Oh, for fuck's sake!

So.  Obama's minions are attempting, once again, to take over the roles of parents in telling kids what to do, what to buy, and how to live.  This time, the EPA cut loose with a PSA telling kids to shop at thrift stores for school clothes, to use recycled products as school supplies, to use paper and plastic bags taped to the outside of their books in leiu of the cool book covers available at office supply stores and Walmarts, and to not take more than one packet of salt, pepper, or ketchup, or more than one napkin.  

I get my kids new clothes.  I remember having nothing that came new from the store (except underwear, which my mother rightfully thought gross getting second hand), and I remember how badly I resented that. 

I also remember the attempts at bullying that only failed because I've got thicker skin than a rhinoceros, as well as a harder head.

I ate school lunches every day--my sister and I got free lunches, and sometimes we couldn't afford to take lunch even if it was something we didn't like.  And even when we could, Mom couldn't be arsed to help us pack one.  Sometimes the only thing that made them palatable was a butt-ton of salt, pepper, ketchup and mustard.  Many days, the lunch ladies would remind us to grab several of the tiny, inadequate napkins because the food was going to be messy. 

My son, picky eater that he is, takes peanut butter--no jelly; he doesn't like it--sandwiches for lunch every day.  Three slices of bread, slathered in honey peanut butter and folded over.  Takes two sandwich bags.  He also takes a juice box, which gets thrown away.  

Yes, I covered my books with paper bags that I then covered with doodles. There were no book covers available, and no money available for them. 

When it gets to that point, I'm going to let my kids pick out their book covers.  Yes, they'll have to pay for more than just the basic out of their allowance, but the options will be there.  And if they'd rather use the big roll of white butcher paper we have, and cover their books with doodles, that'll be fine, too.

However.  Having the EPA sticking its nose in to tell kids to buy second hand clothes, use recycled trash products, and to take only ONE packet of each condiment and napkins reeks.  "You shouldn't want nice things.  If you do, you're an elitist, and shame on you."*  "You should accept trash for your belongings."  "You shouldn't take [blogger's edit: make?] more than your fair share." 

Who the fuck do they think they are?  The nation's parents?  Seriously?  The only ones who have the authority to talk to my kids like this are my husband and me.  Maybe their teachers, depending on exactly what is under discussion. 

*Tell that to the race-baiters (and white trash, from my experience, which can be just as bad in the "Oh, so since I'm poor, I'm not good enough for name brands?" attitude) in the free shit army whining about being asked to take RoseArt supplies--which I liked better than Crayola, when I was younger--that Angel blogged about.

This post has not been approved by the United States Ministry of Truth.

Which may, in the future, become a problem, because I refuse to disseminate propaganda.

Next time you buy a house?

Pay cash.  In full.  You never know who might end up owning your home, otherwise.

Best yet?  You cannot shake off debt to a government agency by filing bankruptcy. 

Wow.

When ex-KGB commander Vladimir Putin is saying that the current administration is doing bad things with the phone records, and invading citizens' privacy a bit too much...you know there's a real problem. 

Poor idiot.

I admire Edward Snowdon's courage, but not his intelligence, in shining a spotlight on what the government is doing in ass-plowing the fourth amendment.  He's going to wind up dead.  Whether it's by assassination when they can't haul him back through extradition, or murdered by an inmate (who then immediately gets turned loose as a reward) will depend on which country he manages to flee to. 

I honestly can't see a way for him to survive, since he came out publicly, rather than handing over the information anonymously.  Not with the regime administration tyrants government we currently have in power.

Uh-huh. Right.

If this goes through, it's a horrible precedent.  Basically, the government in Wisconsin wants to be able to access, and possibly freeze, bank accounts of people who are drawing unemployment insurance.  They claim that it will decrease fraud, and fix mistakes of unemployment insurance overpayment.

That won't be where it stops.  I can see the point of it with some circumstances (like with women with half a dozen children and counting, who use those kids as sources of welfare income), but not for those who lost their jobs because of government interference with the economy. 

I can already foresee one major, unintended consequence: people are going to stop trusting the banks.  I can see a lot of people starting to keep their cash stash separate, and untraceable, if this passes, mostly because they're not going to trust the banks to keep their money safe.  And once that switch flips, more and more people will stop trusting the banks, until banks start collapsing faster than they already are.

I don't distrust my bank.  I distrust my government, especially after seeing what the European governments that my government so admires have been doing to their people with money in the bank. 

