Asymmetric

BSA: Global Cooling, North Korean Nukes, Sarah Palin

nguirado@yahoo.com (Nelson Guirado) — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 15:49:28 PDT

1. Sarah Palin is an individual who's popular because of her story (mother, pro-life decisions, family) and sex appeal. That doesn't mean that she hasn't been a good governor or isn't smart. I'm just saying that that's why she's popular.

2. What endears her to 40% of the population, however, provokes the opposite reaction in a group at least as large. It may be a good or bad thing, but it's gotten to the point in the United States that a woman who's primarily associated with good motherly values has less of a chance than a pure business woman like Meg Whitman of gaining office. There just aren't enough old-fashioned mothers and men who appreciate them.

3. Someone might bring up the contradiction as well that such a traditional-minded person may actually prefer not to vote for such a woman as they might feel that politics isn't her role (I guess that "someone" is me). I don't believe it- I'd vote for Sarah Palin- and it may not be true, but I just wanted to throw it out there.

4. Sarah Palin may agree with that proposition as it applies to herself, however, if she resigned because she wanted to live a simple life with her family, which I think is the best explanation. People who can't fathom such a possibility do so because they're projecting their own love of politics and/or power onto her.

5. North Korea has launched several missiles this week.

6. Barack Obama still wants to cut missile defense.

7. In fact, Barack Obama has a habit of analyzing a problem and then doing the opposite of what's required to fix it. Cap and Trade during a recession, for example. A hyper Glen Beck below:

8. As Glenn Beck mentioned, some scientists say that the earth will cool until 2030. Logic: If carbon emissions cause the world to warm and the world is perfect at it's current temperature and the world is cooling, wouldn't that mean that we need more carbon emissions?

9. For more evidence that the left feels that conservative blacks, women, and Hispanics must be destroyed at all costs, read lefty blogs this week on Sarah Palin. No link necessary; any one will do.

10. Sarah Palin is 800 times more worthy of holding office than Joe Biden:

"We did it in Saddam's palace and I can think of nothing better. That S.O.B. is rolling over in his grave right now," Biden said of the former Iraqi dictator, who was toppled by a U.S.-led invasion in 2003 and executed by the Iraqi government in 2006.

Remember, Biden voted for the war, then opposed it. Then, he wanted to split Iraq up into three countries. Now, what does he want? Who cares?

God and the Natural Law in the Declaration of Independence and the Communist Manifesto

nguirado@yahoo.com (Nelson Guirado) — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 14:48:18 PDT

Unless one can point to legitimate authority or reason from principles, when one argues for or against a particular ethical or moral position, one is merely asserting. The founding fathers of the United States wanted to make more than an assertion when they expressed their desire to free themselves from England and gave as a source of our rights, God, One who fulfills both criteria: One can reason that if the world is created by a superior and perfect intellect then there's an order and that that order is higher than a man's own opinion which means that men can't decide to disregard it and still be "good," for doing so would make the inferior judge over the superior.

One can further reason that through empirical evidence such as revelation and observation of nature that men can know what this order is and aspire to make personal and society-wide moral decisions that harmonize with this order. According to the FF, then, God has granted people certain rights from which mere men don't have the authority to alienate other men. Besides life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, people have the right to choose their government (I know that not all theists or even Christians think so- "Divine Right of Kings" which theorizes that kings get their power from God, still a superior source).

Like the D of I, the Communist Manifesto attempts to give empirical historical evidence (distorted through a Marxist prism) for its position, but unlike the D of I, it doesn't make the case that Communism is more in accordance with the intentions of a higher power: Workers should be Communists because Communism will materially benefit them, not because it's the right thing to do. If Capitalism offers you a better deal, I suppose you should go with that (and, as we've seen throughout Communism's history, the only people helped by Communism are party officials and American graduate students wanting to get an "A.").

Many bourgeois have been Communists, however, and the CM does therefore have an appeal beyond the number of leisure hours a worker may enjoy. The CM implies that capitalism is wrong in some way, unnatural and transitory, while Communism or the idea that people should be materially equal, is superior to Capitalism- indeed, that Communism will inevitably triumph over Capitalism. This implication, since it isn't grounded in anything higher than man's opinion, is nothing more than an assertion (Communists will insist that this theory is scientific, "natural," and therefore above men in some way, but that's absurd). One can just say, "I don't think so" and be done with it.

Another contrast between the two documents is the idea of equality. The D of I says that God made everybody equal in the sense that people deserve the same rights because they are people (have a soul). Empirically, obviously, not all men are equally talented, moral, or valuable to an employer or the economy in general. In Communism, Bill Gates, his engineers and management, and his workers in Singapore, contribute to Microsoft equally.

Both documents try to give examples of injustice, although, we see from above that the CM is just an emotional response to unequal conditions while the D of I is based on a natural law.

Natural Law part of Declaration of Independence below:

Top ten things I like about the United States

nguirado@yahoo.com (Nelson Guirado) — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 14:23:46 PDT

America, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways:

1. Freedom:

Even my liberal friends find it odd that democratic countries like Canada and the Netherlands persecute bloggers and essayists for sincerely opining on world events. Indeed, except for nations like Iraq and Afghanistan, it seems that much of the world is moving towards less freedom. Well, we're still pretty free to write and say what we like. Besides speech, some other ways in which we're more free than 99% of the world:

a. We can send our kids to the school we want.
b. We can have as many children as we want.
c. We don't have to take a government test to further our education.
d. We can study and attempt a career in any field we wish.
e. We can buy whatever health care we can afford.
f. We can start our own businesses.
g. We can marry any other over-age, non-family member of the opposite sex.
h. We can blog.
i. For the most part, we can drive whatever we want.
j. People choose their religion or no religion.

