Clarifications

Clarifications

In the interest of firmly and honestly establishing my positions, I am going to publish some Frequently Asked Questions. These are questions which have posed to me by friends, family, coworkers, and many others, and I am sure many others have wondered without asking.

Are you paranoid? Yes. I am unabashed on this point. I fully believe that not only are the people in the world who are capable of despicable violence, but there are people who intend to commit acts of violence, for whatever reason. These people are reported regularly in the news, worldwide. I am a living person with direct contact with other living people, therefore there is a possibility I will come into contact with these people. I make my preparation with an eye toward surviving that contact. This means I prepare for the possibility that someone may intend harm to me or my loved ones. These preparation are indicative of what is known socially as paranoia.

Are you a gun nut? Yes. Guns are a widely varying class of objects in which I find enjoyment, in both form and function. Many people enjoy similar objects, such as painting, carvings, ceramic figurines, silver spoons, coins, stamps, etc. I enjoy firearms. I also enjoy their value as a tool. This has multiple contexts as well, in that there is value in different firearms for different uses. My hunting rifles have definite value in regard to the pursuit of game. Other arms, such as handguns, have legitimate uses in defense and security. Since my personal belief system involves taking responsibility for my own safety and that of the people I love, I also keep defensive tools at hand. Additionally, I greatly enjoy shooting. This serves two functions, the first being the pursuit of happiness, the second being practice, in order to maintain proficiency. These habits are examples of what is socially understood as gun nut behavior.

Are you a Republican? No. My social and political views are too diverse to allow myself to be defined by such a narrow scope. Like any political party, it is comprised of individuals with varying beliefs. The closest statement to the truth would be that my political views more often coincide with the Republican party that with the Democratic Party. I maintain my own thinking apparatus and cast my vote as I see appropriate, without regard to Party instructions.

Are you a separatist? This is a much murkier subject. At the present time I do not believe we would be best served by leaving the Union. That situation could change in the future, given the circumstances. I believe it is better to light a candle than to curse the darkness (also, it is much more efficient, and quieter). Imagine that the nation is a large, unlit room, full of people, each holding a candle to light (rather than curse the darkness). If a situation were to arise in which a large portion of the population in that room were busying themselves by blowing out said candles, I feel it would be beneficial to protect the candles from them, possibly removing them from the room, or, if there were more candle blowers than candle lighters, to find a different room. That the candle blowers would then be left in the dark would, at that point, cease to be my problem. When I see the majority portion of the US encouraging each other to live in the dark, I am taking my candle elsewhere.

Are you anti-government? No. Organized government is a social construct, the purpose of which is to maintain the society that created it. The organized government of THIS nation is a written contract, ratified by citizens, in which the basis of power is the approval of the populace. This is, I believe, the finest and least threatening form of government. HOWEVER, there is still opportunity for corruption and usurpation. The original drafters knew this to be the case and stalled certain safeguards within the language of our binding social contract which specifically limited power and distributed it between the various branches of government. The current danger from the government (directly, as it were), as I see it, is the presence of individuals within the government system who are willing to subvert and usurp the rule of law, in spite of the safeguards, and engage is actions, whether with good or ill intentions, that are disingenuous and threatening to the people of the United States. In subverting the language and the rule of law, they set precedent for future usurpers to build upon, thereby effectively, if not literally or legislatively, removing the safeguards, and warping the established system into a form unrecognizable to the original drafters. Some of this already seems to have taken place. What I oppose are those laws and constructs which subvert the original intent of our government. This, by common response, falls under the heading of Constitutionalism rather than anti-government which, by virtue of its definition, would be Anarchism.

Do you really think the Revolution is coming? Yes. Exactly what, where, how or when is immaterial. There is a likelihood that our civilization will fail and we will undergo a period of unrest. My preparations are undertaken to ensure that I, and as many as I can bring with me, will survive this period of unrest. In that situation, my accumulated survivalist, separatist, and generally post-apocalyptic skills will be key. If the revolution does not appear within my lifetime, then at the least I will have maintained those skills and imparted them to the future generations. The maintenance of those skills will then be THEIR burden. If I did a good job, though, when the revolution DOES come, and it WILL, whether in days, years, decades or generations, my descendents WILL BE PREPARED.

