RANT: Amish “fight” for rights; why not us?

Thursday, December 18, 2008

WI: Amish homeowners: Religion trumps building codes

Yahoo! News

“Daniel Borntreger’s home looks like hundreds of other Wisconsin

farmhouses: two-story A-frame, porch, clothes on the line. But his

home could cost him thousands of dollars in fines. Borntreger, an

Amish farmer, built the house himself according to Amish tradition —

but without a building permit. His case is among at least 18 legal

actions brought against Amish residents in Wisconsin and New York in

the past year and a half for building without proper permits,

according to court records, attorneys and advocates for the Amish. The

cases have sparked local debates about where religion ends and

government begins. Amish advocates — the Amish religion precludes

them from defending themselves physically or legally — argue the

Amish belief that they must live apart from the world trumps local

regulations.” (12/13/08)

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081213/ap_on_re_us/amish_building_codes

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Seems like only the Amish fight for their rights!
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POLITICAL: NJ Menedez supports UAW bailout!

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Dear Mr. Reinke:

Thank you for contacting me to express your views on the auto industry rescue plan. Your opinion is very important to me, and I appreciate the opportunity to respond to you on this vital issue.

Without a doubt, the American automotive industry has been a major pillar of our nation’s manufacturing success. Unfortunately, decades of poor business practices have been exacerbated by the recent credit market freeze pushing our nation’s auto industry to the brink of collapse. Such a massive failure would have dire consequences for a struggling economy that saw more than half a million jobs disappear in November alone. With one in ten American workers relying on the automobile industry, failure of this industry could result in the loss of more than 3 million jobs as the ripple effects reverberate throughout the entire economy. New Jersey alone would lose over 65,000 jobs.

There can be no denying that short-sighted management decisions have played a major role in the decline of the Big Three. However, simply letting these companies go bankrupt would cost millions of American workers their jobs – workers who were not part of that decision-making process.   As a member of the Senate Banking Committee, I have paid close attention to the proposals of the automotive industry. Initially, the heads of the Big Three testified before Congress and essentially asked for a blank check. Their plan included little transparency or oversight and provided few details on restructuring or financial solvency. This was simply unacceptable, so Congress demanded that they return with a comprehensive plan.

The plan they later presented on their second visit was much improved and contained a number of important concessions and safeguards. My primary concern with any taxpayer assistance for the Big Three is that there is proper oversight, and that we include safeguards to make sure these taxpayer loans are repaid. This is why we included provisions clamping down on executive compensation, requiring the automakers to issue stock warrants to the government, and prohibiting the companies from issuing dividends until they repaid their taxpayer loans. This legislation also included efforts to address the long-term competiveness of the auto industry. The Big Three have spent the last 20 years fighting fuel economy standards for their products, much to their own detriment. In the long-term, we will require automakers to adhere to strict standards in building cleaner, more energy efficient vehicles, which will benefit America’s national interest as well as the Big Three’s bottom line.

As you may know, the Senate failed, by a vote of 52 to 35, to even bring this issue to the floor for consideration. I voted in support of cloture because I believe this is a vitally important economic issue that, at the very least, warrants debate and consideration in the Senate.

Regardless of your views on this particular piece of legislation, I believe we can all agree that our economy is in a serious recession and more must be done to assist American families. Please rest assured that as your United States Senator, I will do everything in my power to protect jobs and restore our economy so the American Dream is attainable once again.

Thank you again for contacting me with your concerns. For additional information on this issue and my other legislative priorities, please visit my website: http://menendez.senate.gov. It is an honor to represent you in the United States Senate.


Jobsearch: Maybe “repair” is important in jobsearch opportunities?

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

http://www.pennyjobs.com/pp/public/Articles.aspx?aid=244

Repair Business On the Rise
Curtis Ophoven
12/1/2008

*** begin quote ***

Over the thanksgiving holiday, I got the chance to talk with many of my aunts and uncles about the economy.

*** and ***

If your business is looking for growth, consider adding a department to repair or fix older products – even your competitor’s products. In many cases products can be fixes cheaper then they can be replaced.

*** end quote ***

Perhaps, we need to “aim” differently.

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GUN: Use a tool; need support?

