Tuesday, April 10, 2012

God, Hitler, and Bob Dylan Allegedly Reveal “The Naked Truth” About God

Ron Rosenbaum has an essay in The Chronicle Review titled The Naked Truth.  The essay, as the title implies, alleges that the “naked truth” about God; that He is ““a nebbish”—a hapless and useless fiction;” is proved by the events of the Holocaust and Hitler, with eight words from a Bob Dylan poem, published in Dylan’s book Tarantula, illuminating the alleged naked truth for all to see, so let’s rid ourselves of this foolishness and go and have a plate of penne bolognaise as a reward for ridding ourselves of this useless fiction called God.

The central premise to Rosenbaum’s hypothesis, is, if God exists, and is omnipotent, Hitler, the Holocaust and all manner of bad things would not be allowed to happen in this world; quite possibly even Dylan’s book Tarantula would not have been foisted upon us; and his premise is as simplistic as the theological arguments he so roundly derides.

The whats and whys regarding God allowing evil in this world have been debated since man began debating with clubs in their hands while dragging their women by the hair, and I assume it will continue thusly for eons to come, but the answer to the whats and whys regarding God allowing evil in this world are known, at least for individuals of faith.

God gave Lucifer, Satan, the Devil, God’s former right hand man, or whatever name you desire to utilize, permission to do evil things in this world that we inhabit, and I doubt very much he is required to ask permission, such as with Job, each time he desires to evil things up a bit.

Is my explanation simplistic?  It very well may be, but at least I am not simplisitic enough to think, believe, or feel that evil can somehow be eradicated by promulgating laws, adhering to just the right philosophy, or joining this or that club or church.  Evil must be stood up to, individually.  I know that the capacity for evil resides within me, but I’ll battle it til I draw my last breath, and with God’s grace, nebbish though it may be considered, I’ll lay that evil bastard low.

Posted by John Venlet on 04/10 at 11:24 AM
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Monday, April 09, 2012

Submitting Tribute Involuntarily

Though the United States government collects tribute payments on a weekly basis, via your paychecks, the day to settle all outstanding tribute payments coerced by the government for the previous year is fast approaching.  Rod K Nibbe considers the subject in a post titled A Lament Is Not An Argument, from which the following quote was obtained.

We’ll be writing a check for a large amount payable to the US Treasury next week. We have no say, directly or indirectly, how the federal government will spend this money. A vote is not a proxy for assent (though withholding it may be laudable dissent). Whatever we have to say about how the money ought to be spent our so-called representatives care little, yours even less. This isn’t cynicism. It isn’t sour grapes. It’s a sad fact. Send in the money they say, then move along citizen we’ll take it from here.

Posted by John Venlet on 04/09 at 12:28 PM
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Purpose, Prayer, Permutation

Yesterday, Gerard Vanderleun posted an essay titled A Cut-Rate Resurrection.  It’s a good essay, discussing Gerard’s recent familiarity with his mortality, and well worth your time to read.

Towards the end of his essay, Gerard wonders the following in regards to his “cut-rate resurrection,” and prayer.

I’ve spent no small amount of time wondering what it is I am to do with this “resurrection.” It seems as if I should do something; something more than I was doing before, something that is somehow “better.” I ask about this “purpose” in passing in the daylight and more formally in prayer, but I have to date received no answer, no voice out of the whirlwind or the burning bush. I don’t expect such although I would not be utterly unprepared if it happened. I’m used to the mysteries of the universe or the tricks of the monkey mind at this point. Still, it would be nice to get a message neatly laid out, sent in from God’s great cosmic sign factory in the clear and in a crisp typeface. It would be nice but it is clearly asking too much. “Still not satisfied” is not a good attitude to have if one has been resurrected. As they say in meetings, “The attitude is gratitude.” I had that for a long time. It slipped away. Maybe I should try to get it back.

Gerard’s questioning of what he should do in thankfulness for his cut-rate resurrection, the question of purpose, though intensely personal to himself, is not so intensely personal that the question of purpose does not get asked by many individuals of faith, and the question is often asked in prayer.  As Gerard notes, these heaven sent prayers often are answered in a way that seems as if you’re knocking on the door of an utterly empty and foreclosed mansion.  In other words the prayers seem unanswered.

