Queer Theory has co-opted pregnancy

I read this article today, and I was very irritated at the use of "pregnant people", instead of "pregnant women".

Queer Theory has Invaded NPR - Pregnant People

The feminist in me is absolutely fucking infuriated! Seriously? We can't call them WOMEN anymore? Look, if you have the ability to host a fetus and carry it to live birth, YOU'RE A WOMAN! I don't give a fuck what you "identify as". You can identify as a kumquat for all I care, but I'm fucking LIVID at this attempted queering of the fact of WOMANHOOD.

This nonsense is why the left loses elections. It really annoys people. When we fought for marriage equality, we were seeking to join an institution, and enjoy the benefits that everyone else took for granted. We weren't trying to redefine anything. My ability to visit my partner in the hospital and receive tax-free health insurance through his work have absolutely nothing to do with the ability of a straight couple to get married in a church, temple, or synagogue. What these people are doing is trying to undermine the very existence of men and women as identities. In post-modernist thinking, this is a concept called "queering", and it's a fucking disgrace.

Oh, and by the way, most Latinos and Latinas don't accept the label of "Latinx". I think most of them see the proponents of this nonsense as youthful naivety. They don't see what it is: an attempt at queering their identities.

My thoughts on those who oppose gentrification

Woke people complain bitterly about the achievement gap, wealth disparities, and the fact that Black People were historically redlined out of certain neighborhoods. They are right to point out these historical injustices, and their impact on Black People today. 

However, they seem to have a blind spot when they complain about "gentrification". They complain bitterly about "those people" moving into "their neighborhoods" and driving up property values, which pushes the poorest people out of the neighborhood. They're pushing for quotas, limits of non-Black people who can live in those neighborhoods. Do they not see that a policy like that will only serve to drive down property values, and starve the schools of much-needed revenue from property taxes? Do they not see that their animosity toward "those people" is not unlike the racism their ancestors were subjected to? It's essentially reverse redlining!

When I point this out, most woke people switch tactics to mandating affordable housing for any new construction. That's fine, but do they not realize that such a cost would be passed along to the buyers of the property, thereby increasing the property values and driving poor people out of the area? 

But what about the affordable housing? Most urban and suburban areas having waiting lists that are years long to get on affordable housing. Also, it is not guaranteed that local people will get that affordable housing unless they receive preferential treatment on the waiting list. But that amounts to basing rental applications on the race of the applicant! Not only is that a violation of many laws, but it's the very thing we fought against as a society, and still fight against it to this very day!

As you can see, most of the woke policy prescriptions result in racist discrimination against anyone who isn't Black. That violates the equal protection clause of the 14th amendment to the constitution. You know, one of the amendments that laid out "equality before the law" as the law of the land.

Ibrahim X. Kendi is an outspoken proponent of the idea of retaliatory discrimination. In his steaming pile book, How to Be An Anti-Racist", he explicitly lays out discrimination against White people as a preferred policy. "The only remedy to past discrimination is present discrimination", is a direct quote from his "how to" book. I sold the copy that was blind-mailed to our house after reading it, so I can't give a specific chapter or page. Sorry.

Keep in mind, this guy admits to previously believing that White People are extraterrestrials, as in aliens from outer-space. I applaud him for admitting that, but moving from extraterrestrials to "different breed of human" isn't much of an improvement. He does stand against the notion that Black people can't be racist. So, hopefully he is smart enough to eventually see the problems with his policy prescriptions.

Ultimately, I believe the anti-gentrification nonsense is yet another socialist hairbrained theory that is doomed to failure. Unfortunately, I think it will do a lot of damage to race relations, and probably end up costing Black People a lot in the long run.

