Lessons in finances

My youngest daughter's boyfriend recently entered the working world and bought his first car. He's had some quick lessons on financial survival, after getting his first check, thinking it was a large sum of money then watching how much of his check has to go to bills. He's also learned how to search for a cheap auto insurance quote or two since some of the initial quotes he got for car insurance were ridiculously high. It's a given a first time driver is going to pay more but some of the plans were more than our monthly rent payment...

Something sounds funny with this story

In reading this Libertarian candidate for governor off the ballot something doesn't seem right. It seems hard to believe that the Florida Division of Elections Office could not find a method to contact J.J. McCurry, the vice governor candidate.

He's reportedly the chairman of the Florida Libertarian Party...so how could he just "disappear" and not be able to be found for something as important as being able to be on the ballot.

New table...new lighting

Yesterday we were given a new dining room set, so I was finally able to get rid of my table that had become a favorite item for our cats to sharpen their claws on. The two worst culprits are now in kitty heaven so the chances of this newer table not being destroyed is good. The new look has made me start looking at new lighting, I like some of the offerings by Kichler lighting though, the current lighting includes a ceiling fan and that is a feature I'd like to keep since our home does not have air conditioning.

Another example of limiting voter information

It's almost the norm to exclude Libertarian or other third party candidates from debates. A variety of excuses are used, a good example is this recent story from North Carolina:

RALEIGH, N.C. — The Libertarian candidate for U.S. Senate in North Carolina hasn’t been invited to two television debates because event organizers say his poll numbers are too low.

North Carolina Association of Broadcasters President Tim Morrisey said Friday that Libertarian Michael Beitler had not been invited to the Oct. 11 and Oct. 21 debates because surveys fail to show him with at least 10 percent support. Morrisey said the threshold has been used before.

Republican incumbent Richard Burr and Democrat Elaine Marshall were invited and have agreed to participate.

Beitler spokesman Daniel Chang said the association’s threshold was arbitrary and limits discussion to the establishment parties.

All three candidates are slated to participate in a TV debate Oct. 13, sponsored by the League of Women Voters.

DC Tea Party events and Libertarian Party

WASHINGTON – Looking toward the 9/12 Tea Party events in Washington, DC, Libertarian Party executive director Wes Benedict issued the following warning to Tea Partiers: “Republicans are trying to fool you again.”

“There are two kinds of Tea Partiers,” said Benedict. “One kind is so blinded by its hatred of Obama and Democrats that it cannot see fault with Republicans. It’s the other kind the Libertarian Party is reaching out to.”

Libertarian Party staff and volunteers will participate in the Washington, DC Tea Party events on September 12. They will distribute flyers pointing out how the Top 10 Disasters of the 2009-2010 Obama administration mirror the Top 10 Disasters of the 2001-2008 Bush administration.

Benedict continued, “Libertarians have much in common with Tea Party goals of reducing government spending and taxes. While many Tea Party supporters will admit that George W. Bush’s administration grew government, Libertarians want to remind Tea Partiers about previous Republican administrations that loved big government.

“Republican Newt Gingrich and the Contract with America promised to eliminate the Departments of Education and Energy. Yet once Republicans took control of Congress, they failed even to reduce the spending on those departments.

“Republican President George Bush, Sr. remains famous for coining the phrase ‘Read my lips, no new taxes,’ and then raising taxes.

“Republican President Ronald Reagan grew federal government spending to the highest level it had reached since World War II. He also ‘saved Social Security’ by raising payroll taxes.

“Republican presidential candidate Bob Dole was a huge supporter of taxpayer subsidies for corn and ethanol.

“In 1971, Republican President Richard Nixon instituted wage and price controls. That made a group of free-market supporters so angry that they decided to form the Libertarian Party.

“Republicans seem to think we’re idiots. For decades they have paid lip-service to shrinking government, while consistently doing the opposite in office.

“Our fear is that Tea Partiers might say ‘This time it will be different.’ No it won’t. If you vote for Republicans this time, it will just reinforce the message that they can lie to you and grow government with impunity.

“Current Republicans are just as bad as past Republicans.

