The Day That Will Live In Infamy

No the Japanese have not attacked Pearl Harbor again.

And this was not a sneak attack.

But it was call to War.

As predicted, the Democrat Socialist sold the American People down the toilet  219-212. That 3 more than they needed.

And guess who caved at the last second, Pro-Life Democrats.

They were promised to issue an executive order (aka BRIBE) from the President saying that the provisions of the now Health Care Reform Law that let the government pay fro abortions will not happen.

Not an actual signed order, just a promise of one.

And this President is a very trustworthy guy.

SUCKER!

Rep. Bart Stupak (D-MI) the “leader” of the now defunct ‘pro-life’ Democrats is now Judas.

“Perhaps Mr. Stupak and his fellow pro-life Democrats forget that President Obama’s first Executive Order was the repeal of the Mexico City Policy to allow for international funding of abortion.”– Phylis Schlafly of the Eagle Forum

To pay for the changes, the legislation includes more than $400 billion in higher taxes over a decade and cuts more than $500 billion from planned payments to hospitals, nursing homes, hospices and other providers that treat Medicare patients. (AP)

So bend over and reach deep. The enema you’re going to get is going to be a joyous one, Comrade.

And just to give you some more happy news: This from Bloomberg

President Obama’s budget proposal would create bigger deficits every year of the next decade, with the gaps totaling $1.2 trillion more than his administration projects, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office said this month. Publicly held debt will zoom to $20.3 trillion, or 90 percent of gross domestic product, by 2020, the CBO forecast.

So anyone for Ramen Noodles??

That maybe all we have left soon.

But at least we’ll have government Health Care!

Hurray!

When asked what Obama was doing during the vote, White House spokesman Robert Gibbs: “Mostly basketball.” (CBS)

He was watching the NCAA.

Well, you have to have your priorities…

It also seems, according to the Senate Republicans website that the Senate Democrats stalled a “bi-partisan” meeting with the Parliamentarian until after the vote, that way it didn’t stall their quest for the Holy Grail.

WASHINGTON DC – Senate Democrats have balked at a bi-partisan meeting with the Senate Parliamentarian to discuss a rule violation that could doom the entire House reconciliation proposal.

DON STEWART, McCONNELL SPOKESMAN: “Republicans have been trying to set up a meeting with Senate Democrats since yesterday to discuss this fatal point of order but have been met with nothing but silence. We suspect Democrats are slow walking us so as to have the House vote first. Since Senate Democrats refuse to meet with us and the Parliamentarian, we’ve informed our colleagues in the House that we believe the bill they’re now considering violates the clear language of Section 310g of the Congressional Budget Act, and the entire reconciliation bill is subject to a point of order and rejection in the Senate should it pass the House.”

That means the Senate bill, which everyone in the House seems to universally hate, will be the law of the land.

And the Partisan bloodbath is probably not over.

But remember, this was the President who was going to be the Post-Partisan, Unifier.

You just did know he was going to be Unified against The American People and any who opposed his will.

Details…Details…details….

So the Reconciliation Fix-it fight is now on.

“Immediately after receiving the final reconciliation bill language, Senate Republican staff was ready and willing to meet with Senate Democratic staff and the Senate Parliamentarian to discuss the fact that the House reconciliation bill may be brought down by the 310(g) point of order in the Senate. Senate Democrats are mysteriously unavailable until after the House votes on the health care bill tonight. The Senate Democrats appear to be pushing off this meeting so that House Democrats will remain in the dark about what is likely to happen to the reconciliation bill on which many have staked their careers in Congress. House Democrats should be alarmed by this latest development, since the survival of the reconciliation bill is clearly at risk in the Senate.”

If Republicans can get the parliamentarian to agree with them even once, whatever ultimately passes the Senate will have to go back to the House.
And Democrats in the House quietly admit that its very likely they will have to vote again on the reconciliation fixes at some point down the road.

So the House Democratic Leadership was potentially Lying to it’s members, especially ‘Judas’ Stupak, that they’re being played.

Admittedly, you have to get the Parliamentarian to agree first, but it show how far the Democrats will go to pass it.

But even then, we still have Government run Health Care.

It doesn’t do it to everyone just yet.

But by the end of the decade it will be.

You can trust the Democrats on that.

or Maybe sooner…

As you know, I am a strong supporter of a public option, and I included the HELP Committee’s public option in the bill I brought to the senate floor last year. I was disappointed when it became clear that we did not have the votes to keep it.
Nevertheless, like you, I remain committed to pursuing the public option. While I believe that the legislation we are considering does much to provide affordable coverage to millions of Americans and curb insurance company abuses, I also believe that the public option would provide additional competition to make insurance even more affordable. As we have discussed, I will work to ensure that we are able to vote on the public option in the coming months. – Sen Majority Leader Harry Reid.

Because we all know by now, you can trust a Democrat lawmaker to keep his or her word, now can’t we.

And we have to get the Illegals Amnesty so they can be put on the government doles and registered as Democrats so we can fix the messy democratic process.

And then we just need to fix all those greedy, consumer-driven, energy pigs and purveyors of evil CO2 (you know, electricity, oil, cars, people).

We’ll whip them into shape for their own good.

So Welcome to the new Obama’s Amerika, Comrade.

Enjoy your “freedoms”.

[Via http://indyfromaz.wordpress.com]

Vancouver Police Ticket Man for Open Carry

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mtefft/4286119066/

Open carry, the practice of openly carrying a firearm secured in a holster, is perfectly legal in 43 states. Washington is one those states which does not prohibit this practice, but that’s a lesson that the Police Department of Vancouver apparently has not learned.

A man who was seen in a Vancouver supermarket with a handgun visible in a holster — prompting a call to 911 on Friday — was ticketed and released with a court date, police said.

One could chalk this up to a police officer who was simply misinformed about the law, perhaps never encountering an open carrier and assuming it must be prohibited. Unfortunately, the person the VPD has allowed to comment on the case, Sgt. Raquer, seems to indicate that this arrest represents a department-wide misuse of the law.

Officers explained the law to the man, gave him a ticket for alleged unlawful carrying of a weapon and released him.

Under the law, Raquer said, a person can be ticketed if his display of a gun alarms people.

…

He added, “Most responsible people don’t display their firearm in public.”

That comment, particularly that last part, is not only incorrect but also an opinionated insult to Washingtonians who exercise their rights under state law.  As for the law that the VPD mangled in order to issue this citation:

The state law that applies to the Albertsons case is RCW 9.41.270, Botvinnik said.

That law says: “It shall be unlawful for any person to carry, exhibit, display, or draw any firearm, dagger, sword, knife or other cutting or stabbing instrument, club, or any other weapon apparently capable of producing bodily harm, in a manner, under circumstances, and at a time and place that either manifests an intent to intimidate another or that warrants alarm for the safety of other persons.”

The standard “warrants alarm” is not interpreted by the courts to mean simply openly carrying, but rather brandishing or threatening. The citation against this unidentified man will likely be thrown out as soon as a judge can look at it. Unfortunately, that also means the city of Vancouver has opened itself up to a sizable civil action.

If you’re interested in this story you can follow along on the OCDO forums, where the victim’s wife appears to be updating the thread.

[Via http://thepursuitofliberty.wordpress.com]

Nat'l ID card + microchip required by Immigration Bill

The NYT reported yesterday (3/18) that senators Charles E. Schumer, Democrat of New York, and Lindsey Graham, Republican of South Carolina have introduced:

“..a proposal to overhaul the immigration system, which would require illegal immigrants to admit they broke the law before they could gain legal status and require all workers in the United States to carry a biometric identity card to prove that they are eligible to work…..

The plan calls for a big increase in immigration agents patrolling workplaces, and would require all workers, including legal immigrants and American citizens, to present a tamper-proof Social Security card when they apply for jobs. Biometric identity information would be stored on the card and not in any government database, according to an explanatory document from the senators.”

Information about biometric ID cards is easier to find at British websites, since they are far advanced in civilian surveillance and control.  The Biometric Identity Cards site opines:

What biometric information will be stored on the card?

The government has not yet been able to decide exactly what information will be stored.  There are many issues to consider.  Whatever measurement is chosen must be something that doesn’t generally change, and that can be easily provided by most people, including disabled or elderly people.  The most likely candidates are finger prints and images of the iris of the eye which, like fingerprints, [and DNA] are believed to be unique to each person.

How will the information used once it is on the card?

The government has not had much to say about how the information will be used.  Their silence is understandable because they know that the truth will be quite unpalatable to any sensible person who has more than a modicum of understanding of history.  Two simple facts need to be understood:

First, merely issuing identification cards doesn’t achieve anything … identification cards only have any purpose if they are checked and used to control access to places and services.

Second, the information on the card has to be checked against some other list.  Since that list will be stored on a computer it means that every use of the card can be monitored and traced and since that card is inextricably linked to you, that means that your activity can be monitored and you can be traced.

The prospective use, and inevitable misuse and abuse of the information is the reason that this web site exists and we invite you to read all the articles in order to understand fully the dangers of what the government is proposing.  Biometric identification systems are not the benign tool of liberal and socialist governments that the UK government likes to claim.  On the contrary, such systems would make an ideal tool with which to introduce tyranny and oppression.

With the failure of the Real ID Program to overcome costs, it was inevitable that a similar measure would soon be introduced by those who seek to use technology to control and oppress.

