Steel Cage Death Match 2012 -- US Senate

[Image courtesy TheHotJoints.com]

The focus this election year is, as always, on the White House. But there is way more to government than 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Do you even know who your state senator is? I had to look mine up (John Yudichak). How about who's running for district justice? The contests peripheral to the presidential race are actually more important.    Control of the White House means little if the Senate and/or House are against you. And the state posts determine how your local situation will play out, as well as determining how much control the federal government has over your state.

I've started my election research late, but I want to share with you the results. I'll detail the candidates for the various positions, as well as give a run-down on the platforms for the major political parties.

The districts for Hazleton are as follows:

• US House of Representatives: 11th District
• State Senate: 14th District
• State House: 116th District

US Senate

One of Pennsylvania's Senate seats is up for election this year, currently held by Robert P. Casey, a Democrat. His challengers are Republican Tom Smith and Libertarian Rayburn Smith. 

Tom Smith is an exciting candidate. He's the son of a farmer, a former coal miner, and former coal company owner. He is a true rags-to-riches American success story, unlike some candidates in other races who make the same claim.   His stance on issues is better said by his campaign page, but here's the highlights I find exciting. He supports a flat income tax, reducing federal spending to 20% of GDP, simplifying business regulation, and  saving Social Security. He supports a balanced-budget amendment to the Constitution, and suspending pay to Congress in the event that they do not pass a budget. He supports adequate defense spending. And, most exciting of all, he supports shifting alternate energy investment to the private sector, and ending government spending in this area (Solyndra, anyone?) while saving the nation's oil and coal industries. I find this exciting because I dream of a day when all of our energy needs are met by wind and solar, but live in a world that currently runs on fossil fuels. The realist in me likes spending 3.36 cents per kilowatt-hour, and can't see burdensome regulation and taxation having any result except to raise my energy bills.

Incumbent Bob Casey is only slightly less exciting than his Republican challenger. He's taken tough stances on issues such as the Farm Bill, trade with China, CHIP, and Medicare. More information on his stance is available at his campaign page.

Libertarian challenger Rayburn Smith is quite a bit less exciting than the other two. I couldn't find any information on him at all -- no press releases, no campaign page, no contact information, and no news stories outside of those pointing out the fact that his name is also Smith. Seriously, I don't think the Libertarians are even trying this year. Definitely not bringing their A game that was evident when Ralph Nader was in the hunt.

I will continue this dissertation as my research progresses. The next post on Steel Cage Death Match 2012 will cover Lou Barletta and Gene Stilp.

Gay Tyrants

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/sep/25/homosexuals-in-the-military-demand-special-privile/

I commented briefly on this article on a share from Facebook, but this is a subject about which I know a great deal, and about which I feel quite passionate.

For a long time now I have followed a general principle of "don't ask, don't tell." Not the official military policy -- I don't think that someone's sexual preference is anyone's business, nor is it worthy of any special attention, either positive or negative. The same goes for gender identity and expression. Naturally, sexual orientation and gender identity variances are completely separate issues, but they share some of the same societal issues, such as stigmatization. It's not normal, statistically speaking, for someone to fall outside of tradtitonal gender identity. The Transgender Law & Policy Institute estimates that between two and five percent of the general population have some sort of gender identity issue. That's at maximum about 350 million people worldwide -- not a large number overall. However, for those who do suffer, it is a major issue.  There is an ongoing debate in scientific circles over whether a person's gender identity is influenced more by biological or societal factors. That discussion is outside the scope of this post, and I've written more on the subject elsewhere. The Internet holds a vast resource of information on gender variance, and I urge you to research the subject for yourself if you wish to become more knowledgeable. For now, I will focus on the issues I encountered after I completed my transition to living full-time as a woman.