2. Economic Freedom (Capitalism):

I love it when my son tells me, "Papi, I want to be rich."

I always reply, "Go ahead, son! This is America! Don't forget the old man."

I also tell him that he has to work hard and earn his money, for in America, my son will control his economic fate. He will have to practice good money habits, or he'll end up poor. He will suffer or soar based on his discipline, ability, and aversion or attraction to risk. That's dignity.

And, my son can reach his financial goals through several paths, or he can blaze his own. More than in any other nation, people can be quite successful without having to go the "right" schools or knowing the "right" people. In fact, sometimes they don't even need rights. Publisher John H. Johnson and many blacks created and grew businesses when some blacks couldn't even vote.

3. Diversity:

Choices, choices, choices! We can spend or save. We have tons of products. We can live in San Francisco or Dallas. Cable! We can attend a Cinco de Mayo parade in Los Angeles or a St. Patrick's day parade in Chicago. Vivica or Megan Fox?

Megan Fox...

...or Vivica Fox: Now that's diversity.

4. Genius:

Take a look at what Americans have invented. Considering the above three characteristics, coincidence? I don't think so. The linked-to list doesn't even include my personal favorite, the cheese-filled hot dog. Think about it: Germany has the hot dog for a thousand years and it never occurs to them to fill it with cheese! After how many wars with cheese-riddled France?

5. Culture:

I remember a Korean college buddy of mine saying how Americans have no culture. Another college friend stood up for her white dad at a "Mexican-American graduation" after a very unappreciative new alumni said that Americans have no culture. What are they talking about! Name any kind of art, and Americans are well represented after the mid nineteenth century (We needed time to wind up, no?) if not outright dominant. Movies, plays, literature, visual arts- we're right there. Which brings me to our most spectacular contribution:

6. Music:

From Abba...er...Aerosmith to Zappa, Bolton to Brittney, Country to Western, Jazz to Blues, Motown to Grunge, Disco to Classical, movie music to garage music; America is an aural treasure trove.

People often forget about America's contribution to musical theater. Above, America by Leonard Bernstein.

7. Martial ability:

Since every country is born drenched in blood, it's first heroes tend to be warriors. When a nationalist group, positive or negative,** wants to trumpet its particular nation's greatness, it looks to its warriors. Why? Fighting is hard! The reason the French commemorate Charles Martel and not the French surrender to Germany (Sorry, French brothers and sisters, it's what people know.) isn't because one was a victory and the other a defeat; it's because one of them fought. Poland is proud of its defense in World War II. Religious people are proud of their martyrs. Texans lost the Alamo, yet they still rally to it's crying. Many Southerners still honor Confederate soldiers despite losing because Johnny Reb fought well.

Anyways, whether you agree or disagree with the justification for their sacrifice, Americans have been superlative fighters.

8. The Guirado family:

My father arrived poor and now he's not (He also arrived skinny, but I won't go there.). I joined the Army as a thank you to the country on behalf of the Guirado family.

9. Canada:

Yes, our neighbors to the the north talk funny, but does any country have a better neighbor than the United States? Mexico's nice too.

Vanity is Canadian: Who knew?

10. Physical beauty:

Let's say you were designing the ideal land mass in Civilization: Wouldn't it look a lot like the United States? From the mountains to the prairies, to the oceans, deserts, jungles, it's a very beautiful place.

Sedona, California

Sid Meier's Civilization IV: Gold Edition

Bonus reason: History:

Something that amazes me about the United States is how short a time our flag has waved- a whole 232 years. 232 years is one third of the time between the Muslim conquest and Christian reconquest of Spain. 232 years after Christ, the Romans were still feeding Christians to the lions. The Roman republic which had just ceased to endure at the time of Christ, lasted twice as long as the United States has existed, and the Roman empire almost that. Quick! what happened between 1500 and 1268 B.C.? The fact that we've gone from zero to top of the heap in such a short time is both a source of pride and a warning, for our continuance is not guaranteed, although not all nations have become great, all that have have fallen in one way or another.

Anyways, lots of interesting stuff happened.

**Look at Nazi, Communist, and MECHA/fascist/racist art, and you'll notice that they tend to depict idealized, usually historical, warriors.

Who was/is better: Michael Jackson or Prince?

nguirado@yahoo.com (Nelson Guirado) — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 19:21:08 PDT

"Is" because the music endures and one's still alive. "Was" because one's dead and you may compare at each's peak. Choice please.

Michale Jackson:

The Essential Michael Jackson

Prince:

Ultimate Prince

Original post blogged on b2evolution.

Obama remarks on Iraq security handover?

nguirado@yahoo.com (Nelson Guirado) — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 10:16:46 PDT

A day after Gibbs this insulting statement:

"We are today handing responsibility to the Iraqis for an increased level of their security situation," Gibbs said during his daily press briefing. "The president will talk about why it's an important step but why we also have to remain vigilant in monitoring the situation."

The United States will also be monitoring the political reconciliation process in Iraq, he said.

When asked whether Mr. Obama is ready to declare victory in Iraq, Gibbs said, "We'll keep the banner printers from doing anything crazy."