[Via http://laudyms.wordpress.com]

The Death of the American Experiment

America is an experiment. The experiment is a country of the people with a government that is supposed to be for the people. Today we are losing this dream.

The great experiment focused on opportunity and liberty. The dream focused on an atmosphere of freedom that provided an opportunity for all to experience a fullness of life. The architects of the constitution understood the limitations of mankind. The thought was to establish a government that greased the wheels of innovation and liberty.

This form of government would not control people but rather unleash the creativeness and ingenuity that is found in the individuals of the land. Citizens from all the states and from all walks of life would come together to govern in such a way as to provide an atmosphere where freedom would continue and that opportunity would be for all.

No doubt there have been times when this land has lost its way. There have been times through the history of this great country when the American Experiment was threatened. At these times we needed strong leadership to renew this great vision. Thomas Jefferson once stated what we would need to do when we lost the vision when he noted “let us hasten to retrace our steps and to regain the road which alone leads to peace, liberty, and safety” (In his First Inaugural Address).

There is a difference today. This difference has developed over a number of years. The Great Experiment depended on a few things that now are eroding. The first is that individual rights are derived from a Creator. The second was the limitations of mankind. Abuse of power is a human fault illustrated frequently over the centuries. Thus a system of checks and balances was established. We need to ask ourselves what is the core issue that is causing this erosion?

The call for reform and all the struggling is because we have forgotten God. We are lost. We are at a crossroads and we need to return to God. But alas I do know whether we have the fortitude to do so. I agree with Thomas Jefferson when he stated “I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just; that His justice cannot sleep forever.” I too tremble. Think of the words of George Washington “The propitious smiles of Heaven can never be expected on a nation that disregards the eternal rules of order and right which Heaven itself has ordained.“

Calvin Coolidge gave a warning when he wrote “The foundations of our society and our government rest so much on the teachings of the Bible that it would be difficult to support them if faith in these teachings would cease to be practically universal in our country.” Ronald Regan warned “Without God there is no virtue because there is no prompting of the conscience … without God there is a coarsening of the society; without God democracy will not and cannot long endure … If we ever forget that we are One Nation Under God, then we will be a Nation gone under.”

John F. Kennedy recognized the need for God when he stated “The rights of man come not from the generosity of the state but from the hand of God.”  John Adams agreed when he stated “Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other. “

My proposal to all this talk of reform and all the struggles we are having in our country is simple – we have forgotten God. What are some of the evidences of this lapse in memory? Over the next few days we will outline a few of the evidences. In the meantime the call and challenge is for us to return to a country of the people and for the people. To do this requires a heart return to God only then will we be able to experience the success of the Great American Experiment – If we do not the Great American Experiment will die a slow death.

[Via http://m5a5p5.wordpress.com]

Cloward-Piven Strategy

Thanks to a reply from King Shamus to one of our posts, and Glenn Beck mentioning this the past couple of weeks, I decided to go back through the oldie, moldies,  and thought it was a good time to spin this one more time. Since November, when it was originally posted, I can not imagine we have come so far in having this strategy actualized.

’The Cloward–Piven strategy is a political strategy outlined by Richard Cloward and Frances Fox Piven, then both sociologists and political activists at the Columbia University School of Social Work, in a 1966 article in The Nation. The two argued that many Americans who were eligible for welfare were not receiving benefits, and that a welfare enrollment drive would create a political crisis that would force U.S. politicians, particularly the Democratic Party, to enact legislation “establishing a guaranteed national income.’  (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cloward-Piven_Strategy). 

 We all knew this was going on but now we see it ties to Alinsky and our Dear Leader among others.  Really, how dare we be successful, earn as much as we can to NOT be on welfare!  Shame on the industrious, the inquisitive inventors and the giants of our Country.  The penalty is to breakdown the economy by sending manufacturing off shore, make it illegal to utilize our own vast and rich natural resources causing massive loss of jobs cause more to enter the welfare roles leaving the impression of corporate greed.  Yes, there is/was corporate greed and should be dealt with appropriately.  But destroy the entire economy?  Cloward and Piven laid the groundwork along with good old Saul to “transform” our Country into a Socialistic society so the likes of Soros, Gore can make BILLIONS while many of us squander.   Yes, it all comes together, voter fraud, climate change, Cap and Trade, Healthcare.  Well, we can turn this page by making gains today and planning for 2010.  What really amazes me is that with all of the years the Democrats have had power, why aren’t we Socialists now?  Well, of course we know the answer, they can’t run anything.  In November of 2008, The One thought the Sea’s would part and the peasants would follow.  Wait!  Aren’t we Socialists and they didn’t tell us? 

A couple more links to read in your spare time:

 http://www.theobamafile.com/Cloward-Piven.html

 http://cloward-piven.com/ 

 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cloward-Piven_Strategy

 Mandy Williams

[Via http://bunkerville.wordpress.com]

Going to a Caucus - Where are WE THE PEOPLE?

By: Tisha Casida

I am the youngest person here by at least 20 years, and I am 28 years old.  Out of 264 people in my precinct 83 – only 6 people are sitting at the table (only 5 technically count because when I registered to vote when I was 18 I decided that I was Independent).  That is a 1.9% turnout.  If this were a test – WE THE PEOPLE – failed miserably.

I am a citizen of the United States living in the great state of Colorado.  I convinced my parents to go with me to the republican caucus taking place this evening – Tuesday March 16, 2010.  In addition to the three of us, there were three others at our table – Bill, Ken, and Steve.  Our chairman for our precinct was not present.  Ken and Steve were diplomatic enough to take over and explain the processes as we went along.  Reading material on most all of the candidates was available for everyone to look at as well as pick up – I saw every candidate there represented in one form or another except for Scott McInnis – I guess the Southern part of the state may not mean too much to him, at least that is what I came away with.

The purpose of a caucus, as I have gathered so far, is that this is where WE THE PEOPLE start to select candidates for governor, the U.S. senate, the U.S. house of representatives, state treasurer, state senate and house districts.  On the docket tonight (at least for the straw pole) was to decide upon who the registered republican precinct members wanted for governor (Dan Maes vs. Scott McInnis) and the U.S. senate (Ken Buck vs. Jane Norton vs. Cleve Tidwell vs. Tom Wiens).

Several of the tables for other precincts meeting here were EMPTY – meaning that NO ONE from these precincts of around 200 people came to represent a candidate or represent a value or ideal they would like to see upheld.  Tragic.

The process was simple, efficient, and ended in just ONE HOUR.  We talked about all of the candidates, everyone voiced an opinion as to what they thought, the votes were made for the straw pole (at our table), and everyone was given the opportunity to present resolutions (of which we had none, however there were several for us to look at on one of the tables when we walked in).

It was overwhelming at first, but now an understandable process.  Which really irritates me, because more people should have been there, more people should know what is going on (republican OR democrat OR anything else).  This is a fatal flaw of the public education system – fifth graders should be able to rattle off their precinct number and the process of a caucus, a county convention, a state convention, and a primary.  This is also a dangerous flaw with our society – the reason we are in the mess that we are in is because we have sat on our keisters and not taken an hour out of an evening to go to things like this.

Know your enemy folks – it is ignorance and arrogance.  Learn about our political system, get involved, and fight for liberty – we are all we have.

[Via http://goodamericanpost.info]

Shetech

I came across a great Pelosi quote this morning; from Coyote:

Think of an economy where people could be an artist or a photographer or a writer without worrying about keeping their day job in order to have health insurance.

This is the non-sense from the Left who feel we need to live in this entitlement world.  Where people can just do what ever it is they want; and have everything take care of for ‘em.

How about this?  How about you work your ass off and then, THEN, if you wanna be an artist you can be an artist.  Or write if ya wanna write, or sing or compose poetry.

Back in Seattle I worked with a great gal.  Incredibly talented and just fun.  She exemplifies how ya get’er done!

She sings.

She writes.

She is a poet.

And she has a day job.

THAT is how you get health insurance!

[Via http://tarheelred.wordpress.com]

New Pay Discrimination Bill Would Let Government Collect Payroll Records of Private Companies

Whoa…. and what else is out there ready to snag our liberty? Bet it gets added to the “Shell” bill being used for Obamacare along with the Government taking over Student Loans.

CNSNews.com) – A bill taken up by a Senate panel on Thursday would empower the federal government to collect the payroll information of private companies and analyze it in an effort to prevent gender-based pay discrimination, which has been illegal since 1963.
 
The law would compel the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) to begin mandatory collection of payroll data from private employers, under penalty of law. These data must be broken down by job type, race, and, gender. The government would then analyze the data to determine if companies are violating equal pay laws, which prohibit pay discrimination based on gender.
 
Known as the Paycheck Fairness Act, the law was passed by the House of Representatives more than one year ago – Jan. 9, 2009 – but had languished in the Senate until Thursday, when it was taken up in the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee.

http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/62672

[Via http://bunkerville.wordpress.com]

This is America: Chefs Call Proposed New York Salt Ban 'Absurd'

Some New York City chefs and restaurant owners are taking aim at a bill introduced in the New York Legislature that, if passed, would ban the use of salt in restaurant cooking.