“This year, Libertarian Party co-founder David Nolan is running for U.S. Senate against Republican John McCain, who famously suspended his 2008 presidential campaign so he could rush back to Washington to bail out the banks.

“Republican leader John Boehner might end up as the next House Speaker, and he voted for George W. Bush’s huge 2003 Medicare expansion.

“John Cornyn, Republican senator from Texas, and current chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, voted for the TARP bailouts.

“Ron Paul is probably the only Republican congressman willing to point out the huge cost of America’s foreign wars and empire building. Other Republicans pretend that spending trillions on the military just doesn’t count as big government.

“With Social Security, Medicare, and military spending making up the vast majority of federal spending, you can’t cut significantly without cutting those. But Republicans refuse to touch them.

“Libertarians welcome the Tea Party movement’s focus on the problem of government growth. However, we are concerned that Tea Partiers might fall for the Republicans’ trickery.

“Republican leaders have brought up distractions like New York City mosques and gay marriage to distract voters from Republicans’ big-government track record. We hope that Tea Partiers will see through the smoke and mirrors.

“While our nation is declining dangerously right now, a turnaround could be straightforward and simple with Libertarian steps like these: 1. Bring our troops home from Iraq and Afghanistan; 2. Stop rewarding failed companies with bailouts; 3. Cut taxes and spending and let the free market work.

“The Libertarian Party is fielding 168 candidates for U.S. House, and 20 candidates for U.S. Senate this year. Win or lose, a vote for a Libertarian sends a clear message for smaller government and more freedom. What message does a vote for John McCain send?”

For more information, or to arrange an interview, call LP Executive Director Wes Benedict at 202-333-0008 ext. 222.

The LP is America’s third-largest political party, founded in 1971. The Libertarian Party stands for free markets and civil liberties. You can find more information on the Libertarian Party at our website.

Approaching the birthday season

Most of my families birthdays happen during the Fall and then in the Spring, which makes it a challenge at times to figure out what to buy for them without turning to the gift card solution. I like personalized gifts since it makes it more difficult for sibling A to "borrow" something from sibling B and then claim it was theirs to begin with. It's also handy in avoiding situations where you buy the same item for more than one child, mine were prone to breaking something then claiming it was the other child's item that was broken. I used to use a labeling gun, but they figured out how to get around that...

Elephant & Donkey put in hiding...

This Associated Press piece was interesting:

Ohio office hides elephant, donkey after complaint

NEWARK, Ohio — The elephant and the donkey are going into hiding at an Ohio voting board.
A Libertarian candidate saw ceramic figurines of the Republican and Democratic symbols on the counter at the Licking County Board of Elections when he filed paperwork to run for county commissioner.
James Snedden Jr. says the display showed bias toward candidates for the two major parties. He filed a complaint with the board on Aug. 4.
Board director Sue Penick says the panel has since heard from the Ohio Secretary of State's office. The state office recommended that the red, white and blue statuettes be kept out of sight, to avoid conflicts.
The animal figurines are now off the counter, but still in the office.

The Leave us alone coalition...

The Leave Us Alone vs. the Takings Coalition article from 2000 that might be of interest to some of you. Part of:

The "Leave us Alone" coalition includes taxpayers who want the government to reduce the tax burden, property owners, farmers, and homeowners who want their property rights respected, gunowners who want the government to leave them and their guns alone, homeschoolers who wish to educate their own children as they see fit, traditional values conservatives who don't want the government throwing condoms at their children and making fun of their religious values.

The Leave us Alone coalition also includes those Americans who serve in the military and police as they are the legitimate functions of government that protect Americans' right to be left alone by foreign agressors or domestic criminals.

The modern American left is a "Takings Coalition," a coalition of groups and individuals who view the proper role of government as taking things from one group and giving to another. This often is in the form of money. And the recipients of others money are usually the leaders of the "Takings Coalition."

Pudding versus fruit....

