Issue 400 What is a Tesla Coil? August 13, 2014

Nikola Tesla was a competitor to Thomas Alva Edison and won. Tesla invented light bulbs, and other inventions that would leave their mark on history and would have his Alternating Current surpass Edison's Direct Current electricity. One of these many inventions was the Tesla coil, a magnificent device that could generate and send electricity through the air.  So what exactly is it?

A Tesla coil:  This device is a type of transformer for electricity.  The idea was to send electricity through the air to power electrical devices.  So here is how it works complements of: www.realclearscience.com (web address to article:  http://www.realclearscience.com/articles/2014/01/29/how_tesla_coils_work_108474.html )

"The power of the Tesla coil lies in a process called electromagnetic induction, i.e., a changing magnetic field creates an electric potential that compels current to flow. Conversely, flowing electric current generates a magnetic field. When electricity flows through a wound up coil of wire, it generates a magnetic field that fills the area around the coil in a particular pattern, shown with lines below:

Photo modified from Los Alamos National Lab.

Similarly, if a magnetic field flows through the center of a coiled wire, a voltage is generated in the wire, which causes an electrical current to flow."

"The electric potential (“hill”) generated in a coil of wire by a magnetic field through its center increases with the number of turns of wire. A changing magnetic field within a coil of 50 turns will generate ten times the voltage of a coil of just five turns. (However, less current can actually flow through the higher potential, to conserve energy.)"

"The Tesla coil requires ......... a capacitor to store charge and fire it all in one huge spark. The circuit of the coil contains a capacitor and a small hole called a spark gap. When the coil is turned on, electricity flows through the circuit and fills the capacitor with electrons, like a battery. This charge creates its own electric potential in the circuit, which tries to bridge across the spark gap. This can only happen when a very large amount of charge has built up in the capacitor.

Eventually so much charge has accumulated that it breaks down the electrical neutrality of the air in the middle of the spark gap. The circuit closes for a fleeting second and a huge amount of current blasts out of the capacitor and through the coils. This produces a very strong magnetic field in the primary coil.

The secondary wire coil uses electromagnetic induction to convert this magnetic field to an electric potential so high that it can easily break apart the air molecules at its ends and push their electrons in wild arcs, producing enormous purple sparks. The dome on the top of the device acts to make the secondary coil of wires receive energy more fully from the first coil. With some careful mathematical calculations, the amount of electrical energy transferred can be maximized."

Conclusion:  This is how it works in the most basic of ways.  We use systems based on this for Tesla's alternating current in our transformers outside our homes.  Though they are not sending it through the air in this case, just converting electricity to a more manageable level for our homes.  But Tesla's Coils are now being used as wireless chargers for phones and is predicted to eventually replace all electrical wiring in the home at some point in time when it is deemed cost effective to be in the home.  So Tesla, thank you for your hard work.

Issue 399 Eating oneself to death!!! August12, 2014

Ok this one is similar to the previous, the only difference is that instead of drugs we are talking about another medical condition that we ourselves place ourselves in.  In this case becoming overweight and obese due to our eating habits.  Time to discuss again.

Government should not pay!!!:  Here we go, the government should not pay a single cent toward your health care if you get a disease due to you over eating.  We again must be responsible to ourselves and pay our own way for something that is our own fault.  Government should thus, not pay a single dime while compelling taxpayers to meet the costs. You can have your private healthcare pay for it, a charity, or yourself, no one else.

Splitting hairs again:  As I stated, Libertarians believe in personal responsibility.  And getting fat and needing a forklift just to escape your house is the same as committing slow suicide. You should not have others obliged to pay for your own faults and mistakes in life.  Sure there are exceptions, like those predisposed to diabetes and thus cannot help their condition, but the rest are a nonstarter.  Basically, you must have been born with the disease or genetically predisposed to get the disease to get any aid as this is not a life choice in this case.  Those who become overweight and obese by choice due to their eating habits will not get a thing for they made a choice (in this case it must be directly linked to their physical condition from overeating).

Conclusion:  This again is about making people uncomfortable in their own shoes.  How are we supposed to pay for the life choices of others when we ourselves are struggling?  Government has no right to tax us to help those who place themselves into harm’s way.  Again, I am sorry for being harsh, but you made the decision to make yourself unhealthy, so you have to fix it and hope that someone is charitable enough to possibly help you.     

Issue 398 Government should not help addicts August 11, 2014

I am going to sound harsh, and very callus here.  In truth I am only saying this because this is how libertarians in general believe about people who are addicted to drugs.  We should not have government spend a single penny to help these individuals.  Allow me to explain.

Reasoning:  Libertarians believe in personal responsibility.  As such, we believe in legalized drugs.  How do these two thing go together you ask?  Simple, if you take an illegal drug that is harmful and get sick from it then it is your responsibility for making yourself healthy again.  Basically, you break yourself, then you got to fix yourself.  

