No damp basement for me...

When we first moved into this house my oldest daughter wanted her bedroom to be in the basement, however it was very damp and musty even after painting and cleaning, which made us look into portable dehumidifiers. I realized that I could not use just any type, that I needed a wet basement dehumidifier and I also knew that with the way my teenage daughter was, that there was no chance that she would remember to empty the unit. We had used units in the past that did not have the automatic shut off and automatic drain feature so I was able to be a smart consumer when it came to knowing which recommended features we needed. After that the hardest part was trying to explain to her how does a dehumidifier work so that she'd realize there were times when it would turn on more than others. Now, she has a livable basement space, well livable in her terms, unfortunately dehumidifiers can't make rooms clean...

:-)

Another advantage of our way of life...

I was reading this news story from India, which should point out the advantages of living in a country where we do have basic freedoms and protections from situations like this one. Lawyers tied a young man to a tree and beat him outside a court in India for refusing to marry one of their relatives, an official said on Wednesday.

The group of laywers surrounded the victim when he arrived at a court in the Taj Mahal town of Agra to settle a dispute over marrying the niece of one of the lawyers. This was caught on camera by Indian TV channels who showed the abusive lawyers tearing off the man's shirt, tying him to a tree trunk and cutting bald patches into his hair. The 22-year-old victim was then beaten up.

Supposedly the bar association in that town is looking into the incident but it really does give one pause when thinking about the types of injustices people face.

The freedom of home ownership...

Many people with less than perfect credit end up in a situation where they feel that they really have no options. That they will be stuck renting properties forever and the dream of home ownership will remain that...just a dream...Yet there are many programs out there that can help almost ever person out there with earned income through different bad credit mortgage loans be able to still see that dream come true. Credit Loan has all types of information and resources to help you learn more about your options, they even offer different types of financial calculators as well as other great tools that could get you one step closer to owning your own home.

Interesting piece on Fox about Ron Paul...

I came across an interesting post on Fox by Radley Balko about Ron Paul and some of the claims that were made by other Republican candidates tonight. I think it's noteworthy because it is as the column calls it "Straight Talk". Some of the highlights:

Perhaps, Paul suggested, the 15-year presence of the U.S. military forces in Muslim countries may have motivated them. For that, Giuliani excoriated him, calling it an "extraordinary statement," adding, "I don't think I've heard that before."

Let's be blunt. Giuliani was either lying, or he hasn't cracked a book in six years.

The "blowback" theory isn't some fringe idea common only to crazy Sept. 11 conspiracy theorists. It doesn't suggest that we "deserved" the Sept. 11 attacks, nor does it suggest we shouldn't have retaliated against the people who waged them.

What it does say is that actions have consequences. When the Arab and Muslim world continually sees U.S. troops marching through Arab and Muslim backyards, U.S. trade sanctions causing Arab and Muslim suffering and U.S. bombs landing on Arab and Muslim homes, it isn't difficult to see how Arabs could begin to develop a deep contempt for the U.S.

Personally I was glad to see a politician have the courage to actually say what some of us have been saying for quite some time...

Drug treatment Center for women only...

While of course I am a proponent of equal rights, I am also realistic enough to know that women at times face different challenges when it comes to drug rehab. This makes a "one sized fits all" approach one that generally does not work for either sex. There is a treatment center called "Orchid Recovery Center for Women" that has been having a great deal of success in providing a supportive environment for women of all ages. In addition to offering a private phone consultation for free, Orchid Recovery Center for Women has also strived to make their program more affordable than many of the other private treatment facilities.

Michael Badnarik quote...

When it came to the last presidential election I voted for Michael Badnarik, even though I realized the chances of him winning were slim. For me it was my way of expressing hope that someday there might actually be a candidate that presents real solutions to some of the problems America faces. Neither George Bush or John Kerry offered that, in my opinion. One of my favorite quotes by Michael was listed on PurePolitics.com:

"The Libertarian philosophy is based on individual rights and personal responsibility. Rights and responsibilities are different aspects of the same concept, much like opposite sides of the same coin. Being Libertarian also means adhering to the non-aggression principle in our everyday lives."

:-)

Free Classifieds...

