I'm back

Non medicated free association post...get ready.

The Russians are attacking Georgia and it's about time. Aside from Atlanta and the beautiful coastline around Savannah the state isn't one of my favorites. I hope they don't destroy Stone Mountain.

Thanks for your emails and kind messages from last week. You're all very thoughtful.

You can't bet on baseball if you're a baseball player. It's a rule that goes back to the early days of the game. If you bet on baseball you're out of the game. This way no one can ever hold anything against a player and cause them to ruin the integrity of the game...thus making fans not trust the outcome. The same should be true for politicians. Both Edwards and Stevens should make quick exits from public life. Sooner not later.

I'm still for open borders.

I sent John McCain's campaign some pizza coupons last week. They sent me a reply-by-mail envelope wanting some donations. Instead I gave them some pizza coupons that came in the junk mail. I hope this helps if they get hungry sitting around thinking of ways to convince people to vote for a man who isn't fit to lead. On the back of the envelope I wrote, "Bob Barr 2008".

I was asked about my position on the 2nd Amendment by someone presenting the tired question of whether people should be allowed to have machine guns or cannons. My answer is always the same since the mental midgets that ask always think they have me trapped somehow. Yes, people should be able to possess cannons if they wish. Reading about Henry Knox who was a mere book seller that brought many cannons into his possession as not a professional soldier but as a citizen fighting against his government's regular soldiers. I'm thinking if Mr. Knox had been limited to the modern thinking of the 2nd Amendment he would only have possessed a hunting rifle with a trigger lock. Oh the mysterious wonder of a living constitution.

I just voted in my state's primary election. Current state laws assure the extinction of Libertarians on ballots so my duty as a voter went by quickly. Aside from voting no on all proposed local taxes and voting for a (small L) libertarian family member running as a PCO...I left the ballot mostly blank.

Bernie Mac died and that is really sad. I loved his TV show because it was essentially about the challenges of a man that took parenting seriously. I've read that the show was based on his real life as he took care of three kids that belonged to his sister who was recovering from drug problems He had ups and downs in the show but in the end you had a sense that his life's mission was to raise those kids with love and firm instruction.

What have you all been up to the last two weeks?

A word about Lori

Lori was my best friend's wife who passed away this week at a young age.

Lori was a person, who like myself, was pretty self-made. She learned how to do things and eventually did them well. Like me she was also a writer but had stronger literary skills than I possess as she was an avid reader and a skilled editor.

As long as I knew her she was a writer. Not exciting stuff like novels or stuff like that but the boring stuff you do to keep a paycheck. Things like manuals and internal documentation for some of the largest companies in the United States. She also worked on classified documentation for a new strike fighter. Writing and understanding complex concepts was something that looked easy when she did it. She was one of the only people who read my manuscript in an early form that I felt apprehensive about. She knew the rules and knew how writing is formed and I knew whatever she had to say about it was going to be well-informed and honest.

I met her years ago and I can't even tell you when exactly. Maybe 15 years ago or more? I knew she was something special when my buddy actually introduced me to her. You see my friend and I share one personality trait and that is we don't have a burning intuitive longing to be liked by others. We are what we are.

Lori tolerated me greatly but probably never liked me much. I found her to be generally reserved around me but always really nice. Seems cold doesn't it? But it wasn't. Sometimes I'd call my friend on the phone and she'd answer. We'd talk on the phone for sometimes an hour about a bunch of subjects and I'd sometimes forget what I called him about in the first place. It was then that I learned how smart she was and more importantly...how much smarter she was than me. I always enjoyed her company far more than she enjoyed mine. That's not unusual really.

A testament to her character was that she got involved in AA which sort of shocked me because I never thought she drank that much and maybe to some standards she didn't. She did recognize a trait in herself that she didn't like and like any self-made person she did what she thought was necessary to better herself without the pushing of anyone else. She organized AA groups and helped allot of other people who I'm sure were way far worse than herself.

The last year or so has been pretty intense for my buddy and Lori. A long mis-diagnosed bout with cancer had begun to eat away her life before it was fully discovered. She passed away like a self-made person does...when they're ready and not a minute sooner.

Not much else to say and that's okay. It's a woefully pointless task to attempt to summarize someone's life in a few paragraphs or even an hour long memorial service.

To honor Lori I will end with this poem by William Butler Yeats.

The cat went here and there
And the moon spun round like a top,
And the nearest kin of the moon,
The creeping cat, looked up.
Black Minnaloushe stared at the moon,
For, wander and wail as he would,
The pure cold light in the sky
Troubled his animal blood.
Minnaloushe runs in the grass
Lifting his delicate feet.
Do you dance, Minnaloushe, do you dance?
When two close kindred meet,
What better than call a dance?
Maybe the moon may learn,
Tired of that courtly fashion,
A new dance turn.
Minnaloushe creeps through the grass
From moonlit place to place,
The sacred moon overhead
Has taken a new phase.
Does Minnaloushe know that his pupils
Will pass from change to change,
And that from round to crescent,
From crescent to round they range?
Minnaloushe creeps through the grass
Alone, important and wise,
And lifts to the changing moon
His changing eyes.

A Heavy Day

My best friend's wife passed away last night. She had cancer. She was young.

I don't mean this to be a bummer of a blogpost but these things happen in life. We joked earlier when talking about arrangements that the death rate among humans is very close to 100%. Sort of the weird things you discuss around the awkward presence of mortality.

I'm going to take a few days to gather myself emotionally and be a strong supportive friend so I can't promise any updates in the next couple of days.

Thanks for understanding.

Oh and sorry for slavery

I'd like to extend an apology to everyone for the shame of slavery. Even though the bulk of my family came to North America as New Englanders in the late 17th Century and were all abolitionists I still feel I must give an apology.

I know I've never met anyone who was a slave or a slaveowner. Even though I can't find anyone at all that endured the horrible institution I guess I should still apologize.

My Great Great Grandfather served in the Wisconsin Militia during the Civil War and I possess many of the letters he wrote to his wife. His wife by the way was also an abolitionist by the name of Sarah Jane Stowe. Yes, I'm related to Calvin Stowe the husband of Harriet Beecher-Stowe another great abolitionist.

So even though I've never been a slave owner. Even though my family had never been slave-owners. Even though my family worked very hard and sacrificed for the cause of ending slavery...I guess I must apologize still since these are the times we live in.

Don't bother to thank me though. I don't deserve thanks anymore than anyone deserves an apology in the first place.

This is a great big stupid world isn't it?

More Vacation Junk

California isn't one of my favorite places but you can never argue that there isn't much to do there.  I've done business in California, written songs, visited tourist traps, attended seminars, ridden rollercoasters, attended Rose Bowl games, and whatever else you can imagine. 

Two weeks ago I visited once again The Trees of Mystery which used to be among the cheesiest roadside attractions on the old US 101.  It was good for a t-shirt and a picture with Paul Bunyan and Babe but little else.   That can't be said anymore with the addition of the Sky Trail.

Above is me (on the right) and on the left is my 2 1/2 year old son who absolutely loved this seven minute gondola ride up to a ridge among the redwoods.

Heights have historically made me uneasy though lately not to the point of freaking out.  That said I didn't escape all the discomfort that comes from riding on a gondola precariously attached to a cable and being pulled up a mountainside.  I hid my misgivings as not to pass on any fear to my son...he loved every minute of it.

Go see the coastal redwoods in California if you get a chance.  As someone who has grown up in the Evergreen State and is quite accustomed to trees...I still came away impressed.

I had a few emails from people who listened to me on the Dave and Steve show mention that I had a child and were wondering why I had never mentioned it here on this blog.  The short answer to this question is that as a completely private person I wanted to refer to my family generically as they didn't really have a way to defend themselves on my blog.  This is a break from that policy and one I've relaxed in general.

I'll have more later and as soon as I can stomach it I'll cover some politics and junk.

I went back in time

On Sunday morning about two weeks ago I was in Grants Pass, Oregon.  I was going to be heading out of town on an old US Highway and I was unsure of how many gas stations I would encounter so I did what I almost never do in Oregon...get gas.

Oregon (like New Jersey) is a state where you are not permitted to pump your own gas.  This was initially started as a public safety measure but after quizzing a "pump jockey" he said he didn't get any training nor did he require a certificate and his boss basically "showed him how the pump worked" in the first few minutes of his first day on the job.

So I'm at the local Chevron on a Sunday morning and I pull up to the pump and heard the "ding" of the bell that alerts the attendant.  The older gentleman came up to the window where I gave him my debit card and said, "Fill'er up with regular please."

"Yes sir!" He shot back.

I noticed some commotion across the street.  Several people walking down the sidewalk toward the Methodist Church on the corner.  From the belfry I heard the church bell begin to chime.  I looked at my watch noticing it was 9:30 and figured everyone was on their way to Sunday School. 

Then something hit my windshield.  It took me a split second to figure out what it was.  A squeegee!  The attendant was cleaning my windshield.  What next?  My oil level?

