Tag: freedom

RANT: Court Says TSA Can Lie

Published on by reinkefjLeave a comment

http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130905/18570724424/court-says-tsa-can-lie-about-whether-not-it-has-information-youre-requesting.shtml

Court Says TSA Can Lie About Whether Or Not It Has The Information You’re Requesting
from the clearly-spelled-out-on-the-brand-new-FUIA-request-forms dept

*** begin quote ***

In theory, the Freedom of Information Act is great. It allows citizens to pursue disclosure from government entities in order to better understand processes or look for malfeasance. In reality, however, it’s often incredibly difficult to convince these agencies to actually free up any information.

Whatever isn’t delayed indefinitely is redacted heavily. Everything else that doesn’t hit these two extremes tends to run into various bureaucratic walls. FOIA request fulfillment is often handed off to whatever part of the agency seems least likely to want the job, either because of its natural antipathy towards the public or because it’s chronically understaffed.

It’s gotten to the point where people are regularly suing the government to get documents released. No one needs to point out the sheer insanity of a system that expends public money to keep public documents from the public, especially one that is governed by an act meant to make the wall between the public and its servants so thin as to be nearly transparent.

*** end quote ***

Hopefully, one of these days, the Sheeple will wake out and realize that the Dead Old White Guys were right and it’s Gooferment we have to fear!

Argh!

# – # – # – # – #    

LIBERTY: Keene Libertarians are targeted by FBI

Published on by reinkefj1 Comment

http://pileusblog.wordpress.com/2013/04/10/fbi-trying-to-infiltrate-keene-new-hampshire/

*** begin quote ***

FBI Trying to Infiltrate Keene, New Hampshire

April 10, 2013 by Jason Sorens

The Keene Activity Center (KAC) is a place where (mostly) young libertarians and anarchists in Keene, New Hampshire congregate to talk philosophy, plan activism (including civil disobedience), and generally relax and socialize. Apparently the Federal Bureau of Investigation has been trying very, very hard to infiltrate the KAC, judging from this account of the arrest of one of the club’s members, Rich Paul, on marijuana charges.

*** end quote ***

Yeah, those trouble makers who want to dislodge the Statist quo!

# – # – # – # – #   

INTERESTING: “THE PUB” in 22102 allows smoking

Published on by reinkefj2 Comments

Tonight I found a bar that allows smoking?

It’s attached to a Chinese restaurant.

Strange, I thought the smoking Nazis had wiped out this particular form of freedom.

It could, if it wasn’t for the smoke, become one of my favorite places.

Only two kinds of draft beer — bud and bud light (yuck) — and only a half dozen varieties of bottled beer.

(Not a problem considering I gave up beer and facebook for lent.)

Just shocked me. And reminded me how much I don’t like smoke.

But as a Little L Libertarian, that decision should be left to the owner. Patrons and workers are free to seek other venues.

Argh!

–30–

RANT: You always have the right to secede

Published on by reinkefjLeave a comment

http://lewrockwell.com/williams-w/w-williams147.html

Parting Company

by Walter E. Williams

*** begin quote ***

For decades, it has been obvious that there are irreconcilable differences between Americans who want to control the lives of others and those who wish to be left alone. Which is the more peaceful solution: Americans using the brute force of government to beat liberty-minded people into submission or simply parting company? In a marriage, where vows are ignored and broken, divorce is the most peaceful solution. Similarly, our constitutional and human rights have been increasingly violated by a government instituted to protect them. Americans who support constitutional abrogation have no intention of mending their ways.

*** end quote ***

I like that Professor Williams always goes to the crux of the matter.

Do we have the RIGHT from Nature’s God to peaceful leave the Union?

–30–

GOVEROTRAGEOUS: Why is the TSA still around?

Published on by reinkefjLeave a comment

http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/334957

Mississippi passenger detained, stranded in Hawaii by No-Fly List

By Elliott Freeman

Oct 17, 2012 – yesterday in Travel

*** begin quote ***

A Mississippi man flying to visit his wife in Japan on Monday was detained during a stop in Hawaii and has been barred from reboarding his flight – or any other flight – because his name came up on the U.S. No-Fly List, leaving him stranded on the island.

Gulfport resident Wade Hicks, Jr., boarded a military jet at Travis Air Force Base in San Francisco so he could spend time with his newlywed wife, a U.S. Navy lieutenant stationed in Okinawa, Japan, the Canada Free Press reports.

According to Hicks, when the plane stopped for refueling at Hickam Air Base on the Hawaiian island of Oahu, he was escorted from the plane and detained by armed military personnel. After several hours, a representative of U.S. Customs and Border Protection arrived and told him he was pulled off of the flight because he was on the no-fly list.

Why was he put on the list? “They have given me no reason. They just basically are telling me, ‘You can’t fly because we said so,'” Hicks said in an interview with radio talk show host Doug Hagmann. “They didn’t know how I even left Travis Air Force Base.”

*** end quote ***

Sorry, but any bureaucratic organization that is this stupid needs to be put out of its misery.

It was a bad idea to start. Made worse over time. Unionized.

Just a waste of valuable human attention, time, and effort.

Close it down now.

The “terrorists” won by changing our way of life and getting us to do stupid things.

How dumb are we?