So there you have it. A few commonly asked questions, a few reasonable short answers, and hopefully you all better understand me. Rest assured that I am a paranoid, defensibly minded and distrustful rugged individualist. If you visit my home, you will be greeted by a large and vocal dog (quite nice once you get to know him, although that's not apparent at first) and given a quick security briefing, including the location of weapons and which are immediately ready for service as well as the most common or dangerous threats in the recent past. Sure a lot of people may think its weird. But if, some day, the shit really does hit the fan, won't you be glad to know someone who is prepared for it?

Why Michael Douglas is a badass...

Ok, so this might come as a surprise for a lot of you, but Michael Douglas has played some seriously badass roles. "Romancing the Stone" comes to mind.

Ok, ok, so he plays a rebel that gets tamed (slightly) by a hotty in trouble while simultaneously teaching her a little bit of badass. That's a well worked story line in Hollywood. But he did a good job of it.

However, the movie I'm currently considering is "The Ghost and the Darkness." Ostensibly a Val Kilmer flick, to those of us that are generally too young to really remember Michael Douglas, although even Val Kilmer is stretching a bit for some of us, but this is the (partially) true story of a bridge that needed built in Africa. Two lions are terrorizing the camp, killing workers and generally raising havoc for the British Empire, circa late 19th century.

Of note is how much I give a s*&t about the British Empire. We were part of its construction, and elected to better ourselves (at the time, I'm not really sure how we are faring currently).

However, Val Kilmer plays an Irish engineer (at one point, in the movie at least, he quips "I'm beyond conversion. My mother is a Roman Catholic and my father is a Protestant.") in charge of designing and building a bridge in East Africa. Given that he has trouble subduing the rampaging lions, a professional hunter is recruited, named Remington (as far as I know, no relation to the Illion, NY, Remingtons, although I could be wrong), played by Michael Douglas.

At one point in the movie, he is leaving a campfire, occupied by Patterson (Val Kilmer's engineer), Samuel (the lead guy that keeps the crew together, not sure who plays him), and the resident doctor (also don't know who plays him, though he looks familiar). Remington is going to join his friends, the Masai (a fascinating people) around a different bonfire, in a ritual dance. As he is leaving, the following exchange takes place:

Remington: I'm gonna join them now, and maybe convince each other that we're brave...

Doctor: I wouldn't think bravery was problem for you.

Remington: You hope each time, that it won't be... but you never really know...

I think, in any situation, that is one of the most genuinely true lines in Hollywood history, in ANY situation. The delivery, however, cements Michael Douglas in the Badass realm. Hands down.

A Treatise on the Differing Views of Humanity

I do not, as a habit, provide a large amount of links to other bloggers on this site, preferring to make this outlet mainly a source of my own views and activities, but I think I must refer people to a post by Kevin Baker at the Smallest Minority. This is a very (VERY) long post, but I feel it is worthwhile, and references some writings that illuminate the variety of mindsets involved in our current political environment. In its essence it deals with a fundamental question: Are humans, inherently good or evil?

I think I have made it clear to those who know me best that I feel the latter is more likely. Through the course of human history, from the earliest known writings to the events of today and tomorrow, it is clear to me that mankind, while sophisticated beyond the scope of most animal activity, is still bound to viscerally and biologically animal responses. In other words, the good or noble results and impulses of our species are the result of conditioning, NOT the result of an inherent nature towards goodness or nobility. There are others in the world who truly, deeply believe that mankind is good and noble, and that the social injustices of the world can be vanquished, letting us all enjoy our goodwill towards each other without the need for violence or oppression. I cannot partake of their view, nor seek to destroy their hope that we all might someday get along. Their hope, their self-sacrificing commitment, and their will to improve the plight of humanity is what has led us to all the good things in society. I must believe the Jesus was one of these people, likewise many of the prophets, the founder of the Red Cross, and many others. My fiance and her family are included in this view. I will be the first to say that this response is NOT EVIL. It can never be evil to hope and it can never be evil to try to help people. Love is kind, it is not quick to anger. HOWEVER, every hope must be balanced by action, and protected against those that feel this hope threatens their own position. I would love to believe that all of mankind is inherently good, but as an Eagle Scout, I always find myself wanting to Be Prepared. To do otherwise would be to abandon my duty to humanity, that nothing evil should happen without me opposing it, that no disaster might arise that I do not have a least some cursory preparations to survive it, and bring as many as I can through it with me. As Rudyard Kipling phrased it, the Sons of Martha must work tirelessly to assure that the Sons of Mary have that good part, which they have chosen.

