XX and XY, again . . .

The situation: a married couple is considering buying a countertop home bread baking appliance.

The husband thinks to himself: I can't wait. I love fresh-baked French bread. Thinking about the aroma and the bright, white color and brown crust . . . and I could have it every day! It's just white bread that I love, but plain, fresh-baked and still warm, and melting butter. That's the best.

The wife thinks to herself: I can't wait. I will never have to eat plain white bread again. I can have pumpkin bread, and cumin bread, and garlic and olive flavored bread, and barley bread, and rye and parsley bread, and flaxseed and chickpea bread, and . . . . I promise that once I can bake automatically, I will never have plain white bread in my kitchen again.

The theory of evolution offers no explanation for this sort of thing.

Obamacare, Age of Wonders . . .

According to AP news, only half the states have numbers available, but in that half, at least three and a half million medical insurance policies are going to be cancelled as of the last day of the year. I'm sure that at least some of the policy holders liked their present plan, but they can't keep their plan because it doesn't comply with the requirements for medical plans under Obamacare.

So, cancelled planholders will have to buy different insurance policies, at greater rates. They will have to sign on to a health exchange website run by the states, which will coordinate with the federal website. Or, they will have to go to the federal website if their state doesn't have its own website, which is true of the majority of the states.

The federal website doesn't work. The government hired a Canadian company with a history of screw-ups to build the website, for a price of over six hundred million dollars, with over three years to get the job done. Oh, and there may be more than a little of crony-ism involved. It doesn't work, and all they can say about it is that they are fixing it as fast as they can and soon it will be all better. Trust us.

And this whole thing is such a gigantic, embarrassing disaster, that all the foul, nasty words and colorful, vile imprecations I can think of, are insufficient to say how bad it is. And it is likely to get worse when doctors begin dropping out, and you get politicians thinking about making it against the law for a doctor to not treat somebody insured under the health exchange for the prices set by the insurance company, as at least one has already done. (Can you say, involuntary servitude, boys and girls?) Consider this, the insurance companies writing health care coverage will be selling only products required by the government, because only those kind of policies will be purchasable by customers to avoid the penalty tax imposed by IRS on those who fail to have government prescribed health insurance policy.

In order to control costs, the insurance companies are reducing the number of doctors on the covered panel list.

The standard fellow-travelers who find no fault with notions rooted in socialism, have pointed out that it isn't the government's fault if you can't keep the policy you like, or you can't keep the doctors you like, consistent with President Obama's repeated promises. It's the insurance companies' fault. Yeah, right. There was a bill before congress to fix the problem of policies being cancelled, which would have "grandfathered" polices so people could keep them, but the bill was voted down. The party who killed the idea did so with all of their members voting in lockstep. It would be cruel to name the party containing all these morons, so a hint should suffice. The party which pulled this stunt which made certain the cancellation of so many medical insurance policies consistent with Obamacare has a "D" in its name.

And none of the foregoing, which only skims the surface of this odorous political swamp, is in the least bit surprising. It was all predictable, and predicted.

No, what is most wonderful in this age of wonders -- in the sense that you look, stand back, and wonder at the sheer, cosmic unliklihood of it all coming to pass in a country such as ours -- is that not a single person bearing any responsibility at all for this gigantic, ripping, roaring, raging, flaming, gaping pit of deliberate lies and obvious ineptitude, has been fired. Not one.

Oh, by the way, Obamacare isn't fully implemented through 2014. There are more surprises to come later.

And nobody has been fired. Not one.

Autonomy is doubleplus ungood. . . . .

Google's driverless cars are better than you or I.

I think this pretty well makes the case that we ordinary folk are too stupid, defective, inattentive and hormone-ridden to be trusted to get out of our own way and therefore our self-selected superior overlords at Google and all the state and federal legislative and executive offices should require us to give up personal driving. For our own good.

Not that there is an agenda or anything like that.

By the way, how much is a commercially viable Googlemobile going to cost, anyhow? And what's the chances of our being able to pay for one with the earnings from the part-time jobs that are apparently sufficient and will be all that is available to us as a natural consequence of recent government activities?

