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The Power of Myth

Wouldn't it be a shame to drive my new tow vehicle over the stump in my friend's driveway and rip up the undercarriage. Other friends of hers have done so. The truth is that I have always hated that stump and the mesquite tree that preceded it. Would it really be that hard to get rid of the stump? How should I know? I didn't know the first thing about stumps and chainsaws.  What a disappointment that chainsaw was! Even with a sharpened chain it didn't cut that mesquite stump so much as it just rubbed it, and generated heat.  Don't let the noisy furor of a chainsaw distract you from the wimpiness of the cutting teeth on the chain; it is surprising that they cut at all. I tried a pry bar and it worked a little bit, that is, it was useless in most places, but here and there it was effective. In other places a Milwaukee Sawz-all (reciprocating saw) did some good. My supervisor -- a man who had spent much of his life in Alaska and Montana -- kept warning me to clea

The Positive Side of Travel Restrictions

Most people don't know a lot about the spread of diseases, and neither do I. Much needs to be learned. So it would be better to ask skeptical questions in this post, rather than make bold assertions.  It shouldn't surprise anyone to see illogical medical choices made when A is banned, but B isn't. After all, politicians and bureaucrats are making the list of restrictions, not doctors. Whenever something big is gained or lost, politics will intrude and corrupt everything.  1.  Some of these restrictions might have a good effect, long-term. Does it really make sense for a hard-working East Asian family to dream of vacationing in North American national parks, Disney World, or Las Vegas? There are zillions of free pretty pictures on the internet, so why eat the expense of international travel? People will make do with tourist traps that are closer to home, and save themselves a fortune. What is so bad about that? It seems like a positive thing to appreciate the local att

Avoiding Controversy

I am pleasantly surprised to see myself getting good at avoiding controversy and contradiction with other people. All it takes is hearing a keyword or two, and I know to steer clear of a certain topic, be it politics, religion, food phobias, global warming, or whether plastic grocery sacks are the most evil thing in universe. And can transgender chickens still lay eggs? (Answer: yes, but only if they are cage-free.) If nothing else works, I will just remain silent. Actually it is strange how emotional people get over their opinions. Surely the thought has occurred to them that "their" opinions come from the school system or the media. For instance if somebody starts going on about their Trump Derangement Syndrome I am tempted to shrug off "their" opinions, and then ask them how many hours per day they watch television. So it isn't as if opinions are some kind of sacred, inviolable property that must be defended at all costs. If anything, it is their emotiona

The God of Democracy Has Feet of Clay

It wouldn't earn me an 'A' in high school civics class, but I plan on paying little attention to the presidential election this year. Presumably it is not necessary to list all the reasons. Suffice it to say that it is an embarrassment, before a world audience. People in other countries must be amazed that a country that elects presidents like we do, could possibly be a world power -- actually, the world power. So I will avert my eyes to diminish the pain of watching the spectacle. If I were to watch it, the result would be anger, sourness, cynicism, etc.  And what good would any of that do anybody? Nor I am arguing that democracy has no value just because it isn't perfect. Our system is terrible but we don't know how to improve it or won't bother to do so, and we don't know what to replace it with. Let's assume that many Americans feel the same way.  Why then do they think that 'Freedom & Democracy' are such deities? Why do they

Finally Using a Heater

Much to my surprise the heater turned on easily, after resting unused in a plastic bag for five years. Equipment, be it a car or even a bicycle, seems to degenerate when it sits around. I've never understood that. The warm orange color of the flame and the quiet hiss were pleasant and reassuring. I was headed over to a colder area to buy a new van, and I needed to be ready for it.   Many people would consider it a foolishly proud project to live without heat. Proud, yes; but not foolish. It seemed oddly significant to finally use a heater in my camper, after five years of heater-less living.  It is so stupid and wasteful to heat thousands of cubic feet of air in a normal house, when your skin interacts with only a tiny percentage of that. Why not just dress for cooler air? So you can think of my heater-less experiment as a protest vote against one aspect of the conventional way to live. Refusing to go along with something conventional and crazy does make an individu