http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/theres-no-such-thing-as-government-money/
The linked article talks about the concept of government money, but I believe she does not take it far enough. She is right that there is no such thing as government money, but never says what it is:
It is our money.
Government is an institution created by and for the people. It cannot exist without us. All that it has, it has gained from us.
So every time a person votes for more entitlements, what they're doing is taking more of their paycheck and throwing it at other people - and they're trusting that a bloated beaurocracy can do it better, more efficiently, and more discriminatingly than they, an individual, can.
How brilliant, and how demonstrably untrue.
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Monday, December 8, 2008
Telemarketing calls are a form of theft.
I have tried to articulate to myself why telemarketers fill me with incredible levels of rage. My wife scolds me to be nicer, that they do not deserve the curt, even rude treatment I heap upon them when they call my office. Some of my friends protest tha they “are just doing a job”. I disagree, and can prove it.
1) I am on the no-call list. This means that their calling me is in violation of state and federal law. It doesn’t stop them, however. I do not have caller ID, so I can’t see their number, and good luck getting them to give you contact info, so I am stuck for reporting them. This is a legal and contractual violation by the telemarketer’s company.
2) When I inform them that I am on the do-not-call list, I have never had one merely apologize and promise to take me off of their call list. The callers do not care if I am on the DNC list, or that the company they work for violates the rules of the DNC list. The moment they knowingly work for a company that violates the law, they are just as culpable. They cannot legally or morally blame the company for their actions.
3) Being a business, I cannot pick and choose the calls I handle; I must answer all calls, and I must expend time and energy doing so. This disrupts my work day’s rhythm and reduces my time available to perform legitimate work.
4) As my time costs the company money, telemarketer calls are costing my employer money. Further, if I have to work longer hours to recoup the time I have spent on their calls (or on spam in emails, for that matter) then they are costing me, personally, in the one commodity I value most: MY time.
5) My time is priceless, as I have a finite amout of it. No one has a right to choose how I spend it but me.
In the end, this is why I hate (yes, HATE) telemarketers. As a disclaimer, yes, I even briefly interviewed for a telemarketer job, and have known people in the business. That said, I have never known one who has been in the business more than 1-2 days who didn’t know exactly what they were doing to people.
Telemarketers are thieves of time and energy. They are unethical abusers of my time and my desire to be left alone, and they are willful violators of the law – the spirit of the law, and quite often the letter of the law.
Treating them in any way other than rudely only encourages such behavior. My only regret is that I can’t have them arrested and their companies fined and closed down.
1) I am on the no-call list. This means that their calling me is in violation of state and federal law. It doesn’t stop them, however. I do not have caller ID, so I can’t see their number, and good luck getting them to give you contact info, so I am stuck for reporting them. This is a legal and contractual violation by the telemarketer’s company.
2) When I inform them that I am on the do-not-call list, I have never had one merely apologize and promise to take me off of their call list. The callers do not care if I am on the DNC list, or that the company they work for violates the rules of the DNC list. The moment they knowingly work for a company that violates the law, they are just as culpable. They cannot legally or morally blame the company for their actions.
3) Being a business, I cannot pick and choose the calls I handle; I must answer all calls, and I must expend time and energy doing so. This disrupts my work day’s rhythm and reduces my time available to perform legitimate work.
4) As my time costs the company money, telemarketer calls are costing my employer money. Further, if I have to work longer hours to recoup the time I have spent on their calls (or on spam in emails, for that matter) then they are costing me, personally, in the one commodity I value most: MY time.
5) My time is priceless, as I have a finite amout of it. No one has a right to choose how I spend it but me.
In the end, this is why I hate (yes, HATE) telemarketers. As a disclaimer, yes, I even briefly interviewed for a telemarketer job, and have known people in the business. That said, I have never known one who has been in the business more than 1-2 days who didn’t know exactly what they were doing to people.
Telemarketers are thieves of time and energy. They are unethical abusers of my time and my desire to be left alone, and they are willful violators of the law – the spirit of the law, and quite often the letter of the law.
Treating them in any way other than rudely only encourages such behavior. My only regret is that I can’t have them arrested and their companies fined and closed down.
Thursday, December 4, 2008
It pains me to admit it, but...
People use phrases all the time without thinking about their meaning. I like to demolish this automatic acceptance of such phrases and examine them - and what's really being said or not said.
Take this phrase: "It pains me to admit it, but..."
What is the literal meaning? A statement causes pain to the speaker when they concede that it is true. To admit something is to hold one opinion or position, then to move or shift to allow for a different one. Why should admitting something be painful?
What is this phrase often followed by? "It pains me to admit it, but you're right."
Usually people stop there. What else is unspoken?
"It pains me to admit it, but you're right and I'm wrong."