Thousands of Americans died for this moment and Gibbs makes partisan jokes.

Obama today

Washington, 1 July (WashingtonTV)—US President Barack Obama on Tuesday praised the pullout of US forces from cities and towns in Iraq as an “important step” toward a full US troop withdrawal by the end of 2011, but warned of “difficult days” ahead.

“Today’s transition is further proof that those who have tried to pull Iraq into the abyss of disunion and civil war are on the wrong side of history,” Obama said at the White House.

Obama’s remarks came shortly after a car bomb in the northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk killed at least 30 people, underscoring the fragility of the country’s security, according to Reuters.

“There will be difficult days ahead. We know that the violence in Iraq will continue – we see that already in the senseless bombing of Kirkuk earlier today,” said Obama.

Obama asserted that while insurgents will seek to “test Iraq’s security forces”, he was confident that those insurgents “will fail”.

“Iraq’s future is in the hands of its own people. And Iraq’s leaders must now make some hard choices necessary to resolve key political questions, to advance opportunity, and to provide security for their towns and cities,” he added.

Decent statement. I think some kind of ceremony is in order, however. The transition from brutal anti-American dictatorship to fledgling pro-American democracy is a great accomplishment for our nation. That it was difficult only makes it more praiseworthy. Ticker tape parade, perhaps?

Chicago ticker tape parade in Chicago for Apollo 11. Iraq ain't the moon, but still...

More on what this moment means after I get done teaching today.

BSA: Honduras, Jackson, America on wrong, Euro track

nguirado@yahoo.com (Nelson Guirado) — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 09:22:52 PDT

1. I thought the "moment of silence" in congress for Michael Jackson was pretty odd. He's an entertainer with a mixed record of private harm-personal good. And, then I realized that the Democrats are in control; they probably admire Jackson's money management style.

2. American exceptionalism, for ill. Europe's been there-done that on climate change, green jobs, polar bears, health care, and the left in general.

What do we do? exactly the opposite: more government and taxes, less freedom. We'll briefly meet in the middle as they pass us by. Chart below.

3. Comparing the Iran situation to the Honduran one, the only possible justification for Obama's tougher stance with Honduras is that, placing the burden of proof on the Iranian protesters, the Iranian government seemingly followed their process while the Honduran army and supreme court illegally ousted their president. One can argue that Honduras followed their process as well. One can't argue, however, that the Honduran authorities are worse in any way than the Iranian mullahcrocy. The left penchant for appeasing enemies while getting tough with friends (the ousted Honduran president was a leftist) may have had something to do with Obama's different policy prescriptions as well. Being suspicious of anybody who supports us is almost like a reflex, for leftists,

4. I'm glad that the Huffington Post so strongly condemned the Honduran supreme court. Weren't they the ones who said that we shouldn't have anything to say on Iranian elections after our experience with the 2000 U.S. presidential elections. I think the supreme court verdict in favor of Bush is much more congruous to what happened in Honduras than Iran.

5. Obama thinks meddling is good when it's a weak country ousting an anti-American leftist.

If the cap and trade bill were a dog

nguirado@yahoo.com (Nelson Guirado) — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 18:54:46 PDT

...it would look like this:

Original post blogged on b2evolution.

BSA: Cap and Trade, Al Gore, Michael Jackson

nguirado@yahoo.com (Nelson Guirado) — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 14:07:15 PDT

1. They say that deaths happen in "threes." Well, Farrah, Michael, and now pitchman, Billy Mays. R.I.P.

2. On Michael: Who would have thunk that Michael would have ended up poorer than Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, and Marlon?

3. Funny Michael Jackson joke: Farrah Faucet goes to heaven. God asks her for one wish, since she was such a nice person. She says, "I wish it was a less dangerous world for children."

4. I feel a responsibility to point stuff out, lest people lose their minds over Jackson or forget the inexcusable harm he's done.

5. Politicians should never confirm people's worst fears. Why do some fear Democrats? Job killing excursions into loony land. Well, now we have Cap and Trade. It is something that makes everybody's life a little worse, except for the greenly positioned, for no good reason. Indispensable Heritage has why Obama's numbers are wrong here and more here.

6. Think of Cap and Trade as a massive transfer of wealth from the middle class to Al Gore.

7. Why don't rich liberals- Warren Buffet, George Soros, David Geffen, Steve Jobs, et al.- need our money to invest in supposedly sure-fire green tech? Because only the government can guarantee them a profit. Why? Because it's a dumb idea.

8. In an uncharitable, semi-devious way that I'm not at all proud of, I'm kind of glad Cap n' Trade passed. Millions of people will lose jobs, and we should feel sorry for them, but the inevitable decrease of revenue will diminish the chance that government will expand while the increase in misery will hasten a return to sanity, as many conservatives predicted would happen if Obama won. I was not one of those advocating the "Carter scenario," by the way.

9. (I still would have voted against it because I'm not totally motivated by Schadenfreudian hatred. My superego would have grabbed me by the lapels and shaken some sense into me before the vote)

10. Besides, the Carter scenario wasn't a complete success. We still have the education department, don't we?

11. Have you ever talked to a liberal that sounds quite conservative and sensible and then doesn't, when they find out that you're a conservative? I had this experience on Friday after my high school graduation ceremony. The wife of a teacher agreed with me that money is not the answer in education, that the current generation is degenerating in morals and values, etc..