The end result is, take the time and read the post Kevin has put up. It was written from a very conservative viewpoint, but he does at least attempt not to be dismissive or 'knee-jerk.' It is quite instructive, and even illuminatory, and quotes some interesting movies. And so, here, I will add a quote I think is apt. It comes from the more recent Transformers: Rise of the Fallen. When Optimus Prime is questioned whether their presence does more harm or good, and whether they would leave peacefully if that decision was made, his response is, "Yes, if that is your decision. But first, what happens if we leave, and you're wrong." I'll leave us all to ponder that question. Those of us that feel mankind can learn to be fair and good, and utopia is achievable, pray every day, in their own way, to be proven right. The rest of us, that feel mankind will never overcome the violence that we were born of, well, we pray every day that we might be proven wrong.

Yes, absolutely I'm drunk

OK, so you saw the title of the post. Well, I don't care. What I want to know is, why can't our cultures get along? I just spent a couple hours discussing the world with my soon to be father inlaw, and I think we got it pretty much figured out. BE FUCKING NICE TO EACE OTHER!!! thats what it takes. The catholic faith is equally as guilty of the major sins as EVERY OTHER RELIGI0N! including Islam, Christianity and Judaism. BE NICE! If you boil down the various scriptures that's what they all mean. Look into each as a source of gnarliness and death. Does it matter when your friend, neighbor, cousin, uncle, nephiew,brother, uncle, etc goes to war? YES IT DOES!!! THEY ARE FIGHTING FOR AN IDEAL WHITCH YOU HAVE SOLD! We, as a people have been for sale since the founding of our country. NO MORE! WE ARE NO LONGER FOR SALE! STAND UP FOR WHAT YOU BELIEVE IN! IT MAY NOT BE THE SAME AS WHAT I BELIEVE IT BUT STAND UP FOR YOU COUNTRY! YOU HAVE A REPUBLIC, IF YOU CAN KEEP IT. So don't fuck it up. I am a drunk just like you. Belive in the best, prepare for the worst. That way, all surprises are pleasent one. Mr. Spock, end transmission.

HYPOCRISY!

I have been re-reading Doug Peacocks “Grizzly Years.” It is a wonderfully engaging book, written about his experiences filming and hiking with the Grizzly Bears of North America, as well as random flashbacks to Vietnam and how they f***ed him up, and what he did to try and fix himself. I could wax poetic about the eloquence, or the content, or the social value of the book. I'm not going to. Doug Peacock does not need me to review his book. It would be bullshit. So why am I mentioning this?

Because I have noticed, while reading this book, that I am a hypocrite. Well, apparently at least.

I support loggers and hunters (the good ones). I despise tree-spikers and green nazis. I am a sodbuster at heart, and a carpenter by trade. I make my subsistence on the rape and pillage. Trees are ruthlessly cut down in the forest, sliced into little bits, and used to make continually larger houses for people who can't afford them, until they all go bust and take us with them, simultaneously casting the housing market, the stock market, the lumber mills, paper mills, loggers, and builders into the dark, where there is wailing and gnashing of teeth. And yet, I find my solace in the open space, in hiking, camping, challenging four wheel drive roads, and other pursuits which require the open space which Doug holds so dearly and clearly wants me out of.

HYPOCRITE! I say one thing and do another. I want to have my cake and eat it too. I want the grizzer bears to return and flourish. I want to hike and not be eaten. If necessary, I will shoot to defend myself. But the important thing is this.

I WILL NOT APOLOGIZE FOR MY ACTIONS.

If I am to be a hypocrite in someones eyes, I care not how they judge me. Though I may suffer under injustices, forced upon me by 'politically correct' points of view, I will not be their victim, and I will not play their game. I will speak my mind, and act as my conscience directs me, and not request forgiveness where I feel there is nothing to be absolved. I will continue to support hunting and the logging industry, as some of the finest and most caring outdoorsmen I know, that go to bat most often for the forests and its creatures, are loggers. Obviously this is not all of them.