Tried to Reason with Leftist Podcasters on Critical Race Theory - It didn't go well

I made a mistake. I honestly expected two leftist podcasters, who claim to be rationalists and to support science, to listen to my arguments against Critical Race Theory. I tried to do it privately over the patreon messaging system. This is how it went down:

Me: "Yeah, I know that really pissed off ("comedian" podcaster's name), which just goes to demonstrate my point. I get the same response from my Mormon step-father when I quote Brigham Young condemning to death any White person who "mixes their seed" with Black people.  I'm going to change my screen name weekly to highlight different vile aspect of the wokeness cult. This week's is a gem. "The only remedy to past discrimination is present discrimination". That comes directly from Mr. Kendi's book "How to be an Anti-Racist". My partner's work mailed the book to our house. I'm sympathetic to the struggles of Black people, so I sat down and read it. I was absolutely horrified."

Leftist Podcasters: "How offended someone gets when you say something isn't, in fact, a sign that what you're saying is true. Wokeness is not a cult, and yes, there are no colorblind ways to fix structural racism. That is an obviously correct point from Kendi."

Did you notice how he never refuted my actual argument, that Mr. Kendi is promoting the idea that discrimination against White People is the only remedy for past discrimination against Black People? Instead of dealing with my actual argument, he latched on to my "mormons getting upset" analogy. Fairly typical for someone who is disingenuous. As for his claim that there is no color-blind way to "fix structural racism", all I can say is the very idea of "structural racism" is part of the post-modernist, intersectional, cult of wokeness. It's a made up thing to give woke idiots political cover for being racist against White People. Continuing on...

Me: "Let me ask you a question. Is it wrong to let someone sit in jail because they cannot afford bail?"

Me: "The reason I ask is, the Northwest Community Bail Fund is "prioritizing marginalized people", and they explicitly ask for the "race or perceived race" of the person in jail. When pressed for an answer on what qualifies someone as "marginalized", they say that poverty alone is not sufficient. They won't come right out and say they're discriminating based on race, but that's the implication. I used to donate to them, a lot. When I found this out, I stopped my monthly contributions. This racist behavior is a direct result of critical race theory / wokeness. Discriminating against White people isn't going to help Black people. It will only serve to inflame racial tensions.

Me: "I grew up in a poor family, and I watched loved ones sit in jail because we were too poor to pay for their bail or a lawyer. I'm offended by the idea that my father, who was arrested and assaulted by the police while having a schizophrenic episode, would have been denied help by this organization because of his "perceived race".

Me: "I have nothing against Black people. When we lived in Atlanta, I scoured the court records looking for people who were left rotting in jail after their sentences had expired. I found dozens of them, all Black, and reported their cases to the Georgia ACLU, and I stood outside the DeKalb County Recorder's Court protesting the illegal detentions. When I was a kid, my friend Chrystal was slapped by a teacher and called the n-word in class. I walked out of class, marched to the principal's office, called my mom at work to tell her what was about to go down, and I barged into the principal's office and demanded the teacher be fired. I got suspended, but my mom said she was proud of me. When we lived in Rochester, MN, I worked for a company that had zero Black employees, and I overheard some of the customer service people complaining about the "colored UPS guy". When it came time to start up a marketing department, I made sure to find qualified some Black candidates and hired them as part of an integrated team. When my assistant left the company, I hired Janie, only to have the owner display his racism by telling me to "keep that n-word off the phones with my customers". When I was interviewing for jobs in Atlanta, I was interviewing for an accounting position at a firm that did a fair amount of business with Delta Airlines. During the interview, the owner of the company praised me for my Mormon heritage, and said he'd never hire an n-word in his administrative offices, and certainly not in accounting. I left that interview, declined the job offer, and called a friend who works at Delta to let her know the guy was a racist asshole. When all these videos started to surface showing Black people being brutalized and killed by police, I stood on an overpass here in Seattle with a big banner that says "Stop Killing Black People", and I began donating to the Northwest Community Bail Fund.

Me: "I'm not a bigot. I'm worried that the ideas of "critical race theory", will set race relations back by causing a backlash. Racial justice cannot contain discrimination. If it does, it is just another side of the same racist coin.