I don't "pass" well as a woman, possessing a male-pattern mesomorph physique and a more or less male facial configuration. The only clues people really get to my preferred gender are my voice, my style of dress, my modest-sized breasts, and the lack of visible "batch." As a result, folks are not quite sure what to make of me. Most, thankfully, say nothing. There are a few curious souls who will ask questions, and I always answer them truthfully. Curiosity should always be rewarded with knowledge. However, I never go out of my way to express the fact that I am transgendered. I leave others the option of ignoring it.

But then there are a very few who go out of their way to make it clear just how "cool" they are with my gender variance. This type of behavior always makes me feel uncomfortable. I am completely comfortable with my own identity, and depend not at all upon the opinions of others. As a result, I greet any special treatment -- whether positive or negative -- coldly. The only special treatment for which I have ever asked has been to not be forced to use the men's room at work. Fortunately, only at one place of employment have I suffered that indignity. Out of respect for those who lack understanding, I generally avoid communal lavatories, such as public restrooms, preferring single-occupant facilities. This is not always an option, but I make the effort, because I understand that not all people are as comfortable with the idea of gender variance as I am.

It is because I have this attitude that I am upset about the heavy-handed manner in which acceptance of homosexuality has been forced upon the military establishment in particular, and society in general.  Any person's sexual preference should be no one's business except that person and any sexual partners they may have.

I would like to propose the following policy changes:

1. Reinstate the "don't ask, don't tell" policy, but modify it so that mere knowledge of a person's sexual orientation is not grounds for dismissal. If such knowledge is revealed, either accidentally or purposefully, and that knowledge creates any disruption within the unit to which the individual is assigned, the person should be eligible for reassignment similar to any other guidelines involving intraunit conflict. Sexual orientation should be treated exactly the same as religious preference, choice of reading materials, political views, etc.
2. Any rules or guidelines governing romantic or sexual behavior between men and women within military structures should be applied in exactly the same manner to homosexuals.
3. Any rules or guidelines governing other behaviors of military personnel should also be applied in exactly the same manner and penalties applied at exactly the same level of severity to all persons, regardless of any factors.

The point I'm trying to make is that homosexuals should not be treated any differently than heterosexuals. My favorite saying, generally in regards to public speaking but equally applicable to all aspects of social interaction, is "everyone has to sit on the can sooner or later." Another: "...to all the men upon this earth death cometh soon or late." And, more importantly:

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. 

 The course of action being pursued by the pro-gay lobby violates the unalienable rights of their opponents. The forced acceptance of homosexuality we are now seeing is in no way different from the forced oppression historically suffered by homosexuals. It is the same philosophy, enacted in opposite ways: tyranny.  Opposition to tyranny is what formed these united States, and opposition to tyranny is what drives my every thought, word and action, as it drove our Founding Fathers. Colonel Crews has correctly pointed out the tyranny currently being espoused by the pro-gay lobby, and I applaud his forthrightness in regards to the subject. It is only through such free speech that tyranny, in ALL its forms, can be defeated.

Our Idols vs. Their Idols

There was a time when I shunned all discussions about religion and faith. The reason for this is that my own spiritual worldview was still evolving, and I didn't want any outside influences coloring my understanding of God and my connection to Her. (I say "Her" because God usually appears to me in the image of a young and yet old woman.) My spirituality is still evolving, and probably will be for the rest of my life, but I've reached a point where I've discovered enough that I feel comfortable enough to pass along the insights I have gained in the process.

Recently, I began a comparative study among world religions, looking for the common threads running through each system which can tie all of humanity together. The first result of that was my post, "War Is Not Normal for the Human Condition." I've spent most of my time since collating the information I gleaned, focussing on the Abrahamic religions which form the spiritual basis for the majority of humanity. And I've discovered some pretty interesting and, I hope, eye-opening co-relations.

