The five tests of evil: Why America will fight Iran!

In a word: Evil! Iran's government is evil, pure and simple. Good is always in conflict with evil. That's an axiom of the universe that will never be changed! But, how does one really know which is which? Is there some sort of test? A litmus test of evilness as it were?

Yes, as a matter of fact there is. It's in the form of five simple tests that most anyone can apply to any country on the face of the earth. Here they are in no particular order:

The test of what is real versus what is not real!

In this world there are two actual sets of commandments that were handed down from above to the children of earth. One set of ten is well known to most of humanity. It was a set of instructions on how to avoid really bad things happening to us through the surrendering to temptation. That is doing actions that might benefit us in some way but which deprives someone else in the process. Achieving a life that avoids the killing others or of stealing (both in the physical or business sense) takes a lifetime of hard work. However a sane person would never find fault in any of these.

The other set of rules are the 'built-in' ones that should work for each of us on a gut level. Things like not jumping to your death from a cliff, or covering yourself with gasoline or blowing yourself up (and others) should be readily apparent (and abhorrent) to even the most naive among us. They are there to help make sure we survive and can only be 'disabled' if, from birth, the person is brainwashed to believe strongly in something else...even if that something else goes against natural instincts!

In Iran, the lifelong teachings found in Islamic Sharia Law bypass the teachings of God by instilling in the young that violence against others is not only OK, but often a necessity of spiritual life.

No, actually, it is not! (Stop here and take the time to read up on Sharia Law. Be informed - not merely opinionated).

The test of a painful existence!

In any 'civilized country', there are many who complain about this or that mpst every day. About how hard their lives are and about how they wish they had more of this or that. But, if you were to take random snapshots of people going about their day to day lives in said country, you would discover mostly animated, lively and smiling images staring back at you. While far from perfect, they are walking the walk and talking the Lord's talk.

In 'other countries' such is not the case. Your camera would more often yield images that would be visually painful to look at. Something in the picture would impart a feeling of wrongness. Well, maybe it's the abject crushing poverty staring at you that causes this. Perhaps in any country, which forces the majority of its citizens to live in squalor, while a few 'gifted and enlightened' live life in relative splendor; you might experience a visceral red flag when exposed to it. Now, stop reading and go to the internet and gaze on the pictures of the people of Iran. This test will then become clear to you.

The sneak-in or flee-out test!

Watching a countries borders can be most informative. Do you remember the Berlin Wall and the almost nightly escapades of desperate men and women who tried, even in the face of death, to escape? Perhaps you are too young. How about America's southern border then? There are some walls there too! Which way are the 'escapees' running?

In Iran, the exodus out of that country has been on-going for a long time. (It that a true statement? Do your own research and then get back to me)!

The test of past deeds!

This one is simple. It's really about recent history. Make a simple ledge and make down the number of countries America and Iran have helped with charitable supplies over the past decade or so. Whoa! Iran seems to be lacking a little in that department. Turns out the only time they've made an effort to 'help' it been aid to another country to help suppress or subjugate its people. Look at Iran's recent aid to Syria's Assad for example... And, yes, I know America has 'aided the enemy of your enemy' in the past. We are not a shining example in that regard. But, it can be rightfully said, that in all those cases it was done to help maintain the stability of a region or it was done in a purely humanitarian way to help feed starving people. That said, yes there have been unintended consequences even if our collective 'heart' was in the right place.

The test of sanctions!

This is one of my favorite tests! Mainly because it so mimics the human body when an infection occurs. In the case of an infection, a person's body (world) does two things. It attempts to wall off (or sanction) the offending crud and, it expends cells (soldiers) that die off in fighting the infected tissue (pus). Both these have been going on with Iran for a very long time. Unfortunately, efforts by the organizations like the UN have proven ineffective. So, what does a good old country doctor do at that juncture? He performs a procedure known as 'lancing'. It's ugly, but it gets the job done.

I contend that the Iranian leadership has been a boil on the butt of humanity for far too long. Let's us move, as a just and caring world, and cleanse this problem ASAP! Maybe, then perhaps we can all move forward and work together to help the rest of humankind reach its fullest potential.

Disclaimer: The article here was of the design of the author and expresses his opinion which may or may not reflect those of his fellow man.

On the topic of waste, insanity and the US!

“Sometimes, I make the mistake of thinking and then my head hurts. Other times, I look around me and see stuff that just doesn’t make sense and that gets me nauseous. So, in a purely defensive posture, I’ve taken to not seeing or thinking!” DanO

However, for just the time that it takes to write this post, I’ll do both the above and talk a little bit about the word ‘insanity’. Now, the dictionary defines the word insanity as a ‘derangement of the mind.’ I also like the person who wrote that true insanity is ‘doing the same thing over and over while expecting a different result!’ For me personally, this word aptly describes a society that is hell bent on ignoring reality while living in a fool’s paradise for as long as they possibly can - I give you the United States of America. Let me expand on that by taking a look at just one empty plastic container.