Me: "Either way, I still respect both of you, even though I disagree with the extremes of the wokeness movement. Hopefully something good will come of it.

Leftist Podcasters: "Thanks for the respect & support even if we disagree. We need more of that these days :)"

After that lip-service to "respect & support", one of the hosts said on-air something to the effect of "why doesn't that guy just take his donation and leave". I changed my patreon screen name to "Read Cynical Theories by Helen Pluckrose", and the same host said "don't do that, it's a horrible book".

So, I've decided to switch my patreon support away from these leftist nutbags, and shift half of it to Coleman Hughes, and give the rest to Hopelink (the local food bank and homeless services charity).

If anyone has any podcasts about the law that aren't run by blind leftist tw@ts, please let me know.

Drive-through COVID-19 Testing in Renton, WA - My Experience

I woke up yesterday with a lump in my throat and chills. I'm prone to ear infections this time of year, but I couldn't be too cavalier with my in-laws (in their 70s) in the house.

I went online and requested an appointment. Renton Drive Through COVID-19 Testing

I selected that I had symptoms, and it came up with an appointment the same day. I arrived 20 minutes BEFORE my appointment.

This is what was required:

• Driver License or state issued ID
• Insurance Card - not sure what happens if you don't have insurance
• The email confirmation of showing the appointment
• Face mask or covering

The site previously served as some kind of mechanic shop with 4 bays. There was also a large tent with two more bays. Each bay served as a drive through. It is behind a car dealership, and the GPS tried to take me through the dealership. Realizing the dealership probably wouldn't allow hundreds of cars through their lot daily, I continued down the road. On the corner was a small sign saying "covid testing this way". I followed the signs, all of which are small, to the testing site.

I waited in line, and was eventually met by a friendly lady who asked to see the email confirmation for my appointment. I saw many people being turned away without that confirmation email. You can print it out if you don't have a cell phone. However, the test result notification is sent via text/sms, so you really should have a cell phone number you can give them to receive the result notification.

After I showed the lady the email, she directed me to one of 3 lanes of cars waiting for testing. After a few minutes of waiting, I made my way to another lady who asked my name and asked to see my ID and insurance card, both of which I held up for her to inspect. She typed some information in her pad and told me to continue waiting in my lane. Once I reached the front of the lane, another lady directed me to one of the 5 bays using finger signals for the bay number she wanted me to go into.

I pulled into the designated bay and waited. Eventually, a lady came up to my car door and asked me to roll the window up most of the way. Then she asked for my ID and Insurance card again. She asked me questions about my symptoms. She went away and came back with a piece of paper with a QR code, which she slipped into the small opening in the window. She directed me to wait until the car in front of me finished, and to pull forward. She also put a sticker on my window.

When I pulled forward, the next lady in the bay asked for my name and date of birth. She explained that this would be a self-administered swab, explained how I would perform the swab, and handed me the swab. She asked me to roll the window up, pull my mask off, swab around deep inside each nostril, and hand it back to her.

She took the swab, put it in a plastic container, pulled the sticker off my window and put it on the plastic container. She thanked me for coming and directed me out the front.

All-in-all, it was a good experience. I think the signage directing traffic to the testing site wasn't great, but it worked. As I pulled up for the swab, the lady actually ran in front of my car. She seemed panicked about something. I slammed on the brakes, and she gestured an apology. I also find it strange that this was the only drive-through testing site on the east side, if you can call Renton the east side. The only other option was Sea Mar clinic in Bellevue, but you have to see their doctor before they give you the test, and that requires two different appointments. Sea Mar's first appointment was a week out, and that was just to see the doctor. Remember that when the woke brigade complains about "rich white people" using SCAN home delivery.

