Truths, as seen from my saddle.

[Forty Rod SASS 3935]

100 (or more) IRREFUTABLE TRUTHS
by Tom “Forty Rod” Taylor

 

NOTE: These were written over a period of three or four years and should probably be updated a bit. That doesn't change the fact that they are still true, important and absolutely brilliant, if I do say so myself.

1. The government is not here to help you.

2. No one is a “hero” because they are employed in the sports or entertainment industries, or is an inspiring public figure.

3. The United States is not a democracy.

4. All cops are not heroes, nor are all firefighters, soldiers, or paramedics, etc. Most are just people doing a damned difficult job. Sometimes they get killed, but that alone does not make them heroes, either.

5. No one knows everything. If you have a question, shop around for an expert. Better yet, shop around for several.

6. Most schoolteachers are neither underpaid nor over-worked. Heaven help them if they are ever paid based on the quality of the "product" they turn out.

7. Wal-Mart is not evil. Neither is “Big Oil”, the insurance industry, auto manufacturers, or any other successful business simply because they are successful.

8. Being a celebrity does not make anyone an authority on anything, nor are they owed anything, especially respect.

9. The words “star” and “superstar” are vastly overused. So is “hero”.

10. There is practically nothing that the government does better than private enterprise.

11. The economy was doing very well in spite of what the liberals want you to believe. They destroyed it.

12. Labor unions aren’t necessarily good for America, especially government employee unions.

13. Immigrants built America, but ILLEGAL immigrants are destroying it.

14. Mexico’s culture is in no way superior to any other on Earth. This is also true of hundreds of other “cultures” which believe they are somehow better than we are. We’ve saved a surprising number of them from extinction in the last century or so.

15. You have a right to your opinion. I have a right to think it’s stupid. The reverse is also true.

16. “The Japanese (or anyone else) do it this way” is no reason for us to do it “this way”.

17. Many people (Most?) don’t care about the lives of celebrities. Still, entirely too many do.

18. There is practically nothing worth watching on television.

19. The hippy philosophy has been discredited years ago. So were socialism and communism. Get over it.

20. No one else in the place thinks your child’s antics are “cute”. Most people find them very annoying and resent you for letting them run amok.

21. The music is too damned loud! I don't care where you are, the music is too damned loud!

22. Islam is not a religion of peace. They want all the rest of us dead.

23. Most movies, magazines, newspapers, TV programs, and books are garbage.

24. Communism doesn’t work…ever. It never has and it never will. DO NOT LET IT TAKE OVER HERE!!!

25. Isn’t it fortunate for us both that your opinion of me doesn’t mean a damn thing?

26. Just because someone is blonde doesn’t mean they have to be stupid.

27. Very skinny people are not attractive. Very fat people are not attractive. Almost everyone looks better with their clothes on.

28. Gun control is PEOPLE control. Those who push for gun control either don’t care a damned bit about crime or are too stupid to be alive.

29. No one cares how you did it where you came from. Most of us wish you’d go the hell back.

30. My dog is a part of my family and more important to me than the vast majority of humans.

31. Most actors can’t act.

32. “It’s not the heat, it’s the humidity” is crap. It is the heat. Humidity is an added misery factor.

33. Poverty doesn’t cause crime! Poverty is an excuse for people who are criminals.

34. You can too quit smoking. I did after thirty-five years of three and four packs a day. It was very unpleasant for a week or so, but I did it.

35. Alcoholism and drug use are diseases like suicide is a disease. They are self-inflicted. I whipped the first on my own. Never dealt with the second, and can't conceive of the third.

36. Don’t spend all your time being a “good Christian” and forget to be a good person.

37. Don’t worry too much about what people think of you. Billions of them never think of you at all.

38. Guns are not dangerous, people are…especially if those people are politicians or other criminals.

39. The United States of America, with all of its faults, is still the greatest nation on earth. I hope we can still say that in ten years.

