Transparent? Yes, We See Right Through You

Obamacare architect Jonathan Gruber was caught bragging about deceiving the American people, who he thinks are stupid.

"… if you had a law which said that healthy people are going to pay in, you made explicit healthy people pay in and sick people get money, [Obamacare] would not have passed. Lack of transparency is a huge political advantage. And basically, call it the stupidity of the American voter or whatever, but basically that was really really critical to get for the thing to pass."

UPDATE 11/13/14

Nancy Pelosi doesn't know who Jonathan Gruber is, and has reassured us he didn't help write the Obamacare bill.

I feel better already.

UPDATE 11/14/14

Another video clip has surfaced.

And this one where Gruber confirms Obama was in on the deliberate planning of the deception:

UPDATE 11/15/14

What I see in the video below smells to me like the far-left liberal Marxist tactics exposed in the book "The Liberal Mind: The Psychological Causes of Political Madness."

UPDATE 11/18/14

Former Obama Adviser: Gruber Was 'the Man' on ObamaCare Creation

The Never-Ending TV Company Issue

I don't initiate a support chat in order to receive a sales pitch for a product that isn't marketed toward my best interests. I can't believe in this day and age, we still cannot get TV content a la cart, but instead have to pay for dozens and dozens of channels we will never use, just to get the few we want. Well, at least with the major players we can't. I hate online support chat, but when I do have to enter that realm, I let them have it.

Is Capitalism Environmentally Unsustainable?

Human activity is remaking the face of the Earth: transforming and polluting the landscape, warming the atmosphere and oceans, and causing species to go extinct. The orthodox view among ecologists is that human liberty—more specifically economic activity and free markets—is to blame.

Continue reading here.

Who Are the Racists: Conservatives or Liberals?

The Myth of the Tiny Radical Muslim Minority

Why ADV/DS Motorcylists Don't Wave At Street Bikers

10. They know you probably don't know what a DS or ADV bike is, anyway.

9. They are too busy thinking of that remote mountain lake they are headed to.

8. They don't want to make you feel jealous for being a pavement slave.

7. They are uncomfortable sitting on that 2X4.

6. They use their helmet visor to assist with a head nod.

5. They feel it's unsafe to wave while popping a wheelie off of the sidewalk.

4. They are too busy anticipating the turnoff onto the gravel road up ahead. The gravel road you just rode past without even noticing. Because you can't ride on gravel.

3. They don't wave to people who can't ride on gravel.

2. They got told once by a certain motorcycle gang member they don't wave at "dirt bike m-fers." You might belong to a motorcycle gang.

1. They are too busy riding their own ride, on any road, trail, or goat track they want to ride on.

No WMDs in Iraq? Really?

Let's see how the media spins and/or ignores this.

One Definition of Creativity

One definition of creativity is the putting together of two previously unrelated things and creating something new.

What I Am Reading

"As I got older my ambition began to boil and my fight with the education system intensified. I wasn't the only one who suffered. I would look around the classroom - in the dismal stillness of a teacher's droned lecture, or worse, as the scratch of pencils made the only sound - to see dozens of kids in slow atrophy. Of course, there were those who didn't mind it, or were too young to question the system, as well as those who seemed to actually thrive in the structure - watching them made me feel all the more dysfunctional. What was it they had that I lacked? However, I wasn't alone in my struggles, and over the years saw many brilliant and creative young minds bounded by walls, rules, conformity, and endless boredom. Artists, musicians, athletes, farmers, and free spirits of every kind of been hammered into submission by and archaic, outdated system. Even today it kills me to watch kids drag through school during the years when they should be out in the world, experiencing and learning. What does education do? As Thoreau famously answered: "'It makes a straight cut ditch out of a free, meandering brook.'"


Can you relate to this? I sure can.

US Government Spending in Real Life

Why I Am So MESSED UP

I have finally figured out why I am so terribly MESSED UP - I read almost all of these books as a kid.

15 Classic Children’s Books That Have Been Banned In America

The Bushbama Twins

I'm adding this to my "Obama Has More In Common Than Contrast With Bush" list.

You Might Be Cool, But…

You might be cool because you wear Sperry Top-Siders, but you're probably not I-relaced-my-Sperry-Top-Siders-with-paracord cool. @sperrytopsider #paracord #shoelacesareforpantywaists

A Million Geocaches In the US!