That's what people have so much trouble with: being wrong. This is something I can't relate to. Oh, not because I'm never wrong; I'm often wrong. I differ from most people because I also admit it when I am wrong. And then I act really crazy because I adopt the truth, system, or value I was corrected on for future use!
Crazy, I know, and incredibly immature. Why immature, you may ask?
Think about small children. They do things, experiment and explore, with little regard to consequences. They find what works and what does not. Fire burns. Dogs bark and bite. Bees sting. They learn cause and effect, and they (usually) change their behavior because of it. Children are constantly growing and changing, adopting new likes, dislikes, behaviors, and ideas. We call it the maturation process.
The only problem is, it seems like many of us stop this process at some stage of our adult lives. We stop maturing; we stop changing and adapting as we find new truths and better ways. If this is adult, mature behavior, then please, label me immature!
Which brings us back to the problem phrase. When someone prefaces a statement with "It pains me to admit it, but..." this is both something to applaud and something to mourn. It is good, in that they can admit that they are wrong and that they can change their belief or behavior to a better way. They can become a better person.
It is something to mourn, however, because being an adult, being mature, growing as a person, etc., all of this growth process which people laud and pay lip service to, this wonderful thing -
- pains them. Hurts them. Whether from shame at being wrong in the first place, or not thinking it through, or at discovering that their facts or education were imperfect, the source of their pain is only peripherally relevant. What is sad is that the betterment of their mind, values, ideals, and identity, which is arguably why we are on this planet to begin with, is something that causes them pain.
My way of thinking is much simpler. Don't mourn that you were wrong, but instead cherish that you are now right.
Take this phrase: "It pains me to admit it, but..."
What is the literal meaning? A statement causes pain to the speaker when they concede that it is true. To admit something is to hold one opinion or position, then to move or shift to allow for a different one. Why should admitting something be painful?
What is this phrase often followed by? "It pains me to admit it, but you're right."
Usually people stop there. What else is unspoken?
"It pains me to admit it, but you're right and I'm wrong."
That's what people have so much trouble with: being wrong. This is something I can't relate to. Oh, not because I'm never wrong; I'm often wrong. I differ from most people because I also admit it when I am wrong. And then I act really crazy because I adopt the truth, system, or value I was corrected on for future use!
Crazy, I know, and incredibly immature. Why immature, you may ask?
Think about small children. They do things, experiment and explore, with little regard to consequences. They find what works and what does not. Fire burns. Dogs bark and bite. Bees sting. They learn cause and effect, and they (usually) change their behavior because of it. Children are constantly growing and changing, adopting new likes, dislikes, behaviors, and ideas. We call it the maturation process.
The only problem is, it seems like many of us stop this process at some stage of our adult lives. We stop maturing; we stop changing and adapting as we find new truths and better ways. If this is adult, mature behavior, then please, label me immature!
Which brings us back to the problem phrase. When someone prefaces a statement with "It pains me to admit it, but..." this is both something to applaud and something to mourn. It is good, in that they can admit that they are wrong and that they can change their belief or behavior to a better way. They can become a better person.
It is something to mourn, however, because being an adult, being mature, growing as a person, etc., all of this growth process which people laud and pay lip service to, this wonderful thing -
- pains them. Hurts them. Whether from shame at being wrong in the first place, or not thinking it through, or at discovering that their facts or education were imperfect, the source of their pain is only peripherally relevant. What is sad is that the betterment of their mind, values, ideals, and identity, which is arguably why we are on this planet to begin with, is something that causes them pain.
My way of thinking is much simpler. Don't mourn that you were wrong, but instead cherish that you are now right.
Inspiration
WELCOME!
This blog has been a long time coming. Its inception is simple: I have been interacting with other human beings for thirty-five years, and this experience has led me to form a singular purpose. That is to say, I want to combat the forces of idiocy and ignorance and make people think about who they are and what they believe.
It's a big task, and I alone am not up to it; no one person is. But I hope that my voice will add to the voice of the rational in keeping this world back from the brink of insanity. I refuse to give in to chaos, disorder, and evil. Is that clear enough a mission statement for you?
Let me also add, however, that I'm not here to convince you that one way - my way - is right. I'm not trying to change your mind; I can't. I can only offer the facts and truths as I see them, and invite you to share yours, and hope that when the dust settles we find (if we do find) a single truth left standing. Further, when such a truth is revealed, I pray that both of us will be mature enough to embrace it. Yes, you heard me: this is an invitation for you to prove me wrong. If your facts are solid, your logic good, and mine are not, I'll change my values. The price of this, Dear Readers, is that YOU must do the same.
Put up or shut up time.
