Republican candidates not interested in YouTube debate...

It's being suggested that the reason why only two republican presidential candiates have agreed to participate in a CNN/YouTube debate done in a similar manner to the recent Democratic one is that they are afraid to face the YouTube Generation.

That could be part of it, or it could also be that after they saw how inane the questions where that were selected from the thousands of people who sent in video questions they decided it just wasn't worth the effort.

It could have been a great opportunity to ask some questions of Presidential candidates and instead some of the questions were just plain...silly...even for YouTube standards.

Are we safer or not?

Apparently it depends on who you talk to, and what is the political hype behind the message they are putting out there. Recommended piece on CNN's On the Scene section, The bottom line on threat reports -- Is America safer? by Ed Henry where he asks some questions of White House Homeland Security Adviser Fran Townsend as well as taking a look at some of the other information reported by other sources.

Personal freedoms declining...We're all terrorists..

Disheartening story that I read this morning on Wired, titled, We're All Terrorists! Watch List Makes 20k 'Matches' in '06 that delves into the topic of how many people are wrongfully listed on the Watch List that have been delayed or even detained wrongly. In our attempts to be "safe", the personal freedoms we are having taken away from us seem to be growing and one can't help but wonder how much intrusion will be deemed to be "okay" before people start saying enough...

Looking for a "fit" date?

One of the neat things about the internet is the way that online dating services have specialized to create specific ones for different groups of people focusing on a specific culture or interest. One of the more interesting ones I've come across is fitness personals, the focus of this user friendly dating site is to connect people who focus on fitness and health as an important part of their life. The online service provides all of the basic features that most other dating services provide, and membership is free, but with the priority being on fitness dating means that all the members you search through automatically have that in common. I browsed some of the many profiles and those that are members are looking for not only Mr. or Mrs. Right but Mr. or Mrs. Fit...

Blaming the internet rather than taking responsibility

It never ceases to amaze me how far people will go in avoiding taking responsibility for their own actions. It's one of the main reasons we have too much governmental regulations and interference, we allow a few "Darwin Award" type people to create scenarios where laws and regulations have to be passed to "protect" us. This Nevada couple is blaming playing Dungeons & Dragons online rather than carrying for their two children aged 22 months and 11 months. All that can be hoped for is that a few years in prison away from the internet might make these two parents realize that it wasn't the computer...it was their own selfish behavior...

Small Businesses are the key...

Here in Ohio as well as many other states the majority of employment growth comes from small businesses, which makes having information on small business loans very important to those considering venturing into being their own employer.

My husband has dreamed of opening a small business for several years, and he is still working on saving the necessary capital and searching for those interested in possibly investing in his idea. It's not easy, which is why loans end up being a very important part of making this dream come true. We've also learned that it is very important to have a complete business plan and find out what type of organizations exist in your area as a resource that could help you develop winning strategies to take your dream of owning your own business from on paper to reality...

Two of my favorite allegories...

Maybe because I spent so much time around my grandmother who was an expert at her allegory type statements....

But two of my favorites I'm sharing with you:

A Man and his son were once going with their Donkey to market. As they were walking along by its side a countryman passed them and said: “You fools, what is a Donkey for but to ride upon?”

So the Man put the Boy on the Donkey and they went on their way. But soon they passed a group of men, one of whom said: “See that lazy youngster, he lets his father walk while he rides.”

So the Man ordered his Boy to get off, and got on himself. But they hadn't gone far when they passed two women, one of whom said to the other: “Shame on that lazy lout to let his poor little son trudge along.”

Well, the Man didn't know what to do, but at last he took his Boy up before him on the Donkey. By this time they had come to the town, and the passers-by began to jeer and point at them. The Man stopped and asked what they were scoffing at. The men said: “Aren't you ashamed of yourself for overloading that poor donkey of yours—you and your hulking son?”

The Man and Boy got off and tried to think what to do. They thought and they thought, till at last they cut down a pole, tied the donkey's feet to it, and raised the pole and the donkey to their shoulders. They went along amid the laughter of all who met them till they came to Market Bridge, when the Donkey, getting one of his feet loose, kicked out and caused the Boy to drop his end of the pole. In the struggle the Donkey fell over the bridge, and his fore-feet being tied together he was drowned.

“That will teach you,” said an old man who had followed them:

“Please all, and you will please none.”

A Lion used to prowl about a field in which Four Oxen used to dwell. Many a time he tried to attack them; but whenever he came near they turned their tails to one another, so that whichever way he approached them he was met by the horns of one of them. At last, however, they fell a-quarrelling among themselves, and each went off to pasture alone in a separate corner of the field. Then the Lion attacked them one by one and soon made an end of all four.

United we stand, divided we fall.

Gothic Dating....

Years ago I was involved in the Goth Lifestyle, trying to find someone to date that shared similar interests was very difficult. Now there is the Goth Scene which is an easy way to take advantage of gothic personals to find just the person you are looking for. Through photos and personal information shared by members this gives you the opportunity to start in a dating site that specializes in people who are interested in all things Goth.

The Goth Scene states they are the #1 Alternative Dating Community on the Net, the website is very user friendly and membership is free. If you are looking for either friends or are looking for more information on goth dating, I recommend taking a visit over to the website. Your perfect mate could be just around the corner...