The primary aspect of all the Abrahamic religions -- and indeed of most religions across the world -- is the inaccessibility of God. The concept of God as an omnipresent, omnipotent, omniscient being is an incredibly difficult concept around which to wrap one's mind. Imagine having the ability to hear the thoughts of every person on Earth simultaneously, to see and alter, if desired, the behavior of every particle of which the universe consists. The average human worldview consists primarily of what is immediately in the person's field of vision with thoughts extending to places, individuals and events within that person's field of influence and into the immediate future. In that view, God is infinitely larger than any one of us. To bridge that gap, early religious adherents devised idols as "focus items" by which they could focus on one or several aspects of God and thus achieve some limited connection between the human soul and divinity. The tribal tendencies of humans drew together people who had similar conceptions of God and, by extension, separated them from people having different views. 

Strife arose almost immediately, as the limited Godviews vied for supremacy as "the one true faith," or the "actual" concept of God. To a great extend, however, each Godview is correct, even if they seem to be contradictory. (Rule #1: Contradictions do not exist.) Think of yourself and your various moods. I, for example, have a tendency to express my love freely, which leads some to assume that I am a kind person. I also have a strong sense of justice, leading others to believe that I am cruel. These two views seem to contradict one another, yet they are merely different aspects of my personality expressed in different ways to different people in a diversity of situations.  And the worldview of the person witnessing my personality expressions will color their perception of my intentions -- a stable person will see one of my expressions of love and view me as supportive, while an insecure person may assume that I am weak and exploitable.  All these views of me are correct to an extent, but each assumption is made in the absence of evidence of all sides of my personality which make up the totality of my being. In this way, all people of faith have a correct but incomplete perception of God.

Because of this limitation on our ability to grasp the full extent of God, direct messages from God tend to take the form of prophesies. Throughout history, there have existed individuals who have been able to form a more complete conceptualization of God and thus make a greater connection to divinity.  Examples of such prophets include Noah, Moses, Muhammad, Bahá'u'lláh, Joseph Smith, and Buddah, among others. There are some who regard these persons as "Ascended Masters," and herein lies the difficulty, and the overall topic of this post. Each of the individuals I have mentioned, and many others, have achieved a level of veneration among some admirers that they have been elevated to the level of divinity Itself, and thus become perceived as sacrosanct and worthy of worship as gods themselves. There is a term for this behavior: idolatry. Idolatry has been commonly misunderstood as the worship of physical objects as gods. In actual fact, people and concepts can also constitute idols if they become the focus of worship in place of God. Idolatry is a natural reaction by the limited human worldview to bridge the perceived gap between God and the worshiper, "but if from thence thou shalt seek the LORD thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul." (Deuteronomy 4:29) 

My point is that each of us is capable of making an individual connection with God, albeit in a limited fashion. If you make a true effort, with no evasion and stripped of all preconceptions, then you will truly know God in all of His/Her aspects. No priesthood is necessary, no other limited human to tell you what to expect, no established religion to color your perceptions of divinity. You can become a religion of one, or of two, you and God. There is no need for competition between dueling idols for supremacy in men's hearts. God speaks to each of us, seeks a connection with every individual on Earth, and in this way we are all one, all equal, all worthy of basic human respect.


As a side note, this is why I adhere to the Wicca faith more strongly than any other -- there are no idols. Some witches use objects on their altars as representations of one or more aspects of God, but those are merely focus objects, used as gateways to make the connection between the worshiper and God. (Some of us need help with that.) I'm sure there are some witches who would venerate the likes of Aleistair Crowley, Gerald Gardner, Scott Cunningham, or Raymond Buckland, but the majority with whom I've come into contact regard them merely as men, fellow travelers upon this Earth seeking connection to divinity and willing to pass along the wisdom they have accumulated. May they ever be regarded as such in the minds of witches everywhere. 

Humans Unite Against Apes in Libya

[Photo courtesy of Imgur.com]

My previous posts ranting and raving about hairless apes who have the audacity to call themselves human are now more relevant than ever. The link posted above contained this photo among others showing what true Muslims think. In a previous post, I claimed that war is not normal for the human condition. And seeing Libyans holding up signs which say things like "Sorry People of America this is not the Behavior of our Islam and Prophet" and "Chris Stevens Was a Friend to All Libyans" proves to me that there still exists at least a plurality of non-radicalized Muslims who share my feelings on violence.