12. Once I told her that my parents were Cuban, however, the gears in her head turned and she figured out that I was a conservative. She then said that she hates how conservatives call liberals "unpatriotic" and was sure that Bush lied about Iraq.

13. By the way, the two valedictorians and most of the honor students were girls, continuing a trend. More on this later.

Asymmetric tribute to Michael Jackson

nguirado@yahoo.com (Nelson Guirado) — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 23:07:32 PDT

http://www.nelsonguirado.com/media/Whos_Loving_You.mp3

Michael Jackson- further proof of the non-correlation between wisdom, virtue, and talent.

Michael Jackson was an unrepentant and unpunished child molester who happened to have been, twenty five years prior, a guy with an extraordinary and, with its high, non-falsetto, pitch, and vibrato-rich tone, extraordinarily unusual, voice; a nice touch at popcraft; and an original, repetitive dance style. We have what we need from him. He will not be missed.

Michael Jackson is also one of my favorite pop acts of all time. One of my earliest musical likes, actually, as his Off the Wall and Thriller albums came out in my junior high and high school years, respectively. I attended one of his concerts in Dodger Stadium in 1995 (or 1996- Hi, Earnest Holguin).

I didn't dress or act like him (I can imagine what my dad would have thought), but I watched him on Richard Blade's VH1 and listened to him on KISS FM in Los Angeles whenever I could.

Michael Jackson is often compared to another pre-pubescent star, Frankie Lyman, but Jackson was both a better singer, in part because he had assimilated the soul inflections of Otis Redding and James Brown, and his voice was stronger and more elastic. It never really changed, either.

Value-added assets of Michael's included an amazing James Brown-lite dancing ability and a nice personality, as a kid.

Two songs that most showcase his voice from the early years are his remake of Smokey Robinson's, "Who's Loving You," with its thrilling ending. Podcast above, video below.

Original post blogged on b2evolution.

BSA: Mark Sanford, Health Care, the economy

nguirado@yahoo.com (Nelson Guirado) — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 11:06:01 PDT

1. Mark Sanford: It's fair to say that anybody who preaches some sort of deprivation of pleasure, whether it be energy, sex, money, or meat, will have some moments of weakness. It's much better to say that something's that truly wrong is wrong and come short than to abandon the fight against it altogether. People overcome their weaknesses; they're much more likely to do so by maintaining the original principle.

2. It's fair for Mark Sanford to pay a political price, like political banishment. If he doesn't, then society is saying that it's "OK."

3. I went through every "Maria" in Argentina and came up with the most likely candidate, according to the criteria given (OK, she was first in google search):

Maria Silvana Belli, Miss Argentina 2008

3. What's the alternative to plain, old-fashioned shame? If there's no negative incentive, you need a positive one. Hence, North Carolina paying girls not to get pregnant. I guess this is supposed to counteract the opposite incentive of years of government support at about thirty or forty dollars a day.

4. I've said before that an Obama failure is the only thing that can revive the GOP. So far, Obama's exceeded every Limbaugh failure fantasy. The stimulus is an expensive joke, his foreign policy is helplessly naive, and his health plan will almost, literally, ruin everything.

5. Obama waited for the right time to condemn Iran. The right time for him is when 51% of the people think he should.

6. Liberals are sure to want some retaliation against Iran for comparing Obama to Bush. Nuclear incineration won't be enough for Keith Olbermann.

Why the health care bill is failing: What's in it for me?

nguirado@yahoo.com (Nelson Guirado) — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 13:28:34 PDT

The reason is that Obama promised to make health care affordable. His plan actually costs people more money in taxes while providing the same and quite probably worse, service. Sound like a good deal to Americans who have or plan to have sometime in the future, health care coverage? Only those who think that they'll never get insurance or those committed to absolute, lefty-style equality would vote for the plan.

Bad fathers: You suck and Asymmetric advice for fathers

nguirado@yahoo.com (Nelson Guirado) — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 16:26:19 PDT

Me, returning from a hard day's work.

I talk to many women and men throughout the course of the day and have come to the conclusion that many fathers today don't have the proper attitude towards fathering (I've had my sucky moments so I know what I'm talking about).

Fathers,

Children and wives need to admire you, yet many of you don't do admirable things and do much that is contemptible. Is it any wonder that our esteem has decreased so much over the years?

Being a father is not about you. One doesn't become a father to inject fun into one's life (although you will eventually find it fulfilling, and even "fun"). Fatherhood is a duty to one's patrimony, country, community, world, and God.** Being a good father is a better public service than recycling or even voting. Once you commit to this principle, you won't consider less responsible alternatives.

Fatherhood isn't about helping your wife do her chores, either; it's a unique and near-vital skill set.

Essence of fatherhood:

Be a leader in your house, the rock that your family clings to during tough times. King of the castle. A protector and provider. The liaison between your family and the outside world.*** Know how to do practical stuff. Push your kids to take reasonable risks as your wife worries about the same things (her job).**** Stop watching that junk on the internet.***** Take pride in your family. Be the man that has the respect of his wife and children, not of the pathetic "bros" at the club. Be the Knight that every good man wants to be. Let the Hugh Heffners wallow their perpetual adolescence while you pity and disrespect them.

Let the world know what's going on in Iran

nguirado@yahoo.com (Nelson Guirado) — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 10:00:42 PDT

What for? What's the world going to do?

