I Am Not That Smart

I was recently told, that just because I have a education that I think I am smarter than everyone else...WRONG!

I know that I not smarter than anyone else, but I am educated.

Let me explain...

My educational background is in engineering and the sciences. That academia has taught me to use inquiry, to do my own research, observe, to critically think, to conclude based on evidence and facts, the use of logic (not philosophical, but more binary based...yes/no, on/off, true/false), test limits and thresholds, to understand failure, adapt, and except criticism (this is the hardest one). This indoctrination has maybe made me sound dogmatic, but that is also wrong.

There are many that do not have an education that are way smarter than me. I have very little musical talent (or any kind of talent for that matter), I struggle with the English language and have never really been able to learn any other language outside a few simple phrases. During my formative years I struggled with many subjects in school and had times staying focused on the task at hand (still do) maybe I was ADD or ADHD? I was labeled dyslexic, because I flipped letters in words (dysgraphia), struggled with recognizing letter sounds, and decoding words. I still struggle with spelling to this day and have learned how to manage that some what. But I have other abilities that some do not, like the ability to visualize things in 3D (while studying chemical engineering my classmates used models to build compounds to help them isomerisms, I just closed my eyes and was able to see if they were cis or trans, and which way the rotated). At the same time I can not watch 3D movies without getting nauseous.

My education also fuels my sarcasm, my sardonic approach, and my cynicism, and this also contributes to my haughtiness. I try to have patience for those that do not process things quickly, but that is not always possible and rarely happens. My education also gets in the way of things, like the acceptance of religion, blind faith, psychology, symbolism, and libertarianism (oops, there is that sardonicism).

So no I am not nor do I think I am smarter than anyone else...

Questions on Net Neutrality

As this great country just fucked over the tax payers  with 'new' tax cuts, we now face the 'leadership' of this country's next bigly move...net neutrality.

I have few questions...

If the interwebz is broken down and we are going to be charged for various packages of usage, how am I expected to pay bills? For the last several years I have been forced to electronically pay my bills online, instead of mailing a check or physically showing up and paying. Will I have to pay extra to have connection to pay my bills?

I do a majority of my banking online, will I have to pay extra for access to my own money? Bad enough we have to pay ATM fees to use our money.

Also, most of us file our taxes online, will we have to pay extra for services in order to give the government our money?

Anyone know the answers to all of this? Has anyone (including the 'geniuses') behind this thought this out?

Today's Gun Culture

I am not going into a huge rant here on the 2nd Amendment, but just want to point out the issue that many hardcore alt-righters have with gun control.

As I write this, there is a man loose in this country that has written a 160 page manifesto against the government and then robbed a gun store in Wisconsin. Does the manifesto bother me...no, not really. Does the robbing of the gun store bother me...a little, but as a society we have not figured out how to stop crime so this will continue to happen.

My big issue (and the true crime here) is that the store that was robbed, does not have an accurate inventory of what was taken. He took a dozen guns (which were inventoried), a bullet proof vest and helmet (why are these available) and possibly (POSSIBLY) some suppressors...the suppressors were not inventoried and they (authorities and store owners) are not even sure how many were taken...seriously?

Why?

If you want to own a gun, go get a license and registration, and own a gun. If you want to own a "bad-ass" gun, go get the extra license, registration, and own a "bad-ass" gun. It is not rocket science, it is public safety.

Gun control to me is having a thorough vetting process, a working registry, and sensible laws. That is all, if you want to play with bad-ass guns, go through the proper channels. If you want a gun that is not going to wake the neighbors when you shoot your spouse in a heated argument, go through the proper channels. If you need a gun that holds 20-rounds of ammunition for sport shooting (hunting), because you are that bad a shot, go through the proper channels. If you need a weapon that shoots numerous rounds per millisecond (because you don't like taking viagra), go through the proper channels.

Have a wonderful day and safeties on people.

I Promise This To You All

I can survive, I am a white heterosexual male, I will survive. I can keep my mouth shut and and nod and smile and laugh when "appropriate" to avoid any confrontation and in any situation. I can easily dress the part, talk the part, have that polish that will allow me to manage in this world. I have always had that advantage, it was given to me upon my birth as an Anglo-saxon with a y chromosome. But that is not who I am.

This is who I am...

I am afraid for my daughter, who is not white and a female. Her world challenge just got a little tougher. Granted she is Asian, which will ease her journey, but the environment we have just decided for her is not a positive one. I am so sorry sweet girl, but Daddy will keep fighting for you.

I am afraid for my son, who is registered in the draft and can be called into service at any time. He is also a recent college grad, who is trying to make his mark in the world. His prospects of solid employment will not improve in the next 4 years (outside of forced military service). He has an empathetic soul and wants to present his art. The dark times ahead will not be good for his dreams and ambitions. I am sorry intelligent son, but Dad will keep fighting for you.

I am afraid for my mother, who dedicated her life to educating others, taught me to care for others, and be kind. She may not have a lot of years left, and those years will now be financially hard. It is currently a struggle to get what she needs on a fixed income, and an underfunded medicare system, this will not improve and will most definitely get worse for her. I am sorry mom, but your son will keep fighting for you.

I am afraid for my friends that have a different skin color, believe in a different religion, practice a different lifestyle. You have just been placed into a very difficult and troubling time. I have always had acute sense that the bigotry, the racism, the sexism, the xenophobia has never really gone away in this country. We have now unleashed this behemoth from the closet, your constitutional rights have just taken the biggest hit of your lives. Everything everyone has worked for is deteriorating right in front of our eyes. I am so sorry, but as your friend I will continue to fight for what is humanly right for everyone.

I PROMISE THIS TO YOU ALL, I WILL CONTINUE TO FIGHT FOR YOU.