40. It is a great conceit to believe that we are alone in the universe. It is almost as great a conceit to believe that our puny actions can destroy the planet we live on.

41. Your side lost. Quit bitching and whining, and get on with winning the next round.

42. F. D. R. was a TERRIBLE President.

43. Abstinence works 100% of the time it is used.

44. There was never a massive plot involved in President. Kennedy’s assassination.

45. Ted Kennedy is guilty of manslaughter and getting away with it.

46. “Rap” is not music. It is noise.

47. Iraq is nothing like Vietnam. Neither is Afghanistan. They do all have one thing in common: our government isn’t doing what it needs to do to WIN! They haven’t since 1945.

48. The United States government did not destroy the Twin Towers and blame it on Muslim terrorists.

49. God does NOT speak to some “charismatic” preacher in some little church and give him all the truths of creation to pass on to you. Watch your wallet.

50. Our public schools are failing because of parents, teachers, administrators, educationists, politicians, attorneys, screwball activists, and left over hippies. There is enough blame to go around, but mostly it is NOT the kids’ fault.

51. Our “Criminal Justice System” doesn’t work. Generally "rehabilitation” doesn’t, either.

52. There is NO Constitutional right to privacy.

53. You have “freedom of religion”. There is no “freedom from religion”. If you don't like religion, ignore it.

54. No one owes you anything because of who you are, what color your skin is, or what happened to someone else generations ago. They also don't owe you anything

because they have it and you don't or because someone a hundred years ago did your ancestors wrong.

55. Most teachers are no smarter than “ordinary” people, and a frighteningly large percentage of them aren’t anywhere near as smart. If you are the exception, I'll apologize, but only to you and only if you can prove it to me...and don't wave a diploma at me. I have a chest full of them myself and have been licensed to teach in three states and one foreign country.

56. Many “Men Of God” and politicians are in it for the power, the prestige, or the money…or all three. Approach these people with a large amount of skepticism.

57. Degrees and titles really don’t mean diddly-squat, but they can get you a better job and a larger income.

58. Nobody’s perfect, but that doesn’t mean you should quit trying.

59. Respect must be earned. It can not be demanded or forced…or legislated.

60. Fine clothes, proper manners, and great wealth don’t make anyone a gentleman or lady. I've known people who didn't have anything of worldly goods, but still managed to be courteous to all, proper within their means and learning, honest and forthright in all their dealings, and true gentlemen or ladies by any standard that really matter.

61. The vast majority of people aren’t important enough to actually NEED a cell phone.

62. If you tell others your problems, you are obligated to listen to theirs...or at least to pretend to.

63. You can’t learn much of importance from Oprah, either of the Phils, Judge Judy or any other TV or movie “celebrity” or “personality”.

64. Michael Jackson was a freak. So is Britney Spears. And Whoopie Goldberg. They are a very small fraction of a lengthy list of freaks.

65. A lot of cops should not be trusted with a gun…or a car…or a badge...or any authority whatsoever.

66. Everybody lies. Some more, some less, some better than others, but everybody lies.

67. Some people deserve killing. A lot more than you’d think.

68. O. J. did it.

69. The diamond lane is unconstitutional and a waste of road space. It causes more congestion than it cures.

70. Most modern product packaging is poorly designed, unnecessary, and criminally expensive. The majority of it is also decidedly NOT "green".

71. Ignoring the danger on our southern border is going to hurt us badly in the near future.

72. Most immigrants are not bad, but all of the illegal ones are.

73. Hey, look!!! The Soviet Union didn’t bury us after all!

74. Many celebrities have done nothing to deserve their notoriety except to hire very good PR people.

75. Pick your friends carefully. You can’t do anything about your relatives but you can pick good friends, so don’t screw it up.

76. Life is short. Break some rules. Take some risks. Laugh a lot.

77. So it takes more muscles to frown than it does to smile. Big deal. Would you rather push a car alone or have a dozen people helping?