Unfortunately, I'm kind of rare in blaming the government.  Most people won't see that it's not the banks that need to be distrusted, but the government that shoves the new law through.

FFOT: public school policies

Public schools in general and these three schools in specific can fuck right the fuck off.

First: how the fuck does a kid get fucking traumatized by a fucking plastic toy gun about an inch long?  Even if it is a fucking evil black rifle?  Simple: he doesn't.  The fucking pansy-ass leftist panty wad bus driver is so shit scared of guns he (or she) can't stand to see a little green army man's gun.  Betcha he'd be just as scared if he saw a real penis with testicles still attached, rather than removed, bronzed, and sitting on someone's mantle. 

Second: the teacher was right to teach the kids about their fifth amendment rights.  Every student has a right to refuse to take a survey--especially one that has their name on the top.  The fucking school does not have the fucking right to fucking punish him for doing his job.  His job is to teach.  So fucking what if he used their fucking illegal survey asking questions about criminal behavior?  What, were they planning to turn the surveys over to the police (probably)?  Even better for him to have taught them that they have the right to NOT FUCKING ANSWER THOSE FUCKING QUESTIONS!!!

Third: WHAT THE FUCKING FUCKETY FUCK?  WHOSE FUCKING BRILLIANT FUCKING BRAIN FART BIRTHED THIS FUCKING ABORTION OF A FUCKING IDEA???  WHO THOUGHT SCANNING KIDS' IRISES WITHOUT THEIR PARENTS' KNOWLEDGE OR CONSENT WAS A BRILLIANT FUCKING PLAN?  I DON'T FUCKING CARE THAT IT WAS FUCKING DONE IN THE NAME OF SECURITY--THAT'S FUCKING TREATING CHILDREN AS IF THEY WERE FUCKING FELONS, AND FUCKING FINGERPRINTING THEM, AND STORING THEIR FINGERPRINTS IN A FUCKING DATABASE!!  EVEN FUCKING BETTER, THE FUCKING BRAINLESS, MOUTH-BREATHING FUCKING MORONS AT THE SCHOOL FUCKING HIRED A FUCKING OUTSIDE COMPANY TO COME IN AND DO THE FUCKING SCANS?  HOW DOES THE FUCKING SCHOOL KNOW THAT NONE OF THE FUCKING OUTSIDE COMPANY WAS ON THE FUCKING REGISTERED SEX OFFENDERS LIST? 

The wheels are coming off this country.  And it's nowhere more apparent than in the education system.

Missing the obvious, huh?

Scientists studying the effects of the Google glasses on human minds have discovered that "wearers could fail to see something that would 'otherwise be utterly obvious.'"

You know...like someone taking offense to being filmed by some jackass that thinks they're all that because they have a $1,500 accessory to their smartphone on their face--convenient for a punch to the snoot to dislodge before stepping on it.  

And yes, I do know people who would do just that.  I probably wouldn't...but I wouldn't bet against me tripping the idiot from behind to knock the glasses off, then shoving the idiot so that they step on them.  

And, since they'd be missing the "utterly obvious," I'd bet against them doing anything other than crying over their defunct webcam.

OpSec is more important than your kids' desires to post pictures.

I think it's great that a dad in NJ got his son a .22 for his birthday.  Even better is that it looks like an EBR, which freaks leftists right out.

Problem is, the kid has a Facebook page (and yes, it is a problem that an eleven year old kid has a Facebook page), and posted the picture of himself with his birthday present on it.  And someone freaked out and called an anonymous child abuse hotline.  Of course, this occasioned a visit from child illfare, and the cops, demanding entry into the home (without a warrant), and to look at the gun safe and registration papers for the firearms (a voluntary thing that they had not complied with). 

Needless to say, the violation of the fourth amendment rights did not fly.  And the CPS twat declined to identify herself, and fled, hiding her face from the camera phone that the man of the house was holding.

Okay, I've got a few issues with this story.  First, let's deal with the kid having a Facebook page to begin with.  He's eleven.  Unless it's set to private, with everything in it unavailable to anyone he's not friends with, it is not safe for an eleven year old to have a Facebook page.  Even then, it isn't safe, as I haven't found any controls for parents to decide who their kid can accept as a friend.  I wouldn't let my fifteen year old have a Facebook page, much less an eleven year old. 

Second, I am thrilled to death that the kid was so pleased to get a rifle for his birthday.  I would have been, too (and am thrilled that I got some airsoft toys to play with for my birthday).  However.  It should have been, and should be even if it's a little late, impressed upon the kid that you never admit to having a gun.  Not ever.  Not even in a free state, like Missouri.  New Jersey is not a free state. 