Basij shots to death a young woman in Tehran's Saturday June 20th protests

At 19:05 June 20th
Place: Karekar Ave., at the corner crossing Khosravi St. and Salehi st.

A young woman who was standing aside with her father watching the protests was shot by a basij More.. member hiding on the rooftop of a civilian house. He had clear shot at the girl and could not miss her. However, he aimed straight her heart. I am a doctor, so I rushed to try to save her. But the impact of the gunshot was so fierce that the bullet had blasted inside the victim's chest, and she died in less than 2 minutes.
The protests were going on about 1 kilometers away in the main street and some of the protesting crowd were running from tear gass used among them, towards Salehi St.
The film is shot by my friend who was standing beside me.
Please let the world know

BSA: Barbara Boxer, making responsible people feel like chumps, again.

nguirado@yahoo.com (Nelson Guirado) — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 22:58:44 PDT

1. Barbara Boxer's comments came at a good time, as my friends, reacting to Jonah Goldberg's piece in this month's National Review, said that Fascism is more a function of authoritarianism than the other stuff Goldberg mentions.

I replied that the left, being more into regulation, mandates, subsidies, and social conditioning are actually the more authoritarian group in the nation. And, then, to punctuate my case, along came Nancy Pelosi:

2. Boxer's combination of arrogance, stupidity, and mean-ness makes her rare amongst those elected to anything above Cheer squad leader. In fact, if she was pretty, she'd be Big Red from Bring It On.

Bring It On (Widescreen Collector's Edition)

3. In other audio, the general had referred to Senator David Vitter as "sir" right before Barbara Boxer.

4. Friends that have met Barbara Boxer tell me she's as dumb as rocks.

5. Jill Biden has a little "Dr. Evil" in her as well:

Dr. Jill Biden.

6. Education classes are the least "intellectual bang"-for-buck courses that anybody can take. In fact, when somebody tells me that they have an doctorate in education and take it seriously (instead of just for career advancement), I assume that they're full of bad ideas.

7. The government makes me feel like a fool again (the first time was aid for people who couldn't pay their mortgage) They want to give people who own less fuel-efficient cars (in reality, cars are all similarly "efficient." Some are just bigger or faster than others), "clunkers," money so that the government can junk them or turn them into modern art.

Last year, when gas prices were high, I sold my Isuzu Trooper to my sister for $500.00 and bought a more economical Ford Focus. In other words, I made a responsible decision, based on the circumstances. Well, you know that if there's one thing Obama and this government hates, it's a responsible person. If I would have kept the car, I would have had $4000.00 more dollars to spend on a car. My ecologically irresponsible sister makes out like a bandit. It's a transfer of wealth from me to my sister.

8. The giveaways will be good enough for 250,000 new cars. This place projects that Americans will buy 11.5 million cars in 2009. That's a whopping 2.1% increase in car sales. Wow!

There are over 250,000,000 cars in the U.S. I should be able to jog a lot easier knowing that .1% of that total pollute a tiny bit less and can go three more miles to the gallon. Talk about "feel-good" legislation!

9. I like this quote, from the New York Times, reporting on the Iran kerfuffle:

“Can’t the United Nations help us?” one woman asked me. I said I doubted that very much. “So,” she said, “we are on our own.”

Uhh, yeah.

9. Anyways, I don't think I'm supposed to worry about it. Que sera, sera, in Iran.

10. Why doesn't Obama do everything he can to make health insurance cheap, like tort reform, less mandates and regulation, and then, if people are still unhappy, try to unveil a government option?

11. The reason, of course, is that government health insurance, for liberals, is an a priori good. They wouldn't care if no new medicines or health discoveries were ever made again or if the United States collapsed from health care related debt or people died of the inevitable inefficiency: they want government health care, dammit!

12. In this, think of schools: Private schools are as good as the "public option," at half the price, but liberals would still never vote for vouchers, out of sheer principle.

13. Of course, the rich still send their kids to private school and they'll be the only ones with private health insurance, as well.

14. Sotomayor quit the Belizian club. Too bad that she had to. I think discrimination based on sex is legitimate for clubs. Sex is a real, non-superficial, difference. As real as IQ, at least, and we wouldn't kick anybody out for being in MENSA.

Deadliest Animal Warrior- Dog versus Cat

nguirado@yahoo.com (Nelson Guirado) — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 15:17:22 PDT

I took the Spike-TV show, "Deadliest Warriors," concept to the realm of the literally savage beast, where nature's fiercest engage in deadly combat not for glory or riches, but their very survival. As you know, in the show, an expert calculates the results by plugging data into a simulation program. An enactment of the results ends each episode.

For this, I had to heavily modify the program for animal combat. I added values for claws, teeth, "4X4" (legged) attacks, etc. I conducted experiments to find out the adaptability and intelligence of cats and dogs.

I then had my two actor-pets, Goldy and Mr. Bigglesworth, and another cat-dog acting team dramatize the simulation.

Results:

Cat's do very well with the upper ground, where they can swipe at the dogs. If the dog manages a takedown, however, its superior weight provides it with a decisive victory.

Cat, routed!

As you can see from the video above, Goldy pushes Mr. Bigglesworth around until Mr. B essentially "taps out," quitting and seeking cover. Worked up and perhaps not fully conscious of the rules, Goldy pursues. Fortunately, security, my daughter, manages to apprehend Goldy before damage was done.

Below, the tactical situation to the cat's advantage, we see the cat holding its own.