When the pump had stopped as my tank filled he handed me my receipt and told me to have a good day and to come again.  I felt transported back in time and I must confess...I liked it. 

Vacationing

Best Bumpersticker - "I see Dutch people."

Best Cheesey Roadside Attraction - The Trees of Mystery (Now with a Sky Trail!)

Best Ocean on the trip - The Pacific Ocean

Best Coffee - Dutch Brothers

Best gas mileage - 28.54mpg

Best place to stay - My tent

I just got back tonight so forgive me for not updating the blog. I have stories aplenty from my few days away. Stay tuned!

Obama scoots toward the center

The move to the political center once the nomination has been secured is as strong a force as the gravitational pull. You can fight it but in the end succumbing to it not an option. That said it's also a smart move.

The candidates are chosen largely by political activists. Even more so in the Democrat party where super delegates are in play. Party activists are more idealistic and cast their gaze on a more pure idealogy that reflects the party's platform. Things like a "Department of Peace" and "No War for Oil" are more than slogans they are deeply held beliefs among activists. If you want those votes then you need to talk like one of them.

Where once only angry Americans foolishly clinging to guns and bibles existed in fly over country, you suddenly become a hunter and love the 2nd Amendment. Where once you railed against the war in Iraq you suddenly see the need to seek counsel from the Generals. Where once you seemed angry at an America that is fundamentally unfair and unjust...well...what's that on your lapel?

Thankfully there is enough freedom in this country left that people don't engage themselves in the political process until there are actual nominations and now the great unwashed independents and undecideds need to be convinced. At this point of the game it's party platform be damned. McCain has done it also as he has become every so suddenly interested in global warming.

Where it becomes a problem for Obama is that it turns his greatest strength into a weakness. No, it's not integrity so listen up. It's his position as the outsider. All he has to do is utter the word "change" with no details and it becomes a code word for "one of us." Unfortunately for Obama, When the pull to the center happens and you don't have a 30 year track record to draw upon, it makes you look like an opportunistic flip-flopper. This makes him vulnerable to attack but doesn't necessarily doom him.

I have to confess that I'd just love to see candidates run on their record and stay principled. If our choices only fell on two principled people we'd have to pick one and who knows...maybe we might actually respect one of them.

Oh, one more thing. Bob Barr is polling in double-digits in a few states. Just sayin'

From the Quoting Great Men Department

"Of all tyrannies, a tyranny exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It may be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron's cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end, for they do so with the approval of their own conscience." - C. S. Lewis

Obama's Faith-Based Cure - OH MY GOD

Barack Obama has been attempting to grab the moral high ground and winning the vote of those ill-informed religious folks by promising to expand  on Bush's (also misdirected) faith-based initiative.

Obama calms fears about this program by stating:

“If you get a federal grant, you can’t use that grant money to proselytize to the people you help, and you can’t discriminate against them — or against the people you hire — on the basis of their religion...Federal dollars that go directly to churches, temples and mosques can only be used on secular programs.”

Can someone tell me what a secular program is in a church?

Feeding the poor? Nope, commanded by Jesus.

Clothing the naked? Nope, commanded by Jesus.

Caring for the least of these? Nope, commanded by Jesus.

Caring for the sick? Visiting those in jail? Caring for widows?  Damn it, Jesus got to those too. 

Make no mistake what this means.  It means turning your church into another agent of the state to give strictly regulated compassion to those who are enslaved by a government that refuses to let people assume risk.  This does little more than produce the unintended consequence of enslaving people by doing for them what they could do for themselves.  All this is done through money taken not from donations but from YOU through the agents of government force and the power to tax.  This is un-American and a terrible idea.

My local church is one filled with people of all walks of life and backgrounds.  In the last year they have built small cottages in Uganda for eight orphaned kids to live with a caretaker, they have roofed houses for the poor and have fed countless people who do nothing more than ask for food.  These are not secular programs.  They are the manifestation of changed lives that try to love people and turn no one away who truly needs help.  Oh yeah, they distribute bibles too...big whoop.

You may say, "Yeah, but not all churches seem so nice like yours."  To that I say that I agree and all the better reason to keep tax payer's money away from all religious groups.

From my view the "religious left" is just as wacky as those on the right.

Hope you all had a good Independence Day...I did.

The Dave and Steve Show

The Dave and Steve Show just celebrated its 20th episode as it climbs ever so steadily in popularity.  I produced Episode #19 and hosted a decent clip show if you want an idea of what 35 minutes with Dave and Steve might be like...with Tracy. 

For Episode #20 we had a special guest.  Cliff Crook a longtime Sasquatch researcher joined us for a segment to discuss his life long research and the possibility of some breakthrough news in the Bigfoot arena.  We also spoke briefly about hobos.

Anyway, go over to The Dave and Steve Show for a good podcast with some hot Tracy action.

Wow, what a morning

I was pretty tired this morning and had a hard time waking up as my brain was still walking in mud.  I flipped on the radio and heard that the Supreme Court had ruled that the 2nd Amendment is an individual right and doesn't have to be exercised within the limitations of a state militia.  Then I took a quick shower.

Turning the water off I stepped out onto the now wet floor and began drying my bits and pieces.  With my body reasonably clean and getting dryer with each stroke of the towel I began to feel more clear headed.  I lumbered over to the walk-in closet and realized that I felt some relief that the handguns I had in the house were really the tools with which I needed to exercise my rights.  These guns will now act in the same manner that my computer does as it assists me in exercising my 1st Amendment right to blog.

The only reasonable thing I could do on this morning was to holster up after slipping on some pants and throwing over a shirt.  I could feel with nervous anticipation that this was going to be a special morning.

After grabbing a bite out the door I had to make a stop on the way to work and get gas.  $56 was the damage to fill up my small economical sedan.  "I never believed my car would ever hold $56 dollars worth of gas."  I said out loud.

Within earshot another gas customer driving a Mercedes agreed with me.  From her appearance and ample jewelry, that also included a canary diamond ring on her fat finger, I decided that her empathy was good, but her financial assistance would be better.  After all if John McCain can take $1 from every American to pay someone for making a super-battery, why can't I take a few bucks from someone to help fill my tank?

I took out my Colt .38 Special snub-nose and pointed it right at her face.  I was so jazzed about the court ruling this morning I couldn't remember if I had loaded the gun or not.  "I need $60 for the gas and to buy myself some lunch later today."  I figured an even number would be better than asking for just $56.

The woman nervously put up her hands and said she wasn't carrying any cash.  I was so pissed because I didn't have time to follow her to an ATM or I would be late for work.  So I did what the Supreme Court and our founding fathers wanted me to do.  I fired.

Click.  I pulled the double-action trigger several times until all six cylinders of the revolver told me the same thing.  No bullets.

I was angry at myself and angry with this woman.  I could've pistol whipped her and believe me, I wanted to.  But the 2nd Amendment was not about the simple assault of hitting someone repeatedly with a blunt object and slipping the precious stone from one of her plump meat sticks.  It was not about merely carrying the weapon it was about discharging it.

I told her to just forget it.  I returned the gas cap and closed the small access door and got back into my car.  I was glad I didn't lose my cool and strike her with the gun.  After all, I'm not a thug.  I'm a patriot.

John McCain - You're a twit

John McCain thinks that someone should get rich if they invent a car battery that lasts for a long time without a charge.  Like they wouldn't get rich already?  Anyway the Senator from Arizona thinks that about $300 million dollars should be enough to work as an incentive.  Isn't that generous?  It's amazing how politicians can be so generous when it ISN'T THEIR MONEY THEY ARE SPENDING.  If the economy is the #1 issue going into the general election then we're pretty screwed when it comes to our current choice of candidates.

George Carlin died.  This video is an example of what I believe to be commonly true.  That comedians understand our culture and society better than anyone.  (Contains explicit language)

Oklahoma -- Okay!

Stephan Kinsella at Lew Rockwell reported on a recent Oklahoma Joint Resolution of their state assembly reclaiming their proper state rights under the 10th Amendment:

STATE OF OKLAHOMA
2nd Session of the 51st Legislature (2008)
HOUSE JOINT
RESOLUTION 1089 By: Key
AS INTRODUCED
A Joint Resolution claiming sovereignty under the
Tenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United
States over certain powers; serving notice to the
federal government to cease and desist certain
mandates; and directing distribution.

The Feds will fight back with threats of cutting off funding which is the only leverage they have aside from outright force. I'd love it if one state just told the feds that they could keep the money and waste it any way they wanted but no more bullying would be tolerated.

Okay, fun over

I enjoyed blogging about things that only I cared about so I appreciate your patience. The last blog was a sucker punch waiting to happen and no one bit...and you should be glad you didn't because it was a setup that would only result in getting your nads kicked in.

For the past 10 years I've been getting my hair cut pretty regularly. As seen in the unibomber photo on the page I do have a moderate amount of facial hair. So far through this entire Spring I've avoided haircuts and have let my goatee just grow. Why? I have no idea...just feel like it.

