The Peaceful Gnome

Only the government can save you! Blah, blah... So, the swine flu has a lot of people pissing their drawers. Me, I looked at the numbers and yawned. What a load of hooey. This "Pandemic" is nothing! Here is a great article that explains why this is overblown baloney. If you were even slightly nervous about this horrible swine flu pandemic read it and you will no longer be so worried. Here is an excerpt but please, if you have any doubt that this is just more media hype, rather reminiscent of the "Weapons of Mass Destruction" nonsense used to get us into Iraq, read the whole thing: Putting things in perspective We’ve been hearing all sorts of numbers and speculations as to how many people have come down with the flu or are dying. We’re also being led to believe that the virus is actively spreading and sickening increasingly more people. “The number of cases has doubled,” television news reported tonight. But, as Dr. Nancy Cox, Director of CDCs Influenza...

I was reading " A Son of the Circus " for about a week, I managed to plod through just over 200 pages before I quit in disgust. I had almost quit about 50 pages in but decided to give it more time, but in the end I didn't care what happened to any character in the story and I simply put it down for good. What is the point in writing about people who are uniformly foolish, selfish and simply not likable? Ah well, such is life. The review on Amazon does say it does not engage until the last 100 pages, maybe he should have just stuck with those... Then yesterday I started reading " Calculating God " by Robert Sawyer which I just now finished. Now in this book there are several characters who are not "good" but are still recognizably human, unlike the vile scum of Son... The main character, well lets just say that while he's not ideal at least you care what happens to him and he grows and changes. Maybe the characters in Son changed eventually b...

Lora and Serenity cooked up some tasty Crimini and Asparagus Crepes for dinner last night, yum :-)

I forgot that Flickr now allows me to embed a slide show into a post, so here, for your viewing enjoyment, is the slide show of my photos from our Del Valle camp out .

We just got back from a three day camp out at Del Valle Park with a group of fellow unschoolers from SFBUN . We had a great time, met new friends and Serenity got a glorious sun burn on the second day. I've uploaded a passel of pictures to my Flickr site , as usual :-) Mike, Maryann and Topanga didn't get to go because they are suffering on the beaches of Hawaii for a week :-) Really, I feel sorry for them, don't you?

Hey, remember the old computer game " Where in the World is Carmen San Diego? " Well here is Carmen's brother Daniel, and the FBI is asking the same question... about him... Man named to FBI most wanted list for Shaklee bombing from PleasantonWeekly.com A North Bay man has been named to the FBI's most wanted terrorists list for the alleged animal rights-related bombings of two East Bay companies in 2003, including Pleasanton's Shaklee Corp. Daniel Andreas San Diego, now 31, disappeared following the bombings on Aug. 28, 2003, of the Emeryville biotechnology firm Chiron Inc., and on Sept. 26, 2003, of the Pleasanton health and beauty products company Shaklee Corp.

Thanks to Father Hollywood for tipping me to this: Dr. Ron Paul, my choice for President last election, not McCain or Obama, talks about the American right of secession:

(WASHINGTON, April 20, 2009) - In a recent study, U.S. researchers have reprogrammed cells found in circulating blood into cells that are molecularly and functionally indistinguishable from embryonic stem cells, a revolutionary achievement that provides a readily accessible source of stem cells and an alternative to harvesting embryonic stem cells. The findings were prepublished online in Blood , the official journal of the American Society of Hematology. Embryonic stem cells have long been coveted for their potential to treat a multitude of diseases as a result of their unique properties of nearly indefinite self-renewal and pluripotency (the ability to develop into any type of cell in the body), but their use has been the subject of political controversy. “Our findings provide the first proof that cells from human blood can morph into stem cells,” said senior study author George Q. Daley, MD, PhD, an investigator for the Howard Hughes Medical Institute at Children’s Hospital, Bost...

Yesterday Mike, Lora, Serenity and I all went to a civil war reenactment in San Ramon at Forest Home Farms. It was pretty fun! Serenity did not like the cannons though. Later in the day we went and had a picnic at Shadow Cliffs Lake, it was a nice way to spend a sunny April afternoon. Click here for more photos .

