Dear friends, opponents, and anonymous readers

Hello,

Thank you for all of the good wishes and comments. I just want to let all of you know that I have not run away, I am not avoiding the issues that have arisen since my absence began, nor is my blog closed.

I stopped posting because I had the flu. When I recovered from the flu, I developed a sinus infection. when I recovered from the sinus infection, I strained a muscle in my back. With all of the medication and what not I took for those issues, the medication I take normally was acting screwy and I've been dealing with a major chemical imbalance.

So, I've either been unable or unwilling to post (or read, or write, or anything else) for almost a month.

But today seems to be a good day and I wanted to give everyone an update. I hope to get back into the swing of things soon, but don't hold your breath (or if you do, do not hold me responsible for the consequences. You have been warned).

A quick note

I am alive. Under the weather (literally and figuratively) and incredibly behind, but alive.

I have three post in the works, including a roll up, but it may be another day or two before I get any of them finished.

I am not alone

As many of you know, I live in North Alabama. This puts me in the area able to receive the Rick and Bubba Show on the radio. I hate commercials, so I change radio stations frequently. This morning, I flipped to 95.1 to avoid a commercial block, and Rick and Bubba were talking to James Spann about...wait for it...Global Warming.

Once I made it to a computer and could jack into the Internet, I looked him up. This man is a Meteorologist who does not believe in Man-made, Catastrophic Global Warming. He is currently in the middle of an argument with an employee of The Weather Channel over it.

If you have some time, checkout the background here, If you don’t have time to read all of that listen to these three podcasts from WeatherBrains:

Current Podcast
Episode 12 with Alabama State Climatologist John Christy
Episode 17 with Dr. William Gray of Colorado State University

Tii-i-i-ime, ain't on my side (no it ain't)

Okay time for another weekend mid-week roll-up.

New-Jersey considers allowing idiots to vote. This move would bring them up to date with the other 49 states which already allow idiots to vote, as should be obvious by election results. The State Senate President seems to be offended by the word idiot—I am offended by the idiots—though to be fair, the word has no place in a legal document such as a state constitution. Of course, it might be better if we could get the other 49 states to keep their idiots from voting as well.

This one confused me: a 28 year old Texas woman was sentenced to two and a half years in federal prison on the charge of “illegal use of a communication facility.” The Communication facility was the US postal service, and the illegal use? She mailed 78 pounds of pot to herself. (I am assuming she mailed it from El Paso to Amarillo, but it doesn’t say.) What I am confused about is what happened to the drug trafficking or possession with the intent to distribute charges (or is that okay as long as you don’t mail it)?

Do-it-yourself exterminating is deadly business as a Florida man and a German retiree learned.

The Florida man mixed an indoor fogger with WD-40 (an all-purpose lubricant) in order to kill bees. In the process his house caught fire. The German drove metal spikes into the ground and connected a 380 volt cable to them in an effort to kill the moles infesting his garden. This plan failed spectacularly when all he managed to kill was himself.

And finally, a burglary suspect tried to escape from New York police by hiding inside the county Sherriff’s office. On the bright side, he’ll be happy to know that when he gets out of jail he’ll be able to vote in New Jersey.

Until next time,
The trailer calleth

Her head must be full of flour as well

I know I deal with a lot of stupidity in the news. I also know that the objects of my ridicule are often supporters of global warming and the legal system and those who abuse it. But, hey, it’s my blog, and that seems to be what is in the news.

In 2003 a woman was arrested in the Philadelphia International airport while transporting flour-filled condoms. She was imprisoned for three weeks while the substance in the condoms was analyzed. When the woman was released, she sued Philadelphia. Apparently her civil rights were violated.

Well, on the 5th of January a city official announced that the suit was settled for $180,000 (93,000 pounds), and I am torn. I can’t decide who is stupider here – the woman, the lawyers, or Philadelphia.

Let’s start with the woman (by the way, it would be just as stupid were it a man, so save the hate mail). What kind of idiot carries condoms filled with white powder in an international airport (except of course drug smugglers, terrorists, and moronic collegians)?

Now the lawyers. She shouldn’t have been able to get anyone to file that case or, for that matter, a judge to entertain it. What is wrong with our legal system? Do all lawyers trade their common sense for that diploma?

And do I even need to comment on Philadelphia? They settle out of court on a civil rights case that should never have been.

The only people who I won’t call stupid in this are the police officers who arrested this moron. They should be given a medal for protecting us from stupidity.

Until next time,
I’ll be in my trailer.

Outback, Down-Under, and Upside-Down

If you have been reading from the beginning, then you know that “Global Warming” and its supporters are one on my pet peeves. So when I saw this article on climate change in Australia, I had to look. Sure enough, they mentioned greenhouse effect and “Global Warming” in the first sentence.