I've lost 17 pounds this year. I've been eating more sensibly and the only fluids I consume are water and an occasional adult beverage (St. Peter's English Ale specifically) But the real trick to weight loss has been stomach viruses. I've had 3 this year. Excellent weight loss program that the liberal media won't tell you about.

Last Sunday I went and saw Paul Allen's (co-founder of Microsoft) personal airplane collection which is called the Flying Heritage Collection. The Seattle Aquarium can take a few cues from this exhibit as it does what it promises: Shows you airplanes.

Esther (your fellow blog reader) is now a homeowner and I'm pretty excited for her. Everyone help me think of a housewarming gift to send her.

Another reader asked me if I'm Anglican in an email. No, I'm not. My father and Grandmother were both Anglican and I have two half-sisters who are practicing Episcopalians. I did go to Christ Church Cathedral in Victoria, BC last Fall (Anglican Church of Canada) and had a wonderful time experiencing what I think is the most beautiful liturgy going (since I don't understand Latin) but it was my first time in an Anglican church since I was a kid...and that was for a funeral.

Lastly, I have a series of vacations lined up for this summer and I plan to continue the blog while on vacation though it will not be super active blogging. I'm also unsure of how or if I'll handle photographs. Maybe if I can get an efficient system by then.

Now feel free to comment your brains out.

President of Iran states the obvious

Think about the following statement and explain to me why John McCain or Barack Obama will be a good choice for president.

Ahmadinejad:

"I again repeat my previous proposal; we should have a basket of different international hard currencies as the basis or the member countries should come up and produce a new hard currency for petroleum contracts...they get our oil and give us a worthless piece of paper."

Iran is speaking to all of the oil producing nations and asking them to rethink accepting the US Dollar in reserve currency in exchange for oil.  For their long term interest and wealth they are beginning to see the US Dollar for what it truly is...a worthless piece of paper.

If you support John McCain or Barack Obama then explain to me how their thin economic proposals will restore not only confidence in the dollar but true, honest value.

We'll see how long this one sits at zero comments.

The late great Anglican Church

An Anglican church just performed its first homosexual wedding. This shouldn't be such a shock to those who have watched the Anglican church bury itself in irrelevence with each passing year since the late 16th Century but the details of this wedding were even surprising to me.

So who got married? Lifelong partners finally lifting the veil of obscurity and exchanging vows of their lifetime love? Well, no. The first homosexual wedding was a marriage between two male priests. This had people on both sides of the "liberal and traditional" fence feeling a bit squeamish.

The participants, Rev Peter Cowell and Rev Dr David Lord were joined together in a service that used the traditional Anglican rite including full liturgy and eucharist. While sanctioned (at least temporarily) by the Church of England they are still not joined in full lawful matrimony.

Many are surprised by this but I can't help but think that it is fully appropriate. Perhaps this is the rock bottom of a 400 year old slippery slope beginning with a King starting his very own church inspired by his customized definition of marriage.

I must say this wedding was probably strategically a poor choice for forwarding the cause of same-sex marriage. Marrying two male priests may be the final straw for many in the Anglican Union.

I understand that most of you don't really understand the fuss since America's Episcopal Church has already long since retreated from the position of being socially relevant. Gay marriage or not.

I'm not against gay marriage from the standpoint of it being lawful and I think in many ways this is a decent example of how it should be managed...by a church between people who enter into it voluntarily. I do see this though as trouble for a church that simply hasn't found its identity since the beginning of the Reformation...and 400 years later still has people scratching their heads.

Ron Paul ends candidacy

What a great run! I never would've dreamed that the cause of liberty would've advanced this far in the last year. Thanks again for running Congressman Paul.

I was not elected to the Republican National Convention and therefore my participation in the nomination process is done. I'm back to being just a good ol' fashioned small 'L' libertarian...

...and with that...

...I endorse Bob Barr for president.

Bob Barr - Former Drug Warrior

Libertarian Candidate Bob Barr's campaign just released a statement on the drug war:

Today, I can reflect on my efforts and see no progress in stopping the widespread use of drugs. I’ll even argue that America’s drug problem is larger today than it was when Richard Nixon first coined the phrase, “War on Drugs,” in 1972.

I remember when the Libertarian Party ran ads against Bob Barr when he was running for reelection after his congressional district was redistricted. I was glad that the party played a role in Barr getting a private job. I'm even more glad to hear that Barr has since learned valuable lessons on how freedom works.

Voting for Barr seems more and more likely all the time.

Who would win in a fight? - #3

Fonzie	James Dean

The battle of the leather jacketed stars which includes Wisconsin native and high school dropout Fonzie (Arthur Fonzarelli) and the Rebel Without a Cause Jim Stark (played by James Dean.)

Don't expect any knives or heat to be present at this fight as they're both troubled young men who can get a girl but typically shy away from a fight.  I'd expect some creative tough talk from these two guys that will end in an eventual marshmallow fight.

Comments are open now...declare your winner!

GOP Convention redux

I've received alot of emails about convention cheating and I simply will have to disagree. Parliamentary procedure has tons of strategies that while they may be unsavory are simply not cheating.

The GOP did not cheat and the McCain campaign didn't cheat. They had a numerical advantage and were well organized. There is very little you can do but obstruct when you are in the minority. That's all there is to say about it. No one likes to lose, least of all me, but you have to realize when you've done all you can.

The Ron Paul campaign had about 45% of the delegates and the rest of the delegates were sort of under a Thompson, McCain, Romney, Huckabee umbrella. They were not a monolith as their block was broken many times. The fact that in one year the Ron Paul campaign was able to get this far is truly a story in itself...and not a consolation prize if the r3VOLution continues.

Pictures later if I get a chance to get them off the camera.

Going to be on the Dave and Steve Show tonight so look for it tomorrow maybe.

More from Spokane

Yesterday the McCain campaign organized a walkout of the convention when they began losing on parliamentary procedures on the floor. Toward the end of the convention they no longer had any functional majority or coalition so they walked out. This was also organized by many GOP leaders as my own county chairperson was involved as she was heard clearly telling people in the row in front of me to get people to walk out. We began recording the events on video and a sergeant of arms tried to stop us saying it was against the rules. We quickly got a ruling from the chair that there was no such rule and I informed the man he would be on YouTube. The McCain campaign and delegates didn't leave the convention facility mind you...just the room. They wanted to end the convention by breaking the quorum.

We had a count of the remaining delegates that included the organized Ron Paul campaign that stayed and the meeting was allowed to continue as a quorum was achieved. Once this was ruled the McCain campaign began spilling back into the convention room. While they were scrambling to their seats we quickly passed an anti-war resolution. TAKE THAT ASSHOLES!

The Washington State delegation will have about 4 delegates and 11 alternates to the national convention. Again, TAKE THAT ASSHOLES.

More stuff later including pictures and junk. I went to Silverwood Amusement Park today in Northern Idaho and rode rollercoasters all day. I'm fully amused.

Hello from lovely Spokane

What a busy couple of days. I'll give you a summary of what has gone on.

1. Had a strategy meeting with the Ron Paul delegation (about 600+) and we discussed our strategy for communication on the convention floor. During one of the the speeches there was a huge applause and a guy sitting three people to my left sat down and his sidearm (looked like a Glock 21) fell onto the floor and spun around about 5 feet from chair. You'd think panic would ensue but at a Ron Paul rally everyone just laughed and said, "secure your firearm dumbass!" I also laughed. If this had happened at a Democrat convention much pants wetting would have taken place.

2. The convention floor today showed that we didn't have a majority until alternates were seated. They hurried through much of the business before we were able to seat our alternate delegates. The end result of several closes losses on rules, and credentials. While our numbers were large the Ron Paul delegation did not capture a single victory. Oh well.

3. I spent some lengthy time with a congressional candidate from my district talking to him about free trade. I asked him if he was for free trade or if he believed in a protectionist policy. He immediately shot back an answer of "free trade! free trade!" So I asked him how he interpreted free trade. He said he was willing to have free trade with any nation as long as it went both ways and that he would not be willing to trade with non-market economies to protect our industries. He must have thought I was stupid since he just told me he was a protectionist after all. I can assure you he doesn't think I'm stupid now.

4. I was almost on TV but a vote to end debate had passed just as I was at a microphone. I'm sure both people watching the proceedings on TV were cheated.

5. I was not elected delegate to the national convention.

Somehow God sits a religious right whacko next to me every time at these conventions. This morning I spent 3 hours sitting next to the most obnoxious, argumentative, and hateful person I've sat next to since the last time I was at Mr. Evil's house. (ha ha)

I've found a few rogue libertarians in my discussions with many delegates and candidates at the convention so far. It's refreshing to talk to other libertarians and they agree with me in that we don't know how much more of this GOP stuff we can take.

Will post again and will have photos of me in a shirt and tie even politicking with right wingers.

I'm heading outside now...it's warm and pleasant here in Spokane.

Tah!

Dumb Republicans

Redundant you say?

One irony that was missed on several in attendance at my county GOP convention was that it was held at Henry M. (Scoop) Jackson High School.  Jackson of course was a Democrat US Senator from the state of Washington for many years and ran for president in 1976.

