ACCUSATIONS

"One should never ascribe to malice what can be adequately explained by stupidity." *

In other words, people make inadvertent mistakes. A mistake is not a act of malice.

However, there are some people who use nasty little tricks to harass someone that they should respect, but secretly refuse to respect. I can always tell when someone decides to play dirty tricks on me. The first thing that they go after is my lack of mobility. Unable to win an intellectual argument, they become sneaky vindictive children. (Kindness regarding my lack of mobility is so rare that I always note it.)

I do not believe that the assumption that anything within reach belongs to them is actually malice. They just believe that others will provide the cleaning, the paper plates, etc. After all, their mother always provided such things.

This is not malice, it is a variation on the blindness of the 1% to the difficulty others have in earning money.

* A quote from a friend.

MUSLIMS, MORMONS, CHRISTIANS, AND JEWS

Muslims, Mormons, Christians and Jews all believe in God, in charity, in prayer, and in living a moral life.

The Muslim religion was started 1400 years ago. Muslims believe that Mohammad is the true prophet of God. Muslims are allowed up to four wives if the man can treat them equally.

The Mormon religion was started almost 200 years ago. Mormons believe that Joseph Smith was handed gospels written in gold, which promptly disappeared. Mormons used to be allowed as many wives as they wanted, but are now allowed only one wife.

The Christian religion was started around 2000 years ago. Christians believe that Jesus is the Son of God, and that he died on the cross to save us from our sins. Christians are allowed only one wife.

Judaism was started 3000 years ago. The main prophets in Judaism are Abraham and Moses. The Ten Commandments which Moses brought down from the mountain are the basis for many of the world's legal systems. Jews are now allowed only one wife.

The current candidates for President of the United States of America are a protestant Christian and a Mormon.

Madonna, who started her career mocking the Roman Catholic Church, is now mocking the Christian right by calling our President a Black Muslim. Unfortunately, crazies actually believe this.

Not long ago, I was asked why someone who is half Black and half White is always called Black. I think this is because of the old laws against Blacks and Whites mixing. Those laws made anyone who is even part Black, a Black by definition. It is a very old prejudice carried over to the present day.

President Obama seems to be replaying Paul Newman's role in Hombre. This time, we need to reward the person who rescued us. If you hate the recession, I guarantee you that you would have hated a depression even more. Did you know that almost all the Republicans refused to help save the banks and General Motors?

People keep asking why President Obama got the Nobel Peace Prize. He got the prize because the Scandinavians recognized the real danger to peace that an economic collapse posed.

Our pundits laugh at President Obama's Nobel Peace Prize for the same reason that the hombre was treated with disdain even after he saved everyone's life.

MY POWER CHAIR

I have using a wheelchair for 26 years.

For 20 years, when I was in the wheelchair, I was often treated as a stupid child. People would pat me on the arm, and sometimes pat me on the head. People almost NEVER talked to me directly, but would talk to whoever was with me. If they talked to me, it was often in the tone that one uses to speak with a child.

Then it stopped. Why? Because I recovered my wheelchair in black, making it look like a rolling office chair used by bosses. This was a neato side effect, because I chose black to show off my dragon wheelchair decorations I use when I go to BayCon or RenFaire. I still smile to myself about my change in status just because my wheelchair chair is black rather than ugly battleship grey.

Each person in a wheelchair is different. I am lucky as I can walk about half a block per day. Some people can not walk at all. I use a wheelchair because I refuse to be limited to half a block. I like zoos, courthouses, museums, funky shopping, etc. Without my chair and lift, I can not do any of these things.

So, here are some rules for wheelchairs.

If you are opening a door for a wheelee (person in wheelchair), do NOT stand in the doorway. Wheelchairs have to use extra power going over thresholds, and therefore, do not have as much control over the direction the chair is going. I do not like running over toes, because the resulting screams hurt my ears. %<)

If you want to be helpful to a wheelee, ASK what you can do. You can often make things worse or dangerous for the wheelee if you try to help without getting input from the wheelee.

NEVER climb over the wheelchair or brush closely by the wheelchair. If you fall or trip, you could badly hurt the person in the chair. Treat the wheelchair and wheelee as a PERSON, rather than as a chair in your way. Politely ask the wheelee to move, and give the wheelee time to move.

If a wheelee is entering an elevator, please move to the side so the wheelee can move into the center back of the elevator without hurting anyone. Again remember that an elevator has a threshold, so the wheelee has to speed up to get into the elevator. Wheelees do not want to hurt you, and if you stand in the center of the elevator, the wheelee will hesitate to enter the elevator.

Sometimes people will tell me how they wish they had a wheelchair because they are momentarily tired of walking or standing. I always reply, "Be careful what you wish for."

MASS MURDER OF MUSLIMS BRINGS MUSLIM SILENCE

Assad is killing entire villages and bulldozing the houses in an attempt to hide his mass murders. Almost all of the villagers murdered are Muslim.

I do not understand how a really badly filmed movie can cause riots, but Muslims do not even react when fellow Muslims are being murdered. Does someone have to believe in the exact same Muslim doctrine that you believe before their life has value?

There is a scene in Burn Notice where a mercenary offers (for money, of course) to wipe out an entire village and remove all evidence of the village having existed.  Dumb me, I thought it was just fiction.

How can we allow this to happen?

STOPPING INSULTS TO MUSLIMS

The insulting movie which was blamed for the death of a US ambassador was reprehensible. No one wants their religion insulted in such a way. So how do we stop the nasty, evil people who deliberately, and with malice, say unacceptably insulting things about anyone's religion?

