People ignoring the law, from ancient Judah to Modern U.S. Government

Someone asked me what I thought about how well the ancient Jews followed their biblical laws.

That is an interesting question. Most of the records which have survived were those they considered most important, religious records mostly, which is why the books of the Bible survived but more common records didn't.

2 Kings 22 gives us an interesting look into how well the religious laws were protected. One of the priests suddenly finds a copy of the law in the Temple. This suggests that priests were not actually studying the law that often. What probably happened was that people followed an idea of "common" law and it is anyone's guess how important gender laws were, but, from Josiah's reaction, "Great is the Lord’s anger that burns against us because those who have gone before us have not obeyed the words of this book; they have not acted in accordance with all that is written there concerning us.” I would imagine that most of Judah was breaking laws of the scripture.

People forget the law all the time. Who knows what happened several thousand years ago. I imagine the law and public opinion "ebbed and flowed" much like it does today. Even those we expect should be most aware of the law and the Constitution totally ignore it.

I can remember watching Senate hearings of Supreme Court Nominees where Senators actually questioned nominees about their religious beliefs, something that is specifically forbidden in the Constitution. Hard to imagine Senators and SCOTUS nominees ignoring the Constitution, but, it happened during our lifetime.

United States Constitution, Article 6: "...no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States."

Therefore, no civil servant can ever be questioned about their religious beliefs. What I think is interesting is that reporters constantly violate this law, the Senate often twists religious belief questions into questions regarding the first amendment, making religious beliefs an important political issue in the selection of those serving in public office.

This creates a "hierarchy" where Freedom of the Press is prioritized over the prohibition of religious testing for public office.

https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/constitution-transcript

"Senator DURBIN. Let me ask you a few starting points. The question was asked of John Roberts about his personal religious and moral belief. And I would ask you in the most open-ended fashion. We all come to our roles in life with life experience and with values. When you are calculating and making a decision, if you were on the Supreme Court, tell me what role your personal religious or moral beliefs will play in that decision process.

Judge ALITO. Well, my personal religious beliefs are important to me in my private life. They are an important part of the way I was raised and they have been important to Martha and me in raising our children. But my obligation as a judge is to interpret and apply the Constitution and the laws of the United States, and not my personal religious beliefs or any personal moral beliefs that I have, and there is nothing about my religious beliefs that interferes with my doing that."

https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CHRG-109shrg25429/pdf/CHRG-109shrg25429.pdf

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Not everyone can or should trust my statements to be facts unless I am willing to provide the resources to back them up.

Stupid Medical Professionals, Weight Loss and Calories

You ever hear some moron say, "calories in, calories out"?  Meaning people are lazy and don't do enough to burn the calories they take in.

Anyone who says this, meaning people need to burn calories, is a moron.

Anyone with a basic understanding of eating disorders, bulimia (binge and purge) specifically, knows darn well that many people purge using laxatives and therefore metabolism is an important part of the equation.

The proper fricking equation is, "calories in, metabolism, calories out" and metabolism is influenced by a variety of things including Over The Counter laxatives.  Apples are a useful way to, very slightly, increase the pace at which food flows through a person's digestive tract.

Lots of stuff influences metabolism.  This isn't new stuff, but, I just read another dumb post about "Calories in, Calories out."  In this day and age when information on things like bulimia and metabolism are so available it is disgraceful that people spread bullshit like, "People are fat because they are lazy."

Now, there is some truth to that.  Almost anyone can lose weight by reducing their calorie intake to about 1,000 calories a day, but, that isn't about being lazy, that is about being disciplined enough to keep from eating.

Increasing activity is a great way to increase metabolism.  That doesn't work as well as people think.

One of the problems people have when they begin an exercise plan is that they usually lose some weight quickly and then the weight loss drops off and they plateau.  This is because people generally don't change their eating habits and their metabolism quickly adapts to the extra activity.  People often suggest switching things up often so that an individuals metabolism is less likely to adapt, but, that doesn't work great.

When it comes down to it, what matters is heart rate.  When someone starts exercising their heart rate increases and stays increased for a longer time.  As someone adapts to physical activity their heart rate slows during activity and it recovers faster.  It takes more work to achieve the same metabolism effect.