Not too long ago, we "celebrated" a million geocaches worldwide, and I remember thinking geocaching had grown too mainstream.

Now we have a million caches in the US.

A Comparison Of Army and Marine Recruit Training

I came across some footage that compared Army and Marine Corps recruit training, and decided to chop it up for some back-and-forth comparison fun. Enjoy!

Volcano Eruption in Papua New Guinea

You're going to want to turn your speakers way up to be able to hear the volcano blast in this amazing video.

You're welcome.

Obama Ended the Iraq War!

The Pale Blue Dot

What did I get from this awesome message?

I heard "LOVE CONQUERS ALL."

3 Inspiring Quotes from 3 Inspiring Leaders

I have had numerous reasons and opportunity to be contemplating the idea of leadership over the last few months. What better way to pay it forward than to share a little inspiration that was shared with me?

1. Gunnery Sergeant Merritt, USMC Drill Instructor:

"Someone's gotta transform these useless maggots into Marines. Who better than me?"

2. Captain Pete Graves (RIP), former Marine, Federal Bureau of Prisons FCI Sheridan:

"We didn't hire you to enjoy a soft, easy job. We hired you to earn a living by keeping society safe from convicted felons."

3. Mitch Priestly, CEO New Horizons Computer Learning Centers Beaverton, OR:

"You aren't just professional trainers. You are success facilitators. The people you train will directly benefit from your knowledge, skills, and ability to give them what they need for job success."

American Politics Summed Up In One Joke

While walking down the street one day a US senator is tragically hit by a truck and dies. His soul arrives in heaven and is met by St. Peter at the entrance.

“Welcome to heaven,” says St. Peter. “Before you settle in, it seems there is a problem. We seldom see a high official around these parts, you see, so we’re not sure what to do with you.”

“No problem, just let me in,” says the man.

“Well, I’d like to, but I have orders from higher up. What we’ll do is have you spend one day in hell and one in heaven. Then you can choose where to spend eternity.”

“Really, I’ve made up my mind. I want to be in heaven,” says the senator.

“I’m sorry, but we have our rules.”

And with that, St . Peter escorts him to the elevator and he goes down, down, down to hell. The doors open and he finds himself in the middle of a green golf course. In the distance is a clubhouse and standing in front of it are all his friends and other politicians who had worked with him.

Everyone is very happy and in evening dress. They run to greet him, shake his hand, and reminisce about the good times they had while getting rich at the expense of the people. They play a friendly game of golf and then dine on lobster, caviar and champagne.

Also present is the devil, who really is a very friendly guy who has a good time dancing and telling jokes. They are having such a good time that before he realizes it, it is time to go. Everyone gives him a hearty farewell and waves while the elevator rises…

The elevator goes up, up, up and the door reopens on heaven where St. Peter is waiting for him.

“Now it’s time to visit heaven.”

So, 24 hours pass with the senator joining a group of contented souls moving from cloud to cloud, playing the harp and singing. They have a good time and, before he realizes it, the 24 hours have gone by and St. Peter returns.

“Well, then, you’ve spent a day in hell and another in heaven. Now choose your eternity.”

The senator reflects for a minute, then he answers: “Well, I would never have said it before, I mean heaven has been delightful, but I think I would be better off in hell.”
So St. Peter escorts him to the elevator and he goes down, down, down to hell.

Now the doors of the elevator open and he’s in the middle of a barren land covered with waste and garbage. He sees all his friends, dressed in rags, picking up the trash and putting it in black bags as more trash falls from above.

The devil comes over to him and puts his arm around his shoulder.

“I don’t understand,” stammers the senator. “Yesterday I was here and there was a golf course and clubhouse, and we ate lobster and caviar, drank champagne, and danced and had a great time. Now there’s just a wasteland full of garbage and my friends look miserable. What happened?”

The devil looks at him, smiles and says, “Yesterday we were campaigning…Today you voted.”

One of the Quandaries of Our Time

By John F. Di Leo

One of the quandaries of our time is this: why is it that relatively few muslims are jihadist - taking up arms, attacking Christians and Jews, bombing churches, making war on the west, etc. - but virtually none of the billion other muslims on earth ever denounce those who do?

Many assume - or try to convince themselves - that it's because the vast majority completely opposes islamofascist jihadism (even though it's pretty clearly called for in their book), but they stay quiet out of fear. All over the world, the billion moderates are afraid of retaliation from the allegedly miniscule minority of jihadists.