This is a subject that draws idiots like honey draws flies. Look at the fourth paragraph, a quote by the senior climatologist at the country’s Bureau of Meteorology. I have a lot of gall, but I don’t have as much as that man. Did he take a poll of every scientist in the world? The how the hell does he know what most scientist say on the subject.

I have two other issues with that statement.

The first: have you ever seen a room full of scientists agree on anything?

The second: Who cares what most scientists agree with? What do most Climatologists and meteorologists say? Who cares what the zoologists and botanists and nuclear physicists think? I hold Romulus Crowe’s opinions on parapsychology in high regard, but his thoughts on “Global Warming” are no more important than mine (even if he happens to agree with me) because his knowledge lies in other areas.

I will have to give Rob Taylor credit though, since he did report all of the info, like the fact that the average temperature is only 1 degree (Fahrenheit) higher that the historical average, and was only the eleventh warmest year since 1910, and the southeast of the country had a cooler year in 2006 (Average) than 2005.

So, once again, “Global Warming” though much touted either has no empirical proof, or is so surrounded by idiots that we just can’t see the truth (and with that thought, even I can admit the possibility of being wrong).

Incidentally, you can share your idiot stories (news or otherwise), by sending an email to victorallenwinters @ yahoo.com just remove the spaces.

Until next time,
I’ll be in my trailer.

All Apologies

I must apologize to Tom Sheepandgoats, Southern Writer, and everyone else who reads this. I went to visit my brother for Christmas in the woods of southeastern Michigan. With his useless dial-up internet connection, I didn’t even bother checking my email let alone attempting to Blog.
And before you ask, No, I did not make any New Year’s resolutions.

No stupidity for today, but I found this article on Yahoo about an Army officer who is refusing to go to Iraq on the basis that it is illegal. I emailed it to my brother, and I can’t wait to hear what he has to say about it (Although, it may be faster for me to read it to him over the phone, than to wait for his stone-age internet connection to download the page).

You know where I’ll be.

Time for Another Weekend Roll-up

Russia and the Austrian Alps both have exceeded their record high temperatures. This is the kind of sensationalist reporting that makes my fingers itch to wrap around the windpipe of journalists. Many people will read the headlines, make another mark in the “proof for global warming” column, and continue on their way searching for the newest nude pictures of Brittany Spears (which I have been told are getting easier and easier to find). The problem with this is that the temperature for Russia is less than a degree higher than the previous record—and it is only the record for December (the previous record was in 1953). The Austrian article doesn’t even give specifics, and is filled with vague assurances that it is proof of global warming.

What is it with goats in the news? Last time I pointed out an article about a man who spray-painted goats. This time I found an article about how Sweden is going to safe guard its Christmas Goat, which apparently, has been vandalized for many years, and burned down on a number of occasions. I am not sure which is worse, that there are idiots that deface national symbols, or that the powers that be are putting a stop to an annual Christmas tradition.

Want government stupidity? I’ll give you the next three stories.

A man driving a float in a Christmas parade, was arrested for DUI --Driving Under the Influence for those of you not familiar with the term. Now, besides the man’s stupidity (though I had to laugh when I read that he’d passed the tractor in front of him in the parade) it is worth pointing out that the police charged him with 18 counts of kidnapping. These must be the same police that think breaking into a barn and leaving pornography is burglary.

Finally, the Bong Hits 4 Jesus case is going before the Supreme Court. This was stupid when it happened (2002) and it is just as stupid now. The kid was not on campus and it wasn’t a fieldtrip, therefore he had every right to unfurl a banner reading “Bong Hits 4 Jesus.” How hard is that to figure out?

And the last piece of government idiocy (in this post, though I wish it was forever), New York has decided to crack down on the mystery meats sold in many ethnic grocery stores in the state. Now I am all for safety, but what did they do with this confiscated meat? They destroyed most of it. There people starving all over the world, and they are destroying food. Tons of food, not one or two chickens, around 1.3 million pounds of food was destroyed because it might, not did, contain bacteria or viruses. That is like killing someone because they might turn into a homicidal axe murderer.

I would be remiss if I didn’t hold up the mirror of stupidity for large corporations to look into. Major record labels are going to begin releasing music as MP3s as a test to see if consumers want music that is playable on all digital music processors. A test? Aren’t these the same morons who are taking people to court over downloading music, music which is—if you did not already know—in Mp3 format? But of course in our society if a formal study hasn’t been done and isn’t supported by the vocal majority, then the issue doesn’t exist or isn’t true.

And one more just for fun, a 61 year-old grandmother was arrested for running pot. It turns out she was trying to support a Bingo habit.

Until next time, I’ll be in my trailer.