I'm a big fan of free classifieds as I think it gives people the ability to be able to provide services or sell unwanted items without having to go through the hassle of paying for an ad then perhaps not have anyone be interested in that particular item at the time you are selling it. It's My Market is a new classified site out there that has forums and other items of interest on top of providing a way for you to find services or to sell and buy hundreds of different items. This is one of those recommended sites to bookmark for future visits.

Bible escapes being classified as "indecent"

From a libertarian standpoint I think some of the rules in Hong Kong are silly anyway, but this recent story points out the hypocrisy in their system, it seems that the Hong Kong's Television and Licensing Authority (TELA) said in a statement issued late Thursday that it would not submit the Bible to the Obscene Articles Tribunal for classification.

The regulator received 2,041 complaints against the Bible this week, following an uproar over a sex column in a student magazine that was classified as "indecent" by authorities for asking if readers had ever fantasized about incest or bestiality. A website was created pointing out the many examples of incest and rape in the Bible as a comparison.

Supposedly...

the Bible "had not violated standards of morality, decency and propriety generally accepted by reasonable members of the community."

New Online Celebrity Dating game...

This is an interesting way to not only promote freedom of expression but a novel marketing idea as well.

For the next 14 weeks, men out there can have a chance at a dream date thanks to a new online dating contest sponsored by GoFish.com. Actress, Mirelly Taylor is the first celebrity "to seduce", she's appeared on movies such as Kiss Me Again and Serving Sara. She's also been on many television shows like “Las Vegas”, “Punk’d”, and “Numb3rs”. How does it work? Mirelly creates videos where she gives hints as to what kind of a man she is looking for. Men submit videos, and then the online community votes on these Free videos at GoFish.com GoFish.com. The finalists will be selected by the viewers with Mirelly Taylor having the final say of those finalists as to who will be the one selected. Better yet, just watch this video and you'll learn more:



Personally I think this could really take off, and it would be neat to see it include something like a non-date where you could actually have dinner with someone that you've always admired. It would give those of us who are happily married a chance to join in and submit our videos. I have quite a list of people I'd love to have a chat with, though I'm not really sure if I would want to practice having to kiss a piece of fruit...

Hillary for President t-shirts...

I love our free market society and I wondered with some of the sponsored posts that I write which candidate would be the first one for me to blog about. Interestingly enough it is for Hillary t-shirts. Of course DePresident does not appear to be affiliated directly with any of the campaigns, but they do have some cute designs for those who "love Hillary" or some of the other presidential candidates as well. Undecided? Then you could always order Hillary then an Edwards or even an Obama and have your wardrobe flip flop with the best of them out there.

Or if you pick a design like this one:



You can always pretend that your name is Hillary if she doesn't end up as the winner...

Ayn Rand and her affect on the Libertarian movement

It's often been said that Ayn Rand has brought more people into the libertarian movement than anybody else. That by making the moral case for individualism and liberty through her dramatic novels she encouraged people to support the concept of libertarianism. Ironically I read her some of her novels after I had already become familiar with some of the ideals.

Her first book was We The Living (1936), chronicling love and the struggle for liberty amidst Soviet oppression. Then came her first big success, The Fountainhead (1943), about a determined individualist pursuing his vision in a collectivist world. The Fountainhead became a bestseller and was made into a movie starring Gary Cooper, Patricia Neal and Raymond Massey. Anthem (1946) is a bold affirmation of individualism. A short novel, it affords an easy introduction to Rand's ideas. The book goes far beyond more famous anti-authoritarian novels such as Aldous Huxley's Brave New World (1932), Arthur Koestler's Darkness at Noon (1941) or George Orwell's Animal Farm (1945) or 1984 (1949). Rand's most philosophical novel is Atlas Shrugged (1957) which tells what happened when some of the world's most productive individuals got tired of being exploited and went on strike.

Rand elaborated her philosophy with brilliant essays, gathered in several books: Philosophy Who Needs It? (1962), Capitalism The Unknown Ideal (1962), The Virtue of Selfishness (1964), The Romantic Manifesto (1969), The New Left: The Anti-Industrial Revolution (1971, since reissued as Return of the Primitive) and The Voice of Reason: Essays in Objectivist Thought (1988). Altogether some 20 million copies of Rand's books have been sold

Have something to say? Publish your own book...

