I've decided to really start to get involved with my Tumblr account. Why? I have no good answer for that at time: however; other than just having a desire to do it I'm planning on concentrating more on music, food, art, and esoteric politics with this page. So...we'll see. Here's the link:
The Enduring Chill
And right quick, how about Rand Paul! Yesterday was so invigorating and exhilarating. A great day for Freedom and Liberty.
Yours in Peace and Liberty!
08 March 2013
26 February 2013
Tuesday Morning Bites
- Attended my local GOP meeting tonight in which I got to hear John Padgett speak. And while I'm definitely supporting Jordan "Alex" Johnson for GAGOP Chair, I have to admit, this guy's a lot better than BJ Van Gundy. Plus, Padgett's a Dawg (for the record, BJ Van Gundy is a damned Techie). So there's that. Seriously, he was just a cool guy and had some good things to say. He also said the words "Ron Paul" at least 3 times, and laughingly talked about his Youtube notoriety. Regarding that, he said that mistakes were made, and he realized that now. So, for those of you keeping score at home, that's another one running that seems to want to embrace the Liberty wing. Are these guys seriously trying to out-liberty Alex? No, obviously not. But what they may be doing is this: trying to reach out to TEA party, disaffected regulars, and others who may be of the belief that the grassroots must be injected with this beautiful and organic energy and passion to keep itself energized. Even long-serving establishment types are starting to see the light on this. So I guess that leaves Seth Harp as the "Establishment (read: McCain, Romney, Priebus Republican)" candidate. Good. Luck. With. That!
- There aren't many bloggers out there sharper or more articulated than Jeremy Kolassa. As I once commented on one his posts, "[he] makes me want to be a better writer." He hits another one out of the park with his latest at United Liberty: "How the Sequester Torpedoed Conservatives' Credibility" Some hard truths, but this much is sure: any GOPers wringing their hands over a 3% cut to future growth for anything might as well be on the other side. Come to think of it, I think just about every Republican in DC with the exception of maybe a few dozen in the House and maybe upwards of a dozen in the Senate might as well be Dems. They suck, and I hate them.
- And in other news considered "suprising (and those quotes would be sarcastic finger quotes)," here's another example from UL of Republicans in D.C. blowing it regarding sequestration. Again, they suck, and why are they there again?
- Musical Interlude:
- Fin: Rand Paul is awesome, and possibly the only man that can save our country. That is all...
22 February 2013
20 February 2013
The East Metro Round-up, 2.21.13
Today's menu: a sampling of National, State, and Local:
Julie Borowski hits it out of the park again. This time taking on the asinine push for a $9 minimum wage. Her videos are always smart, insightful, and funny.
How bad is Dekalb Co. right now? It's pretty bad. Line of the article: "D-e-K-a-l-b, a political subdivision in Georgia, pronounced, 'debacle,' as in 'a sudden and ignominious failure, a fiasco.'"
Perrin Lovett, a gentleman and a scholar, not to mention a superb political and legal mind, has a very, very interesting write-up in re Posse Comitatus. Bordering on book length, but a great read.
And another one from United Liberty - "Why We Need to Audit the Fed!"
And...NEWSFLASH: John Boehner and the GOP D.C.establishment suck! (they're part of the problem)
To turn to college football, the Senator has a killer write-up on the situation at the U (And by the way, the NCAA sucks, too!)
Liberty-themed musical selection: The Animals. "It's my Life!"
Bye!
Julie Borowski hits it out of the park again. This time taking on the asinine push for a $9 minimum wage. Her videos are always smart, insightful, and funny.
How bad is Dekalb Co. right now? It's pretty bad. Line of the article: "D-e-K-a-l-b, a political subdivision in Georgia, pronounced, 'debacle,' as in 'a sudden and ignominious failure, a fiasco.'"
Perrin Lovett, a gentleman and a scholar, not to mention a superb political and legal mind, has a very, very interesting write-up in re Posse Comitatus. Bordering on book length, but a great read.
And another one from United Liberty - "Why We Need to Audit the Fed!"
And...NEWSFLASH: John Boehner and the GOP D.C.establishment suck! (they're part of the problem)
To turn to college football, the Senator has a killer write-up on the situation at the U (And by the way, the NCAA sucks, too!)
Liberty-themed musical selection: The Animals. "It's my Life!"
Bye!
19 February 2013
Shorter Hank Johnson: Newton County does not exist
UPDATE 2.21.13: After hitting Peach Pundit (thanks to Bridget C. for picking it up) this morning, actions were taken pretty quickly it seems. At some point in the afternoon, I got a tweet from a fellow who is apparently Johnson's Congressional Communications Director thanking me for bringing the Newton situation to his attention. And as of at least a few hours ago, Rep. Johnson's page has now included Newton!
The process at work. A beautiful thing...
Original post:
So...for the last few weeks I've called, emailed, and tweeted Hank Johnson's office to tell them they needed to update their district map and information as they were still showing the pre-redistricted 4th.
So naturally I was quite delighted when I saw that the map had finally been updated complete with a new write-up of the 4th. All sorts of historical and interesting info pertaining to Dekalb, Rockdale, and Gwinnett counties and even links to those respective county governments and school systems. Notice anything? If you're not from this area, you might not. Look at the write-up again. Anything missing? Newton County is missing!
At this point, we just don't know if it's incompetence, or maybe Rep. Johnson and his staffers simply don't know that Newton is part of the 4th (which, I suppose, would fall under incompetence). Maybe they're just messing with that white guy that kept sending multiple communications talking about it (if that's the case, I only called, emailed, and tweeted one time each, for a total of 3 times).
Perhaps Rep.Johnson just doesn't like Newton County...maybe he hates Newton County!
Newton Co. would like to have a nice little write-up about its history and local information too, Rep. Johnson. We'd like to be a part of the party. Sure, you'll probably hit your lowest numbers here compared to the rest of the district, but we'd like to be included!
Equality for Newton County!!!
The process at work. A beautiful thing...
Original post:
So...for the last few weeks I've called, emailed, and tweeted Hank Johnson's office to tell them they needed to update their district map and information as they were still showing the pre-redistricted 4th.
So naturally I was quite delighted when I saw that the map had finally been updated complete with a new write-up of the 4th. All sorts of historical and interesting info pertaining to Dekalb, Rockdale, and Gwinnett counties and even links to those respective county governments and school systems. Notice anything? If you're not from this area, you might not. Look at the write-up again. Anything missing? Newton County is missing!
At this point, we just don't know if it's incompetence, or maybe Rep. Johnson and his staffers simply don't know that Newton is part of the 4th (which, I suppose, would fall under incompetence). Maybe they're just messing with that white guy that kept sending multiple communications talking about it (if that's the case, I only called, emailed, and tweeted one time each, for a total of 3 times).