IRA vs. Taliban

Original post blogged on b2evolution.

Who was better: the Bangles or the Go Go's

nguirado@yahoo.com (Nelson Guirado) — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 23:58:37 PDT

Choice please:

Bangles:

Different Light

Gogos:

Greatest

Original post blogged on b2evolution.

Bangles still stirring Asymmetric emotions

nguirado@yahoo.com (Nelson Guirado) — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 23:59:52 PDT

http://www.nelsonguirado.com/Manic_Monday.mp3

The Bangles entered my life during my late adolescence. They left a large musical impression on me. They also affected other parts of my development. Without elaborating, I think it's important for boys to fix themselves to positive images of females at this age.

That the Bangles seemed like "nice" girls at the time probably had something to do with preference for them throughout my life. Susanna Hoffs was also one of the most alluring women of rock, those eyes!

They had great songs too. My favorite is probably "Manic Monday," although they have enough ones of similar quality for an essential one-CD compilation. "Manic Monday" is the podcast and the fun "Walk Like an Egyptian" video is below.

Ahh, what the heck, putting Manic Monday doesn't cost extra. You get to see what I'm talking about with the eyes, too.

Oh, I forgot to mention why I brought them up. Apparently, they're still making music, and performing.

One more thing: as long as men bestride the earth, they will ask this question.

Greatest Hits

Original post blogged on b2evolution.

BSA: Letterman and Obama on Iran, prevention logic, Obama liberal tally

nguirado@yahoo.com (Nelson Guirado) — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 13:31:14 PDT

1. Remember the "lipstick on a pig" fiasco, the actual turning point of the McCain campaign? This Letterman-Palin thing is similar. We have two competing objections to the joke, the idea of personal affront and group affront. Personal insult to Sarah Palin and her family and of a group insult to conservative women.

It's easier to be noble when reacting to a personal insult. If more prominent, brushing it off might be a good idea. Fighting is the better option when at a disadvantage. When reacting, it's better to keep it short, lest people turn on the offended party for the suspicion that the offendee is using the incident for some kind of gain. It's not good to appeal to victim hood or to say, "if it were x instead of me, people would be more upset." Conservatives don't wear victimhood well, and the media wouldn't cooperate even in the worst cases. It's the people who watch the mainstream media that Republicans want to convert.

2. Besides this, no serious person thinks that David Letterman meant the underage daughter. It's more plausible for Letterman to deny the "knocked-up" remark than Obama's "lipstick on a pig" utterance.

3. If your single-mom daughter on the cover of a magazine, expect some jokes.

Therefore, keep cool. Don't take undue umbrage. Be honorable and have behaved above reproach.

4. One of the ways that Obama wants to save money is by emphasizing prevention. People wrongly think of people as cars. Take care of them and they will last you a long time, with few problems, until you can get another car. The longer you delay another car, the more money you save.

Well, with people the longer you delay death, the more you spend, on social security and, indeed, on health care. In addition, everybody will die. It's the last few months of somebody's life where they use the most health care. Everybody will have a "last few months." If you really want to save money, do like Logan's Run and facilitate an early death.

5. Obama denied being a liberal in the election, as all liberals do. Let's see:

1. Big spender- check.
2. Abortion, gay stuff, family issues- check.
3. Foreign policy weakness- check.
4. Government control over lives- check.
5. Anti-business- check.
6. Taxes- to be checked.

6. Over the top coverage of Obama's fly swatting is good. Remember Sanjaya and the frumpy Scottish lady who sang that song. Every over-exposed celebrity becomes a joke.

7. I don't mind that Sotomayor is a member of an all-female group called the Belizian Grove. I think it's good than guys and dolls have their separate spaces. Isn't that how it is de facto? Why not reflect that reality de jure?

If Obama's gives me a hundred million...

nguirado@yahoo.com (Nelson Guirado) — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 08:25:13 PDT

...I'll build a cell in my back yard and take a couple of Guantanamo prisoners. It'll be a Pelau in Pico.

Original post blogged on b2evolution.

Tort reform in health care- let's have it

nguirado@yahoo.com (Nelson Guirado) — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 07:10:00 PDT

In his speech to the AMA yesterday, Obama said that he thinks medical tort reform would be a good idea. Well, if it's a good idea, can we have it now before the rest of the package? Why do we have to wait? Or, does it have to be federal at all? Texas has a successful program. If it doesn't, then aren't Obama's reforms, whatever they are, kind of irrelevant?

BSA: Mullahs shaken by Obama's troubledness, Fox on Fox

nguirado@yahoo.com (Nelson Guirado) — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 19:39:31 PDT

1. Man, Iranian mullahs must be quaking. Look at the decisiveness, the intellect. It only took Obama three days to say, without equivocation, that he's "deeply troubled."

2. When did it become common for Americans to riot after every championship? Did Boston riot after the '64 championship? Contrary to popular belief, humanity has been devolving for some time now.

3. Fox News has called Megan Fox's dress, "daring." Is that still possible today? What is she risking (daring)? Megan Fox is a beautiful girl, but her tattoos ruin a beautiful canvas and her dress makes her even less pretty, although it is titillating- "slutty" in another age.

A chilly evening in Germany. Thank goodness the Germans are helping on global warming.

Two readings by American authors for Iran

nguirado@yahoo.com (Nelson Guirado) — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 15:16:20 PDT

I read these two in my class today. I'm kind of surprised that they let them in the English book actually. Maybe it goes with the "fighting oppression" theme of every other story. Compare the two works below to modern politicians' babbling foolishness.