78. You can never have too many true friends, and you need to cultivate at least one really serious and determined enemy. You’ll be surprised how alert and alive you will become once you do.

79. If you’re driving a car, Job #1 is DRIVING THAT CAR!!!

80. People like Jesse Jackson and Loretta Sanchez do not represent the “minority” people that I know.

81. Find at least one person to love without reservation.

82. Don’t associate with idiots, fools, or jackasses. You’ll be mistaken for one of them.

83. For every illegitimate child born there are two illegitimate parents.

84. There are too many criminals in our prison system because we aren’t allowed to “cull the herd”.

85. Spinach is nasty. Now that tests show that it’s no healthier than other foods, we should

treat it like kudzu and crab grass and do our best to eliminate it.

86. Yes, I am an opinionated asshole. Thank you for noticing.

87. You have a right to say pretty much whatever you want to in this country. You do NOT have a right to force me to listen to your foolishness, nor make me adhere to your stupid ideas.

88. If you want to be taken seriously, say something serious…and have your credentials handy.

89. College degrees and your position in the world do not automatically bestow credibility. Being a straight A college student doesn't bestow you with knowledge, wisdom, or experience. Until you can qualify for two out of three, keep your opinions to yourself and get back to class. You aren't in a position to demonstrate for or against anything you don't fully understand.

90. Guns cause crime to the same degree that flies cause garbage.

91. The Constitution of The United States of America is not a changing, growing, evolving document.

92. If The United States is such a terrible place, why are millions willing to break the law, and even to die, to get here and so very few as to not even be a statistic are trying to escape.

93. Dogs are usually very good people. Humans quite often aren’t.

94. A lot of the world’s problems are caused because so many people think their god can beat up everyone else’s god.

95. It doesn’t “take a village” to raise a child, just good parenting, good sense, some basic discipline, sacrifice, and guts...and tons of stamina.

96. The governments of this country spend too much time, money, and effort on things that don’t work, and will never work and they do it over and over again the same way.

97. You are not the most important person on the planet…or in this room…or even in this conversation.

98. Every bureaucracy will fight to protect its bureaucrats, and to justify itself, and to increase its power.

99. Jesus may love you, but don’t bet on anyone else following His example.

100. “WHERE IS THE CONSTITUTIONAL AUTHORITY” is the question that should be asked of every law now on the books, and for every one proposed in the future.

101. Why is there a “wind chill factor” and not an “wind hotter-than-hell factor”?

102. If you’re not related to me I really don’t much care about your pedigree. With people, as it is with dogs, curs often make the best companions.

103. “Making a change” is a stupid and overused term. Adolph Hitler, Idi Amin, Genghis Khan, and Lee Harvey Oswald all “made a change”, and look how that turned out.

104. France, Spain, Mexico, and Russia (among many others) all suffer from massive national and cultural inferiority complexes.

105. The Obama government is doing everything in its power to turn this country into a third world dictatorship.

106. Every time I think things can’t possibly get worse, we have another election and it proves me wrong.

107. In our modern world we are all "over-connected".

108. Being an elected official does not make one "right". It only means that the person (or those who supported him or her) out spent, out lied, out shouted, and out promised the opponent.

109. We have too many entertainers in this world: actors, singers, musicians, athletes, TV "personalities", commentators, writers, announcers, weather girls and guys, newscasters and columnists, radio broadcasters, politicians, comedians, mimes, magicians, artists, advertisers, and others.

110. We are, as a nation, over-protected by medicines, safety equipment, warnings, scare mongers, do-gooders, people pushing products, government agencies, foundations and associations, the medical profession, lawyers, and leftists, all trying to protect us from something that wasn't an issue a generation ago. How did we ever manage to survive to become curmudgeons, grouches, and grumps?

DISCLAIMER: THE OPINIONS ABOVE ARE MY OWN AND NO ONE ELSE CAN TAKE CREDIT FOR THEM, NO MATTER HOW BADLY THEY WANT TO. THEY ARE ALSO 100% CORRECT IN EVERY RESPECT, SO THERE.

