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!