Perhaps Rep.Johnson just doesn't like Newton County...maybe he hates Newton County!
Newton Co. would like to have a nice little write-up about its history and local information too, Rep. Johnson. We'd like to be a part of the party. Sure, you'll probably hit your lowest numbers here compared to the rest of the district, but we'd like to be included!
Equality for Newton County!!!
22 January 2013
Where do we go from here?
*cross-posted at United Liberty
So today is inauguaration day. For many in this country it is a grand and glorious day, but for many it is a stark reminder of the failures of the GOP establishment and the Romney campaign. If ever there was a presidential election that should have been won by the non-incumbent party, this was it. So what happened?
For starters, a weak candidate who ran a very weak campaign is usually a recipe for disaster. But more than that, I think the biggest failure was the refusal of the GOP establishment to to even tolerate, much less embrace, the liberty wing of the party. You can call this wing the “crazy Ron Paul people” or, as a lady in my county said, “these libertarians trying to take over our party.” This behavior was found at all levels - precinct, county, district, state, and national. A real shame considering that this was the one wing of the party that could have actually GOTV and created some excitement. But the GOP antics in Tampa made sure that wouldn’t happen.
What were they thinking? In such an electric and polarized environment, you’ve got to be inclusive as possible, not completely exclusive. It’s as if many GOPers had a death wish - making all of the wrong decisions at every, single turn. But…that’s all in the past - water under the bridge.
So where do we go from here? That depends on what you believe and what you think is truly helpful to the liberty movement. We all have our opinions on that. A method that I learned from my real estate days is the wall method. Throw it all against the wall and see what sticks, also known as the kitchen sink method.
Here in Georgia, where I reside, a large number of us are continuing the grassroots groups we started last year to try to secure the GOP nomination for Ron Paul. This year, instead of Georgia for Ron Paul, we are Georgia for Liberty - a totally organic, grassroots organization; we are not affiliated with any national group. However, many of us, individually or in groups, are associated either with Campaign for Liberty or the RLC, both of which are great organizations. We continue to try to make inroads in the GOP and help reshape the party in the liberty image. This is occurring all over the country as well.
Also, more and more people are looking at organizations that work to win the battle of ideas to shape policy. Obviously, the Cato Institute is great example of this. Also, advocacy or activism groups are a great outlet for many people. FreedomWorks is prime example of this. And as important as any other group, the Institute for Justice is fighting the good fight of liberty on the judicial front. All of these organizations are doing their part and are all worthy causes.
And even though I am now in the GOP Liberty movement, I also remain a believer in the ability of well-organized state parties of the Libertarian Party to be an effective tool for Liberty. Here in Georgia, there's a really good one . Although I am no longer a member of that organization, I think the world of what they're doing and it is, in my estimation, a good investment if don't want to give to your local or state GOP. I wouldn't, however, give a dime to the RNC.**
So, the broad-spectrum, throw-it-at-the-wall, kitchen sink method - do it all. Why not? Let’s see what sticks…
**special to the East Metro blog, not included in the UL write-up
So today is inauguaration day. For many in this country it is a grand and glorious day, but for many it is a stark reminder of the failures of the GOP establishment and the Romney campaign. If ever there was a presidential election that should have been won by the non-incumbent party, this was it. So what happened?
For starters, a weak candidate who ran a very weak campaign is usually a recipe for disaster. But more than that, I think the biggest failure was the refusal of the GOP establishment to to even tolerate, much less embrace, the liberty wing of the party. You can call this wing the “crazy Ron Paul people” or, as a lady in my county said, “these libertarians trying to take over our party.” This behavior was found at all levels - precinct, county, district, state, and national. A real shame considering that this was the one wing of the party that could have actually GOTV and created some excitement. But the GOP antics in Tampa made sure that wouldn’t happen.
What were they thinking? In such an electric and polarized environment, you’ve got to be inclusive as possible, not completely exclusive. It’s as if many GOPers had a death wish - making all of the wrong decisions at every, single turn. But…that’s all in the past - water under the bridge.
So where do we go from here? That depends on what you believe and what you think is truly helpful to the liberty movement. We all have our opinions on that. A method that I learned from my real estate days is the wall method. Throw it all against the wall and see what sticks, also known as the kitchen sink method.
Here in Georgia, where I reside, a large number of us are continuing the grassroots groups we started last year to try to secure the GOP nomination for Ron Paul. This year, instead of Georgia for Ron Paul, we are Georgia for Liberty - a totally organic, grassroots organization; we are not affiliated with any national group. However, many of us, individually or in groups, are associated either with Campaign for Liberty or the RLC, both of which are great organizations. We continue to try to make inroads in the GOP and help reshape the party in the liberty image. This is occurring all over the country as well.
Also, more and more people are looking at organizations that work to win the battle of ideas to shape policy. Obviously, the Cato Institute is great example of this. Also, advocacy or activism groups are a great outlet for many people. FreedomWorks is prime example of this. And as important as any other group, the Institute for Justice is fighting the good fight of liberty on the judicial front. All of these organizations are doing their part and are all worthy causes.
And even though I am now in the GOP Liberty movement, I also remain a believer in the ability of well-organized state parties of the Libertarian Party to be an effective tool for Liberty. Here in Georgia, there's a really good one . Although I am no longer a member of that organization, I think the world of what they're doing and it is, in my estimation, a good investment if don't want to give to your local or state GOP. I wouldn't, however, give a dime to the RNC.**
So, the broad-spectrum, throw-it-at-the-wall, kitchen sink method - do it all. Why not? Let’s see what sticks…
**special to the East Metro blog, not included in the UL write-up
17 January 2013
The East Metro Epic Rant, 17 January 2013
What an interesting day...
First off, I know that there are people out there who are on the other side of this issue. Probably not that many, but I know there are a good bit. I will always respect your right to believe whatever you want.
Now, let's get into it...
Using the kids as props was nauseating, despicable, and unconscionable. The drone president, the murderer of hundreds of Middle Eastern children, trotting out these kids...it was just awful. Speaking of drones, way more that this current anti-gun agenda, there is not a greater threat to our freedoms right now. Contact your elected representatives about outlawing drones in America!
As several articles have already mentioned, not a single one of these 23 executive "actions" would have prevented the tragedy in Connecticut. Not a single one!
The one common thread of all of the mass shootings of the last few years has been the involvement of psychotropic drugs. Where is the committee on that? Where are the executive "actions" on that, Mr. President? Ah yes...Big Pharma...that's right - can't go there, can we?
Look at the list of executive actions and really look at numbers 4 & 16. That's what this is all about. But, remember, none of this is enforceable; none of it is law. So for those of you are ready to fight the 2nd Revolution, just back the fuck up and get your head straight. Yes, there is cause for concern, but no, this is not an all-out gun grab...yet.