— 30 —

GOVEROTRAGEOUS: Suppressing the military vote

Published on by reinkefjLeave a comment

http://formerspook.blogspot.com/2012/10/running-out-military-voting-clock.html

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2012

Running Out the Military Voting Clock

Defense Secretary Leon Panetta wants to know if the military’s voter assistance offices are working–and he’s asking for an immediate answer. More from Air Force Times:

*** begin quote ***

Defense Secretary Leon Panetta has directed military officials to provide him a report by Oct. 19 verifying that each of the 221 installation voting assistance offices is appropriately staffed to meet the needs of troops.

He gave officials three days to get it done; the memo was issued Oct. 16 to the service secretaries, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs, undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness, and chiefs of the combatant commands.

“We must do all we can to ensure that service members know the steps necessary to vote, particularly those service members deployed or based away from home. This issue must be addressed immediately,” he wrote.

Mr. Panetta issued his directive after the DoD Inspector General reported it could not reach about half of the voting assistance offices by phone, despite repeated attempts. Members of Congress have expressed similar concerns.

At first blush, the SecDef’s actions seem to be a model of bureaucratic urgency and concern. A three-day suspense for this sort of survey is virtually unheard of along the E-ring. So, a lot of action officers will be burning the midnight oil for the next few days to give Secretary Panetta the information he requested.

But in reality, Mr. Panetta’s demand is little more than a farce. The IG report was issued in late August–almost two months ago. Why did the Defense Secretary wait so long to issue that last-minute tasker?

*** end quote ***

Sorry, but this is “cheating”. All’s fair in love ‘n’ war.

At least in Heinlein’s Starship Troopers, soldiers couldn’t vote until they became a vet.

As a vet, I find this disgusting.

Argh!

—30—

ECONOMICS: Tweedle dee and Tweedle dumber!

Published on by reinkefjLeave a comment

http://cafehayek.com/2012/10/no-debate-both-are-economically-ignorant.html

No Debate: Both Men are Economically Ignorant

by DON BOUDREAUX on OCTOBER 17, 2012

in SEEN AND UNSEEN, TRADE

*** begin quote ***

Each man insists that America’s economy can be harmed by inexpensive imports – in other words, harmed by opportunities for voluntary exchanges that lower Americans’ cost of living.

By promising to raise taxes on Americans who buy Chinese-made goods, Mr. Romney again promised to break his campaign promise to not raise taxes. That he is unaware of the contradiction isn’t promising.

Mr. Obama is no better. He bragged that he “saved a thousand jobs” with his “tough” trade action that – by raising taxes on Americans who buy Chinese-made tires – ensured “that China was not flooding our domestic market with cheap tires.”

By this logic, the President’s policy is inexcusably lame. If creating more jobs in U.S. tire factories justifies forcing consumers to pay higher prices for tires, the Obama administration should also outlaw the sale of used tires (which, like low-priced imports, are “flooding our domestic market”). Indeed, the president should seek legislation mandating that all rubber used to make tires be non-vulcanized. The resulting decline in tire durability will create even more jobs in U.S. tire factories by “protecting” our market from being “flooded” with cheap tire durability – that is, with tires that last for tens of thousands of miles before needing to be replaced.

*** end quote ***

It’s hard to imagine that there is any rationale for restrictions?

Do we want to be a nation of tire makers?

In the Sixties were more expensive for a poorer quality. Now they are “cheaper” and more durable.

(Remember that the value of money has been inflated away. Gas is up by a multiple of 100 in dollars but about 50% cheaper in silver. Tires in the Sixties ran about $20 each; some more some less. Priced in gold a tire was 20/35 = 4/7 = 0.57 oz. So today, just recently I paid over 100$ per tire; where as I should have paid over a 1k$ each. SO tires have gotten 90% cheaper. It’s the value of money that obscures our vision.)

I want Americans to have cheap tires so they can spend their money on other needs and wants.

If it means the tire industry has to go to China, all well and good.

If the Chinese are so dumb as to give us tires for worthless green pieces of paper, great!

The market will peacefully decide what gives us the most bang for our buck. With out a politician “helping”.

Argh!

—30—

POLITICAL: Too big to fail?

Published on by reinkefjLeave a comment

http://lewrockwell.com/margolis/margolis249.html

Banks Should Die for Their Countries, Not Countries for Their Banks
by Eric Margolis

*** begin quote ***

Greece is using the same scare-tactics that the supposedly too-big-to-fail insolvent US banks employed in 2008: “if I go down, I’ll take everyone with me.”

In this case, it’s Europe’s big banks. Three big French banks, BNP, Crédit Agricole, Société Général, hold large chunks of Greece’s debt. If Greece defaults, goes the hue and cry, French, German, Swiss, and Belgian banks may crash.

Here we go again. Politicians have allowed the banking industry not only to grow larger than manufacturing, notably in the United States where the top five banks control 40% of all deposits, but to become so powerful, over-extended, and risky they are a danger to itself and the public.

Bankers who invested in Greek debt or US subprime mortgages were greedy fools and should be fired, not rescued.

*** end quote ***

Seems logical to me “2big2fail” is “2big2be”.

Only politicians and bureaucrats don’t seem to see the concept.

Nature only allows an efficient size.

“We, The Sheeple” need to update our paradigms and memes.