I'm sure you've often heard people state, "Boy, I could write a book about that" in relation to one topic or another. Today thanks to many of the new technologies we have when it comes to being able to promote/reach a market if this is something you have considered then contact a Publishing Company like Author House. They proudly state that since 1997 they have been the leading self-publishing company in the world and they have the tools and the experience to help you on your quest to self-publishing...

On Libertarians and God...

As I was searching the net earlier I came across this question in the "Yahoo Answers" section that I found to be rather interesting and worth sharing because it underlines one of the common misconceptions about some who consider themselves to lean libertarian or be libertarian.

If libertarian does not believe in God, how is it that he is afraid of death?

The answer that was selected as the best one and one in my opinion is also good:

There are two meanings of 'libertarian'.

1. Someone who believes we have free will. Thus a libertarian is quite likely to believe in God - unless he is also an atheistic existentialist. But I could be either and not be afraid of death.

2. In political terms, a libertian is someone who advocates minimal government and maximal liberty. I don't see that this sort of libertarian is necessarily an atheist, nor that he is necessarily afraid of death.

The ancient Epicureans said the following about death:

There is no need to fear death, because when we are here, death is not; and when death is here, we are not.

They taught that belief in angry gods who punish those who offend them is bad because it tends to make the believer afraid of death when the non-believer need not be.

uTango an interesting concept...

It does appear that uTango is correct that it's utango rewards program is something that has never been offered before. It is designed to be a loyalty marketing concept that offers potential rewards over a long term. It's stated it will give young couples a chance to earn up to $1 Million in Life-Stage cash rewards for shopping with uTANGO merchant partners and staying married. At this point it is only open to those who are single, engaged or have been married for less than three years.

I spent some time reading their detailed FAQ sheet and I can see where if you shopped with the companies that currently are involved with uTango where it could not only create customer loyalty to those websites but pay off very well later in life if the program stays in existance. The downside to the program is of course if you don't stay married or if you miss the target points required without being related to some sort of a financial hardship and a deactivation of your account happens. At this point since we have been married for over 7 years we don't qualify to even give it a try, though it does state they are looking at expanding the program to those married over three years at a later date. It also has a referral element where it is stated you can refer up to 500 people during the lifetime of your account which could generate $500,000 to a 30 year Life-Stage Reward Plan payout.

Is it worth taking a look at? Yes, I'd recommend checking out the website for complete details and see if this is something that would interest you.

Making Copyright infringement a criminal act?

I recommend reading this article at Wired News on the topic of the recent suggestions of the Attorney General:

If the attorney general has his way, copyright law will work more like drug laws: The government could seize your personal property, wiretaps in counterfeit cases would become legit, violators could face lifetime prison sentences, and, in an ambiguous and far-reaching provision, the mere attempt to violate a copyright would become a crime.

The Intellectual Property Protection Act of 2007, proposed to Congress on Monday by Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, would amend current U.S. copyright law to give the government far more power to investigate and prosecute cases, would expand the scope of what constitutes a criminal act, and would stiffen penalties, including adding a life term for those whose activities cause death.

Obviously some of us believe this goes a bit to far in it's scope and focus so it will be interesting to see what happens in Congress in regard to this.

Use Pingo to save money on calls...

If you make long distance calls, especially ones over seas then you should make sure you are informed about discount International calling cards online. That's one of the great things about Pingo, they make it very easy to check to see what the rates are, as one example, my daughter has friends who have family in Lebanon, so it was very easy to discover what the Lebanon calling card rates were.

It's also very easy to use Pingo, it's all done online so you never have to worry about running out of minutes or having to run out and by another card by using them as your prepaid calling card provider. Pingo also has some great special offers right now a $25.00 gift certificate and a special deal for father's day both give you a chance to save even more money or to talk longer...

Freedom to be yourself...

I read this New York Times article about Girth and Nudity, a Pictorial Misson with great interest. Not just because the photos were taken by Leonard Nimoy, but because it demonstrates to me the acceptance of people for who they are, and that there is a beauty in us all no matter our clothing size. Part of the article:

“The average American woman, according to articles I’ve read, weighs 25 percent more than the models who are showing the clothes they are being sold,” Mr. Nimoy said, his breathing slightly labored by allergies and a mild case of emphysema. “So, most women will not be able to look like those models. But they’re being presented with clothes, cosmetics, surgery, diet pills, diet programs, therapy, with the idea that they can aspire to look like those people. It’s a big, big industry. Billions of dollars. And the cruelest part of it is that these women are being told, ‘You don’t look right.’ ”

Mr. Nimoy, who divides his time among homes in New York and Los Angeles and on Lake Tahoe, in California, admits that before he began this project, it had never occurred to him that beauty might be culture driven, that a fat body in Africa is treated quite differently from one in the United States. “In some cultures their weight is a sign of affluence: their husbands can afford to feed them well,” he noted.

