So I take a few days off and the whole world goes nuts. It seems like that some days.
We elected a new president or is he really new? Thankfully there was no huge outbreak of rioting and discontent and that is a good thing. I wonder what would have happened had the election gone the other way. Would the losers have been as understanding if McCain had won the election or would there be rioting and calls of an illegal election and the attempt to overturn the election in the courts?
There is the one accusation of an illegal candidate that has yet to be played out but it looks like it will be buried rather quickly, and that question may remain with us long term, “Is Obama an American born citizen, or was he just a few days late on arrival?” What will the reactions be if he is or if he isn’t? Some things can be interesting to ask and watch and learn as long as the implications aren’t too personally costly.
One of those interesting things to watch has been the vote on Proposition 8 in California, the defining of marriage as being between a man and a woman. It isn’t often that churches will come out and actively take a stand on an issue; they usually just let their doctrine stand on its own merit. If you have faith in the doctrines that your church proclaims then you generally know what your position will be on any given issue. You either accept it as your own or you don’t. Many people did just that.
But there were several churches that thought that this issue was important enough to take a public stand in protecting a moral position as well as a sacred and respected institution, that of marriage. It brought together several churches that would normally be at odds for their varying points of doctrine but were united in their efforts to protect the sanctity of marriage.
That is right, I said protect. These churches were in a defensive position. They were defending the very nature of marriage and that which makes it holy and sacred, a gift from God. It was they who were in danger of losing something precious. They are the ones who were under attack. And the tactics the homosexual community used were most definitely attacks, vicious, cruel and hateful.
And now because Proposition 8 passed by the voters of California and marriage is once again defined as it should be, the churches and their followers are under attack again. Vandalism, graffiti, protest and violence are all coming from the homosexual community and all under their banner of love. So where is their tolerance for people different than them? Where is there acceptance of people that are heterosexual? Where is their respect for people that have faith and believe in God? Where was the media in pointing out these travesties of fairness? Who was there to point out the hypocrisy?
I am unaware of any arguments for Proposition 8 that banned any homosexual from continuing to practice their beliefs. In fact, they didn’t try to change anyone in the homosexual community at all. In a world that is continually injecting the homosexual lifestyle into everything around us, be it music, book, or screen, proponents of Prop 8 managed to leave at least one institution intact. At least for now.
The world of finance however is a whole other world all together. On one side you have the downtrodden millionaire and on the other the taxpayer. Guess who is going to win this contest?
On the other hand, everyone is sticking their hand out, waiting for a handout. I am still thinking that this whole bailout thing is one of the worst knee jerk reactions America has made in a long time. It wasn’t well thought out, it isn’t equitable, and it doesn’t play well to the ideals of capitalism that this world was designed around. If a merchant has bad inventory, he marks it down real low, moves it out and then replaces it with good inventory, and moves on. Most items can be either bought or sold if the price is right. It is just a matter of getting the price to be right.
Same goes for the producer of goods. If you provide for your customer what he wants at a price that he wants and you do it at least as good as the next guy, you will have a business. But if you are unable to deliver on any of those points you customer will go elsewhere, especially if there is an elsewhere to go too. Why is that so hard to understand? And why do we think it is necessary to assist through a bailout those that don’t understand it? We are not doing anyone any favors here. Especially not the taxpayer.
But it is more than just the taxpayer that is harmed by these bailouts. What are the messages that we are sending out? Is it really all right to fail? Are there really any risks if all my mistakes are taken care of by Uncle Sam? Are there really different standards for the elite versus the common man? Will I be looked after as well as the next guy, and if so do I no longer have a responsibility to make wise decisions concerning my welfare? Or that of those around me? Can I take credit for (or will I even get credit for) all this generosity even though it did not come directly from me? Has our quiet acceptance been considered a vote of approval for our leaders to continue doing what they have been doing? Will we ever be granted the status of individuals and adults again?
I believe it is possible to be counted as a grown up and as an individual. It won’t be easy, in fact it is going to get a whole lot harder be your own person, but I am willing to make that effort. I believe it is worth it. I believe I am worth it, and I believe my family is worth it. Freedom does not come from group think but rather from a group of individuals that think. That is where I want my voice. I wish for you to be as I would wish you to let me be.
