Ron Paul and the Empire

I ran across this post this morning. Be sure and click on the "Read More" down at the bottom of this blog entry. It takes you to the article in its entirety and there are some interesting points that are worth reading. What the author, Steven LaTulippe, is saying is something that I have suspected for some time. Of course he may be wrong, I may be wrong, but if it walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck...

When evaluating Ron Paul's chances, it’s important to accept one fact about contemporary America: This is not a democracy, and certainly not a constitutional republic. America is actually a carefully concealed oligarchy. A few thousand people, mostly in government, finance, and the military-industrial complex, run this country for their own purposes

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Back When 50 Cents Meant Something

Yesterday, Linda and I were driving down to Childersburg and we got to discussing passenger trains. She was telling me about a trip that her 5th grade class made from Birmingham to Childersburg on a train. When I was in the 5th grade, several years earlier than she was, my class had made a similar train trip, from Sylacauga to Alexander City. In discussing the trips, I was reminded of a funny incident that happened on my train trip. A vendor came through the car selling concessions. One of my class mates jumped up and asked him how much for a Coke. The vendor replied 25 cents. My classmate immediately dropped back into his seat. We all laughed. In those days, a regular 6 ounce Coke cost a nickel. To us, the quarter Coke was as extravagant as $6.50 beer is today at a professional baseball game.

This morning I was thinking again about the train trip and how much money has changed in my lifetime. It brought to mind a story my father told me. He was showing me an old 12 guage shotgun. It was pretty well used up but he said that he had bought it from and old colored man (back then we were not familiar with the term African American) down at Speed. He said that the old man said he had found it in a briar patch. Daddy said that he believed it to be the gun that one colored man, whose name he called but I have long since forgotten, used to kill another colored man in Speed. One man killing another wasn't all that unusual, that kind of thing has been going on ever since Cain and Abel. No, what was interesting was why he killed him. Seems that the first man, the one that did the killing, had loaned the second man 50 cents. After a reasonable period of time, the first man asked the second man for repayment. Apparently the second man made excuses for awhile, but eventually he grew tired of having to make excuses and told the first man that he did not have any intention of ever repaying the 50 cents. Upon hearing that, the first man went home, got his 12 guage single shot long tom shot gun, went back to the field where the second man was working and killed him.

This incident happened sometime before 1950. Now many may say that this was a killing on a matter of principle and I can partially accept that argument, but even so, who would kill anyone today over 50 cents? 50 cents has become so inconsequential that if you give it to someone, you would hardly consider it a loan. And if you did give it to someone, what would they do with it? Not much. If you used your shotgun to kill them over it, you would probably spend more than 50 cents on the shell. Gives new meaning to the phrase "not worth the powder it would take to kill him." No, 50 cents meant something back when this incident occurred but it doesn't mean much anymore.

Ok, This Is Just Great!

Can you hit a fast ball?

Pick Your Candidate

This website offers 25 questions on issues that help you sort through all those folks running for president. Pick a position on all of the questions along with how important each issue is to you. The results will be a list showing you how well the candidates line up with your positions.

Open Wireless Internet

Open wireless internet may be closer than we think, provided Google gets its way.

Foods That Boost Your Mood

Read here about seven simple foods that boost your mood. I don't know if this really works or not, but I may give it a try since all of these foods are on my list of things I like.

The Troops Vote With Their Money

As you know if you have been keeping up with my blog, I advocate that to truly bring democracy to Iraq, we need to let the US troops over there vote on whether to stay or come home. Well, in a way, some of them have. This article says that "according to FEC numbers, Ron Paul has received more campaign contributions from military members than any other single candidate." Since Ron Paul is calling for bringing the troops home as soon as possible, it would seem that they support that view.

If you truly want to "Support Our Troops", I suggest you go on over to RonPaul2008.com and make a contribution.

Why The Germans Supported Hitler

Did you ever ask yourself why the German people supported Adolf Hitler? Read this article by Jacob Hornberger. It might give you some insight into what was really going on.

We Are Mad As Hell...

And we ain't gonna take it any more. Could

[DEAD LINK]
http://news.yahoo.com/s/thenation/20070718/cm_thenation/45215225

this be a sign of things to come? Are the American people finally so sick and tired of the corrupt folks in government, both democrat and republican that they are ready to elect people that will turn this whole mess up side down? God, I hope so!

Gary North on Envy

In this article , Gary North explains how the sin of envy is at the root of socialism.

Ron Paul @ Google

Here is the video of Ron Paul at Google Headquarters in California last week.

