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No 2nd Amendment No Return to Zimbabwe

Posted: March 17, 2020 by datechguy in Uncategorized

Apparently the nation of Zimbabwe twenty years after deciding all those horrible white farmers HAD to go has decided that the country needs white privilege again:

Two decades after President Robert Mugabe wrecked Zimbabwe’s economy by urging black subsistence farmers to violently force white commercial farmers and their workers off their land, his successor has thrown in the towel.

Note the phrasing here. This was apparently a war on white privilege and from that phraseology good and right have lost

Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government has proposed settling all outstanding claims against it by farmers by offering them land.

“The object of the regulations is to provide for the disposal of land to persons entitled to compensation,” Land Minister Perence Shiri said in regulations published in the Government Gazette Friday.

Or to rephrase we will now give white farmers who worked hard to produce the country’s food supply for generations the right to do so again.

The seizures that began in 2000 were ratified by the government, which said they were needed to redress colonial imbalances. A vibrant agricultural industry that exported tobacco and roses and grew most of the food the nation needed collapsed. Periodic food shortages ensued, inflation became the world’s highest and the manufacturing industry was decimated. What was one of Africa’s richest countries became one of its poorest.

Or as Don Suber who linked this story alluded to, despite Mike Bloomberg’s opinion to the contrary there is a lot more to farming than digging a hole and dropping in a seed.

Now while this is the right move on the part of the government if I was a white farmer I’d think long and hard before I returned.

I know the prospect of returning to one’s family farm and the useful life one enjoyed in the past is tempting the question must be asked: What’s to stop the next demagogue who comes along from doing the very same thing again in 2 years, five years and ten years?

Furthermore what’s to stop local people who had been indicted to violence in the past against you from repeating this process on their own, particularly where in western universities the idea that being white is the worst sin a person can commit?

It it was me I’d not subject my family and myself to that risk until and unless a robust 2nd Amendment was passed to the country constitution and powerful stand your ground laws allowing people to defend themselves and their land without fear of government retaliation were in place and even then I’d still think twice.

cue Mr. Scott

The story of Brer Media, Brer Donkey , Brer Trump & the Corona Virus Brier Patch

Posted: March 16, 2020 by datechguy in Always look at the bright side of Trump, media, News/opinion
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Once upon a time in the land of Brer Eagle, there was a Political Party which thought that they had the right to always be in power. That part was run by Brer Donkey and was supported by their friend Brer Media who had a big platform in news and entertainment and was supported by academic, the news media and the entertainment media.

That party, got very upset when their preferred candidate for president, Sis Paintsuit (Wife of Brer Horny Toad) , lost to an outsider Brer Trump who had never run for office and promised to fix thing for people.

Brer Donkey & Brer media, decided that they were going to get rid of Brer Trump and joined by Brer Deepstate and Brer Rino launched all kind of plans to get rid of him. But despite all the efforts by Brer Mueller and Sis Nancy and all the rants by Brer Media that the was doomed, Brer Trump not only got away from all their traps but seemed to get more and more popular.

Well one day the land of of Brer Pooh, people started to get very sick and fall into the Briarpatch where they couldn’t get out. Brer Pooh downplayed this at 1st but Brer Trump saw the danger and decided to restrict travel from Brer Pooh’s land to Brer Eagle’s land that Brer Trump was in charge of and started to consult Brer Owl & the wisest doctors in Brer Eagle land to keep an eye on what was going on and to see what might be done in case . Brer Media wasn’t happy with this decision and along with Brer Donkey and their new candidate Brer old tired Joe said that Brer Trump was very nasty for not letting people from Brer Pooh’s land come to visit even if they might be sick.

Well after a little wile Brer media, Brer Donkey and Brer Deepstate unable to think of any other way to stop Brer Trump saw that Brer Pooh was in deep trouble in the Coronabriarpatch and thought that they might be able to catch Brer Trump in it. After all the CoronaBriarPatch was a dangerous place and Brer Donkey, Brer Deepstate, Brer Rino and Brer Media were convinced that even though was lucky enough to get out of their other traps Brer Trump would be too stupid to get out of the CoronaBriarPatch.

Meanwhile Brer Trump, who wasn’t as foolish as Brer Donkey thought saw what Brer media was up to and call them out on it saying they were trying to panic people in Brer Eagle country about the CoronaBriarPatch. When he did Brer Media and their friends all screamed that Brer Trump said the Brer Trump said the CoronaBriarPatch wasn’t real but all the Time Brer Trump was keeping an eye on the CoronaBriarPatch and kept consulting Brer Owl & the smartest Doctors on how to be ready coronabriarpatch started growing in Brer Eagles land.