Gerard’s essay ends positively, I think, and it may be because the purpose he questions for his life, which many individuals question for their lives, in prayer, has resulted in an intensely personal permutation, i.e. his prayers are being answered.

Posted by John Venlet on 04/09 at 07:30 AM
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Sunday, April 08, 2012

Privatizing Detroit’s Bus Transportation

Detroit is in large part a wreck of a city, and even the most basic of supposed “public” services, bus transportation, reflect Detroit’s many failings.  Leon Kaye asks, Can Privatization Save Detroit’s Transit System?, and one young man, Andy Didorosi, answers Kaye’s question in the affirmative.

A young entrepreneur from the suburbs is planning to start a private bus line in downtown Detroit.

The Detroit News reports Andy Didorosi is set to open the Detroit Bus Co., a private company with three full-size school buses.

The 25-year-old Ferndale resident says he’s invested $10,000, and insurance will cost another $10,000 per bus per year.

Naturally, not all are pleased that Andy Didorosi is hoping to privatize bus transportation, and it should be no surprise that Amalgamated Transit Union Local 26 president and business agent Henry Gaffney is especially critical of Mr. Didorosi, stating the following in regards to Mr. Didorosi’s plan.

Gaffney says Didorosi doesn’t really know what he’s doing.

It should be quite evident that Mr. Gaffney doesn’t really know what he is doing, either, since Detroit’s public buses are not running, so Mr. Didorosi’s inexperience may not be as big of hindrance to success as Mr. Gaffney supposes.

But let’s compare and contrast what service Mr. Didorosi desires to provide, as compared to Mr. Gaffney and his union.  Here’s a bit of Mr. Didorosi’s business plan.

Andy Didorosi bought three busses a few months ago and hopes to launch The Detroit Bus Company next month. His idea is to link downtown and popular neighborhoods like Corktown, Woodbridge, Midtown and Eastern Market. His initial schedule will operate during the hours that Detroit’s transit authority has cut: early evening until 3:00 a.m. Other buses would mimic routes that commuters used but the city slashed to save money. Another route to Detroit’s airport is under consideration, too.

A revamped pricing structure and technology are also behind Didorosi’s vision. Instead of charging by the fare, he envisions a $5 circulatory fare good for a day–more expensive than the local buses, but cheaper than a taxi. Users will be able to pay fares with a credit card, the buses will have wifi, and yes, there will be an app for that.

Mr. Didorosi’s plan is to service customers.  How novel.

Now lets look at Amalgamated Transit Union Local 26 President and business agent Henry Gaffney’s plan for Detroit’s bus system, which is taken directly from the union website linked prior.

We are leaders in the fight to ensure safety in mass transit…

We are proud to be ATU! As your ATU Local President, my passion continues to give me the drive to help members and be on the forefront in the politics in the State of Michigan and metro Detroit area. Our purpose is unity.  Our struggle is for the betterment of our members working conditions, health and welfare.

Not much customer service concern noted in that mission statement, is there, though to be fair, Amalgamated Transit Union Local 26’s mission statement does express some concern for their customers, as an afterthought.

And we work hard to improve service to our riders.

Which is not working out quite so well for bus riders in Detroit, currently.

I wish Mr. Didorosi success in his venture.

Suburban resident plans private Detroit bus line

Posted by John Venlet on 04/08 at 09:21 AM
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Saturday, April 07, 2012

Selected Epictetus Aphorisms

If you would be good, first believe that you are bad.

If you would live with tranquility and content, endeavor to have all who live with you good.  And you will have them good by instructing those who are willing and dismissing those who are unwilling [to be taught].  For with the fugitives will go wickedness and slavery, and with those who stay with you goodness and liberty will remain.

It is better, by yielding to truth, to conquer mere opinion, than, by yielding to opinion, to be defeated by truth.

It is bettter to live with one free man and be fearless and free than to be a slave in company with many.

Instead of herds of oxen, endeavor to assemble flocks of friends about your house.