Will you Get it?

The answer to the question of "Who Gets it?" could very well be you! It's a fun new way to win prizes valued from $10 to $600, and it's called whogets.com. It's free to join and after the first round in which people are randomly selected who wins the prize is based on writing an up to 100 word statement on why they think they should win. Members vote and...*voila* the winner is selected. I can verify they do not spam, as I have joined the site, and perhaps one day soon I'll be one of those selected to see if I'm the one whogets.com...

Freedom School...

Yes, this is not what you would consider to be a Libertarian topic, or maybe it is...I'm a fan of Billy Jack movies and I still have a "Freedom School" Tshirt. Though the school in the movies appears more liberal in nature, the basic rights of individual freedoms was actually demonstrated by the real life version of the school copied in the movie.

That and I loved it when Billy Jack kicked some serious butt...

:-)

Selecting the right laptop case...

There are very few websites out there where you can get actual reviews on laptop cases, as an example like this one on the Samsonite Ballistic Nylon Wheeled Computer Case. It's helpful as a consumer to be able to have more details and a review, especially when purchasing online. QualityLaptopCases.com strives to bring you honest opinions on the top selling laptop cases out there with new information added as products become available and are reviewed.

Rose Wilder Lane

Most people know who Laura Ingalls Wilder was, the author of the Little House series and some may remember that she had a daughter named Rose. What many people do not know though is that Rose Wilder Lane was an established writer as well and is considered to be a historical figure in Libertarian History.

Her traditional bio information does not suggest this, yet if you take a deeper look as this Cato Institute piece provides into some of Rose Wilder Lane's actions which included:

Rose's writing reflected her growing concern with government encroachment on individual liberties. Her 1938 pioneer novel Free Land, the royalties from which financed Lane's purchase of a home in Connecticut, would be her last published fiction. During the early 40's, she wrote articles focusing on individualism, needlework, and sometimes both at once for Woman's Day and other magazines. She also began work on The Discovery of Freedom, which by her own account was written in a "white heat." In 1945, she began writing for the National Economic Council's Review of Books. A correspondence with Ayn Rand that lasted several years began when Rand sent Lane a letter of thanks for her favorable review of The Fountainhead in that publication.

Lane was not merely a theorist, but an activist as well. In 1945–46, she led a campaign against the introduction of zoning, which she saw as a violation of individual property rights, in her town. She also grew her own food to avoid wartime rationing, and later quit her editorial job with the National Economic Council so as not to pay Social Security taxes. Her prescience regarding the instability of that system was astonishing: throughout the 1950s she would describe it as unstable and a "Ponzi fraud." Lane told friends that it would be immoral of her to take part in a system that would predictably collapse so catastrophically, as the example of Weimar Germany convinced her that it would.

You get some insight into who Rose Wilder Lane really was...

Searching for an accounting paradise

Whether you are looking for a great discount on Quickbooks or you are looking for more in depth accounting services such as payroll services or bookkeeping. Accounting Paradise wants you to consider them for all of your accounting needs.

The company was founded because of the frustration in trying to find reliable accounting services at a reasonable cost. Accounting Paradise outlines the many reasons why they want to be your accounting firm. They specialize in meeting the needs of small businesses, so I highly recommend stopping by and visiting Accounting Paradise so they can help you make your accounting worries just fade away...

Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu the first Libertarian?

Murray Rothbard a libertarian scholar believes that there is evidence that demonstrates that Lao Tzu was the First Libertarian. He bases this on historical information and quotes that were attributed to by Tzu such as:

government, with its 'laws and regulations more numerous than the hairs of an ox,' was a vicious oppressor of the individual, and 'more to be feared than fierce tigers.'"