Hodgepodge and Mish-Mash

Sorry about the lag (and I actually am—hmmm—grumble, expletive), but I’ve been busy tending to my stash of green stuff (money!) and blogging doesn’t pay the bills yet. (Yes, I know I’ve visited other blogs in the past week, but I do that when I am relaxing, and writing this is too much like work to do when I’m relaxing.)

Anyway, here is some of the stupidity that has been going on while I was away:

The World Chess Federation introduced drug testing at the Asian Games. Because you know those wily chess masters are using performance enhancing drugs like...um, well. *shrugs*

Los Alamos scientists have taught bees to detect explosives. Now, instead of teaching the bees to render them inoperable, they are going to teach humans to speak bee.

Lots of science in the news.

Scientist have finally realized that lounging is not only more comfortable than sitting upright, but better for you as well. Hell, I could’ve told you that.

The United States, along with the United Nations, has decided that the best way to deal with a lunatic with nuclear ambitions is to irritate him into submission by grounding him (my parents called it restriction). This is just another in a long line of measures designed to deal with Kim Jong Il and North Korea by Not Doing Anything. Now I’m not saying we should invade North Korea—I am neither stupid nor suicidal—but give me a break, the black market over there puts the New York Stock Exchange to shame.

This one is a bit old, but it had to be shared:

A New York man was arrested on the day after Thanksgiving after spreading pornographic magazine pages across the floor of another man’s barn and spray-painting his goats. The police labeled this as an act of harassment. Please, come harass me. I don’t have enough porn. The man in question was charged with burglary, among other things. Apparently, the police there do not know that the definition of burglary includes the phrase “intent to commit theft.”

That is all for now. If you need me, you know where I’ll be.

The Kanrei Home for Wayward Lemmings: Fundamentally Babbling about Faith

I didn't really have anything planned for today. No stupidity to point out. But then I stopped in to see if Kanrei was out of turkey coma, and found out that he had done it for me. Way to go Brad.

Check it out here: The Kanrei Home for Wayward Lemmings: Fundamentally Babbling about Faith

Kicking the Sacred Cow

If you’ve looked over my recently read books list on the sidebar, you’ll already know that one of the last ten books I’ve read was Kicking the Sacred Cow by James P Hogan. And though my blog is dedicated to pointing out the actions of the idiots and morons of this world (and those who support them), I also feel it is my duty to point out those who are fed up with the bullshit and are doing something about it. With that in mind, here are my thoughts on Mr. Hogan’s book.

I honestly had no expectations going into this book. I’ve never read any of his science fiction; hard sci-fi doesn’t interest me often—Asimov puts me to sleep. But I am interested in science, and even more in kicking sacred cows (if they need kicking), so it was natural for me to not only pick up this book but buy it. All of the above said, and having read the book, I am surprised it was published. That is not a shot at Mr. Hogan but praise for Baen Books. It took guts to publish this book.

James P. Hogan writes here about the politicalization of science, and about how speaking against the accepted politically-correct view—even with supporting evidence—is the equivalent of peer-assisted suicide (luckily Mr. Hogan is a fiction writer and can get away with this exposé of bad science).

I am not a scientist (nor do I claim to be one or play one on TV) but as a researcher I can see that Mr. Hogan has done his homework in the area. All of his information is cited (section notation), and I had only a little difficulty in following the technical information contained within what I feel is an entertaining read. I would love to hear the thoughts of any scientist open-minded enough to read this book.

If you have any interest in science—theoretical, physical, environmental, or even medical—there is something here for you. Go get a copy of James P. Hogan’s Kicking the Sacred Cow and tell me what you think.

So, how much does it cost to insult you? (You can insult me for free.)

Commenting on this is going to ruin my reputation, draw enemies, and possibly get me kicked off Blogger…Okay, I’m convinced.

I wasn’t going to comment on the "Michael Richards Scandal," until I heard the two men he flambéed were thinking of suing him (if he didn’t allow some retired judge to set an amount for monetary damages). With the risk of starting a my-country-is-stupider-than-yours war with Romulus Crowe, this political correct bullshit has got to go. I’ve seen the tape, heard the commentary (can’t get away from it), and seen the interviews, and not once have I heard anyone tell these two losers to get over it.

There, I said it. I’m sorry, but "waah, waah, waah, he insulted me," isn’t a reason to sue somebody. Any judge that rules in their favor should be bullwhipped, shot, stabbed, hung, poisoned, and drawn and quartered. Give me a break. I understand wanting an apology, but money too? This wouldn’t even be an issue if the man wasn’t famous

But I’m not mad. I’m not going to go to Def Comedy Jam and heckle the man performing so he’ll insult me and I can sue him. Because unlike the two gentlemen in question here, I am not a low-life, opportunistic, money grubbing, piece of shit rolling down the gutter of life. Aw damn, now they’re going to sue me (or is all of that okay because I didn’t refer to the color of their skin).