# – # – # – # – # 2011-Jul-12 @ 07:54

MONEY: Pensions are an attractive pot of money

Published on by reinkefjLeave a comment

http://washingtonexaminer.com/blogs/beltway-confidential/2011/01/europe-starts-confiscating-private-pension-funds#ixzz1A4bDsXPq

*** begin quote ***

The article goes on to detail other pension grabs in Bulgaria, Poland, France and Ireland. Obviously, this is a cautionary tale for America. If fiscal austerity becomes a real issue in the U.S. the way that it’s been reaching critical mass in Europe — don’t think that U.S. lawmakers regard your either your personal wealth or money they might owe you as sacrosanct. Government has a habit of looking out for itself.

*** end quote ***

Too arms! To arms! Bad ideas have a way of flowing over “the pond”. Where will politicians find a lot of quick easy money? Sure, your retirement! And, the politicians and bureaucrats only have to strong arm about 2200 “custodians”. Who happen to be the very people that were “bailed out” with taxpayer money last year. So how much of a bonus did you get, Taxpayer? Mine must have gotten lost in the mail. I’d suggest that everyone take keyboard to hand and share this story. Then, get to your congress critter with a stern warning — keep your mitts off my retirement! Argh!!!

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POLITICAL: Government schools

Published on by reinkefj1 Comment

http://wiki.freetalklive.com/Main_Page

Welcome to the Free Talk Live Wiki, the libertarian wiki where almost anything goes.
2,322 articles in English

Government schools

*** begin quote ***

201101021958.jpg

Some libertarians have the radical idea that parents should actually be responsible for making sure their children are educated. It worked before the twentieth century, and literacy rates were actually higher than they are today. Such people are a threat to all reason and civility, saying parents should be responsible for their children, and should be rounded up and placed into camps until further notice.

*** end quote ***

I’d like to see the Separation of State and School!

During the tax revolt in New Jersey in the 80’s, I pitch a 40 year plan — two twenty years plans in succession. First, get the Gooferment out of the operation in 20 years. Second, get the Gooferment out of funding in 20 years. It’s baby steps, but it moves in clear distinct steps.

We can’t go from the current system to zero without a transition time. People need time to adjust and learn.

Argh!

But, we can’t even do that!

# # # # #

SOFTWARE: Mac App Store; any “app store”, the implications are scary!

Published on by reinkefjLeave a comment

201101061227.jpg

The MacAppStore opened Thursday. I, of course, checked in. And, downloaded some free applications.

After the experience, I’m not so sure I like this.

Maybe my tin foil hat is on too tight, but it seems that the whole concept puts the App Store “vendor” in complete control of what you can get.

In playing with it, I experienced slow downs.

We’ll see what other issues arise.

(1) If I had the source file, that I had downloaded (i.e., DMG, Zip, or make file), then I could always install or reinstall. If there’s no installation file (i.e., it comes by “magic” from the App Store), then I have to go back to the App Store and buy it again. Does that mean I have to pay again? Does the App Store give “receipts”?

(2) During play, the App Store became “unavailable”. Demonstrating that it is itself a single point of failure in the infrastructure.

(3) It’s very “easy” to load your hard drive with apps. (A few dollars or free makes one willing to “try it”. Toss if NG.) BUTT (there’s always a big but) (3a) How do you get rid of all the vestiges of applications? (3b) How much money, time, attention, and effort will be wasted in “applications”? (When you have to go to the store or wait for Amazon, FedEx, or UPS to deliver the disk, you evaluate the “purchase decision” more carefully.)

What else am I missing?

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INTERESTING: Forecasting intelligent cars and roads in the future

Published on by reinkefjLeave a comment

http://www.techmynd.com/the-future-cars-and-roads/#ixzz18TcSTw1G

The Future Cars and Roads
by Hiroshi on 18-12-2010

*** begin quote ***

According to Dr. Michio Kaku, next 10 years will bring us intelligent cars and roads. Future car fuels will be hydrogen, electricity, rechargeable batteries or solar energy. The future cars will help stop accidents and suggest alternative routs if road is blocked ahead. There will be almost no traffic jams, no road accidents. Scientists will install chips in the roads which will communicate with your car to tell if there is any problem ahead. Road will sense your car speed as well.

This predicts that instead of police officers, roads would be able to calculate your car speed and issue you a speeding ticket through your car’s computer. Cars will consume less fuel and will be light in weight. GPS systems would guide your car computer in the direction you would like to go. Even these cars can drive you automatically to point a to b without any driver.

*** end quote ***

Interesting, but not the way things are organized now.

The Gooferment controls the roads; that’s why they are a disaster. Look at Disney World for how private roads are and could be.

And, notice that the predictor falls into the current meme of “Gooferment roads”? The “road” gives out traffic tickets. ROFL! Like the “road” can go into a court and testify. And, we all KNOW machines never make a mistake. Like that Brit speed camera that would randomly report motorists breaking the speed of sound on a back road quarter mile stretch that was in bad shape. Never make mistakes.

And, we’d miss the pleasure of sitting at a long red light late at night with no traffic anywhere in sight (even in the most densely populated state)! You think the Gooferment, politicians, and bureaucrats will make this better?

And, of course, we all want cars that “automatically” drive us. Argh!

Sorry, I think the technology could do it, but not the people.

# # # # #

RANT: The TSA has really carried “security theater” to molestation and porn!