Don't just get upset and raise hell. Write to your Congressman, your Senator. Write to your state legislators and governor. Contact your Sheriff. Plug in! Get involved! Don't just forward emails and post internet memes.
"Be the change you want to see in the world."
First off, I know that there are people out there who are on the other side of this issue. Probably not that many, but I know there are a good bit. I will always respect your right to believe whatever you want.
Now, let's get into it...
Using the kids as props was nauseating, despicable, and unconscionable. The drone president, the murderer of hundreds of Middle Eastern children, trotting out these kids...it was just awful. Speaking of drones, way more that this current anti-gun agenda, there is not a greater threat to our freedoms right now. Contact your elected representatives about outlawing drones in America!
As several articles have already mentioned, not a single one of these 23 executive "actions" would have prevented the tragedy in Connecticut. Not a single one!
The one common thread of all of the mass shootings of the last few years has been the involvement of psychotropic drugs. Where is the committee on that? Where are the executive "actions" on that, Mr. President? Ah yes...Big Pharma...that's right - can't go there, can we?
Look at the list of executive actions and really look at numbers 4 & 16. That's what this is all about. But, remember, none of this is enforceable; none of it is law. So for those of you are ready to fight the 2nd Revolution, just back the fuck up and get your head straight. Yes, there is cause for concern, but no, this is not an all-out gun grab...yet.
Don't just get upset and raise hell. Write to your Congressman, your Senator. Write to your state legislators and governor. Contact your Sheriff. Plug in! Get involved! Don't just forward emails and post internet memes.
"Be the change you want to see in the world."
15 January 2013
My latest post over at United Liberty: "A follow-up on the 22nd Amendment Discussion"
As some of you may know, I also contribute to United Liberty, a libertarian-leaning blog based out of DC that includes a lot of great contributors and the great talents of its Editor-in-Chief and friend of the East Metro, Jason Pye.
My latest write-up follows up on one of Jason's earlier posts about the resolution that was submitted by a New York Democrat to repeal the 22nd amendment (that limits the POTUS to two terms).
As Jason mentioned, as did my article, it's a non-issue. It's not going to happen. So don't bother worrying about it...
Here is the text of my write-up:
Last week, United Liberty Editor-in-Chief, Jason Pye, wrote a column discussing why the 22nd Amendment, the one that limits the president to two terms, would never be repealed; despite the fact that there is been a fair amount of press and attention given to the introduction of a resolution by New York Dem, Jose Serrano, that would do precisely that.
Without getting into specifics, Mr. Pye simply said the reasons why this would never happen were “pretty obvious,” and that it was a non-issue. He is correct. And for many of the regular readers of UL, I’m sure it is pretty obvious, but I thought I would take a moment to specifically talk about why it won’t happen for some of the readers who might not fully understand the process.
As many of us know, there are exactly two ways in which the Constitution of the United States can be amended: either by Constitutional Convention, or by a 2/3 vote by Congress with a 3/4 ratification vote by the various state legislatures.
No amendment has ever been passed by a Constitutional Convention, and it seems very unlikely that it would ever happen. In order for it to happen, 2/3 of the state legislatures would have to vote for and call for it. With our polarized electorate, and since many of the states themselves seem so polarized, it just seems like an all-out impossibility.
With the other way, I don’t know if we would ever see both the U.S. House and Senate pass a joint resolution with 2/3 votes for anything that wasn’t supported by over 70% of Americans, and repealing the 22nd Amendment would not enjoy anywhere near that type of support. Furthermore, if it did somehow make it out of Congress, I would bet every dollar I’ve got that 75% of the States in the Union would never pass it. While a New York or a California might go for it, a Wyoming and a Nebraska would not. And naturally, there are many more red states than blue right now.
I remember having discussions with people back in the 90’s when there seemed to be genuine excitement and enthusiasm about doing this to get Clinton more than two terms. I told multiple people back then, as I have been now, “remember - it’s got to go through the states. We’re fine.”
And this is yet another example of how finely constructed our Constitution is. They made sure to make amending the Constitution a process that wouldn’t fall victim to the existing majority or passing whims, but rather only done when it was truly supported by a majority of the electorate. Of course, there have been bad amendments (16,17,18th), but this is one that will never get legs. As Jason said, worrying or fretting or this is a “colossal waste of time.”
My latest write-up follows up on one of Jason's earlier posts about the resolution that was submitted by a New York Democrat to repeal the 22nd amendment (that limits the POTUS to two terms).
As Jason mentioned, as did my article, it's a non-issue. It's not going to happen. So don't bother worrying about it...
Here is the text of my write-up:
Last week, United Liberty Editor-in-Chief, Jason Pye, wrote a column discussing why the 22nd Amendment, the one that limits the president to two terms, would never be repealed; despite the fact that there is been a fair amount of press and attention given to the introduction of a resolution by New York Dem, Jose Serrano, that would do precisely that.
Without getting into specifics, Mr. Pye simply said the reasons why this would never happen were “pretty obvious,” and that it was a non-issue. He is correct. And for many of the regular readers of UL, I’m sure it is pretty obvious, but I thought I would take a moment to specifically talk about why it won’t happen for some of the readers who might not fully understand the process.
As many of us know, there are exactly two ways in which the Constitution of the United States can be amended: either by Constitutional Convention, or by a 2/3 vote by Congress with a 3/4 ratification vote by the various state legislatures.
No amendment has ever been passed by a Constitutional Convention, and it seems very unlikely that it would ever happen. In order for it to happen, 2/3 of the state legislatures would have to vote for and call for it. With our polarized electorate, and since many of the states themselves seem so polarized, it just seems like an all-out impossibility.
With the other way, I don’t know if we would ever see both the U.S. House and Senate pass a joint resolution with 2/3 votes for anything that wasn’t supported by over 70% of Americans, and repealing the 22nd Amendment would not enjoy anywhere near that type of support. Furthermore, if it did somehow make it out of Congress, I would bet every dollar I’ve got that 75% of the States in the Union would never pass it. While a New York or a California might go for it, a Wyoming and a Nebraska would not. And naturally, there are many more red states than blue right now.
I remember having discussions with people back in the 90’s when there seemed to be genuine excitement and enthusiasm about doing this to get Clinton more than two terms. I told multiple people back then, as I have been now, “remember - it’s got to go through the states. We’re fine.”
And this is yet another example of how finely constructed our Constitution is. They made sure to make amending the Constitution a process that wouldn’t fall victim to the existing majority or passing whims, but rather only done when it was truly supported by a majority of the electorate. Of course, there have been bad amendments (16,17,18th), but this is one that will never get legs. As Jason said, worrying or fretting or this is a “colossal waste of time.”