Edit: 12/7/2020 at 9:47 AM

I received a text message early this morning saying my test results were ready. This was less than a day turn around. I clicked the link and typed in the code from the piece of paper they provided at the testing site. It required me to download a pdf to view the results (not ideal for mobile phones). I viewed the pdf, and saw the result: negative. The paperwork said if I had been positive, I would receive a call to follow up. I'm usually quite skeptical of government, as the road to hell is paved with good intentions. However, King County seems to have done a good job building a robust testing system. The next time we have to write out the property tax checks, I won't be quite so irritated.

Accredited Investor - a scam on the poor and middle class

If a poor person manages to scrape together $100, shouldn't they be allowed to invest it in any way they choose? According to the SEC and many state laws, the answer is a paternalistic and resounding NO!

According to the Securities Act of 1933 (amended by Dodd-Frank in 2010), you have to earn AT LEAST $200,000 annually for the last two years (so $400k over two years) AND have assets that exceed one million dollars. To make matters worse, that 1 million dollar threshold does NOT include your primary residence.

So, unless you have one million dollars in the bank AND make over $200k per year, you're frozen out of the most lucrative investments available in the economy.

Why does Regulation D exist? The excuse given by the swine lawmakers who support this paternalistic poppycock is: to protect the poor from having their money taken in bad investments.

Think about that for a moment. The legislators who support this scheme, all of whom are part of the "investor class", and were probably born qualifying as "accredited investors", think it's totally fine to relegate the poor and middle class to minuscule returns on CDs and savings accounts, but they absolutely forbid you to buy into an IPO or participate in peer-to-peer lending. They're also fine allowing a middle class person to lose their shirt in the stock market, but they reserve the really profitable stuff for themselves.

This, along with the capital gains scam, is a big part of the wealth disparity in this country. The "investor class" has created a system by which they reserve the really profitable deals for themselves, and leave everyone else to feed on their table scraps AND to pay all the taxes. It's a fucking disgrace.

Tips for Hiring Day Labor for Remodeling

We bought a new house recently, and the old girl needed a facelift. I've always thought day laborers were honest, hard working people just trying to make an honest living. My experience with day laborers has disabused me of that belief. They're just as greedy and manipulative as everyone else.

I don't want to dwell on the negatives of my experience, so I'll just give some hindsight advice.

1. Never hire anyone hourly. NEVER. Break the work down into smaller tasks, and pay them by the task. Hourly workers will milk the clock. They'll slow down the project in order to compensate for their perception of poor earnings. I was paying $25 per hour, and they burned through my labor budget very quickly, while the project crept along at a glacial pace. The project suddenly had wings when I switched to task based pay, and they earned more. You just cannot pay them until each task is completed to your satisfaction. Don't abuse this leverage, but don't let them get away with half assed work for whole assed pay.

2. Don't let them take on tasks they weren't explicitly hired for. Otherwise, they burrow themselves deeply in the project and it becomes painful to get rid of them when they start milking the clock.

3. Remember to keep well on the contractor side of the law. It's easy to stray into employment territory when working with contractors and day laborers. To learn more, research the difference between a contractor and an employee.

4. Never offer to reimburse a day laborer for supplies they buy. This is an outright invitation to screw you. You buy the supplies and rent any tools required. When they ask for something, ask them to find it on the home depot app and send you screenshots or links to the item. You can find the item in your local home depot by aisle and bay.

5. Don't let them keep you running to home depot for supplies. At the end of each day, consult with each person on the next days tasks, and build a list of items. After they leave for the day, head over to home depot to buy supplies for the next day. You may want to check your list over with someone who knows what's up, so you don't miss anything. If you allow them to send you off to the hardware store multiple times per day, they'll stop the work while you're gone, and you'll be exhausted. Seriously. They're putting you in a mouse wheel and stopping the work while you're running.

6. Don't ignore warning signs. Bad attitude? Goodbye! Consistently later than the start time they committed to? Adios! Not showing up on days they said they would work? Goodbye! Demanding pay for incomplete tasks? Not a chance. Leaving the jobsite a mess? Get rid of them. Smoking in your house? You're fired!

7. Never pay them until the jobsite is cleaned up. They'll leave a mess if you let them. Make it clear that the jobsite must be clean, including tools and supplies put away before they are paid.