Here it is! It’s an empty plastic jar (now cleaned up) that once held peanuts. I paid something like three and half dollars for it, and for the record, I really did enjoy the contents. But now, here’s this annoyingly empty plastic container that is about as welcome in my home as the allergies I suffer with every spring! And you know what? Just the thought of tossing it out drives me INSANE! And that feeling of insanity lies at more than one level too! For one thing, I consider myself to be a frugal person. Not cheap mind you, but frugal. Frugal in the same way our forefathers had to be in order to survive living here in early America. In the same manner, we now see third world families forced to scrounge for their existence. (How long do you think a discarded container like this would last in a place like Bangladesh before it was snatched up and used for something else)? Yet, here in America countless billions of such containers are thoughtlessly discarded to the trash every year. And for most plastics, this is the start of a long journey that will see them end up in landfills where it may take half a millennium for them to breakdown. Arggh! Is that sane? I don’t think so.

[Is there no one left in this world that cannot maybe think outside the box and come up with a better way? Perhaps. Perhaps not.]

So, in the pursuit of both maintaining my ‘sanity’ and in living a ‘frugal lifestyle’, I’ve taken it upon myself to reuse containers as much as possible before discarding them. Take this used Pepsi bottle, for instance. I plan to refill it numerous times with a drink mix before tossing it into a recycle bin. And yes, that old peanut jar will see extended service as a spice container to hold herbs like basil that I hope to harvest later in the season. Or, since it’s also bug proof, I may use it to store something like sugar in the pantry. The point being that I have made a solemn pledge to myself to use everything at least twice before then making an honest attempt to see that it is recycled. Call me crazy. Call me insane. Even call me a Democrat or tree lover, if you want to. But, don’t you ever call me wasteful.

Make money without doing anything! Hey sign me up!

or maybe not! The headline screams!

“Single Mom Makes $7487/Mo Without Selling Anything”

Wow, I think. I’m into that! I’d even be even more into making money without doing anything at all. (Oh wait a second! That’s what the government is for)! But what about this deal? Is it real or just another in a host of impuissant internet come-ons?

After clicking on the link, I was directed to another link directing you to ‘Online Profit Masters’ – a site that immediately asks for your name, telephone and email address. All before they offer up even an iota of information. (That's two red flags in a row)! Hmm. Think I’ll perform due diligence and check these people out first.

After a brief search on the internet, I came up with this article by Reviewopedia; a webpage that (supposedly) reviews at-home money making opportunities. (Can you tell my level of trust is close to zero these days)?

This review seems to lean towards marking this particular offer as a ‘linking posting scam’ setup. Interestingly, however, some of the comments at the end also indicate you can actually make some money working at this venture. My thought is –who cares. You’ll work your butt off for a few bucks when you would be better off writing resumes and seeking work with a bonifide real world company. And yes, it is my understanding that many corporations are now making room for disabled individuals to work at home.You might also check out the GoodWill Organization.

The bottom line is ‘proceed at your own risk’! Just remember the old saying that ‘if it seems to good to be true….’ Oh, and one other point. Apparently this ad is also inserted as a Trogan Horse in emails that is then sent to your friends. Not cool!

Disclaimer: All information posted in this blog are of the sole opinion of the author as as such may not be completely accurate. The reader is encouraged to do their own research on any topic presented here before coming to a judgement.

Missouri could experience a bumper crop of mosquitoes this year!

If 2012 is anything like last year was, be prepared for an invasion of hordes of real life blood suckers. Yes, in a state that supports over fifty species of mosquito, you can rest assured they will be around in huge numbers. And, global warming could help create an even larger crop just in time for those cookout you've been planning for all winter long.

Factoid: What’s the most dangerous creature on earth? Without question the answer is: the mosquito. Mosquitoes and the diseases they spread have been responsible for killing more people than all the wars in history. Even today, mosquitoes transmitting malaria kill 2 million to 3 million people and infect another 200 million or more every year. Tens of millions more are killed and debilitated by a host of other mosquito-borne diseases, including filariasis, yellow fever, dengue and encephalitis.

Now, add to this mix of dangerous bugs, a new species, the Asian Tiger mosquito! An aggressive and mean-spirited insect that feeds during both the day as well as the night. Also, being as it is a 'container breeder' it doesn't need large bodies of water to raise up young, preferring anything that can hold small amounts of water like bird feeders and even discarded potato chip bags!

Tiger mosquitoes were introduced by accident to America sometime in the mid eighties. But, since that accident, they have proven to be extremely prolific and have spread throughout the southern states and as far north as Pennsylvania.

