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Good Riddance, may God have mercy on his soul.
Get your tonsils ready for some esophageal fricatives, here’s that scoundrel’s real name:

Mohammed Abdel Rahman Abdel Raouf Arafat al Qudua al Husseini

From a recent correspondence:

> Heh heh… Someone Googled up the following:
> 30 pieces of silver 501c3
>
> Your blog comes up #3

As I wrote in my essay on ethics, I’m doing JRPottery no favors by blogging. That’s OK, I don’t mind continuing to live frugally. I do truly fear what this country is becoming, a Pharisee-Christian Theocracy going overboard in reaction to the Patchouli Hippy-Commies, as each side self-righteously ascribes 100% of the blame for our current social malaise to the other.
My “Carbuncle” about the Big Rock keeps coming back to my mind though: we’d better figure out how to set a fire under this one, then baptize it with plenty of cold water!

Actually, Sensei said to me, “O-meh no kimochi kankeh neeh, yo!”, which is Okayama Dialect for the title of this essay.
At the time, I was a misty-eyed liberal, just graduated from college. The statement was shocking to me, I (for once) was at a loss for words! Thank Goodness, I surely would have said something reflective of just what a fool I was.
I didn’t believe I would consider that one of the seminal moments of my life, though I recognize it as such now. It only took a few years of being self-employed for me to see how wise he was.

My “Senpai”, ‘elder apprentice’, and I built a kiln while I was in Japan.
Not long into the process, we ran into a big rock, right where the kiln was to go. We tried to move it with a backhoe, it was too big; we tried to dig it out, but it seemed to be the size of a house. So, we attacked it with a jack hammer, a sledge hammer, we spent hours PING-PING-PINGing, but it was remarkably hard. We worked after our regular apprenticeship duties were finished each day, until we were tired, but we were getting nowhere. We decided to redouble our efforts on a Saturday, we arranged with Sensei to give both of us the same day off. We got there early, and by 8:30 we were projectile-sweating like cartoon characters, but the dent in the big rock was depressingly small.
Sensei walked up the hill to where we were working. He had a suggestion: dig out a bit more beneath the rock, build a fire to heat it, then quench it with water. Very likely the rock would develop cracks, and break easily; if not, that meant it naturally had the qualities of a firebrick, and by slightly altering the kiln shape we could incorporate the rock into the kiln wall. Turns out, the rock did develop the cracks, and it broke into a million pieces when we attacked again with the sledge hammer.
Lesson: hard work is good, smart work is better.

Borrowing from Hippocrates: “First, Do No Harm.”
We can summarily dismiss as unethical the actions of those who harm others, whether for personal gain, through negligence, or through base spite.
“Second, be sure that what you are doing is good.”
We will all correctly discern, on Judgment Day, whether we have been right or wrong all along.
Sometimes both the actor and the recipient agree on what “good” is, and sometimes both are correct. A notable common exception to this is “giving a drunk a drink”.
Other times, the actor may claim to have the best intention, and may even have “convinced” himself of his claim. Lies repeated often and loudly enough, even by and to one’s self, can be quite persuasive, especially when those lies are echoed by sources considered authoritative, such as a government, a “scientist”, a radio, an Idiot Box (TV, that is, the most widespread and least notorious “Time-Suck” in the world today), a religious authority, a book, even the Internet, although I believe the Internet to be, eventually, self-correcting; I eagerly await some correcting!
“Third, the more sure you are, the more likely it is that you’re flat wrong.”
Again, we will all correctly discern, on Judgment Day, whether we’ve been right or wrong all along. If you don’t like what a person does, eschew that person, excoriate that person if you wish. Unless that person directly causes you harm or places you at risk of harm, you have no right to impose your will on him.
“Fourth, none of this should need to be said at all.”
I write this, knowing and accepting that I’m doing my business no favor.
Most of us believe, and I concur, that there is a malaise pervasive in society today. Peggy Noonan recently wrote an article, published by OpinionJournal.com, called “A Separate Peace”, in which she discussed this malaise. I commend her article to you. As always, at risk of offending, I see myself as a physician, proffering a great, big hypodermic to a world that really doesn’t want a shot in the butt, thanks just the same.
It is high time for all of us to reflect on how we affect each other.