Brer Trump figured out that Brer Owl and the rest of the smartest Doctors would be able to come up with a way to control the CoronaBriarPatch if given enough time and that the if the right precautions made that he would be able to get out of the CoronaBriarpatch and lead most of Brer Eagle’s people through it after some time and with a little help from industry.

Meanwhile Brer Media, Brer Donkey and their candidate Brer old tired Joe managed to scare a lot of people in the areas of Brer Eagle’s country that they were in the majority in and started to tell everybody all over Brer Eagle’s land that the coronabriarpatch was all Brer Trump’s fault, and when Brer Pooh started to say that the coronabriarpatch didn’t start in his land but came from Brer Eagle’s land they repeated it. They demanded that Brer Trump be thrown into the coronabriarpatch convinced the he would never be able to get out of it again.

Meanwhile Brer Trump took Brer Owl and his team’s advice and coordinated with industry. He realized that while you couldn’t destroy the #coronabriarpatch he started taking the steps needed to keep the #coronabriarpatch under control and did such a good job that even Brer Newsom and Brer Cuomo who worked for Brer Donkey had some nice things to say about him.

Nevertheless Brer Media, Brer Deepstate Brer Rino and Brer Donkey kept insisting that millions of people where going to die and the economy of Brer Eagle’s land was going to tank in the #coronabriarpatch because Brer Trump was doing a bad job. They insisted be thrown in the CornoaBriarPatch and prove there was a safe way out. They were convinced that he wouldn’t be able to get out before election day to stop Brer Old Slow Joe.

Well Brer Trump decided he was ready and went straight into the #coronabriarpatch and told the people he and Brer Owl and the rest of his team would do their best. When he did the stock market that had dropped really far because they were afraid of the conronabriarpatch jumped way up, but it didn’t matter to Brer Donkey, Brer Deepstate, Brer Media and Brer old slow Joe. They were sure that once he was in the Coronabriarpatch Brer Trump would never get out again and that Brer Old Joe would be put in charge of Brer Eagle’s land.

I know that you all want to know the end of the story, but I’m afraid the story isn’t over yet, but if I know Brer Trump he’s going to cut his way out of the #coronabriarpatch and because Brer Media, and Brer Democrats and Brer Slow Old Joe said he’s couldn’t what when he what do you think the people who live in Brer Eagle’s land are going to say?

I think they’ll say: Wow! Brer Media and Brer Donkey said that millions were going to die and the economy was going to be destroyed by the coronabriarpatch but Brer Trump got us out if it. Let’s keep him in charge.

Sundays at Rest: The Movies I’ve Bought from Amazon: The Seven Samurai

Posted: March 15, 2020 by datechguy in culture, entertainment
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I’m been meaning to get this Series of movie posts started for while but with Corona Virus/Wuhan Virus panic in place it seems the best time to start recommending movies to buy and watch at home that perhaps folks have not seen.

Common sense tells you that a movie that runs over three hours and twenty minutes would have a slow moment or two that you can or want to take your eyes off the screen.

However that is only common sense if you’ve never watched the Seven Samurai.

There is not a shot, not a performance and not a line not even a glance in the picture that is wasted. Everything plays to the story. It’s everything that a movie is supposed to me.

If you are firm in the quite rational belief that The Godfather or Casablanca or Gone With the Wind or Citizen Cane is the greatest movie ever made nothing will challenge it more than watching this movie.

In theory the movie is about Seven Samurai who are hired come to save a poor village from bandits.

The reality is it’s really about how the process of doing so saves them. I find it one of the most Catholic movies I’ve ever seen. It’s all about responsibility, sacrifice and being one brother’s keeper and the costs that come from it.

In the beginning we see the bandits arriving at the village and noting that the barley harvest has not yet taken place and deciding to come back later when it does. The villagers frustrated by the cycle that all of their labor going to feed others without recompense look for a solution. The old man of the villege suggesting hiring Samurai. When they insist they have nothing to offer expect for food he replies “Find Hungry Samurai”.