As a goose is not alarmed by gaggling, nor a sheep by bleating, so neither be you terrified by the clamor of the senseless multitude.

Every place is safe to him who lives with justice.

No one is free who does not rule himself.

Think oftener of God than you breathe.

Choose to leave your children well instructed rather than rich, for the hopes of the learned are better than the riches of the ignorant.

Epictetus

Posted by John Venlet on 04/07 at 04:36 PM
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Thursday, April 05, 2012

They Have the One Ring to Rule Them All - So What!

Bill Whittle has a video up; watch at Theo Spark’s (7:03); which, as far as I can tell, is titled Slowly, Slowly.

Whittle discusses within that video the incremental (slowly, slowly) loss of liberty and freedom here in these United States, which has occurred with the full approval of Americans’ representatives in Congress, and the POTUS, referencing Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, and the one ring to rule them all, as he discusses the subject at hand.

Epictetus provides some guidance in regards to the alleged power of the State (tyrant).

What hinders one who has discerned these things from living with an easy and light heart, quietly awaiting whatever may happen, and enduring contentedly what has happened?  Shall it be poverty?  Bring it, and you shall see what poverty is when it has found one who can act well the poor man’s part.  Shall it be power?  Bring toils, too, along with it.  Banishment?  Wherever I go it will be well with me here, not on account of the place, but of the principles which I shall carry with me, for no one can deprive me of these.  On the contrary, they alone are my property, and cannot be taken away, and if I retain them I am content wherever I am or whatever I do.  “But it is now time to die.”  Why do you say “to die?”  Do not talk of the thing in a tragedy strain, but say, what is the truth, that it is time for a compound piece of matter to be resolved again into its elements.  And what is there in this that is dreadful?  What part of the world is going to be lost?  What is going to happen that is new and prodigious?  Is it for this that a tyrant is formidable?  Is it on this account that the swords of his guards seem so large and sharp?  Try these things upon others.  For my part, I have examined the whole.  No one has authority over me.  God has made me free.  I know his commands.  After this no one can enslave me. (bold by ed.)

Posted by John Venlet on 04/05 at 08:36 AM
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Wednesday, April 04, 2012

Cancer Science - Wrong 47 out of 53 Times

While science can and has informed us of many things which we did not fully understand over the years, it is best that we retain a healthy skepticism of its claims until they are completely verified, whether the science be environmental, or biological.

A former researcher at Amgen Inc has found that many basic studies on cancer—a high proportion of them from university labs—are unreliable, with grim consequences for producing new medicines in the future.

During a decade as head of global cancer research at Amgen, C. Glenn Begley identified 53 “landmark” publications—papers in top journals, from reputable labs—for his team to reproduce. Begley sought to double-check the findings before trying to build on them for drug development.

Result: 47 of the 53 could not be replicated. He described his findings in a commentary piece published on Wednesday in the journal Nature.

In cancer science, many ‘discoveries’ don’t hold up

Via Clayton Cramer.

Posted by John Venlet on 04/04 at 08:49 AM
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The Fix Is In On Ford

An article put up at The Daily Ticker, headlined Ford Posts Best March Sales in 5 Years: Here’s How Ford Averted Bankruptcy in 2008, touts Ford Motor Company’s seemingly singular success in not requiring government intervention in order to remain a viable company.  The article informs readers that Ford was so intent on remaining free of government bailout intervention that their financial belt tightening included measures so constricting that,

“They got to the point where they stopped paying to water the plants inside their buildings [and] stopped paying to wash the windows in order to save money.”

That’s some sacrifice.

While I am pleased that Ford is on the track to profitability, and was not a participant in the government bailout of the auto industry, Ford’s success is not as government free as The Daily Ticker and Ford would lead you to believe, as I pointed out in June 2009, when I linked to a Wall Street Journal article headlined as follows.

Ford Seeks Loans, Guarantees From an Array of Governments

The fix is in at Ford, but the fix was not free of big brother’s muscle.