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

MA: Gun-rights advocates stand by Worcester worker – Boston Herald

“Antiviolence and gun-rights backers banded together yesterday in support of a Worcester liquor store clerk who shot and killed a masked man who allegedly pulled a gun on him during an attempted robbery. … ‘It sounds like a cfear-cut case of self-defense, which is what the Second Amendment is really all about,’ said Jim Wallace, director of the Gun Owners Action League of Massachusetts. ‘The (clerk) was properly lawfully in possession of a firearm. It sounds like a win-win situation.’ Forty-year-old Evan Louis Rivera, who entered the store with another masked man, pointed a gun at one of the clerks and one of the clerks fired back, striking Rivera multiple times, police said. Rivera died 45 minutes later. John Rosenthal, co-founder of Stop Handgun Violence and a rifle owner, said he supports responsible gun ownership and the use of firearms in self-defense.” (12/12/08)

http://www.bostonherald.com/news/regional/view.bg?articleid=1138553

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Which begs the question, why in the world would some one who defends themself or their property need support. He should get a parade!
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INTERESTING: Why are certain topics appealing?

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

“Especially in the wake of Twilight, Harry Potter, or even the His Dark Materials series, I was wondering if you could tell me why concepts, like being an orphan or the existence of vampires or monsters, which should be frightening to children actually prove to be so appealing?”

With all the real problems in the world, why do folks have to go out and “invent” new ones?

Vampires and magic seem to be popular with the “yutes” of America. Are they brain dead? Have they been under served by what purports to be the “education system” here? Are they just mindless consumers of the “one eyed vast wasteland” (i.e., TV) in every room of our homes?

I really don’t understand.

When I was young, I dreamed of doing great things. Epic books were my “vast waste land”. With heros that overcome adversity and their own flaws.

Now, the kids adore what doesn’t exist.

Strange to my way of thinging.

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POLITICAL: Rush points out that Powell is an “inside the beltway” person

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/home/daily/site_121508/content/01125106.guest.html

Rush Responds to General Powell

December 15, 2008

*** begin quote ***

The Democrats and the liberals always have, and I guess McCain and Colin Powell are showing their true colors. Here is Colin Powell telling the Republican Party what to do after he voted for Obama! I know what really has Colin Powell upset, it’s because I said his endorsement of Obama was about race, and I’m not supposed to say those things. These things are supposed to go unsaid. The Republican Party nominated Powell’s perfect candidate. The guy’s going after moderates, independents, Democrats, a guy who is not conservative at all, McCain, didn’t stand up for much conservative, and he’s out there now saying he won’t support Palin if she seeks the presidency again, or he might not.

*** and ***

What’s going on here with this Colin Powell thing is that the Washington establishment — Powell’s not a Republican. McCain’s not a Republican. These guys are not even mavericks. They are Washingtonians. Washingtonians have their own culture and their own desires, and it is to matter. They don’t care who’s in power, they just want to be closely associated with whoever is. That’s the name of the game and they want press adulation. They want to be loved and adored by the media, they want fawning treatment, they want to be thought of as something special, unique, dignified and so forth, and that’s the Washington establishment. These guys are Washingtonians. And what is a Washingtonian? Who are these people? Ladies and gentlemen, they have driven this economy into the toilet. Washingtonians are tone deaf in terms of how you and I actually live and the things that matter and are important to us. Washingtonians are grabbing as much power for themselves right now as possible. Washington does not live in the rest of the country, does not live in the same world we do. What they’re doing now is looking for ways to silence opposition. They don’t care about the timid ineffective opposition. They like Republicans and conservatives who are ashamed of their views and their fellow citizens. What they want to do is silence people like me because they can’t abide debate or opposition or challenges to their status and their authority.

*** end quote ***

I only listen to Rush from time to time. I’ve heard him urge Bush to stand tall and be the fiscal conservative. Bush spent like there was no tomorrow.

Bush’s legacy is the TSA. An army of gooferment employees and voter for the Democratic party. When does the TSA go away? NEVER! We should be taking a lesson from El Al. The airlines should be COMPLETELY responsible for security. As they should have been all along.

Arm the pilots. A cheap and easy solution. Arm the people. The policy of “victim disarmament” kills us.

Simple direct “solutions”.

Drug gangs fighting over turf like during Prohibition? End the drug war.

Prison overcrowding? Pardon all non-violent drug offenders.

Drug addiction? It’s a medical problem, treat it that way.

Bailouts? Chapter 11! Or, 7!!