 

YOU ARE WELCOME, IN FACT YOU HAVE A CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT, TO FORM, IMPROVE UPON, AND DISSEMINATE YOUR OWN. IT MIGHT EVEN BE CONSIDERED AN OBLIGATION.

[Yellowhouse Sam # 25171]

I like it 4T! Okay with you to disseminate? Will even give you credit in the event someone seeks retribution....that way they'll know who to pound on!

[Badger Mountain Charlie SASS #43172]

You pretty well covered it, Forty Rod.

[Subdeacon Joe]

Damn, Furlong, you should be Speaker of the House. And President Pro Tem of the Senate. Make more sense than anyone since Jefferson and Madison.

[Sgt. C.J. Sabre, SASS #46770]

I wholeheartedly agree, Forty. If we were to ever meet, I'll shake your hand and call you my friend. And I don't call many that.

[Forty Rod SASS 3935]

This isn't copyrighted, so have a ball. I'd appreciate getting credit for it though, so my fame and fortune (Yeah! Right!) will spread throughout the land.

 

Speaker of the House? President Pro Tem of the Senate? How dare you, sir, to suggest that I would ever stoop to running for public office. I'm proud to say that my family has never been known for producing professional criminals. A few minor outlaws an scoundrels, to be sure, but never big-time professionals and certainly never politicians.

[Mean Matt McCord, SASS #24683]

OUTSTANDING!

[Subdeacon Joe]

This isn't copyrighted, so have a ball. I'd appreciate getting credit for it though, so my fame and fortune (Yeah! Right!) will spread throughout the land.

 

Speaker of the House? President Pro Tem of the Senate? How dare you, sir, to suggest that I would ever stoop to running for public office. I'm proud to say that my family has never been known for producing professional criminals. A few minor outlaws an scoundrels, to be sure, but never big-time professionals and certainly never politicians.

 

Run? Who said anything about you RUNNING for office? Appointed for life!

[Forty Rod SASS 3935]

I'll take it, Joe, but I won't promise that anyone will like the consequences.

 

I'd be the worst bully this country has ever seen and would, with a 97% chance of likelihood, be assassinated. If I am, look at my son's whereabouts at the time.

[Big Jake1001]

And I eat Lunch with this guy at Grumpy Lunch Bunch. Who'da thunk.

 

Jake

[Forty Rod SASS 3935]

Jake, don't go bragging about that. Some folks just don't have your advantages. It isn't their fault they live so far away or have to work for a living.

[Badger Mountain Charlie SASS #43172]

Yeah Jake! Whot Forty Rod sed!

 

Some folks have that problem.

 

Then some of us that live far away, consider it a blessing.

 

But then again, nobody said anything about me working.....

[Subdeacon Joe]

I'll take it, Joe, but I won't promise that anyone will like the consequences.

 

I'd be the worst bully this country has ever seen and would, with a 97% chance of likelihood, be assassinated. If I am, look at my son's whereabouts at the time.

 

I was just getting ready to post an addendum - I can just see you strolling around the desks with a baseball bat, or maybe an axe handle, in your hands.

[Calico Mary]

I always knew there was A reason I liked you.....just didn't realize there were 110 of them.....

[Paladin Gun For Hire]

Was hoping you would post this after your comment in your B-Day post. Thank you Sir. Very well done.

[Charlie MacNeil, SASS #48580]

Well said, my friend, well said!

[Marty Mudd]

I knew that I liked the way you thought.

Thank You for posting.

The few that I did not agree with; completely; just mean that I do not agree with anyone, completely.

[Forty Rod SASS 3935]

I knew that I liked the way you thought.

Thank You for posting.

The few that I did not agree with; completely; just mean that I do not agree with anyone, completely.

You don't have to agree with me Marty. You have a right to be wrong, just like everyone else.