8. Don't try to be friends with them. Treat them with respect, but don't tell them about your life. Don't share any details about yourself. Certainly don't discuss what you do for a living or how much you make. I hate to use this classist meme, but it's true: don't get chummy with the help.

9. Fire people regularly. I don't mean randomly fire them. I mean fire them when you see a red flag. Ask them to step aside, negotiate fair compensation for the work they've done so far for the day, pay them and send them packing. Don't refuse to pay them, as that's a recipe for an altercation. Pay them and part ways amicably.

10. Only hire individuals. They'll often offer to bring a friend. Don't do it until you've seen the first guy's work. If you end up firing the first guy, his buddy will probably quit too. Also, two bad apples ruin the rest far more quickly than one.

11. When you find a day laborer who is honest, works quickly, has a good attitude and shows up when they say they will, go out of your way to keep them. This person is rare, but they are invaluable.

12. Never mingle your tools with theirs. Write your name on each of your tools and insist they put your tools away with the rest of your tools before they leave.

13. Insist that they clean your tools and treat your tools with respect. A worker who doesn't clean and stow your tools is disrespectful and should be fired immediately.

I've said so much about things you shouldn't do. Here's a list of things you should do:

1. Provide bottled water, refrigerated if possible. They work hard, and it's inhumane to leave them without water.

2. Provide some prepackaged snacks like granola bars. It helps keep grumpiness at bay, and helps the workers who may not have enough money to buy lunch. Don't be stingy with the snacks.

3. Provide a proper bathroom for them to use. Keep it stocked with toilet paper, paper towels, soap, clorox wipes, and hand sanitizer.

4. Provide any necessary protective equipment. Dust masks are important for any jobsite. If your house was built before 1985, assume it's riddled with lead and asbestos, and provide the proper PPE. You can't force them to wear it, but you must provide it.

5. If your house was built before 1985, test paint for lead, and test insulation and popcorn ceilings for asbestos. If the tests are positive, have the lead or asbestos remediated before starting any other work. If the tests are negative, still provide the necessary PPE they would need if it were positive. If you provide it and they don't use it, that's their liability, not yours.

6. Pay them fairly. Only evil people make others work for starvation wages. Keep in mind the prevailing wage, and the physical toll this work takes on the body. Remember the 3 Ds of economics: if the work is dirty, dangerous or demeaning, the pay should go up commensurate with the level of filth, danger and demeaning nature of the work. Keep in mind these people probably make very little in the winter.

7. Treat them with dignity. They're sentient beings trying to survive. Treat them with kindness, even as you show them the door. After all, your current prosperity could evaporate in a second, and you could find yourself walking in their shoes. Treat them as you'd like to be treated.

Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone

Just when I was starting to come to accept BLM despite its flaws, they take over part of our city and start doing horrible things like throwing out the press and bullying anyone who questions the autocracy of King Raz Simone. These idiots have erected armed barricades. There are reports that these "protestors" are demanding protection money from local businesses.

Then, our idiot president waded into the controversy by threatening the city with military force.

This whole thing is a cluster fuck. I feel bad for anyone living, working or running a business in that area. I hope homophobia isn't running rampant in this historic gay neighborhood. I can only imagine the barbarity being perpetrated on Capitol Hill. As this leftist crazy train gains steam, I am more horrified as the days pass.

Rioting and Looting is not a Protest

I'm saddened, yet again, to see another black man killed by excessive force of police. I'm not one to cry often, but I sobbed hearing that poor man cry out for his mother as the barbarian cop kneeled on his neck. Another death. Another family robbed of their loved one. Passing a fake bill should not be a death sentence. This isn't China!

I would caution the protestors to avoid rioting and looting. Looting may feel like justice, but it is self defeating and alienates people who would otherwise support your cause. Rioting and looting also reinforce negative stereotypes about black people as irrational, violent, and prone to crime.