Recently I purchased a gun. I completed the forms, until I got to the line that asked for my “Social Security” Number. The form emphasized that this information was (boldface) VOLUNTARY. The salesman told me it was voluntary on the federal form, but in Tennessee that information is required.
Dirty, cynical “shell game”. “Land of the Free”, indeed. Since when is that number the property of Tennessee? The Liars who ignored the Constitution to pass Social Security legislation promised it would never be used as ID anyway.
I provided what the salesman called my “Social”, and cursed.
Then the salesman proffered a blotter, and I was required to impress both of my thumbprints. It is no comfort to know that my thumbprints are now and forever stuck up the “Annals” of the TBI!
Even that did not suffice: They photocopied my Tennessee Driver License.
Then the gun shop had to call the TBI, and after about 45 minutes they, it seems, were unable to find an adequate excuse to deny my purchase, so I finally bought the darn gun. “Land of the Free”, indeed, I sarcastically say again. One of several things in the Bible with which I agree: “The Truth Shall Set You Free”. The Tree of Liberty is withering, soon I fear it will be watered with the Blood of Patriots, as Patrick Henry said, and I should hope, with the Blood of Tyrants.
Have a nice day.

[Bugsy and Daffy, holding hands as they skip off to the courthouse]: “We’re gonna have a wedding, we’re gonna have a wedding!”
[Elmer Fudd, addressing Yosemite Sam]: “OOOOHH, that wascally wabbit’s gonna mawwy a duck! Theyre gonna push the ‘Wed’ button, I told them never, never push the ‘Wed’ button”!

Both sides correctly call the other side puerile.

Many Christians question atheists’ motivation to do good and refrain from doing harm, as the latter do not believe there will be repercussions for their actions and omissions on Judgment Day. The Christians may have a point, but cannot the same objection be raised against them, if they believe they’re already “saved”? The phrase “Sunday Christians” comes to mind.
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It is exactly as accurate to say of Jesus that he died on the cross, as it is to say of the unfortunate victims on September 11, 2001, that they died in the World Trade Towers. Jesus was killed by religious zealots, just as the 9-11 victims were killed by religious zealots.
Did Jesus in fact die that day? They had no forensic labs to verify that. Please bear in mind that the human body is remarkably resilient, thank God.
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Which version of the Bible is the Word of God? I believe that if any version were Divinely Inspired, that version alone would be universally attractive. Similarly, if Jesus was in fact the Christ, the Anointed One, why is he not recognized by all of us as such? I believe when we finally do see our Lord and Creator, all of us will immediately recognize and worship Him. “Religion” as we know it today, codifications of beliefs, will all be moot.
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The Bible says, “The Lord thy God is a jealous God.” Of whom, and over what?

All of the above involve taking Life, which can only be granted and sustained by God. Further, incarceration falls into the same category because it is the taking of somebody’s Free Time, which again can only be granted and sustained by God.
I encourage you, Dear Reader, to Pray deeply and thankfully every time you eat, and not to consign decisions on abortion or the death penalty to any branch of the federal government. Local governments are at least as apt to decide wisely, as they are closer, and the federal government cannot but misrepresent at least some of those it is supposed to represent whenever it essays to decide such contentious matters.

Point 1: The Constitution does not grant to the federal government authority to “educate” anybody. Congress, in arrogantly usurping this authority, assumed a burden it cannot bear: it must decide what shall and shall not be taught. If Congress decides it is proper to teach “sexual education”, it then must decide the syllabus, as well as the proper year to teach children. Recently proper condom use was demonstrated to elementary school kids, using a cucumber as a stage prop.
What about Science? Should Congress decide whether kids should be taught “creation” or “evolution”? They will misrepresent taxpayers, whichever they teach.
How dare Congress decide which portions of History should be taught, as they must, unless they expect every bit of History to be taught?
Point 2: Those who have graduated from high school should have a command of the subjects required. That means, Teacher’s Union caterwauling to the contrary notwithstanding, that parents should be able to educate their own children, and if they are not, they should not have graduated.
Some may object that there is insufficient time to teach their children. Let’s do a little math: There are 168 hours in a week. Subtract a generous 56 hours for sleep, and -again let’s be generous- 60 hours for work. That still leaves 52 hours! That’s over 7 hours a day. Throw a hammer through your stupid Idiot Box, you’ll have plenty of time to teach your kids.
Point 3: Parents are quick to ascribe blame to Teachers, Teachers’ Unions, and Schools, for the pathetic inadequacy and shameless inappropriateness of the “education” inflicted on their children, but they -you, Gentle Reader- are eager to send your kids to schools, year after year. Blame whom you will.