26 December 2012
The East Metro Epic Rant, 12.26.2012
Regarding the idiotic comments of Wayne Lapierre, executive vice-president of the NRA, all I can say is this: the federal government has no business having anything to do with security for any school with the exception of those in Washington, D.C. No, I think they're probably too busy killing infants and toddlers in the Middle East. I mean...What. The. Fuck? I think this write-up is pretty much on the money: Is the guy drunk, or high? How could he have possibly pissed off both sides of the gun issue with equal effect? I'm thinking crack rocks...or maybe ice? Regardless, he's obviously a bitch-ass mark! Or is he a mark-ass bitch?
And what is with these stupid Hollywood fucks and their little "Demand a Plan" video calling for the Federal government to make everything all better. Oh, is this the same federal government that is killing women and children on a daily basis is countries like Yemen, Pakistan, and Afghanistan? Just to be clear, are we talking about the same federal government that passed NDAA, a law where any American citizen can be disappeared forever without due process? And without beating a dead horse, are we discussing the same federal government that armed drug cartels in Mexico? And...oh wait, I'm sorry, are we talking about the same government that has been waging the War on Drugs for 41 years with such stellar results?
And I get most of the people on this stupid, pathetic video, but Conan O'Brien? Et tu, Conan? Hey, it's your 1st amendment right to have been a part of this thing, and it's my right to never watch you on T.V. again and to unfollow you on FB and Twitter...
It seems as if the whole damn thing is headin' south in a hurry, folks. What else is there to say...don't blame me, I voted Ron Paul?
Oh well, such is life. But the rub is this: there is stupid, crazy, and evil all over this world. Always has been and always will be. You can't legislate it, and they don't care about laws, anyhow. It's just the way it is.The sooner people realize this, the better. If you're into faith, I suggest you cling to it, because I don't see it getting any better anytime soon...
And what is with these stupid Hollywood fucks and their little "Demand a Plan" video calling for the Federal government to make everything all better. Oh, is this the same federal government that is killing women and children on a daily basis is countries like Yemen, Pakistan, and Afghanistan? Just to be clear, are we talking about the same federal government that passed NDAA, a law where any American citizen can be disappeared forever without due process? And without beating a dead horse, are we discussing the same federal government that armed drug cartels in Mexico? And...oh wait, I'm sorry, are we talking about the same government that has been waging the War on Drugs for 41 years with such stellar results?
And I get most of the people on this stupid, pathetic video, but Conan O'Brien? Et tu, Conan? Hey, it's your 1st amendment right to have been a part of this thing, and it's my right to never watch you on T.V. again and to unfollow you on FB and Twitter...
It seems as if the whole damn thing is headin' south in a hurry, folks. What else is there to say...don't blame me, I voted Ron Paul?
"Do we really want to live in a world of police checkpoints, surveillance cameras, metal detectors, x-ray scanners and warrantless physical searches? We see this culture in our airports, witness this shabby spectacle of once proud, happy Americans shuffling through long lines while uniformed TSA agents bark orders... The federal government should not try to pursue unobtainable safety with state-approved security precautions... The government has "zero moral authority to legislate against violence." -Dr. Ron Paul
Oh well, such is life. But the rub is this: there is stupid, crazy, and evil all over this world. Always has been and always will be. You can't legislate it, and they don't care about laws, anyhow. It's just the way it is.The sooner people realize this, the better. If you're into faith, I suggest you cling to it, because I don't see it getting any better anytime soon...
17 December 2012
Random Bites: 17 December 2012
Well, according to some, the end of the world is only 3 days away, so I figured I should get at least one more post up on the East Metro Blog.
I've been hearing about the weirdness of the Denver Airport for years. According to multiple conspiracy theorists, it is the site of a super-bunker for the power elite if ever "the shit goes downs." But, I've heard from folks that have been there in person, and after seeing this article, I'm starting to wonder...
And in other news relating to the ongoing and continuous trend of POLICE STATE USA, here's this little piece about a misguided town in Arkansas.
A friend of mine on Facebook, Sean Haugh, recounts his witnessing of the the North Carolina meeting of the Electoral College. Yep, hard to believe, it is already the first Monday after the second Wednesday in December. Happened in every state of the Union and D.C. A really neat read. This is how it's decided...good stuff.
And the CT state police has decided that the 1st amendment does not exist, and that they have the power to go after journalists and bloggers in other states. This is response to some of the conspiracy theories going around? What a joke! It almost makes you start to wonder...
The best journalist in America?
A good read in re the social media reaction to the recent tragedy by Charlie Harper, editor of Peach Pundit.
The UGA Hoop Dawgs are really, really, really bad this year. But...they might get a lot better by the end of the year. Lots of young talent. I hope we can win at least 8 or 9 more games to hopefully save Mark Fox's job for one more year.
One of my favorite Holiday songs.
Alright, this will probably be it until 2013. Hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas and New Year!
I've been hearing about the weirdness of the Denver Airport for years. According to multiple conspiracy theorists, it is the site of a super-bunker for the power elite if ever "the shit goes downs." But, I've heard from folks that have been there in person, and after seeing this article, I'm starting to wonder...
And in other news relating to the ongoing and continuous trend of POLICE STATE USA, here's this little piece about a misguided town in Arkansas.
A friend of mine on Facebook, Sean Haugh, recounts his witnessing of the the North Carolina meeting of the Electoral College. Yep, hard to believe, it is already the first Monday after the second Wednesday in December. Happened in every state of the Union and D.C. A really neat read. This is how it's decided...good stuff.
And the CT state police has decided that the 1st amendment does not exist, and that they have the power to go after journalists and bloggers in other states. This is response to some of the conspiracy theories going around? What a joke! It almost makes you start to wonder...
The best journalist in America?
A good read in re the social media reaction to the recent tragedy by Charlie Harper, editor of Peach Pundit.
The UGA Hoop Dawgs are really, really, really bad this year. But...they might get a lot better by the end of the year. Lots of young talent. I hope we can win at least 8 or 9 more games to hopefully save Mark Fox's job for one more year.
One of my favorite Holiday songs.
Alright, this will probably be it until 2013. Hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas and New Year!
15 November 2012
14 November 2012: A belated post-election re-cap, Rand Paul, Ron Paul and the road ahead
Howdy! I hope this write-up finds everyone well. It's been a week since the election and after stewing things over in the various back burners of my mind, I decided it was time to try to get some thoughts out there. Not that my thoughts really mean that much, but hey, a few people do check this blog out, so Imma gonna just go with it...
"Keep Obama in President," so said the rather enthused lady talking about her Obama phone. Well, that lady got her wish; Obama will be our president for four more wars...er, make that years. I got sidetracked thinking about Libya, Yemen, and a few other countries. Sorry about that. So yeah - four more years...