Please Stop Voting For Monkeys

Speaking of people of whom I am ashamed:

Romney criticised for remarks on Libya attack

Mr. Romney, Mr. Obama, do you actually presume to call yourselves adults? You sound more like you're running for class president than POTUS. The most important seat in the nation should be occupied by someone mature in their thinking, moderate in their views, diplomatic in their dealings with the other branches of government, and critical in their analysis of situations. Thus far in this election season, neither of you has shown anything remotely resembling those qualifications. Quite the opposite, in fact. You are both knee-jerk one-upsmen, snapping at every little opportunity to denigrate your opponent in hopes that everyone will hate you less than him.

My first real awareness of campaign mud-slinging came in 1988, when my tender young ears were treated to the invective flung from the television set by George H.W. Bush and Michael Dukakis. It was in those months that I first began to lose faith in the American political establishment, and that erosion continues with each successive biennial election season. I am reminded painfully of chimpanzees flinging their own feces at rival troops. Perhaps "mud-slinging" is not the proper term.

So, once again I am reduced to vituperating supposedly human beings, reminding them that they are NOT animals but sentient, sapient beings capable of far greater and more noble sentiments than the poop they are throwing not only at each other but at every American. 

Mr. Romney, Mr. Obama, you are degrading us all with your primate-house antics. Show us your big brains, not your red butts.

Do It Yourself!

[Image courtesy of the Villains Wiki]

There are a lot of villains out there. Right here in Hazleton, we're still feeling the effects of the villainous operators of Municipal Energy Managers, who were contracted to maintain the city's streetlights but instead pocketed the money. The last time I checked in on the situation, there were nearly a dozen municipalities in eastern Pennsylvania who have either ended contracts with MEM or have filed suit against its owners. And of course, there was that to-do with Bernie Madoff, and legions of other schemers seeking to part fools from their money.

Kinda splashy, I know, throwing Zorg's evil face at you right off the bat. But Zorg's epiphany -- which came too late -- was that "if you want something done, do it yourself." There have been a few scandals recently involving hedge fund managers and ratings agencies, two entity classes which I view with the same scorn as the blattodea still sharing living space with me. First of all, hedging is something gamblers do. I hate gambling. Rule #3: Never leave anything to chance. Second, relying on someone else to tell you what to do with your money is just plain foolish. And giving someone else your money to manage for you is even dumber.

It can be argued that the US dollar is a legal fiction, that it doesn't really exist, that it's backed by nothing and therefore has no real value. Yet, as I write this, I'm eating ice cream I bought using US dollars I earned doing useful work for my employer (who I call simply The Company, because my opinions do not necessarily reflect theirs). So those dollars have some sort of value to me, The Company, the grocery store where I bought the ice cream, the ice cream manufacturer, and the dairy farmer. And all five of us want those dollars to go as far as possible to keep our operations afloat, and that sometimes means investing. Of course, each of us invests their money in a different way. The dairy farmer invests in feed, milking machinery, and veterinary care. The ice cream plant invests in machinery and sanitation supplies. The grocery store invests in freezers. The Company throws nearly all of its profits into growing its business (much to the chagrin of stock analysts -- muah-hahahahahah!). And I invest in tools and equipment to reduce my electrical dependency.

All this investing activity involves research. If you go into your local department store looking for a coffee maker, you might just grab the cheapest one. But I can guarantee you it won't last the year. A little bit of research will point you to a better coffee maker, one that will last five years and has a few extra features like a timer or an energy-saving mode or a built-in bean grinder. You'll pay a little more, and yes, your "research" may consist merely of reading the boxes of the various coffee makers on display, but you'll get something that will satisfy you so much more than just grabbing whatever junk you happen to come across first. I know for a fact that a lot of people take the same approaches to buying a car, ending up with a car for the next decade -- or the next six months. You can't just buy any random car. And you certainly won't give your money to someone and say, "Go get me a car." Who knows what you'll end up with?