There are times when feeding this family of mine, I think I should get some type of a wholesaler discount when it comes to the volume of food they consume. I've also noticed though that things that are healthier cost more. Recent example? Pudding versus fruit. They are fans of individual serve portions, evidently the mere aspect of having to put something into a bowl is too much for them. Four pudding cups is a dollar, four cups of diced pears, $1.68 for the store brand, $2.00 for the name brand. I bought an equal number of pudding cups and selected fruit cups on Friday. Today? Three pudding cups remain, lots of fruit...Though the strawberry applesauce seemed to be a popular fruit selection.

Covert Operations article creating discussion

As pointed out by Frank Rich, in The Billionaires Bankrolling the Tea Party a recent New Yorker piece is stirring up discussion as to who's spending how much in the world of political funding.

Last week the Kochs were shoved unwillingly into the spotlight by the most comprehensive journalistic portrait of them yet, written by Jane Mayer of The New Yorker. Her article caused a stir among those in Manhattan’s liberal elite who didn’t know that David Koch, widely celebrated for his cultural philanthropy, is not merely another rich conservative Republican but the founder of the Americans for Prosperity Foundation, which, as Mayer writes with some understatement, “has worked closely with the Tea Party since the movement’s inception.” To New Yorkers who associate the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center with the New York City Ballet, it’s startling to learn that the Texas branch of that foundation’s political arm, known simply as Americans for Prosperity, gave its Blogger of the Year Award to an activist who had called President Obama “cokehead in chief.”

The New Yorker article stirred up the right, too. Some of Mayer’s blogging detractors unwittingly upheld the premise of her article (titled “Covert Operations”) by conceding that they have been Koch grantees. None of them found any factual errors in her 10,000 words. Many of them tried to change the subject to George Soros, the billionaire backer of liberal causes. But Soros is a publicity hound who is transparent about where he shovels his money. And like many liberals — selflessly or foolishly, depending on your point of view — he supports causes that are unrelated to his business interests and that, if anything, raise his taxes.

Lisa Murkowski could run as a Libertarian

Interesting piece on Big Government about the possibility of U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski running as a Libertarian. One recent poll shows she has a chance of winning a three way election and that appears to have some talking:

For Murkowski to run on the Libertarian ticket, Haase would have to step down and the party’s executive board would have to approve Murkowski. According to the party’s chairman, they are willing to sit down and listen to Murkowski.
“We are open to a sit-down chat with Lisa, anytime,” said Scott Kohlhaas, the party’s chairman and a candidate for House District 20 in Anchorage. Kohlhaas didn’t rule out the possibility of Murkowski running on the Libertarian’s ticket, but he did offer two reservations.
First, it is Haase’s decision on whether he wants to step down, he said, and second, the party’s executive board would have to decide whether they even wanted to give Murkowski the ticket.
The poll that shows Murkowski winning a three-way race between herself, Miller, and Democrat Scott McAdams was paid for by Andrew Halcro and four other Republicans. It cost $5,400 and was conducted by Dittman Research and Communication.

Plunging in...

When I hear the word "plunger" I think of the tool used often in this house, a toilet or sink plunger, destined to be an often needed item with girls who clog the sink or tub with hair and who forget we don't have a garbage disposal when it comes to cleaning up their after meal adventures. So when I saw the term spring plungers, I thought it was some type of a extended plunging device with a spring. I was partly right, it does have a spring, and does a plunging action but it's designed for tool engineers...

Libertarians and Liberals in harmony...

Conor Friedersdorf takes a look at a recent article written by Tim Carney in the Washington Examiner on the topic of Brink Lindsey. It's a recommended read -- The Longer Libertarian game with the point being made:

Mr. Lindsey's project has never been about the 2010 midterms, or the 2012 presidential election, it's been about gradually reorienting America's ideological coalitions in a way that makes liberals more friendly to libertarian ideas, and libertarians less captive to the worst aspects of conservatism. Libertarian donors ought to fund efforts to oppose President Obama in the short term. They also ought to invest in intellectual projects with longer time horizons that only bear on particular electoral and legislative outcomes indirectly. If they can't distinguish between those projects, or if they actually display thinking as immature and counterproductive as "Obama is the devil" and "maybe he's not the devil" equals "lukewarmness for liberty," they're inadvertently sabotaging their own cause. Were I a wealthy man, I'd help fund Mr. Lindsey if only to avoid keeping all the libertarian eggs in the right's less than reliable ideological basket (the short time horizons apparently extend backward too).