Looking back on it, it should have been obvious. The GOP had a death wish. It seemed as if they were, at every, single turn, making all of the WRONG decisions. On everything! Flipping the middle finger to all of the Ron Paul supporters wasn't one of their finer moments, for sure! With the polarized electorate we now have, you've got to be as inclusive as possible, not completely exclusive. Throw in the fact that Mitt was an incredibly weak candidate who ran an incredibly weak campaign, and there just wasn't any way around it - the Nobel-winning, drone-loving, American citizen-killing, corporatist, big-government statist was almost assured victory.
No, the surprise, to some, was the fact that the GOP didn't even come close to taking the senate and they lost seats in the house. This, contrary to much popular belief, is a very good thing. It finally hammered home the point that this awful way of doing things that the GOP had settled in on is No. Longer. Working! Now, even older, long-time rank-and-filers are starting to see the light (I'm seeing it happen where I'm at). More and more people are realizing that big government, social conservatism is what cost the GOP in this last election cycle. It's a non-starter, stuff like abortion. Roe v. Wade! It happened, and we're not going back. In re marriage equality, the tide is turning. People are realizing that this is a civil rights issue. Hell, two states, Colorado and Washington, legalized recreational marijuana. Not medicinal marijuana. Full legalization. Freedom is in the air. Literally.
The other problem with the GOP is the "establishment." The folks who, for lack of better words, are supposedly running the show. They're a freaking joke. And what's with this continuous attempt to "maintain the narrative?" It's as if they think they can magically change reality by hoping (and probably praying) for something bad enough. Take the convention as an example. Rather than playing by the rules and letting Ron Paul be nominated from the floor, they decided they'd start changing the rules anytime it suited them and that they would go to war with the one wing of the party that could actually GOTV (get out the vote), create some excitement, and make things happen.
Anyways, in the end, the GOP got exactly what they deserved. But things are changing. Look at Jeff Flake, the libertarian-leaning Senator-elect in AZ; or TEA party fave Ted Cruz in TX; or the numerous "Ron Paul Republicans" that got elected to the House. Things are looking good for Liberty candidates in this country. That's the memo that the GOP needs to get. Will they? That's the question...
Rand Paul, for the Win (and for Hemp)!
The good doctor's son turned some heads this week. Industrial Hemp is truly one the greatest cash
crops America has ever known (it was legal until 1937). It doesn't get
you high, so why is it now illegal? As is always the case, just follow
the money - there are multiple special interests
who have a vested interest in keeping this stuff illegal such as Big
Paper, Big Pharma, Big Oil, and others. This is a must read for more
info: http://www.hemphasis.net/Politics/politics.htm
No truer words have been spoken than those of Carl Sagan: "One of the saddest lessons of history is this: If we've been bamboozled long enough, we tend to reject any evidence of the bamboozle. We're no longer interested in finding out the truth. The bamboozle has captured us. It's simply too painful to acknowledge, even to ourselves, that we've been taken. Once you give a charlatan power over you, you almost never get it back. So the old bamboozles tend to persist as new ones arise."
Kudos to Sen. Rand Paul for standing up for this all-too-important issue. Freedom is in the air. The time is now. We must act!Write your congressman and all that jazz...
Ron Paul. A Real American Hero.
The Road Ahead
As a few people in the blogosphere have mentioned, perhaps we are right at the threshold of a great Liberty awakening. As as the old saying goes - it's always darkest right before dawn - maybe we are getting very close to the dawn. That's personally what I believe. As others have mentioned, there seem to be reasons for optimism. And that maybe, just maybe, the GOP is starting to "get it."
But what about you? Are you someone who is very discouraged about Obama getting reelected and also not feeling good about what's been happening about the GOP? If so, then the answer is quite simple: Get Involved! Change, real change, always starts at the bottom...at the grassroots. Find the webpage of your local county GOP and join. Here in Georgia, the mass precinct meetings (the beginning of the delegate process) occur on February 9th. This is the first step. Go. Engage. Get Involved! Also, there are so many other groups that you can get involved with that can help make a difference: Campaign For Liberty, FreedomWorks, Institute for Justice, etc. Anything and everything to "light the flames of freedom and liberty, one heart and mind at a time."
As a final aside, all of the talk about secession is absolute crap. No! This is our country, and it's worth fighting for. It took usyears generations to get to this point and it's going to take some time to get us out of it. We have to remain patient, yet vigilant, and we just have to keep up the good fight. We can do it. We must do it.
In Peace and Liberty,
-M
 | |
| "Awww yeah! Y'all know I love me some drones!" |
Looking back on it, it should have been obvious. The GOP had a death wish. It seemed as if they were, at every, single turn, making all of the WRONG decisions. On everything! Flipping the middle finger to all of the Ron Paul supporters wasn't one of their finer moments, for sure! With the polarized electorate we now have, you've got to be as inclusive as possible, not completely exclusive. Throw in the fact that Mitt was an incredibly weak candidate who ran an incredibly weak campaign, and there just wasn't any way around it - the Nobel-winning, drone-loving, American citizen-killing, corporatist, big-government statist was almost assured victory.
No, the surprise, to some, was the fact that the GOP didn't even come close to taking the senate and they lost seats in the house. This, contrary to much popular belief, is a very good thing. It finally hammered home the point that this awful way of doing things that the GOP had settled in on is No. Longer. Working! Now, even older, long-time rank-and-filers are starting to see the light (I'm seeing it happen where I'm at). More and more people are realizing that big government, social conservatism is what cost the GOP in this last election cycle. It's a non-starter, stuff like abortion. Roe v. Wade! It happened, and we're not going back. In re marriage equality, the tide is turning. People are realizing that this is a civil rights issue. Hell, two states, Colorado and Washington, legalized recreational marijuana. Not medicinal marijuana. Full legalization. Freedom is in the air. Literally.
The other problem with the GOP is the "establishment." The folks who, for lack of better words, are supposedly running the show. They're a freaking joke. And what's with this continuous attempt to "maintain the narrative?" It's as if they think they can magically change reality by hoping (and probably praying) for something bad enough. Take the convention as an example. Rather than playing by the rules and letting Ron Paul be nominated from the floor, they decided they'd start changing the rules anytime it suited them and that they would go to war with the one wing of the party that could actually GOTV (get out the vote), create some excitement, and make things happen.
Anyways, in the end, the GOP got exactly what they deserved. But things are changing. Look at Jeff Flake, the libertarian-leaning Senator-elect in AZ; or TEA party fave Ted Cruz in TX; or the numerous "Ron Paul Republicans" that got elected to the House. Things are looking good for Liberty candidates in this country. That's the memo that the GOP needs to get. Will they? That's the question...
