Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
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Government actions have consequences. Some people were happy with the so-called stimulus checks they got from the federal government. Most of them are excited about the prospects of getting another one. One such fan of stimulus checks was complaining to me a while ago after realizing prices on some necessary items have gone up a noticeable amount. Instead of keeping my mouth shut, I said “Remember the stimulus check you were so thrilled to get a couple of months ago? Y...
Humans are adaptable. More so than any creature other than, possibly, cockroaches. It’s our greatest strength. We have adapted to living almost everywhere on the planet and, soon, with the right technology — an adaptation we’ve created — off-planet, too. We’ve adapted to a different diet than our ancestors ate. In some cases, we probably haven’t adapted well enough yet, and our health can suffer the consequences, but we’re getting there. Not all adaptations are helpful. We hav...
On the personal front, there are new developments in the continuing saga of the Greatly Feared Virus Pandemic of 2020. Two family members caught COVID-19 several weeks ago. They both apparently recovered, in spite of being in the age group most vulnerable. One even has additional risk factors but made it through and now feels fine. After being tested he was told to take Tylenol and get help if he started having trouble breathing. When the hospital called a few days later to...
America is in crisis. Nearly everyone agrees on this point; they only disagree over what the crisis is. Fewer still agree over what caused the crisis they can’t agree on, so they can’t agree on how to solve it. Whatever the crisis is, and whether it was caused by a virus, police callousness, racism, inequality, or something else, governments love the excuse to crack down on liberty. This is often among their first responses — regardless of what the crisis is, what cause...
When a politician makes a mistake and makes a problem worse (or creates a problem out of thin air), they rarely change course. Instead, they double down. It’s hard for them to admit they did the wrong thing and so easy to claim it was the right thing but didn’t go far enough. Welcome to Political Shut-Down Theater, Part Two. The first shut-down was a terrible idea. I’d be willing to forgive those responsible since it was done in ignorance. No one knew how dangerous the virus m...
You bear no guilt for things you had no part in. Don’t accept guilt you didn’t earn. I’m not going to blame you for things you have no control over, nor will I accept blame for the same sort of things. We have no control over who our ancestors were, what happened before we were born, the color of our skin, or what other people who have no real connection to us choose to do. You aren’t guilty because people in history did bad things. You aren’t guilty when someone who share...
Why is there so much anger in the world? People fight over statues; over differing opinions on gender, race, and policing. Over masks and whether to end the shutdown or keep society imprisoned until everyone is perfectly safe — which can never be. Activists are even protesting to abolish the Fourth of July ... without mentioning Independence Day. I guess if they are successful, future calendars will skip from the third to the fifth ... unless the activists are confused. W...
The world’s a bit crazy. Not as bad here as in other places, but we see the effects of those crazy paces even here. Pandemics, riots, gangs of trespassers setting up their own governments ... what’s next? A volcano spewing out zombies? Whatever happens next, you can rest assured that respecting liberty will still work. It always does. It would even work against the volcano zombie invasion. No matter how crazy the world gets, you don’t have to be crazy with it. Aren’t you gla...
There’s a correct way to protest injustice and there’s a wrong way. You may have recently noticed people in several big cities doing it the wrong way. Although, perhaps people pretending to side with the protesters were intentionally making the protesters look bad — it’s hard to know which. I’ve been writing about, and opposing, police brutality for years. It’s an important topic. When someone commits wrong while using the defense “I was just doing my job,” I’m among the f...
As the panic over coronavirus loses steam, and everyone who isn’t a political power junkie gets back to normal, remember the lessons you learned over the past few months. The virus wasn’t as dangerous as the fear-mongers wanted to scare you into believing, but it did kill some people. While it hasn’t gone away, it has lost much of its power to frighten people. This is bad news for most politicians. The virus is likely to surge again this fall, if not sooner. This may trigg...
Many problems in modern societies happen because people confuse political government for something it isn’t. They expect it to do things it can’t do and isn’t suited for. To do things right you need to use the correct tools. A hammer is the proper tool for driving nails. A feather isn’t a hammer; neither is a shotgun. Even though you might be able to use a coffee cup to drive a small nail — don’t try this with your favorite cup — it’s not a hammer either. Using things for purp...
The world’s economy is being damaged by this pandemic, or, more accurately, it’s being damaged by government reactions to the pandemic. The damage is adding up; getting worse with time. The only questions are: How bad is the damage going to be? And how long will it take to recover? I don’t know the answers; no one does. The economy will show scars of this time for years to come. Maybe forever. There are businesses that were forcibly closed and are never coming back. Whole...