Oh, I didn't think. Cost of purchase won't be a problem because most of us will be riding light rail, and trams, and bicycles, and busses, all while our public administrative and corporate lords will be comfortably ferried around to their chosen destinations by a driverless vehicle while they play with their I-Pads and sip beverages, traveling at exactly 1 mph under the speed limit and introducing one extra precisely measured car length distance between vehicles for every additional 10 mph, no more and no less.

No doubt, driverless vehicles will be particularly adept at dodging ponderous big busses and trains, which stop at predicted locations, so big busses are good, right?

But how good are Google driverless vehicles at taking a pleasant ride in the country, with no particular destination or purpose in mind except to enjoy the day?

And when there is a desired destination, I can generally find my way to a place where I've been before, years ago, even though I don't know the address or the names of the streets along the way. Betcha Google can't do that.

So, as for driverless driving, screwgle.

Hasn't it been demonstrated sufficiently, over and over, that whenever a change is introduced intentionally rather than organically, there's always a pile of unanticipated consequences, usually bad?

Nah, no reason we should expect anything negative, not unless we are an unwashed troglodytes who fears all things progressive.

Doing what I can about demeaning American minorities . . .

A Minnesota Congressperson has called for the Minnesota Vikings not to display the flags or logos of the Washington Redskins when the two teams play in Minnesota.

I say that the dismissive term, "Viking," demeans Norse-Americans and is hurtful hate speech.

You know, this being offended act could become kinda fun.

XX and XY, and the cosmic significance thereof . . .

The situation: The husband is awake, is up, has showered, shaved, and has made and eaten breakfast. The wife remains motionless under the covers, in bed.

The husband thinks to himself, "My poor darling must really need her sleep. I'll be real quiet so she can get all the rest she needs."

The wife thinks to herself, "That selfish shit is going to let me stay in bed forever. It's like he doesn't care that I'm around. I could be gone and he wouldn't know or care."

Scientists say we must doubt in cases where there is no evidence that a thing imagined actually exists, and therefore, there are no parallel universes.

I say, don't so quick to deny parallel universes, there, Sparky.

A literary note, the Alexandria Quartet . . .

The other day, while poking around in a terrific used book store in Ashland, Oregon, I encountered Durrell's Alexandria Quartet, all four books in one big volume. So I bought it.

I read these books fifty years ago, now, while in college. A horse's ass of a college professor had spoken rapturously and at length about the books, and being a horse's ass myself and an English major as well, I was obliged to read them in order to prove that the professor was, as mentioned, a horse's ass. Of course I raced through the books, in a hurry to find out what happens next in the narrative, consistent with my intention to be dismissive as all hell. Also, I was somewhat distracted in all my endeavors at the time, what with being always on the lookout for the next chance to get laid.

Having read the first few pages with an intervening fifty year's worth of experience in the world, and no longer being bothered by women as I have now become completely invisible to them --- I think I'm really going to enjoy these books

So we vote for these people because. . . why? . . .

Ya'know, all this continuing resolution panic and yelping is an alternative to adopting a federal budget, kinda like the Constitution requires. Harry Reid's Senate hasn't voted for a budget since 2008.

Help me; altogether now, everybody say WTF!

Actually, at this point, WTF should be the stock response of all non-government citizens of whatever political inclination or affliction, left, right, committed, non-committed, ignorant or deranged, upon learning of each and every bit of news about the current political developments.

What would happen if bunchteen thousand citizens surrounded the White House and Congress, chanting, "WTF, WTF."

Nothing would change because our government masters no longer care. But it might make us feel better for a little bit.

Maybe we could all get matching tee shirts.

Potato Chip genius . . .

America does potato chips better than anybody. Just think, every potato is different, but American national snack companies can produce them in volume, all perfect in crispy, salty, potato chip goodness, packaged to assure you get the product while still fresh. I'm not talking about healthy eating. If you want to snack healthy, go ahead and munch vacantly on sprouts. And I'm not putting down other countries who may have their own national culinary triumphs, like . . . well, I'm sure there's something. Just, yea potato chips and American productive genius.

