My Position On Blogging

Anonymity/Creditability

What's in a name?
By way of example let's take what made Epicurus, Bertrand Russell and tons of other famous names. Was it because of the name they were born with or was it for the opinions they expressed?

I maintain that ideas and opinions far outweigh the importance of those whose names are spoken. We only use their names in order to reference their works. W/O their ideas who would know of them?

Nearly all of the math's sciences are based on someone's work, yet who amongst the mathematicians know the names of those who have invented the formulas that they now rely on?

I freely express my opinions to everyone in this community. Like them or hate them as you so determine.

Whereas my name is mine and mine alone. I get to decide whether to expose myself or family to the entire internet throughout the world. It's not my wife's choice to be dragged into the mud over my internet activities as a hobby. Nor is it my children's. If you can't accept that then perhaps this blog's not for you.

Certain people have attempted to knock at my door. They also threaten to seek me out in a public place to confront me.

Sorry, you have every right to harass my blog, but I defend my private life vigorously. My ideas are freely exposed to everyone. This is not the choice I made when it comes to sharing my "REAL" physical life.

This is a blog about ideas. It's not about me... get it?

I could further speak on this at length, but I'll make this brief and to the point. There are lots of nationally recognized individuals I could name that I find have near zero creditability. The two are not interrelated. Hence what is the obsession for some people to have a face associated with this LVCI blog? Why is that so important to you?


Original Content

I've been further criticized-- "what perspective do you provide readers that cannot be gained by reading a newspaper.

The answer is my own expanded perspectives on those very news stories. Most every last one of the biggest (even monetized) blogs in the entire internet do exactly as I do.

Are you kidding me? W/O doing that there would be no blogs at all!

I start out basing my post on something I read. From there I give my thoughts and viewpoints based on a number of other links to additional material. I attempt to go beyond what the single article provides.

Where would the newspapers be w/o a full staff of reporters, a legal department, the AP and the UPI? These are large multimillion dollar firms.

I witness everyday how the cable news channels report on exactly what I have already read online 8 hours earlier. Where do you think these TV producers pull these stories from? They just follow up with calls to get video clips after the print media did all the work. Nearly all of their budgets are made up of everything other then field reporters.

I'm just one little ole' person with a blog and an opinion for God's sakes.

What I'm attempting to do is take the things I find of my greatest interest, pull a bunch of links together to do the research.

Research that readers may not have the inclination to do on their own in light of the tedious time consuming process required to delve into these things.


Summation
If your looking for original content. Most likely you will not find that here. What you will find is a compilation of my viewpoints on current major items that interest me and when I feel they merit comment.

I dice that up with a whole bunch of other things that I enjoy and come across from time to time. There's no theme here. I like the grab bag idea of readers not knowing what to expect each time they visit.

While most blogs consider loading up videos as a deviation from what blogging supposed to be, I feel videos are like pictures and can say a thousand words. In others they speak far more eloquently then I could simply by typing words. They can offer you video presentations of what they are speaking about.

Still other videos I find amusing or entertaining and wish to share them. No one says you have to play them, but there they are. Available if you want to. If they annoy, no one need do other then skip right past them w/o wasting anyone's time.

I truly feel I'm not in competition with either the news sources nor other bloggers. My intentions are to use this median to expand what is available to users. Not to take away, but rather to add to the information that is made available.

This entire piece is about my position regarding publishing this blog. It is not (nor will it ever be) used to criticize another blogger.

The most important things to me is to maintain this blog's links to all sources of materials used here. And my honest intentions to provide accurate, ethical and reliable viewpoints with respect to opposing views. Just as I live those in my "REAL" life.

Irregardless of whether LVCI is anonymous or not, I am not saying anything here that I wouldn't say to a person's face in "REAL" life. That is the number one policy I adhere to here.

The second most important policy I maintain is that of not using my name.

Like many others throughout history, I prefer to publish under a pseudonym (LVCI). This in order to protect myself against all kinds of kooks and screwballs that abuse individuals such as myself who put themselves out here on the internet.

My hopes are that you will understand and respect that.

Today In History

Sometimes these aren't all that interesting. BUT I found today's rather significant.

Nature's Paradoxical (Me Too)

For the last 6 weeks or so I've been nurturing a very sore shoulder. I'm not sure how it became that way, but I suspect it's from hanging onto the computer mouse too many hours. Last year I had the same thing. I walked away from the computer for a few days and it disappeared.

So how come it is when you think you have nature all figured out it turns your logic inside out? That little previous trick of mine hasn't worked out at all for me this time.

Being cheap and (even more so) bullheaded I'm determined I don't need to see a doctor for a cortisone shot (kenalog) and anti inflammatory meds (naproxen). Much would be the same case if I were to go the route of a chiropractor. Sure it would be the intelligent thing to do and my troubles would have been gone weeks ago. But hey..

I'm the same guy who thought my wrist would heal after a fall last year. Everyone who saw it declared it broken. NOT ME!

The cheap part relates to what my insurance denies provides. The bullheaded part is to be in denial over the fact that my wrist could possibly be broken, despite the severe pain and my hand wasn't lined up with the rest of my arm.

Apparently prayer and the mind over matter thing ain't all it's cracked up to be. :-)

Well after 3 weeks of denial I broke down and had the surgery. I was billed for $27,333! Course with a whole lot of luck and lots of back and forth negations over the next 8 months the total insurance allowed costs came in at around $5,100.

Yeah I may be cheap but the $27,333 certainly had me scared to hell!

Now back to this shoulder thing I'm trying to self heal. This is the part were nature interjects it's satirical humor and becomes paradoxical. Friday we went for a bike ride (yeah like that made my arm feel any better). While we were gone doesn't the 50ft sycamore tree decide to drop a 5" x 17 foot branch onto the street and come to a rest leaning on top of the neighbor's car.

Fortunately it did not damage her car because it didn't directly fall on it. Even more fortunate is the fact it didn't hit one of our many sidewalk walkers.

Now explain to me how we've had rain storms with 60mph gusts.. NOTHING. Explain to me how all winter in 20" snows.. NOTHING Then explain to me how on a day like Friday where there was no wind and nothing but blue sky, this branch decided to take a suicide leap? I'll tell you why. It's because Friday after the bike ride, my shoulder was screaming and nature likes to prank.

Rather then use the bow saw to cut it up and beat up my shoulder I got the bright idea to saw it up with my reciprocating saw. Instead it doubled my fun. My arm did more "reciprocating" to my sore shoulder then the damned saw that was supposed to be recipricating! Let me tell you severe vibro-therapy doesn't work all too well either for treatment of a painful shoulder. :-)

AND as a bonus.. I got a grandaddy of a blister. When I was done I also noticed I bendt the "shoe" on it too...DAMN.

Now, as I'm typing, I'm further aggravating the silly sucker. I sure don't heal in 24 hours like I used to. Guess I'm not a 20 year old anymore.

So it looks like today I will forced put away the ice packs and heat patches and pick up the telephone and call the doc and get me some meds..

I SURRENDER!

(video courtesy ConsumersUnion)

Now is a good time as any to warn people how dangerous trees are. I personally knew two people who were actually killed by falling tree branches.