Does that mean we stand alone? No, far from it, for it means we stand together. We do not stand over, nor are we stood upon. And that makes all the difference. For none should be more equal than others. No, not one. To have it any other way destroys equality.
This is Ed Nef with a view from the Farr West.
18 November 2008
01 November 2008
Why did that light go red?
I do believe I was abducted by aliens and that they implanted in my nose (near my sinuses since I keep getting sinus headaches) a transmitting device that automatically changes the traffic lights to red as I approach them.
It’s true. It seems like there is an overwhelming majority of traffic lights that change to red as I am coming near, whether there are any other cars on the road or not. A recent trip to the local Wal-Mart this early morning, and trust me, 6:30 on a Saturday morning is pretty close to the same as the middle of the night, just reinforced the theory of an implant.
As I approached at least four of the intersections with traffic lights, the light changed to red making me lose cruising speed, even having to use brakes and then sit idle as my turn eventually came around again. Each time the light changed you would think that there was someone else waiting their turn or at least approaching from the other direction but not at this time of the morning. At this time of the morning there were very few cars on the road and none were on the alternate direction route. In fact, at one light that made me stop, it gave a green to traffic (that wasn’t there) to the right of me for a full cycle, and then it gave a green light to the traffic (that also wasn’t there) to the left of me.
Now that it has me really ready to go, it makes me wait one more turn as it gives a green light to the turn lane coming from the other way. There was one car in the turn lane and he had only just barely arrived when the light turned green for him. It was just an optional turn light that he didn’t even need to make the turn with, but the traffic system seemed to think he needed it above me anyway.
This kind of behavior on the part of an inanimate object such as a traffic light is not just isolated incidents. It happens to me all the time. In fact, when I finally do get an unexpected green light or better yet a string of green lights (3 or 4 at least), I almost get giddy. I thank the heavens for this grand and marvelous gift.
My wife thinks that I am just focusing on the negative and that the traffic lights do that to everyone. She may be right. In fact, I have started to notice that this phenomenon is not just happening to me but is catching a few others as well.
Sometimes I will be sitting at a light with not another soul to be seen, waiting for it to turn green, when I notice another car approaching on the line that has the green light, and secretly I hope that they also have the implant so that their approach will change their green light to red giving my light the chance to go green again. This is sad to admit, because I really don’t want this to happen to anyone else, but I am secretly happy that it does because it finally gives me a chance to go again.
These intersections are not the old tech type that would auto cycle at the same rate all the time throughout the day. These aren’t even the old type that had sensors in the road that I always had a hard time setting off when I was riding my bicycle and sometimes couldn’t even set off with my motorcycle. These intersections have all had the new camera sensors put on them that are supposed to time the lights in a more efficient manner. These high priced units were paid for with all important taxpayer dollars and should be serving those taxpayers in a more appreciative manner. So why are they so cruel?
If my wife is correct, and there is no implant that triggers these lights against me, then someone somewhere is programming these lights to do this on purpose. Why oh why would anyone do this to another individual? Is this a control issue? Is there an effort to enforce a behavior? Are we being conditioned to being controlled? I would certainly hope not but it makes me wonder.
I mean in the olden days of the original gas crunch, creating synchronized traffic lights was a priority. There were some sections where you could travel for miles without even having to lightly lifting throttle to make the light.
One town I know of with the main street sporting 8 traffic light intersections per mile was still able to synchronize the lights to allow nonstop travel at 22.5 mph. This was only hard on those drivers that didn’t know the secret and would speed up then slow down then speed up then stop then speed up and so on for each light. This secret speed must have been too much of a good thing because they came along and messed it all up by changing the sync. They were able to take a 10 minute cross town drive and extend it to 25. I would still like to ring the neck of whoever was responsible for that one. Ogden, Utah you disappoint me. Last time I was there they were reducing the lane count from three to two and installing islands in the most congested part of town. Does no one understand productivity and efficiency anymore?
In fact, that is what this really comes down to, making life easier by making us more productive. When we are able to do more with less, we can get more done with what we have. Seems simple enough but for some reason most government agencies don’t get it. The Departments of Transportation for most states are seldom there to make things easier, and by their actions they prove that they are apt to try to control our efforts than expand our abilities.