I don't care about the three-strikes rule. If you don't let me swing until I get a hit and be the pitcher, you can't use my baseball

Here's a growing list of things being shut down by the current tenant of the Spitehouse.. But the Spitehouse cooks and ushers and the military golf courses where the President plays, well, they are all essential federal services.

To switch metaphors, we are being treated like the bad doggie who has to have his nose rubbed in it.

I'm starting to think that it isn't a matter of we're all in this mess we're in together because of our unserious Democrats and our silly Republicans. I'm starting to suspect that maybe this mess we're in is because it's THEM against US.

I'm starting to suspect that shutting the government down all the way, not just 17% of it, could all maybe even work out.

But if we didn't have a federal government, the FBI wouldn't come if you called 911. Oh, wait, they already don't.

If we dint have the postal service, we wouldn't be able to get all our junk mail. Oh, wait, we can depend on email spam for that.

If we dint have the federal bank and the U.S. Mint, we would have to use debit and credit cards instead of cash. Oh, wait.

What if we didn't have the Department of Education, trying to make all state schools to look alike? Betcha home schooling could become an attractive alternative if the states failed to supply quality education. Oh, wait. And in the absence of student loans, colleges and universities might have to find pricing schemes based on demonstrative career value to students, instead of diversity and athletic showmanship, and the long con that is current higher education.

If we dint have the IRS, who could we pay our taxes to, under threat of penalties, for essential services, like Whitehouse ushers and cooks and cleaning staff? We'd have to depend on other tax nibblers, like states, counties, and municipalities. Oh, wait. We already do.

If we dint have the border patrol, who would prevent terrorists and criminals from walking in and preying on citizens? Oh, wait. That part of government is already shut down and the federal government says that states like Arizona can't step into the breach and patrol their own borders, even if they want to. Guess we are meant to welcome bomb throwers and drug dealers to their new home. Have a nice day.

For that matter, as to drugs, if we didn't have the DEA who would fight the war on drugs, you know, the attempted military and judicial interdiction on substances that a very many citizens routinely buy for their own entertainment, at prices way too high because of the interdiction activities of the federal and collaborating state governments? Like tobacco and booze.

And if we dint have the Department of Transportation and EPA, who would see to it that our gasoline supply was made artificially expensive with a heavy tax burden, used to require us to adulterate the fuel with 10% alcohol? Because polar bears, and because shut up. Who would manage things so that our miles per gallon is reduced due to the lesser caloric efficiency of the adulteration of the fuel with alcohol, while correspondingly reducing the availability of corn, which people around the world like to eat because it is cheap and nutritious. That is, cheap until we begin burning the stuff as fuel after processing the living daylights out of it, using fuel to do so, to turn it into alcohol to put into gasoline.

I'll observe that if a person feels antagonistic towards the current federal government, (Oops I typed "feral government by mistake so I fixed it.) that doesn't require one to be against all government, wherever and whenever. We could still have states even if the federal government were to be radically and brutally trimmed back or eliminated. And maybe the states could provide essential government services more effectively than the federal government. Or at least, no worse. For myself, I don't like the federal government much more than I don't like the state of Oregon. And while there is certainly an excessive portion of governmental boneheadery here, where would you rather live, Oregon with mountains and rivers and such, or the District of Columbia with, well, the District of Columbia?

Much of the basic structure of the modern United States of America was already in place by the time Woodrow Wilson went to the White House and began to progressivize government. There wasn't an interstate expressway system, but we have that now, because of Eisenhower. We also have much better communications and computing abilities but that largely is independent or even in spite of government activity, once DARPA turned the internet loose. And the federal government has grown awesomely since Woodrow Wilson, and especially, since Lyndon Johnson. (I'm told Harry Truman used to go for evening walks all around D.C., at night, instead of remaining secure in a White House surrounded by men with guns and ear pieces, as presidents are now)

So maybe the Spitehouse's attempt to rub out noses in it by closing some federal properties down will make us much more aware that those in government think that the free citizens of the United States of America must be coerced and managed and duped and bribed into behaving with deference to the wants, dreams, desires and beliefs in singing bullfrogs and unicorns of the political class and their fellow travelers. (I used the expression "fellow travelers" on purpose, and people of a certain age will know what I mean.)