I didn't make our local Tea Party , but it pulled hundreds of people as well... Tea, anyone? from Father Hollywood by Father Hollywood Like hundreds of thousands of other Americans, the Hollywoods enjoyed a tea party this past Wednesday. "Tea party" (wink wink). Nothing subversive about sipping a little Darjeeling, eh wot? Nothing to see here, Miss Napolitano. Anyway, our local festivities were held at Veterans Memorial Boulevard in Metairie. There were literally thousands of people crammed into the neutral ground (though on that day, the ground was anything but...), as cars and trucks poured by the busy boulevard laing on their horns in support. Here are pictures. And like every such gathering in our environs, there was even a brass band and an improptu "second line" parade. It was a "party" after all. But it was a party with a serious reason. The crowds were so overwhelming that it was hard to hear the speakers, and unfortunately, we did have a fe...

Remember, whenever any of your masters give you orders, you must obey, your "rights" make no difference, obedience is the only thing that matters and is the only acceptable behavior. Along with obedience, of course you must always grovel while obeying, otherwise who knows what might happen. As the pastor in the video below says, "Wake up America!" Sadly, I don't have any delusions that America is on the verge of waking up, most so-called Americans could not tell you what their rights are under the Bill of Rights to save their life, and most don't care either, as long as they can watch American Idol and drive their SUV around town, they are content to allow every right we once had to fade away. We are so far beyond retrieving our former rights now that only violent revolt could restore them, voting is obviously not going to do it. Sadly violent revolt isn't going to happen either...

I found out about Ezra Levant while reading this post on Father Hollywood: Another young international freedom-fighter His opinion is that the opening statement is the best part, I happen to think the one below sums up the proper attitude toward government thugs of all levels , check it out!

Um, I really don't know what to say about this product. If it works as claimed it would be a great thing to have on camp outs, as we all know, in a small tent farts can be deadly. In a crowded elevator it would be nice to be able to let one rip and not worry about the side effects... those long car trips would be a bit more pleasant as well, but at $9.95 for 5 maybe I'll just keep the window open instead :-) "Actual Scientific Demonstration" Buy them here!

JUDGE ANDREW NAPOLITANO: Six Things You Should Know About the Homeland Security Report on ‘Rightwing Extremism’ By Judge Andrew Napolitano FOX News Senior Judicial Analyst Homeland Security Warns of Rise in Right-Wing Extremism The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) report entitled “Rightwing Extremism: Current Economic and Political Climate Fueling Resurgence in Radicalization and Recruitment”, dated April 7, 2009, which I have read, is apparently an unclassified summary of a larger classified report. 1. The summary contains few proper names, has no footnotes of any significance, lists very few sources, and is drafted with a prejudice against anyone who criticizes the role of the federal government in our lives today. It lumps together in its definition of “rightwing extremism” hate groups, anti-government groups, and single issue groups “such as opposition to abortion or immigration.” My guess is that the sentiments revealed i...

Woo hoo! I'm now officially an Enemy of the State! It just makes me all warm and fuzzy inside :-) Check it out! The official report is here. Revenge of the "Waco Gene" from Pro Libertate by William N. Grigg The Regime has made it official that "right-wing extremism" is a threat to Homeland Security. That genus is divided into two species -- "white supremacist and anti-government groups" -- with the latter further differentiated into various sub-species, including immigration reform activists, "disgruntled military veterans," gun rights advocates, members of citizen militia groups, anti-globalists, constitutionalists, "hate groups," and others deemed politically unsuitable by the Regime . Less than two years ago, Congress enacted -- by a vote of 404-6 -- the Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act . Its first offspring was an official commission to examine potential content-based Internet restrictions ....