Published on by reinkefjLeave a comment

http://johnnyedge.blogspot.com/2010/11/these-events-took-place-roughly-between.html

13 November 2010
TSA encounter at SAN

*** begin quote ***

These events took place roughly between 5:30 and 6:30 AM, November 13th in Terminal 2 of the San Diego International Airport. I’m writing this approximately 2 1/2 hours after the events transpired, and they are correct to the best of my recollection. I will admit to being particularly fuzzy on the exact order of events when dealing with the agents after getting my ticket refunded; however, all of the events described did occur.

*** and ***

At this point, I thought it was all over. I began to make my way to the stairs to exit the airport, when I was approached by another man in slacks and a sport coat. He was accompanied by the officer that had escorted me to the ticketing area and Mr. Silva. He informed me that I could not leave the airport. He said that once I start the screening in the secure area, I could not leave until it was completed. Having left the area, he stated, I would be subject to a civil suit and a $10,000 fine. I asked him if he was also going to fine the 6 TSA agents and the local police officer who escorted me from the secure area. After all, I did exactly what I was told. He said that they didn’t know the rules, and that he would deal with them later. They would not be subject to civil penalties. I then pointed to Mr. Silva and asked if he would be subject to any penalties. He is the agents’ supervisor, and he directed them to escort me out. The man informed me that Mr. Silva was new and he would not be subject to penalties, either. He again asserted the necessity that I return to the screening area. When I asked why, he explained that I may have an incendiary device and whether or not that was true needed to be determined. I told him that I would submit to a walk through the metal detector, but that was it; I would not be groped. He told me that their procedures are on their website, and therefore, I was fully informed before I entered the airport; I had implicitly agreed to whatever screening they deemed appropriate. I told him that San Diego was not listed on the TSA’s website as an airport using Advanced Imaging Technology, and I believed that I would only be subject to the metal detector. He replied that he was not a webmaster, and I asked then why he was referring me to the TSA’s website if he didn’t know anything about it. I again refused to re-enter the screening area.

*** end quote ***

Wonder when “We, The Sheeple” will remember the Fourth Amendment?

# # # # #

POLITICAL: Selective Constitutionality

Published on by reinkefjLeave a comment

http://apnews.myway.com/article/20100910/D9I50KL00.html

Calif judge to stop ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ policy
Sep 10, 6:39 AM (ET)
By RAQUEL MARIA DILLON

*** begin quote ***

LOS ANGELES (AP) – A federal judge said she will issue an order to halt the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy, after she declared the ban on openly gay service members unconstitutional.

U.S. District Judge Virginia Phillips ruled Thursday that the prohibition on openly gay military service members was unconstitutional because it violates the First and Fifth Amendment rights of gays and lesbians.

*** end quote ***

And, the Army is Constitutionally only supposed to exist for two years after being called up. And, there’s supposed to be a RKBA. And, the Fifth says Obama couldn’t take over the GM screwing the GM bondholders.

Amazing how they pick and chose what they want to enforce.

The Anarcho-capitalist’s (AKA libertarian anarchy, market anarchism, or free market anarchism) are right: we don’t NEED Gooferment and it ALWAYS oppresses us.

Argh!

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INSPIRATIONAL: Budwiser’s 911 spot

Published on by reinkefjLeave a comment

http://www.flixxy.com/9-11-budweiser-tribute.htm

*** begin quote ***

This is the commercial spot Budweiser produced after 9-11. They only aired it once so as not to benefit financially from it – they just wanted to acknowledge the tragic event. Wow.

*** end quote ***

I think of how I was in that very spot the day before for a job interview; it could have been me there the next day. I think of the 100+ fellow alumni and their family members who died that day. I think of the 3,000 who died that day — horribly; some driven to jump. (It was truly a miracle it wasn’t more.)

I think of the Ground Zero Mosque controversy and how everyone has forgotten Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church. (It was tiny. Three pews. Twenty people was a crowd.)

I think of the outrage we should be feeling at our Gooferment that (1) The Towers are NOT rebuilt by now. With a third one, taller in the middle. As a message to our friends and enemies. (Think Rodney Dangerfield pissed off in “Back To School”.) (2) We still haven’t secured the borders. The TSA is your typical Gooferment joke. And, they think we are amused by their ineptitude. AND (3) The responders and victims haven’t been taken care of; neither have our returning Wounded Warriors.

I wonder what in the Creator’s name are people thinking.

Are we waiting for a nuke in Las Vegas?

Let’s hold our Gooferment accountable. If it’s not there to protect us, then what are we paying for? Some type of variety show in the District of Corruption and the fifty other venues. Featuring highly paid corrupt clowns pretending to to be “self sacrificing public servants”. I’m not amused.

I DEMAND:

  1. End the personal and corporate dole;
  2. Dismiss gooferment public education;
  3. Stop the various wars — foreign and domestic;
  4. Repatriate ALL the troops home;
  5. End the drug war; pardon all non-violent drug offenders;
  6. Downsize ALL gooferments; AND
  7. Eliminate all taxes but tariffs and excise.

The Gooferment won’t protect us, won’t protect our rights, and won’t do things right. So the Declaration of Independence says we can abolish it. Lets do just that … for the children. Let each State go its own way.

Secession.

It worked for the USSR. It can work for us.