Third, I have a huge issue with child illfare.  I hate CPS.  The way it operates--on anonymous tips--is a blatant violation of the God-given, Constitutionally-guaranteed right to face your accuser.  And the way the stupid cunt drug the police into it, and didn't bother to get a warrant really pisses me off.

But honestly, the kid needs to take that wonderful picture down.  There's no telling who used it to try to violate his family.  And there's no guarantee that this is done for that family. 

Last, but not least...move.  Leave the tyrannies to the tyrants and sheep, and move to a free state.

As seen on a friend's Facebook page...

Upon reflection...this really isn't a funny picture.

Makes me glad I don't text.

I barely use a cell phone at all.  I don't care to be constantly tethered to work/family/friends.  I do not do the whole text messaging thing.  I don't like the way the abbreviations have crept into formal writing, and grade those little bits of textspeak very harshly. 

I also refuse to do it.

Not for fear that it'll make me a lazy writer.  Because I hate it with a bloody purple passion.

I'm even more glad that I don't, now that law enforcement is clamoring to force cell phone companies store such data for each customer for at least two years, "just in case." 

That's just creepy.

And here's to the new normal...

Did you know that your annual physical is now "free"*?  Yep, glory be to the 0ne who passed the bill that will eventually drive all health insurers out of business, and will force each and every one of us to submit to government control.

Speaking of such, did you know your doctor is now required to ask about your lifestyle during this visit?  Things like "your weight, exercise, family life, smoking, sexual abuse(!), and even to ask if you wear seat belts"--and they're required to make sure your answers are in your still-private (for now) medical record (my answers to these questions will all be the same: "It's none of the government's business.") 

But they're not going to be allowed to listen to new concerns you may have about current issues that may be moving out of control, or any new issues.  Basically, they're being told to ignore your health, and focus on whether you're doing what the government mandates you should be doing.


*Disclaimers: your free annual physical only involves conversation with your doctor concerning current, managed conditions.  No other concerns may be discussed, and new conditions are not covered.  You will be required to reschedule your appointment to discuss any new concerns, and pay out the ass to cover your doctor's uncompensated expenses for your "free" annual physical.

Creepy junk mail

Got a flier in the mail, today, detailing who voted in our neighborhood in the last elections.  By address and name.

That was creepy, and more than vaguely threatening. 

Who didn't see this coming?

First, they came for the smokers...and we didn't say anything because we didn't smoke, and it was none of our business.

Then, they came for the drinkers...and we didn't say anything because we didn't drink.  Too much. 

Then they came for the fatties...and we didn't say much because we acknowledged that we could stand to lose a little weight.

Now, they're trying to define gun violence as a "public health issue" so that they can put pressure on us to become the serfs they imagine us to be.

I hate to tell them this...well, that's a lie.  I will proclaim this boldly, proudly, and at the top of my lungs, as often as it needs to be said: I will not permit anyone to remove my right to protect myself and my family.  I will not permit the government that works for me to penalize me for being a (for the most part) law-abiding citizen.  I will not give in.  I will not surrender.  I will not abide by any law or social engineering that will not affect any but the law abiding. 

I will not give up my guns.  Nor will I pay any penalty to be "permitted" to keep them.  Nor yet will I accept discrimination in my workplace, my health insurance (which is separate from my job), my home insurance, or my property tax. 

The government, in all its infinite wisdom, the doctors in all their concerned busy-body nosiness, and anyone who agrees to abide by whatever the two come up with can go fuck themselves. 

Crushing Americans under expenses

I just read a figure that gives a ballpark about what Obamacare is going to cost those of us who already have insurance: an extra $2100/year/family. 

I already pay $336/month for health insurance for my family of four.  Obamacare is going to add nearly $200/month to that, bringing our health insurance premiums--and this is for a plan that pays only for catastrophic things like hospital stays (provided they aren't complication-free childbirth related), with a $5,000 deductible--to around $500/month.

We live in a paid-for house.  Our mortgage payments were less than that, when we had it.  It's also more than most car payments. 

I don't like being penalized for being responsible.  I don't like paying the costs of those who are able, but refuse to do it themselves.  I don't like that this seems to be aimed at forcing more people into government dependence.

And everyone that forced this abortion of a law on the 75% of the population that didn't want it is going to find out some hard truths:

We hired you.  We can fire you.  And a lot of you will be out of a job in November for not figuring out a way to derail this.

