Archive of entries posted on December 2017

Random Thoughts: God and Taxes

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How much brain-eating partisanship do you have to be infected with to care about this CFPB stuff?

It’s theoretically possible to have extreme political views and not be an asshole.

Democrats taking a strong stand on Conyers and Franken could lead to getting rid of Trump, but morals for politicians is just for campaign speeches — its not an actual thing that influences your actions.

Remember when the NYTs decided that an extremely tiresome editorial about “assault weapons” that added nothing to the debate was important enough to put on their front page?
These guys like to pretend they’re influential when all they’re doing is preaching to a shrinking choir.

At some point, those of us who never thought to drop our pants in front of random women are going to start to feel like the weirdos.

It’s weird seeing how in other countries Netflix has lots of network American shows listed as Netflix Originals. You’d didn’t make The Good Place, you liar!

Regardless of how you vote, I think it’s fair to say that if you were at any time a Roy Moore supporter, you should feel really bad about yourself or you’re a partisan sociopath.
Politics has been overtaken by people who don’t actually care about anything other than the fight.

I think society is finally putting out a strong statement that sexual assault will not be tolerated from anyone who isn’t an elected official.

If you’re not going to do anything about Franken, shut up about Roy Moore. No one needs your nuanced take on sexual assault.

I was considering sexually harassing some women in the future — it sounded like a fun activity — but now I’m thinking that’s a bad idea. Going to take up woodworking instead.

The left screeching about the GOP tax bill means absolutely nothing because they would screech about it no matter what. But imagine if they were all “This is a GREAT tax bill!” That would creep me the hell out; it would be like the Twilight Zone.

I’m so convinced that everyone on both sides talking about the tax bill are being completely dishonest that I’m almost sure the bill doesn’t even exist.

“This tax bill will raise the deficit, starve millions of poor people, and resurrect Hitler as an unstoppable werewolf.”
“Okay, but let’s get to the nitty-gritty: Exactly how much will my tax bill be lowered?”

Oh no! They’re taxing overwrought political rhetoric no one takes seriously! Millions will die!

America is a country of about 400 million spoiled rich kids and I’m sick of all your whining.

It’s the contention of the ones constantly spewing hate and bile that they care more about people.

kneeling in front of a broken Statue of Liberty on the beach*
“You maniacs! You cut taxes too much! Ah, damn you! Damn you all to hell!”

What does the Bible say about taxes? I remember God warning Israel about having a king because the king would take their stuff and boss them around. Should have listened to Him.
My guess about taxes is that God would much rather us take care of each other voluntarily. There’s quite a bit in the Bible about that.
Anyway, I think it’s biblically accurate to say you should never get righteous about the money you demand at gunpoint.

I don’t know if this is a good tax bill. I also know you don’t know. But no one is going to let that get in the way of some good old fashioned partisan screeching.

I thought that Trump winning over Hillary might help end partisanship by showing how stupid it was to rally behind either terrible party, but partisanship has just got dumber to match Trump.
It’s as if the thinking is “Trump is so terrible, we can still beat him without moderating ourselves at all!” but that thinking is wrong. It is very very wrong.

If I had a billion dollars, I’d probably invest it. I think you could live a long while on a billion if you were careful with it.
And think if I had two billion dollars. That would be twice as good. I might buy a new car (even though economically it’s smarter to buy a two-year old used car).
Probably the worst thing about having a billion dollars is then Bernie Sanders would be on your lawn yelling, “You’re a bad man. You’re a bad man for having a billion dollars.” I’d spray him with a hose. Probably one with a fancy nozzle.

“Come at me, bro!” I taunt, knowing I can run very fast.

The tax bill seems kind of dumb, but all you left-wingers sound like Alex Jones when ranting about it.

Can’t believe all the people claiming the Bible demands a higher tax rate and that it definitively states that Die Hard is not a Christmas movie.

I don’t know if it’s relevant to taxation, but remember Jesus’s parable where the money is taken away from the guy with the least and given to the guy with the most because the guy with the least was an idiot?
Anyway, if you think the Bible clearly says “Take money away from the rich!” not so much. There are lots of warnings if you are rich (which, from a historical perspective, is everyone in this country) but I don’t think you’re supposed to worry about other people being rich.

“I AM THE LAW!!!” -Judge Dredd and Trump (probably)

I like when my wife makes the kids bacon and then they’re bad and don’t eat their bacon because then I have bacon sandwiches for lunch.
I don’t know how much bacon costs. I hope it’s cheap.