Seems to me this is nearly an oxymoron isn't it? I can't really imagine a government that is anything other than a pack of violent thugs. I suppose it could be possible but without violence government is no longer really government, it's more of a co-op... Check out J.D. Tuccille's latest post on "Disloyal Opposition" Anti-state, not just anti-Obama from Disloyal Opposition by J.D. Tuccille With thousands of "tea party" tax protests planned around the country on this grim day when we formally surrender a large share of our income to satisfy the ravenous appetite of government, some commentators suggest that tax-protest and anti-government rhetoric has gone too far. One of my own colleagues frets that opposition to the powers that be has crossed the line to actually challenging the legitimacy of the government. Well, I can't speak for everybody, but I do question the legitimacy of the government. I hope the tea party protests are a sign that mo...

One of the very few legitimate purposes of government is keeping the high seas safe for shipping. In this case the United States Government, via it's Navy and Navy Seals, did the exact right thing. Seems to me if each time these pirates take ships and crews they ended up dead the popularity of piracy would decline pretty rapidly. US ship captain is freed when snipers kill pirates (04-12) 15:32 PDT MOMBASA, Kenya (AP) -- U.S. Navy snipers opened fire and killed three pirates holding an American captain at gunpoint in a lifeboat, delivering the skipper unharmed and ending a five-day high-seas hostage drama on Easter Sunday. Images View Larger Image The pirates were pointing AK-47s at Capt. Richard Phillips and he was in "imminent danger" of being killed when the commander of the nearby USS Bainbridge made the split-second d...

O Death, where is your sting? O Hell, where is your victory? Christ is risen, and you are overthrown. Christ is risen, and the demons are fallen. Christ is risen, and the Angels rejoice. Christ is risen, and life reigns. Christ is risen, and not one dead remains in the grave. For Christ, being risen from the dead, has become the first-fruits of those who have fallen asleep. To Him be glory and dominion unto ages of ages. Amen. --John Chrysostom (from: Treasury of Daily Prayer Easter Sunday Reading)

A great video of the hymn we've been singing for the last 40 + days: Lyrics (J.W. Alexander's version, 1830) O sacred Head, now wounded, with grief and shame weighed down, Now scornfully surrounded with thorns, Thine only crown; How pale Thou art with anguish, with sore abuse and scorn! How does that visage languish, which once was bright as morn! What Thou, my Lord, hast suffered, was all for sinners’ gain; Mine, mine was the transgression, but Thine the deadly pain. Lo, here I fall, my Savior! ’Tis I deserve Thy place; Look on me with Thy favor, vouchsafe to me Thy grace. Men mock and taunt and jeer Thee, Thou noble countenance, Though mighty worlds shall fear Thee and flee before Thy glance. How art thou pale with anguish, with sore abuse and scorn! How doth Thy visage languish that once was bright as morn! Now from Thy cheeks has vanished their color once so fair; From Thy red lips is banished the splendor that was there. Grim death, with cruel rigor, hath robbed Thee of Th...

Here is an article I stumbled upon that talks about the book I'm reading at this moment, The 10,000 Year Explosion by Cochran & Harpending: Modern life's pressures may be hastening human evolution WASHINGTON — We're not finished yet. Even today, scientists say that human beings are continuing to evolve as our genes respond to rapid changes in the world around us. In fact, the pressures of modern life may be speeding up the pace of human evolution , some anthropologists think. Their view contradicts the widespread 20th-century assumption that modern medical practice, antibiotics, better diet and other advances would protect people from the perils and stresses that drive evolutionary change. Nowadays, the idea that "human evolution is a continuing process is widely accepted among anthropologists,'' said Robert Wald Sussman , the editor of the Yearbook of Physical Anthropology at Washington University i...

Today in Pleasanton we are continuing a week long bout of dreary gray wet cold days... I'd rather be in summer and camping out...

Today is Good Friday. On this day the Church recalls the crucifixion and death of Jesus and His declaration that "It is finished." On the cross he paid in full for all of the sins ever committed and all of the sins yet to be committed. "It is finished" means there is nothing left that we can do to regain God's favor, we already have it in Christ! St. Augustine - Death has died! [Jesus] died, but He vanquished death; in Himself He put an end to what we feared; He took it upon Himself and He vanquished it, as a mighty hunter He captured and slew the lion. Where is death? Seek it in Christ, for it exists no longer; but it did exist and now it is dead. O Life, O death of death! Be of good heart; it will die in us, also. What has taken place in our Head will take place in His members; death will die in us also. But when? At the end of the world, at the resurrection of the dead in which we believe and concerning which we do not doubt. This afternoon ...