I would expect, given the record of failure, this coronavirus experience would cause people to reconsider their belief in the credibility of government. From past experience, I know hope — or something darker — springs eternal. Most people are desperate to believe government is capable and credible in spite of 5,000-plus years of evidence to the contrary. As face masks become mandatory in more places, don’t forget those same government experts were ridiculing people who were w...
To open or not to open; that is the question. But it’s the wrong question. While there’s plenty of debate and disagreement over allowing businesses to re-open; when and how it should be done, the discussion misses the point completely. No one had the right to shut down businesses they didn’t own. You don’t have the right to tell someone they must shut their business and you can’t delegate a right you don’t have. Not to a governor or anyone else. This means the authority t...
It’s a quirk of human nature that a crisis can bring people together, bring out our best, and give our lives meaning. Sure, it can also bring out the worst in some damaged people, but we can acknowledge their existence then continue to ignore them as insignificant. A threat to life, liberty, and property is terrible, but you can find some good in it if you look. People love to unite against a common enemy, whether it’s a virus or grotesque alien overlords from a galaxy far...
What have you learned from the coronapocalypse so far? Has it changed you? The experience has shown me where my preparedness was good and where I could make improvements. I discovered the need for some supplies I hadn’t considered before. I’ll work to fix those areas, but it’s hard to prepare for everything when you can’t know what “everything” might include. Next time could be completely different. I have become more appreciative of the freedom to simply be around othe...
I appreciate those who are making a heroic effort to keep the economy running; putting their health and lives on the line for our benefit. They are trying to make sure food and supplies are available when needed. This is important when everything is going well; it is absolutely essential in a crisis. They are life-savers and deserve our thanks, respect, and support. They provide a stark contrast to those who are working around the clock to shut down the economy and punish any...
I’m not happy with the petty tyrants who have done away with any pretense of respecting the rights of Americans. They are using this pandemic as an excuse to twist the police state tighter around our necks. I’m angry about it. I’m not generally an angry person, but violating the life, liberty, or property of my fellow humans will make me angry every time. I don’t care how necessary they pretend it is. I will not comply when their orders conflict with liberty, nor will I tattle...
Do you know what I’d rather not think about? The coronavirus panic. Do you know what it seems no one, including me, is thinking about? Anything other than the coronapocalypse. People think about the things that catch their attention. That’s normal. The changes forced on society over the past couple of weeks are huge. It’s no wonder people can’t stop thinking about this. It’s wise to take things seriously, but not to let them cause panic. Here are some other things that migh...
How will you spend your time now that civilization has been canceled by executive command? Is it time to brush up on your stone-age skills? This would be a good time to familiarize yourself with the edible wild plants growing in your yard and to learn the natural substitutes for toilet paper. Learn to make and use an atlatl and stone-tipped spears in case you need to bring down a mammoth. Pool cues might be a good raw material for this sort of thing. Of course, the recent...
I’m surprised at how seriously people are taking the coronavirus. I’m even more surprised at how many believe government can save them from it, or that it’s even government’s job to do so. This is the same sort of thinking that has led to the recent plague of “red flag” legislation. If you believe you need politicians to save you from a virus or from someone’s gun, then you’ll keep handing control of your life over to anyone who promises to rescue you. Whether they actually c...
As much as I appreciate sheriffs who refuse to enforce the latest blatant violation of the Constitution — so-called “red flag” legislation — I wonder where their courage to not do the wrong thing has been hiding until now. Unconstitutional gun legislation — which includes every “law” concerning guns — has been enforced by those in these same offices since 1934. This newest violation isn’t worse than the others. This is an arbitrary, theatrical line-in-the-sand....
Here comes Coronavirus; the threat of the month. How scared are you? How scared should I be? I’m not scared or even worried. When Coronavirus hit the news I did some research on it at some reputable, non-sensationalist medical websites and decided it wasn’t anything to hyperventilate over. In fact, they classified it not as influenza, but as a cold virus. A virus everyone will come down with at some point during our lives. This variety may be worse than the usual strains, but...
Whether or not you vote or otherwise pay attention to politicians, do you wish you had a way to see inside their minds to know what they think of you? Libertarian science fiction and nonfiction author L. Neil Smith has pointed out that you can know what a politician thinks of you and your rights by examining his or her opinions on gun rights. Smith says it’s as good as an X-ray into politicians’ minds. It works whether the politician is a Republican, a Democrat, a Lib...
Did you enjoy our recent winter storm? I did, but I know a lot of people didn’t. Most people are not fans of cold and snow. I don’t like temperatures over 85 degrees Fahrenheit, especially if there’s any trace of humidity, while other people love hot weather. Variety is the spice of life and I’m willing to deal with things I don’t like, without much complaint, so others can enjoy the things they like. Since no one can control the weather, anyway, it’s a healthy approach. N...