“No owner or operator of a restaurant in this state shall use salt in any form in the preparation of any food for consumption by customers of such restaurant, including food prepared to be consumed on the premises of such restaurant or off of such premises,” the bill, A. 10129 , states in part.

The legislation, which Assemblyman Felix Ortiz , D-Brooklyn, introduced on March 5, would fine restaurants $1,000 for each violation.

via myfoxny.com

I would up the ante and call this mildly tyrannical. Not “tyranny” in the violent dictatorial sense, but what Alexis de Tocqueville described as a paternalistic state, or a “soft despotism.” Did you ever imagine that in America – the State would have the power to choose for a restaurant owner whether or not they could add salt to their entrées?

If you love liberty, this type of thing should make you sick. If the problem is ‘too much salt‘ – what is needed is something which used to be considered a quality of a mature adult – Common Sense… Contrast that with this paternalistic legislative action which treats individual free people as so infantile in thought and action, that they are incapable of making reasoned judgements concerning their own health.

Here an an excerpt from Tocqueville’s Democracy In America (emphasis added):

===

It seems that if despotism came to be established in the democratic nations of our day, it would have other characteristics: it would be more extensive and milder, and it would degrade men without tormenting them. .  .  .

When I think of the small passions of men of our day, the softness of their mores, the extent of their enlightenment, the purity of their religion, the mildness of their morality, their laborious and steady habits, the restraint that almost all preserve in vice as in virtue, I do not fear that in their chiefs they will find tyrants, but rather schoolmasters. .  .  .

I want to imagine with what new features despotism could be produced in the world: I see an innumerable crowd of like and equal men who revolve on themselves without repose, procuring the small and vulgar pleasures with which they fill their souls. .  .  .

Above these an immense tutelary power is elevated, which alone takes charge of assuring their enjoyments and watching over their fate. It is absolute, detailed, regular, far-seeing, and mild. It would resemble paternal power if, like that, it had for its object to prepare men for manhood; but on the contrary, it seeks only to keep them fixed irrevocably in childhood; it likes citizens to enjoy themselves provided that they think only of enjoying themselves. It willingly works for their happiness; but it wants to be the unique agent and sole arbiter of that; it provides for their security, foresees and secures their needs, facilitates their pleasures, conducts their principal affairs, directs their industry, regulates their estates, divides their inheritances; can it not take away from them entirely the trouble of thinking and the pain of living?

So it is that every day it renders the employment of free will less useful and more rare; it confines the action of the will in a smaller space and little by little steals the very use of it from each citizen. .  .  .

Thus, after taking each individual by turns in its powerful hands and kneading him as it likes, the sovereign extends its arms over society as a whole; it covers its surface with a network of small, complicated, painstaking, uniform rules through which the most original minds and the most vigorous souls cannot clear a way to surpass the crowd; it does not break wills but it softens them, bends them, and directs them; it rarely forces one to act, but it constantly opposes itself to one’s acting; it does not destroy, it prevents things from being born; it does not tyrannize, it hinders, compromises, enervates, extinguishes, dazes, and finally reduces each nation to being nothing more than a herd of timid and industrious animals of which government is the shepherd

. .  .  .

Subjection in minor affairs breaks out every day and is felt by the whole community indiscriminately. It does not drive men to resistance, but it crosses them at every turn, till they are led to surrender the exercise of their own will. Thus their spirit is gradually broken and their character enervated; whereas that obedience which is exacted on a few important but rare occasions only exhibits servitude at certain intervals and throws the burden of it upon a small number of men. It is in vain to summon a people who have been rendered so dependent on the central power to choose from time to time the representatives of that power; this rare and brief exercise of their free choice, however important it may be, will not prevent them from gradually losing the faculties of thinking, feeling, and acting for themselves, and thus gradually falling below the level of humanity.

 

I add that they will soon become incapable of exercising the great and only privilege which remains to them. The democratic nations that have introduced freedom into their political constitution at the very time when they were augmenting the despotism of their administrative constitution have been led into strange paradoxes. To manage those minor affairs in which good sense is all that is wanted, the people are held to be unequal to the task; but when the government of the country is at stake, the people are invested with immense powers; they are alternately made the play things of their ruler, and his masters, more than kings and less than men. After having exhausted all the different modes of election without finding one to suit their purpose, they are still amazed and still bent on seeking further; as if the evil they notice did not originate in the constitution of the country far more than in that of the electoral body.

 

It is indeed difficult to conceive how men who have entirely given up the habit of self-government should succeed in making a proper choice of those by whom they are to be governed; and no one will ever believe that a liberal, wise, and energetic government can spring from the suffrages of a subservient people.

 

A constitution republican in its head and ultra-monarchical in all its other parts has always appeared to me to be a short-lived monster. The vices of rulers and the ineptitude of the people would speedily bring about its ruin; and the nation, weary of its representatives and of itself, would create freer institutions or soon return to stretch itself at the feet of a single master.

 

–Alexis de Tocqueville

 

Posted via web from Andrew Colclough

[Via http://appeal2heaven.com]

Liberty London - Merci Paris - The joining of 2 cool stores

Merci is a wonderful department store opened last year in Paris which has as its Creative Director Marie-France Cohen who is the owner and founder of Bonpoint one of the best French children’s fashion labels.

For this month they have a joint swap shop with Liberty which opened on Tuesday morning featuring an exclusive limited edition collection of fashion and homeware designed by Marie-France Cohen using her favorite Liberty designs selling throughout March.

The Paris store was reportably swamped when it opened with the best items selling out so swift visits to Liberty would seem to be in order, profits will be going to benefit a children’s charity in Madagascar so its all in a good cause too. The fastest selling item is the floral mini suitcase, truly a wondrous item, apparently on the stores opening day on Monday Japanese visitors were buying up to 5 each in different fabrics.

The Carnaby St entrance to Merci at Liberty

Children's fashion too at Merci at Liberty

Wonderful ruffled waistcoat by Merci at Liberty

Angel wings hanger decoration

Baby bibs and sought after floral case

All pictures smudgetikka – all rights reserved

[Via http://smudgetikka.wordpress.com]

THREE Simple Requirements

Presidential Eligibility: Three Simple Requirements WHAT IF “BIRTHERS” WERE “AGE-ERS”?

Article: The Post & Email

John Jay, who insisted on including the "natural born citizen" clause in the U.S. Constitution

Everyone knows, or should by now with all of the “birther” hullabaloo, Article II of the Constitution and its three requirements for the Commander-in-Chief: He must be a “natural born Citizen,” at least thirty-five years old, and have resided for at least fourteen years within the United States.

Most Americans, according to the media, accept Obama’s alleged place of birth as Hawaii and his US citizenship. Many, though, especially in “tea party” circles, express frustration with his seeming lack of “transparency,” want to see more than the short-form birth certificate posted on the internet, and ask questions like: “Where do we put the plaque?” Everyday Americans must show a birth certificate and other credentials to get jobs, drivers’ licenses, loans, passports, play on sports teams, etc., and they wish that Obama would just present his so we can get on with it. These viewpoints earn them the dreaded label of “birther.”

The majority of “birthers” consider themselves “Constitutionalists,” and whether or not they have questions about Obama’s Hawaiian birth, they do have reservations about the “natural born” part— because of his Kenyan father, who was not an immigrant and never a US citizen, resulting in Obama Jr. admittedly being a dual citizen at birth. Scholars and attorneys could debate the definition of “natural born” for hours. Combine that question with the current political correctness of birthright citizenship, dual citizenship/allegiance and immigration, and the arguments become even more heated.

But what if the eligibility issue was much simpler to grasp:  What if it had to do with the simplest of the three Presidential criteria—Age?

Imagine this:

A man runs for President, and the mainstream media doesn’t investigate, amid rumors and questionable statements and evidence, whether or not he is in fact at least 35 years old. An online organization which calls itself a “fact-checker,” even though its employees have no actual credentials or legitimacy for doing so, posts a digital image purported to be his driver’s license showing he is 35 years old. The media never directly asks this candidate his age, and he never directly offers it.

The man “seals” and/or relies on federal and state privacy laws in keeping his birth, medical, school and college records and other documents hidden from the public, making it impossible to verify his eligibility. Friends, fellow students, and colleagues are strangely silent.

Concerned citizens, before the general election, before the electoral votes, before the inauguration and after, attempt to pursue every avenue of inquiry and protest. Some urge their national party headquarters to raise questions and ensure he is properly “vetted.” Others file complaints with their secretary of state or state attorney general to ascertain that they verified that he was constitutionally eligible to be on the ballot. Some petition their electors to ask questions. They ask their senators and congressmen to object at the meeting of the Electoral College.

But nothing was done. All inquiries are answered with a reference to the digital image posted on the internet on Factcheck or Snopes as proof.

And he wins the election.

Citizens file lawsuits asking the courts to intervene (some even before the election), and not one case is ever heard on its merits; rather, many are thrown out because of “lack of standing” or that the plaintiff’s injury was not “particular,” but rather, deemed to affect all members of the general public equally.

The courts dismiss cases because they said the man was definitely 35, not based on an examination of any actual evidence, but because the issue had been “raised, vetted, blogged, texted, twittered and otherwise massaged by America’s vigilant citizenry.”

A judge refers to the digital image posted on the internet without ensuring that it met electronic security standards for evidence.

Plaintiffs are offered the remedy of voting in the next election.

