a reliable prediction. Me, I'm skeptical. Sounds like a lot of new age hooey. I've passed the word along to my peers at work and my carpool just so that I can say, "I told you so" in the remarkably unlikely event that this happens.

This isn't the first time the big one has been predicted for us. About 15 years ago there was a news story in the paper about people picking up mysterious hitchikers on I-405 who predicted a devestating earthquake on a specific day. That did make me nervous and caused me to take careful inventory of my families emergency preparedness.

The web bot thing, I don't believe, doesn't even approach legitimate science. You make enough vague predictions some of them are bound to come true...especially with the fudging of some facts.  But the purpose this does serve is giving us pause to consider our own preparedness because, even though the big one may not hit tomorrow, we can be pretty sure that it eventually will. 

Now, I'm going to wrap the pipes, make sure there is gas in the car, and call my dad about borrowing his generator in the event that the winter storm does come. Because the weatherman is not often completely wrong. But I'm also going to take inventory of my families preparedness because even though the webbot is rarely right, it is never wrong to be prepared.

Justinian's Flea

Justinian's Flea: Plague, Empire, and the Birth of Europe by William Rosen

My review

rating: 2 of 5 stars
so, I finished this one up. It was the kind of book that didn't deliver what I thought it was selling. What I did learn though was about the fall of the Roman Empire, how bacteria works and the role of the plague in ending Roman dominance. I'd never read it again, but I have to say I have definitely gained knowledge.

View all my reviews.

Just Doesn't Seem Right

I read this article about the economic plan presented by our President Elect. http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2008/11/24/obama-set-unveil-new-economic-team/There was at least one part that didn't seem quite right. 

"We've got to restore some balance to our tax code and the Bush tax cuts were disproportionately targeted to the very wealthiest Americans --those who were making more than a quarter million dollars a year can afford to pay a little more," 

Is it me? Am I biased or does it seem wrong that prosperity has made the successful a target?  I don't make $250k a year, but if I did...I know that I would feel like I am being treated unfairly. I suppose there is something to be said for a flat tax.  I wouldn't mind being wealthy, but not if I am to be vilified for it. If this is a sign of things to come...then government is out of control already.

Speaking of which, watch this devotional about the Moral Purposes of Law and Government by Robert George:

http://byubqt.byu.edu/BYUForum/2008/10/BYUForum20081028-2345.mp4 

He doesn't talk about taxing the wealthy...he talks about Abortion and same-sex marriage, but the overall theme is the role of government as a vehicle to advance and protect the well-being of the citizens. He makes clear that people are not a cog in the wheel of Government. It isn't about the citizen working for the benefit and betterment of government but the other way around. It seems to me that the idea of taxing the wealthiest for the greater good...goes contrary to the ideal upon which our nation was founded. 

Civil Rights...a 2-Way Street?

This is just disturbing. A 69 year old lady shows up to support prop. 8 in California. Being an 

obvious threat she is assaulted and protesters make every  effort to deny her her constitutional 

right to free speech and peaceful assembly. All done through intimidation  and physical force. I don't want 

to hear anything more about  civil rights and same sex marriage. They're a bunch of  hypocrites.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,450884,00.html

Not Even Funny in Minnesota...

Are you all following what is happening in Minnesota right now? Same thing that happened here in Washington. Republican Dino Rossi won the election but through continuous re-counts ended up losing the race for governor by a very close margin.

Now, in Minnesota, Al Franken, Comedian turned Senator, was down by over 700 votes and now has closed to 206 behind the incumbent. They're finding votes in cars, going through rejected ballots trying to get them accepted. Next I'm sure they'll hit the obituaries....

Above I mentioned that Al turned from Comedian to Senator because I believe that it's going to happen. They will find those votes come heck or high water. It will still be close, but when it's all said and done, Franken will have won and there won't be a single vote that his Republican challenger will be to fabricate to win it back. 

Ticks me off...but just like Tuesday, bleh. It's truly an obamanation (abomination).