Splitting hairs:  While we believe in personal responsibility, we also believe in being charitable.  As such, if any help was to come from anyone, it will be 100% voluntary out of the goodness of their own hearts.  So there will be no government aid of government footing the bill for your health care if you get sick because of an illegal substance.  Sure a church or other charity can, but government no.  Reason being is that government uses force, and forcing you to give up tax dollars to pay for someone’s mess is just plain wrong.  In addition, if you are on an illegal substance, then the government should deny you any health, and welfare benefits.  So no unemployment, no Medicaid, not a thing until you test clean.  It is not the government’s job to pay for your food and shelter if you waste your actual income on trash.

Conclusion:  Benjamin Franklin once said "we must make them uncomfortable in their own shoes" (I paraphrased here).  He was referring to welfare and charity as a whole.  This concept was so that the kindness of strangers was not to be taken advantage of (and also why many of the founders argued for any aid from government being at the local level exclusively).  We are now at a time where people will take advantage of government for free stuff and thus we must pull back from our over generosity.  Florida has taken the first step with their welfare system and we need it copied and expanded.  Libertarians are done paying for people's bad habits.  You put yourself into the health situation, now embrace the consequences.  Sorry, but it is your responsibility, if you get any help it will be out of the kindness of others hearts, not out of the hands of a massive government who knows not generosity but human greed and manipulation.

Issue 397 Should Illegal Border crossers be Punished? August 8, 2014

This is a quandary for libertarians.  We value the law, but generally believe in the idea of open borders.  While we recognize the security situation of fighting terrorism and thus needing some way to keep track of those who come into the country, we want people to still be able to cross the countries border and live here as citizens.  As such, many libertarians like myself have changed our opinion on open borders to one of a controlled entry so that terrorists and drug smugglers cannot get in, and so we do not cause an economic burden to our own country.  Thus the debate on how to deal with those who have crossed our borders without permission.  How are libertarians and the rest of our fellow citizens supposed to deal with this issue?

Idea 1:  The first idea is an economic penalty.  This idea basically charges the individual a fine for crossing the border without permission.  Practically speaking it can work, but some of these migrants come over with nothing.  Thus the problem of actually collecting the fine.  With only one solution in mind to solve that problem, it would mean that the individual who has already broken the law would have to be able to stay in the country and find work to pay this fine and at the same time pay taxes.  This could result in people being homeless who may not even speak the language.  Plus we would still need to keep track of these individuals which is no easy task in a country with over 300 million people (with an estimated 11 million or more being here illegally).  So this idea has its ups and downs.

Idea 2:  Prison is another idea that has been floated around, but libertarians dismiss this idea as not only too harsh, but financially impractical.  Why on earth would you throw people into prison with the likes of murderers when they committed a nonviolent crime?  Plus, prisons are already overcrowded and expensive to operate so for libertarians, this is a nonstarter.

Idea 3:  Send them home!  This is the only practical idea that we all unfortunately have in our arsenal.  Yes, many of the individuals sent here at current are very young. In fact there is currently an explosion of illegal migrants under the age of 18 coming over the United States border which is now financially taxing our local communities.  Thus, for libertarians like myself, the only option is to send all the kids under 18 who came over without their parents back to their country of origin.  Those over 18 who are caught get a hearing and then are sent home if they cannot prove that their life is not in danger.  No other excuse will be accepted.  After that, they may be allowed to come to the country legally and only through legal channels.  If they violate this after they are sent home even once, they will be barred from the United States unless they get a written statement from their government certifying that they must come to the United States due to their life being in danger.  

We pay for this by charging the countries the cost to ship their citizens back home.  They will owe us that money and the United States can place duties and taxes on goods imported from those countries till such time that that debt is paid off.  They will also be allowed to pay this off by giving us natural resources or other forms of collateral of equal value.  Interest will not be charged so as not to make this a massive economic burden.  In addition, any illegal immigrant that has committed a crime will be charged at the federal level with the country of origin paying the court cost and incarceration costs as well.  This is to deter these countries letting their criminals leave for other countries to make it a financial burden on them instead.  Also, there will be no exceptions in criminal penalties for any crime committed either, if say an individual illegal migrant murdered someone in Texas and is found guilty, they will receive the maximum punishment for their crime (execution in this case).  They will have only one chance to appeal and if that appeal fails, the individuals’ punishment will have to be carried out within one week of the final ruling.  Obviously I am citing the most extreme example, but criminal penalties for rape and murder cannot be weakened because of someone’s squeamishness.  And yes, the country of origin will pay the costs for their execution as well if it comes to that.

Conclusion:  You probably think I am cold hearted after reading this.  Well in truth, I want those who generally want to come here and live peacefully to come.  I just do not want people coming here and essentially spitting on the law that is meant to protect us from overpopulation, terrorism and economic collapse when the burden gets too much.  I want the poor, the tired and huddled masses because I know that they will value their freedom that comes with United States citizenship (something many of us born here now take for granted).  So when it comes down to it, please do not break the law by coming over without permission, but instead do it the right way and not spit on your forbearers who came here legally.

Issue 396 Crime: politicians punished double? August 7, 2014

Should a politician be punished double for the commitance of a crime?  Some people will be shouting yes!  However, I will say, NO!  Let's discuss the reasons why.