Other judiciaries throw out cases based on the “political question” doctrine—stating that whether or not he was 35 (or if it even mattered) was decided by 69 million voters, and therefore the courts should not intervene.

Many others argue that the Founding Fathers’ age requirement is old-fashioned and unnecessary for Americans today.

The mainstream media, instead of doing any in-depth questioning or investigating of their own, ridicule those who do, calling them tin-foil hat wearers, extremists, crazy, and “Age-ers.” His fans cry: “We won” and “Get over it.”

The “Age-ers” are called “racist” or accused of “hate” because it so happens the man is also an African-American.
And this President, in a speech calling for civility, implies that questions about his age are uncivil.

Now, substitute “natural born citizenship” for “age,” and “birthers” for “age-ers” in the above scenario. What a mess.

Unlike the nebulous “general welfare” or “interstate commerce” clauses, Article II eligibility is one of the most straightforward provisions in the Constitution.  And for some reason, we can’t even get this right, according to recent polls and surveys, to the satisfaction of a large percentage of Americans.

Our Founding Fathers would be disappointed to find that the three branches of government, along with the media, have failed to uphold, refused to investigate, and ridiculed those who question—a very, very simple provision in the Constitution.  Its laws can be amended, but they should never be simply ignored.

We can argue the constitutionality of the various legislation proposed and passed by this administration, but the very legitimacy of our Commander-in-Chief, who has sworn to uphold and defend the Constitution, is arguably the most important issue, as it is the most symbolic of all.  The buck stops at the President’s desk.  Either his power is granted, and thereby limited, under the Constitution—or he is placed, or places himself, over and above it and the law.

Mr. Obama:  You swore an oath to uphold the Constitution.  Now please act as though you took that oath seriously. Assure “We the People” that you are in fact eligible to hold your office in the first place. Welcome a judicial interpretation of the founders’ “natural born” requirement, even if it means you may not have the right to hold your office. Your personal ambition should not come before your patriotism. It is not “uncivil” to be asked questions about your citizenship; it is uncivil for you to refuse to answer and to allow your staff to belittle the very citizens you represent.

And to those who derisively label as “birthers” those who do take the Constitution and his oath seriously:  You should also care, very much.

Because the only thing standing between you and the government that is supposed to represent you and protect your liberty and freedom is that now very fragile document.

“When a man assumes a public trust, he should consider himself as public property. “—Thomas Jefferson

You Obamatrons should thank Fishleg and me. We (OKAY – the Post & Email did, but hey.) broke this down SO much that even the most DIE-HARD Obama knobslobbing moron could understand. It’s not about race. It’s not about BHussein. It’s about the UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION. Do you fucking get it yet? Probably not. If you were dumb enough to mark BHussein on your ballot in the first place; there probably isn’t much hope for you. Enjoy life as a simpleton with a double-digit I.Q. I can’t speak from experience, but from what I hear; Ignorance is bliss.

[Via http://hahayouredead.wordpress.com]

Not Paranoid When They are Out to Get YOU

House Democrats are suspicious of each other, none of them trust their Senate counterparts, and vice versa, and a Soviet mole has infiltrated the highest levels of British intelligence. Sorry, that last part is from a John le Carré thriller, though it might take a novelist to do justice to the ObamaCare-induced paranoia that now engulfs Congress—not to mention the double game that the White House may well be running.

Last week President Obama sanctioned “reconciliation,” a complex tactic that would jam ObamaCare into law on sheer power politics. But what if this gambit is really a false-flag operation, meant to lure House Democrats into voting for a bill that they would otherwise oppose? That’s the question many rank-and-file Members are now asking themselves, and they’re right to be worried.

The cleanest option for Democrats would be for the House to pass the Senate’s Christmas Eve bill word for word, thereby bypassing a Senate filibuster under the normal rules and forwarding ObamaCare directly to the Rose Garden signing ceremony. But Speaker Nancy Pelosi has repeatedly said the votes simply don’t exist for the Senate bill as is.

Liberals don’t think the middle-class insurance subsidies are large enough. Big Labor hates the “Cadillac tax” on high-cost health coverage because extremely generous benefits typically come out of collective bargaining. The pro-life Democrats led by Michigan’s Bart Stupak can’t abide federal funding for abortion. Everyone detests the enveloping corruption, such as the Nebraska Medicaid bribe for Ben Nelson, which has become so politically toxic that the opponents now include Ben Nelson.

Thus the convoluted scheme the White House has mapped out. The House would first pass the Senate bill, and then pass a reconciliation bill that addresses these objections—in effect converting the process into a makeshift and unprecedented vehicle for amendments. Mrs. Pelosi can’t rope in the 216 votes she needs without an iron-clad promise of another round of Senate action.

Iron-clad promise—or double-cross? After all, the White House would much prefer the Senate bill, because by its lights the cost-control programs are tougher than what the House prefers. And from a political perspective, a bill that can be signed immediately and that the press will portray as an historic achievement is far better than the drawn-out and gory battle that would be reconciliation. Republican Senators will have many procedural knives at their disposal, and the process will force Democrats to cast further votes and spend more months debating a deeply unpopular bill.

In other words, perhaps Mr. Obama has embraced this reconciliation two-step only to renege as soon as the House gives him what he wants. While some House Democrats would be furious, they’d soon be defending the Senate bill by necessity against the GOP. The moderates who vote for it might be collateral damage, but the White House has already concluded that this is the price of building its cradle-to-grave entitlement citadel.

Mr. Obama’s closing arguments are lending credence to rank-and-file fears that they’re getting played. Democrats are telling reporters that Mr. Obama has been telling them in private meetings that his Presidency, and the party’s claim to any achievement, rests on passing a bill. With barely any mention of substance, the right bill is any bill, by any political means necessary.

The White House also announced that it now wants the House to pass the Senate bill by March 18, before Mr. Obama departs for a foreign tour in the Pacific. But this barely leaves any time for the Congressional Budget Office to score Mr. Obama’s reconciliation fixes. Then there’s House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer’s far-fetched suggestion to Mr. Stupak and the antiabortion bloc that Democrats can take care of their concerns in a third bill, which everyone knows will fail in the Senate if it even comes to the floor.

In this wilderness of political mirrors, anything is possible. Spooked Democrats shouldn’t be surprised if they wind up being double-crossed for the ostensibly greater good of Mr. Obama’s legacy. (WSJ)

Trust Mr “Hope and Change”?

Mr “No tax if you make less $250,000 per year”

Mr “they (Republicans) have no ideas”

Trust Me.

Why ever would you be worried?

Look at that face. And he speaks so well (and put on a Negro Dialect when he wants to- according his aides).

It’s Not all about Him.

<>

Then you read this, also in The Wall Street Journal:

Everyone knows Democrats are planning to use the budget reconciliation process to get ObamaCare through the Senate. Less well known is that Democrats are plotting add-ons to that bill to get other liberal priorities enacted—programs that could never attract 60 votes.

One of these controversial measures rewrites the Higher Education Act to ban private companies from offering federally guaranteed student loans as of this July. Congress has already passed laws in recent years discouraging private lenders from making loans without a federal guarantee. But most college financial-aid departments still want private companies to originate and service the guaranteed loans. That’s because the alternative—a public option run by the Department of Education—has been distinguished by its Soviet-style customer service.

The Democratic plan is to make this public option the only option mere days before colleges send out their financial aid packages to incoming students. The House and Senate budget committees issued instructions last year to look for savings in the student-lending program, so the Democrats have prepared in advance their excuse to jam these changes through the reconciliation process.

Secretary of Education Arne Duncan portrays the changes as eliminating subsidies to private companies, but no one should misinterpret these comments to mean that taxpayers will benefit. The plan that passed the House includes $67 billion in “savings,” according to a Friday estimate from the Congressional Budget Office. But the bill also has more than $77 billion in new spending.

The net loss to taxpayers isn’t limited to $10 billion. After inquiries from Senator Judd Gregg (R., N.H.) and Rep. John Kline (R., Minn.) last year, CBO explained that “savings” estimates are artificially high because of government accounting rules that undercount the risks of default when the government is originating the loans, while the new spending estimates are artificially low. This could be significant. Many colleges oppose the government plan specifically because the feds don’t make the same effort to prevent defaults that the private lenders do.

Taxpayers have even more reason than academics to fear the impact, in part because the public may not learn the details before this plan becomes law. Democrats aim to bring their education revolution to the floor without a committee vote or even a hearing in the Senate.

Democrats might seek to enact the bill passed by the House last summer, an even more ambitious plan sketched out in the President’s 2011 budget, or some mystery meat prepared by chef Tom Harkin, who chairs the Senate education committee. So far he won’t tell anyone what’s on the menu, and he may not have to. The limited 20 hours of reconciliation debate will no doubt be consumed by ObamaCare, but another new entitlement could be hustled into law under cover of bloviating lawmakers.

Both the House-passed bill and the President’s budget increase Pell Grants and also create automatic future increases, so individual grants will grow faster than inflation every year. Colleges will pocket the money by raising tuition, so we have yet another federal program ensuring that higher education costs continue to rise even faster than health-care spending.

Mr. Obama’s budget also calls for making Pell Grants a mandatory entitlement. At least now they are subject to annual appropriation and their growth can be slowed when tax revenues fall or other priorities rate higher. Mr. Obama would prefer spending that is quite literally out of control.

