Crash Tang

Social Justice

2023-03-31T08:59:00.002-06:00

The surest way to lose my support is to consider yourself entitled to it.

Tis The Season

2019-12-24T19:24:00.002-07:00

Merry Happy Joyous

ChristSolstHanukKwanYule !!!

(Did I miss anyone?)

Memorial Day without a memory

2018-05-27T14:49:00.000-06:00

On this day of remembrance for loved ones lost, most reflect on absent individuals and their impact upon our lives. For me and some others, there is no reflection because a memory was never formed. I speak of the loss of something never possessed. My father died when I was six months in utero. I never met the man, have no memory to reflect upon. This day has always been a day of wonderment for me. I wonder what he was like. I wonder what traits I have that were gifted from him. I wonder what my childhood would have been like had he been a participant. I wonder who I would be now had my father lived to help mold me. I wonder these things in contemplation sometimes. On Memorial Day, it's usually a wonderment with some sadness. I cannot miss what I never had. Though perhaps illogical, I reflect on the many times in my life when I had wondered what that moment would have been like if I had a father...or the memory of one. It's a very subtle difference, but treasure the memories you have AND that you have memories. On Memorial Day I reflect, not on the memory of a man, but rather on the times in my life when I wished I had a memory to remember.

Wasted Logic

2018-02-14T09:36:00.001-07:00

If you find yourself discussing immigration with someone who cannot grasp the concept of being BOTH pro-immigration AND anti-lawbreaking, just walk away. Their argument will be limited to emotional, melodramatic soundbites and absent of logic.

Subtle Racism

2018-02-08T13:29:00.001-07:00

So I just read an article about 11 black inventors who changed the world. Every person profiled in the article was indeed worthy of accolades. What sticks in my craw is the article's existence in the first place. I find it inherently racist. Its very existence suggests that a black person accomplishing something significant is especially noteworthy. It wasn't a list of notable inventors but rather, even more amazing, they were black inventors...like they somehow defied their own inferiority to succeed. "This person invented something great and holy smokes they were black!" I don't think that the author's conscious intent was derogatory, but she had to (at least subconsciously) find these inventors' race worthy of segregating them into a special list. The author couldn't just recognize and acclaim these people for the amazing things they did, she had to make it a special point that they did it while being black. To me, that's racist.

http://mentalfloss.com/article/86923/11-african-american-inventors-who-changed-world

Mother Of Arrogance

2018-01-31T09:37:00.000-07:00

A theist I'm not, nor religious doctrine do I avow, but wisdom can be found in the damndest places. Never in my short life have I seen a political climate--for which both parties are proving themselves equally shitty--where this 100+ year old hymn better resonates.

O God of earth and altar,
Bow down and hear our cry,
Our earthly rulers falter,
Our people drift and die;
The walls of gold entomb us,
The swords of scorn divide,
Take not thy thunder from us,
But take away our pride.

From all that terror teaches,
From lies of tongue and pen,
From all the easy speeches
That comfort cruel men,
From sale and profanation
Of honour and the sword,
From sleep and from damnation,
Deliver us, good Lord.

-- G. K. Chesterton, 1906, The English Hymnal

Use data not drama

2018-01-28T17:36:00.000-07:00

The next whiny liberal who starts preaching minimum wage hikes because it's "not fair" or that so-and-so makes X dollars can go take a tongue dive up a cat's ass! Life isn't fair and nobody ever promised that it would be. Quit yer friggin' crying. Now, if you want to discuss the economic impact of the minimum wage relative to the quantifiable cost of living, median housing costs, market prices for essential consumables, etc. I'm more than happy to consider and discuss it because there ARE very good arguments that can be made for a minimum wage increase. However, playing the melodramatic pity card isn't working for me. If you want to be a whiny little bitch, I will oppose you for that reason alone. If you opt for logic and verifiable data to support your claim, I'm all ears...and in this case, I'm actually on your side.

California sucks--but not through a straw

2018-01-26T15:54:00.000-07:00

F*ckin' Californians...you just can't make this shit up. Assembly Bill No. 1884 to be added to the California Health and Safety code 114082: "This bill would prohibit a food facility, as specified, where food may be consumed on the premises from providing single-use plastic straws to consumers unless requested by the consumer." The punishment for giving you a straw with your Diet Coke that you didn't request? Misdemeanor crime, up to $1000 fine and 6 months in jail. With all the economic, criminal, and health problems in California, this is what their legislature is debating. Environmental awareness is a worthy cause, but prioritizing a debate on unused straw disposal over their $250+ billion debt, public health issues, and crime problems? Unbelievable.