So if there is no implant, and this is a deliberate effort for control on our government, then let us remind them that they are there to serve us. This is supposed to be a government of the people, by the people and for the people and they should be doing everything in their power to make our lives less encumbered. This means taking down obstacles and impediments, not finding new ways of adding speed bumps or doing things that bring us to a screeching halt. We need progress, not interference.
And in this time of economic uncertainty we need it more than ever.
This is Ed Nef with a view from the Farr West.
It’s true. It seems like there is an overwhelming majority of traffic lights that change to red as I am coming near, whether there are any other cars on the road or not. A recent trip to the local Wal-Mart this early morning, and trust me, 6:30 on a Saturday morning is pretty close to the same as the middle of the night, just reinforced the theory of an implant.
As I approached at least four of the intersections with traffic lights, the light changed to red making me lose cruising speed, even having to use brakes and then sit idle as my turn eventually came around again. Each time the light changed you would think that there was someone else waiting their turn or at least approaching from the other direction but not at this time of the morning. At this time of the morning there were very few cars on the road and none were on the alternate direction route. In fact, at one light that made me stop, it gave a green to traffic (that wasn’t there) to the right of me for a full cycle, and then it gave a green light to the traffic (that also wasn’t there) to the left of me.
Now that it has me really ready to go, it makes me wait one more turn as it gives a green light to the turn lane coming from the other way. There was one car in the turn lane and he had only just barely arrived when the light turned green for him. It was just an optional turn light that he didn’t even need to make the turn with, but the traffic system seemed to think he needed it above me anyway.
This kind of behavior on the part of an inanimate object such as a traffic light is not just isolated incidents. It happens to me all the time. In fact, when I finally do get an unexpected green light or better yet a string of green lights (3 or 4 at least), I almost get giddy. I thank the heavens for this grand and marvelous gift.
My wife thinks that I am just focusing on the negative and that the traffic lights do that to everyone. She may be right. In fact, I have started to notice that this phenomenon is not just happening to me but is catching a few others as well.
Sometimes I will be sitting at a light with not another soul to be seen, waiting for it to turn green, when I notice another car approaching on the line that has the green light, and secretly I hope that they also have the implant so that their approach will change their green light to red giving my light the chance to go green again. This is sad to admit, because I really don’t want this to happen to anyone else, but I am secretly happy that it does because it finally gives me a chance to go again.
These intersections are not the old tech type that would auto cycle at the same rate all the time throughout the day. These aren’t even the old type that had sensors in the road that I always had a hard time setting off when I was riding my bicycle and sometimes couldn’t even set off with my motorcycle. These intersections have all had the new camera sensors put on them that are supposed to time the lights in a more efficient manner. These high priced units were paid for with all important taxpayer dollars and should be serving those taxpayers in a more appreciative manner. So why are they so cruel?
If my wife is correct, and there is no implant that triggers these lights against me, then someone somewhere is programming these lights to do this on purpose. Why oh why would anyone do this to another individual? Is this a control issue? Is there an effort to enforce a behavior? Are we being conditioned to being controlled? I would certainly hope not but it makes me wonder.
I mean in the olden days of the original gas crunch, creating synchronized traffic lights was a priority. There were some sections where you could travel for miles without even having to lightly lifting throttle to make the light.
One town I know of with the main street sporting 8 traffic light intersections per mile was still able to synchronize the lights to allow nonstop travel at 22.5 mph. This was only hard on those drivers that didn’t know the secret and would speed up then slow down then speed up then stop then speed up and so on for each light. This secret speed must have been too much of a good thing because they came along and messed it all up by changing the sync. They were able to take a 10 minute cross town drive and extend it to 25. I would still like to ring the neck of whoever was responsible for that one. Ogden, Utah you disappoint me. Last time I was there they were reducing the lane count from three to two and installing islands in the most congested part of town. Does no one understand productivity and efficiency anymore?
In fact, that is what this really comes down to, making life easier by making us more productive. When we are able to do more with less, we can get more done with what we have. Seems simple enough but for some reason most government agencies don’t get it. The Departments of Transportation for most states are seldom there to make things easier, and by their actions they prove that they are apt to try to control our efforts than expand our abilities.