The same goes for investing in stocks and bonds. You need to carefully research the company behind the stock you want to buy, and determine for yourself whether it is a good buy or not. Give your money to a fund manager, and God only knows what you'll end up owning -- or not owning. Many of you out there are confused by the intricate systems of investing, what with all the market quotes and analysts opinions and options and whatnot. But you can learn. A good place to start is The Motley Fool, who gave me my first leg up in investing parlance and procedure. And I suggest you do so, instead of letting the next Bernie Madoff get his hands on your hard-earned dollars.

Don't get blown up in the next fund scandal. Do your homework. Invest wisely. And put your dividends to good use.

Condemnations All Around

Both Most of my regular readers know that I have some strong feelings concerning religion. One sentiment in particular is the concept of blasphemy. Blasphemy is NEVER directed against God. Blasphemy is always directed against humans and the institutions and doctrines they erect in hollow imitation of their perception of what it means to be godly. Those institutions and doctrines are at best inaccurate, and at worst deliberately calculated to enslave that particular religion's adherents to the clerical class. This is why I draw an emphatic distinction between "religion" and "faith." Faith is individual belief in God or Gods. Religion is collective adherence to a set of images and rituals (i.e., idols) designed according to the precepts defined above. He who claims to know the mind of God is a liar and a slaver. Avoid him at all costs.

With the definitions paragraph now sorted, I move on to the specific message of this post. A U.S. ambassador and three diplomats were killed in Benghazi, Libya, and heated protests broke out both there and in Cairo over an independent film allegedly produced by an Israeli and aimed at insulting the Islamic prophet Muhammad. For those of you who are unaware of Islamic sentiment, this would be as insulting to Muslims as burning Christ in effigy would be here in America. The identity of the filmmaker, however, has not been proven, and some news outlets suspect that the film was produced by an individual or group aiming to inflame tensions between Jews and Muslims.

The true source of the film is immaterial to my argument. The fact remains that tensions were in fact increased, resulting in riots and assassinations. This, to me, represents a failure of the greatest magnitude among Muslims. I am dismayed that someone went to so much trouble to insult you; however, the resulting violence is an expression of animalistic mob mentality which is in no way appropriate for human beings. We are not animals. We are not to subsume our personal ethics to the will of the pack and engage in violence and murder. To me, this is an outrage against God. You have been given minds and the ability to judge right from wrong. To give that over that facility to a mob, or a religious order, or any other human institution, to deviate from God's righteousness, to degrade yourself to the level of wolves on the hunt, is the only form of blasphemy I recognize. The debauchery I am now seeing in the Islamic world over a mere film is shameful and sinful, as is the deceptive and divisive production of said film.

To the rioters, assassins and filmmakers: I am personally ashamed to share the same common heritage with you, to be forced by my faith to admit that you are fellow human beings and residents of Planet Earth, worthy of the same respect and dignity afforded me by God.

I urge everyone, not merely Muslims and Jews but all of humanity, to throw aside the artificial precepts forced upon you by the priesthoods of your religions and engage in honest prayer and communion with God. I want you all to know who God really is, to become individually acquainted with the love He holds for you, and to embrace the personal path He has set before you. Do not approach this task as a Christian, or as a Jew, or as a Muslim, or as a member of any other human religious institution, but as yourself. "Hi, God, it's Annie. I want to know You. Tell me of Your love, and show me what You want for me." Take responsibility for your own life and your own actions and your own relationship with God, and DO NOT let anyone tell you by any means what that relationship should be. This is the only act which can save us all from mutual destruction.

Annie's Test Kitchen: Kicked-up Beans 'N Franks

Since striking out on my own, sans roommates, I've had to conserve quite a bit. No more living on potato crisps and beef jerky. I've started experimenting in the kitchen again, and thought I'd share an awesome recipe I discovered the usual way -- by throwing a bunch of stuff together in a pot and see if it works.