Rand Paul, for the Win (and for Hemp)!
 |
| Rand Paul 2016!!! |
No truer words have been spoken than those of Carl Sagan: "One of the saddest lessons of history is this: If we've been bamboozled long enough, we tend to reject any evidence of the bamboozle. We're no longer interested in finding out the truth. The bamboozle has captured us. It's simply too painful to acknowledge, even to ourselves, that we've been taken. Once you give a charlatan power over you, you almost never get it back. So the old bamboozles tend to persist as new ones arise."
Kudos to Sen. Rand Paul for standing up for this all-too-important issue. Freedom is in the air. The time is now. We must act!Write your congressman and all that jazz...
 |
| "Yes, actually, I am aware that I'm a Badass!" |
Ron Paul. A Real American Hero.
So Dr. Paul gave his farewell address today. It was EPIC!
Thank you Dr. Ron Paul. Thank you so very much. God Bless you, always!
For a great write-up of this epic address, check out Reason's take here (includes a link for a transcript): http://reason.com/blog/2012/11/14/ron-pauls-farewell-speech-to-congress-we
For a great write-up of this epic address, check out Reason's take here (includes a link for a transcript): http://reason.com/blog/2012/11/14/ron-pauls-farewell-speech-to-congress-we
The Road Ahead
As a few people in the blogosphere have mentioned, perhaps we are right at the threshold of a great Liberty awakening. As as the old saying goes - it's always darkest right before dawn - maybe we are getting very close to the dawn. That's personally what I believe. As others have mentioned, there seem to be reasons for optimism. And that maybe, just maybe, the GOP is starting to "get it."
But what about you? Are you someone who is very discouraged about Obama getting reelected and also not feeling good about what's been happening about the GOP? If so, then the answer is quite simple: Get Involved! Change, real change, always starts at the bottom...at the grassroots. Find the webpage of your local county GOP and join. Here in Georgia, the mass precinct meetings (the beginning of the delegate process) occur on February 9th. This is the first step. Go. Engage. Get Involved! Also, there are so many other groups that you can get involved with that can help make a difference: Campaign For Liberty, FreedomWorks, Institute for Justice, etc. Anything and everything to "light the flames of freedom and liberty, one heart and mind at a time."
As a final aside, all of the talk about secession is absolute crap. No! This is our country, and it's worth fighting for. It took us
In Peace and Liberty,
-M
06 November 2012
What my ballot will look like on Tuesday
Yeah, I know that the title of this column may lead some people to certain reactions: How pretentious, right? Who cares who you're voting for? Well, I know for a fact that at least a few people do. They've come to my place of work to ask me. I even had one gentleman ask me to fill in a sample ballot he had printed out. Which, by the way, I did, but I put asterisks next to two of the races and told him some info, but not who to vote for because, as I told him, I wasn't sure yet.
No, I guess that I've become somewhat of a political...whatever. Regardless, I am blogging about politics again, and as some of you may know, I am a political activist of sorts. So I've decided to put this out there.
These are the races I'm voting for in Newton County, Georgia and these are the people I'm voting for:
President and Vice-President of the United States of America
Gary Johnson (L) & Jim Gray (L)
I've never voted for a Republican or Democrat for President in my life, and I'm not starting now. Why? Romney will win GA by double-digits, so it's not like I'm going to be changing anything. The reasons for casting a principled vote of conscience? How about NDAA, drones, and the FED to start? Having respect for the 4th amendment and maybe questioning the war on drugs or the merits of NOT having an interventionist foreign policy are more examples of why I think Romney and Obama are two sides of the same coin. This goddam 2-party duopoly is precisely why we're in the mess that we're in and frankly, I'm damn sick and tired of it.
Public Service Commission
PSC 5: David Staples (L)
PSC 3: Brad Ploger (L)
There are two PSC Libertarian candidates on the ballot, and I'll be voting for both; however, there is one in particular that I'd really like to mention. David Staples is in a 2-man race with Stan Wise for the PSC 5 race. I've known David for years and I can say this - he's a good man, and he's smart as hell. Also, as evidenced by his debate performance on GPTV, he knows his stuff. He would do a hell of a job. But, Stan Wise is absolutely awful. He is the poster boy for crony capitalism. He gets over 90% of his campaign contributions from the executives, lobbyists, and lawyers of the utilities that he is charged with regulating. He, singularly, is responsible for you having to pay some of the highest utility rates in America. If you vote for him simply because he has a "R" next to his name, then you suck!
Newton County Commission Chair
Keith Ellis (R)
I've known Keith for years. I've worked with him in the real estate business (me as an agent, him as a builder) and have gotten to know him pretty well over the years. He's a good man, and he's honest. I think he would do Newton Co. proud...especially with people like me reminding him that he needs to always be mindful of the concepts of freedom and liberty and placing taxpayer dollars in the most sacred regard. I think he'd be willing to do that.
Newton Board of Commissioners, Dist. 5
Levie Maddox (R)
I like Marcello Banes. He's smart and likeable, but I'm going to have to go with Levie on this one. We don't need 4 Democrats on the BOC. I'm definitely a "divided-government" fan.
Newton Co. Sheriff
UNDECIDED
I've been grappling with this one for months....I just don't know. I think we would be OK with either, but I will say this: awhile back I was positive that I would be voting for Ezell Brown (D), but in the last couple of months, I've had several folks, including people I think very highly of, sing the praises of Philip Bradford (R). I think I'll decide this one when I actually touch the computer screen in the ballot box.
Newton Co. Coroner
Tommy Davis (R)
I've known Tommy for some time having worked with him in the death business (Tommy as a funeral home director, me as a cemetery salesman). He seems like a heck of a guy and a super, hard worker. For a job like this, I think we definitely need someone who knows what they're doing.
U.S. Congress, 4th District
I'll be writing in "GREG PALLEN"
And let it be known that Greg is not a certified write-in, so my vote won't count. Greg ran in the GOP primary as a Republican "Liberty Candidate." He lost with 45% of the vote which surprised most insiders and establishment types. He would have been the much better candidate to get slaughtered by Mr. Guam, Hank Johnson. Whereas J. Chris Vaughn will likely lose 70/30, Pallen may have been able to push 40%. I've met Greg a few times. I like him; he's a little kooky on some things, but aren't we all?
GA Senate Dist. 17
Nelva Lee (D)
Simply a protest vote. As I said earlier, I'm a divided-government guy. It seems like more and more as the GA Republicans take over the Gold Dome, the worse things get. At this point, I think the Libertarian Party of Georgia is about as organized as the Democratic Party of Georgia. The Dems in GA are in shambles - they're broke and and in disarray. There are county parties that are in good shape, but statewide, the Dems are in a bad way. We need a real and viable 2nd party in Georgia. Thanks to Georgia's archaic and draconian ballot access laws, it's damn hard for the Libertarians to get on the ballot for non-statewide races.