An epidemic of "sunshine patriots"

If you cut to the chase on the statement released by Ron Paul on his website, one part that I think basically says it all on the topic of those opposed to the building of a mosque two blocks from "ground zero":

This is all about hate and Islamaphobia.

We now have an epidemic of “sunshine patriots” on both the right and the left who are all for freedom, as long as there’s no controversy and nobody is offended.

Political demagoguery rules when truth and liberty are ignored.

Warranties and insurance...

While I love my netbook and the laptop that I had before it, the simple fact is they are easier to have stolen and are a bit more likely to experience a mishap than my tower that I use for the larger portion of my work. It's why depending on what you spent for your netbook or laptop that you should consider laptop insurance as a protection. Look at the replacement cost versus the total cost of the insurance and the deductible, also look at the claims policy to determine if it's a cost you can justify compared to what you would have to pay for a replacement.

Christmas shopping in August?

I shook my head when I read about the promotion of christmas apparel deals taking place right now. I realize some do have this whole "Christmas in July" attitude and you can probably get some really good deals on gifts if you shop early. However...I am a last minute type shopper who resists Christmas and Christmas shopping until I absolutely must acknowledge it needs to be done. For those of you who are more fiscally responsible? Happy shopping...

:-)

Hunger strike to demand debate...

Incumbents controlling when and how a debate will take place is a common election complaint. However, most times the opposition does not take to a hunger strike. In California, a Democratic candidate started the hunger strike and was joined by a Libertarian candidate...

Rep. Duncan D. Hunter’s challengers want to debate him so badly they can taste it – probably because they haven’t eaten anything for days.

In an effort to force Mr. Hunter, the Republican incumbent in California’s 52nd district, into a series of eight debates in August, Ray Lutz, the Democratic candidate, began a hunger strike at sundown on Aug. 12. Mike Benoit, the Libertarian candidate, quickly followed suit.

Is it a publicity stunt since Hunter has supposedly agreed to debate in October?

Read more then you decide...

The Tea Party Could Bring Fascism to America

More and more libertarians are speaking out against the Tea Party movement and stating it's not libertarianism that is being promoted by a majority of Tea Party groups. This opinion piece by George Donnelly is a good example. Part of the recommended read:

The Tea Party is not a libertarian movement. It co-opted a libertarian message, but in reality it is a rightist movement. It's pro-war, intolerant, ultra-patriotic, pro-torture, into corporate apologism and ready to scapegoat paperless immigrants. As soon as the GOP recaptures the gun that is government, I expect these people will go back to sleep.

Libertarianism, on the other hand, is a consistently peaceful position. We're against war, we don't care much about those imaginary dotted lines on the map called borders and we recognize that the evils of corporatism are borne of the state. We don't oppose government only when people we dislike are in power. We seek to solve the problems liberals worry about with more peaceful means than state mandates. We're not like those Tea Party folks. And you can see this in the above video where a libertarian is violently removed from a Tea Party event!

Saving trees and money...

There used to be a time when metal buildings were used for barns and other non-home uses, now there has been an increase in the use and the types of styles for metal building construction. People are even making new homes using steel instead of wood, some using all steel, others using steel instead of the framing aspect of construction.

A news story from 2008 that I found was very interesting in using steel for framing a house:

Libertarian Judge James P. Gray featured in marijuana documentary

Here's one for those of you interested in the topic of legalizing pot...via a release sent to Independent Political Report:

I’m an independent filmmaker who produced “The Green Rush,” featuring Judge James P. Gray.
We are trying to help spread the word about Proposition 19 and get the truth about what’s happening here.

Our film shows that there are people who live in the mountains of California and grow you weed.
We also interviewed Bruce Margolin, Donald Abrams M.D. and US District Attorney Thomas O’Brien.

It is available for free on HULU.com and we are hoping for somebody to review, blog, endorse of embed it on their sites.
Please feel free to contact me with any questions regarding the film and keep up the great journalistic work you do

The link to the movie - Here. I watched it, it's worth taking a look at.