Of all the stupid...

I've got three stupid bans for you:

• Pennsylvania is banning "secret" compartments in vehicles, defined by something added after-market for whatever reason--but they're only illegal if they're added for illegal reasons.  In other words, you could add a small safe for money and valuables because you travel a lot, get pulled over in PA, and they could confiscate everything in your safe because you can't prove you didn't have it added to smuggle drugs.

• Cambridge, MA, is trying to prove that they're bigger nannies (and believe that their people are dumber and more totally lacking in will-power) than NYC--they're trying to pass a ban on any sugar sweetened drinks at any restaurant.

• You know how if you cut an apple a certain way, the seeds look like a five pointed star?  Well, apparently, if you cut a tomato in the same way, the flesh of the fruit and surrounding seeds form a cross.  Which, according to some idiot RIFs, means it's a Christian food, and Muslims will go to hell for eating it. 

'Bout the only dumber ban I can think of right off the top of my head is the one banning drop rail cribs.  You can't even legally sell one at a yard sale.  Sorry, but I'm short--under 5' tall--and the fixed rail cribs are either too high for me to put a sleeping baby down on the mattress without waking it, or too low for the baby to be safe from falling out once they start being able to stand up.  So, because some parents were so fucking stupid they couldn't follow instructions (installing the drop rail hardware upside down, which let the rail fall out, and let the baby squeeze out and smother between mattress and rail), they assume all of us are that dumb, and forbid us from using a product that is perfectly safe if assembled correctly. 

Actually, now that I think of it, I think I can sort of understand that ban.  I mean, I just revised my text books to add pictures because my students can't follow written instructions.

God help this country.

Inaccurate, misleading reporting, or a complete inability to comprehend a study summary?

This makes me wonder.  The headline reads "Sugar can make you dumb, US scientists warn"--however, that's not the conclusion I took from the summary of the study.  Yes, the rats that had only high-fructose corn syrup added to their drinking water didn't retain what they'd learned, but the other group didn't have just plain water, but omega-3 fatty acids added to theirs. 

Honestly, the way I read it implied that the group with the omega-3s added to their water also had the high fructose corn syrup, but that detail was omitted by the reporter that wrote up the story.  I'd have to see the actual report written by those who did the study to be sure.  However, since the selection and omission of details is something I teach in my composition classes, I can usually recognize when someone is using that tool in spinning something to support the views they don't want challenged.   

I strongly suspect that this is another attempt by the big government "you will eat your hair shirt and like it" Puritanical food nannies to control what we consume, and how much. 

I think I'd rather just buy a new computer...

The FBI has given a deadline by which to check your computer to make sure there's no malware--specifically, the DNS Changer Trojan--or else you won't be able to go back online.  They've helpfully provided a link to check and to download something to clean it off.

I'm so sorry, but I don't think I'd be giving the FSB's--er, FBI's website free access to my computer.  If I suddenly can't get online on July 9 (which I doubt--I regularly run anti-malware updates, as well as routine virus and spyware scans), I think I'll just go get a new computer.

The Underpants Gnomes model to nationalizing economic prioductivity

1.  Draft an executive order on a Friday afternoon.

2.??????

3.  Declare martial law and seize private corporations for "national defense...stuff," leading to... A SOCIALIST UTOPIA!!!


Oh, you think I'm exaggerating?  There are provisions to

assess on an ongoing basis the capability of the domestic industrial and technological base to satisfy requirements in peacetime and times of national emergency, specifically evaluating the availability of the most critical resource and production sources, including subcontractors and suppliers, materials, skilled labor, and professional and technical personnel;

In other words, who's got the biggest production lines, and is making the most money?  Who would be best (most profitable) to seize first?  And what have they got that the government can seize?

"But HH, what has that got to do with nationalization?  And socialism?"

From the horse's rear's mouth, this is supposed to "provide for the central coordination of the plans and programs incident to authorities and functions delegated under this order, and provide guidance to agencies assigned functions under this order, developed in consultation with such agencies..."  Central coordination and economic planning = socialist market.  In other words, the market isn't allowed to be responsive to what consumers want.  You can have what Big Brother tells you that you can have.

"But HH, aren't you being a little alarmist and extreme?  Surely they wouldn't go that far..."

Again, yes, they would.  There are plans in place, articulated by that executive order that was carefully scheduled to be overlooked by the media, to restrict everything from basic necessities to medical care to luxuries to travel to energy usage.