Constitutional Amendments
NO on both.
For amendment 1, I'll just direct you to Better Schools Georgia As their sign says, "I love Charter Schools. I Love Local Control." Therefore, you just have to say NO.
Special Elections
YES on all three.
I'm all about freedom, and we need all the tax revenue we can get!
Everything Else
I'm skipping!
I haven't voted for someone running unopposed in about 6 or 7 years, and I never will again.
So that's it...
Please vote if you haven't already. Seriously, VOTE!!!
No, I guess that I've become somewhat of a political...whatever. Regardless, I am blogging about politics again, and as some of you may know, I am a political activist of sorts. So I've decided to put this out there.
These are the races I'm voting for in Newton County, Georgia and these are the people I'm voting for:
President and Vice-President of the United States of America
Gary Johnson (L) & Jim Gray (L)
I've never voted for a Republican or Democrat for President in my life, and I'm not starting now. Why? Romney will win GA by double-digits, so it's not like I'm going to be changing anything. The reasons for casting a principled vote of conscience? How about NDAA, drones, and the FED to start? Having respect for the 4th amendment and maybe questioning the war on drugs or the merits of NOT having an interventionist foreign policy are more examples of why I think Romney and Obama are two sides of the same coin. This goddam 2-party duopoly is precisely why we're in the mess that we're in and frankly, I'm damn sick and tired of it.
Public Service Commission
PSC 5: David Staples (L)
PSC 3: Brad Ploger (L)
There are two PSC Libertarian candidates on the ballot, and I'll be voting for both; however, there is one in particular that I'd really like to mention. David Staples is in a 2-man race with Stan Wise for the PSC 5 race. I've known David for years and I can say this - he's a good man, and he's smart as hell. Also, as evidenced by his debate performance on GPTV, he knows his stuff. He would do a hell of a job. But, Stan Wise is absolutely awful. He is the poster boy for crony capitalism. He gets over 90% of his campaign contributions from the executives, lobbyists, and lawyers of the utilities that he is charged with regulating. He, singularly, is responsible for you having to pay some of the highest utility rates in America. If you vote for him simply because he has a "R" next to his name, then you suck!
Newton County Commission Chair
Keith Ellis (R)
I've known Keith for years. I've worked with him in the real estate business (me as an agent, him as a builder) and have gotten to know him pretty well over the years. He's a good man, and he's honest. I think he would do Newton Co. proud...especially with people like me reminding him that he needs to always be mindful of the concepts of freedom and liberty and placing taxpayer dollars in the most sacred regard. I think he'd be willing to do that.
Newton Board of Commissioners, Dist. 5
Levie Maddox (R)
I like Marcello Banes. He's smart and likeable, but I'm going to have to go with Levie on this one. We don't need 4 Democrats on the BOC. I'm definitely a "divided-government" fan.
Newton Co. Sheriff
UNDECIDED
I've been grappling with this one for months....I just don't know. I think we would be OK with either, but I will say this: awhile back I was positive that I would be voting for Ezell Brown (D), but in the last couple of months, I've had several folks, including people I think very highly of, sing the praises of Philip Bradford (R). I think I'll decide this one when I actually touch the computer screen in the ballot box.
Newton Co. Coroner
Tommy Davis (R)
I've known Tommy for some time having worked with him in the death business (Tommy as a funeral home director, me as a cemetery salesman). He seems like a heck of a guy and a super, hard worker. For a job like this, I think we definitely need someone who knows what they're doing.
U.S. Congress, 4th District
I'll be writing in "GREG PALLEN"
And let it be known that Greg is not a certified write-in, so my vote won't count. Greg ran in the GOP primary as a Republican "Liberty Candidate." He lost with 45% of the vote which surprised most insiders and establishment types. He would have been the much better candidate to get slaughtered by Mr. Guam, Hank Johnson. Whereas J. Chris Vaughn will likely lose 70/30, Pallen may have been able to push 40%. I've met Greg a few times. I like him; he's a little kooky on some things, but aren't we all?
GA Senate Dist. 17
Nelva Lee (D)
Simply a protest vote. As I said earlier, I'm a divided-government guy. It seems like more and more as the GA Republicans take over the Gold Dome, the worse things get. At this point, I think the Libertarian Party of Georgia is about as organized as the Democratic Party of Georgia. The Dems in GA are in shambles - they're broke and and in disarray. There are county parties that are in good shape, but statewide, the Dems are in a bad way. We need a real and viable 2nd party in Georgia. Thanks to Georgia's archaic and draconian ballot access laws, it's damn hard for the Libertarians to get on the ballot for non-statewide races.
Constitutional Amendments
NO on both.
For amendment 1, I'll just direct you to Better Schools Georgia As their sign says, "I love Charter Schools. I Love Local Control." Therefore, you just have to say NO.
Special Elections
YES on all three.
I'm all about freedom, and we need all the tax revenue we can get!
Everything Else
I'm skipping!
I haven't voted for someone running unopposed in about 6 or 7 years, and I never will again.
*****************
So that's it...
Please vote if you haven't already. Seriously, VOTE!!!
17 October 2012
My Take on Last Night's Debate
I posted this on my Facebook and the response was very positive. Thought I'd share it here as well. -MM
Well, I won't lie. I tried to watch the debate tonight...I lasted about 20 minutes until I bailed. I didn't hear anything about the 4th amendment (nor did I hear any mention of the 1st, 2nd, 6th, 9th or 10th), NDAA, indefinite detention, drones, murdering of American citizens, military industrial complex, war machine, etc. etc.
I very seriously doubt that there was any mention of any of those
topics in the last 70 minutes...just a hunch.
My take on these two jokers: they are both narcissistic, ego-maniacal sociopaths who are bought and paid for by their corporatist, statist masters.
Another choice does exist. He'll be on the ballot in every state. His name is Gary Johnson and he fucking climbed Mt. Everest. Stay thirsty my friends...
Well, I won't lie. I tried to watch the debate tonight...I lasted about 20 minutes until I bailed. I didn't hear anything about the 4th amendment (nor did I hear any mention of the 1st, 2nd, 6th, 9th or 10th), NDAA, indefinite detention, drones, murdering of American citizens, military industrial complex, war machine, etc. etc.
I very seriously doubt that there was any mention of any of those
topics in the last 70 minutes...just a hunch.
My take on these two jokers: they are both narcissistic, ego-maniacal sociopaths who are bought and paid for by their corporatist, statist masters.
Another choice does exist. He'll be on the ballot in every state. His name is Gary Johnson and he fucking climbed Mt. Everest. Stay thirsty my friends...