'The more artificial taboos and restrictions there are in the world, the more the people are impoverished.... The more that laws and regulations are given prominence, the more thieves and robbers there will be.' The wisest course, then, is to keep the government simple and for it to take no action, for then the world 'stabilizes itself.' As Lao-tzu put it, 'Therefore the Sage says: I take no action yet the people transform themselves, I favor quiescence and the people right themselves, I take no action and the people enrich themselves....'"

I did some additional searching on my own and found a few quotes of interest as well that are attributed to Lao Tzu:

The more laws and order are made prominent,
The more thieves and robbers there will be.

Govern a great nation as you would cook a small fish. Do not overdo it.

Encylocentral is a great resource...

Whether you are looking for information on Home Improvement or something more entertainment oriented like an article about Mystic River it's there. You can search to find a topic you are interested in or take a look at the scrolling information on the sidebar that tells you the latest articles. Or you can see what's listed on the front page, which is how I found this very interesting article on Kraft Foods. I did out of curiosity see what came up when I searched the word Libertarian...

Freedom to enjoy your own property...

Alas I have neighbors that don't seem to understand the concept of where their personal freedom infringes on my personal freedom. I can handle the music at times, after all we have houses that are somewhat close together. Yet, the motorcycle bothers me. Not because it's loud, I again understand that's his right to enjoy his motorcycle. It's the fact that he works on it in our shared driveway (that really isn't a driveway since it's not usable for cars) and he revs up the bike because it's experiencing some type of a mechanical issue and fills the downstairs of my house with the fumes. I should not have to keep my windows shut or have to choke on the smoke and fumes that he obviously sees is going into my house. Unfortunately we went thru this last year and he didn't seem concerned then, so I doubt much will change and what creates situations where laws are created is because of the irresponsible behavior of others. Imagine how many laws would not exist if people just exhibited some common sense...

Reliable Daycare necessary part of Free Market...

As a parent, a critical part of the decision of our income earning abilities is the access to quality local daycares. While word of mouth is great, finding an online resource that gives you a way to not only find but read reviews on what other parents experienced with a babysitter or nanny is a huge help. Our neighbors to the north in Canada have just such a great service, DaycareBear.ca, created to assist in finding reliable childcare. They also provide some great information and resource material to help working parents.

Personal liberty aside, personal responsibility...

What troubles me most about reading the story of the two parents found guilty of killing their infant is that they as adults had a choice to live a vegan lifestyle. Their son, six week old Crown, was not breasfed for some reason, the parents decided to give him a vegan diet of soymilk and apple juice. There are commercially prepared soy formula's on the market that would have met their vegan lifestyle and not endangered the life of their son.

Personal freedom also requires personal responsibility...

Win $5000 from AccuWeather.com

Have you always dreamed of being a star weather forecaster? Then this post will give the information for your dreams come true by taking the accuweather video challenge. Not only can you win $5,000 but you could be the next star of AccuWeather.com by uploading a weather report that you've created from your own original video or you can create your own video by uploading and editing some of their videos. Don't wait too long, the contest ends on or about July 4, 2007 or when there have been 3,000 submissions, you don't want to be left out in the "cold" on this chance...

Military again cracking down on soldier blogs...

In what creates a situation where I can't help think of the irony of our military personnel doing their job to protect our country and the basis of our constitution, comes the news that the Army is cracking down on soldiers who blog again. They had already tightened restrictions and access to the internet for many soldiers before. Now it appears they are demanding that blogging material be pre-approved before it is posted.

Taking drug rehabilitation seriously...

The hardest step when dealing with a personal issue or a family member struggling with the need for drug rehab is that real acknowledgment that there is a problem. Denial is a huge part of the problem for not only the individual dealing with the drug problem but for family members as well. Often times when the admission that there is a problem has finally been made there is a feeling of false security that it will be able to be solved. Unfortunately, that next hurdle of finding help can be a huge issue and it can very well be the difference between that person receiving help and their falling back into their previous lifestyle.

It's understandable that people don't want to admit to others they have a problem which decreases their chance of finding who in your area can help. That makes places like www.4rehabilitation.com all the more important since they can provide resources in a confidential manner to help you or a loved one get the help they need.

More resource information on history...