Libertarian Celebrities...

Are you thinking that Democrats and Republicans have all the Hollywood stars! Who are some Libertarians who are also Celebrities? Not so my friend, there are many Libertarians who are famous. In fact some of them you might not even realize are Libertarians until you visit this list.

Like Drew Carey, or Clint Eastwood, many people that I talk with did not realize both men are supportive of libertarian beliefs...



:-)

Tutoring possible solution for boy "crisis" in education...

A recent article in my local newspaper pointed out the reason parents should look for an innovative tutor scenario like Score offers parents. It is being reported that while girls appear to be excelling that boys are being left behind. A survey done of local graduates demonstrated a much higher number of girls were reaching the top ten percent of their class compared to their male counterparts. It's important this type of situation be addressed when these students are younger, which makes Score perfect since they specialize in assisting children ages 4 to 14...

Ron Paul leading in local polls...

At least here in my part of Ohio it does not seem that the banning of Ron Paul from the debates has hurt him. It actually seems as if it has helped him since it has assisted in his image that he is not an "insider". Polls at two popular local message forums in Toledo have Ron Paul leading with Obama coming in second, making it clear that those who lean more conservative are at this point at least supporting Ron Paul. His libertarian background is appealing to many who are tired of big government and huge spending.

If you'd like more information on his presidential campaign, you can visit him online at Hope for America.

Termites are destructive little buggers...

I've been very lucky to have never had a home that has been infested by termites, but I have a friend who lost beautiful wood columns because she did not realize that the termites had taken over. By the time she did? The entire inside of the columns were eaten away and crumbled when she tried to have the base repaired. At www.killthetermites.com you can learn helpful information to help you determine if you have a termite problem and what to do if you do...

Resource information on understanding Guantanamo

NPR has a very nice resource linked in the title that provides some helpful information for those of us trying to follow the details of Guantanamo who don't have an extensive background in law or legal terminology. It's great to see them do this rather than do as some media does, give the terms then have the person have to use google to try to discover one source that actually puts it into English. One example from the NPR piece:

What is habeas corpus?

"Habeas corpus" is a Latin phrase meaning "you have the body." It's an ancient concept. In old English law, it was used to refer to a judge's order (or "writ") to bring a prisoner before a court to determine whether his imprisonment was unlawful.

In modern times, death row inmates have used this process to get access to federal court to challenge their confinement. In 1996, however, Congress passed a law cutting back on habeas petitions in death-penalty cases, reasoning that those appeals had become so numerous that they were eroding the effectiveness of the death penalty.

Nifty features from the Police...

I've been having fun today checking this really awesome banner out for the Police was quite a bit of fun. It's an interactive way to be able to watch videos, and more...

Please click on this to go and view an awesome banner where you can watch The Police's videos, listen to tracks from The Police's new 2 cd hits collection, enter to win a trip to NYC to see The Police in concert and even view details about their current world tour.



There are many other interactive features as well as a chance to win concert tickets to watch the Police in person. You can also send the banner via email to a friend or a family member if you are trying to hint to them that you want them to buy this set for you. I've entered the contest to win concert tickets and I have my fingers and toes crossed on that one. This is being done to celebrate the Police's tour and their new 2 disc compilation CD, I wrote a post as a part of a contest to win the Police Cd and I was one of those selected, so I can personally attest to how fantastic this set is. If you are a fan of the Police it's a must have.

There is also an awesome vintage poster that is included in the CD's that went on sale June 5th. Another reason to not want to wait to get yours now.

More on the Ron Paul banning..

I just received this via email, for those of you following this story it will be of interest:

My Fellow Conservatives,

Incredible as it sounds, Rep. Ron Paul has been banned from speaking at the June 30 Iowa Presidential Candidates Forum—an event sponsored not by some leftist media conglomerate, but by Iowans for Tax Relief and the Iowa Christian Alliance!

This makes no sense particularly since Ron Paul wants to slash taxes and is a pro-life physician.

We have only a few days remaining until this forum takes place. Please join me in urging the sponsors to open the Iowa Presidential Candidates Forum to all declared Republican candidates, including Rep. Ron Paul.

Go to www.ConservativesBetrayed.com, where you’ll find the link to our “Speak Out!” petition at the top left of the page. And once you’ve signed the petition, send it to your friends and get them to sign it too.

We will forward this petition to the sponsors of the forum, and notify the media of the public outrage expressed in this petition. But you must act fast because of the tight deadline—act NOW!

While I'm not a conservative I do think this is unacceptable and that it is supposed to be up to the voters to decide who they want as opposed to a political group limiting the public's access to a candidate.

I need a vacation...and soon...

I realized today how stressed and overworked I am when I thought today was Wednesday and emailed someone wondering why they had not completed something that is normally done by Wednesday morning. Then feeling like a complete idiot when I realized that today is Tuesday...So, it's obvious I need to get away and who do I turn to when I need to escape and I'm looking for Cheap Hotels that will fit into my budget? I use HotelReservations.com.