(1)  the Secretary of Agriculture with respect to food resources, food resource facilities, livestock resources, veterinary resources, plant health resources, and the domestic distribution of farm equipment and commercial fertilizer;

(2)  the Secretary of Energy with respect to all forms of energy;

(3)  the Secretary of Health and Human Services with respect to health resources;

(4)  the Secretary of Transportation with respect to all forms of civil transportation;

(5)  the Secretary of Defense with respect to water resources; and

(6)  the Secretary of Commerce with respect to all other materials, services, and facilities, including construction materials.

"But HH, how in the hell can anyone restrict and ration our access to all that?  This is a big country, after all..."

Tell me this doesn't sound like raising a private army that isn't bound by the Posse Comitatus Act:

Sec. 501.  National Defense Executive Reserve.  (a) In accordance with section 710(e) of the Act, 50 U.S.C. App. 2160(e), there is established in the executive branch a National Defense Executive Reserve (NDER) composed of persons of recognized expertise from various segments of the private sector and from Government (except full time Federal employees) for training for employment in executive positions in the Federal Government in the event of a national defense emergency.

(b)  The Secretary of Homeland Security shall issue necessary guidance for the NDER program, including appropriate guidance for establishment, recruitment, training, monitoring, and activation of NDER units and shall be responsible for the overall coordination of the NDER program.  The authority of the President under section 710(e) of the Act, 50 U.S.C. App. 2160(e), to determine periods of national defense emergency is delegated to the Secretary of Homeland Security.

To translate from bureaucratese, this basically says that the President can create a federal branch of the Reserves from people with training in critical areas, for deployment by the President and by the Secretary of Homeland Security.  And yes, there will be recruitment, and training, of said reserves.  I would assume that a "national defense emergency" means whatever the President says it does. 

"But HH, if they're talking about recruitment, doesn't that mean it's a voluntary organization?  Won't that mean people will know what's going on and just...I don't know, not volunteer?"

You'd think that, wouldn't you?  However, there also seem to be provisions for keeping an eye on the labor pool, with a possible eye toward drafting anyone Big Brother deems necessary:

Sec. 601.  Secretary of Labor.  (a)  The Secretary of Labor, in coordination with the Secretary of Defense and the heads of other agencies, as deemed appropriate by the Secretary of Labor, shall:

(1)  collect and maintain data necessary to make a continuing appraisal of the Nation's workforce needs for purposes of national defense;

(2)  upon request by the Director of Selective Service, and in coordination with the Secretary of Defense, assist the Director of Selective Service in development of policies regulating the induction and deferment of persons for duty in the armed services;

(3)  upon request from the head of an agency with authority under this order, consult with that agency with respect to:  (i) the effect of contemplated actions on labor demand and utilization; (ii) the relation of labor demand to materials and facilities requirements; and (iii) such other matters as will assist in making the exercise of priority and allocations functions consistent with effective utilization and distribution of labor;

(4)  upon request from the head of an agency with authority under this order:  (i) formulate plans, programs, and policies for meeting the labor requirements of actions to be taken for national defense purposes; and (ii) estimate training needs to help address national defense requirements and promote necessary and appropriate training programs; and

(5)  develop and implement an effective labor management relations policy to support the activities and programs under this order, with the cooperation of other agencies as deemed appropriate by the Secretary of Labor, including the National Labor Relations Board, the Federal Labor Relations Authority, the National Mediation Board, and the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service.

 (b)  All agencies shall cooperate with the Secretary of Labor, upon request, for the purposes of this section, to the extent permitted by law.

In other words, Big Brother is saying, "Be good little proles and volunteer, or we'll fucking draft you."

My dear brother and sister citizens of the United States of America...we are well and truly fucked.  Executive orders stand until subsequent executive orders rescind them.  I cannot see either Romney or Santorum rescinding this order.

Looks like a probable win for the Underpants Gnomes.

ADDENDUM: Let me make a request of all who read this (few though there are): even if you don't link my blog post, please link and make noise about the executive order.  The only reason this was signed and issued on Friday is to make sure it wouldn't catch public attention.  Let's at least make sure he can't accomplish that much.

I think "privacy" is an outmoded concept, anymore.

According to this, the only true anonymity is in the absolutely massive amount of information that the linked together data sources.  I think the sheer mass of data points to sort through would overload the analysts, computer sorting program or not. 

Thank God for the Bill of Rights protecting us from being harassed by government bureaucrats criminalizing our actions to be allowed more power over us!

Wait...