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TECHNOLOGY: Let the inet be free of Gooferment diktat

Published on by reinkefjLeave a comment

http://thehill.com/blogs/hillicon-valley/technology/109453-wsjs-mossberg-wants-a-broadband-plan-with-teeth

WSJ’s Mossberg wants a broadband plan with teeth
By Gautham Nagesh – 07/18/10 06:13 PM ET

*** begin quote ***

“We need a strong broadband policy on the part of the government not to run or take over broadband, but to set the private sector and the society on a course where we can make sure that we always have the kind of speed, availability and affordability of broadband that will allow the innovation around it that will keep us competitive or hopefully ahead of other countries and I do worry about that,” he said.

*** end quote ***

No!

We need the Gooferment to step aside and let the inet grow and run free.

We don’t need it “managed”.

We do need an impartial referee stand off to the side call “fair” or “foul”. Prevent fraud. don’t let ISPs cheat their Customers (i.e., we know that there is NO justification for usage charges on the inet).

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POLITICAL: An unholy attempt to fix the Constitution in a back room! Cui bono?

Published on by reinkefj4 Comments

http://www.boston.com/news/local/breaking_news/2010/07/mass_may_join_e.html

Mass. may join effort to bypass Electoral College
By Martin Finucane, Globe Staff

*** begin quote ***

Supporters are waging a state-by-state campaign to try to get such bills enacted. Once states possessing a majority of the electoral votes (or 270 of 538) have enacted the laws, the candidate winning the most votes nationally would be assured a majority of the Electoral College votes, no matter how the other states vote and how their electoral votes are distributed.

*** end quote ***

The political elite are seeking to rewrite the Constitution via backroom deals and open conspiracy to disenfranchise the “small states”.

When will we learn NOT to mess with the wisdom of the Dead Old White Guys. They were possible the smartest men ever assembled in one lucky place at the right time in history. We can go thru the Amendments passed, and one unpassed, as a litany to pure collective stupidity.

The Political Effete and the Party Powerbrokers would love nothing better than to have to win the popular vote in California, Chicago, New York, and host of other corrupt places to be assured of a national win. Ballot box stuffing and recounts on a National basis would become the norm. Argh!

The Electoral College was put in to protect the small states. The Constitution would have never been adopted without that design. I don’t know if they intended it, but it does firewall ballot box stuffing. Go ahead and stuff all you want in Massachusetts, you’ll only get 12 Electoral votes. Now if this change was adopted, that stuffing could determine the national election. Ever read any stories where there were more votes than registered voters (Say “hi” to Al Franken) or a large “graveyard vote” (Sam Rayburn and LBJ) or “voting machine breakdowns” in the non-machine party’s precincts? How about “keep counting until you get the answer you want then stop”?No, that could never happen in America!

And who is to tabulate and certify that grand total that all the conspiratorial states will use to determine their votes?

Argh! How stupid can we be!

# # # # #

UPDATE 01 August 2010

http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2010/08/01/massachusetts_for_palin

Massachusetts for Palin?
By Jeff Jacoby
Globe Columnist / August 1, 2010

*** begin quote ***

IT IS Election Night, 2012. The polls have closed. State by state, the votes are being counted, and gradually it becomes clear, to the bottomless horror of some voters and the unbridled delight of others, that Sarah Palin, the Republican presidential nominee, has bested President Barack Obama in the popular vote nationwide.

In Massachusetts, where Obama crushed Palin in a 79 percent landslide — the most lopsidedly anti-Palin vote of any state — “bottomless horror’’ doesn’t begin to describe the political reaction. For in 2010, Massachusetts joined the National Popular Vote compact, making a commitment to cast all of its electoral votes for the presidential candidate receiving the most votes nationally, regardless of the results in Massachusetts. The compact took effect in December 2011, when California became the 15th state to join, thereby uniting enough states to control a majority of the Electoral College. Now Massachusetts, the bluest of the blue states, must award its presidential electors to a candidate Massachusetts voters overwhelmingly opposed.

*** end quote ***

ROFL!

Twenty-second Amendment to the United States Constitution passed by the Republicans, to prevent a repeat of FDR’s four terms, term limited Ike. And, has dramatically altered the political landscape by making the President a “lame duck” in his second term.

That’s the best example of political stupidity.

The above Palin scenario would be absolutely hysterical.

# # # # #

GOVEROTRAGEOUS: The First Amendment is being redefined by the Obama administration

Published on by reinkefjLeave a comment

http://catholic.org/national/national_story.php?id=37390&page=1

Obama Moves away from ‘Freedom of Religion’ toward ‘Freedom of Worship’?
    * By Randy Sly
   * 7/18/2010
   * Catholic Online (www.catholic.org)

Words matter – listen carefully to our current administration

*** begin quote ***

In her article for “First Things” magazine, Ashley Samelson, International Programs Director for the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, stated, “To anyone who closely follows prominent discussion of religious freedom in the diplomatic and political arena, this linguistic shift is troubling: “The reason is simple. Any person of faith knows that religious exercise is about a lot more than freedom of worship. It’s about the right to dress according to one’s religious dictates, to preach openly, to evangelize, to engage in the public square. Everyone knows that religious Jews keep kosher, religious Quakers don’t go to war, and religious Muslim women wear headscarves-yet “freedom of worship” would protect none of these acts of faith.”

*** end quote ***

One can see the silent assault on “religion” by the growing secular gooferment. They will tolerate no rival for the people’s affection. Like the scifi Highlander “There can be only one!”, it will kill off all it’s rivals.

Then, to whom will us serfs turn to for succor?