• 2 large tomatoes, diced (about 4 cups)
• 1 large green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup pickled peppers (hot or mild -- I prefer banana peppers)
• 6 hot dogs, sliced
• 1 cup of pinto beans
• 1 cup of rice
• 2 tablespoons of salt
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

If the pinto beans are dry, soak them overnight and reserve the liquid. Otherwise, use a 10-ounce can. Put the tomatoes, half of the onion and bell pepper, salt, vinegar and pickled peppers in a 5-quart saucepan and simmer covered for one hour or until completely covered in their own juice. Sautee the rest of the onion and pepper and the garlic and hot dog slices for five minutes or until the vegetables begin to soften, then add to the saucepan. Add the beans and rice and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until rice is soft. Remove from heat; let sit 10 minutes. Serve or pack up for lunches.

I don't know what exactly you would call this dish, but it's yummmmmmmy (yes, seven Ms, it's that good). 

Alternative Power -- Whirlybirds

I found a small child's scooter out for trash a couple years ago, so I did what I do with all devices -- immediately dismantled it. I managed to get a nice 24-volt permanent magnet motor and two 12V 7Ah batteries out of the deal. So began my exploration of alternative energy.

I'm planning a purchase of some small solar panels to charge my electronic devices and provide a little power for other projects such as electronic experimentation, and I've been trying to convert an old exercise bike to use the 24V motor as a generator (need tools). Eventually, I'd like to harness the constant wind blowing through Hazleton to provide power for the entire house.

There are major problems with alternative energy schemes at this early date. Solar is entirely passive, but it depends upon the amount of sunlight available and typically provides a very low yield for the amount of space it occupies. Wind is better, providing more wattage for very little space, but it's mechanical, meaning if there is any kind of structural failure a wind turbine can send lethal projectiles spraying in all directions. See this video of a Danish turbine failure for a dramatic demonstration. Wind turbines provide power only so long as the wind lasts. If the wind lasts beyond the point your batteries are charged, the extra power generated needs to be dumped into a dummy load (usually some sort of heater) to keep the turbine from doing exactly what happens in the video above. If there is a break in the circuit, a frayed wire or a stuck relay, boom! your neighbors are dead.  In spite of all these risks, I would so love to see a day when every house in a city like this one to be able to provide their own power, with a combination of windmills and solar panels.

I've been looking hard at the "whirlybird" roof ventilators for a number of reasons. First, they turn no matter from which direction the wind is blowing. Second, if they are of high quality, they last for years, sometimes decades. Third, the compact and robust design makes them virtually immune to any sort of catastrophic failure. And fourth, they turn with the slightest breeze.

Of course, the one major drawback to whirlybirds is that they are highly inefficient. They work so well because they are only designed to move small amounts of air. If you put any sort of load on them, they will most likely stall. However, I think the design is still worth exploring. If you followed the Amazon link above, there is an add-on device, a generator designed specifically to be linked to a whirlybird to generate three-phase AC power. If the efficiency could be adjusted, such rooftop generators would provide a safe and effective method for providing household power.

Perhaps not all of your power needs will be met by such devices, but it would definitely help to wean America off its dependence on dirty and dangerous coal and nuclear power and ecologically damaging hydroelectric.  Just some thoughts to get your brains working.

Mattress Savings Plan

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/guest-post-human-action-under-ultra-low-interest-rates

I just wanted to add commentary on the article above. The "informal economies" to which the article refer are savings which fall outside the traditional demand/savings/share accounts of banks and credit unions. These savings consist almost entirely of hard assets such as physical metals (gold, silver, copper, etc. -- ask me about my "guilder" collection), food, supplies, or other physical assets held by individuals rather than by banks or corporations. For instance, my current "savings plan" consists of investment in long-storing foodstuffs and alternative energy sources for my home. I do hold some traditional investment devices, but they are all easily liquid and I can readily call upon them to assist me in emergencies. But a lot of investors ran into a major liquidity trap in 2007-08 with traditional investments, and we would all do well to learn from those examples.