So, why 1,000 calories?  Because 1,000 counted calories is probably closer to 1,250 calories.  Calories of foods are "accurate" within plus or minus 25% and, generally, packaged foods are on the high side.  You wouldn't believe how stupid the FDA testing is.  I wrote a blog about it a while back that described how bad it is, no one read it of course.  The post was techno babble for geeks discussing a left skewed distribution with an n of 10.  Sometimes they actually combine 10 samples, do one test and then divide the total to determine the average.

So people suggesting a diet of 2,000 calories is really suggesting a diet of closer to 2,500 calories.  This is why calorie counting generally sucks for losing weight.  Believe me though, anyone can lose weight if they eat few enough calories.

If you want to lose weight, figure out how many calories you should eat, multiply that number by 0.75 and set your calories at that number.  It is wicked hard and most people aren't going to do it, but, that will generally work. 

Stress screws metabolism up too.  I'm not going to mess with that in this.

Ever see kernels of corn in your shit?  That's because people don't digest corn very well.  That means a chunk of calories in corn are not digested.  All foods are like this.  If you bothered to really inspect your shit you might find bits of masticated and undigested foods.  How much depends on the speed of your metabolism.  Take some OTC laxitives and those chunks will be pretty big.

This is how weight loss surgery works, by messing with the metabolism.  Shrinking the stomach, removing intestines, even lap bands.  They all force changes to metabolism.

Speed, meth, influences metabolism.  Lots of stuff influences metabolism and reduces calorie absorption.

Think of how your body works and quit listening to morons.

So why are they morons?  Because anyone who says this shit isn't thinking.  Anyone in the medical or nutritional profession should have a basic awareness of bulimia so claiming "calories in, calories out" means they aren't using their knowledge to understand.  And if they are too stupid to make the connection between bulimia, metabolism and weight loss they are too stupid to make simple connections with other knowledge they have.  This is why there is so much medical malpractice.

I see this failure to connect information to arrive at an accurate decision a lot, hell, I've done it myself occasionally.  Less and less as I learned how to think.  Schools typically teach deference to authority so people regurgitate crap "authorities" tell them without actually thinking about it.  That sucks, research "deference to authority in education".  There are actually programs at some universities that are trying to "deprogram" students that have been brainwashed by Western education.

That is why so many "educated" people are stupid, they can't actually think.  They can only regurgitate crap their "authorities" spout.  We are seeing a lot of this in politics.  One authority says this and their sheeple start spouting the same crap.  Another authority says that and their sheeple starting mouthing off about that.  Pure stupidity.

You don't have to think to lose weight, but, it helps.  What helps more is understanding metabolism, one's own metabolism in particular.  Lacking that, brute force it on a 1,000 calorie a day diet.  Wicked hard, could be dangerous for some so many people won't recommend that for fear of liability.

I'm a high school drop out with almost no formal education in nutrition or metabolism.  As I've said before, take everything with a grain of salt.  Think before doing.  If it isn't working for you, stop.  Most important, know yourself.

Solar Watch Charging

A few years ago I bought a Solar watch that wasn't holding a charge.  Being the kind of guy I am I built a solar watch charger, stuck the watch in it and let it charge for a week.  Works great now, holds a charge for a week or so.  That was back in 2012 and I have talked about it a few times on the Internet since.  I tried to drum up some funding for producing a short run of a few thousand Solar Watch Charging boxes, but, short sighted dorks couldn't see the value.

My first Solar Watch Charger (SWC) was a cheap, plastic, watch box that I stuck a 12v LED in the top of.  I wired it to a 12v adapter.

Later I built a few others, timers, batteries so I could travel with them, etc.  I worked with a timer on You Tube and in the post I discussed using it for an SWC. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j0eLz5n58lo) Don't watch the video if you are looking for a solar watch charger, I don't show it being used for that, although, I am currently using it for that purpose.

I actually hooked it up to an aquarium light I bought off of eBay.  I used to have the light plugged into a regular timer, the "geek" timer is just because I like messing with stuff.  I used those double sided tapes they use for those hooks that can be removed from walls to attach the light to the side of the jewelery box.

I broke the aquarium light clamp because the clamp was designed to fit on a wall thinner than the wooden toolbox I use as a jewelery box.  I leave the top open, but, I could wire lights into the lid so I could close it, I just haven't done that yet.  (comma splice) The light comes on for about an hour a day to keep my solar watches charged.