American Crisis, by Thomas Paine:

Original post blogged on b2evolution.

A smart administration...

nguirado@yahoo.com (Nelson Guirado) — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 10:10:01 PDT

...would be finding ways to incorporate the mood of the Iranian people into any military action. Working with dissidents, etc.

What Obama should say to the Iranian people

nguirado@yahoo.com (Nelson Guirado) — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 08:21:18 PDT

"You are showing great courage. We support you in your fight for freedom like we have others on different occasions. You too, can be a democracy, like Iraq, your neighbor, and live in peace with them in a new democratic zone."

Palin, Letterman, Carradine, and perversion

nguirado@yahoo.com (Nelson Guirado) — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 08:42:55 PDT

Sarah Palin: "Concerning Letterman's comments about my young daughter (and I doubt he'd ever dare make such comments about anyone else's daughter): 'Laughter incited by sexually perverted comments made by a 62-year-old male celebrity aimed at a 14-year-old girl is not only disgusting, but it reminds us some Hollywood/NY entertainers have a long way to go in understanding what the rest of America understands -- that acceptance of inappropriate sexual comments about an underage girl, who could be anyone's daughter, contributes to the atrociously high rate of sexual exploitation of minors by older men who use and abuse others.'"

Interesting.

Pervert:

per·vert (pr-vûrt)
tr.v. per·vert·ed, per·vert·ing, per·verts
1. To cause to turn away from what is right, proper, or good; corrupt.
2. To bring to a bad or worse condition; debase.
3. To put to a wrong or improper use; misuse. See Synonyms at corrupt.
4. To interpret incorrectly; misconstrue or distort:

The term "perversion" when referencing sex implies that sex has a proper function. To Catholics, separated bretheren, other religious, and probably most philosophical systems rooted in a "natural" law, sex does have a purpose: The bonding of men and women and procreation, in the Catholic system. To "pervert" sex, therefore, is to use it for something else.

Her other criticisms, "disgusting," etc., are just matters of taste.

I feel bad for Carradine's family. I can imagine the awkwardness at the funeral. Anyways, Carradine's (RIP- I'm just using it as an example. He didn't hurt anybody but himself and those who cared about him-I don't really care) behavior at the very end of his life is properly "perverted" in the the natural law sense, but for pure materialists who think that sex outside of its biological reason for being is just a pleasure-inducing activity, it would be better to call it "non-normative" or "deviant" for its relationship to common practice, although the latter has a negative connotation. "Disgusting" would just be a personal reaction and "sick" is a betrayal of the materialist "spirit."

As for Letterman, materialists would just call it "rude, according to social convention."

It makes language less precise when we mix things up.

Iranian protest videos

nguirado@yahoo.com (Nelson Guirado) — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 21:12:26 PDT

If the demonstrators succeed, that would only leave North Korea of the original axis of evil. More regimes are evil of course, but these were/are the ones most likely to kill outside their borders. It would also be a big burden off of Obama, if I may inject some politics into this. Good for the protesters.

Bite-sized Asymmetric: defending Obama on one point, health care honesty

nguirado@yahoo.com (Nelson Guirado) — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 16:21:01 PDT

1. Obama's speech to the Muslim world was self-contradictory, dishonest, and vapid. That he thought he could address the "Muslim world" in the first place, however, isn't a valid criticism. People who share something may be addressed as a group. We regularly say "free world," "the West," "people of color," or group people by geography which seems to me to more silly in some ways than lumping Malaysians and Saudis.

We did, in fact, once refer to the Christian world as "Christendom" and the only reason we don't do so now is that Christians don't often care about Christianity. I, as a believer, feel closer, in some ways, to a devout Filipino or Chinaman than I do to a secular Mexican or Cuban. I'm reminded of this when I attend a particularly multi-national mass.

2. Why is the left up in arms about extremism, as demonstrated in their reaction to Holocaust museum or George Tiller shootings? Some of Obama's est friends are extremists- Bill Ayers, Jeremiah Wright, et al.

3. Please visit my blogging buddy here. He's back from an envy-producing trip to Spain and just started blogging again.

4. I also don't think that we should attack Sotomayer for her statements on Spanish grammar. Sotomayor will be confirmed; we should make the hearings a conservative teaching moment instead of shooting ourselves in the foot with left-style trivial attacks.

5. Carrie Prejean, Letterman on Sarah Palin and her daughters, Playboy's "conservatives I'd like to hate-copulate with": Does anybody notice a pattern here? Namely, that it's as perfectly OK to attack conservative women today as it must have been to slur the Japanese during WWII.

6. People pretend that the health care debate is over efficiency or some other measurable criteria: "quality," for example.

In fact, like almost any political debate, it's about values. Are most people (some will "get more") willing to spend more and get less to ensure that everybody has the same health care or are Americans OK with some inequality in this area to encourage innovation, quality, efficiency, and a certain kind of justice (people getting what they pay for)?

It's not an easy question. I sympathize for people who lose their jobs and get sick, and I really feel bad for those born with or who acquire an infirmity. Traditionally, charities have taken care of them, but this is very difficult today with the expensive treatments available. Private and charitable health care is a victim of its own success, in that it's created fabulous medical machines and wondrously effective drugs that everybody wants. Had medicine stayed at simple operations, mending broken bones, Penicillin, and hospice care, we wouldn't be having this debate.