[Hardpan Curmudgeon SASS #8967]

Dang well said, Forty~!

 

I can get behind 109 of 'em... but... I gotta confess, I does likes spinach...

[Tascosa, SASS# 24838]

No 69.. what is the diamond lane?

tascosa

[Marty Mudd]

You don't have to agree with me Marty. You have a right to be wrong, just like everyone else.

 

 

Me WRONG That is absurd; sir

[Dapper Dynamite Dick]

Well stated!!

[Tyrel Cody]

Well done. For the numbers I don't agree with... well I'll just refer to #15

[Hardpan Curmudgeon SASS #8967]

No 69.. what is the diamond lane?

tascosa

Tascosa, the "Diamond Lane" (in some states referred to as the "HOV - High Occupancy Vehicle - lane") is a freeway lane reserved for vehicles with a minimum of two or three occupants... usually during specified commute times.

 

The intended purpose of these lanes is to encourage carpooling and public transportation.

 

In highly populated areas it's common to see traffic totally bogged down in the regular lanes, while the "Diamond" lane has very little traffic. It's essentially a "green" inspired punishment inflicted upon people who either will not or CAN not carpool.

 

Do they work? Well, if you're one of the few who can use it, it may seem to. However, for the remainder of the motoring population, all they do is remove a quarter to half the usable lanes from service, creating a monumental traffic problem.

 

Tom has nailed this one!

[Big Jake1001]

After 20+ years of being a Mailman for the U.S.Post Office, I retired and became a Limo Driver. Living in Orange County just below LA County with tons of traffic. I Loved the Diamond Lanes. I could take passengers to LAX in 45 minutes instead of 1 1/2 hours stuck in traffic. During Rush Hour, when cars were going 25-30 mph or stop and go, I could drive 60-70 mph and get my passengers to the Airport or Home quickly. If you drive alone, I could see the problem with them, but if you make your living on how many trips you can make in a shift, you'll LOVE the Diamond Lanes.

 

Jake

[Wallaby Jack, SASS #44062]

.... is the answer "inflatable passengers" .... ?

 

 

 

 

[Badger Mountain Charlie SASS #43172]

A clever person could find one of the inflatables to serve dual purposes, Wallaby.

[Forty Rod SASS 3935]

Well done. For the numbers I don't agree with... well I'll just refer to #15

And I refer you to post #18 above. Have a nice day.

[Blackwater 53393]

I knew you was an

 

American

 

 

Select

 

 

Society

 

 

Helping

 

 

Others

 

 

Less

 

 

Enlightened

 

 

Welcome to my world!!

 

 

I'd agree with most of your observations. There are of course exceptions to every rule!! And where we disagree, I'm of course right!!

[Birdgun Quail, SASS #63663]

And I have never known Dishwater to be wrong!

[Forty Rod SASS 3935]

I knew you was an

 

American

 

 

Select

 

 

Society

 

 

Helping

 

 

Others

 

 

Less

 

 

Enlightened

 

 

Welcome to my world!!

 

 

I'd agree with most of your observations. There are of course exceptions to every rule!! And where we disagree, I'm of course right!!

Now, see! There you are being wrong again.

[Blackwater 53393]

Now, see! There you are being wrong again.

 

4T! You ain't always right, but you're pretty much what's left!!

 

Not to be confused with what's LEFTIST!!

[Mean Matt McCord, SASS #24683]

I was just getting ready to post an addendum - I can just see you strolling around the desks with a baseball bat, or maybe an axe handle, in your hands.

Shades of Buford Pusser or Joe Clark.

[Forty Rod SASS 3935]

4T! You ain't always right, but you're pretty much what's left!!

 

Not to be confused with what's LEFTIST!!

I may be excess, the remains, more than sufficient, or over-sized, but there ain't nothing "left" about me. I even have two right feet and a double set of right teeth. I even have to turn right three times because my truck won't turn left. When I leave, people say he's not here anymore, he's gone, or he went home.