To solve the problem, have we tried locking the Capitol building and filling it with bees?
I don’t really understand what the problem is; I’m just wondering if we’ve tried bees.
Why are you staring at me? Okay, I’ll try explaining this slowly: BeeEEeeEEeeEEees

Got that fabled iPhone X. It says on the box “Examine your heart before you hold this phone, for whoever touches it and is unworthy will surely die.”
I haven’t touched it yet.

Our political parties are two giant turds and I don’t know why anyone wastes time arguing which one is more appetizing.

“What are you in for?”
“Manslaughter. How about you?”
“Rape. Sexual assault.”
-Senators conversing in the Capitol building

Our political parties are basically prison prison gangs—something that allows awful people to organize against each other.

What if we stuffed a large coat and pair of pants with rats so that it was vaguely human shape?
Just trying to help the RNC come up with a better candidate than Roy Moore.

If I were writing the Trump presidency, my ironic ending would be a nuclear war where the only survivor is Judge Neil Gorsuch.

Why are we talking about anything other than the tax bill that’s going to kill everybody?

Tuesday Night Open Thread

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I find myself listening to old songs a lot more than I used to.

[The YouTube]

There was actually another similar song called The Honeydripper around the same time. I had intended to post one of those recordings, but then I ran across this one by The Honeydripper himself, Roosevelt Sykes. I’ll post the song by Joe Liggins & the Honeydrippers later.

Now, though, it’s your turn. It’s Tuesday Night Open Thread. What’s on your mind?

Building a New Hut

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[Primitive Technology: New area starting from scratch] (Viewer #5,193,981)

If I get lost in the woods for a week, I know how to build a proper shelter now.

I bought a new property to shoot primitive technology videos on. The new area is dense tropical rainforest with a permanent creek. Starting completely from scratch, my first project was to build a simple dome hut and make a fire. First, I took some wood, Abroma mollis, for fire sticks. I knapped a small stone blade and used it to strip the fire sicks. Palm fibre was then taken for the tinder. The fire stick kit was then placed under a palm leaf to keep it out of the rain.

Next, a stone from the creek was fashioned into a simple hand axe. This was used to cut a staff that was used to clear a path to the hut location. The location for the hut was a clearing densely crowded by native raspberry. This was then cleared using the staff and a small 2.5 m circle was levelled ready for building.

Eight 2.75 m long saplings were cut using the hand axe and brought to the site. Eight holes about 25 cm deep were hammered into the ground in a circle 2.5 m in diameter and the saplings were then planted in. The tops were brought together at the top and tied with vine. A door lintel stick was lashed to the front about 75 cm off the ground giving a low door way.

A stone flake was used to cut about 600 palm fronds. These were split and lashed horizontally to the frame creating a thatched dome. Mosquitoes are a real problem here so a fire was lit. The fire sticks from before had a hole carved in the base boards and had a notch carved to let the powder pour out.

The spindle was twirled in the socket and smoking powder poured out producing a hot coal. This then ignited the palm fibre tinder. The fire was transferred to the hut and a small hearth was made of stones. The fire makes a big difference in the number of mosquitoes which seem unable to tolerate the smoke. The dome was completed up to the top and a small cap was made from lawyer cane and fronds to place on the top to keep rain out. When not in use the cap can be removed to let in more light like a sky light.

Finally wood was cut for a bed. This consisted of wooden stakes hammered into the ground at the back of the hut behind the fire pit. Part of the bed frame is attached to the sapling uprights that form the dome. This works ok without the frame shaking too much due to the low attachment point of the bed. Wooden boards were then placed on this and were covered with palm fibre for bedding. Firewood is stored just inside the entrance on the left side of the door looking in. The bed sits behind the fire pit so smoke and flames deter insects or large animals reaching the occupant. Fire sticks and tools are kept just inside the right side of the entrance.

The small hut is simple to build and creates a small, dry shelter for camping and storing tools. Though it is dark, the cap can be removed in fine weather to provide a fairly well-lit workspace protected from annoying insects. This new area has good stone, clay and materials lending themselves to elaborate shelters. A permanent creek runs through it. Mosquitoes are abundant here though and will be an issue. The Cassowary, a large, horned, flightless bird lives in this forest. It’s the most dangerous bird in the world, but generally only attacks when threatened

Link of the Day: Let Us Please Remember That the Communist Party at the Time Advocated the Violent Overthrow of the US Government, So Being a Party Member Was Not a Small Thing

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[High Praise! to Mental Floss]

10 Celebrities Named in the Communist Scare

[Think you have a link that’s IMAO-worthy? Send it to harvolson@gmail.com. If I use your link, you will receive High Praise! (assuming you remember to put your name in the email)]