I was sitting at a table full of Republicans at our lunch break and I mentioned how funny it was that Republicans were meeting at a high school named for a Democrat.  Three of them I was sitting with all said the same thing:  "He was really a conservative though."

My heart sank a bit because these delegates and Republican activists have truly forgotten what a conservative is.  I asked them, "In what way was Scoop Jackson conservative?" and their reply was again in unison:  "He supported the military!" they all said.

That's it?  That's all there is to being a Republican anymore is just supporting troops, wearing flag lapel pins and putting a yellow ribbon magnet on your car?  That's it?

I asked them what they thought about his protectionist trade policies and his backing of LBJ's "Great Society" legislation.  All of them looked at me blankly.

I remember reading in a biography of Barry Goldwater how infuriated the Arizona senator was at how Jackson would make speeches mocking Goldwater for his claims that government intervention made the lives of Americans worse, not better.   That's conservative?

Jackson was a warmonger, a trade protectionist, voted to restrict trade to non-market economies, pro entitlement, and pro foreign aid.  He represents much of what is wrong with the Bush administration as many of Jackson's acolytes have been involved in the  Bush administration including former Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz.

Truth be told that over the years the terms liberal and conservative have come to mean different thing.  Now, liberal means socialist and conservative means to conserve your own power.  Neither means to protect freedom anymore.

A note about this week

I'll be heading to the Washington State GOP Convention in lovely Spokane this week.  I will be in Spokane for pre-convention junk including getting my credentials...hoping they aren't challenged.

I've heard rumors that John McCain is going to be at our state convention and if I get a chance to meet him I'll pass what happened...maybe even a photograph...who knows.  He'll likely charge me for the picture since his campaign is pretty much bust.

Anyway, I'm taking my laptop and I've called ahead to make sure Spokane has access to the Internet and I've been told they do.  I will do my darndest to blog on the junk going on there as I get the opportunity.

Also, I was put on a slate of delegates for my congressional district as an alternate by the Ron Paul delegation.   My further involvement in the GOP afterward will be determined greatly on what happens this weekend.

On a side note I was asked where I disagreed with Bob Barr and why I would not right now give an unqualified endorsement...so here it goes:

• I'm not for securing the border, I'm for enforcing laws and making immigration easier...not harder.
• I'm against the Fair Tax (national sales tax) as a solution.
• Marriage should not be a Federal or State issue and to hide behind federalism is not an answer. 
• I'm for an immediate pullout of troops from Iraq and a signal of foreign policy change to the world that if you step in it...you get a stick and scrape your own shoes...we're done.
• I'm for a hard asset based competing currency where citizens could hold in their hand something of value to protect their savings from debt-based monetary inflation. 
• I will not endorse another candidate besides Ron Paul until my involvement in the nominating process is over.  I have signed a pledge to do just that.

Stay tuned, will have more this week.

Barr - Root

I watched the LP Convention over the weekend and witnessed a pretty fun convention and heard several great speeches. Mary Ruwart remained my favorite through and was near victory but lost to Barr on the 6th ballot. Apparently Wayne Allyn Root's delegates (who were released after the 5th ballot) supported Bob Barr 2 to 1 over Ruwart giving Barr the eventual nomination.

In a surprise however Root was nominated for VP and won on the 2nd ballot. You see in the LP the presidential candidate does not pick his runningmate, the convention does. The nominee does however get to give a preference if he wishes to address the subject but traditionally this is not done.

The combination of Bob Barr and Wayne Allyn Root may produce the wealthiest and most well connected campaign since Ed Clark's 1980 run. Root is well established with the media and is connected to several insiders on both parties. Barr is well connected in Washington DC and is also connected to the beltway. Barr and Root will have access to the media that Michael Badnarik only dreamed of.

Congratulations to the LP for selecting a couple of strong freedom lovers...even if they aren't purists.

Colorblindness - Racial and otherwise

I am colorblind.

Ever since the moment when I explained to my parents that I understood traffic lights I have known that I was colorblind.  My explanation contained what I had observed:  That you stop on red and go on white.  White?  The fact that anyone considers a green light green is still puzzling to me.

Throughout life I have stopped paying attention to color as a distinguishable feature.  I do not shop for clothes without help and I do not wear anything that I'm not already sure goes together.  I do not see in black and white.  I'm not completely colorblind as I see all primary colors clearly, but secondary colors and muted tones are not describable.  Like the chart below, I have no way to identify or give a name to what I see.

 

Colorblindness is how many describe an ideal society when it comes to racial identity but I should warn you in advance.  Like any disability you have other senses that become more sensitive.  If you strive for colorblindness then your other senses of bias and unfair discrimination will become stronger.

My mind has given up long ago thinking of color as anything important.  When I see clothes, product labels, signs and yes...people, my mind pays very little attention to this detail.  As if through my inability to make it useful my brain has completely stopped using it as a factor. 

Instead, culture becomes my dividing line.  Where colors may be a factor of choice for some I would rather divide people along other lines.  Pick-up truck driving people, Country Music listeners, introverts, extroverts, quiet people, rednecks, poor, privileged, spoiled, victim-minded, loud people, time wasters, selfishly driven, and the list goes on and on.  My senses along these dividing lines are very strong and my mind begins sorting people out before I've been with them very long at all.

None of these distinctions have necessarily divided people according to good and bad, but rather into safe bins where later I can sort them even further.  It occurred to me that there is some inherent human need to divide people according to convenience and race is probably the easiest and laziest way to do it...though thankfully I am not afforded that luxury. 

Libertarian Party Convention - May 22-26

Do you want to see a real nominating convention?

There are about a dozen (big L) Libertarians that read this blog and this is for them...the rest of you pay close attention.

The LP has a choice this year.  To nominate a Conservative that believes in Federalism (Barr) a media savvy outsider that is really a Reagan Conservative (Root) or an actual libertarian. (Smith, Ruwart, Kubby)

The choice to outsiders always seems obvious.  You pick the guy with the greatest name recognition but as Michael Badnarik proved four years ago, you don't need name recognition to get as many votes as Ralph Nader.  What you need is a fairly organized 50 state party.

I'm fulfilling my ethical obligation to not be involved in the nominating process of the LP because I am a delegate for the GOP.  My involvement as a Republican is simply to promote liberty and the vehicle matters less to me than the principles I care very deeply about.

If I was involved this is how I would break down the field.

Mike Gravel - polite applause and then escort him out of the convention hall.

Bob Barr - To his credit he has worked in the LP for about 3 years and has grown to love liberty.  I like him but his old drug warrior ways make me uneasy.

Wayne Allyn Root - He makes me want to initiate force.  (A few Libertarians reading this are laughing at this inside joke)  If Root is nominated I will likely write-in Ron Paul.

Steven Kubby - I like him though he is too much of a Marijuana candidate.  Kubby is an American hero for civil liberties and I admire him greatly.  He is also perhaps uglier than Gary Nolan.

Dr. Mary Ruwart - Mary is a libertarian in the mold of Harry Browne.  In the convention I would vote for her on as many ballots as her name appears.

Daniel Imperato - Not exactly a libertarian.  He's a wealthy international businessman who would get the endorsement of Bloomberg if he were to be nominated.  I can't see that nomination happening.

There you go...where else are you going to get this kind of coverage on a convention that hardly anyone is going to watch on TV?

More stuff later...including another podcast with a prize inside.  Stay tuned!

Medicated Blog Post #8

Jenna Bush got married.  I know about her dress, the song she and her father danced to and about the band that played at the reception...too bad the news services couldn't get me reliable updates on the earthquake in China.

I blow holes through Kleenex.  Don't like using paper towels.  New solution:  Bath Towel.  Ew.

Bob Barr sort of reminded me of Ed Clark in his speech announcing his candidacy...though Barr is no 'low tax liberal."  I recognize fully that none of you understand that reference.

Prince Caspian comes out this week.  I always liked this particular book in the Narnia series.  These short books were really made for the 1 hour and 40 minute movie.

I found a 24 hour pharmacy where I can get sudafed as it is required to sign for it here...you're never out of sudafed until after 8pm...it's how it works.

People have asked me to blog on Obama's pastor but I have little to say about it really.  Most people I know don't agree with their pastor 100% but still support them.  It's normal.  Obama attends that church for political reasons...the same reason McCain (who is an Episcopalian) attends North Phoenix Baptist Church.  He attends there because it's a big church and he can be seen among many evangelicals to make him look more conservative.  It's politics people...remember that.

None of you bit on me stating that Hillary and Obama will not bring the troops home.  Which is why all those of you who email me encouraging me to vote for Obama should shut up about it.

LP Prediction - Bob Barr, Wayne Allyn Root and Mary Ruwart in three ballots...again many of you don't know what I'm talking about.

I had a dream I was on a boat with a friend.  The boat was rented.  I hate boating.

Ugh.  I'm going to go blow my nose.

Aid to Natural Disasters

Seen the news?