Thus begins the 1st of three distinct phases of the picture

  1. The quest to find Samurai
  2. The preparing of the village
  3. The Actual Battle

For the modern viewer ignorant of history the culture shock of the caste system whereby a Samurai has the authority to kill and the villager is nothing and where rice is a currency in itself is striking, but this group of poor farmers attempt to approach Samurai who consider themselves far above them is really something. Eventually they get lucky when they encounter Kambei Shimada (Takashi Shimura) a wandering rōnin, (masterless samauri) who saves a young boy taken hostage by a bandit who considers their problem and agrees to help, they also get in the bargain the young and inexperienced Katsushirō (Isao Kimura) who, impressed by Kambei’s rescue of the child begs to be his disciple. Meanwhile Kikuchiyo also impressed by Kambei’s ( Toshirô Mifune ) actions starts shadowing them .

This entire sequence of Kambei attempting to find and recruit men to go on this quest that offers no glory or reward could easily stand alone as a movie in its own right. In fact if this picture was made in 2014 instead of 1954 it would likely have without a doubt been a trilogy and a whole franchise. Eventually Kambei recruits an old friend Shichirōji ( Daisuke Katô ), Gorobei ( Yoshio Inaba) who is fascinated by Kambei, Heihachi ( Minoru Chiaki) whose real skill is morale rather than the sword ; and Kyūzō ( Seiji Miyaguchi ) the master swordsman interested only his his craft.

These six (followed by Kikuchiyo ) head to the village where the 2nd part of the movie begins. The interaction between the villagers and the Samurai, the preparation for the attack and the bonding of them as a team and dramatic contrast as the villagers deal with both their fear of the Samurai and the sacrifices that they come to realize this entails. There is also the drama of Rikichi one of the farmers who went to recruit the Samurai who has a painful history unknown to them.  It is also a time of comic relief provided mainly by Kikuchiyo & Heihachi who never passes up a chance to needle him.

The climax of this idylic scene comes shortly after the encounter between Katsushirō and Shino ( Keiko Tsushima ) whose father Manzo ( Kamatari Fujiwara ) has disguised as a boy to hide her from the Samurai he fears. They spot three scouts for the bandits coming to spy on the village and the transition to the final phase of the movie, The Battle, begins.

The initial repulse of the 1st attack fills the villagers with confidence that they will be left alone for easier pickings but when they discover that the bandits are in worse shape than them and need to conquer or starve comes the realization that it is a battle to the end. Here we see the real costs of war as the villagers and the samurai both take losses up to the climax.

Ironically director Akira Kurosawa was constantly going over budget and Toho films tried to kill the project repeatedly. Kurosawa who wrote as well as Directed the picture however reasoned that the investment in the picture had been so great that they were unlikely to let it die and successfully argued fought for its completion.

While the movie was a success the critics in Japan were not as impressed but upon foreign release it reaped rewards and directors far and wide would be inspired by this storytelling. The film would be remade in the US as the Magnificent Seven replacing samurai with gunfighters with Mexico as a setting over Japan but the reach of this film, it’s cinematography is perfect, the performances (particularly Mifune & Shimura ) are outstanding and complement some of the best writing and storytelling you will see in a movie.

Social Isolation from the Corona / Wuhan Virus might not be pleasant, but if it means that you and millions others will discover this classic it will certainly not be wasted.

Why Toilet Paper?

Posted: March 14, 2020 by datechguy in culture, media, News/opinion
Tags: ,

I swear the Demcorat/media who have gone all in on panic must have gone long on Scotts paper shares

My grand mother in law used to hoard Toilet Paper for reasons that I never quite understood but of all the things that are going on the hoarding of Toilet Paper makes the least sense to me.

Yes it’s a vital thing in the western world, and it’s something that doesn’t go bad so you can store it for quite a while, and I completely agree that when you are out of it, you really miss it but think about it.

  1. How much Toilet Paper do you use in a single “sitting”?
  2. How long does it take you to go through a roll in a normal week?
  3. Of all the things whose production might be curtailed by the pandemic, why on earth would Toilet paper be high on that list?

If you add those things together none of this makes any sense.

By an odd coincidence I was almost out of Toilet paper a few days ago and bought 8 rolls for the house. The supermarket was well stocked (and even had it on sale). Two days later the panic began and people began buying as if the world is coming to an end.

Now as I said this is a product that doesn’t go bad, that you will need for your entire life so in one sense all of this insanity is not going to do a lot of harm, other than promulgating an inordinate number of toilet humor, “scared shitless” jokes etc.

But until I see the local junkie’s at the street corners with rolls of Charmin I think I’ll refrain from being rolled by this like everyone else.

Prediction: Three months from now this is something a lot of us are going to be laughing about and lots of people are going to feel stupid about.

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