I know I'll get the best deal with them because they have their $100.00 guarantee that gives me assurance that their prices will be the lowest. There are also very few strings attached to that guarantee so it's not some *only valid on every second Saturday of the month during leap years* type scenarios.

If you are looking for a last minute vacation or plan on booking your vacation in the next few days, you'll still be in time to take advantage of their $30.00 gas rebate, which is what I'm planning on doing since I want to get away soon. By merely driving and staying two nights, I get $30.00.

This leads me to the next thing I love about HotelReservations.com, their Road Trips interactive system. This makes it so easy for me to find where I want to go, and what is located within my city and how far I want to drive to get away. Using this feature opened up for me many places that I didn't realize were only a two hour drive away from home. It's so easy to use, just enter your zip code and if there is a certain direction you want to head in select that and *voila* all of the great deals on hotels are right there for you to pick from.

If you don't want to drive, HotelReservations.com, has pages of vacation deals that include airfare as well as information on cruises. Just about any place in the world you want to go you can get there thanks to them. I can spend hours on their website dreaming of the places I'd love to travel too and the different activities I can do.

CIA Papers Detail Assasination Plots, LSD Testing

I plan to download this information since it has been finally released because I'm interested in it for many reasons. One of which is historical in nature and the other is making sure we have learned from the mistakes of the past. The documents can be downloaded here and are stated to contain:

Details of a CIA plot to assassinate Cuban leader Fidel Castro and of the spy agency's wiretapping campaign against U.S. journalists, civil rights activists and anti-Vietnam war protesters were among hundreds of pages of internal reports released

Reading is fundamental...

The ability to be able to read at or above the grade level your child is in is a critical skill that can have a huge affect on their overall learning. Almost every subject in school relies upon having the ability to read. If your child is struggling in reading, they usually will struggle in other educational areas. That's why it's so important to make use of Reading Tutors in a program like Score. Their reading program can make a huge difference in helping your child to succeed.

Ron Paul being barred from debates...

To many people Ron Paul is more libertarian than republican yet so far it doesn't seem as if the outcry from the public on his being banned from participating in RNC Debates seems to have made a difference. There are several petitions out there with a large number of signatures demanding that banning him from these debates violates free speech. Yet, the ironic part of that to me is that third party candidates have been kept out of debates for years...

So while I agree Ron Paul should not be kept from the debates, I don't think that credible third party candidates should be kept from the general presidential debates either...

Freedom of speech does include gossip...

It's probably realistic to say as long as man has had the ability to speak, gossip has existed. There's something in our human nature where some of us more than others like to ponder on rumors, gossip and speculation when it comes to people we know. Then when it comes to hollywood gossip? There are all kinds of places that you can get information, quite a few of those are obviously pretty out there as far as even being close to being true. A new website,www.celebritygossip.com is not like the others, it also has a social aspect where you can vote and comment on what you think is hot...or not...

Temperature of fuel affects how much you get...

This is in the category of you learn something new every day. I did not stop to realize that when the temperature rises consumers actually get less gasoline per gallon than is the set standard of 231 cubic inches per gallon. It appears this could change in the very near future according to this report in our local daily newspaper:

Almost a century ago, the industry and regulators agreed to define a gallon of gasoline as 231 cubic inches at 60 degrees. But as the mercury rises and gasoline expands, it takes more than a gallon of gas to produce the same amount of energy as a regular gallon in colder weather.

U.S. gas retailers ignore the temperature swings and always dispense fuel as if it’s 60 degrees. As a result, gas is an average of about five degrees warmer than the federal standard, according to a study analyzed by Dick Suiter of the National Institute of Standards and Technology. But it’s worst in southern and western states where the temperatures are the most consistently warm.

While I'd hope that this could be dealt with on a state level, as an example what Hawaii did, this will probably become a political issue which will mean years of dragging it out in the federal government...

Freedom of procreation...

While modern technology has made it easier for a woman to be able to conceive a child, the price of fertility treatments and other specialized services are not covered by many insurance plans. There are also women out there who do not have Maternity Health Insurance and may feel they are forced into not being able to have a child because of a lack of access to financial resources. That's where RAS (ReproductiveAccessSolutions.com) comes in, they have information and resources that can help women when it comes to health benefits and financial help.

You didn't raise the bar too high, you didn't deliver...

As I read this statement by Harry Reid as quoted in the Washington Post:

"I understand their disappointment," said Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid of Nevada. "We raised the bar too high."

I wondered, is he that out of touch as to why people are disgusted with Democrats? It's not that they raised the bar too high, they didn't deliver. Outside of the flashy public relations moment of the first 100 days, politics as usual continued with the only difference in the Democrats having the majority was who was parading around claiming either victory or defeat. The promise was that the Democrats would not be business as usual and on that, they did not deliver.

Marriage is not an easy proposition...

I consider myself an expert when it comes to relationships, an expert on how to fail in a Relationship to be more precise. That's not all bad, because I've learned from the mistakes in the past and I strongly believe it is because of my acknowledgment of past errors that my third marriage is working. We've been together for 8 years and married for seven and while we have experienced many more crisis and challenges than I experienced with my two marriages that failed, rather than having adversity split us apart it has united us. A great place to visit to help you with your relationships is Relationship Headquarters , where some of their tips and advice could help you not have to learn the hard way...