So, this spring and summer, it may pay to stock up on repellants or even just plan to stay inside!

Beware the coming explosion of tics!

With all the warm weather over the course of the 2011-12 winter be prepared for some consequences! While the winter temperatures have averaged over six degrees above normal with more warm weather in the forecast, all the little critter that we count on getting whacked are already coming out on some of the warmer days. Record deer populations, who have also been added by the heat, will also help to exacerbate the tic problems we can expect as we head in the early spring months.

I plan to get out on during the next warm day and see if I can discover some tics in my area. If I do find any, I post that information here.

Critique: Banquet Spaghetti & Meatballs

It was a Sunday and I was hungry and I figured that for a 'buck-a-meal deal', this offering from the folks at Banquet would be a safe bet. Now, while I could easily throw the pasta and sauce together all by myself from scratch, those meatballs would have proven a culinary challenge. Not the least of which would be all the work involved. Lucky for me, I was fresh out of hamburger, so the point was mute. Anyway, just look at them thar balls on the front cover! I’ll even bet ya they're spicy cuz us real men like our balls that way! (Uh, what)?

Another thing in Banquet's favor was the directions on the back of the box. (They're just the way I like my world – simple).  You open the box, extract the meal, shove it into a microwave and about four minutes later, it’s done! (Now somewhere in there, they also talk about slitting the film and stirring, but that was way too much for me to handle. I contented myself to listening to the microwave do its thing while I searched in the fridge for a cold one).

As you can plainly see at right, the finished meal looks a teensy bit different from the advertised product. But, us real men know how to handle disappointment (we get it often enough), so I sat down to eat.

Right off the bat, I’ll tell you there was this strange smell that wafted up to my nose when I removed the plastic film. Can’t say for sure if I could describe it other than to say ‘bad fridge smell’. But, seeing as how I was hungry and seeing as how I had a cold brewski close at hand to help anesthetize my innards, I decided to gave it a go. I’m happy to say that the meatballs (four of them like on the package) were fair to middling. They made up for the pasta which was not so fair.  Here’s the way I scored this Italian creation:

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Pkg Art:     9    Maybe I should have eaten the package instead?

Reality:      4    Best approached with your eyes closed. Just like sex!

Cost:          5    At $1 a shot, this is about as cheap as you can get! And, it shows.

Smell:        4    Ever stick your nose where it didn’t belong? It was like that, only worse!                    

Texture:     3    This pasta not only would stick on a wall, but it would congeal there too.

Taste:         5    Throw out the pasta and just eat the meatballs. You're better off.          

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Average:    5    Well, the box was kinda cute anyways!       

Rather than endure eating this again, I think I’ll switch to the canned spaghetti and meatballs next time. Better taste for about the same money!

Note: After the meal, you are left with only a cardboard container and a plastic tray which like the song 'War! What is it good for?" is 'good' for absolutely nothing! About 52 grams of paper and plastic that can be recycled – so do it!

Did the environmentalists make a boo boo?

My oh my, the left has been rather busy as of late, haven’t they! If it’s not the rat pack (aka OWS) getting arrested by the hundreds, then it’s been those ‘lovers of the earth’ who have successfully derailed the Canadian oil pipeline. Hey, I’ll give credit where it’s due! I’ll also tip my hat at the Left for completely killing any hopes of America getting independent from oil exporters who hate our guts. Raise your skirts boys! Our fragile economy now pretty much finds itself balls to the wind with respect to energy independence. Once again let me thank President Obama, Pelosi and Reid for their unrelenting ‘energy’ and enthusiasm in this area. I wonder how history will remember them…

But, wait! Was there a small itsy-bitsy miscalculation? Cause, now I hear Iran is getting ready to meet today, to debate a bill that could see them banningall oil exports to the EU! Oh? I say! What great timing that? And, who could have seen this coming (other than about 5.9 billion or so)? And, did I mention the ban could be for 15 years? What fun!

So, just in case anyone needs it drawn out for them, large scale oil disruption (even should other nations take up the slack) could easily collapse the member nations of the European Union which could cause a domino effect whose ultimate end will also be the collapse of the US. [Stop for a breath] Were that event to happen, I’ll tell you now that the ‘land huggers’ and hippies out in ‘Californialand’ and elsewhere will be very put out. Because overnight, you see, we could well be thrust back into the good old Dark Ages. You know, that time where life was brutal and short, but mostly short! Were feudalism to become the new law of the land, Then I’ll be those cute little green electric cars you all drive will cease working…cause there won’t be much in the way of electricity.

Now, some people might call me an alarmist. Really? We’ll just have to wait and see., and I don’t think we’re going to have to wait too long!