It's terrible!  Thousands of people trapped by flooding without clean water or food.  Their leaders had warning but did very little to help their people prepare and now these same leaders are standing in the way of help arriving.  Absolutely unacceptable.  Am I talking about New Orleans or Myanmar?

The government of Myanmar has seized shipments coming into the nation and has decided to distribute the relief themselves (feed their police and military) even though they lack the experience to work with water and sanitation.

Here is the score:

Governments take tax dollars from their citizens and force them to donate to a military dictatorship that is doing little to prevent their own citizens from dying.

Libertarian lesson: 

Governments are not capable of charity because they are instruments of force.

I would even add the example of the greatest humanitarian relief project in the history of the world was done to project political will rather than humanitarian need...which was of course the 1948 Berlin Airlift.  Myanmar is neither strategic nor important to enough international governments to motivate a general political will to help them.  The government aid will only go to their corrupt government while scores of private charitable organizations and their armies of volunteers struggle on the ground to help the people.

Remember the ozone?

Remember that thing?

That thing that mysteriously surrounds our globe and protects us from the sun?  That thing...do you remember that thing?

When I was in elementary school I went through Jimmy Carter's then new ecology indoctrination and learned about how the lifestyle of my selfish parents was going to destroy the world because they were destroying the ozone layer.

Everything contributed to the demise of the layer.  You name it.  Spray-on Deodorant, shaving cream, the production of normal household items, dog farts, and whatever else you can think of.  I'd come home so mad at my parents for living the way they did.  Sure they loved me but not enough to keep the ozone layer and prevent our world from entering into another ice age.

Scientists were wrong.

People tell me this in response:  The science is so much better now.

Many scientists have come forward and said they were caught in a craze and they had the evidence to understand that industrialization was a blip on the screen compared to the real main culprit of ozone depletion...volcanoes. 

So Al Gore says that the last Cyclone that killed at least 50,000 people was the result of global warming and I can imagine all the kids rushing home to dispense some bullshit accusing statement on their parents for killing people in 3rd world nations.  Now who will make their running shoes?

By the way...Chile has had some huge volcanic activity lately so don't be surprised to hear about some more ozone depletion in the future...but it won't be linked to the volcano...like someone with really bad gas they'll blame it on you or the dog.

And don't worry...when I'm proven right I'll be happy to remind you of this post.

Collateral Damage in the Drug War

Timothy Garon had advanced Hepatitis C and needed a liver transplant to survive.  Because he was very sick his doctor prescribed medical marijuana to him to alleviate nausea and abdominal pain and also to stimulate his appetite.

Now while waiting to see if he could get on the list for a transplant he was denied because he was a marijuana user.  A user with his doctor's blessing in accordance with Washington State Law.

Swedish Hospital in Seattle agreed to reconsider if he would avoid marijuana use for six months and enroll in a 60-day drug treatment program...but these same doctors also agreed that his liver disease was too advanced for him to last that long anyway.

He died yesterday.

Who would win in a fight? - #3

Fonzie	James Dean

The battle of the leather jacketed stars which includes Wisconsin native and high school dropout Fonzie (Arthur Fonzarelli) and the Rebel Without a Cause Jim Stark (played by James Dean.)

Don't expect any knives or heat to be present at this fight as they're both troubled young men who can get a girl but typically shy away from a fight.  I'd expect some creative tough talk from these two guys that will end in an eventual marshmallow fight.

Comments are open now...declare your winner!

Hillary and Obama will not bring troops home

The UK announced last week they were stopping their pullout of Iraq due to an escalation in violence there.  How long will it take for Britain to be able to completely pull out of the country? 

Obama and Hillary have different timetables for leaving the country but neither one have made it a policy to leave the region so whenever violence increases...we're more likely to stay.  Unless there is a policy change and an overall move to a foreign policy that is committed to engaging with the world through non-military means...we'll stay in places where we have no legitimate business.

It was also announced today that the US troop death count hit a 7-month high in Iraq...which only proves (in the minds of Bush and McCain) that we have to stay there because if we don't fight them there, we'll fight them here.  I wonder if anyone has ever considered that our enemy may try the same strategy?

More to come.

McCain the Uniter...uh...whatever

Since being involved with the GOP nominating process I've discovered that in my area the GOP has been largely fair and accepting of Ron Paul delegates (ie - newcomers) and have not universally singled them out as unacceptable. 

That said there has been an ultimate qualifier as to if a delegate is seriously considered.  Will you support the nominee?  They don't even use his name...they just call him "the nominee." 

McCain just received 72% of the vote in Pennsylvania and 27% decided that both Ron Paul and Mike Huckabee were worth a vote even if it didn't mean anything.  McCain doesn't seem to be a unifying figure at least at this point in the campaign.

So I have a question to McCain supporters:

Do YOU support the nominee?

I'm sick of your type badgering me and others about our loyalty to John McCain when his own supporters don't even bother to vote for him, put up a yard sign or canvas a neighborhood.  Look I understand that you want him elected because of the whole "he's better than Hillary or Obama" thing but c'mon.  There is more to supporting a candidate than simply saying you'll support him.  Why is McCain's campaign broke while Ron Paul still has millions in the bank?

Over a year ago an obscure Texas Congressman said he would run for president.  He was invited to the debates but was rarely given more than 4 minutes of face time.  He was marginalized and only mentioned in any press coverage with the qualifier of "long shot" and his supporters made him a national figure.  Everyone knows who Ron Paul is today.  We supported him. 

In contrast the John McCain supporters don't even refer to him in name...they refer to him as "the nominee" and promise a vote for him but I doubt that many of his so-called supporters will encourage others to back him.  McCain's delegates don't even show up to the county conventions as seen here, here, here and here.

So let me make a simple and practical suggestion:

If you're not going to support him, then don't ask me to.  When you see this turd of a candidate floundering next October, don't look to me as the problem...don't look at the dreaded Ron Paul people as the reason John McCain can't get above 45%.  If he's doing better by Fall then I know  you will have started to get more serious.  When I see a John McCain blimp in the sky I'll know you mean it and not just holding your nose while pulling the lever.

In the meantime just stop the third degree and get your own campaign started...maybe others will join when they see you mean it.

Earth Day - How I saved the planet

I was rudely awakened this morning by migrant workers using 2-stroke engine powered blowers.  The sound was bad enough but I just couldn't stay in bed knowing that their caustic exhaust was warming the planet with every passing second.  I jumped out of bed and got my solar powered calculator and quickly figured what I owed in carbon offsets because after all...they were my gardeners. 

I ran out on to my front porch and yelled in my best Spanish for them to stop.  "Please amigos, this is Earth Day!" I shouted.  If ever a day existed to thank mother earth it was this glorious day.  Seeing me they snickered.

It was one thing to wake me up and to disrespect my plea.  It was quite another to destroy my planet while doing it.  I ran out and grabbed the blower from one of them and hit him over the head with it.  The other worker witnessed the full force of my wrath and he ran away.  I poured out the 2-stroke gas and oil mixture into the mouth of the passed out gardener.  His dead body would process fuel in an earth friendly way.  Sure I killed a man, but I did it for mother earth.

I took a cold shower making sure I didn't use any natural gas and got ready to ride my bicycle to work.  I knew I would be able to pedal fast and stay focused since the shower stopped me from thinking about sex and other non-earth-friendly activity.

An old Volvo was in front of me at a stop light.  Smoke was pouring out the exhaust as I noticed it was a Turbo Diesel model.  I decided to dismount my bike and talk to the driver.  Maybe he hadn't heard it was Earth Day.

"Friend, you seem to have a lot of exhaust there.  Care to pull over and let me give you some information about where you can buy some carbon offsets?"  I said to him in a friendly tone.

But this man was not to be reasoned with and I could tell he shared the same earth killing attitude of the gardener that made me late to work because I had to drag his body around to the side of my house to deal with later. 

"Get back on your bike there granola head."  The man said while chuckling.

"Sir, there is no need for name calling, I'm just trying to help you pay respect to the planet on her day of honor."  I replied.

"Fuck off treehugger!"  He shot back while throwing a piece of litter from his car into my face.

The nerve!  I tried to help him understand how he can impact the environment and he responds by littering.  I could take the disrespect and I could take name calling but the litter was just too much.

I gently picked up the piece of trash he had thrown in my face and I reminded him that littering was not only illegal but very disrespectful to the planet.  Then I took the piece of paper and I jammed it back into his face.

"Maybe your trash will take that smirk off of your face planet hater!" I shouted at him.  I took the small tire pump I had tucked into the back of my very tight and sexy bike pants and I bludgeoned him repeatedly until I was sure that he would not be able to pollute any longer.  I reached in and turned off the motor so that his car would stop its assault on the atmosphere. 

I stood there looking at the blood trickle from the several puncture wounds I had made in the side of his head and face and I couldn't help but think how much Earth Day inspired me to make a difference.  It's true, one person can make a wonderful impact if they just look for opportunities.  It's shameful that this only comes but once a year.