So if there is no implant, and this is a deliberate effort for control on our government, then let us remind them that they are there to serve us. This is supposed to be a government of the people, by the people and for the people and they should be doing everything in their power to make our lives less encumbered. This means taking down obstacles and impediments, not finding new ways of adding speed bumps or doing things that bring us to a screeching halt. We need progress, not interference.
And in this time of economic uncertainty we need it more than ever.
This is Ed Nef with a view from the Farr West.
31 October 2008
Is the Obama threat real?
I have written a few articles lately that have condemned the political candidates in this year’s elections. I have generally meant exactly what I have said about this being one very scary election with the threat of a bloodless take over by socialist and socialism that would shock anyone that has participated in the writing of the story that is America. From the founding fathers to the warriors and soldiers that stood up to dictators and communism, I think that there is a great disappointment over the fact that Obama was even allowed to make it this far and that the only answer put forth against is a McCain.
Have we forgotten the lesson of our past? Do we not recall what our forefathers worked so hard to establish? Did we even really know? Do we no appreciate what we have? I fear that we have no clue what we have done to ourselves.
In any case, I have heard rumor that the Obama campaign has enlisted the help of volunteers to search out blogs that speak poorly of their candidate and flood the comments with countering viewpoints. I have not seen any indications that that is the case. So in order to test this out I have added the above title in an effort to draw them in. No worries as this is still one of the least read blogs in blogosphere land but what the heck.
I do wish to understand what it is, or should I say how it is Obama supporters think. I know that there is the blind allegiance to party that can claim a large percentage of supporters. I know that there is the projection of a person’s personnel values onto the candidate’s platform whether true or not in an effort to believe that the candidate actually represents their views. Many turn a blind eye to anything that might cast the light of truth if it reveals their candidate for who they really are. It is easier to “hope” that things are different than to realize that reality falls far short of their ideals.
So why on earth would anyone be for Obama? I know he has used the traditional political illusions of being able to make everything better without actually offering an actual plan. Are you buying into them? Did you buy into the Clinton approach that everything wrong was someone else’s fault while taking credit for anything that went right even if was in spite of their actions? Is cause and effect that easy to manipulate? For some it must be.
So will anybody reading this respond? Is there really a program in the Obama camp that reads and responds to these blogs? If there are genuine Obama supporters out there that want to respond I will add any and all comments sent my way. That goes for McCain supporters also. Just keep the language clean. That is really the only thing I will edit on.
Maybe with a better understanding of what we are seeing out there and what we are wanting to see, we will be able to come up with better solutions to the common problems we all face and not have to rely so much on the windbags that continually sell us short.
This is Ed Nef with a view from the Farr West.
Have we forgotten the lesson of our past? Do we not recall what our forefathers worked so hard to establish? Did we even really know? Do we no appreciate what we have? I fear that we have no clue what we have done to ourselves.
In any case, I have heard rumor that the Obama campaign has enlisted the help of volunteers to search out blogs that speak poorly of their candidate and flood the comments with countering viewpoints. I have not seen any indications that that is the case. So in order to test this out I have added the above title in an effort to draw them in. No worries as this is still one of the least read blogs in blogosphere land but what the heck.
I do wish to understand what it is, or should I say how it is Obama supporters think. I know that there is the blind allegiance to party that can claim a large percentage of supporters. I know that there is the projection of a person’s personnel values onto the candidate’s platform whether true or not in an effort to believe that the candidate actually represents their views. Many turn a blind eye to anything that might cast the light of truth if it reveals their candidate for who they really are. It is easier to “hope” that things are different than to realize that reality falls far short of their ideals.
So why on earth would anyone be for Obama? I know he has used the traditional political illusions of being able to make everything better without actually offering an actual plan. Are you buying into them? Did you buy into the Clinton approach that everything wrong was someone else’s fault while taking credit for anything that went right even if was in spite of their actions? Is cause and effect that easy to manipulate? For some it must be.
So will anybody reading this respond? Is there really a program in the Obama camp that reads and responds to these blogs? If there are genuine Obama supporters out there that want to respond I will add any and all comments sent my way. That goes for McCain supporters also. Just keep the language clean. That is really the only thing I will edit on.
Maybe with a better understanding of what we are seeing out there and what we are wanting to see, we will be able to come up with better solutions to the common problems we all face and not have to rely so much on the windbags that continually sell us short.
This is Ed Nef with a view from the Farr West.
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