NOW OUT: Dr. Jordan B. Peterson’s Beyond Order: 12 More Rules for Life.
Author Archive: Helen Smith
March 2, 2021
February 18, 2021
NO RUSH, IT WAS MY PRIVILEGE: My conversation with Rush Limbaugh.
February 16, 2021
READER BOOK PLUG: From Andrew Fox, The Bad Luck Spirits’ Social Aid and Pleasure Club (Fat White Vampire).
February 13, 2021
INTERESTING BOOK ON ANTI-AGING: I am reading David Sinclair’s book Lifespan: Why We Age―and Why We Don’t Have To and am finding the suggestions he makes to live longer very helpful. The book is a bit technical but his tips seem to boil down to taking NAD boosters in the morning along with Resveratrol, Vitamin D, K and 83 mg. of aspirin. He also skips a meal a day or has a very small one, lifts weights and jogs a bit and goes in a sauna at the gym before dunking into a cold pool. I guess one could live longer with this regimen (perhaps) but being cold and hungry doesn’t sound all that fun. If you have tried some of these techniques, have they worked for you?
February 1, 2021
HELEN’S PAGE UPDATE: Hi Instapundit readers. Last month, we discussed relaunching Helen’s Page, a place where liberty-minded people meet and help each other socially and economically through buying products, selling books, meet-ups etc. I am in the process of setting up a beta site but need your input on access and pricing. In order to keep out trolls, etc. and to pay for the site, I would like to try a subscription model such as the following:
The usual model for a site like this is to view pages for free and pay a fee to post. We’ve chosen a subscription model for the sake of user privacy. For $4.99 a month you get to view all the postings on the site, respond directly to posters by direct-messaging (so that no one has to post a public email address) and to post up to 50 times a month. Additional posts are $2.99 each. Listings can be designated public, or members-only.
Those wanting to post a one-time notice can do so for $9.99, and will be able to hear from, and respond to, people replying to their notice, but won’t have full community privileges.
Categories include job offers, jobs sought, book promotions, business advertisements, product advertising, auto sales, meetups, etc. Anything from a book launch to a virtual yard sale!
There’s also a “headlines of the day” section where you can post links to news stories that you think deserve attention.
This is just an example of how the site could work but I would love to hear your suggestions for pricing as well as your willingness to use a site that has subscriptions or a one time posting fee. Let me know in the comments either way and/or make other suggestions that might be more suitable.
January 23, 2021
IN THE MAIL: From Andy Ngo, Unmasked: Inside Antifa’s Radical Plan to Destroy Democracy.
January 19, 2021
READER BOOK PLUG: From Brad Lena, What Almost Dying Taught Me About Really Living.
January 18, 2021
WHAT DOES THE SEVENTY-FOUR MILLION PROJECT LOOK LIKE? There are over 74 million of us who voted for Trump and who are looking for ways to not only get through the next 4 (or more) years but actually thrive. In 2013 after the election, I started a new project called Helen’s page that connected those of us who are liberty-loving conservatives or libertarians with each other to sell products, meet up or crowd source. Although Helen’s page is no longer up, here is a description of the site (note the link no longer goes to the page):
A lot of people on this site and others that I talked to after the election were feeling isolated. So I made a place for them to meet each other. Helen’s Page is a place where people can come to find and help other liberty-minded people across the country—from selling your undiscovered screenplay or advertising your local bakery right down to finding an accountant, electrician, or other professional who shares your love of liberty. I believe it is imperative that those who make up the nearly 48% of the country who believe in equal opportunity and individual success help each other. Find products and services from people who see the world the way you do.
Here’s an example of how it works. You are a libertarian/conservative with a book to sell. Come over and tell readers about it on Helen’s Page in the “Book” section. The more of us who sign up, the more exposure that book will have. Publishers of libertarian or conservative books are also welcome to post.
The site did well, but was extremely expensive to operate because the web developer we hired wasn’t really up to the job. But we’re thinking of relaunching something like this. My question for you readers is this: What would you like to see in a relaunched Helen’s Page or something like it that connects us socially and economically? And any suggestions on how to set it up safely and economically? Answer in the comments.
January 11, 2021
COULD CONDESCENSION CAUSE A CIVIL WAR? Everywhere I look, the left takes it upon themselves to denigrate and show their disdain for the right. From the nastiness of Anderson Cooper’s remarks about Olive Garden (I love that place!) to the use of a “basket of deplorables” to describe their political opponents, the jokes and condescension on the part of the left never ends. As an avid student of human nature, I thought about how this condescension mixed with demonizing and dehumanizing their enemies (us) will result in an escalation of violence in our country. In particular, I read about 28-year-old Thomas Baranyi, who gave a recount of what happened to Ashli Babbitt in the Capitol:
“We had stormed into the chambers inside and there was a young lady who rushed to the windows,” Baranyi answered. “A number of police and Secret Service were saying ‘get back, get down, get out of the way.’ She didn’t heed the call….”
“I’m not injured. It could have been me, but she went in first. It was one of us.”
An emotional Baranyi asked the reporter to make this tragedy known.
“Just make sure people know, because this cannot stand anymore. This is wrong. They don’t represent anyone. Not Republican, Democrat, Independent, nobody. And now they’ll just, they’ll kill people,” Baranyi answered.
When asked who is he referring to, Baranyi answered: “Police, congressmen and women, they don’t care. I mean, they think we’re a joke. $2,000 checks was a joke to them. You know, there’s people filming us, laughing at us as we marched down the street at the Department of Justice. There’s a man in the window laughing at us, filming us. And here it was a joke to them until we got inside and then all of a sudden guns came out. But I mean, we’re at a point now, it can’t be allowed to stand. We have to do something, people have to do something, because this could be you or your kids.”
Of course there are many reasons for tension and violence right now, but belittling plays a part. According the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association:
Belittling is the intentional act of making another feel worthless, empty, and dismissed. It is one of many forms of psychological and emotional abuse. Belittling another often creates a personal emptiness and void. It can create a sense of loneliness and despair in the lives of many. It creates the attitude of “Why should I give a dam, nobody else does?” When someone belittles another he/she are often trivializing, minimizing, downgrading, running or playing down the personhood of another.
The left does not understand the personhood of those on the right, for example, J. D. Vance’s book, Hillbilly Elegy turned Netflix movie got bad reviews. Why? According to leftist director, Ron Howard, critics didn’t like the conservative politics of Vance and their bias gave way to negative reviews. While this is certainly true, it is also likely that critics did not like that the dregs of society that elected Trump were seen in the movie in a sympathetic light. This is their biggest fear, that others may see the “deplorables” as people who deserve respect and a voice. This would lessen their power.
But the problem is that the main attraction of leftist politics is to put people down in order to feel powerful. There is no incentive for them to stop and the media eggs them on and promotes belittling as a virtue. It is a vicious circle that may end in a very bad place.
IN THE MAIL: Anatomy and 100 Essential Stretching Exercises.