Prophets of Disaster

2018-01-23T07:18:00.002-07:00

Listening to the recent melodramatic, doomsaying politicians attempting to further their agenda through scaremongering brought to mind the lyrics of an Iron Maiden song...

Another prophet of disaster
Who says this ship is lost
Another prophet of disaster
Leaving you to count the cost

Taunting us with visions
Afflicting us with fear
Predicting war for millions
In the hope that one appears

-- Iron Maiden, "Die With Your Boots On" (1986)

Show Me The Idjit

2018-01-14T11:32:00.000-07:00

I'm an engineer by trade, specializing in controls & automation. Almost weekly I'm presented with someone's claim on how to better control a system or piece of equipment. My immediate response is always, "show me". Whether it's a new engineering methodology, disease cure, UFO sighting, or current event, the burden of proof is on the claimant. Trump's knee-jerk reaction to news outlets regarding unflattering or disagreeable claims that it must be "fake news" is immature denial. Sadly, the proper response to ANYONE making a sensational claim, whether it's the President or John Q. Public, should be "show me". Much of the evolving witch hunt against Trump involves the media wielding the biggest bullhorn they can muster to shout out anything and everything they can to discredit him. Sometimes, they are right, and the incident is yet another case of the President's dip-shittery. However, many of the claims reported by the media are unsubstantiated and cannot be vetted because of the elusive and convenient "anonymous source" bullshit. Even more sad than Trump's impulsive and unconvincing denials is the ignorant and idiotic blind acceptance by John Q. Public of the media's claims when no proof can be provided. If I told a typical person that Obama was really a shape-changing lizardman, I wouldn't be believed by anyone unless (1) I could prove it or (2) they wanted to believe it. Sadly, people nowadays abandon the former in favor of the latter...especially when it comes to Trump and people's desire to believe anything that corroborates their opinion. Trump IS an idjit, but I'll be damned if I'll gullibly swallow the liberal hearsay and unsubstantiated claims to support my opinion. There is enough verifiable evidence available without stooping to blind acceptance (by the Trump haters) or blind denial (by Trump's supporters). Don't believe all the shit you hear or the manipulative memes on Facebook. I repeat, the burden of proof is on the claimant, on the accuser. Demand that proof, then judge accordingly.

A Dipshit's Shithole

2018-01-12T17:33:00.000-07:00

CNN, MSNBC, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and many others all claimed that Trump asked, "Why do we want all these people from shithole countries coming here?" However, every single news outlet could only cite "anonymous sources briefed on the meeting" or "an unnamed person familiar with the meeting". Multiple senators who attended the meeting went on record, without hiding behind anonymity, stating that Trump never made the statement. To me, it sounds EXACTLY like something that Trump WOULD say...mainly because he's a mouthy dipshit. But, without a single soul willing to go on record with first-hand knowledge about the voracity of the statement, and multiple senators who did go on record that it's a false claim, logic shouldn't allow it be given credence. Could the senators be lying to cover for Trump? Of course. But the claim from someone unwilling to provide evidence or even their identity is even less believable...unless of course you WANT to believe it. As with any sensational claim, the burden of proof is on the claimant.

Zealots

2018-01-07T17:34:00.000-07:00

Just because you can, doesn't mean you should. It's the self-righteous zealot who cannot grasp the concept that having the right to do a thing doesn't mean it's the right thing to do.

The right to say "no"

2017-12-16T17:17:00.003-07:00

Should a Mormon book store be forced to sell the Satanic Bible if a customer requests it? Should it be a government mandate that a Minister must also perform pagan ceremonial work if a client asks? Should all surgeons be forced by law to perform late-term abortions if that's the patient's desire? Should the government force a Jewish carpenter to construct swastika emblazoned furniture if a customer requests it? Should a law require a conservative Christian baker to make homosexual themed cakes? The answer to all of these is "no". There are other bakers, carpenters, surgeons, ministers, and stores that will provide the lawful specialty services you seek.

Inconvenient Constitution

2017-12-15T14:23:00.006-07:00

Regarding the Net Neutrality issue, I side with the liberals. Interesting exercise however: Go out and read the far left Tweets, Facebook posts, and blogs regarding the issue. Then, whenever they get on their "freedoms" and "rights" rants, substitute any references to the First Amendment with the Second Amendment. Leave the rest of their sentence intact and quote it back to them. Suddenly, the principles of freedoms and rights granted by the Constitution don't apply regarding issues unpopular with them. They wield the Constitution as their cudgel only when it's convenient it seems.