My problem with this is the math. A few dozen jihadists in the USA can't possibly terrorize a million USA muslims into acquiescence on this matter. There must be a different reason.

Here's my theory, though of course I can't be sure... but I'll put it out there and ask what you think...

I think it may be most accurate to compare the way they think of their jihadists with the way we Christians view our religious orders - our priests, ministers, monks, friars, and nuns.

A Christian may not choose to become a priest or nun - you or I may not have any interest in taking the vows and joining that lifestyle himself - but he supports and endorses it fully, and he's GLAD that there are others who are willing to devote their whole lives to the religious life. Other people's kids become priests so that his kids don't have to.

He donates to his church or to his favorite religious order (the Salesian orphanages, the Benedictine monasteries, his local parish), in order to help support those people who are better Christians than he is himself. He's proud of them.

Similarly, a muslim may not choose to make bombs, hijack planes, or lead a paramilitary group in the Afghan desert. It's not his thing. He'd rather act moderate, pretend he's not into such things, have a house in the suburbs and a store or business of his own... and just donate regularly to his local mosque or "Islamic Cultural Center", happy that some of his donation will help support those others who are "better muslims" than he is.

No, this isn't to say that this describes ALL non-terrorist muslims. Obviously there must be some who genuinely are decent, kind people and who disapprove of the "religion-inspired violence" as called for in the quran.

But it's the only explanation I can see for why there are so few in that family of denominations who speak out against it.

Now, that's just a theory. Just my theory. There's no way for me to know if it's right or wrong. And there's no way to tell by taking a survey, because taquiyya would require them to lie and say it's wrong even if it's true.

But I think it's a more logical explanation than the one that says 90% or more of muslims all over the world are afraid of the 10% or less with whom they disagree.

And if I'm right, then there is only one solution: convert them to Christianity, because islam is irredeemable, unreformable, despite the parts of it that are in fact good. The jihadist strain dooms it as a net evil force in the world (along with its core of misogyny, endorsement of slavery, and its extreme violence in its approach to meting out justice)... Christianity admittedly needed reforms by the Renaissance, but I think if I'm right about the heart of islam's universal support for jihadism, it is simply not reformable.

Hope I'm wrong. What do you think?

Orignal Post Here

Nothing To See Here. Move Along…

Fun With Statues

Cure Your Technology Distraction Addiction

If you are reading this blog, you may suffer from Technology Distraction Addiction. I suggest going unconnected for a while, preferably outdoors away from it all. Before you do that, though, check out this interesting article.

Natural Habitat "Restoration"

I was reading this article in the South Lincoln County News (sadly, you have to pay for the full online article), and one of the last sentences caught my eye. It mentions how information on the frogs is useful to Oregon Parks and Recreation "… when it comes to planning restoration projects, helping them figure out when the projects will have the least negative impact on natural resources, like breeding amphibians."

Something in there is making me feel just a little confused…

Gun Control and Crime

"The national Academy of science has reviewed hundreds of studies, and could not document a single gun regulation that reduced violent crime or murder."

Read & view more here.

That Doesn't Make It Right

Our Rights: Defend Them Or Lose Them

A long time ago, I put my life on the line by swearing an oath to support and defend the rights of United States Citizens, one of which reads like this:

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."

I didn't toss that oath aside when I left military service, and although I haven't lived it to perfection, I do consciously strive to fulfill it.

If you haven't read the First Amendment to the United States Constitution lately, I challenge you to do so, and then recommit yourself to support and defend those rights for yourself and others.

The NFL Is a Non-Profit!?

I really hope this isn't true, but things like this don't really surprise me any more. If I discover it is true, I'm going to research how Paul Tannahill & Associates can become a not-for-profit organization. 

Now accepting applications for new Associates.

A Stimulating Simulation Conversation

"It could take some time to collect enough data to begin peeling back the paint of our universe to see if the walls have been constructed from ones and zeros rather than actual wood."

Read more here.

How to Effectively Beat A Red-Light Camera Ticket

Yes, I know, I also prefer original and fresh content on the various blogs I read. So don't bother reading this excellent blog post about how you might be able to deal effectively with a traffic cam ticket. I don't care, I saved the copy in Evernote, just in case…

You Probably Can't Stomach Another Example of Racism, But…

… check out all of these RACISTS stating opposition to Obama and ObamaCare!