One of my favorite places to read actual historical documents is thanks to Yale University, they bring to us Yale's Avalon Project that gives you the reader/researcher the ability to read documents and speeches from long ago. Why is this so important? Because I truly feel we as a nation can not move forward if we do not fully understand where we have been. I urge you to visit the website, read the documents there and see for yourself the many challenges our forefathers dealt with that we should remember as we are dealing with the issues of today.

Lasik Results Improved

It's being reported by the Council for Refractive Surgery Quality Assurance (USAEyes.org), a nonprofit patient advocacy group that getting a good result from Lasik and similar eye surgery has significantly improved. USAEyes.org also found that 90% of patients achieved 20/40 vision or better and 65% achieved 20/20 vision, after a review of US Food and Drug Administration clinical trials, peer-reviewed data, and individual patient outcomes. I predict that this statistical information on Lasik surgery will increase the numbers of those receiving the surgery. While one of the more common side effects has been dry eye, for many the trade off in not having to wear glasses or contacts and is worth having to use an artificial tear product from time to time. The new information was not a surprise to me since I had heard predictions that with increased training and improvements in technology better Lasik results were expected.

Ivy League Moms...

Very interesting article at the Toledo Free Press on the topic of marketing/advertising in relation to what is being called, Ivy League Moms. These are women who were at one point career oriented who became stay at home mothers. They bring their business talents into their domestic world by being savvy and smart shoppers who are loyal to products/companies that meet their needs:

Linda Wolf, chairwoman and CEO of Leo Burnett Worldwide, cites studies that indicate that 65 percent of women between the ages of 35 and 40 feel advertising aimed at women is patronizing; 50 percent find certain ads to be old fashioned. This is bad news for the advertising industry, according to Cheryl Berman, chief creative officer for Leo Burnett USA. Burnett's creative team also reports that 50 percent of Ivy League MBA graduates are female and one in four married women today make more money than their husbands.

Burnett personnel state that women's buying habits are changing, and more and more women are the consumers of such items as guns and alcohol. Because women make the bulk of the buying decisions, corporations need to be much more aware of what makes savvy women tick, the Burnett creative team continues.

Link Directories...the frustrations and a solution...

One of the most frustrating things in trying to build page rank is spending time submitting a link to a directory then discover if they list you at all that you are buried so far back that no one new will find your site. There is an alternative, using a bid link directory. Big Web Links Directory was created to give you the ability by using a bid process to be one of the top sites listed, yes, free market driven which is why I liked the concept. Unlike some other directories out there, Big Web Links demonstrates it's additional value since it currently has a page rank of 7, blogs or websites with lower page ranks are helped by being listed on a higher ranking blog. It looks like a well put together directory, and considering the costs of other directories, the current amounts of the bids look very reasonable.

Our first tornado warning of the season...

After the initial hearing of the sirens and seeing the part of the sky appeared to be very dark that was about the end of our excitement related to the weather. At least for the next hour or so when there are some more storms headed this way. I don't understand why the tornado sirens went off in my neighborhood since the suspected area of circulation was quite a few miles away, even in another county but? At least I know that even with the girls playing their music and the assorted household noises that I can hear the sirens should a tornado ever come this way. The pilot's daughter in me made a direct beeline to the outside to see if I could see any signs of a storm or any circulation near us. Someday I'd love to be a storm chaser...

Bird Binoculars...the search...

I set out with the mission in mind to find just the right pair of bird binoculars to surprise my husband with since he has become interested in bird watching. I turned to Eagle Optics in searching because I knew they provided great information as to what type of binoculars I should consider and they offer a huge selection in various price ranges. Since I don't know how deeply he'll get into this, I wanted a nice set of bird binoculars but also didn't want to spend several hundred dollars for something that will sit in a drawer, though I did make a note of the fact that they offer free financing for purchases over $200.00. Thanks to the detailed information provided on the Eagle Optics website I was able to find a nice Pentax pair at a very low price, that is designed for beginners, that even came with a strap and a carrying case. I was also pleased to discover that I could use the Google Checkout Payment Option. I've had been told by others that Eagle Optics customer service is excellent but I was able to complete my order thanks to the information provided on their website.

The philosphy of liberty...

For those new to the concept of libertarianism or self ownership, there is a very informative and thought provoking animated introduction to Liberty that I highly recommend checking out.

In a very precise and direct fashion it points out why our individual liberty and the concept of self ownership is so important. It's based on The Adventures of Jonathan Gullible.

:-)