I'm but one person, but I can make a positive impact on behalf of our home and mother:  Earth.  Hopefully you found inspiration in this testimony of the small part I played in saving the planet.

Look Mom! I'm a Republican (part 2)

I attended a delegate meeting hosted by my county GOP.  The meeting was short, orderly, and very much a mutual admiration society.  Libertarians have been accused of being a debate society rather than a political party and in that same context I'd compare the GOP (at least my local brand) as more of a country club.

I love talking to both Republicans and Democrats because I find myself explaining things to them in ways they've never heard.  You see, once you bring a discussion from a standpoint of liberty they realize that you're neither liberal or conservative...but something else.  The man I talked to today recognized it for what it was.

I spoke to a man who is absolutely for a national ID card.  His argument is that citizens have limited rights for their privacy and no right to anonymity.  What he thought would be his trump card backfired and he asked me, "Why don't you want an ID card, what do you have to hide?"  My answer surprised him.

I have plenty to hide I told him.  The details of my life are my own because I own my life.  He had no right to know the private details of my life anymore than he has the right to use my house without permission.  What belongs to me belongs to me.

He brought up the straw-man of identity theft (staying curiously away from the subject of finding illegals also known as Mexicans) and said that the safety of our society depends on being certain who everyone is.  I asked him if he was sure who I was, after all I was only wearing a name tag.  He conceded he didn't know for sure and then I continued by asking him that if I was misrepresenting myself in this conversation and I was not who I said I was...did he have a case against me?  Could he claim damages?  He brought up identity theft again and I explained to him that the real crime is theft which government should always prosecute to the highest degree.  That government should protect the property of all persons (citizens and otherwise) against the fraud and force of others. 

He then admitted that my argument was the first one he ever heard that made some sense and felt like he needed to rethink his own view some and then added...you sound more like a libertarian to me.  To my point perhaps I had misrepresented myself. 

Congratulations moron, you're officially an object lesson.

My Personal Earth Hour Experience

Earth Hour.  Sixty minutes of sitting around in the dark.  One complete hour of not using any electricity.  No computers, no appliances, no televisions or stereos.

Google showed their commitment by making their page black instead of white as if they were virtually turning out the lights.  Cities from all over the world were participating and kids in public schools in the  United States were being indoctrinated to harass their parents until they submitted and agreed to participate.

I also participated.

Conservation in general is something I like quite a bit.  I am someone who strives to use less packaging, drive fuel efficient vehicles that also have an ultra-low emission rating.  I'm what many here in the stupid Seattle area would consider to be green, but I'm not really.  I'm a conservationist.  I hate waste.  Earth hour was something I could get behind even though I knew fully that it would make no difference.

I lit candles,  lots of them.  I had a hand-cranked radio that I listened to.  I played a word game with family.  All devices were off (except a few later that I forgot were on...whoops) and turned off my porch light.  It was basically like living in the 1890's.

When it was all over I turned my front porch light back on but nothing else went back on...at least not right away.

The end result was nothing though and that shouldn't be a surprise to anyone.  Liberal do-gooders always plan these types of things and focus greatly on the experience rather than any measurable difference.  I knew this going in so I had no high expectations but I did still gain something by it.

Like wilderness hiking and camping it is good remind oneself that you have the ability to live simply, minimally and if need be...with bare essentials.  The act of being prepared and self-sufficient is an element that most liberals probably didn't consider because it's very...well...libertarian really.

Playing a board game by candlelight proved nothing.  It did give me one more excuse though to live as minimally as possible at that moment.  I consider that a worthy reminder that everyone needs... at least once in awhile.

Election Boredom is Officially Gone

Grump properly chastised me for being impractically bored with an election that was shaping up to be memorable.  I conceded to him that the election drama was very interesting and anything but boring...though the candidates themselves have brought so little substance that it's really hard to get particularly excited about them...perhaps I expect too much, I dunno.

Obama and Hillary look like they will take their campaigns into Denver and participate in a brokered convention where super-delegates will decide nothing more than who can better beat McCain.  That's it.  Nothing else will be a factor.  Whoever has perceived momentum will get the nod and the total delegate count will be meaningless.  If the Democrat nominee loses in November it may be the last brokered convention you see.  Pretty cool huh?

The Republican convention in Minneapolis will need to be a week-long infomercial reintroducing us to McCain and helping us forget George W. Bush.  How you can honor your party's president for 8 years and brush him aside at the same time will be tricky and worth watching.

The Libertarian National Convention looks to be heating up finally.  The Ron Paul Revolution set things back for awhile as many in the party vacated LP campaigns to help Ron.  Wayne Allyn Root (professional Vegas Oddsmaker) and Bob Barr (as well as Mary Ruwart) look to be in hot contention and will also go into a brokered convention.  Gavel to gavel coverage will be on CSPAN if you have the stomach to watch this.  Frontrunners in this party are impossible to predict.

John McCain - What the economy ordered?

Consider this a personal counter-point to my observation back in November that his campaign was over.  Hear me out.

John McCain has in many way represented the new age of the Republican Party.  The man entered the senate taking the seat of an aged, bitter, and often angry Barry Goldwater.  In terms of personality the people of Arizona replaced their senior senator with another bold, angry and straight-talking man in John McCain...but McCain is no Goldwater and I've described his seat in the senate as an unfortunate downgrade from that of ol' AU H2O.

So how could John McCain be what the doctor ordered in terms of economic growth?  John McCain has one strength in terms of positions that he has remained absolutely pure on in his long political career...and that is free trade.

Bill Clinton and George W. Bush were very similar in terms of trade protectionism.  Bush even went as far as adding tariffs to foreign steel, but for as little as McCain understands about economics (like not knowing who was on the president's working group on markets) he does understand one problem that has hurt the economy of this nation and is probably the only remaining resource that is not strained for federal receipts:  Trade.  His position on free trade and uniform tariffs is so good it could trump his otherwise ignorance on the subject of economics.

The United States simply does not trade with that many nations.  Our greatest export is U.S. dollars and fewer and fewer countries are accepting it as reserve currency as it buys fewer and fewer marketable commodities. 

The next president that opens trade and controls the growth of government (reducing its size and scope will simply be a pipedream at this point, but one in my view that is still worth having) will restore the dollar.  Could it be John McCain?

Podmess #2

I talk about what party politics can be like inside the convention and go on to describe a conversation I had with a very conservative evangelical Christian woman at the convention. I talk about hippies and a couple of movies I saw recently and rehash my disappointment in the Seattle Aquarium...did I mention I talk about hippies?

Okay, so click here to listen to the best dumb podcast on the Interwebs.

Bob Barr to inherit Ron Paul Revolution?

Bob Barr announced the formation of an exploratory committee (people to count fundraising money) for a possible run for the Libertarian Party nomination.  I like Bob Barr to a degree but he is no Ron Paul and hasn't earned the right to even sit in Harry Browne's now empty wheelchair.

What I like:

• Bob Barr understands the true spending problem
• Wants to eliminate the IRS and repeal the 16th Amendment
• Has already worked with both parties to overturn or rewrite much of the Patriot Act to restore civil liberties
• Is now very against the war in Iraq and nation building
• Is against pre-emptive war

What I don't like so much:

• Bob Barr is for the Fair Tax as a replacement to the Income Tax
• He is strongly for securing the border (I disagreed with Ron Paul on this also)
• Bob Barr voted for the war initially

You may like him.  Obviously since I'm such a high roller Republican now (ha ha) it is impossible for me to endorse him but given the list of candidates currently seeking the LP nomination, I'd have to name Barr my clear favorite.

Look Mom! I'm a Republican

So I told you back in February that I attended my local GOP Caucus and was elected a delegate to the county convention.  We were able to win the Caucus for Ron Paul with a moderate amount of organization.  But the real test would be what would happen at the county convention.

I live in what is probably the 3rd largest county in Washington State in population.  The 1st Legislative District has many precincts that are heavily Republican.  The entire convention was nearly 800 delegates.  How would our organization stand up to these kind of numbers?

Of the 140 delegates comprised in my district we had the duty of electing only 24 delegates to the state convention which will be in lovely Spokane in late May.  Was there even a chance any Ron Paul delegates would make the cut in a district that was actively black-balling anyone in the rEVOLution?  I ran for state delegate and gave this simple, small speech that included these words:

I believe in limited government.  Government that is only large enough to protect rights that are accorded to us as individuals and not people groups.  I believe in protecting our economy with sound money...

These buzzwords were heartfelt and deliberate.  I meant to say that you may think of me as a conservative since most of you probably thought Milton Friedman was a conservative and Ludwig von Mises was a classical composer... and if you're smart enough to understand what sound money is...then you're probably already a Ron Paul supporter and will want to vote for me.  I won on the first ballot and I'm off to Spokane.  Not exactly a great reward but will make the blog more interesting.

I will cover some of the rest of the experience from the convention in an upcoming podcast as some of this story telling can only be done in front of a roaring fire.  Look for it soon.