I'm Adding Oprah To My List…

Oprah Winfrey's comments here disgust me. She simply cannot comprehend that some (actually, a LOT of) reasonable people could hold opinions very different from her own, so the only thing her self-limited mind can offer up is that it must be a shallow bias such as racial prejudice. Sadly, she is among many who attempt to marginalize people with differing opinions with that incessant, nonsensical and unsubstantiated claim.

And before you say it, Oprah's comments (NOT Oprah herself) disgust me not because she is "African American," but because she peddles her unearned political influence to shut down meaningful and reasonable dialog about extremely important issues (and not-so-important issues, too, like a $40,000 purse, but that's another reason altogether to be disgusted…).

I notice the only way the Far Left usually refers to anyone they disagree with as "racist" is behind their online anonymity or some other indirect way. Why don't they just come up to us in person and spew that crap to our face?
…
I sent this message to the Oprah Winfrey Facebook page:

Oprah, please don't stoop to race-baiting. A lot of reasonable people hold opinions and beliefs very different from President Obama, and those differences have nothing to do with racial prejudice. Making accusations like you made here:

(link to above video)

may serve to substantiate the popular narrative that Conservatives are mostly racists, but it alienates us and marginalizes our views. Wouldn't you rather be know for listening to and discussing a variety of opinions and outlooks, or are you only interested in left-leaning perspectives? The Right listens to the Left's positions all the time - how about facilitating some balanced dialog that builds on what we all have in common, and moves us all forward from there, since the old "divide and conquer" tactics don't seem to have worked out so well?
…
Wanna join me in holding my breath, waiting for a reply?

Is This a Little Too Thought-Provoking?

This may be just a little too thought-provoking for some, but here goes:

How many of you remember when the APA removed general homosexuality from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) in 1973? I do. Do you remember concern being raised that the APA would someday do the same for pedophilia? I do.

Guess what.

Since I'm probably on a roll here with provocation of thought, I might as well add a little something as I wonder whether this has had any influence on the APA's latest move:

If you have no idea what any of this has meant, currently means, and will mean to the American culture and society in the future, I suggest you wake up, study up, and stop being part of the problem.

Dare I Add to What The Dalai Lama Said?

"We are visitors on this planet. We are here for ninety, one hundred years at the very most. During that period, we must try to do something's good, something useful with our lives. Try to be at peace with yourself, and help others share that peace. If you contribute to other people's happiness, you will find the goal, the true meaning of life."

- The Dalai Lama 

If I might be so bold as to add:

"If you make it your life's work to help others contribute to other people's happiness, you will have both found and shined light on the goal for others to see, and strengthened the true meaning of life for all humanity."

- Paul Tannahill

The Old "Guns On Campus" Issue Revisited

At the college where I work, students and other campus visitors who hold a concealed weapons permit are allowed by statute to carry concealed on campus, but employees are not, because of a college policy. This results in the college not permitting people it knows from being able to defend themselves and other employees and students, but letting relative strangers carry freely. As a former Marine and law enforcement weapons instructor, it seems a little out of whack to me, as well as to numerous responsible permit-holding employees I know.

Please don’t strike back with an emotion-laden response to this issue, as a wealth of solid facts and statistics back up the position that a policy that allows trained and license concealed carry permit holding employees to carry in the workplace drastically reduces workplace violence. I have studied this issue for years, and I encourage you to do your own research if it concerns you.

This story brought all of these thoughts to mind for me.

Treat People Different To Give Them Equality. Wait… Huh?

From an old Facebook note I wrote a couple of years ago:

---

I attended an education symposium yesterday, where I heard these statements from a panel of educators promoting “equality” for students of color:

“If you want high grades for people of color, you have to reward faculty based on that model.”

"Students need educators that look like they look."

"Treat different people and situations differently - that's the only way we can achieve equality."

I was just a tag-along at this symposium, probably the least-educated and lowest-ranking person in the entire room, so I didn’t offer up a comment to the panel, but if I would have, it would have sounded something like this:

“I’m a newcomer to academia, having built my career in the workforce, in military, government, and private sector workplace training and development. We had pretty much moved past the point of stressing about people’s skin color and race (there is only ONE race: human), but instead promoted the general idea that we all are to strive to further the organizational mission by training and supporting people in their various roles. A red man hires a brown woman to supervise a yellow man to help a black woman train a white man for his new job, with everybody recognizing each other as just people - that’s what gets the job done. “Red, Brown, Yellow, Black and White, they are precious in His sight.” And they are all precious in OUR sight, too.