In the case of the current movie, it is easy to argue that the movie was the proximate cause of the ambassador's death, and that a reasonable man could foresee that the movie might result in the death of an American citizen. Please understand that I stress "American deaths" because jurisdiction must be in a US court. All deaths caused by this movie were foreseeable.

Once you have jurisdiction to sue in an American court, you can sue ALL of the people involved in the movie for wrongful death. Again, even if you do not win, you can cost them every penny that they have in paying attorneys to defend them. But honestly, I think there is a very good chance that there will be a huge jury award, including punitive damages for reckless disregard for human life.

My other advice is for Muslims. You will not like this advice.

In the US, we have learned that people who deliberately insult others for personal or political gain, are best IGNORED. If you even have a peaceful protest, the evil people get publicity, and then the evil people have an easier time raising money from stupid people.

The best way to get others to respect your religion is to teach us all about the good things in your religion. You should start by explaining the ways that the Muslim religion believes in God, believes in charity, believes in patriotism. I am fairly ignorant about the Muslim religion. Teach me, and all of the rest of us.

FAIRY TALES AND LIES

When they say Unions are bad, they mean, "All the better to keep wages low, my dear."

When they say regulations are not necessary, they mean, "All the better to steal your money, my dear."

When they say that government should stay out of health care, they mean, "All the better to take your savings before your early death, my dear."

When they say birth control and abortion are evil, they mean, "All the better to force you to have our babies, my dear."

When they say that we need to keep fighting the war on drugs, they mean, "All the better for us to make lots and lots of money selling drugs so we can buy elections, my dear."

When they say that your vote does not count, they mean, "All the better that you do not vote so that we can win, my dear."

DANCING WITH DEATH

Young people, especially young men, have been dancing with death since before we were humans. In ancient Crete, young men and women did gymnastics over the heads of bulls. In modern Spain, young men run with the bulls.

I am worried that our death penalty is making the gangs use of murder as an initiation into a kind of dance with death.

In other words, I think that the death penalty is counter productive in discouraging the gang members from committing murder. Life in prison without the possibility of parole is much less sexy than risking the death penalty.

In other murders, the death penalty is not discouraging because the murderer feels justified in his/her actions.

Getting a person executed is very expensive. DNA evidence has shown that juries can convict the wrong person. Now prosecutors are using deteriorated DNA, which is much less reliable, to convict on cold cases. As romantic as it is to solve an old murder, the chances of an incorrect conviction greatly increase because alibi evidence becomes impossible to prove.

It is way too easy to convict the innocent. Prosecutors have the services of an entire police department. Defense attorneys are lucky if they have the funds for even one investigator.

In my opinion, the death penalty should be abolished.

HOMELAND SECURITY -- ANOTHER BUSH MESS

I recently met two people who I think are with Homeland Security. One of them talked to "Janet, in Maine", in front of me, trying to impress two other people of her importance. The person seemed to think that a General's daughter had never heard someone using the first name of an officer in an attempt to impress.

One of them professed to be a plant expert and proceeded to try to water a six foot tall, potted tree using a quart bowl. One of them was bragging about being a barbecue expert and then did not know that ribs could be beef, as well as pork. One was supposed to have visited Mumbai, but did not pronounce Mumbai right. One said Cuban black beans were a family dish from India.

Both have told racist jokes. One thought it was funny to feed hot peppers to an old lady with digestive problems. Both keep telling me what an unusual brain I have.

Stupidity and arrogance is a deadly combination. My guess is that if anyone dies from their mistakes, it will not be them.

If I were President, I would fire Janet Napalitano. Homeland Security is told to deport felons and they deport people with misdemeanors or no arrest at all. I guess felons are too hard to find.

Have you ever heard of a terrorist arrest by Homeland Security? They can not find terrorists either.

I have a theory that all of the incompetent people were encouraged to join Homeland Security to get them out of the way of effective agencies like the FBI and DOD's investigative services.


I say we get rid of Bush's stupid idea called Homeland Security. Every little bit helps to balance the budget. 

WORK HARD, PLAY HARD

Many young people have the attitude that they will, "Work hard and play hard."

Unfortunately, this leaves almost no time for friends, pets, babies, children, parents, politics, etc. Some things you can only have if you slow down. 

The frenetic play that you engage in is a lot of fun. But such play is supposed to be an occasional thing, not something that you do every weekend. 

Staying home and playing with children and pets is considered to be old fashioned. We do not play with our kids, we take them to organized sports. An afternoon feeding ducks or taking a hike allows you to talk to your children. Cheering on an 8 year old while (s)he plays a ball game with coaches and an opposing team is a kind of child abuse. A child who has talent will ask to play. It is not necessary to make organized play the default choice.

I am a great believer in, "Go outside and play." The number of children kidnapped by strangers is very small. We keep our children prisoners when we could be letting them find out who they are and what they want to be. 

Of course, trips to museums, nature exhibits, zoos, etc. is REALLY GOOD for children. Do not forget to make them promise that there will be no complaining. Get this promise BEFORE you leave the house. Make any child friends also promise not to complain. You will discover that if they can not complain, they amuse themselves with the exhibits, rather than by harassing you.

SLOW DOWN. YOU WILL HAVE MUCH MORE FUN.

KOCH BROTHERS NOT RELATED TO NAZIS

There is a rumor that the Koch Brothers' Mother was a Nazi, who used human skins to make lampshades. There was a convicted Nazi called Koch. She was NOT related to the Koch Brothers.

Please STOP lying.

We can win this election by continuing to care about babies growing up healthy and educated, about helping the sick and the elderly, about feeding the poor. We have no need to lie.

People can only buy elections if you sell your vote to the biggest ad campaign.