Those in favor of double:  The idea is simple, a politician or other government figure breaks a law, and as such they will pay a harsher punishment.  From this perspective the basic reason for doing a harsher punishment is that a government official who has been elected or appointed to a public office has broken the public trust.  Yes, a sacred trust that the politician or bureaucrat will uphold and protect the law.  That the individual in government will maintain that all are treated fairly under the law and that no one escapes.  Sound reasoning is it not, for a public official who breaks the law spits in the face of the people.

Those in favor of equal:  Well, while the public trust is sacred and extraordinarily important, that is no longer equal treatment under the law.  Basically, by making the political experience double the punishment, you are certifying that they are above the people that they are elected (or appointed) to serve.  Therefore, you make them the first among equals.  Here in the United States, we already have this culture in Washington where they think that they are above those who elect them.  Doing double the punishment will not solve this issue.  The law treats people as equals, it is not supposed to treat people as special, for it is the only place and concept that allows for equality which inherently does not exist in nature.

Conclusion:  So what do you think, are politicians supposed to be our equals, or be treated special?  My personal solution is simple, if you commit a violent crime, then you are barred from serving in all public offices for a set period of time depending on what form that violent crime comes in. In addition, enforce the law by punishing the politicians when they break it.  It should not matter if it is the lowest of the low on the scale of power, or the President him/herself.  All must be punished with equal measure.  So what do you think, can America finally enforce its own stupid laws to punish those who deserve to be?

Issue 395 Reincarnation and God? August 6, 2014

God is all powerful and all knowing.  Those with faith in God agree on this.  So is it out of the realm of possibility that God can allow for reincarnation?  Let's discuss.

What is reincarnation?:  This is the religious concept that a person who passes away can be reborn again in a new body.  Typically, the individual will not have memories of their past life, but aspects of one's past life can show through, such as a similar personality, body type and possibly personality, talent and physical attributes.  Some places have reincarnation of the individual being reborn for the sake of proving themselves worthy of the next life after failing in the previous one.  In some cases, the reincarnated can be reborn as animals as well, or even spirits.  However, the premise remains the same, you die and are then reborn.

Can God cause someone to be reincarnated?:  Seeing as God is all powerful and mighty, this is a possibility.  God could use reincarnation as a tool to further test his children who have yet to prove themselves worthy, or even sending them back for just a single moment in time to save a person from themselves.  It may even be used as a punishment as well rather than sending someone to hell.  Imagine the worst people in history being reborn as slugs just to be stepped on.  Some faiths don't believe animals have souls, or that at the moment of death the person’s soul is taken from their body.  Now imagine this, what if as the harshest punishment imaginable, that as the one soul is extracted, the soul of an evil person is inserted long enough to experience pain and suffering equal to what they caused on earth.  So going from God being all powerful this is all possible.

Another way to look at it:  Baptism actually has to do with being reborn.  It is not the forgiveness of original sin, but the rebirth of the individual into the Christian faith.  So this cleansing can take the form of reincarnation?  Perhaps, while we cannot know for sure, this definitely implies the possibility.

Conclusion:  Does any of this prove God can reincarnate people or has done so?  No.   However, it is a fun thought exercise to know that God may be capable of sending us somewhere else other than hell.  Enjoy pondering my readers on the question of reincarnation.

Issue 394 Why God?: Death August 5, 2014

Death is a factor of life.  It is inescapable.  But, why did God make it so that we are even capable of dying?

Limited life span:  On earth our time is limited. We know and understand this as unfortunate.  However, there may be a purpose to this.  As we all know, we are being tested by God for our worth to get into heaven.  So what we do with this limited life span as we slowly begin to find out ways to extend it, is part of Gods big test.  God wants to see what we do with ourselves and is routing for our success as he attempts to guide us on the right path.

Our life is not limited:  The fact that we even have a concept of an afterlife demonstrates that our death here on Earth is not the end.  In fact it is a new beginning.  Who knows what awaits us once we leave our physical bodies and ascend to becoming another state of being.  We believe heaven to be a paradise, while hell to be horrible, so which do we go to?  Do we know where we will end up?  Heck, do we even know if the next step after our deaths here on earth is heaven or hell?  These are things we do not know for only God knows.

Why some die before others:  Have you ever wondered why some people get sick and die so early in life?  I definitely have.  I believe this too is a part of the test that is placed before us as how we deal with grief is also another piece of the puzzle that God has laid out for us to solve.  I personally believe this, as unfair as it may seem to those who die early in life and to those left behind, that sorrow may be necessary for us.  Perhaps so that we can resist temptation and evil?  Maybe so that we ourselves if we should be granted power in the afterlife do not do anything beyond what we are allowed to do in the living world?  But we can only found out why when we finally meet God in person. 

Conclusion:  Our souls created by God are immortal and transcend understanding.  While we will never make it to the same level as God, we know that death while being inevitable is not the end, just another step in an endless journey.  Yes, we cry, and feel sorry for those that leave us behind, for this too is a test, but take heart in knowing that someday we'll all be reunited together once more.