Accommodating and enabling relationships built on skin color (or, as you call it, “race”) does our students a disservice, and does not prepare them well for life out there in the real world, the workplace that has largely moved past a perpetual focus on differences, and toward a focus on what we have in common to contribute to the mission. You may want to continue embracing  your old-fashioned race-based quotas and efforts to divide along lines of skin color, but the real world movers are PEOPLE who practice mutual respect and dignity across all lines of differences.”

iOS 7 First Impression

I like iOS 7 so far, but I miss the drop shadows behind the icons. The 2-dimensional flat look reminds me of Windoze. The next update to Mac OS X sure better not follow suit, or I'll start a "Give Us Our Mac OS & iOS Drop Shadows Back!" Facebook group. 

Help Kickstart World War 3!

Polar Shift Plotted

Want to see how much the magnetic North Pole has been migrating over the last couple of decades (it averages about 25 miles a year), and where it is projected to move in the near future? Download this file and open it in Google Earth.

Amazing Flash Flood / Debris Flow Southern Utah

Boy Prays to Barack Obama

How To Turn A Beer Can Into The Only Camping Stove You'll Ever Need

How To Turn A Beer Can Into The Only Camping Stove You'll Ever Need from Tom Allen on Vimeo.

Document Expert Could Topple Obama

Question: "How will Obama’s lawyers discredit a forensic document expert that their own law firm extensively relied on? Answer: They won’t be able to discredit him. If they do happen to try to discredit him, every single case Perkins Coie has employed Reed Hayes for will also be discredited."

Read more here.

What a Tragic, Wasted Opportunity

I am just so sad that the first black president of the United States turned out to be such a divisive, hating failure. He has turned out to be something else this country will be ashamed of in the history books, should we last long enough to have history books that tell the story of this time. What a tragic, wasted opportunity.

Martha Finney

I couldn't have said it better myself.

Why Aren't We Here Yet?

California Democrats Pass Bill That Protects Pedophiles

"When the law was passed in California, Republicans did attempt to add an amendment specifying that pedophilia is not covered as an orientation, but the Democrats defeated the amendment.  What the Democrats either failed to realize or didn't care about was that, by labeling pedophilia a sexual orientation, discrimination laws apply and pedophiles cannot be barred from jobs such as teaching preschool based solely on their pedophilia."

How anyone can embrace this evil ideology is beyond me (and don't even get me started on abortion!).

Source:

http://www.charlesmphipps.com/2013/04/california-democrats-pass-bill-that.html?m=1

Let's Be Like Laos

I just read an article about Laos. We bombed them extremely heavily them during the Vietnam war, and they weren't even involved. People there are still getting killed from unexploded US bombs and mines. The writer noticed how nobody he met seemed to be resentful or angry about it. They only expressed kindness and forgiveness. He finally asked his tour guide if their forgiveness is genuine. He replied by asking if anger can change the past.

Atlas Shrugged

Have you read and/or watched Atlas Shrugged? If so, what did you think of it? If not, why not, and what are you waiting for?

What The Heck Is That Guy Doing!?

Wife-Beating Tutorial

In case you ever need to beat your rebellious or disobedient wife, here is the authorized way to do it. Just be sure to use the correct rod.

Get On With The Disclosure Already!!!

Call me a kook for believing in UFOs (well, I'm not sure yet, but leaning more in that direction all the time), but if governments around the world are going to admit they have been in contact with extraterrestrial life - actual "disclosure," then I definitely want to be alive when that happens. Imagine how our lives will be impacted just by the simple knowledge that extraterrestrial life exists, and that they have been engaging this planet and the human race for many years now. That is, of course, if it really is true.

Below is some footage I had never seen before until very recently. I have to say, knowing what I know about computer graphics, if all of these incidents are fake, then a lot of regular people have some pretty extraordinary (think professional movie production) special effects skills, and they are wasting those skills on duping people for fun. Hmmm…

Paul Hellyer, Canadian Minister of National Defense offered a public disclosure just a few day ago. “Just as children survive the idea of the tooth fairy and Santa Claus when they become adult, I think the taxpaying citizens are quite capable of accepting the new and broader reality that we live in a cosmos teaming with life of various sorts.”