Immigration? End welfare. (We want to take the plastic bag off the Statue of Liberty. Bring us all the refuse of the world willing to work hard in America. The land of OPPORTUNITY; not welfare. We have fat poor people to quote one bright observant fellow.

Runaway federal spending? Cut the federal budget 10% every year.

Lifetime politicians? Stop paying them. Stop pensions for them. Stop free healthcare for them.

On and on, there are simple solutions that increase our liberty.

The Washington politicians haven’t been listening to ANYONE. Let alone Rush.

A plague on all their houses!

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LIBERTY: Fix it before it kills us!

Monday, December 15, 2008

Monday, December 8, 2008
The End of the World…Maybe

*** begin quote ***

“Commandments” is an incorrect translation; “Utterances” or “Words” is much more accurate. I prefer “Laws,” as in “Natural Laws.” If you break them, bad things automatically happen. No cops are needed. The 20th century was a time of worshipping the false idols of Man and State, in violation of the First Law (“have no other gods but the one true God”). It doesn’t matter to me if people believe in any sort of God or not; these Ten Laws still exist, and violation of their practical wisdom brings unhappiness, destruction and death. You can say, “As you sow, you reap,” or “What goes around, comes around,” or karma (“the moral law of cause and effect”) or kismet, or the Tao, or whatever name you want to give it. Those laws are part of human nature.

*** and ***

And if people can’t do it, it’s doubly forbidden for governments (which in a sense don’t really exist, since they are composed of people). The big difference is that governments try to claim a monopoly on force, which makes them unimaginably destructive. I’ve read estimates that up to 200 million people died in the 20th century at the hands of various governments. And all because of the violation of “You shall not murder.”

*** and ***

If I was King, I would take all the Christians and Jews who support Israel (and send money there) and deport them all over there. I would do the same with Muslims here who support the Islamic countries. As it stands right now, the US government is involved in 4,000-year-old tribal warfare, and is in fact supporting both sides in the conflict.

*** end quote ***

Interesting.

First, the author points out timeless principles. Then, he proceeds to break them by using force on people.

I think one of those timeless principles is the “Zero Aggression Principle”. In my mind, I am moral, as admonished by most major religions or philosophies, to not initiate force on others. ZAP as the Libertarians call it.

Government — be it Kings, Presidents, or Tyrants all the same — seeks to force youto conform to its wishes. It robs Peter to enrich Paul while deducting a huge chuck for its “services”.

Sorry, sovereign individuals need no tyrants to tell them what to do. Government’s only legitimate role is to preserve the peace and ensure rights. The jury is still out if it can do that. Not very successful so far.

Maybe it’s time for a new meme to replace “government”. Examine your paradigms and memes for a replacement? I don’t have one but I’m looking.

Fix it before it kills us!

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TECHNOLOGY: Skype knows where I am and …

Monday, December 15, 2008

… won’t give my the USA options for Skype. I’ll have to renew when I get home. Argh! Talk about to smart for its own good. Argh!

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GUNS: “victim disarmament” story?

Monday, December 15, 2008

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20081213/christmasparty_shooting_081213/20081213?hub=TopStories

Police allege sacked employee killed his former boss

Updated Sat. Dec. 13 2008 10:38 PM ET

CTV.ca News Staff

A man has been charged with first-degree murder after a shooting at an office Christmas party in Vancouver Friday.

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Interesting. Did, do, CEOs think employees are “human resources”. And, in “victim disarmament” Canada?

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GUNS: Remember Tony Martin!

Sunday, December 14, 2008

http://transsylvaniaphoenix.blogspot.com/2008/05/british-called-they-want-their-guns.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGVAQOUi6ec&eurl=http://transsylvaniaphoenix.blogspot.com/2008/05/british-called-they-want-their-guns.html&feature=player_embedded

*** begin quote ***

This should serve as a warning to all freedom loving Americans. Before pulling the lever this coming November, remember: both Hillary and Obama support draconian gun laws aimed not at criminals (because criminals don’t obey the laws anyway), but at law abiding citizens.

*** end quote ***

Luddite sent me the link.

Could it be that I am finally turning him to the side of liberty?

England is a precursor of the USA.

Our politicians are charging down the same path.

“Judged by 12 rather than carried by 6” obviously failed in this case! The English have chosen “victim disarmament”!

Argh.

“From my cold dead hands …”

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