Obama's logic in address to the Muslim world

nguirado@yahoo.com (Nelson Guirado) — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 07:50:02 PDT

I think I'm just being descriptive when I say that Obama's "please don't kill us" speech to the Muslim world was a bizarre twisting of religious doctrine, historical fact, and logic. Others have commented on the first two. I'd like to address the last with an example:

Resistance through violence and killing is wrong and it does not succeed. For centuries, black people in America suffered the lash of the whip as slaves and the humiliation of segregation. But it was not violence that won full and equal rights. It was a peaceful and determined insistence upon the ideals at the center of America's founding.

This same story can be told by people from South Africa to South Asia, to Eastern Europe to Indonesia. It's a story with a simple truth: violence is a dead end.

So, violence is wrong and ineffective.

But I do believe that a woman who is denied an education is denied equality

Attacking schools for girls with poison gas, as the Taliban did in Afghanistan, therefore, is wrong.

The Taliban doesn't do that in Afghanistan anymore. Why? Did we come to a diplomatic agreement with the Taliban.

No, we used violence. Violence that was justified because we had no other choice:

Over seven years ago, the United States pursued al-Qaida and the Taliban with broad international support. We did not go by choice. We went because of necessity. I'm aware that there's still some who would question or even justify the offense of 9/11. But let us be clear. Al-Qaida killed nearly 3,000 people on that day.

This, my friends, is what happens when people value slick baritones and smooth swaggers over plain old sense.

Obama's address to the Muslim world

nguirado@yahoo.com (Nelson Guirado) — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 19:49:10 PDT

According to this CNN article:

# Obama wants to repair U.S. image in Mideast, Muslim community
# President's speech in Egypt will call for open dialogue with Muslims
# Middle East observer say Muslims want to see action from Obama

I have the same opinion I do when it comes to European opinion: Why should we care what Muslims think of us and Muslims shouldn't care what we think of them? Why don't Muslim leaders come to the United States and try to ingratiate themselves to us?

I think that in many indicators of national decency, we come come out pretty well, relative to Muslim nations.

On to President Obama's goals:

Our image should be fine in the Muslim world. We use blood and treasure to liberate Muslims from tyrants. We're pretty nice to Muslims, overall. What's to repair?

With which Muslim countries that don't brazenly wish to destroy us or one of our allies and who illegally seek nuclear weapons, don't we have an open dialogue?

What action would Muslims like to see from us? Really, think about it.

Hint to Obama: What really upsets radical Muslims is gay marriage, celebrating LGBT month, trying to change their laws on the issue, abortion, women's rights, pornography, and the social issues you want to "get past."

Bite-sized Asymmetric: exploiting murder, GM will be American Airbus, and same-sex marriage in Spain

nguirado@yahoo.com (Nelson Guirado) — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 17:37:49 PDT

1. Why is it when Muslim or anti-war extremists kill American soldiers and somebody points this out (I don't do this and don't like when others do), people who then wish to make a point about that group have to back up and apologize for their generalization or issue endless disclaimers while leftists just plow ahead with the most statistically idiotic comparisons?

2. That being said, groups should always look out for nuts.

3. The George Tiller murderer is also mentally ill. Does the Huffington Post wish to have the government check on them as well. The opportunism is disturbing. Conservatives shouldn't take the bait and feel the need to issue endless condemnations. Of course we don't support this!

4. Why should we condemn this (once)? Because in a democracy, we handle things like this by involving the proper authorities. Even when things are illegal, like killing somebody's grown children, people aren't allowed to take revenge outside of the legal system.

Practically, it turns receptive people away in the same way that the protests against Proposition 8 did.

5. Doug Kmiec proposes something close to what I once called the proper Libertarian response to marriage problems of all kinds, disinvolve the government from marriage (I said that it should be as neutral as possible). How about just saying "no" to same-sex marriage? It's not a serious matter and will blow over eventually like the ERA.

6. How has gay marriage affected those nations that have tried it? Gay marriage has had a demoralizing effect. Witness Spain, where the marriage rate has plummeted. Granted, much of it before same sex marriage, but it's the disrespect for marriage that laid the groundwork for gay marriage.

7. This is an interesting article on gay marriage. It's a reconstructive approach. It may be effective with those eager for a reason to go with their instincts. It will not work with liberals, however. They simply don't care. All they see is something available to some romantic groupings and not to others. Their goal is what they perceive as equality, and that's it.

One criticism: We shouldn't include child sex in the slippery slope argument. The "safe harbor" argument, where everybody deserves a non-sexual time, is an effective one that same-sex marriage advocates can use. And yes, I know that there was a time when child sex was accepted in polite society.

8. GM may be the next Airbus, a government-run enterprise where decisions on factories and such are made by bureaucrats. The only difference is that Airbus's competitors are all foreign. We still have Ford. How will Ford cope? Will the UAW be willing to keep Ford afloat by conceding some benefits, knowing that Obama is willing to bail them out?

9. I don't like anything which takes away from an issue itself. Psychological studies that show whether one side of the argument is crazy like this one purporting to show that conservatives are dumb or something falls into that category. So, if I was smarter, I'd want government health care and higher taxes? I also don't like these things when they kind of call conservatives smarter.

10. This comparison of Huxley and Orwell is amusing. What do both Orwell and Huxley's totalitarian vision have in common? The government is the one calling the shots and manipulating the people.