The Seattle Aquarium - Nature's Toilet

This weekend I visited the Seattle Aquarium.  I will not tease you with my opinion of it and will just state it bluntly.  I'd rather look for living creatures in my downstairs toilet than visit the Seattle Aquarium again.  If you visit Seattle, please STAY AWAY from this so-called attraction.

The aquarium expects you to fork over an admission cost of $15 for an adult to get in...and it doesn't take long once you're in to wonder why you ever bothered.  You're greeted with a large entry hall that has a large wall tank toward the back.  You'd expect a breakdown of what you're looking at inside the tank somewhere or even perhaps using some multimedia headphones with some slick voice like James Earl Jones telling you what obscure mollusk you're looking at but basically  you're left with just a big boring tank of fish and junk.  Wow.  Where do I get a refund?  Well wait...maybe it gets better.

Head down a hallway and a large part of the area you're standing in is dedicated to things that live in a tide pool.  The aquarium itself is built on Pier 59 in downtown Seattle so most of what you're seeing in this large area is stuff that's probably living beneath the facility itself.

Here in this tide pool area you can touch the living creatures.  I watched one poor starfish get pawed over by several different kids in a span of five minutes.  I'm sure if the creature is able to think and feel at all it wishes for death every moment.  I know I was.

A circular "doughnut shaped" tank contained Jelly Fish and a propelled current within moved the jellyfish through past the watchful eyes of many.  I was finally seeing something interesting until the person I was with pointed out one small problem with the exhibit.  All but about two Jelly Fish looked dead.  I told myself they were probably sleeping and moved on...and looked at the similarly sleeping Octopus. 

SHARK!  Finally something cool.  The six-gilled shark which is native to Puget Sound.  The wall had a cutout of the creature showing its size so you could measure yourself up against this impressive creature.  Hanging from the ceiling was a full-scale model of the shark...wow big teeth...now where is it?  Hmm, must be around here somewhere.  As you're looking around you see that you're standing next to the shark exhibit.  It's a mock-up of an underwater research lab containing three empty chairs facing some monitors looping footage of sharks.  That's it.  Wanna see a shark?  Then go to some other aquarium because AT THIS AQUARIUM THEY EXPECT YOU TO PAY 15 BUCKS TO SEE AN EXHIBIT OF WHAT IT WOULD LOOK LIKE TO LOOK AT SHARKS...not the actual sharks themselves.  Bullocks.

The Orca (Killer Whale to non-northwesterners) exhibit was similar and my expectations were already being flushed down nature's toilet far enough to know that I'd probably only be looking at a picture of a whale...something I could do on any website.  Here let me replicate the whale exhibit at the incredible Seattle Aquarium:

There you go...free of charge.  Keep your $15 and stay away from this absolutely worthless aquarium.

People! - upon demand - UPDATED

The blonde guy is Larry Norman.  To build on Grump's warning...please do not drive or operate equipment after watching this video.

UPDATE: I misspoke when I said that this was The Animals...it was in fact The Zombies. Forgive me for the mistake but I was escaping sniper fire and had to scurry away to an awaiting vehicle.

 

Podmess?

Are you ready? Many of you have heard my voice in person whether it was across a table with a sandwich in my mouth or in a public speaking event where I've droned on about things like Financial Management Software, Libertarian politics, and on occasion Theology. I plan to do a podcast as time allows and when certain current events just demand an audio approach. Have fun and would appreciate feedback as well.

Click here and enjoy the best 15 minutes you'll ever get from me.

Wow, our next president will suck too.

Hillary's experience is vast...though it appears that most of it only exists in her head.  This is a person who has wanted to be president for a long time and got a taste of it from the all important position of first-lady.  I'm not afraid of Hillary like some of you weirdos that email me but I will say this:  Yawn.

Barack Obama has been a member of a church that practices something called Black Liberation Theology.  It's a social justice church that emphasizes the gospel through social justice.  There are many churches like it though this one is not in the National/American Baptist Model where the civil rights movement is rooted.  I still don't believe Barack Obama is a racist...and so what if he is?  Will the republic be a little less off if the country's prison population began to more closely match our nation's population?  But seriously I would be in definite error if I didn't at least say this about Barack Obama:  Yawn.

John McCain...whatever.  Goes to Iraq while the other two are fighting and then the sheeple polls are reflecting that he seems more presidential.  Let me give you all some advice.  Go get some Myspace pages and begin chatting to each other and leave the grown-ups to handle the republic...okay?

Voting for any of these three will only encourage them.

Who would win in a fight? #1

Dick Cheney	vs	Pope Benedict XVI

 

Begin voting...NOW!

Okay, you made me do it.

Canadians, progressives, liberals, and statists listen up.  I'll explain this once.  After this you may only expect my replies to include the most dismissive hand gesture that I can think of at the time of its reading.

The 2nd Amendment:

A well regulated Militia being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms shall not be infringed.

The intent of the 2nd Amendment is not a matter of my opinion or yours.  It is chronicled quite nicely in the writings of the founding fathers as they attempted to give evidence for the need of a constitution.  Its intent is clear and to confuse it is merely a function of attempting to change its meaning to fit your own sensibilities.

The amendment states an intent to preserve (not grant) the pre-existing right of "the people" to keep and bear arms.  The word "people" was used in the Bill of Rights as a careful way to exclude slaves as the word "persons" was too inclusive.  We have thankfully cleared that up through additional amendments to our founding document.  Look at the other amendments and ask yourself if the Fourth amendments "...right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers and affects against unreasonable searches and seizures..." is a right for a people group or a right of an individual citizen.  Could this be more clear?

The militia element of the amendment is an attempt to state purpose.  You'll find this pattern throughout the Bill of Rights.  They state individual rights and describe their collective purpose.  None of these rights are meant to be collective or restricted to a people group.  There is not a single sentence of writing by the founding fathers throughout history (Including the Federalist Papers) that states that membership in an active militia is a requirement for keeping and bearing arms.

The 2nd Amendment is not a guarantee of the right to hunt.  This amendment has one purpose:  It is the intention of the federal government to preserve nature's right to protect life, liberty and property from anyone who would presume to take it.

So there you have it.  History sides with me, the Constitution sides with me, the founding father's own writings side with me and to believe you I must consider them all wrong and you alone correct. 

I won't charge you for this lesson.

Supreme Court legalizes freedom

Well how about that?

According to the Supreme Court decision on the 2nd Amendment it appears that the court has upheld the opinion that the right to keep and bear arms is the right of an individual and not a collective right.

I won't go into a discussion about my opinion on this as I've written several posts in the past on this very discussion.  I can sum up my reaction to this decision with one word, "Duh."

I have two very polite collectivists that email me regularly from a country known to many of us as Canada.  I posted a discussion about gun rights that they discovered and neither have left it alone since...and coincidently neither has offered an opinion worthy of mounting a defense.  Like playing basketball with a toddler...you can swat the ball away all day but to what end?

To celebrate this decision I'm going to go clean the weapons I have in my home and ponder in my heart how much discomfort that brings to some of you weirdos.

Tah!

A Thought Experiment

One time I presented a thought experiment to many male co-workers.  The question was:

If you had to marry another guy who would it be?

Most of the intelligent guys I worked with wanted to know where I was going with it so they turned the question around on me.  I'm okay with that...after all it was my experiment.  Here is how I answered:

Without question I would marry my buddy Eric.  We've never been in a fight.  I respect him quite a bit.  He's funny and we have a great deal in common.  I would marry him.

After they heard me answer they began listing different guys they would marry.  I'll never forget my boss at the time who said he couldn't make up his mind which two guys he wanted to marry so he asked if he could marry them both.  In my experiment I allowed that he could not only marry a guy, but two guys if he wanted.  He seemed relieved.

One guy in my department though struggled greatly with the experiment and finally said that he knew of no guy that he'd want to marry because he'd want to have a guy that looked like a girl.  When he said this everyone went quiet...and then wisely a colleague named Jason stated the obvious:  "Uh, dude...they'd still be a guy."

So I'm presenting this thought experiment to you:

If you had to marry a person of the same sex (by "had to" I mean that in my experiment conditions exist where there is no choice) or if you had to marry a pet...who or what would it be and why?

IRS - ugh

It's easy to hate the IRS. 

Last night I called them because they sent back information I gave them stating that they needed another form that contained all the information I already gave them.  Nowhere in their instructions does it mention that this other form is needed.

After talking to a few people and then finally getting transferred to a 'Tax Law Expert' their phone system hung up on me.  I'll probably try again tonight. 

Putting in your thumb and pulling out a plum

About 10 years ago my mom was feeling pretty lonely.  My dad has passed away about a year before and living alone for the first time in decades was beginning to be painful.  One Saturday she received a phone call.

The phone conversation went like this:

Caller:  We're calling from the United Kingdom, would you talk to us?

My Mom:  Who is this?

Caller:  I got a free call to the United States and my 10 year old son and I picked the numbers for your phone out of a hat.  We had your area code and picked the rest because we wanted to call the Seattle area.

My Mom:  Sure, I'll talk to you.