To those that are only interested in the pillage and the money, in hunting for the kill and not for the experience of it, I hope beyond hope that you burn in this life, and I know you will in the next. I will not ask you to apologize either. If your conscience is content with clear cuts and destruction, act as you will and we shall oppose you. If you are content within yourself to kill a deer, without caring, and continue to hunt, transferring your tag to a bigger deer and leaving the old in a ditch, act as you will and we shall report you. Despite my aggressive tendencies regarding logging and hunting, I will not back you in actions which I find reprehensible, just as I will not support the groups which commit heinous acts in the defense of the deer and trees. So it makes me a hypocrite. So what. If you don't like it, counteract it. Just don't apologize for it. I think we've had enough of that crap.

I think Doug Peacock would rather see me in plain light than have me make insincere promises for my supposed wrongs. There is more respect due to an honorable opponent than a cowardly friend.

Viva la Cucina!

I have started very small war on dependency, and my battles are fought in the kitchen. One of the broader ranging ramifications of the culture of dependency we have seen arise in the western world is the loss of skills. For example, with the advent of computers, we appear to have seen a sharp decline in penmanship. My ability with a hand held writing implement is surely not as graceful as that of either of my grandfathers, one of whom was possessed of a beautiful flowing script, the other a clean and architectural print. Court notes are now captured on audio recording and speech recognition equipment, rather than recorded by a well-trained stenographer, in that positions' own private language.

Language is only one very minor example. In the realm of mathematics, calculators have replaced the human brain for even the most basic of math. I agree that calculators are a supremely useful instrument, allowing the user to handle complex numbers with ease and saving time, energy, and scratch paper the world over, but simple addition? I occasionally astound people by performing multiplication or division in my head, but I assure you I am no Genius (actually, several of you will probably assure both me and each other of that fact). I simply retain some minor skill for organizing figures in my head.

Skill loss is not limited to intellectual activity. With the compartmentalizing of tasks, the loss becomes endemic to our society. Working on ones car is another example. At the dawn of the automobile era, one learned to operate and repair their personal vehicle. If it broke down a long way from town, one either had to effect field expedient repairs or take to one's heels and return with more expertise. As vehicles (always a complex system) began to grow more complicated, mechanics became a very important sector of society. These were men (yes, and women) who learned a complex skill set, and could be employed in the repair and upkeep of one's automobile. The burden of skill was no longer universal. Over time, complexity began to skyrocket, and the possession of a universal skillset was no longer feasible. Mechanics began to move into specialties. One now had a transmission shop, an engine shop, a lube shop, auto body shop, etc. Even within the trade there was now a loss of skill. Eventually, computers became so prevalent that diagnostics were performed like magic, and pieces of the industry began to disappear completely. Components are no longer repaired, they are replaced, in increasingly larger sub-assemblies.

In Carpentry, much the same thing. Once, a carpenter had to know every aspect of construction, from the digging to the roofing. Later, the industry started to separate into fields. Excavators dig the hole, concrete boys pour the foundation. The framers that throw the walls are not always the same ones that stand the roof, increasingly not even the same ones that throw down the floor. When the roof is on, call the shinglers, when the house is tight, get the sparkies and tinners, plumbers and rockers, mudders, trim guys, carpetlayers. Very very few of us can cross the trades with any hope of success.

Hundreds of years ago, men with primitive hand tools cut and joined the supports for roof of the Cathedral of Notre Dame. Now, few framers know how to properly cut in rafters. Pre-made trusses delivered to the job site are the basis for our roof system, and man, they better be right, cause I'm not sure how to fix them. We need an engineer for that. We no longer possess the knowledge and the skillsets that our grandparents took for granted.

This, by way of introduction, brings us back to the kitchen. Food, as we all are aware, is one of the most basic and irrefutable needs of humanity. In the Microwave Era, how many of us are possessed of the skillset that our Grandmothers used to put a daily meal on the table? I remember my grandmother and, when she had the time, my mother baking bread. Even then, it was a luxury item, something to enjoy, rather than a staple. The simple, ubiquitous loaf of white bread has been available so long that, in living memory, few people in this country can recall when homebaked bread was the rule, rather than the exception. I got a recipe from the Mother Earth News (a crazy hippy magazine, and great fun) about baking bread. Its a simplified recipe, put together by a pastry chef and her chemist husband, that grew into an entire book called Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day. I tried it, and I must admit, the results have been stunning. How many of us have ever made sandwich and thought, 'man, this bread is good!' Bread was always just the carrier. This recipe has replaced Sara Lee in our home. It takes about 20 minutes of active time, every week, to make the dough, and 5 minutes of active time to bake sandwich bread. And its CHEAP!