Posted by John Venlet on 04/04 at 07:25 AM
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Tuesday, April 03, 2012

“The Human Right to Self Defense” and “Meditations on Aftermath”

Otto Odecker posts some very considerate thoughts in regards to the subject of killing another individual in a self defense situation, and closes his post with a portion of LawDog’s post titled Meditations on aftermath.

Otto’s post is titled THe Human Right to Self Defense.

Read both of them.

Posted by John Venlet on 04/03 at 08:22 AM
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Red and Yellow, Black and White, or Green and Purple They’re Equal in my Sight

Ed Rasimus comments on the news that Texas House member Garnet Coleman will be attempting to overturn Texas’ ‘Castle Doctrine’  for the following stated “reason.”

Coleman said he fought the “Castle Doctrine” bill in Texas on grounds that it would have disproportionate consequences on people of color. He said Texas law already allowed the use of deadly force to defend against deadly force if one could not escape the situation. He said he plans to press for legislation to return Texas law “to a balance that values human life.”

Ed’s post is titled Castle Doctrine, and he responds to Coleman’s stated “reasoning” as follows.

Here’s a tip to representative Coleman: I’m not racially prejudiced but it seems to me that if your “people of color” stay out of my house they will be protected from any disproportionate consequences. Why are you more likely to be shot for breaking and entering my property if you are a person of color? Trust me, I will shoot you just as readily if you are white, green or purple.

And if I am in my home, where would you suggest I go to “escape the situation”?

Posted by John Venlet on 04/03 at 07:55 AM
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Addressing Obama’s Impertinence

Mike Soja in a post titled Impertinence at dawn, addresses Obama’s impertinent comments directed at the Supreme Court in regards to ObamaCare, both at his place, and at Ezra Klein’s blog.

Obama:  [I]n the absence of an individual mandate, you cannot have a mechanism to ensure that people with preexisting conditions can actually get health care.

To which Mike responds as follows.

Oh, I don’t know. How about, say, a medium of exchange. For lack of a better word, let’s call it “money”. If you need health care, you pay “money”. If you don’t have any “money”, you make arrangements to acquire some, or solicit others to provide some on your behalf. If you don’t have enough “money” at the present time, hospitals and doctors are known to accept periodic payments in lieu of a lump sum.

Or, there is President Obama’s preferred way. Have the Congress put on their hoodies and mug your neighbors for the “money”.

Posted by John Venlet on 04/03 at 07:44 AM
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Monday, April 02, 2012

Speaking of Innocence - George Zimmerman

In a Glenn Reynolds post linking to a Tom Maguire post on the subject of media walkback on the Zimmerman story, a reader of InstaPundit, James McNash, comments in an email to Glenn as follows.

I was wondering if there are possible legal ramifications against news agencies if they are found to have selectively edited the evidence that they have broadcasted. If Zimmerman is found innocent, can he file a lawsuit (for libel and/or slander) against these agencies especially if the intent was to do harm to Zimmerman? Or is the news media immune to these cases?

It seems to me that Zimmerman’s reputation is destroyed, all because of the media, and it would be a shame if the media can walk away with no accountability. (bold by ed.)

While McNash’s questions are legitimate, I must point out that George Zimmerman is innocent.  Mr. Zimmerman has not been charged with a crime, and, until he is, if in fact he is charged with a crime, he will remain innocent until a jury rules otherwise.  Got it?

Posted by John Venlet on 04/02 at 01:19 PM
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Sunday, April 01, 2012

Obama Scratches Pat Miles Back

The last time I mentioned Pat Miles in these pages was in October 2010, when he was running for Congress.  I titled that post A Brief Exchange with Pat Miles.  Miles had shown up on my front porch in an attempt to solicit my vote, to no avail, and during the remainder of our conversation, I encourgaged Miles to remove himself altogether from politics, if he wanted my respect.

Miles lost his bid to obtain a congressional office to Justin Amash in 2010, but quite evidently Miles has not lost his covetousness for political power, and who better to fulfil Miles’ covetousness for political power than his Harvard Law School bud, Barack Obama, class of 1991, or what Nicholas Vardy calls The Harvard Law School “Mafia,” Class of 1991.

And just what position of political power is Obama hoping to elevate Miles to?  U.S. attorney for the Western District of Michigan.