Costs of the uninsured and the ER...

I ended up having to go to the Emergency Room today because of a complication with a medical issue that was being treated. I went to the closest hospital to my home which is a teaching hospital. I realize most times we go there it will take longer since it is a teaching hospital but over all they do a good job and the treatment I received today was excellent.

Yet, as I sat in the waiting room waiting to be taken back to an open room, I couldn't help notice that as people came in to the ER, I was the only person during that time period that had health insurance. It's very likely that those who were there with me will not be able to pay their hospital bill and will be turned over to the Ohio Attorney General's office for collection (well actually the OAG subcontracts that out to a Credit Collection agency but they claim to be from the AG's office until you question them then they admit they are hired by the AG as subcontractors). The bill will the eventually get written off in the majority of cases and added to the over all care that those of us who have insurance are charged for since these "charge offs" end up being a cost of providing care.

While I"m not sure I support a socialized system of medicine like Canada has, I also can't help but wonder how much less our premiums would be if these charge offs were no longer considered a regular expense...

A classical liberal

Many times those of us who lean libertarian are called "classical liberals", while the word "liberal" conjures up someone who appears to support more government if it is "for the good of the majority", that's not what being a "Classical Liberal" is:

The libertarian, or "classical liberal," perspective is that individual well-being, prosperity, and social harmony are fostered by "as much liberty as possible" and "as little government as necessary."

According to Charles Murray:

A few people, of whom I am one, think that the Founders' insights are as true today as they were two centuries ago. We believe that human happiness requires freedom and that freedom requires limited government.

The correct word for my view of the world is liberal. "Liberal" is the simplest anglicization of the Latin liber, and freedom is what classical liberalism is all about. The writers of the nineteenth century who expounded on this view were called liberals. In Continental Europe they still are. . . . But words mean what people think they mean, and in the United States the unmodified term liberal now refers to the politics of an expansive government and the welfare state. The contemporary alternative is libertarian. . . .

Be a smart consumer and use coupons...

I'm not talking about spending hours of clipping store coupons though you can do that if you want to, what I am focusing on today is using online coupons to save money at many of your favorite stores that have online shopping. Take Home Depot as just one example, using Coupon Chief you can save hundreds of dollars for items you could be planning to purchase right now. Another one of my favorite places to shop online is Petco and there are some great savings deals through Coupon Chief for them as well. Coupon Chief has hundreds of merchants who offer special online deals or coupons, so start saving now!

:-)

New Jersey is working on ridding pork...

Let's hope other states as well as our Congress might decide to follow New Jersey's example. While there it's called "Christmas Trees" rather than "earmarks" they are same basic thing. I applaud them for trying to make the process more open as far as hearings and requiring that a name be placed on the "Christmas Tree" project so that the public inspection aspect will hopefully remove some of the questionable items.

Smoking bans and Libertarianism..

Here in Ohio we recently had a smoking ban pass and there has been a great deal of discussion and debate on the clarity of the language used. There is now another attempt to gather signatures to try to put before the voters a plan that would allow bars, bowling alleys and private clubs to be able to determine for themselves if they want to be smoking facilities.

The libertarian side of me takes issues with these types of bans believing if the free market really supported the concept of non-smoking establishments the market would have created them. That if all of the people who are truly non-smoking demanded non-smoking places or opened non-smoking places of their own, by virtue of the free market it would be demonstrated that we as adults could police our own desired way of life without all of this unnecessary regulation. Unfortunately that does not usually end up being the topic as most people get bogged down in arguing over who has rights, smokers or non-smokers. Personally I believe it is the business owners rights who are getting trampled on since they are being told they cannot allow something to happen in their businesses that is still legal...

Take a twist of reality and make it supernatural...

I knew as soon as I heard the tag line for the 1408 Movie I was going to want to see it, "The Dolphin Hotel invites you to stay in any of its stunning rooms. Except one.." I do believe in the supernatural and I do love horror flicks, especially when they involve a killer combination of a place that is one I would want to visit, like the Dolphin Hotel, and a story line that conveys a chance that it could happen.

When you watch the trailer you get hints as to what the 1408 Movie is about, it is the story of Mike Enslin who after the death of his daughter becomes a specialist in the supernatural, though he doesn't believe he has ever found proof it exists he secretly wants to. That would mean for him that he might be able to see his daughter again. This adventure lures him to the Dolphin Hotel where the manager, Mr. Olin, played by Samuel L. Jackson tries to warn Enslin that he does not want to enter that room, explaining how many people have been said to have died in room 1408. Enslin does not listen and then is faced with the true horrors of the supernatural experience that happens to him in that room. The trailer does not provide the answer to the question that automatically comes to mind...Does Mike Enslin survive? For that you'll have to watch the film...or read the book...

John Galt's speech...

If you are one of those people who don't know who John Galt is, this post probably won't help you. However, if you are one of those who are familiar with John Galt, this mini version of his speech might interest you:

For twelve years you've been asking "Who is John Galt?" This is John Galt speaking. I'm the man who's taken away your victims and thus destroyed your world. You've heard it said that this is an age of moral crisis and that Man's sins are destroying the world. But your chief virtue has been sacrifice, and you've demanded more sacrifices at every disaster. You've sacrificed justice to mercy and happiness to duty. So why should you be afraid of the world around you?