I figured out one day (with, yes, the help of a calculator) that there are about 24 loaves of bread in a ten pound bag of flour. If you are buying the cheapest possible loaf of bread at the store, that's about $24 worth of bread. A ten pound bag of flour ($6), plus the yeast ($6 gets you about 10 batches, so $4) and salt ($1 or so) comes to $11. That's less than half price for the CHEAPEST bread. When compared to the breads it most resembles, the difference is staggering. Fresh baked artisan style breads (round loaf, french breads, etc) from the bakery department are $4-6 per loaf. That's $96 to $120 worth of bread. For $11. Factor in that it is delicious and that you are not reliant on other people to do the work for you. Tastes even better, doesn't it? Want another example? Beef Jerky...

Beef Jerky is where this whole journey started for me. My brother and I found that when we made jerky out of venison, somehow it disappeared a lot faster than the actual deer meat did. Deer steaks are quite small, and some people are not that fond of the flavor and texture of wild game, but everybody seemed to love the jerky. I decided that, for a hike I did last year in Northern Arizona, jerky would be a good food to have with me. Unfortunately, being that I'm a carpenter in the middle of a housing market decline, I had limited funds with which to purchase it. After finding some recipes and acquiring some curing salt, I began to make jerky with whatever beef roasts were the cheapest at the local supermarket. Rather than paying the $25 per pound (not kidding, those $6 dollar packages of jerky are usually only 3-5 oz) I was buying roasts for $1.57 and the spices last forever! With the finished weight about half of the raw weight, plus the cost of spices and curing salt, I figured I was making jerky for about $5 per pound or less. ONE FIFTH of the cost of purchasing it. I eventually started making my own pastrami, corned beef, and ham, as well. The whole thing came together this weekend when my sister was in town for a visit, and we made sandwiches, on homemade bread, with home cured meats. The only things I didn't make myself were the spices and the condiments. I think my grandmother would be proud of me. Plus, since my fiancee and I have started to buy food in more and more basic states, eliminating the frozen bag dinners and heavily processed foods, we are eating better, the food tastes better, and we have cut our grocery bill by easily 25%.

I've learned to make bread, salami, ham, corned beef, pastrami, jerky, and sauerkraut. I've butchered my own deer, cut my own steaks, made homemade pizza, and canned chicken stock. Maybe I don't save as much money on the corned beef and pastrami as I do on the bread and the jerky, but its fun, satisfying and in-dependent. Both the chicken stock and the sauerkraut taste better than ANY that I've ever purchased at the store. And let me tell you, whether its curing the sauerkraut in the cupboard for three weeks, or opening a jar of homemade chicken stock that's been waiting in the pantry for a month or two, NOTHING teaches confidence like taking that first bite. In-dependence... its Delicious...

Now that's what I call Counter-Culture...

Why hasn't this Weapon been Banned yet?

The following is an account of what is arguably the most dreadful weapon used in World War II.

This horribly efficient weapon was directly responsible for the death of over 48 million individuals between the years of 1933 and 1945. What is even more unlikely is the fact that, even in the years following the war, no effort was reliably made by the Western Nations to curb its use. The Soviet Union made many advances in controlling its use, but since the fall of that nation, it is becoming more and more prevalent in Russian Society.

In fact, huge quantities of this weapon have been made in the years following, and it is still being produced, in its various forms, to this day. Here in the United States and abroad, this weapon is being peddled to youths and minorities at an alarming rate. Millions upon millions of them have been sold this year alone. What is more, the owners of these death machines do not appear to consider them to be dangerous at all. In fact, at this moment I have one sitting in front of me. It sits there, looking innocent, when others of its ilk have the blood of many on them.

It was not introduced in World War II. The roots of this insidious machine reach far back through the annals of history. From its crude and humble origins, it has been the tool of genocide and violence. Still massed produced and sold, it has been customized and redesigned an untold number of times.

Still haven't guessed what tool this is?

Here's another hint: currently, there ARE nations that have managed to control its use, either by limiting its supply only to the government or by carefully monitoring its availability. In certain areas of the world, governments have even managed to nearly eliminate its use entirely.

One more chance to guess.

For the answer, click here.

Now that you know what it is, should we get on with outlawing it in this country?