“Various changes that the President proposes to the Pell Grant program would add another $0.2 trillion to the deficit between 2011 and 2020,” CBO said Friday. That could turn out to be a very optimistic estimate if unemployment remains high and more people seize the educational opportunity to which they have just become entitled. Still another taxpayer trap will be sprung if the President’s proposal to forgive some debt incurred by “overburdened” borrowers is included in the bill.

The federal education takeover is another example of the Democrats’ willingness to use whatever tactics are necessary to advance their agenda to concentrate power in Washington—while they still can.
Then you have your answer.

[Via http://indyfromaz.wordpress.com]

Just another day in the life....

Today was a relatively stress free day after mailing out shipments on Saturday and delivering Miche bags and shells today to all the great customers that have placed an order-they are greatly appreciated!

I am sad to announce that we might not see the release of the Madelyn shell until next week-I’m disappointed, as there has been great interest in the Madelyn shell. I will update as soon as this shell is released, and keep everyone updated on the April releases! I’m so pleased that we have new shells every month, it gives me such enjoyment to open the packages!

I spent the morning with my grandkids, and my daughter for coffee. Of course, I was required to bring her a new shell, the Laney. I’m glad she likes it!  I wonder how long it will take for my grand daughter to start showing interest in the bags as well, but for now her Polly pockets and her play purses seem to be enough!

I will be submitting an order this evening, if you have something you want please contact me before midnight!

Yours,

Polly

michebagparties@aol.com

Follow my FANPAGE  for updates, pictures, and retiring shell information. 

P.S. PURPLE ELLIE, JADE, AND ORANGE SHEILA ARE RETIRED SHELLS–WE HAVE  A LIMITED SUPPLY, GET THEM BEFORE THEY’RE GONE!

[Via http://michebagparties.wordpress.com]

Thought for 3-5-10 - wake up and smell the coffee

A letter to the President and Congress:

I already know you aren’t stupid. Stupid people can’t lie as well as you can. So that leaves only a deceitful spirit. If you have a deceitful spirit then you hate the truth. If you hate the truth, then you hate God. And if you hate God, then you hate me. That makes you my enemy.

If you treacherous, socialist leaning, lying bastards continue on this course and ignore the will of the majority of the tax paying citizens in this country then you qualify as traitors. There will be judgment.

I quote here from the Declaration of Independence: “That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. That whenever any form of government becomes destructive to these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness.”

Do you understand that? Do you get it? You are on real thin ice. If my life depends on the present course of events, then so does yours. You had better wake up and smell the coffee. We don’t want hope and change. We don’t want a new logo, we don’t want more taxes and we sure as hell don’t want more government intrusion into our lives.

Do you think we will not do this? If so, you qualify for insane. This is your last chance. You either get with the program or you’re gone. You will end up nothing but a bad memory.

The local news media today said that the reconciliation process is ‘clearly an attempt to railroad the Senate’. Here’s a history lesson for those of you who obviously do not understand the issue.

The reconciliation process was ‘invented’ in 1974 to streamline the budget process. It was designed to be used with tax and spend issues. It seems clear that it was never intended to be used to ramrod such comprehensive and complicated as issue as health care reform.

A number of democrats have already jumped ship announcing that they will not seek re-election. Arkansas’ own Rep. Berry, a fervent democrat, was quoted in today’s paper that even he will not support the legislation unless it has strong language prohibiting abortion. You can expect more democrats, in the coming weeks, to find ways to avoid losing their jobs in November.

Nancy, you and Harry and Joe had better come to your senses. Your retirement looms dead ahead. I would start doing some retirement and estate planning.

I can’t leave without offering one final admonishment. If this health care plan is so good, then why in the hell are you exempt from it? Did you ever hear the old adage, ‘what’s good for the goose is good for the gander’? I guess not, or maybe you don’t understand it.

Socialism is taking part of what’s mine and giving it to someone else to make us even. Sorry, that dog don’t hunt. Not in my lifetime. Not here. Not now. Not ever. Enjoy your retirement.

[Via http://ozarkfreedomfighter1.wordpress.com]

A Travis Letter to all Americans

Yesterday on March 2 the State of Texas had its independence day. For those out there not familiar with Texas History on March 2nd 1836 A.D., at the same time as 185 brave Texians fought for their lives at the Alamo (February 23 to March 6, 1836), Texans signed the Declaration of Independence.

This was a sign to all Americans – we are willing to fight for our right to be free men with liberty and justice for all.

We never forget Col. William Barett Travis, Jim Bowie, Davy Crockett, and the other 185 Hero’s who have fought bravely at the Alamo and gave their lives for us to be free just as today we have men and women all over the world sacrificing the greatest good they have to provide the blanket of freedom under which we live in – The unsung American Soldier.

And the battle cry, “DONT FORGET THE ALAMO” is still in every Texans ear.

All throughout History not politicians, Newspapers, or any other organization has given us freedom, but the American Soldier.

Today we are at War again. It is a different kind of war. It is a social war that is going on right now in the United States, a war between Socialists (and backdoor communists) surrounding our current President Barack H. Obama and patriotic Americans fighting for their Constitutional Rights, their freedom, and everything that is dear to the American People.

Today’s War is not fought with guns and cannons, today’s war is fought with words, blogs, and the media, but nevertheless this war again is about our Freedom, our Liberty, our Constitution, our Heritage, and our right to be proud Americans.

I would like you to listen to the Words of a great Patriot and Role model to many Americans what the words Republic, Freedom, and America in general means to him – Marion Robert Morrison also known as JOHN WAYNE

Here I would like to apologize to all my fellow Texans for using the letter of Col. William Travis as a template for my own letter. At these changing times we all are in fear for the loss of our freedom and everything dear to us I truly think that Americans need a message as Inspiring as the Letter from Col. Travis calling for Aid.

In loving memory to Lt. Col. William Barett Travis – Defender of the Alamo – Hero

My letter to the American People:  

American, Patriot, Lover of the Constitution, Free man,
Member of the Tea Party Movement. Christian Reagan Conservative & Proud defender of the Constitution of the United States of America;

Spofford Texas, March 3rd 2010

To the People of Texas & all Americans in the world
Fellow Citizens & Compatriots

We are besieged by a million or more of the Socialists under Barack H. Obama and his Czars. We have sustained a continual bombardment & cannonade of Socialist Agenda’s attacking our constitutional rights, our freedom and our liberties for the past 13 Months and have yet stood tall and defended what is dear to the American People.  

The enemy has demanded surrender at discretion; otherwise our civil liberties will be put to the sword if the country is taken by the Marxist – socialists.

We have answered the demands with an increasing movement, protests, petitions, and gatherings to defend what belongs to us and what we love – The Constitution of the United States of America, and our flag still waves proudly from the walls. 

We shall never surrender nor retreat.

Then, I call on you in the name of Liberty, Freedom, Justice, and Patriotism & of everything dear to the American character, to come to our aid with all dispatch.  

The enemy is receiving reinforcements daily through polluted Media, Examples from foreign socialist countries and well placed Czars in Law-Enforcements or Intelligence Units to undermine our liberty of free speech & will no doubt increase to several millions within a short period of time.

Therefore I call upon you, to come and join our cause. Bring your friends, neighbors and families, & bring your signs and Flags and proudly wave the Star Spangled Banner at the gatherings.

This country has been built on men and women willing to sacrifice for our liberties and our soldiers who give their lives for the same.

So I call upon you to give America one hour a day, use your phones, write your representatives, and jam their phones, Emails & Fax machines. Call the White House, go to our gatherings & Make your voice heard.

Your voice does matter – your voice that says: I WANT TO KEEP MY FREEDOM – Listen to me.

If this call is neglected, I am determined to sustain myself as long as possible & die like a soldier who never forgets what is due to his own honor & that of his own country together with my fellow patriots. 

Victory or Death

Tom Carl Lehner

P. S. The Lord is on our side

[Via http://tclehner.wordpress.com]

Spots at the end 'o day

This may have been the longest day ever, judging by how long it has taken to get the pix selected, tweaked and posted.

When I left Bounce’s band, the youngsters were moving from grazing mode to play mode.

While I sat with Bounce and Alegre, the babies had grazed their way farther along the slope. I turned from the ultra-relaxed mare and stallion to see the three playmates kicking up their heels down to what must have been a crossing spot over a shallow arroyo that ran just behind Bounce and Alegre and come back toward us on the other side. I wanted to include these couple of pix to show some behavior but also again to show the size difference between Whisper and Liberty.

This “initiation” has been going on since Molly briefly lingered with the band. What is it we say about human little boys who “torment” and harass human little girls …?

Meanwhile …

Mama and Daddy are nearby and unconcerned. Alegre was a few feet behind Bounce, but I liked the juxtaposition of their faces, so I cropped in.

I had seen most of the horses I had particularly wanted to see – not Poco and Roach – and I think they remain the horses I haven’t seen in the longest time, since early winter. I headed out of the basin and saw Grey/Traveler and Houdini and Terra on my way out. I debated driving down the county road to try to spot the pintos again – and/or David and Shadow and/or Bruiser, Twister and Cinch. The sun had dropped below clouds, and end of the day in the basin is always so gorgeous …

I thought, no way will I get lucky two visits in a row and see the pintos right off the road, but I decided to drive down anyway, just to see what I could see.