______________________________________________

The phone conversation goes for a little while longer and a few minutes later I pull up into my mom's driveway.  My mom kept them on the line and asked if I wanted to talk to them.  I thought it was a scam...until we talked.

The lady was a recently divorced woman raising two kids.  The younger boy was interested in the United States and Seattle in particular (music, software, etc.) so with only an area code to go with they assembled the rest of the phone number picking the numbers out of a hat...and got my mom.

Ten years later this wonderful family is still friends with us.  We've exchanged photos, stories, heartaches and celebrations.  We've exchanged wedding gifts, baby shower gifts and have spent many hours talking on the phone.

This is just one of those great feel good stories and even seems a little unbelievable...even as I type it.  I wish I had more of these to share.

The Greatest Podcast in the World

The Dave and Steve Show is like your garden variety morning radio show without unenlightening traffic reports, annoying commercials and the business stock report that no one understands.

I draw your attention to it because sometimes Steve's busy schedule takes him to other places and I have been invited on the show as an emergency spare.  Similar to the little donut spare you have in the trunk of your car...it's not something you'd want to rely on for very long but it will nervously get you by until you can get a real tire back on. 

Grump and I have talked at length about doing a show based on travel but we have yet to settle on a format.  It could be coming soon and you'd be in for a treat since Grump actually had a successful radio program at one time (he even had me as a guest) and well...I've owned a radio for years.

So go to The Dave and Steve Show and you can hear a great show and hear my dumb voice at the same time.

Larry Norman - In Another Land

I learned today that Larry Norman died.  It's okay that you haven't heard of him.  I hadn't for a long time either.  Back in the 80's someone loaned me a vinyl album of Something New Under the Son and I was afraid I would wear it out.  This was a fantastic electric blues album.  I was irritated that I couldn't find my own copy for another seven years. 

Larry has often been given the distinction as the father of the Jesus Movement but Larry was far more complex than that.  Personally I might give that distinction to groups like Love Song.  Again, I'm not pretending like you know what I'm talking about.  I'm just talking out loud for your benefit.

Larry sang anti-establishment songs, anti-war songs, songs about love, life, death, Jesus.  George Martin (Beatles director) helped direct the masterful album Only Visiting this Planet that is a 70's rock album that everyone should own.

I won't recount much of his life but I will say that if and when a biography comes out...it'll be unbelievable.

Larry had a bad heart.  His heart trouble started from a blood clot that caused him to have the first of several heart attacks.  He should've been dead years ago really.  Many fans including myself helped with medical bills.

When he moved to Salem, Oregon he occasionally did concerts.  I was in attendance for the one that was billed as his last (I went to another one a year later that included a reunion of his original 60's band People!) Larry was good enough for me to visit Oregon, something I wouldn't do for just anyone.

I spent a moment with Larry and I could tell he was tired.  His health problems were diminishing his vision and his hands were wounded from medical procedures enough that simply shaking hands was too painful. 

From his deathbed he dictated a letter that I've reread a few times and I'll include below:

I feel like a prize in a box of cracker jacks with God's hand reaching down to pick me up. I have been under medical care for months. My wounds are getting bigger. I have trouble breathing. I am ready to fly home.

My brother Charles is right, I won't be here much longer. I can't do anything about it. My heart is too weak. I want to say goodbye to everyone. In the past you have generously supported me with prayer and finances and we will probably still need financial help.

My plan is to be buried in a simple pine box with some flowers inside. But still it will be costly because of funeral arrangement, transportation to the gravesite, entombment, coordination, legal papers etc. However money is not really what I need, I want to say I love you.

I'd like to push back the darkness with my bravest effort. There will be a funeral posted here on the website, in case some of you want to attend. We are not sure of the date when I will die. Goodbye, farewell, we will meet again.

Goodbye, farewell, we'll meet again
Somewhere beyond the sky.
I pray that you will stay with God
Goodbye, my friends, goodbye.

Larry

Thanks for everything Larry. 

Correcting a 20 Year Wrong

1988 was my first chance to vote in a presidential election.  That November I cast a vote for George Herbert Walker Bush.  To add to that I was a delegate to the state GOP convention on behalf of Bush.  Also, I should note that since 1988 I've regretted that vote.

I later learned of Ron Paul and discovered that he ran for president in 1988 and I was eligible to cast a vote for him.  If I hadn't had my head so far up GOP establishment I would've been more aware of my choices.  I do remember seeing Ron Paul on the Morton Downey Jr. show and he was being criticized for his opposition to the war on drugs.  I knew his position made him out of the mainstream and I continued to believe that a vote cast for Bush would serve to keep our country from stepping in Dukakis.

In 1996 I discovered Harry Browne and he was the first man I was truly proud to cast a vote for.  Ron Paul had just come back to congress and during the eight years that I had last seen him on TV my own political views had gravitated toward his.  Since 1992 I had not cast my vote for any Republican until this year.

Three years ago when I ran into Ron Paul in the foyer of the Canon House office building I told him if he ran again, I would vote for him.  I never thought he would but the offer was an attempt to correct my ill-conceived vote from 1988. 

This month though afforded me the opportunity for full redemption.  Above is the photo of me casting my primary vote for Ron Paul.  And though I still regard Harry Browne as the man I was most proud to cast a vote for, my vote for Ron Paul is still a very special one...and one 20 years overdue.

A Study in Non-Intervention

This week Kosovo declared their independence from Bosnia.  The United States among a few other nations recognized the new nation and promised diplomatic support and beyond that the promise of force of arms if their newfound independence is challenged.

One of the first responses was a protest in Bosnia that resulted in a mob breaking into the US Embassy and setting a wing on fire.  You may be wondering why they attacked the US Embassy if they're angry about Kosovo...if you're a Republican you're probably thinking to yourself, "Well, they're crazy Muslims and you can't reason with them." and like so many other times when a Republican attempts to think you'd be wrong...since Bosnians are typically Orthodox Christian.

So why are these Orthodox Bosnians angry at the USA for the independence of Kosovo?

It likely has to do with the endless bombing of Bosnia and their major city of Belgrade (under Wesley Clark) during the Clinton administration.  The reason for this was to stop a genocide that was occurring where Muslims were the victims.

Let's keep score:

After Military Intervention here is what we have accomplished.

1. We helped Muslims who were victimized by a ruthless leader and consequently radical Muslims still hate us.
2. We bombed Bosnia even on their holiest day of Orthodox Easter and consequently these Orthodox Christians hate us.
3. A new nation was born out of our intervention and we promise more intervention to defend their independence...so that more people will hate us.

But remember what we've been told by both Bill Clinton and George W. Bush:  Our intervention in the world is both moral and necessary to keep us safe.  I say the score says otherwise.

Whiskey, Tango, Foxtrot

I just spent the better half of a day looking at Barack Obama's issues platform and I'm really lost on where exactly the "change" is.  There must be a code in it that I don't understand but on the surface it just looks like the New Deal Part 2.  Not exactly progressive.  He talks about fiscal responsibility but the other portion of the plank uses the word "investment" too much. 

Let me explain something about investment:  Anyone who owns something or produces something can invest.  They can take the profit from their risk and invest it to provide more wealth, security, or insurance against a rainy day.  That is what investment is. 

Government cannot invest.  Government does not own anything.  Government does not produce anything.  To "invest" it must first take by force the property of productive people and then spend it by giving it to someone else.  You may call it an investment but it's really just tax and spend.  Not all tax and spend is wrong but when they couch it in terms of investment I begin to find myself trying to control a gag reflex.  As the old saying goes...don't piss down my back and tell me it's raining.

So on the subject of Mr. Obama...I'm not exactly sure what the love affair with him is but if you all want him as president...I suppose we can give it a shot.  He likely won't earn my vote.

The Stimulus Package

The best description I've read regarding Bush's stimulus package comes from Bob Higgs at the Mises Circle in Houston:

Bush's stimulus is akin to filling up buckets of water from the deep end of the pool, then spilling them into the shallow end, and expecting the water level to rise.

Credit Max Raskin at the LRC blog at Lew Rockwell's site.

My Precinct Winner: Ron Paul

I just got back from my caucus.  It didn't surprise me that Ron Paul won our precinct because the Paul campaign here is well organized.

We had less than 15 people at our caucus which seems like a small amount but it isn't really since the precinct is really just our neighborhood.  Factor in that Republicans have been single-handedly flushing their platform and the US Constitution down the toilet over several decades and it shouldn't alarm anyone to learn that this number is small.

There were several Romney supporters there but once I counted votes (acting as Caucus Whip) I switched from uncommitted to a Paul supporter.  We not only won the presidential preference poll (Beauty contest that Miss Washington wouldn't have a chance in) but we also aced them out of delegates.  Here was the breakdown:

Precinct Committee Officer to convention - Ron Paul supporter

Two delegates to the convention - Both Ron Paul supporters

Two alternate delegates - Both Ron Paul supporters

Everyone else - Well let's just say they got a similar amount of time that Dr. Paul got in all the debates.  There's your lesson in blowback jerks.

Oh yeah, we also had crackers and cheese.  Yum.