The Constitution

The complete text of the Constitution of the United States."

10 Virtually Instant Ways To Improve Your Life

Here is an article from Lifehack.org listing 10 ways to improve your life. Several of these are things that I have found out the hard way (through life experience) to be true.

Ron Paul's Numbers

This article offers some interesting answers to the question "What's up with Ron Paul's Numbers?"

The Ron Paul Earthquake

His chances may be slim, but at least he is giving voice to what so many of us think and feel.

A Soldier Reflects

An email from a veteran of the Iraq war.

Let me guess...

1. She will refuse to answer specific questions.
2. Congress will find her in contempt.
3. There will be some sort of court trial.
4. She will be found guilty.
5. She will be sentenced to a term in prison.
6. The president will commute her sentence right before she goes to jail.
7. The president will pardon her on his last day in office.

Promoting Democracy

You don't have to be a rocket scientist, brain surgeon or as Mr. Bush might say a rocket surgeon to know that the people in the United States are divided on the war in Iraq. There are a lot of different talking points but what it boils down to are two basic camps. On one had you have those who say that we are over there "spreading democracy", "fighting them over there so we don't have to fight them over here" and "we need to give the surge a chance". On the other hand are those that say "the thing is un-winable, bring our troops home as soon as possible."

Right now, the polls would indicate that there are more folks that agree with the later than agree with the former. Unfortunately, the highly touted "democracy" that we are advocating does not apply in this case. All that really matters is what the folks inside the beltway do. To date it would appear that in deed if not in word, they are telling us, in the words of Mr. Cheney, to go f*#k ourselves.

Obviously these two sides are not going to reconcile anytime soon. There is an old saying "divided we fall." Since no one wants to fall, we need to come up with a workaround for this impasse. I think I've got one.

What we need to do is print out some cards with the following on them:

****************************************************************************

[ ] Yes, I support the Iraq war and am willing to go over there and fight.
[ ] No, I do not support the Iraq war and don't want to be involved with it.

Signature _____________________________ Date: ________

****************************************************************************

Have the IRS, who knows where everyone is anyway, send a card to every US citizen over the age of 21 (if you ain't old enough to drink, you ain't old enough to fight.) When I say everyone that includes the men and women currently in Iraq, the president, the vice president, members of congress, governors of the 50 states, i.e. everyone. Make it a criteria of service in Iraq that someone has marked on their card that Yes, they are willing to go over there and fight. Anyone who marks no does not have to go or if they are already over there they must be brought home immediately. Load all those who mark Yes on the next available flight to Baghdad. That way, the ones who support the war will do the fighting and the rest of us will do whatever it is that we do. Now that is democracy.

The TSA at work

Here is an example of the TSA at work. The TSA spokesman said these tests are made very difficult. Does she think that terrorists are gonna make things easy?

Catchers In The Rye

Many people read "the Catcher in the Rye" when they are young. I will be 60 years old tomorrow and I am just now reading it. Even though I have not finished the book yet, I am fairly certain that I understand how Naman Crowe is referencing it in this article. I am absolutely certain that I understand what he is telling us, and I believe it with all my heart to be true.

An Ingenious Commercial.

This one had me guessing all the way.


Via: VideoSift

What U.S. Comptroller General David Walker has to say

Think everything is hunky dory? Before you answer read what U.S. Comptroller General David Walker has to say.

You Owe It To Yourself

Whether you are one of my friends or neighbors that are still riding around with a "W" sticker on your car, or you have an outdated Kerry/Edwards 04 bumper sticker on your hybrid, or your pickup has one of Junior's 08 decals on the back glass, or even if you don't own a vehicle or have never voted in your life and really don't give a tinkers damn about politics, you owe it to yourself to listen to this. Click on the link and when the page comes up, go over on the right hand side and click on the launch button underneath the picture of Keith Olbermann. Ignore the commercial, it only lasts a few seconds.

A Shiver Down My Spine

When I read this article it sent a shiver down my spine. There used to be a guy on the radio in Birmingham, I don't recall his name, that ended everyone of his stories with "Wake Up A-mer-a-ka." I think it is time to bring him back and have him broadcast 24/7.

Time to Invade SE Alabama and SW Georgia

I have relatives that live on the East Coast of Florida so I find myself often driving through Southeast Alabama and/or Southwest Georgia. The area is covered up by peanuts. After reading this article I realize that we are wasting our time in the middle east. It's time to invade peanut country and put a stop to this threat.