Deer were out by the hundreds, at least – all does and last year’s fawns from what I could tell. With the lack of snow, the Disappointment is a friendly place for them right now.

Shot right through the window of the Jeep from the Disappointment Road.

I drove on down … and who do you suppose I saw, not only right off the road again but even closer to the road this time??

Kiowa leads Milagro and Copper through the mud, which was sloppy-messy in the southern part of the herd area.

Chipeta was buzzing around trying to incite jealousy or I’m not sure what … Mesa was mostly just annoyed …

… especially when it worked on Ty, right (this pic taken immediately after the pic above).

She calmed down a bit when she got back around to Kiowa and nursing Milagro. That’s almost-3-year-old Reya in the background.

Spook in the middle now (isn’t she a big girl? 2 in May) and widened to include Copper.

Sometimes the older “babies” just aren’t ready to give up Mama … Spook, cutting off Milagro to be close to Kiowa.

Corazon is still with the band; I just realize he didn’t make it into my pictures this visit.

And there you finally have all the pony sightings of that lovely day last month (can you believe it’s March?!)! The horses are all wintering extremely well, I think, as you can tell by their luxurious coats and ripe little bellies!

[Via http://springcreekwild.wordpress.com]

Obama And The Democrats Renew The Patriot Act

They voted for it, he signed it. All their outrage about it that the media amplified? Pure show.

The crickets chirping right now? That’s how the ACLU and all other leftist protesters really feel about protecting your rights. They don’t actually care: they’re just about prosecuting conservatives.

On the other hand, they did a good enough job waking up Americans to the fact that Government is the major threat to their rights. The threat just comes from the left as much, if not more, than from the right.

[Via http://taoist.wordpress.com]

CNN Poll: Majority Think Government Poses Threat To Citizens' Rights

Tea Party acitivists should be proud, America is waking rapidly. A new CNN poll shows Americans are becoming increasingly skeptical of the Federal Government and it’s intent towards people rights and freedoms. Well you think so? The Tea Party was founded on fidelity to the Constitution and loosely on Glen Beck’s 9/12 project, values and first principles.

Fifty-six percent of people questioned in a CNN/Opinion Research Corporation survey released Friday say they think the federal government has become so large and powerful that it poses an immediate threat to the rights and freedoms of ordinary citizens. Forty-four percent of those polled disagree.

The survey indicates a partisan divide on the question: Only 37 percent of Democrats, 63 percent of independents and nearly seven in 10 Republicans say the federal government poses a threat to the rights of Americans.

Democrats are depends people.

[Via http://tarpon.wordpress.com]

How to Organize a Tea-Party

It has been many moons since sitting down at a tea-party with my little friends (at the time), although it is that type of comity and friendship that brings people together in times like these.

Governor Schwarzenegger’s remarks about the Tea-Parties disappearing are not hard to believe.  The reason is because people think that this is a one-time frustration with the system, and as most humans (and Americans) operate, that frustration soon goes away (or we become complacent).

However, it would be great to prove the people wrong who think that the Tea-Party movement will just “go away.”  The reason is that the movement is not about politics – it is about our RESPONSIBILITY as Americans, as constituents, and as consumers.  It is about EVERYTHING, and because WE THE PEOPLE are the foundation of this great Country, we cannot just “stop” when things look good.  We must continue to be vigilant, and never go back to the complacency that got us here in the first place.

How do you organize a Tea Party?  Well, we keep the grass-roots activism alive, you support grass-roots organizations, and you support local media outlets that are dedicated to the cause.  And, you don’t stop.  Ever.

By Tisha Casida

[Via http://goodamericanpost.info]

Leaked ACTA draft reveals plans for internet clampdown

ISPs must snoop on subscribers or face being sued by content owners

By Paul Meller | Brussels | 21 February, 2010   Computerworld

The US, Europe and other countries including New Zealand are secretly drawing up rules designed to crack down on copyright abuse on the internet, in part by making ISPs liable for illegal content, according to a copy of part of the confidential draft agreement that was seen by the IDG News Service.

It is the latest in a series of leaks from the anticounterfeiting trade agreement (ACTA) talks that have been going on for the past two years. Other leaks over the past three months have consisted of confidential internal memos about the negotiations between European lawmakers.

The chapter on the internet from the draft treaty was shown to the IDG News Service by a source close to people directly involved in the talks, who asked to remain anonymous. Although it was drawn up last October, it is the most recent negotiating text available, according to the source.

It proposes making ISPs (internet service providers) liable under civil law for the content their subscribers upload or download using their networks.

To avoid being sued by a record company or Hollywood studio for illegally distributing copyright-protected content, the ISP would have to prove that it took action to prevent the copyright abuse, according to the text, and in a footnote gives an example of the sort of policy ISPs would need to adopt to avoid being sued by content owners:

“An example of such a policy is providing for the termination in appropriate circumstances of subscriptions and accounts in the service provider’s system or network of repeat offenders,” the text states.

Terminating someone’s subscription is the graduated response enacted in France last year that sparked widespread controversy. The French law is dubbed the “Three Strikes” law because French ISPs must give repeat file sharers two warnings before cutting off their connection.

Other countries in Europe are considering similar legal measures to crack down on illegal file-sharing. However, EU-wide laws waive ISPs’ liability for the content of messages and files distributed over their networks.

European Commission officials involved in negotiating ACTA on behalf of the EU insist that the text being discussed doesn’t contradict existing EU laws.

“There is flexibility in the European system. Some countries apply judicial solutions (to the problem of illegal file-sharing), others find technical solutions,” said an official on condition he wasn’t named.

He said the EU doesn’t want to make a “three strikes” rule obligatory through the ACTA treaty. “Graduated response is one of many methods of dealing with the problem of illegal file-sharing,” he said.

He also admitted that some in the Commission are uncomfortable about the lack of transparency in the ACTA negotiations.

“The fact that the text is not public creates suspicion. We are discussing internally whether the negotiating documents should be released,” he said, but added that even if it was agreed in Brussels that the documents should be made public, such a move would require the approval of the EU’s 10 ACTA negotiating partners.

The participating countries are the US, the E.U., Canada, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, Singapore, Jordan, Morocco and the United Arab Emirates.

In a separate leak that first appeared on blogs last week, the European Commission updated members of the European Parliament on the most recent face-to-face meeting between the signatory countries, which took place in Mexico at the end of last month.

According to that leak, the internet chapter of the treaty was discussed, but no changes to the position suggested by the US last fall were agreed.

“The internet chapter was discussed for the first time on the basis of comments provided by most parties to US proposal. The second half of the text (technological protection measures) was not discussed due to lack of time,” the memo said, adding:

“Discussions still focus on clarification of different technical concepts, therefore, there was not much progress in terms of common text. The US and the EU agreed to make presentations of their own systems at the next round, to clarify issues.”

The Commission official refused to comment on the content of the leaked documents.

The next meeting of ACTA negotiators will take place in New Zealand in April.

[Via http://laudyms.wordpress.com]

The Carbon Trade Rip-Off

Here’s how it works:

Corus’ steelworks at Redcar, near Middlesbrough, “Teesside Cast Products”, is to be closed (”mothballed” is the euphemism). It is Britain’s last great steelworks and an essential national resource. Without it, we are at the world’s mercy.

Corus is owned by Tata Steel of India.   Recently, Tata received “EU-carbon-credits” worth up to £1bn, ostensibly so that steel-production at Redcar would not be crippled by the EU’s “carbon-emissions-trading-scheme”. By closing the plant at Redcar – and not making any “carbon-emissions” – Tata walks off with £1bn of taxpayers’ money, which it will invest in its steel-factories in India, where there is no “carbon-emissions-trading-scheme”.

Read the whole thing.

[Via http://sidemeat.wordpress.com]

Great Patriot Money Bomb for Liberty Candidates

Great Patriot Money Bomb for Liberty Candidates

On April 18th 1775 At the start of the War of American Independence, US patriot Paul Revere rode from Charleston to Lexington, warning people that British troops were advancing….

 Liberty Candidates are letting us know that we need to win our American Independence back with Sound Money, Constitutional Government, Individual Liberty, a Free Market and Non-interventionist Foreign Policy. 