Your world is only the product of your sacrifices. While you were dragging the men who made your happiness possible to your sacrificial altars, I beat you to it. I reached them first and told them about the game you were playing and where it would take them. I explained the consequences of your 'brother-love' morality, which they had been too innocently generous to understand. You won't find them now, when you need them more than ever.

For the rest, visit here and the most quoted saying of John Galt?

The world will change when you are ready to pronounce this oath:
I swear by my Life and my love of it that I will never live for the sake of another man, nor ask another man to live for the sake of mine.

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.

:-)

Paintball is a great stress reliever...

I grew up learning how to handle weapons at a fairly young age, yet as I grew older for me, the sport aspect of shooting someone with paintball markers has been more enjoyable than target practice. For me it's a great stress reliever, and I've owned several different types of paintball guns through the years. My first one was more of a rifle type, my current favorite is the Tippmann X-7 X7 Paintball Scenario Marker Gun:



Technology has made the sport of paintball better than my early days of not having adequate paintball gear, including vests and paintball helmets more enjoyable. Why do I say that? Now even when I get hit with the type of gear available compared to what I had then, there's no mark. So the only marks are to my ego if I lose which thankfully doesn't happen often.

Libertarianism and the Second Amendment...

One of the "hot button" issues for the Libertarian Party is related to the right to keep and bear arms, the Second Amendment of the Constitution. One of the misconceptions about many Libertarians is the belief that to be one you have to have a huge closet full of guns and ammo waiting for a chance to take over the government. Ironically many liberals become libertarians or at least state as I am that they are a left leaning libertarian. One of the better articles out there that I feel explains this was written by Camille Paglia for Salon . I recommend reading the whole article but part of her response to a question about the Second Amendment:

The horrendous problem of illegal guns now rampant among the urban underclass cannot be solved by depriving all American citizens of their Second Amendment rights. Major cities must address their internal problems, which include improving public education and vocational training, creating job-rich public works projects, and instituting on-the-street neighborhood policing. The major media, concentrated in their metropolises, should stop extrapolating their local issues to the nation as a whole.

Furniture shopping online...what to look for

I do the majority of my shopping online when ever possible which includes shopping for furniture, from dining room furniture to looking for the perfect bed. Shopping online gives me a quick and easy way to compare prices and to find exactly what I want.

Some tips, make sure the place where you shop for furniture offers free shipping, that's one of the things I like about www-home-and-bedroom.com is they offer free shipping. If a site does not offer free shipping make sure you take that into consideration when evaluating the overall price. You may think that it's possible to get a better deal shopping at a local store but I've found that when you consider the free shipping and the fact that you are not paying a delivery fee from a store that you can end up saving money by shopping for furniture online. Home and Bedroom also offers some great decorating tips I found this article on Choosing a Style for Your Home Furnishings not only one I enjoyed but that I have shared with others...

A free market is a gentle market

Since one of the topics I touch upon often is related to the free market place, this speech written by Sharon Harris, titled, The Invisible Hand Is a Gentle Hand is a recommended read for those of you trying to learn more about Libertarian ways of looking at things. While I am more identified as a "left leaning Libertarian", I still find some of the issues discussed to be important, such as:

In truth, the marketplace has a civilizing, humanizing effect. If honesty didn't exist, the marketplace would invent it, because it's the most successful way to do business. In the free market we see, not a survival of the fittest, but a survival of the kindest. Survival of the most cooperative. Survival of the friendliest. A gentle Darwinism, if you will.

To libertarians, the role of government is at most to protect us from violence, theft, and fraud. Yet government, directly or indirectly, causes most of the violence, theft, and fraud in our society.

A Better Solution for Customer Relationship Management

A Better Solution for Customer Relationship Management is the motto behind AIMpromote and their reason for creating what many feel is the best in the industry as far as software and tools for customer relationship management. They concentrate on creating a system where you the user determine what you need rather than to have features that offer little real-world application or benefit. It has been identified in several studies that many features in CRM software applications are typically unused in part because some of them are too complicated for the average user to navigate. AIMpromote is so confident that you will find their CRM software to be the perfect match for you that they offer a 14 day free trial so you can see the difference and the functionality for yourself. This is not a limited trial were you only have access to certain features but a full version...and it's only a click away.

Little white lies on oil prices...

I highly recommend reading this CNN Money piece that's titled, The 'little white lies' about oil inventories,it gives you a good understanding of how the system used to work as far as the importance of inventory information in determining the price versus what happens today.

"You get that churning, that inconsistency, because it's in the context of a larger sideways market," said Tim Evans, a futures analyst at Citigroup. "It's almost like it's planned chaos."

Plus, Evans said, the inventory reports themselves have become more mixed, perhaps showing rising stocks of crude oil but falling gasoline inventories.

Another analyst said much of the buying or selling centered around the inventory report actually occurs before the numbers come out.