Maybe the events of our current government shutdown could inspire many of us to begin to speculate about our relationship to our government -- there, I said it. "our government." And maybe there are those in our current government, from top to bottom, who could use a little dose of unemployment. Just as so many real Americans, not government Americans, are enduring presently.

I mean, think about it.

"Take a Bow" Rides Again . . .

In the government shutdown in the absence of budget sppropriation, the administration and President can keep "essential" functions up and running. So, only 17% is actually shut down and stuff like defense and Socisl Security and Medicare continue. President Obama has now called all union representatives back on the payroll; they're just that important to him. Other stuff, like Border control, which has been ordered to stand down, and the Amber Alert system -- just not all that essential to the administration.

Great show, guys. Take a bow. I can't wait to see this administration's antics when it steps into the health care ring and all the clowns erupt from the goofy clown car and start making decisions about who gets what medical procedures.

Take a Bow, Junior . . .

According to the Constitution, spending decisions are for the House of Representatives. The Democratic message is that Republicans are a deranged minority. Nevertheless, the most recent congressional elections put Republicans in the majority of the House and the Democrats are the minority. They also expected the House to cave in to the Senate intransigence, as they frequently, but not always, have done in the past, for "the good of the country" and to support comity.

Surprise!

Now, the President wants the House to have a vote on a spending bill, as if they've been on strike or something. (He yelped that disgruntled workers who disagreed with their corporate employer and didn't do as they were told would be fired). But the House has passed and sent four separate spending bills to the Senate where they've been voted down and the President declared he'd veto them even if passed.

Great theater, guys. Take a bow, and exit. Stage right.

Take a bow, guys, II . . .

Now the shut down government is spending money to close parks that ordinarily cost nothing for the government to run in the first place. In other words, more shut down theater.
They even wanted to close down Mt. Vernon, which is privately owned.

Take a bow, guys.

Shut it down and take a bow! . . .

Check it off the list;I have now survived the first day of the Great Government Shutdown of 2013. It was actually okay and I bet most Americans found the day unremarkable.

Actually, maybe we should consider making it a permanent feature. When Congress chooses to ignore the requirement to adopt a budget, which Congress has done, and when Congress refuses to adopt a budget proposal from the president, which Congress has also done with an overwhelming vote against the president's budget by his own party, then the government should be shut down until it is properly funded with a true budget appropriation, and not just a cockamamie resolution.

There's now about bunchty thousand non-essential federal workers sitting on their non-essential butts, worrying that the public will figure out what non-essential means and will spy a path to government debt reduction springing into sight when the government doesn't loom so high on the economic horizon, because of the shutdown.

As for the rest of us, well, the economy is already pretty well shut down already, so us civilians don't see that the government shutdown is that big a deal, when you get down to it. All those non-essential government workers haven't done all that much by way of curing the economy in the past five years. The governmental cure for an economy that doesn't generate enough wealth to support everybody, is to extract a major portion of the little wealth the economy actually produces, and then re-inject the wealth back into the economy in a non-productive fashion, and then stand up with outstretched arms expecting thunderous applause, gratitude, and admiration.

So let's try this shutdown thing out for a while; we might find we like it. We might find that the only damage the shutdown does is to the political class and its parasitical hangers-on.

I can live with that. Government workers have not shown much concern for us so we need not feel bad for them. And I don't.

Well, if I have to choose which side . . .

Here's a story in the Daily Mail about a stand-up comedian I never heard of who punched a journalist when he found out the journalist was tweeting about him negatively. The punchee appeared to have been injured more in his self-absorbed dignity than physically.

It occurs to me that the Republic might be much improved if maybe three or four journalists got punched now and then. Maybe a coupla dozen politicians as well. Not to cause injury, but just, shall we say, for purposes of enlightenment.

