Regarding yesterday's post, let us not forget the significance of all of this.

The Health Care Bill...

...begins with the words:

"To provide affordable, quality health care for all Americans and reduce the growth in health care spending, and for other purposes."

Being a 1990-page bill, it makes a person wonder if most of it isn't filled with other purposes. You can see for yourself here. And yes, abortion is in it (pg. 110), as is another interesting detail: a prohibition of the sale of private individual health insurance policies, beginning in 2013, forcing individuals to purchase coverage through the federal government (pg.94). And as always, new taxes on pretty much everyone.

Sweet. Now if you'll excuse me, I'll be listening to the sounds of our forefathers rolling in their graves.

Welcome to Monument, CO

It started snowing the night before last, and is supposed to be done sometime tomorrow. Sweet! No school.

Panic! Panic! Panic!

Now that H1N1 is a national emergency, I am officially proposing a list of silly ways to deal with the H1N1 virus (aka "Swine flu").

#1: Run in a tight circle and scream, "We're all going to die! Aaaiieee!!!"
#2: Adopt a "shower-in, shower-out" policy and install a decontamination unit in your front porch.
#3: Contact poison control before eating any pork.
#4: Rinse said pork in Pine-Sol solution before preparation, just in case. It makes a zesty marinade also.
#5: Only go outside on days that are below 0 degrees Fahrenheit. That should be cold enough to kill the virus.
#6: Tell your friends and neighbors you will catch up with them sometime next year.
#7: Quarantine your work space with plastic sheeting.
#8: Notify the CDC every time you see someone cough.
#9: Head down to the Y2K bunker and live on MREs and bottled water for a few months.

Now, a list of sensible ways to deal with the H1N1 virus.

#1: Wash your hands.
#2: Get enough sleep to keep your immune system strong.
#3. Minimize contact between your hands and face in general. Specifically, don't pick your nose.
#4. Drink lots of water. It keeps your body running well all over.
#5. Don't smooch people who have H1N1 influenza.

You may have noticed that the things on the second list are things you should actually be doing already. Well if you are, then congratulations; you are already minimizing your chances of getting sick. I know it seems boring in a way; no magic air sterilizer, no protective shampoo, no flu detox kit, no herbal tea. In fact, you can do a lot for yourself and spend absolutely no money at all.

The key in this whole fiasco is this: fear. Observe some current headlines:

"H1N1 Fears Fill Emergency Rooms." (WCCO, Minneapolis)
"H1N1 Fears Drive Seasonal Flu Shot Shortage." (WBAL, Baltimore)
"H1N1 Fears Overburdening Local Hospital." (KPTV, Washington)
"H1N1 fears lead to rush on Tamiflu." (Washington Post)
"Soccer players warned over spitting amid H1N1 Fears." (Vancouver Sun) -- An interesting twist...
"Fears of Web clogs during major H1N1 outbreak. (MSNBC) --Aren't people with the flu supposed to sleep?

Fear is a powerful thing, unfortunately. Stirred by the media, fed by ignorance. I would submit that the fears of H1N1 are more dangerous than the virus itself. The mortality rate of H1N1 is currently around 0.007 percent to 0.045 percent, according to Dr. Marc Lipsitch of Harvard University. So if it isn't that dangerous, then why all the hoopla? My guess is, it makes great news. Because of this, it won't be going away anytime soon. So go wash your hands, then continue on with life.

Song of the Day

Project 86, "The Butcher"

This man came to me, he was looking for action
Pulling a blade to my neck
He said, “Call me the butcher cause that's my trade
And you know that I’ve come to collect.”

I said, "Hit me now and we’ll see where it leads
Cut me out if you think I will bleed
Strike me down if you think you’re a man
Cause I know that you don't understand..."

Chorus:
Because there is no weapon
There is no blade
You wonder why I’m not afraid?
I’ve erased all of my fear of the grave
You’ll never kill him that lives inside of me

He looked into my eyes, all he saw was conviction
Dropping the blade to the earth
I said, “How could you think that I’d ever retreat?
You know that I’m already dead.”

Materialism in the Positive and Negative

Today I was referred to an article by a friend of mine. It talks about the concept of minimalism. That is, approaching life with the mentality of what can I live without? This is something that I have gotten some good-hearted ribbing about from my friends before, and I admit that I am a minimalist. But not to the point of obsession.

Enter Tumbleweed Tiny House Company. The founder of this proudly lives in a house that is about 89 square feet total. He seems to be motivated by his desire to protect the environment, and to live a life as different from the American norm as possible. I will admit, in an affluent suburban culture swelling with mansions, I can understand this sentiment (although the state of the environment concerns me little). The problem this Tumbeweed guy has is that he can't really get a family going in a house that size. Nor can he have more than one person (or two skinny ones) at a time come to visit. This is the point, I think, when minimalism reaches the end of common sense.

What is more important, having as much or as little as possible, or having quality relationships? When a person can't spend time with another because of having too many things, it's a problem. When a person can't spend time with another because of an obsession with having little, it's also a problem. Life is about relationships.

(Continental Divide)

I love to travel remote locations with as little gear as possible. I like that I can fit almost all my possessions in my car. It is a freeing thing. (If you are wondering about getting rid of useless junk, I would encourage you to do so.) But I know that life has a way of changing things. Lord willing, I will have a wife and family someday. Realistically, more stuff will come along with that.

The real important thing is how much priority our things get compared to relationships. When all our stuff (minimalist or not) is gone, what will be left? What really lasts? Relationships last.

(Ma Mason & I)

By all means, get what you need and few things you want. Just don't hold onto your stuff too tightly. Let's take time for the important things.

Beliefs, Ala Carte

Why do we feel like we need to have beliefs customized to our desires?

In the last week or so I have noticed people throwing around phrases like "God has a plan," and "It's just karma, man," as if they come from within the same framework of beliefs. And it is astounding. I see the marks of two trends working here. (1) Relativism. Belief 1 is just as valid as belief 2, even if they are opposed. (2) Customization (i.e. pluralization). "Could I please have a grande, double espresso, decaf, low fat, caramel macchiato, with extra foam, topped with a sprinkle of cinnamon, and a dollop of whipped cream?" Or, "Could I please have a small, happy, non-offensive, double prosperity Jesus with extra mysticism, topped with a sprinkle of higher consciousness, and some Siddhartha on the side?"

No, you can't.

And I'll just have a coffee, and try to add as little to it as possible.

Honestly

The other day a friend of mine was talking to me about the behavior of some local high schoolers. Apparently on the bus ride back from some sports event, the junior high girls decided to play Truth or Dare. One thing led to another, and soon the girls were daring their friends to kiss other girls.

Are you surprised? Why should we be surprised at this?

It is not enough to simply blame the liberals for putting curriculum in schools that teaches about this and encourages it. No, let's look at the poets of our age. (1) Katy Perry [2008]: Her song about kissing a girl made #1 handily and was the pioneer of sorts into the American pop culture. (2) Lady Gaga [2009]: She has released numerous music videos that portray women making out with other women. (3) Fast and Furious [2009]: There are also several scenes in this movie that portray the same behavior.

If we walk around with the idea that a song is just a song or a movie just a movie, we are kidding ourselves. And these are three mainstream examples. It's easy to point a finger at things those other people are influenced by. But what about taking a long, hard look at what we take in ourselves?

What do you let influence you?