What constitutes “cruel and unusual” punishment? Is it the infliction of pain? Is it the infliction of humiliation? Is it the infliction of disrespect?

There is a concept that punishment should fit the crime. If the crime is particularly heinous, were should the line be drawn…if at all? Continue reading CRUEL AND UNUSUAL PUNISHMENT. →

An expert is someone who has more knowledge and experience in a certain subject than most other people have.

Under current rules, there is no requirement the expert’s experience be relevant, knowledge factual nor opinion at all valid.

To become an expert today is a fairly simple matter. All you have to do is claim to be an expert or have someone else claim you are. That’s why there are so many experts in the world. The same paradigm explains why there are so many more back halves of horses as compared to complete horses in the world.

Of all the  goings on in the universe of which I’m aware, I think life is the most fascinating and thoroughly unexplainable.

Looking up at the stars at night has always made me feel how infinitely insignificant I am. Yet, as I ponder things like black holes, subatomic particles, alternate universes, worm holes, etc., none seem as baffling to me as the reason an ant exists to crawl across my kitchen counter. I can understand gravity. I can fathom nuclear reactions. But I have no earthly idea why I’m here to do these things. It is fascinating.

This makes me confused as to why we, as a species, are so easily able and willing to extinguish each others’ lives and, without reason, the lives of so many other creatures.

Most people believe in a supreme being. This, I think, makes sense. What else can one do when confronted with the likelihood that death is what it appears to be…oblivion. The comfort a religiously faithful person must find in the belief that existence continues in an afterlife must be profound.

But what if there isn’t anything after our earthly existence? What if our experience after we die mirrors what it was prior to our being conceived? Perhaps some consideration should be given to that possibility. Would that change the dynamic toward less propensity for ending lives in the expectance a supreme being would make things all right?

Could deliberately ending a life, even to put an end to excruciating pain, be considered humane? Would we execute people? Would we put our pets “to sleep”? Would we perform abortions? Would suicide be as common? Would medically assisted euthanasia be touted as caring and dignified? Would we kill the ant crawling on our kitchen counter?

Would there be more care taken to avoid mistakes and oversights in the medical profession? Would we be less likely to be confrontational with one another? Would the idea of procreation take on a different and perhaps more responsible flavor?

I honestly don’t know.

Death certainly has its place. It occurs (paradoxically) because it is vital; but it might last much longer than anyone who can’t wrap their mind around infinity can imagine.

As you may have guessed, I am a fan of life. I think a cheerleading squad should be formed.

I normally try to make my posts humorous and this one has been serious, so I’ll end with an old  joke.

A travelling salesman’s car breaks down, so he goes to a nearby farmhouse where he’s met by the farmer’s beautiful, naked daughter. I forget how the rest of it goes.

Yeti, Sasquatch, Skunk Ape, Bigfoot.

Extraterrestrial aliens, flying saucers, ghosts, clairvoyants.

There are people who are convinced some or all of these exist. Some people aren’t sure.  Many of these people vote.

Winston Churchill said the best argument against democracy is a five minute chat with the average voter.

The current politically correct term is “under-informed” voter.

Fictional tales collectively know as Aesop’s Fables are some of the best, in-depth studies of human nature and the foibles of mankind (often substituted by animals).

Aesop was a slave and storyteller who lived in ancient Greece from 620-564 BCE. The stories attributed to him are as relevant today as the day they were first uttered. The reason for this is, although much in the world has changed and evolved, human nature hasn’t.

One unchangeable facet of human nature is mans’ need to be free of governmental manipulation. As many times as governments and politicians have tried to micromanage citizens lives, is the exact same number of times the effort has failed.

Liberal progressives are always telling people the way they should think should match the way liberal progressives think. Their beliefs and behaviors should fall in line . The ignorance is befuddling and sadly funny, in a way. I’m not sure whether Aesop would laugh; … or would he cry?

Conservatives don’t tend to foist their beliefs on the unwashed masses. For this, they are considered heartless.

Conservative Ideology is based on the premise that it is wise to stick to tried and true methods. “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” Most of these folks are older.

Progressive ideology is based on the premise that everything can be done better. “It’s all broken and needs to be fixed.” Most of these folks are younger.

It is natural for youth to rebel against their elders. This derives from the desire for independence and personal decision making powers. For them to stick with tradition and/or the status quo is counterintuitive…no matter how logical that might be. Youth have the power of ignorance.

The reason conservatives tend to consider a proposal and its likely results from A to Z, is because it’s already been tried. Liberals won’t do that and can’t seem to reach B. That is why, even though liberal intentions are correct, the results of there actions are so often  180 degrees from what they expected.

Note: It is important to keep in mind politicial parties are not ideologues. They simply use ideology as a vehicle to getting a candidate elected (like a chef uses garlic butter as a vehicle to turning a slimy snail into escargot.)

Political candidates are elected to office based on only one thing: POPULARITY.

POPULARITY is no indication of a candidate’s ability to do the job.

This is the reason elected officials and the animated cast of “The Simpsons” are indistinguishable from one another. “D’oh!”

The # Me Too movement has been in the news lately. I noticed the genesis of it with Roger Ailes, of Fox News, losing his job over inappropriate sexual behavior. Bill O’Reilly was dethroned as well. Matt Lauer, of NBC, lost his job and marriage. Bill Cosby will go to prison. The list keeps growing.

Thankfully, top CNN hosts, Don Lemon and Anderson Cooper, have escaped without any women accusing them of such offenses, and Rachael Maddow, top host on MSNBC News, has yet to claim to having been violated by any men. Liberal cable news folks are clearly better behaved.

I’ve also heard nothing from Greta Van Susteren in the form of complaint; nor from Kathy Griffin. Not that I expect to.

I watch the news. It’s the source of much of the foolishness in this blog. But the constant assault on Trump is boring, so I don’t include much herein.

When/if the multiple investigations find actual evidence of Trump being guilty of a crime, I will add my thoughts.

In the meantime, Hawaii is having problems with earthquakes and erupting volcano vents. Lava and poisonous sulfur dioxide are blasting out of cracks in local roadways and threatening hundreds of homes and over 1500 people. Could the island collapse into the sea? I suppose it’s possible. That would suck. Who knows what lies in store?

Maybe it’s just the way I see things, but I find the Hawaii story far more intriguing and newsworthy than watching people pan for gold in a bath tub. When they find gold, call me.

My wife has a toothache. I took her to the dentist and it was decided she needs an extraction. She’s pretty doped up on pain killers at the moment because the earliest appointment to remove the tooth is two days away.

This got me to thinking. Why are most (if not all) things in the universe cyclical in nature? Planets, orbits, movements of subatomic particles around nuclei, seasons of the year.

At first I thought it was a bit odd I would think of such things at a time like this, but then I remembered…everyone has to think about something.