Until they take it, I’ll be in my trailer.

Marathon Running Causes Cancer

Austrian researchers have found that marathon runners have a higher incidence of skin cancer due to sun exposure than those that do not run marathons. My sensational title aside, isn’t that a tad obvious? I mean do we really need researchers to tell us this?

A marathon, for those of you who have lived in a cave since before the Roman Empire and yet still figured out how to use the internet, is a long run (roughly 26 miles). They are usually conducted in the summer which means lots of sunlight—although doing it in the snow would add a whole new degree of difficulty. Training for a marathon can run (groan) up to 100 miles a week

The average human walking speed is around four miles per hour (source: Stephen King’s The Long Walk). My brother, Steven, is in the Army; his average two-mile run time is 15 minutes (eight mile per hour). The world record for a marathon is a little over two hours (so about 13 miles per hour). So let’s say the average running speed for those interested in running is 10 mph.

The fuzzy math above gives you about two and a half hours in the sun for the marathon and 10 hours a week for the training phase. That’s just time spent running, that doesn’t include mowing the grass, pushing your kids on the swing in the park, and taking in an afternoon softball game. Haven’t scientists been telling us that long periods of exposure to sunlight cause skin cancer for over two decades now? Was I the only listening? Do they really need to do a study on this?

Stay tuned. Next week they will release a study telling us that fast food causes obesity. Although, these are the same people who change their minds every five years about the health benefits of eggs.

Thanksgiving

Today is Thanksgiving in America. For an excellent look into what that means for the average American, look here—and while you are there, check out the amazing photographs. I would be remiss if I did not include a list of things that I am thankful for. So, once again, Crowd goes left, and Victor grudgingly follows (Not too grudgingly, you understand, I agree with counting your blessings).

I am thankful for my family, including my little brother, Steven.
I am thankful for my friends (both real and imaginary).
I am thankful that I live in a country where I am allowed to complain about the state of affairs (The Zeitgeist Sucks)
I am thankful for the people who I meet each day or who touch my life from a distance (this includes all of you out there in bloggerland.

Most of all, I am thankful that I am me and not some sniveling, gibbering idiot (Like many in my Government).

But I want to run away, and that should count for something

Okay! Okay! I’ll do it. Even though I would rather play chicken on a John Deer lawnmower against semi-trucks, I’ll blog if that is what you want me to do. I’ll take time out of my busy life and *Shudder* follow the crowd.

Blah, blah, blah.

Bullshit, I like technology as much as the next person and you know it. But when crowd goes right, Victor goes left. Besides, what do I have to say that isn’t already out there?


Blah, Blah, blah.

What? There are plenty of naysayers for every conceivable topic in existence, and just as many apologists. Why in the electric blue ether would I want to join their ranks?

Blah.

Because it makes you laugh. What a reason!

Blah. Blah. Blah, blah, blah.

Well why didn’t you say so in the first place? I can point out stupidity, and God knows, that is something that can never be done enough. But where will I get material?

Blah.

No! I won’t do it. I research enough at work without having to do it for some hair-brained scheme of yours.

Blah.

I know I read blogs all the time, but now you're talking about the *shudders again* news.

Blah.

Fine, but don’t expect me to post often. You’ll be lucky if I log on once a month.

Blah. Blah.

Yeah, you’re welcome.

***
Above is the conversation I had with my brother last week (paraphrased). He will call it an argument and refuse to post any comments here, but that suits me just fine. I didn’t want to do this anyway. I am here against my better judgment, but there you go.

I’ll be in my trailer.

My introduction to blogging; Take Two (or, Things never seem to work out the first time)

Thus is the story of my life. I joined Blogger against my will, and now I can’t get it to work. Stop me if you’ve heard this…

I created a blog when I joined. I called it, “Runaway Toad.” As soon as I logged off, it ran away. I hadn’t even posted anything yet. I wanted to compose my thoughts first. The next day I go back, log in, and I have no blogs. Wtf.

I can find the blog. It says that the owner is “Victor Allen Winters.” I check the name sewn into the lining of my undershorts, and sure enough, my name is Victor Allen Winters (that or BVD). So I email Blogger and wait. While I wait, I browse around looking at all of the blogs and guess what I find out? For possibly the first time in my life, I’m not the only one with this problem.

So what do I do? Do I continue waiting for the powers that be to decide whether or not to return my blog to my eager, grasping hands? Or do I create a new one and continue on? I’ll miss the name—I agonized over it—but the answer should be obvious by now.

My next post was take one—I’m taking five.

I’ll be in my trailer.