Nancy Dumbass

2017-12-07T17:18:00.000-07:00

Wow, Nancy Pelosi really is a stupid bitch. Not only is it illegal for violent criminals, domestic abusers, and convicted stalkers to own a gun, let alone carry any concealed weapon, there are no Republicans, Democrats, nor Progressives who are advocating that they should. Liberals like her are why Conservatives dismiss the option of even discussing the issue rationally.

Vendor's Right - Consumer's Choice

2017-12-05T12:47:00.000-07:00

The Supreme Court will be addressing the Colorado baker's refusal to make a customized wedding cake for a gay couple...again. I agree with the baker, and it has nothing to do with his clients' sexuality. Just because a person sells cakes, I don't believe the government should force him to sell a cake that violates his beliefs. The baker DID NOT refuse service to the gay couple, he only refused to provide the specific merchandise they requested. Deseret Books is a Mormon bookstore in Boise. They choose to only sell products in accordance with their beliefs. Should the government force them to also sell the "Satanic Bible" or "Demons of the Flesh" just because a customer requests it? Does this make them guilty of religious discrimination by choosing to only sell LDS compatible books even though they could order any book in print? Deseret Books (and the cake vendor) will both happily sell their products to people of any religion (sexual orientation), but the government shouldn't force them to provide ALL merchandise that EVERY religion (sexual orientation) may desire. If a vendor doesn't sell a product or service you seek, then select a different vendor. Vendors, especially small businesses, should be able to manufacture or sell whatever they choose, for whatever reason they choose. If they opt not to provide goods or services that a portion of the population desires, then that is the vendor's loss...but it should still remain their choice. I know a doctor that is a General Practitioner and Gynecologist. Though she's qualified to treat male patients, she chooses to only accept women for gynecological services. Does that make her guilty of sexual discrimination because she refuses service to men? In my opinion, no, I'll just pick a different doctor.

LGGBDTTTIQQAAPP...gimme a break

2017-12-02T08:57:00.000-07:00

Did you attend your LGGBDTTTIQQAAPP Inclusiveness Training? Yes, that's a real thing and the actual title of a Canadian course offered to their elementary school teachers. I can't help but wonder if half the class isn't spent just defining the alphabet soup acronym. If you're curious, it stands for Lesbian, Gay, Genderqueer, Bisexual, Demisexual, Transgender, Transsexual, Twospirit, Intersex, Queer, Questioning, Asexual, Allies, Pansexual, and Polyamorous. Somewhere along the line, this "Me Generation" has decided that everyone needs a label(s) and humanity must recognize and accommodate every new identity that people can dream up to give themselves a feeling of distinction. Add to that the thousands of different classifications for each race, religion, social group, medical condition, education, occupation, gender, proclivities, desires, etc. All of which I've seen crusaders promoting special sensitivity awareness requirements. Why has it become so friggin' complicated? Back in the day, our parents taught us 2 simple credos: "Live and let live" and "Do unto others...". A lifetime could be spent trying to learn and adhere to all the special compensations needed to accommodate every individual trait that humans opt to create a label for. The more difficult we make it, the less likely that harmony can be achieved. It needn't be rocket surgery to be a socially good person. You can keep your specialized expectations for every conceivable social label. As a matter of fact, you can blow them out your self-aggrandizing bung holes. I'll stick to the 2 credos my mamma taught me. If you aren't hurting anyone else, do and be your own 'thing'...whatever that may be. My agreement with your 'thing' is irrelevant--as is your opinion of my 'thing'. But if you accept me & mine, I'll accept you & yours, and we can all go about our judgment-free business.

Credit for not screwing up?

2017-11-26T09:06:00.000-07:00

Color me grateful that the liberal "experts" from CNN, MSNBC, and the NY Times who swore up and down that electing Trump would destroy the economy were just ignorant, scare-mongering dipshits. Thankfully, for us middle class folk who continue to work our asses off to build up our retirement investment, we didn't fall victim to the economic catastrophe prognosticated by those liberal idiots. Having said that, for those doe-eyed Trump supporters out there who think this is an 'I told you so' moment, it's not. The plethora of factors that have been driving our economic growth are barely within fingertip reach of Presidential influence. None of those factors can Trump--nor Obama for that matter--take credit for. The only thing you can defensibly claim is that Trump hasn't done anything to screw it up...yet.

Net Neutrality

2017-11-22T13:24:00.000-07:00

I have been a long-time user of the Internet...way before there even was a "World Wide Web", graphical browsers, etc. (1989 to be exact) The Internet is nothing more than a wide area network hosting a bunch of data transfer protocols to exchange information between computers. The hosting of servers and the physical "wire" was once handled by the military and universities, but now it's mostly through commercial entities where users compensate them for access to that service.