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RANT: Shool sucks for everyone

Published on by reinkefjLeave a comment

http://www.schoolsucksproject.com/

*** begin quote ***

“School sucks”…is perhaps the most common phrase students use to describe their feelings about public education. Yet this seemingly bitter and reductive slogan is actually quite clever, and perhaps the most accurate and astute synopsis of the system I’ve ever heard. Here’s why:

1. The twelve-year process of an American public education has a dramatic effect on the mind of a child. When we first enter school at age six, many of our best personal attributes are already in place. We are curious, innovative, unique and creative in ways that we will rarely be able to replicate throughout the rest of our lives. But over time, school sucks those essential attributes out of too many of us…and replaces them with predictability, obedience and indifference.

2. The public school system sucks off the productive capacity of hard-working people. In other words, whether public education succeeds or fails (spoiler alert: it fails) at providing real education to the public, the cost goes up every year.

For too long, this sentiment that “school sucks” has existed only as a silent thought, a quiet mumble or a scribble on a notebook. It’s time to project this idea out into the mainstream, and to show how true it actually is. The path towards solutions begins there.

*** end quote ***

Absolutely agree.

I’ve ranted about “gooferment skool” on my blog for a while.

I can’t think of a “more wronger” thing in our society.

Hope this project succeeds!

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TECHNOLOGY: Portability Policy for your “data”

Published on by reinkefjLeave a comment

http://portabilitypolicy.org/index.html

Your Portability Policy

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We have provided a set of questions and a few sample portability policies to help you get started. These are not intended to be comprehensive, and we expect that they will evolve over time. You are encouraged to add whatever topics or issues will help your users make informed decisions.

We aren’t trying to promote any particular policy, business model or technology. Rather, we hope to create standards that simplify communication and help customers make informed choices.

*** end quote ***

I have my own personal portability policy.

If I can’t get “my” data out then the site, service, or software has to have a huge value proposition.

Be nice if all sites adopted this as a standard. Even if it’s a closed island like Facebook, it would be valuable to know that upfront.

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LIBERTARIAN: DoI’s “an inalienable right to life” when, and under what circumstances?

Published on by reinkefj2 Comments

http://www.tidewaternews.com/news/2010/jun/12/extremist-libertarianism/

Extremist libertarianism By Steve Stewart | Tidewater News Published Saturday, June 12, 2010 Steve Stewart is publisher of The Tidewater News. His e-mail address is steve.stewart@tidewaternews.com

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If an adult chooses not to wear a life jacket — or a seat belt or a motorcycle helmet — that’s one thing. He is old enough to weigh the risks and make a decision. It’s his life. An 8-year-old kid isn’t equipped to make that decision. When a reckless parent doesn’t see fit to take a simple step that will save a kid from drowning, I have no problem with the state saying he must.

Libertarian instincts aside, I disagree with Pollard. The collective wisdom of society does occasionally trump the not-so-common sense of an individual. In such cases, there oughta be a law.

*** end quote ***

The death of child is tragic. The unnecessary death is even more so.

That being said, we don’t worry about the preventable deaths of children in war, collateral damage, boycotts, embargoes, aboortion, the war against (some) drugs, poverty, swimming pools, car accidents, DWI, bathtubs, and … the ultimate killers … pais of water in the home!

(Before you say I’m absurd, please look up the most frequent cause of accidental drownings.)

SO what we have here is the political class saying they know better how to raise your child. We’ve already established that there is no EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE of a problem, no evidence that this law will solve more problems than it corrects, nor any evidence that the “law” would have any practical impact at all.

Now I understand that in the Declaration of Independence, “we”, (as if there was such a thing as “we”), assert that there is “an inalienable right to life”. (Isn’t it amusing when you quote their own documents back to the Statists and Socialists?) We have never agreed on when those “inalienable rights” inure to the “person”.

Is the legislator trying to state an answer to that question by preempting parental decision making?

The busybody politicians and bureaucrats are trying to run everything. With the fatal conceit. What did Thomas Sowell call it. “Conceit of the Anointed” Or Walter Williams. “The bottom line is that the idea that government bureaucrats have enough knowledge to manage an economy well is the height of conceit — what Nobel Laureate Friedrich Hayek called the “fatal conceit.” I’d call it the “conceit of the elite” that they would know better how to run your life than you do. With all their fancy “laws” (not like natural Laws), rules, regulations, diktats, or no-nos. And stuff still happens,

When you try to force someone to do something, even something that they would have wanted to do if left alone, they rebel. Because, instinctively, in their DNA, they “know” where that leads to: being a slave, mistreatment, and eventually the death camps. That’s why calling someone a Nazi is such a powerful slur. Like racist. Because you can IMMEDIATELY associate a picture with a label. And, we all know where it ends.

So, this politician tries to mandate “life jackets” for kids and we can trace it to its logical conclusion killing children in Auschwitz. May sound far fetched, but to me it’s as logical an outcome as any chemical reaction, the drips that cause stalactites and stalagmites. (Tites are tight to the ceiling) Or ants building a mound.

Drip, drip, drip. We lose out freedom. As Guliver is tied down thread by thread. No single drip, no single thread, no single “law” is enough to fight about. Like a parasite in a host, slowly eating it to death.

So the answer to every new intrusion, must be a firm “No”. “Never”. “Buzz off”.

“but it’s for the children”?