Former CIA Officer Gives Deathbed Testimony About UFOs

UFO Disclosure Continues As Former U.S. Senators Add Testimonies

I am looking for a video I watched a few weeks ago that made it clear that this idea of "disclosure" is looking like other momentous events in scientific discovery: the discoverer of newly-discovered facts are marginalized and even abused by those who can't tolerate their world being shaken up. If and when I locate that video, I will add it to this post, so stay tuned!

Banned Flight 93 News Video

By George, I Think He Got It (Right)!

George Orwell’s future is upon us.

Liberty is no longer being eroded a bit at a time; it’s being ripped away in chunks, in the name of “security.”

Modern-Day Prophecy?

This was written by a pastor's wife in biblical prose as a commentary of current events. It is brilliant.

And it came to pass in the Age of Insanity that the people of the land Called America , having lost their morals, their initiative, and their Will to defend their liberties, chose as their Supreme Leader that Person known as "The One."

He emerged from the vapors with a message that had no meaning; but He Hypnotized the people telling them, "I am sent to save you." My lack Of experience, my questionable ethics, my monstrous ego, and my Association with evil doers are of no consequence. I shall save you With hope and Change. Go, therefore, and proclaim throughout the Land that he who proceeded me is evil, that he has defiled the nation, And that all he has built must be destroyed. And the people rejoiced, For even though they knew not what "The One" would do, he had promised. That it was good; and they believed. And "The One" said "We live in The greatest country in the world. Help me change everything about it!" And the people said, "Hallelujah! Change is good!" Then He said, "We are going to tax the rich fat-cats." And the People said "Sock it to them!" "And redistribute their wealth." And The people said, "Show us the money!" And then he said, " Redistribution of wealth is good for everybody."

And Joe the plumber asked, "Are you kidding me? You are going to Steal my money and give it to the deadbeats??" And "The One" Ridiculed and taunted him, and Joe's personal records were hacked and publicized. One lone reporter asked, "Is that not Marxist policy?" And she was Banished from the kingdom.

Then a citizen asked, "With no foreign relations experience and Having zero military experience or knowledge, how will you deal with Radical terrorists?" And "The One" said, "Simple. I shall sit with Them and talk with them and show them how nice we really are; and they will forget that they ever wanted to kill us all!" And the people Said, "Hallelujah!! We are safe at last, and we can beat our weapons Into free cars for the people!"

Then "The One" said "I shall give 95% of you lower taxes." And one, Lone voice said, "But 40% of us don't pay ANY taxes." So "The One" Said, "Then I shall give you some of the taxes the fat-cats pay!" And the people said, "Hallelujah! Show us the money!"

Then "The One" said, "I shall tax your Capital Gains when you sell Your homes!" And the people yawned and the slumping housing market Collapsed. And He said. "I shall mandate employer-funded health care For every worker and raise the minimum wage. And I shall give every Person unlimited healthcare and medicine and transportation to the Clinics." And the people said, "Give me some of that!" Then he said, "I shall penalize employers who ship jobs overseas." And the people said, "Where is my rebate check?"

Then "The One" said, "I shall bankrupt the coal industry and Electricity rates will skyrocket!" And the people said, "Coal is Dirty, coal is evil, no more coal! But we do not care for that part About higher electric rates." So "The One" said, Not to worry. If Your rebate is not enough to cover your expenses, we shall bail you out. Just sign up with the ACORN and you troubles are over!"

Then He said, "Illegal immigrants feel scorned and slighted. Let us Grant them amnesty, Social Security, free education, free lunches, Free medical care, bi-lingual signs and guaranteed housing..." And The people said, "Hallelujah!" and they made him king!

And so it came to pass that employers, facing spiraling costs and Ever-higher taxes, raised their prices and laid off workers. Others Simply gave up and went out of business and the economy sank like unto A rock dropped from a cliff.

The banking industry was destroyed. Manufacturing slowed to a Crawl. And more of the people were without a means of support.