Things that happen when certain kinds of people are in charge . . .

Here's a list of over 700 companies and organizations that have applied for and received an exemption from Obamacare. They don't have to comply with the employer mandated health insurance laws, but of course -- their employees are not exempted.

Oregon has been advertising it's exchange to begin October 1, 2013. There is a grace period between then and the first of 2014 after which you must be insured. IRS will be on the case to assure you buy medical insurance for 2014, for in case your employer doesn't cover you. If you don't guy coverage, you'll pay a fine to IRS -- I mean, a tax on uninsured people. It's the same money, tax or fine. But the Supreme Court wants to call it a tax to make Obamacare all legal and stuff, and if they call it a tax, it probably would be unconstitutional.

What's it going to cost if you don't get employer provided coverage? What will you have to pay for a family plan? What happens if you lose a job, or get cut back on hours? What insurance companies are going to sell through state exchanges in each state? What is going to happen in states where the exchanges aren't set up yet, or aren't ever going to be set up? What happens if you have to move from one state to another, in search of a job?

Need help trying to figure out what to do?

Good luck.

This is so not ready for prime time.

The Sky is Falling, Zombies, and Government Shut-Down . . .

The House has passed a CR (continuing resolution) to keep the government in business until they can get around to ever passing a budget, because they have so much work to do and can't get it all done in maybe two days a week of actually working, for which they get paid over $150,000 a year, plus perks.

The only problem is that they left out Obamacare from the CR, which means that there will be no legal way for Obamacare to operate come October 1.

Also, there is some reluctance to agree to raise the debt limit, you know, the rule that says there's a limit to how much the government can borrow -- the debt limit that gets raised every time the executive bureaucrazy wants to pass money out to their cronies in big business. (You didn't think the cash all went only to poor people, did you?)

Anyhow, the government could shut down real soon, if the Senate doesn't do something about a continuing resolution.

My question is this. If the government shuts down, does that mean that Senators, Representatives, and executive officials won't get their pay checks?

You know what the answer is, and you know what the answer should be, and those two ain't the same thing.

Maybe it was just routine. . . workplace violence , or maybe they were just horsin' around . . .

An Al Qaeda affiliate, Al Shabaab, sent a bunch of gunmen into a crowded shopping mall in Kenya and shot up the place. They would ask if somebody was Muslim, and if not, they'd kill'em. Thirty-nine dead and well over a hundred wounded. Hostages were taken as well.

Remember how, just before the election, what was left of Al Qaeda was on the run, basically all but all washed up?

Yeah, right. That and rap music is lyrical, Co'- Cola is a disinfectant, and Hillary Clinton just learned she is pregnant.?

Let's get this straight . . .

The Republican majority-controlled House, at nearly the last minute, has passed a bill to provide continuing financial authority to keep the government spending money . . . but not Obamacare. They are voting to keep the government open. Those who voted against the bill would let the government shut down before they give up Obamacare.

For the bill to become law it must be passed in the Senate and survive a possible presidential veto. The Senate is controlled by the Democrats who vow not to pass the bill, thus leaving the government without continuing funds. Even if it were to pass in the partisan Senate, the President promises to veto the financial authority to keep the government running unless Obamacare is also funded.

In other words, the Senate and the President will vote against funding the entire government - defense, entitlements, federal aid, everything - if they can't have Obamacare.

So what do you think we'll hear from politicians and public comments in the media? The Republicans want to shut down the government.

Hey, I think Obamacare will prove to be a disaster, and an increasing number of citizens agree with me. Maybe even more are opposed than approve if you believe some recent polling. But opinions vary. It's at least possible that the country could grow to accommodate Obamacare if the economy and employment situation could ever get out from under the load of crap burdening us at the time.

I just want it straight. It's the Democratic Senate and President threatening to let the government shut down, and the Republican House which has voted to fund the government.

Why Gen Y is unhappy . . .

And there's some advice about what to do about it at the end.

Putin to Obama . . .

You owe me one, Dude.