You may ask if I've ever blogged before. The answer is 'Not really'. I'm not a true stranger to this. I've written 'diary' entries before, I've had a Livejournal, and I've had good, lively debates with friends and family - but I've never really put myself out there. I've certainly never had an audience. Why not? Many reasons. Job security. Identity security. Time commitment. Effort. All the usual excuses. I've been willing to challenge a friend when they mindlessly spout off a bit of idiocy without thinking, but I've never had the gumption to do so on a larger scale. I'm coming to believe that this might even qualify as a lapse in my civic duty. I'm not sure.
I can't let it slide any longer, though. I have my own thoughts and truths I'd like to share with you, and topics I want to discuss. I also believe that putting myself out here will give me the opportunity to better myself. As a side effect, I believe the same could happen to you. I'm all for making the world a better place, one corrected misconception at a time.
I've never been afraid to tell people when I see that they're full of it. Little things I let slide - such as an uncle's penchant to say 'Damn Republicans' whenever there's an ill in the world. But the big things, and sometimes even the not-so-big, I challenge. If someone says that the Big 3 auto companies are solely to blame for their financial troubles, I point at the unions and say, "What about them?" I point at the Left and its eco-policies and CAFE standards and nudge them saying, "Hmmm?"
Don't mistake me for a Republican, however. I'm not one, or a Democrat, or a Libertarian. I'm also not a conservative or a liberal. I find some value in each group, but I don't ascribe to any one blanket identity, policy, or value. There is value EVERYWHERE - nothing is wholly without it - and wholly embracing any ideology weakens you to the fallacies contained within it. Conversely, to issue a blanket rejection of any concept, person, item or ideal because of one aspect or element of it is the height of foolishness. Such sweeping associations and rejections are easier, true - which is why so many do it - but this behavior is neither intellectually honest nor viable if one is in the service of reality and truth (little T).
Hmmm. That's a bit stronger than I'd intended, but - maybe that's for the best. Next post, I will dissect a phrase that we take for granted and look under the hood - something I love doing.
This blog has been a long time coming. Its inception is simple: I have been interacting with other human beings for thirty-five years, and this experience has led me to form a singular purpose. That is to say, I want to combat the forces of idiocy and ignorance and make people think about who they are and what they believe.
It's a big task, and I alone am not up to it; no one person is. But I hope that my voice will add to the voice of the rational in keeping this world back from the brink of insanity. I refuse to give in to chaos, disorder, and evil. Is that clear enough a mission statement for you?
Let me also add, however, that I'm not here to convince you that one way - my way - is right. I'm not trying to change your mind; I can't. I can only offer the facts and truths as I see them, and invite you to share yours, and hope that when the dust settles we find (if we do find) a single truth left standing. Further, when such a truth is revealed, I pray that both of us will be mature enough to embrace it. Yes, you heard me: this is an invitation for you to prove me wrong. If your facts are solid, your logic good, and mine are not, I'll change my values. The price of this, Dear Readers, is that YOU must do the same.
Put up or shut up time.
You may ask if I've ever blogged before. The answer is 'Not really'. I'm not a true stranger to this. I've written 'diary' entries before, I've had a Livejournal, and I've had good, lively debates with friends and family - but I've never really put myself out there. I've certainly never had an audience. Why not? Many reasons. Job security. Identity security. Time commitment. Effort. All the usual excuses. I've been willing to challenge a friend when they mindlessly spout off a bit of idiocy without thinking, but I've never had the gumption to do so on a larger scale. I'm coming to believe that this might even qualify as a lapse in my civic duty. I'm not sure.
I can't let it slide any longer, though. I have my own thoughts and truths I'd like to share with you, and topics I want to discuss. I also believe that putting myself out here will give me the opportunity to better myself. As a side effect, I believe the same could happen to you. I'm all for making the world a better place, one corrected misconception at a time.
I've never been afraid to tell people when I see that they're full of it. Little things I let slide - such as an uncle's penchant to say 'Damn Republicans' whenever there's an ill in the world. But the big things, and sometimes even the not-so-big, I challenge. If someone says that the Big 3 auto companies are solely to blame for their financial troubles, I point at the unions and say, "What about them?" I point at the Left and its eco-policies and CAFE standards and nudge them saying, "Hmmm?"
Don't mistake me for a Republican, however. I'm not one, or a Democrat, or a Libertarian. I'm also not a conservative or a liberal. I find some value in each group, but I don't ascribe to any one blanket identity, policy, or value. There is value EVERYWHERE - nothing is wholly without it - and wholly embracing any ideology weakens you to the fallacies contained within it. Conversely, to issue a blanket rejection of any concept, person, item or ideal because of one aspect or element of it is the height of foolishness. Such sweeping associations and rejections are easier, true - which is why so many do it - but this behavior is neither intellectually honest nor viable if one is in the service of reality and truth (little T).
Hmmm. That's a bit stronger than I'd intended, but - maybe that's for the best. Next post, I will dissect a phrase that we take for granted and look under the hood - something I love doing.
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