Then "The One" said, "I am the "the One"- The Messiah - and I am here To save you! We shall just print more money so everyone will have Enough!" But our foreign trading partners said unto Him. "Wait a minute. Your dollar is not worth a pile of camel dung! You will have to pay more... And "The One" said, "Wait a minute. That is unfair!!" And the world said, "Neither are these other idiotic programs you have embraced. Lo, you have become a Socialist state and a second-rate power. Now you shall play by our rules!"

And the people cried out, "Alas, alas!! What have we done?" But yea verily, it was too late. The people set upon The One and spat upon him and stoned him, and his name was dung. And the once mighty nation was no more; and the once proud people were without sustenance or shelter or hope. And the Change "The One" had given them was as like unto a poison that had destroyed them and like a whirlwind that consumed all that they had built.

And the people beat their chests in despair and cried out in anguish, "give us back our nation and our pride and our hope!!" But it was too late, and their homeland was no more.

Are We On Autopilot?

"… everything we do is based on repeating things we have done in the past without questioning whether or not it can be done differently. We simply perpetuate beliefs and theories that we are afraid to update."

Read more here.

Did DOJ Monitor Phones of Members of Congress?

Breaking! Gun Confiscation Leads to Armed Conflict

BOSTON - National guard units seeking to confiscate a cache of recently banned assault weapons were ambushed on April 19th by elements of a para-military extremist faction.

Military and law enforcement sources estimate that 72 were killed and more than 200 injured before government forces were compelled to withdraw.

Speaking after the clash Massachusetts Governor Thomas Gage declared that the extremist faction, which was made up of local citizens, has links to the radical right-wing tax protest movement.

Gage blamed the extremists for recent incidents of vandalism directed against internal revenue offices. The governor, who described the group's organizers as "criminals," issued an executive order authorizing the summary arrest of any individual who has interfered with the government's efforts to secure law and order.

The military raid on the extremist arsenal followed wide-spread refusal by the local citizenry to turn over recently outlawed assault weapons.

Gage issued a ban on military-style assault weapons and ammunition earlier in the week. This decision followed a meeting in early this month between government and military leaders at which the governor authorized the forcible confiscation of illegal arms.

One government official, speaking on condition of anonymity, pointed out that "none of these people would have been killed had the extremists obeyed the law and turned over their weapons voluntarily."

Government troops initially succeeded in confiscating a large supply of outlawed weapons and ammunition. However, troops attempting to seize arms and ammunition in Lexington met with resistance from heavily-armed extremists who had been tipped off regarding the government's plans.

During a tense standoff in Lexington 's town park, National Guard Colonel Francis Smith, commander of the government operation, ordered the armed group to surrender and return to their homes.

The impasse was broken by a single shot, which was reportedly fired by one of the right-wing extremists.

Eight civilians were killed in the ensuing exchange. Ironically, the local citizenry blamed government forces rather than the extremists for the civilian deaths.

Before order could be restored, armed citizens from surrounding areas had descended upon the guard units. Colonel Smith, finding his forces overmatched by the armed mob, ordered a retreat.

Governor Gage has called upon citizens to support the state/national joint task force in its effort to restore law and order. The governor also demanded the surrender of those responsible for planning and leading the attack against the government troops.

The ringleaders of the extremist faction, identified as Samuel Adams, Paul Revere, and John Hancock, remain at large.

April 20, 1775

Enjoy Your Bus Ride

Every now and then (ok, quite often), my good friend Jason Smith posts an extremely clear and concise essay that hits the nail on the head. This is definitely one of his best pieces:

Does anyone know what these words actually mean? Republican, and Democrat. In a democracy (where the word democrat comes from, those who follow that doctrine) the people vote, and the majority rules.

This means that everyone must obey the rules set by the majority. It doesn't matter what your personal belief is, you are expected to follow the majority's rule. If the majority votes to drive the bus off a cliff, you are expected to sit quietly in your seat and ride along.

A republic (supported in principal by republicans) is founded on individual rights. No matter what the majority decides, you as an individual have the privilege of your own opinion. You can ask the bus to stop, and you can get off before it heads over the cliff.

Basically you have two choices, individual rights (republican) or mob-rules (democrat).

A pet peeve of mine is when people say that America is a democracy. It is not, and never has been.

It was founded as, and still is today a republic.

Remember the pledge of allegiance? "To the REPUBLIC for which she stands?"

Anyone who claims to believe in INDIVIDUAL freedom, and votes democrat, needs to read a little history (and the dictionary).

Just saying.

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