There is a guy who took my idea, ran with it and built a really hokey device.  He used to sell it for $10 bucks, then more, now it runs almost $30 on Amazon.  People have built lights in watch boxes.  All pretty simple stuff anyone can do really cheap.

The easiest way to charge a watch is to just set it somewhere and put an LED flashlight on top of it.  Just buy a cheap, short, LED flashlight, turn it on and put it on top of the dial.  Leave it for a while.  Yeah, sometimes the flashlight falls over, but, anyone can prop it up.  This is the main reason I couldn't get funding, everyone wanted to know why anyone would buy something they could do with a $1 flashlight.

There are these LED puck lights, buy one at a dollar store, put it under a shelf and shove your solar watch under the light.  Easy Peasy.  Costco sells LED Puck lights that have a timer built in and a very cool remote.  I had to wire a wireless remote into my timer to turn the lights on and off.

There are hundreds of ways to solve this solar watch charging problem.  I've shown a few here and discussed another.  I like building stuff.

Still, I imagine people will be producing SWC systems into the future.  Any of us who own more than one watch needs a way to keep our watches charged.  I like the aquarium light best, so far.  I can keep 8 watches fully charged in my jewelry box pretty easily. 

Elon Musk, idiot at large

Since the industrial revolution began "robots", automated machines, have been doing work that people used to do.

At one time people wove cloth on simple looms. As looms became more complicated and more automated fewer people were needed to weave the same amount of cloth.

At one time paper was hand made. It was incredibly expensive and labor intensive. Today machines make paper and we literally sh*t on it, of course, far fewer people are employed per any amount of paper.

Think about how many galley slaves lost their rowing jobs...

Now, I could write reams about the jobs lost to automation. From weavers to bullard operators. Truthfully, no one would care.

But, Elon Musk starts running his mouth about jobs being lost to robots and suddenly people are freaking out. Yes, people are going to lose jobs to automated machinery, "robots", just like they have been for hundreds, even thousands of years. That is never going to change. Unemployment will grow, and fall.

Truthfully, over population is a far greater danger than automated production systems.  Elon Musk isn't really an idiot, but, he has failed to understand the history of economics and manufacturing and that is pretty idiotic.

And, yes, people are going to become "cyborgs".  I have a "machine" inside of me already, a heart stent.  Medicine is going to use nanobots and people will have communication devices medically implanted in the future, just like they do today with cochlear implants.

Change is inevitable and hanging on to the past always fails.

We need to reduce the global population, especially in places where there isn't enough arable land to support the local population.  We really need a planet with less than 2 billion, preferably around 500,000,000, yes, 500 million.  That is a heck of a population reduction, but, it is better than us burying ourselves in our own garbage.

Christianity and marriage, once again

I'm Christian, see if this logic makes sense.

If marriage is of people, a creation of people and which people have authority over, then God has no authority over marriage and marriage begins when people say marriage begins.

If marriage is of God, created by God and which God has authority over, then people have no authority over marriage and God has sole authority over marriage.  Marriage begins and ends only when God decides it does.

Now, some people will claim that God gave the church authority over marriage, but, there are no scriptures that tell us this.  That's just something people who want control tell other people.

Luke 16:13 KJV
No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon."

Now, many people translate "mammon" into "money", but, if we look at the Greek translation it actually translates as "personified riches", as in "rich personality", what we might think of as "charismatic people" or leaders.

"Origin: of Aramaic origin (confidence, i.e. wealth, personified)

TDNT entry: 10:28,6

Part(s) of speech: Noun Masculine

Strong's Definition: Of Chaldee origin (confidence, that is, figuratively wealth, personified); mammonas, that is, avarice (deified): - mammon."

Okay, so we choose between two masters, people and God.  Which has authority over your marriage?

Me, I'm a Christian so I believe God has authority over marriage.  In my case, the Holy Ghost explained it to me and because I'm a person of reason the Holy Ghost used logic.  It flew in the face of my personal beliefs, but, there was no denying the logic or the Holy Ghost.

Nothing wrong with ceremonies and traditions, as long as we remember who is in charge of marriage.  I'm glad you honored your children's wishes.  Your marriage didn't begin when people said it did though, it began when God decided.  If you want to know when that is, pray and ask God.  Believe you will receive and God will give you the answer.