Meet Pando, the largest and oldest multicellular organism on the planet, probably... maybe... but in any case, very cool: The Earth’s Elder from Cosmic Variance by Sean The largest organism on Earth, and probably the oldest multicellular organism, is named Pando . Kind of a cutesy name for such an impressive specimen, don’t you think? If you were to meet Pando — which you could easily do, if you paid a visit to Fishlake National Forest in Utah — it would look like a forest of Quaking Aspen trees. But if you happened to be equipped to do DNA testing on plant specimens, you would realize that all of the trees were genetically identical. That’s because they’re all part of the same tree, sharing a common root system. One tree springs from a seed, long ago, and spreads out roots; but then more trees erupt from those roots, and the process simply continues. Individual “trees” might die, but that’s like you or me losing a toenail; Pando lives on. It weighs in at over six million kilograms...

This Official Government Video explains how to be a "Good American Citizen." :-)

I heard a rumor that this will be the new AmeriKan flag: TSA sorry ... well ... not really ... for detaining Ron Paul staffer from Disloyal Opposition by J.D. Tuccille The detention by Transportation Security Administration agents of a staffer with the Ron Paul-backed Campaign for Liberty at Lambert-St. Louis International Airport became a cause celebre last week -- in part because the detainee secretly captured an audio recording of his interrogation on his cell phone. On its official blog, the TSA has chastised the agents for their conduct, while still defending the holding of passengers for such seemingly innocuous reasons as the possession of substantial sum of cash. In the recording, parts of which were played on Andrew Napolitano's Fox News television show, and a more complete version placed online by the Washington Times , Steve Bierfeldt, Director of Development for the Campaign for Liberty, can be heard being aggressively questioned in a detention room about $4,700 in c...

Barack Hussein Obama , the POTUS , bows to his royal master: It makes me even more glad than usual that I'm a Californian and not an American. Unlike Americans we DON'T bow to some murdering thug who claims to be "Royalty." As the NY Times said back in 1994 : "Canadians still bow to England's Queen; so do Australians. Americans shake hands. If not to stand eye-to-eye with royalty, what else were 1776 and all that about?" Also a nice quote from Teddy Roosevelt: "IF I see another king, I think I shall bite him" But Barack Hussein Obama , the current POTUS, he bows full out.

At Death Valley

Where I'druther be... ...and will be tonight :-)

You gotta love dumb cops... well actually that is a bit redundant isn't it? Check this out: Thursday, April 2, 2009 Best publicity for a critic of the police EVER So the Arizona Republic reports that Phoenix cops raided the home of a man who maintains a Website and blog that are harshly critical of the police department. That man, Jeff Pataky, has apparently cultivated informants inside the informant and broken interesting stories about official misconduct. Pataky, a former software sales and marketing executive who now focuses his energy shoveling content on www.badphoenixcops.com, said he believes his online criticism of the department - along with past criticisms of police investigations - led officers to serve a search warrant at his home last week. Police officials said Wednesday that a Phoenix detective prompted the investigation after complaining about harassment, though they declined further comm...

This week I'm working SIX DAYS IN A ROW. If you know me you'll understand I'm just not used to that ;-) Here is one of the many places I'd much rather be: Me at Mt. Diablo I'm thinking I'll post photos of "Where I'd rather be" on my blog from time to time when I'm wishing I wasn't where I'm at :-)

It's like communism only without the... well actually it is just like communism after all... and now they will be backing the warranty on your new Amerikan Made Kar! Kool.

As 2009 rolls on I've come to the conclusion that my previous attitude toward government might have been a bit harsh, even extreme. Now that President Obama is showing such wisdom in bringing enlightened policies to such areas as stem cell research and running GM and has brought peace to the far flung outposts of the empire I have to admit that government is actually a "Good Thing" and not the unmitigated rolling disaster and horror show I once thought it was. Ah yes, the joy of April Fools day.