Well how about all these other “for the children” items that you don’t seem to care about.

Argh!

Take your gooferment off our liberty!

“I am free, no matter what rules surround me. If I find them tolerable, I tolerate them; if I find them too obnoxious, I break them. I am free because I know that I alone am morally responsible for everything I do.” — Robert A. Heinlein

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LIBERTY: Markets allow peaceful cooperation

Published on by reinkefjLeave a comment

http://freekeene.com/free-audiobook/

“The Market for Liberty”
Linda & Morris Tannehill (1970)

*** begin quote ***

Government: An Unnecessary Evil

There was once a time when it was widely believed the world was flat and the sun revolved around the earth. Now we know better and most reasonable people have rejected these ideas. Similarly, most people have rejected the once widely accepted idea of slavery, and rightfully so. If you’re like most people, your government high school history classes probably taught you that slavery was abolished years ago. Government people wouldn’t lie to you, would they?

The book you are about to listen to explodes the myths of government. Its message is simple:

“Government is an unnecessary evil and freedom is the best and most practical way of life.” Spread this idea, and we can change the world. That is why I’ve taken the time to create this audio book. These days, many people do not have time to read and it would be a shame to allow such a brilliant work to continue to gather dust on the shelves of history.

*** end quote ***

Gooferment is the meme that kills.

It’s hard to imagine a person, killing millions, without the assistance of a “government” to help him.

Genocides, Purges, Killing Fields, and such are only possible by gooferment. Even religious wars can’t match the numbers.

Liberty and Free Markets allow humans to peacefully cooperate with each other.

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JOBSEARCH: “Eliminating the unemployed” will be punished in the marketplace; no law required

Published on by reinkefjLeave a comment

http://www.career-resumes.com/the-unemployed-will-not-be-considered-what/

The Unemployed Will Not Be Considered. WHAT???

by Jason Alba http://www.jibberjobber.com/

*** begin quote ***

I read this article on The Huffington Post: Disturbing Job Ads: ‘The Unemployed Will Not Be Considered.’

In my opinion (Jason Alba, not Career Resumes),

*** end quote ***

>should be illegal

Argh! Sorry, but I “violently” disagree. Well as “violently” as a little L libertarian can.

Perhaps, I can illustrate the “dead end” and counter-productive nature of that reaction.

We have laws against “age discrimination”, how well are they working? Ditto “sex”. Ditto “race”. Ditto, ditto, ditto.

Using the “guns of gooferment” just ensures that it will be our collective feet that are getting shot.

Let’s examine how well WW2 Wage and Price controls worked for today’s employees. We have the “benefits trap” that tie health benefits with employment by laws and tax policy that are inescapable.

ERISA rules, make it more expensive to do business in the US.

Departing from the original Constitutional method of financing the Federal Gooferment with excise taxes and tariffs allows the exporting of jobs overseas.

Creation of the Federal Reserve Bank, (which by the way ain’t Federal, doesn’t Reserve squat, and ain’t a Bank), allows the Gooferment to monetize spending into debt and distort the marketplace interest rate. That creates “malinvestment” in the marketplace. And, the investor, entrepreneurs, the poor, the fixed income, and the worker suffers.

So, please, immediately any thought of “illegality”. It will do nothing to solve, ameliorate, or even prevent the problem. Making something “illegal” just: drives it underground (i.e., age = overqualified), increases costs (i.e., EOE = dumb disclaimers on any job ad), and doesn’t solve the problem (i.e., resumes with gaps will still be dumped automagically).

>Does being unemployed change your

Yes, it does. It’s affects your whole attitude about life, your self-worth, and your outlook. Hopefully for the better. But not necessarily. Once you’ve been nuked, I feel you become a “turkey”. You’re never as self-confident as you were pre-unemployment. That may be good. That may be just “growing up”. That may be a spark to do bigger and better thing (e.g., you with Jibber Jobber). While you’re unemployed, some of your dikw (i.e., data, information, knowledge, wisdom) ages. Data ages badly; wisdom perhaps not at all. In the Technology arena, a month can be like a life time. (A funny story: I know one techie, who was out so long when his particular technology went out of fashion, that he went to sell cars. When that didn’t work out five years later, the technology pendulum had swung back and his tech was back in style and he picked up where he left off. Just lucky or evidence of the stupidity of large organizations. It was hard on him, but he survived.)

>still a lot of ignorant thinking to change

I think that contains the seed of what will happen. Don’t you think that turkeys will have long memories? What will be that company’s reputation in the future when it has to compete for talent? And, the pendulum always swings.

And the HR type that initiated that type of restriction may not have a very long career in HR.

The economists always point out that irrational discrimination or discrimination in socially unacceptable manner costs the company dramatically. “Irrational”, like “No blonds”, eliminates all Swedes. This means that their hiring pool is artificially constricted. If that company wants to hire a Swedish translator, they may have to pay more or be unable to fill the position. That company would be at a competitive disadvantage and would lose in the marketplace. “Socially unacceptable”, like “No <insert favorite minority>”, will bring about a boycott by the minority and their sympathizers. (Note, the state transit racial segregation laws were vigorously opposed by white bus and train owners because they fear financial ruin. Prior to those laws, no one had to sit at the back of the bus.) The Free Market administers discipline quickly!