  Great Patriot Money Bomb for Liberty Candidates 
  April 18, 2010

♦ Candidates with this symbol have been endorsed by Retake Congress           

♣ Candidates with this symbol have been endorsed by LibertySlate 10 (Republican Liberty Caucus)

♥Candidates with this symbol have signed the 10th Amendment Pledge 10 4 2010

® Candidates with this symbol have been endorsed by RogueOn.org

  **about donating to people with a paypal account:  If your candidate uses PayPal and you don’t have a PayPal account, don’t feel as though you are forced to open one. Look for the link on the left side of the PayPal page that says, “Don’t have a PayPal account? Use your credit card or bank account.” There will be a link that says “Continue” next to that. This is your easy way to donate directly from your credit card to your favorite candidates. Alabama ♣♦Paul Lambert – Congress 6th District
http://www.votelambert.org/ Roy Moore – Governor                                                                                        http://www.moore2010.com/?page_id=14 Arizona Nick Coons – Congress 5th District
http://www.nickcoonsforcongress.com/contribute/donate.php ♦♥Jim Deakin – United States Senate                                 https://www.jimdeakin.com/donate.php Barry Hess – Governor                                           http://www.hessforgovernor2010.com/index.html ♥Hugh Kealer – Governor                                                       https://hughkealer.com/Home_Page.php ♣Brian Miller – Congress 8th District                                          http://brianmillerforcongress.com/ Bruce Olsen – Governor
http://www.az4therepublic.com/  
California ♦Michael Benoit – Congress 52nd District
http://www.michaelbenoit.org/donate.php ♥♣♦John Dennis - Congress 8th District
https://www.completecampaigns.com/public.asp?name=DennisJohn&page=1 Bill Hunt – Orange County Sheriff                                    http://www.billhuntforsheriff2010.com/   ®♥Chelene Nightingale – Governor http://www.nightingaleforgovernor.com/pages/donate.htm Dale Ogden Governor     http://www.dalefogden.org/                                                                                                Jeff Takada – Congress 11th District                                           http://www.takada2010.com/support/  
Colorado Rob McNealy – Congress 6th District
http://www.robmcnealy.com/donations/  
Connecticut ♦Dan Reale – Congress 2nd District            http://www.realedealforcongress.com/Donate.html ♣♦Peter Schiff – United States Senate
https://secure.qgiv.com/cps_donors/index.php?key=secommittee  
Florida ♦Eddie Adams Jr. – Congress 11th District    https://secure.donationreport.com/donation.html?key=KX9CVEQVOALF               ♥John Annarumma – Congress 6th District                              http://www.johnannarumma.com/ Karl Dickey – Palm Beach County Commissioner http://www.karldickey.org/contribute.htm ♥Francisco Rodriquez – House of Representatives District 83 https://secure.yourpatriot.com/ou/francisco/331/donate.aspx Roger Shealy – House of Representatives District 29
http://www.shealy2010.com/support.html John Wayne Smith – Governor
http://johnwayne4gov.com/index.php ♥Thomas K. Snider – Congress 12th District         https://www.digitaldonation.com/donate.aspx?campid=1343 ♦♥Alexander Snitker – United States Senate
http://snitker2010.com/ ♦♥Troy D. Stanley – Congress 4th District http://www.stanley10.com/stanley_for_congress_004.htm  
Georgia Shane Coley – State Senate 47th District                         http://www.shanecoley.us/support.html Chuck Donovan – United States Senate                                  http://donovanforsenate.com/Donate ♥♦Michael Frisbee – Congress 13th District
https://www.fundraisingbynet.net/fbn/index.asp?guidRegistration=58575E58 ♥Ray McBerry – Governor  http://www.georgiafirst.org/governor/makeacontribution.shtml ♣Valerie Meyer – Congress 8th District
http://www.valerieforcongress.com/contribute.html John Monds – Governor
http://www.votemonds.com/donate.html Idaho ♣Chick Heileson – Congress 2nd District                               http://www.votechick.com/home.html  
Illinois Joe Bell – Attorney General                                                                             http://www.joebell2010.com/ Julie Fox – Comptroller                                                             http://foxforcomptroller.com/index.html Alton Franklin – United States Senate                                                             http://www.alton4us.org/ ♥Lex Green – Governor
http://electlex.com/donate.php ♣Josh Hanson – Secretary of State
http://joshhanson2010.com/donate/ Michael Labno – United States Senate                         http://www.labno4senate.com/page2.html ♥♣David Ratowitz – Congress 5th District
https://www.fundraisingbynet.net/fbn/contributeFederal.asp?guidRegistration=58575759  Edward Rutledge – Lt. Governor
https://www.fundraisingbynet.net/fbn/index.asp?guidRegistration=575D5B56  Randy Stufflebeam - Governor https://www.fundraisingbynet.net/fbn/contributeState.asp?guidRegistration=5D595856    Indiana Darrell Dillard - State Representative District 70 http://www.politicalgateway.com/cand.php?id=1545&page=cand ♥♣♦Rachel Grubb – Congress 3rd District
http://www.rachel4congress.biz/search/label/Donate  ♥Kristi Risk – Congress 8th District                        http://kristiriskcongress.com/donations.htm Kentucky ®♣♦Rand Paul – United States Senate                               https://www.randpaul2010.com/donate/ Ronnie Smith – Gallatin County Sheriff                                               http://ronniesmithforsheriff.com/  Maryland ♦♥♣Collins Bailey – Congress 5th District                  http://baileyforuscongress.com/donate.php ♣Robert Broadus – Congress 4th District
http://www.justiceandliberty.us/donate.html ♦Joe McArtor – Congress 1st District                                         http://www.mcartorforcongress.com/ Joe Seehusen – State Senate 42nd District
https://www.joeformaryland.com/civicrm/contribute/transact?reset=1&id=1  
Massachusetts Kamal Jain – Auditor                                                                                    http://kamaljain.com/donate/
  Minnesota Tim Utz – House of Representatives District 50-A
http://www.timutzforhouse.com/donate.htm  
Mississippi Joe Tegerdine – Congress 4th District
https://secure.qgiv.com/cps_donors/index.php?key=jtcongress  Michigan ♣Linda Goldthorpe – Congress 1st District            http://www.lindaforcongress.com/contribute   Missouri ♣Paul Curtman – State Representative 105th District http://www.paulcurtman.com/Volunteer_Donate.html Jonathan Dine – United States Senate                                                                           http://votedine.com/ Bob Parker – Congress 8th District                  http://www.electbobparker.com/contribute.html   Nevada William Hols – State Assembly District 34                                              http://www.williamhols.org/ Edward G. Klapproth – Congress 1st District                                           http://www.edklapproth.org/  
New Hampshire Jenn Coffey – State Representative District 6
http://www.jenncoffey.com/joomla/index.php?option=com_jdonation&view=donation&Itemid=65 Cameron DeJong – State  Representative District 9
http://www.camstaterep.com/donate.html  
New Jersey William Kern – Congress 1st District
http://kernforcongress.com/contribute.asp  
New Mexico ♥♣♦Adam Kokesh – Congress 3rd District                          https://kokesh.netboots.net/contribute  
New York Logan Bell – Congress 24th District                                                                         http://www.bell2010.com/ ♦Chris Cantwell – Congress 1st District
http://voteforcantwell.org/component/content/frontpage.html Warren Redlich – Governor                                                                        http://wredlich.com/ny/donate/ Anthony Tolda – Congress 2nd District                         http://anthonytolda.com/donations.html North Carolina Dr. Mike Beitler –  United States Senate
http://www.beitlerforussenate.org/ Glen Bradley – State House District 49     http://www.glenbradley.net/donate/toGlen10.html ♦♣Dr. Dan Eichenbaum – Congress 11th District
http://drdan4congress.com/donate  
Ohio ♥Jacob Dawson – State Representative 86th District http://www.dawson4you.com/pb/wp_629ce7d4/wp_629ce7d4.html Steve Linnabary – United States Senate                                                          http://www.linnabary.us ♥Kurtis Liston – House of Representatives 44th District
http://www.listonforliberty.org/?page_id=71 ♦David Ryon – Congress 15th District  https://www.fundraisingbynet.net/fbn/contributeFederal.asp?guidRegistration=5A5D575D  
Oklahoma ♥Randy Brogdon – Governor                                                       https://contribute.randybrogdon.com/  ♣Nathan Dahm – Congress 1st District                        http://www.nathandahm.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=128&Itemid=115 ♣♦RJ Harris – Congress 4th District
https://www.fundraisingbynet.net/fbn/contributeFederal.asp?guidRegistration=585B56  ♣Howard Huchen – Congress 2nd District http://www.houchenforcongress.com/payment.html  
Oregon ®♥♣♦Jaynee Germond – Congress 4th District                   http://www.germond2010.com/donate ®♥♣♦Delia Lopez – Congress District 3        http://www.dlopezforcongress.com/contribute.htm  
Pennsylvania Dan Frank – Congress 16th District    http://www.danfrankforcongress.com/Contribute.html Scott Pigeon – Congress 18th District                                                      http://scottpigeon.com/donate ♣Pat Sellers – Congress 6th District https://www.fundraisingbynet.net/fbn/contributeFederal.asp?guidRegistration=575D5D5C ♦Jake Towne – Congress 15th District
http://towneforcongress.com/ Douglas Walters – State Representative 93rd District                                         http://walters4pa.com/?page_id=148  
South Carolina Bill Connor – Lt. Governor South Carolina
http://www.servingsouthcarolina.com/ Christina Jeffrey – Congress 4th District                                                  http://christinajeffrey.com/ ♦Mike Vasovski – Congress 3rd District
https://vasovski.netboots.net/contribute Tennessee Daniel Lewis - State House District 53                       http://statehouse53.lewisdt.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=54%3Acontribute&catid=35%3Aabout-daniel-&Itemid=1  
Texas Will Bratton – House of Representatives District 59 http://www.willbratton.com/campaign/make-a-donation/ Jeff Daiell – Governor                                                                             http://www.jeffdaiell.com/donate Rick Donaldson – Agriculture Commissioner http://www.rickdonaldsonfortexasagriculturecommissioner.com/ Brian Drake - Constable Bexar County Precinct 2 http://drake4constable.wordpress.com/contribute/ Dr. Robert Lowry – Congress 23rd District https://drlowryforcongress.netboots.net/contribute ®♥Debra Medina – Governor
https://secure.piryx.com/donate/g79TEURR/medinafortexas/ ♦♥John Jay Myers – Congress 32nd District
http://www.johnjaymyers.com/index-8.htm ♣Ron Paul – Congress 14th District
http://www.ronpaulforcongress.com/html/contribute.html ♣Joe Petronis – Congress 10th District        http://donate.petronisforcongress.com/donate.asp ♣Stephen Schoppe – Congress 21st District http://tools.schoppe.us/civicrm/contribute/transact?reset=1&id=1 Bryon Severns – Congress 6th District                                                               http://bryonseverns.com/       David Smith – Congress 2nd District
http://www.dsmithforcongress.com/Default.aspx Joseph Spencer – House of Representatives District 130 http://spencerfortexas.com/contribute.html ♦Steve Susman – Congress 22nd District http://stevesusman2010.ning.com/profiles/blogs/donate-with-paypal Mike Taylor – Congress 18th District                             http://www.miketaylor18.com/index.html Fred Weider – Congress 22nd District                                                        http://www.johnwieder.com/ ♣Bruce West - Congress 8th District            http://www.brucewestforcongress.com/default.html  
Utah ♣Mike Lee – United States Senate                                              https://www.mikelee2010.com/donate James Williams – United States Senate
http://www.voteforjameswilliams.com/index1.html  
Virginia ♥♦Douglas Hutchinson – Congress 2nd District https://hutchforcongress.netboots.net/contribute ®♦♣Michael McPadden – Congress 5th District
http://mcpaddenforcongress.netboots.net/contribute ® Jim Trautz – Congress 10th District         https://co.clickandpledge.com/sp/d1/default.aspx?wid=29473