"We do operate a bit on a 'buy the rumor, sell the news'" mentality, said John Kilduff, an energy analyst at Man Financial in New York. "Sometimes it's not as bullish as some people had hoped."

It's an eye opening piece...

Close to free items is great promotional idea...

One of the great things about a free market society is the creative way businesses get us to visit them and to use their services. Like creating a way to bid on items with the lowest unique bidder walking away with some rather large prizes like cars or a plasma television for pennies. Yes, it's possible to win some of those prizes for pennies...That's the creative concept behind bid4prizes.

I'd love to be able to create a bid for 5 cents and be able to be the lowest bidder in winning a plasma television, and while they do have a paid membership that enables you to unlimited bids, they do have a free membership that allows you to bid on items. I read their how to play section and it seems like a very creative way to not only have some fun but to possibly win some great prizes. The majority of people bid by using their cell phone but even if you don't have a cell phone there is a way for you to bid and win.

Over half of Americans dependent on Government...

An interesting and troubling article that is featured in the latest edition of the Liberator Online, that provides some statistical evidence as to how large government influence from a financial standpoint has grown to affect a majority of Americans.

I recommend reading the article in full which is entitled, Over Half of Americans Now Dependent Upon Government Money. Gary Shilling, an economist provides the analysis:

Over half of Americans -- 52.6 percent -- depend on government money "in a major way," according to an analysis by economist Gary Shilling.

That's an increase from 49.4 percent in 2000, when a strong economy and welfare state reforms cut government programs.

And it is WAY above 1950, when only 28.3 percent of Americans received significant government money.

Shilling predicts that fully 60 percent of Americans could be significantly dependent on government by 2040, as baby-boomers retire and receive Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.

Vonage Forum...

I believe in the importance of forums when it comes to learning about a product as well as troubleshooting, and this particular Vonage Forum has been in existence for four years, which says quite a bit about it. The information that is found in the Forum is categorized in a very user friendly manner so if you have a question or a problem related to a specific topic, it is a simple process in knowing where to go. Whether you are thinking about VoIP or already have VoIP this is a site I recommend book marking as a resource.

Unity 08 gets Chris Cillizza's attention...

I've written here before aboub my interest in Unity O8 and how I think this group could have an important impact on our elections. Chris Cillizza wrote an interesting post in the Washingtin Post that I recommend reading that focuses on some of what the group is trying to accomplish, and about Sam Waterston who is the public spokesperson for the group. There is also a video, so if you are interested in learning more about Unity 08...Here's the perfect chance.

Towards a more informed public...

I'm always on the look out for a good way to get information from various news sources in a quick and easy manner. So when I heard about a new News Blog, Congoo, I headed over to take a look. Using their Circle builder it is very easy to decide what news topics you want to read about. Signing up was easy and it is free. Congoo states they process approximately 150,000 news articles daily, and unlike other news services they include a certain access to some paid sites, including the Wall Street Journal. For the widget lovers out there you can utilize theirs to add to your blog or webpage...

In Washginton...being open and transparent is just a scam

Ah...Washington, where the games are played by both sides and the concept of blaming the other side is almost a fine art. When I came across a comment such as one made by Sen. Jim DeMint in this I knew I had to share what the Washington Times piece from January stated:

Mr. DeMint criticized the unamended ethics bill for revealing a mere 5 percent of earmarks lawmakers bury in complex legislation.

"If we take this bill as it is now," he said, "the public is going to know from Day One that this idea of being open and transparent is just a scam."

A great deal of us already felt that way and a more recent article by Robert Novak in April confirms nothing has really changed...Pork is still the white meat of choice in Congress...

Making FOREX a part of your future...

A smart investor has a diverse portfolio and many are turning to global futures and the FOREX market to make this happen. One advantage of Global Futures Exchange & Trading Co., Inc, is they can get you started in trading with a small investment of $250.00. To find out more on this offer, email them at e-mail them GlobalFutures@GlobalFutures.com.

Global Futures has been in business since 1998 and they focus on getting you the best ROI with many different options as well as tools. In addition to their 24 hour support that is included with every account, the Daily Divot Points newsletter is a huge asset from an informational standpoint of giving you the information you need to succeed financially.

The Liberty Tree

The image listed on this blog is a drawing of the Liberty Tree in Boston, which stood for over 100 years and was the historic site of:

On August 14 1765, this particular tree was selected for hanging the effigies of those men who favored passage of the detested Stamp Act. On September 11th, a 3.5' by 2.5' copper plate, with large golden letters, was placed on its trunk bearing the inscription The Tree of Liberty. There after, nearly all the great political meetings of the Sons of Liberty, were held in this square.

The British made the Liberty Tree an object of ridicule. British soldiers tarred and feathered a man named Ditson, and forced him to march in front of the tree. During the siege of Boston, about the last day of August 1775, a party of Loyalists led by Job Williams, defiantly cut it down.

Like real liberty, even if you cut it down? The feeling remains...

Ouch...

I took this quiz out of curiousity even though I do believe in God. I'd have to say the results did hold some truths about me.