“Eliminating the unemployed” will be subverted (i.e., everyone will have their own consulting company and internet side businesses), marginalized (i.e., folks will make them “anathema”), and eventually punished by the invisible hand of the marketplace (i.e., hiring the employed will raise their costs, they will miss “bargains”, and be at a financial disadvantage to their competitors).

>You can tell this makes me mad

Me2. I’d conserve your anger for the bigger “structural” problems that we Turkeys have.

We, as a society, “we” collectively “waste” expensively a lot of “human resources”. From around age 15 to age 25, we confine workers to what is euphemistically called “school” from which they emerge with a bug debt, unrealistic expectations, and no ROI. From age 50 to 65, “we” again discriminate against the “older expensive worker”. From age 65 to 75, “we” again waste frivolously and expensively in “retirement”. With life spans lengthening and political, financial, and intellectual memes failing to recognize and adapt. we have BIGGER problems to solve.

The silver lining is that: (1) such stupidity will be punished in the marketplace; (2) the unemployed will compete by forming their own businesses (as you know, I think were bound to become a nation of one man bands like the movie industry); and (3) Americans have rebellion, energy, and innovation in their genes and memes.

We will survive. The turkeys will inherit the earth! So lets go peck them to death!

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I did over look three ideas which I should have gotten in about unemployment and how it changes the individual.

(1) It wipes out your savings.

It does something else.

(2) You never look at companies the same way again. Your motivation never aligns with the company’s again. Any company. It’s like the monologue by the character Colonel Jessep played by Jack Nicholson in “A Few Good Men”.

“Son, we live in a world that has walls, … … Because deep down in places you don’t talk about at parties, you want it all to be back the way it was. You hang on every illusion that it was all just a mistake.”

One of the points I missed was that: (3) you still cling to the innocence that you deep down in your heart know it was all a mistake. Your name just wound up on the wrong list. You’re really not the turkey. But like we used to say in Delta Beta Mu a long time ago, you’re a turky because you being at the turkey farm is prima facie evidence that you’re a turkey and it was not a mistake. The sooner you learn that the better off you will be.

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LIBERTY: Dr. Mary Ruwart’s “Healing Our World”

Published on by reinkefjLeave a comment

http://freekeene.com/2010/05/19/world-exclusive-healing-our-world-now-in-kindle-and-epub-formats/

FK EXCLUSIVE: “Healing Our World” Now In Kindle and Epub Formats!

May 19, 2010 by Ian Freeman

*** begin quote ***

Thanks to Keeniac and liberty activist Abbie, we are proud to announce the world exclusives of Dr. Mary Ruwart’s awesome book, “Healing Our World” (90s edition) in Epub (.epub) and Kindle (.azw) formats! Just click your preferred format to download.

Plus, we still have the .PDF of “Healing” http://freekeene.com/files/Healing_Our_World.pdf and some other books like “The Market for Liberty” and “Complete Liberty” free in audio format as well as .PDF on our Free Books page!

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Absolutely worth a read!

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POLITICAL: All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others

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http://www2.macleans.ca/2010/05/13/a-slow-burn-bonfire-of-liberties-2/

A slow-burn bonfire of liberties
MARK STEYN: Here’s what you get when the state hauls nobodies off to jail for quoting the Bible
by Mark Steyn on Thursday, May 13, 2010

*** begin quote ***

The other day, upholding the sacking of a black Christian for declining to provide “sex therapy lessons” to gay couples, Lord Justice Laws ruled that “law for the protection of a position held purely on religious grounds is irrational, divisive, capricious, arbitrary.” Actually it’s the law of Lord Justice Laws that is increasingly “irrational, divisive, capricious, arbitrary.” Or as George Orwell, in Animal Farm, formulated it: all animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others. In the land of Laws, a gay is more equal than a Christian. A Muslim is more equal than anybody. A black man is more equal than a white man, unless the white man is gay and the black man a Christian. An eco-zealot is more equal than an Anglican. Not long before Lord Justice Laws’ decision on the “irrationality” of legal protection for Christianity, Tim Nicholson, a “Head of Sustainability” fired for questioning his property management group’s environmental policies, sued for wrongful dismissal under “Employment Equality (Religion And Beliefs) Regulations.” He wound up with the best part of one hundred thousand pounds after Mr. Justice Burton ruled that Mr. Nicholson’s faith in anthropogenic global warming was a “philosophical belief” on a par with religion. So the Employment Equality (Religion And Beliefs) Law protects belief in apocalyptic “climate change” but not in Jesus.

*** end quote ***

Yes, I know it’s overseas. BUTT (there’s always a big but), it’s coming here. You can see it.

“Political correctness” goes amuck.

And, civil discourse can no longer address race, sex, religion, or any other paradigm or meme that gets anyone upset.

Argh!

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RANT: A rebuke of Pelosi on Facebook

Published on by reinkefjLeave a comment

Read a rebuke of Pelosi on Facebook. Amazing the gall of that woman, Pelosi. CINO. I’m no saint by any measure. But, at least I try to listen to the teachings. The Catholic Church has done a very bad job of managing it’s brand. CINO politicians claim the brand so they can be elected but don’t adhere to the beliefs. And, even worse, give scandal. I thought that was an absolute no no. And, yet they fail to rebuke them. Could it be the pedophilia scandal has neutered them? Perhaps this battle is left to the laity to fight. Sigh, above my pay grade. The abuse scandal still dogs the Church.

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