 Washington

David Hedrick – Congress 3rd District
http://www.davidwhedrick.com/Contribute-1.htm Craig Williams – United States Senate        https://votewilliams2010.netboots.net/contribute  
Wisconsin Michael Krsiean – Congress 3rd District
http://www.krsieanforcongress.com/support.html ♣Terri McCormick – Congress 8th District                           http://www.mccormickdonations.com/ Tim Nerenz – Congress 2nd District
http://timnerenz.com/donate-to-the-campaign-for-us-house-representatives Rick Richard – State Senate 15th District            http://www.voterickrichard.com/issues.html Rob Taylor – United States Senate                          http://www.robtaylorforsenate.com/donate.php Ed Thompson – State Senate 31st District
https://www.wisgopsenate.com/donations/?key=20

[Via http://gigibowman.wordpress.com]

Spring windows for children's fashion and mum's lifestyle 2010 part two

More early spring windows today, the grey gloom lifted a little on London on Wednesday so I popped out to see what some of my favorite stores had in their windows.

I was glad to see the tribute to Alexander McQueen in Liberty’s windows but a little perplexed by their depiction of Stella McCartney’s underwear, see what you think?

Alexander McQueen RIP - so sad

Strange display in Liberty windows for Stella McCartney underwear

Zara red, white and blue babies at home window

Shop window full of babies for Gap

Anthropologie florals inspired by their Magpie collective chandeliers

Ralph Lauren Caribbean shack at the children's store

Selfridges uplifting slogans for hard times

My favorite motto from Selfridges spring windows for 2010

all photos by smudgetikka – all rights reserved

[Via http://smudgetikka.wordpress.com]

The Parental Rights Amendment: A trojan horse

Here is the amendment, which purports to protect parental rights and, on a glance actually appears to do so.

Section 1. The liberty of parents to direct the upbringing and education of their children is a fundamental right.

Section 2. Neither the United States nor any State shall infringe upon this right without demonstrating that its governmental interest as applied to the person is of the highest order and not otherwise served.

Section 3. No treaty may be adopted nor shall any source of international law be employed to supersede, modify, interpret, or apply to the rights guaranteed by this article.

Sections one and three are very good, and would appear to protect the rights of parents to train up their children according to the dictates of their conscience. However, look again at section 2: Section 2. Neither the United States nor any State shall infringe upon this right without demonstrating that its governmental interest as applied to the person is of the highest order and not otherwise served. Notice how it does not make an exception for the life or abuse of the child, but for “governmental interest.” This amendment would give, for the first time, Constitutional authority for the government- federal, state or local- to seize ANY child for ANY reason. Section 2 with the nebulous terminology “governmental interest” effectively makes sections one and two non-existent. Considering the current congress and president’s obsession with “hate crimes” is it really that far fetched for such a administration, or a succeeding one, to deem a “governmental interest” in ensuring that children do not grow up with “divisive” and “disruptive” intolerant views on sexuality and gender identity, or perhaps “backwards and antisocial” views on private property and capitalism? This amendment, under the right regime, could be used to enact a defacto ban on home or private schooling if it was decided that such activities do not serve the “highest order” of the government’s interest. This amendment must be opposed at all levels This amendment, if added to the Constitution will deal a severe blow to parental rights, surrendering a great portion of parental authority to the government. Here is the official explanation of this section from the amendment’s website, parentalrights.org:

SECTION TWO

Neither the United States nor any State shall infringe upon this right without demonstrating that its governmental interest as applied to the person is of the highest order and not otherwise served.

SUMMARY: While parental rights do not include a right to commit child abuse or neglect, they are due the same high legal protection as other fundamental rights.

Notice that the summary they provide  includes specific examples: abuse/neglect. “Governmental interest,” while it COULD mean those things, cannot be logically or honestly claimed to be limited to those things. We are talking about politicians that have difficulty interpreting easy to understand phrases as “right to bear arms.” They will have a heyday with “governmental interest.” Just look what they’ve done with the commerce clause:

“…demonstrating that its governmental interest as applied to the person…”
Because fundamental rights are so important to our freedom as Americans, the government must meet a heightened burden of proof in order to restrict those rights. In legal terms, the government’s case begins with a positive demonstration – they must prove that there is a government interest in restricting the right, and that the government has a specific interest in restricting the right of the particular parents whose actions are being challenged. In early 2006, the U.S. Supreme Court used this very language when talking about violations of religious liberty. According to the Court, the government must “demonstrate that the compelling interest test is satisfied through application of the challenged law ‘to the person’–the particular claimant whose sincere exercise of religion is being substantially burdened.” Gonzales v. O Centro Espirito Beneficiente Uniao do Vegetal, 548 U.S. 418, 430-431 (2006). The text of this proposed parental rights amendment merely takes this well-established principle of law, and applies it explicitly to the fundamental right of parents.

Yes, it is called due process. Life liberty or property shall not be taken without due process, regardless of the “governmental interest.” This amendment does not provide any such “heightened burden of proof,” merely that the government thinks its interest in the child is greater than the parent’s and is not being served by the parents. It sets a very low bar, and leaves parental rights at the mercy of liberal bureaucrats and other social engineers.

“…of the highest order and not otherwise served.”
In 1972, the U.S. Supreme Court held that in order for the state of Wisconsin to override the rights of Amish parents, the government had to show that it had a compelling interest in requiring students to stay in school until age 16. Speaking of the right of the parents, the Court said that “the essence of all that has been said and written on the subject is that only those interests of the highest order and those not otherwise served can overbalance legitimate claims to the free exercise of religion.” Wisconsin v. Yoder, 406 U.S. 205, 215 (1972) (emphasis added).

The Supreme Court has required the government to follow this standard whenever there is a violation of a fundamental right. Prominent examples of this are cases that deal with racial discrimination (see Adarand v. Pena, 515 U.S. 200, 227 (1995): “All racial classifications, imposed by whatever federal, state, or local governmental actor, must be analyzed by a reviewing court under strict scrutiny. . . . Such classifications are constitutional only if they are narrowly tailored measures that further compelling governmental interests”), restrictions on free speech (see Widmar v. Vincent, 254 U.S. 263, 269-270 (1982): Whenever discriminating against speech on the basis of its content, the government “must show that its regulation is necessary to serve a compelling state interest and that it is narrowly drawn to achieve that end”), and invidious discrimination against religion (see Church of the Lukumi Babalu Aye, Inc., v. Hialeah, 508 U.S. 520, 546 (1993): “To satisfy the commands of the First Amendment, a law restrictive of religious practice must advance ‘interests of the highest order’ and must be narrowly tailored in pursuit of those interests.” In all these cases, the government must prove that it has a compelling interest, before the fundamental freedom at stake can be limited.

Again, this amendment does not spell out what “governmental interest” actually means, and leaves the door open to great federal abuse of this newly codified interest. The focus on religious practice here readily suggests that section 2 could be used to remove children from christian or other families that believe homosexuality or other behaviors are immoral and against God. The reason that would be cited is a “governmental interest” of the highest order in “promoting diversity and inclusiveness” and fostering a “tolerant society.”

We tend to read into a bill that we want to like those things that would make it likable. The reality of this would be amendment is that it opens the legal door to massive federal interference in the rights of parents to raise their children. And as far as the “UN Convention on the rights of the child,” Section 2 of this amendment makes section 3, professing to forbid treaties undermining parental authority moot- if said treaty is “in the utmost interest of the Government.”

This Amendment, as well as the UN Convention on the rights of the Child must be opposed by all who love freedom and want to raise up their children according to the laws of nature and Nature’s God.

[Via http://americana83.com]