Handholder

You go out of your way to build bridges with people of different views and beliefs and have quite a few religious friends. You believe in the essential goodness of people , which means you’re always looking for common ground even if that entails compromises. You would defend Salman Rushdie’s right to criticise Islam but you’re sorry he attacked it so viciously, just as you feel uncomfortable with some of the more outspoken and unkind views of religion in the pages of this magazine.


You prefer the inclusive approach of writers like Zadie Smith or the radical Christian values of Edward Said. Don’t fall into the same trap as super–naïve Lib Dem MP Jenny Tonge who declared it was okay for clerics like Yusuf al–Qaradawi to justify their monstrous prejudices as a legitimate interpretation of the Koran: a perfect example of how the will to understand can mean the sacrifice of fundamental principles. Sometimes, you just have to hold out for what you know is right even if it hurts someone’s feelings.

What kind of humanist are you? Click here to find out.

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I love this commercial...

Power of the mind...

As most of you know I have five children, the youngest, is twelve. I have a great many different books for varying reasons. I have a small Wiccan spell book that I kept mainly due to dealing with some past teenage Witchcraft type belief issues. Aubrey found the book several weeks ago and I told her it wasn't something that was appropriate for her to read. I thought that ended it as it typically does with her. Lately I have been allowing her to stay here when I have had to do short errands rather than force her to come with me. Today I received a phone call from her on my cell phone after having been gone for perhaps ten minutes.

"Mom, you know that spell book that you told me not to touch?" "Yes." "Well I saw this spell for healing the earth and I did it and the grass outside looks greener." I then told her that she had been told to leave the book alone and that we would discuss it when I got home.

After I got home we had a very involved discussion about why people think spells work and why she should not mess with them. It also ended up being about belief. How the power of the mind is such a powerful thing. That people if they believe can think a mere sugar pill has cured their cancer and at times? The cancer diminishes. That we use such a small portion of our brain that it might be possible we could do more. That pastors of some religions claim they can heal the sick and at times the sick are healed. I also drove home to her the rule of three that is a basic rule of Wiccan beliefs, not because I am afraid my youngest will become a "witch" but because I do believe in positive and negative energy. To me the whole purpose behind group prayer is the gathering of people with the same goal of a positive energy result. I believe a constant focus on negative energy infuses the person with negative thoughts.

I was honest with her and told her a story from my past where a friend and I dabbling in the same type of spells she was cast a spell. We were both 14 and her mother was involved with a man that was abusive, yet she would not leave him. We cast a spell on him to make him leave her alone. Two days later he fell down a flight of stairs, after drinking and became paralyzed from the neck down until he died several years later. Yes, reality is it was just a mere coincidence that our dabbling in witchcraft had nothing to do with it. At the time we felt horrible because we felt responsible.

I've been the same way with Ouija boards, they have been quite the rage with the teenage set but for mine they are forbidden. Not necessarily because I believe that they will work, but because I know the power of the human mind to believe....

Libertarians are sexy...

Really...and we have the shirt to prove it. There are all kinds of neat things for sale at the LPStuff.com website. Including bumperstickers, which you can never have too many of.

:-)

One of my favorites from Dylan Thomas

Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Though wise men at their end know dark is right,
Because their words had forked no lightning they
Do not go gentle into that good night.

Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright
Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight,
And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way,
Do not go gentle into that good night.

Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight
Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

And you, my father, there on the sad height,
Curse, bless me now with your fierce tears, I pray.
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

I will never trust them again...

I think one of the most troubling aspects of this article in today's Washington Post, entitled, Egypt Shuts Door on Dissent As U.S. Officials Back Away is this:

"The Americans now prefer stability over democracy," said George Ishaq, a demoralized opposition leader.

He fell silent, then narrowed his eyes. "I will never trust them again."

Once we make the decision to meddle into the affairs of other nations and inspire hope as well as make promises, how can we expect those like Ishaq to feel any differently?

Especially when this has not been hidden:

In the second round, the government's security forces stepped in with a show of raw power so brazen that officials, speaking privately, don't even deny the tampering. Paramilitary men clad in black, with truncheons and helmets, blocked people from voting. Elsewhere, with method that suggested specific orders, hired thugs wielding machetes and knives chased voters away from polling stations as police idly watched.

When crowds grew angry, security forces responded with tear gas, rubber bullets and live ammunition. In video footage shot by election monitors, protesters clutched onions, hoping to fend off the searing fumes of the gas. "Give us our rights!" they are heard shouting.

It's a long article, but I really recommend reading it...

Sam Waterson on TV

I'm a member of Unity08 and this morning I happened to catch Sam Waterson on television talking about the goals of Unity08. While I have stated I am interested in John Edwards at this point, I also think what Unity08 is trying to do is worth paying attention too. Trying to get more attention/focus on those more in the middle in the US is something I think many of us support....

The web can be a mean and nasty place...

Not just because of hatred towards silly things like Hamsters, but there can be serious damage done to people on the internet. This Washington Post article points out a troubling situation when anonymous people are allowed to comment on others by name:

The woman and two others interviewed by The Washington Post learned from friends that they were the subject of derogatory chats on a widely read message board on AutoAdmit, run by a third-year law student at the University of Pennsylvania and a 23-year-old insurance agent. The women spoke on the condition of anonymity because they feared retribution online.