So, Net Neutrality comes along and the question was asked, "Should Internet service providers (ISPs) be allowed to govern the access they sell?" There are 2 schools of thought that usually fall within political party lines. Liberals think the government should force ISP companies to sell access to every product (site) on the Internet in equal portions, at equal rates. Conservatives think that the government has no place telling a business what product or services they can sell, nor should they force a business to support their competitor.

Personally, I want my ISP to provide me access to whatever I want, whenever I want, and to receive any legal content that I choose for a fixed rate, regardless of that content. But should the government make laws to force that? That's like forcing Walmart to sell every single book in publication if they choose to sell some books. Or, if Walmart elects NOT to sell the Satanic Bible or The Anarchist's Cookbook in their stores, should the government force them to just because they DO sell the Christian Bible or other How-To books? If one particular retailer or service provider doesn't offer the product you desire, at the rate you desire, then you seek out an alternate vendor. That's common practice in a free market economy and there are no shortages of ISPs available.

Yes, I want all the features that the Net Neutrality dogma stands for. But, do I want the agenda driven, know-what-is-good-for-you idiots in government creating laws dictating what and how a company can and cannot sell their products and services? That slope gets slippery rather quickly. Where do I land? On the side of selfishness of course. Keep Net Neutrality..and hope like hell it's not used as a precedent.

Sorry? I doubt that.

2017-11-22T12:48:00.000-07:00

This is a prime example of why I will not wholesale support feminists. Emily Lindin is a columnist for "Teen Vogue" magazine. I'm curious, what exactly is the price she is paying for someone else being falsely accused? Damn nice of her for volunteering others to be deprived of innocence-until-proven-guilty if it furthers her cause. Idjit wench.

To Cam Or Not To Cam

2017-11-17T18:43:00.000-07:00

So, in 2013 the ACLU went all ballistic about police not being held accountable and insisted that body cameras be worn by officers. Ok, cool, accountability is a good thing. Body cameras have become widely used. Now the liberals are having a hissy fit because police are actually using their body camera footage to ensure that the reports they file are accurate. Apparently that's giving the police "an unfair advantage" in court because the reports are no longer based solely on the officer's recollection and interpretation of the event. Criminal defense is losing the tactic of finding errors in police reports to discredit them. On top of that, further left-leaning folks are now claiming that body camera recordings of police encounters with alleged criminals is a "threat to the suspect's civil rights". For crying out loud liberals, make up your damn minds.

Blame & Credit

2017-11-11T12:09:00.000-07:00

Giving Trump credit for our recent economic and stock market growth that actually began during the Obama administration is just bogus. As is blaming Trump for the racial and social discord that also began escalating under Obama. Cherry picking the narrative you want to support your agenda is lame and discrediting. Step back, look at all the data. Break out of your short-term memory prison and see the big, evolving picture.
A series of recent events does not a whole story make.

Just because you can

2017-11-09T16:41:00.001-07:00

Just because you CAN doesn't mean you SHOULD. You have the RIGHT to never bathe and smell like shit, drive 51 mph in a 65 mph zone, disrespect our patriotic traditions, fail to inform a sex partner of your herpes, refer to minorities using racial slurs, fart at will, lie to your friends about everything, cut in line, quit your job and suck the government tit, burn popcorn in the office microwave, etc. None of those acts are illegal. But just because you have the legal right in our society doesn't make it socially right.

Yer Just Bitchin

2017-11-09T10:30:00.000-07:00

The first amendment guarantees your right to free speech. It does not guarantee the right to be listened to. If all you're doing is bitching, you're part of the problem. If you are expressing anti-anything (anti-Trump, anti-gun, anti-abortion, anti-Muslim) you are just bitching and your opinion is pretty much worthless. Take your divisive memes and embrace your suppository urges. If however you are pro-something, with a logical rationale and an actual well-thought-out plan, let's hear it.

15 Minutes

2017-11-03T16:01:00.001-06:00

I can't help but wonder if, out of the 100+ claims of sexual harassment in the media this last week, some of them couldn't be grasps at 15 minutes of fame? I in no way minimize the factual claims and believe in swift, harsh punishment for offenders. But, somewhere in the back of my mind, I remember a tenet of "innocent until proven guilty" and that "trying a case in the media" is a bad thing. I also understand why victims feel the need to remain silent, but when they are shouting the accusations from the rooftops while failing to notify the police, it seems a bit counter-intuitive to me.