The Dude

I believe in being the best man or woman you can be. I believe in independence, self-sufficiency and intelligence. I believe in taking responsibility for your own destiny in life, and not believing everything you hear, but being open minded enough to consider it.

Except for the occasional glass of wine, I don't do recreational drugs, and even with wine they say an occasional glass is a healthy thing. I don't smoke, and believe anyone that does should probably quit, but it's better to be free than to be healthy by state mandate, so you should be allowed to do what you want with your life. Besides, some drugs might actually be good for you if your ill and you should be the judge of that, not some lawyer or politician. It is your life. Take whatever drugs you want, but be fully responsible for what you take.

About the only thing I have in common with the government is the belief that average people are too stupid to take care of themselves. Then again, most people have a lot more potential than they think.

I'm a libertarian, both idealogically and politically. (Is there a difference?) A libertarian is someone that applies common sense to government and society, and understands first and formost that people can be, should be, and have to be capable enough to make their own decisions in life.

Cable TV? Forget it. That's one of society's main problems. I shut that off back in '97 and it was one of the best decisions I ever made. If I want to see a movie I'll rent it and skip all the annoying commercials while I'm at it, enjoying the movie as it was intended.

I don't trust the government because trust must be earned and government never does that. I don't trust the bureaucratic FDA to to protect me from multi-billion dollar corporate interests within the food or pharmaceutical industries, and I think anyone who does is a moron 8^). I don't trust that new fangled genetically modified food, and generally avoid manufactured food that roles off an assembly line. I believe the typical American diet falls far short of what is optimal for good health and long life, that the typical diet is the cause of much of America's medical ills, and the likely reason why so many Americans struggle with being overweight.

I generally have more faith in alternative medicine and homeopathic remedies than I do in standard western medicine, though there is good and bad on both sides of the fence. I'm a witness to the success of several different remedies of this type.

I like music. Contemporary pop, some oldies, classic rock, and the occasional country all have a place but none of that touches the sophisticated melodies of new age style music such as Yanni. Still, I don't care for classical music.

I'm a pilot, or at least used to be, flying Cessna's and ultralights, and a scuba diver. I can play bass guitar good enough to be in some live bands. I enjoy time with my good friends and am active in a local leisure gaming club.

Computers and internet are my thing. I have and enjoy a Jeep and I don't want to live in the city, though I usually enjoy the occasional visit. I prefer living in the sticks but still like having people around.

Neil

This Web Page: http://www.cjmciver.org/neil.shtml