The law-school board, one of several message boards on AutoAdmit, bills itself as "the most prestigious law school admissions discussion board in the world." It contains many useful insights on schools and firms. But there are also hundreds of chats posted by anonymous users that feature derisive statements about women, gays, blacks, Asians and Jews. In scores of messages, the users disparage individuals by name or other personally identifying information. Some of the messages included false claims about sexual activity and diseases. To the targets' dismay, the comments bubble up through the Internet into the public domain via Google's powerful search engine.

For me the most troubling part is that prospective employers would give this type of a forum where people are not made to identify themselves any weight in the first place. I understand the desire to create free speech but speech that is being done to try to harm someone should not allowed to run rampant thru the internet. Especially since in cases like these women, there is no way for them to face their accusers...

The ultimitate guide to learning more about liberty..

Liberty Guide is a great resource if you want to read more about the topic of liberty with great suggested books and so much more!

I especially have enjoyed their Independent Study Guides.

Washingtonton's Greatest speech...

Many feel Washington's greatest speech, was George Washington's resignation as commander in chief, delivered in 1783 at the State House in Annapolis, which established civilian control of military power. If you are a history buff like I am, the article will be of great interest to you, as well as viewing an image of the actual speech.

My favorite part of the Washington Post article, in which I try to imagine what it would be like to have been there and to have lived in our country during that time period:

Then, at noon Dec. 23, 1783, the doors of Congress were thrown open, and in walked Washington. A throng had crowded the avenues. The Senate chamber was packed with delegates and spectators. Ladies filled the gallery.

Washington had carefully prepared his speech that day, according to the revisions in the newly acquired manuscript. It appears that he wanted to stress the importance of Congress and his subservience to it. He crossed out, for example, the word "deliver" and said instead, "I here offer my commission," leaving his resignation up to the will of Congress.

When he read it aloud, "the spectators all wept, and there was hardly a member of Congress who did not drop tears," McHenry writes in his account. "His voice faultered and sunk, and the whole house felt his agitations."

Washington paused to recover from the emotion.

From there, the draft originally ended: "bidding an affectionate, a final farewell to this August body . . . I here today deliver my Commission, and take my ultimate leave of all the employments of public life."

What is notable in the manuscript, however, is that Washington crossed out the words "final" and "ultimate," as though saying to Congress after years of wearying war and service he would be willing to serve again, if needed.

Five years later, he would indeed be called back into service -- this time, as the first president of the United States of America.

On questioning the President...

The President is merely the most important among a large number of public servants. He should be supported or opposed exactly to the degree which is warranted by his good conduct or bad conduct,his efficiency or inefficiency in rendering loyal, able, and disinterested service to the Nation as a whole. Therefore it is absolutely necessary that there should be full liberty to tell the truth about his acts, and this means that it is exactly necessary to blame him when he does wrong as to praise him when he does right. Any other attitude in an American citizen is both base and servile. To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public. Nothing but the truth should be spoken about him or any one else. But it is even more important to tell the truth, pleasant or unpleasant, about him than about any one else.
- Theodore Roosevelt, in the Kansas City Star, 149 May 7, 1918

Obama tries to kick the habit...

I don't know how I missed this Washington Post article, but better late than never because I know that for many of you the idea of electing a man who *gasp* smokes is a problem:

CHICAGO, Feb. 11 -- Michelle Obama says she agreed to help her husband run for president on one condition: That he finally quit smoking. For good.

"I hate it," she said on CBS' 60 Minutes, according to a transcript released Sunday. "That's why he doesn't do it anymore. I'm proud to say. I outed him -- I'm the one who outed him on the smoking. That was one of my prerequisites for, you know, entering this race, is that, you know, he couldn't be a smoking president."

Obama has struggled to quit smoking for years, but friends have said he finally stopped several weeks ago. At the end of a press conference on Sunday, the Illinois senator returned to the podium when a reporter shouted out asking whether he was still smoking.

"No," he said. "I've been chewing Nicorette all day long."

Keep your eye on him people, his wife wants you to tattle on him if you catch him smoking. Yes it is the new "Catch Obama Smoking" contest coming to a blog near

Favorite Libertarian Quotes...

Here are a few of my favorites...

Remember, democracy never lasts long. It soon wastes, exhausts, and murders itself. There never was a democracy yet that did not commit suicide. – John Adams (1814)

The more corrupt the state, the more it legislates. – Tacitus

Government is not reason; it is not eloquence; it is force. Like fire, it is a dangerous servant and a fearful master. – George Washington

Democracy must be something more than two wolves and a sheep voting on what to have for dinner. – James Bovard (1994)

The legitimate powers of government extend to such acts only as are injurious to others. But it does me no injury for my neighbor to say there are twenty gods, or no god. It neither picks my pocket nor breaks my leg. – Thomas Jefferson (1781)

[Political] offices are as acceptable here as elsewhere, and whenever a man cast a longing eye on them, a rottenness begins in his conduct. – Thomas Jefferson (1799)

Want to buy Libertarian themed items?

A good place to start is Idea Logo where they have nice shirts, hats, sayings and all kinds of things that will make the Libertarian in your life a happy one. Even coffee mugs...