The White House announced Thursday that Patrick A. Miles Jr. has been nominated to serve as U.S. attorney for the Western District of Michigan.

President Barack Obama described Miles on Thursday as a “top flight” attorney who’ll ensure that justice is served.

Just some friendly, unsolicited, nothing to see here, Harvard alumni back scratching for Miles, courtesy of Miles’ passing “acquaintance” Obama.

“We were acquainted,” is about as far as he will go, perhaps mindful of Obama’s current diminished political standing.

If confirmed by the Senate, Miles should get along just peachy with race baiting U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, though Miles’ race baiting, which takes the form of establishing The Michigan Black Chamber of Commerce, is rather more subtle than Holder’s race baiting.

Patrick Miles nominated by President Obama to serve as U.S. attorney for West Michigan

Posted by John Venlet on 04/01 at 08:07 AM
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Saturday, March 31, 2012

Nashville Taxis, Michigan Pigs and Economic Liberty

What, you may be asking yourself, do Nashville taxis, Michigan pigs and economic liberty have in common?  On the surface, it would seem that Nashville taxis and Michigan pigs have nothing in common, though I suppose both could be considered as a means of conveyance.  But that is not the connection.  The connection between Nashville taxis and Michigan pigs is an economic one, and the governments of both states are attempting to kill them both off as a method of crushing economic liberty.

In Nashville, a startup taxi service, which has been exceptionally succesful in comparison to established Nashville taxi services, is being gradually killed, via legislative strangulation.

Bokhari bought a black Lincoln sedan and began offering cut-rate rides — an average of $25 — to and from the airport, around downtown and in neighborhoods not well served by taxis. After one year he had 12 cars. Now he has 20, and 15 independent contractors with their own cars, and a Web site, and lots of customers. He also has some enemies, including the established taxi and sedan companies and a city government that is, as interventionist governments generally are, devoted to regulations that protect the strong by preserving the status quo.

With the quiet support of the taxi companies, which have not raised rates since Bokhari and some similar entrepreneurs went into business, the limo companies got regulators to require a $45 minimum charge for any ride. Not content with that gross injury, government added crippling insults: It limited the age of cars and number of miles on them — regardless of the cars’ condition — and forbade dispatches via cellphones, which is how start-up limo companies operate.

In Michigan, long established small time family pig farmers are being killed off, but rather than gradually utilizing legislative strangulation to kill off these small time family pig farmers, the state is bringing in the guns.

The state of Michigan is only days away from engaging in what can only be called true “animal genocide”—the mass murder of ranch animals based on the color of their hair. It’s all part of a shocking new “Invasive Species Order” (ISO) put in place by Michigan’s Department of Natural Resources (DNR). This Invasive Species Order suddenly and shockingly defines virtually all open-range pigs raised by small family farms to be illegal “invasive species,” and possession of just one of these animals is now a felony crime in Michigan, punishable by up to four years in prison.

The cabbie who is driving for liberty

Insane Michigan government announces plan to destroy ranch livestock based on hair color and arrest hundreds of ranchers as felons

Nashville taxi story link via Keith Burgess-Jackson.  Michigan pig story link via Theo Spark.

Posted by John Venlet on 03/31 at 08:30 AM
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Seattle’s .30 Cal Gal

Here’s a gal, Annette Wachter, aka the 30 Cal Gal, who must drive her oh so progressive neighbors crazy, what with carrying rifles to and from her condo in downtown Seattle and being a champion shooter and all.  Her blog banner intro.

My name is Anette Wachter. I am an unusual woman in an unusual sport. I am a member of the U.S. Rifle Development Team, 2011 B.C. Rifle Champion, 2011 Wa. St. 300 Yd Champion and Civilian National record holder at 300 yards. A High Master in Mid and Long Range and Master Class in High Power. Now I am starting the fast and exciting sport of 3 Gun. SHOOT LIKE A GIRL! IF YOU CAN…..

Check out this 2:16 viddie interview of her at Joe Huffman’s place filed under the heading Winning.

I like this gal.

Posted by John Venlet on 03/31 at 07:40 AM
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