Jimmy on Barry

A friend of mine from Grand Junction, Colorado sent this to me, this week. The message is simple and direct. The most interesting aspect about it is the note in the bottom, right corner.

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As a result, the Civics books will need to be updated. See: http://www.obamachart.com

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For the record, I didn't vote for either of these guys. However, in his defense, I will say that Jimmy was without a doubt the smartest President we have ever had in this country. Even though his leadership skills and political acument have gone down in academic circles of American History as "lacking," the guy had very good motives. The unintented consequences are what killed him, politically.

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The current administration conversely is doing its absolute best...to undo the cornerstones of Democracy and further consolidating power in the Executive Branch. All of this, to the clear detriment of regular, working and business class Americans. This, my friends, is how Democratic civilizations accelerate their demise relative to how they were originally constructed...

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Freedom Works

Erleen on Healthcare

Let me get this straight......

We now have a health care plan written by a committee whose chairman says he doesn't understand it, passed by a Congress that hasn't read it but exempts themselves from it, to be signed by a president that also hasn't read it and who smokes, with funding administered by a treasury chief who didn't pay his taxes, all to be overseen by a surgeon general who is obese, and financed by a country that's broke. What the hell could possibly go wrong????

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So, clearly there are different opinions on this issue. My point in simple: nothing good can come from forcing one group of people to work & pay for something that will go to benefit another group. That is the basic epistemological definition of slavery. You were probably not taught this concept in Civics class.

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Moreover, this perspective also comes from the Judeo-Christian tradition, from which I and most people in this country originate. The idea continues with the belief that good can only come from choosing to do so...one cannot be made to do the right thing. Essentially, God wants all of us to choose and then to do, the right thing. However, only evil can come from force, no matter how noble the intention...

Judge Andrew Napolitano

This guy is very interesting. Everyone should watch and listen to what he has to say about what's going on and the "Un-Patriot Act" and its insidious powers. Andrew P. Napolitano is a 59 year old former New Jersey Superior Court Judge. He is a graduate of Princeton University and Notre Dame Law School . At Princeton he was a founding member of the Concerned Alumni of Princeton along with Justice Samuel Alito. Click below and listen to Judge Napolitano's important message.

http://www.youtube.com/watch

It's interesting to me that the prior administration created it and the current administration is secretly trying to perpetuate it. Remember, the law has an expiration date attached to it but there are those in Congress who actually believe this is a good idea. I'm not kidding...this is creepy stuff folks !

The New Pad

There are some really good deals to be had in the Austin real estate market, these days. And, yes, that is Emma Long Park across the way, there, on Lake Austin. It's not bad...

Beautiful, and Utterly Terrifying

When experiencing John Gerrard’s Dust Storm (Dalhart, Texas 2007) Realtime 3D projection, we cannot even take comfort in the awe-inspiring hugeness of natural forces. We know that this cloud is a construction. We can tell from its pace and way of moving that it has been digitally manipulated.

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If Gerrard is neither presenting us with a realistic depiction of the land or an embodiment of American values, what can we make of this terrifying scene? The piece becomes an expression of our anxieties, our fears, of our destructiveness as a species. Most of all, it becomes a metaphor for the tragic fact that the forces outside our control that are seemingly closing in on us can no longer be attributed to God, or nature or anything greater than ourselves. Instead, we fear war, global warming, environmental destruction, and economic collapse.

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Some of these threats may not have completely materialized, at least in a way that affects all of our daily lives. At the same time we feel that they are slowly advancing and, like the dust cloud, will swallow us whole.

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I think we've all had days like this. How we respond to it defines our unique character...

Who Dat ?!?

After struggling for forty-three years, today is the day that my beloved Saints (aka, The Who Dats) do their best to win the Super Bowl !!

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Just for fun...here's a little Super Bowl trivia, with a home State twist:

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Name the quarterbacks from Louisiana high schools who later in their careers started at QB in the Super Bowl. Hint: There are seven of them, behind only California (nine) and Pennsylvania (nine). Another Hint: Bert Jones is not one of them.

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Interesting fact: Drew Brees will be the first quarterback out of Texas ever to start as QB in a Super Bowl. Wow...that's hard to believe.

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Another Interesting Fact: No player from a Florida has ever started a Super Bowl as quarterback. Really...doubly hard to believe, either.

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Answer to quiz: Terry Bradshaw, David Woodley, Doug Williams, Stan Humphries, Jake Delhomme, Payton Manning, Eli Manning.

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And, here's a little video to bring the whole Saints experience into focus:

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RNwbrRfX8FE (all of you Sam Cooke and Bono fans will love it).

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Who Dat Talkin' Bout Beatin' Dem Saints ?!? Who Dat ?!? ; )~

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Laissez Les Bon Temps Rouler, Mes Amis !!

Happy New Year, 2010 !

In 2010, I believe it is essential for all of us to work to see a better vision of just who we are, individually and collectively. I certainly see myself as a Libertarian, right out of the Judeo-Christian traditional concept, meaning all good things come from choosing to do so. Force, coercion or fraud are never the answer...

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What is a libertarian, you say? A libertarian is someone who believes in "No Force, No Fraud." Watch this entertaining 10-minute animation on "The Philosophy of Liberty" from the International Society for Individual Liberty:

http://www.isil.org/resources/philosophy-of-liberty-index.html The best part is that you can pick your language of choice...a cornerstone of the whole idea.

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This, I believe. Adieu !!

Who is John Galt?

"Did you really think that we want those laws to be observed?" said Dr. Ferris. "We *want* them broken. You'd better get it straight. That it's not a bunch of boy scouts you're up against– then you'll know that this is not the age for beautiful gestures. We're after power and we mean it.

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You fellows were pikers, but we know the real trick, and you'd better get wise to it. There's no way to rule innocent men. The only power any government has is the power to crack down on criminals. Well, when there aren't enough criminals, one makes them. One declares so many things to be a crime that it becomes impossible for men to live without breaking laws.

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Who wants a nation of law-abiding citizens? What's there in that for anyone? But just pass the kind of laws that can neither be observed nor enforced nor objectively interpreted – and you create a nation of law-breakers – and then you cash in on guilt. Now that's the system, Mr. Rearden, that's the game, and once you understand it, you'll be much easier to deal with."

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–– Ayn Rand, _Atlas Shrugged , Ch. III, "White Blackmail"

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She's the most powerful American writer of the twentieth century.

I love her !! ; )~