13 October 2012
POTUS 2012: 13 October 2012
The folks over at RealClearPolitcs have recently updated their electoral map, and in a not-so-surprising turn of events, it is showing the POTUS race tightening up considerably. Throughout most of the Summer and early Fall, it was looking very likely that Obama, despite having a ton of bad stuff going on (bad economy, bad gas prices, bad track record, erosion of base, etc), was probably going to get reelected probably for no other reason than Romney being such the weak candidate that he is.
But in light of the 9/11 attack in Libya and Romney's complete annihilation of the PrezBO in the first debate, it's really looking like the "Stormin' Morman" just might win this thing. Possibly the biggest thing to note is how two states, Michigan and Pennsylvania, at one time thought to be very safe Obama territory, are now considered toss-ups. Wisconsin, while not as big a surprise as the aforementioned states, is also very important to keep in mind. If Romney takes those three, and holds Florida, he would probably win regardless of any of the other toss-ups.
In my opinion, I see Romney safely picking up Florida, North Carolina, and Virginia which puts him at 237 electoral votes to Obama's 201 with 125 undetermined. Throw in Wisconsin, Ohio, and either Michigan or Pennsylvania, and Romney wins.With all of this said, there are obviously a ton of scenarios that could play out. What if, as one scenario goes, it comes down to New Mexico? A state where Obama is winning fairly easily, but a state where the Libertarian candidate, Gary Johnson, is polling right at the margin of difference between Obama and Romney. Wouldn't that be a hell of a note? Of course, as most of us know, there's nothing to it - A vote for Johnson is a vote for Johnson; however, I'm sure a lot of GOPers would love to blame us childish Libertarians for throwing the election. I'd absolutely love that!
Regardless, the GOP needs to work on taking over the Senate (very possible), maintaining the House (completely probable), and then start to seriously think about their strategy. Because, honestly, it's not a very good one. And that's without even getting into their disdain and maltreatment of the Ron Paul/Libertarian/Freedom wing of the party...
But in light of the 9/11 attack in Libya and Romney's complete annihilation of the PrezBO in the first debate, it's really looking like the "Stormin' Morman" just might win this thing. Possibly the biggest thing to note is how two states, Michigan and Pennsylvania, at one time thought to be very safe Obama territory, are now considered toss-ups. Wisconsin, while not as big a surprise as the aforementioned states, is also very important to keep in mind. If Romney takes those three, and holds Florida, he would probably win regardless of any of the other toss-ups.
In my opinion, I see Romney safely picking up Florida, North Carolina, and Virginia which puts him at 237 electoral votes to Obama's 201 with 125 undetermined. Throw in Wisconsin, Ohio, and either Michigan or Pennsylvania, and Romney wins.With all of this said, there are obviously a ton of scenarios that could play out. What if, as one scenario goes, it comes down to New Mexico? A state where Obama is winning fairly easily, but a state where the Libertarian candidate, Gary Johnson, is polling right at the margin of difference between Obama and Romney. Wouldn't that be a hell of a note? Of course, as most of us know, there's nothing to it - A vote for Johnson is a vote for Johnson; however, I'm sure a lot of GOPers would love to blame us childish Libertarians for throwing the election. I'd absolutely love that!
Regardless, the GOP needs to work on taking over the Senate (very possible), maintaining the House (completely probable), and then start to seriously think about their strategy. Because, honestly, it's not a very good one. And that's without even getting into their disdain and maltreatment of the Ron Paul/Libertarian/Freedom wing of the party...
06 September 2012
Goodbye JasonPye.com: An End of an Era
I met Jason Pye in the Summer of 2005 while attending a Constitution seminar given by 2004 Libertarian Party (LP) candidate Michael Badnarik. He was the Chair of the Henry Co. LP while I was the Chair of the East Metro Atlanta LP just next door in Newton Co. We really hit it off and had a lot in common (although not so much with music).
It was shortly thereafter when I told Jason I was in the process of starting up a blog, mainly to be a vehicle for the fledgling, up-start LP affiliate we had just formed in Covington a couple of months prior. In fact, that is the very blog you're reading right now (although I disassociated the blog from the affiliate years ago). He liked the idea and said he might do the same. I think originally he just had a Henry LP Blog, or something similar, but before long, a new blog was rolled out, simply entitled, Jasonpye.com.
I was an avid reader right from the beginning. At that time, the hits were pretty scarce, I think, but the Pyeman kept hammering away. He was actually quite prolific with his postings and before long he really had things rolling--lots of good, quality posts; a growing readership; and a nice following of knowledgeable commentors that led to a lot of quality debate.For years, www.jasonpye.com was an everyday stop for me.
In particular, I think of the 2006 Georgia election season and the 2007/2008 POTUS primary season and campaign as highlights of the blog. In the Fall of '06, Jason was pulling double duty as he was Chair of the Georgia LP and was doing his blogging. In 2008 he was pulling triple duty as he was operating his blog, working on the campaign for Bob Barr 2008, and getting involved with another blog, United Liberty (UL). Of course, during all of this, he was still working a full-time job in addition to working on some local campaigns here and there as well. Ultimately, it was UL that took more and more of Jason's time and involvement as he was the Editor-in-Chief and was responsible for most of its content.
I had started writing a print column in 2009 and by 2010 had started up another blog to house those columns with additional content, but I started longing to do some political stuff again as the East Metro blog had been on hiatus for several years. Early in 2011, when Jason asked if I'd like to be a contributor for his page, I jumped at the opportunity to be able to write for the blog that I was such a fan of. I did a few posts, though not nearly as many as I'd have liked, but before long, I fell into a lot of the time constraints as Jason did, including spending more time writing at UL. Plus, it's not like many of us are doing this full time. We have jobs, responsibilities and other things going on.
As 2012 wore on, the posting at Jason's eponymous blog started to get slower and slower. Although out of sheer habit, I was still hitting the site at least a time or two a week just to see if anything new was up. So it wasn't really a huge surprise when I saw that Jason wouldn't be posting there anymore. But still--I had this keen sense of sadness when I heard the news. I immediately thought back to the many memories from it over the years. Blogs like Jason's become more than just a basic visit on the web. They become parts of our lives.
As I understand it, Jason will keep the site up as basically a resume page for his writing with links to his other projects, Twitter feed, etc. And we'll still be able to read Jason's stuff at Peach Pundit in addition to UL.
So...farewell to an old friend. Goodbye JasonPye.com. Seven years--that's a damn good run!
It was shortly thereafter when I told Jason I was in the process of starting up a blog, mainly to be a vehicle for the fledgling, up-start LP affiliate we had just formed in Covington a couple of months prior. In fact, that is the very blog you're reading right now (although I disassociated the blog from the affiliate years ago). He liked the idea and said he might do the same. I think originally he just had a Henry LP Blog, or something similar, but before long, a new blog was rolled out, simply entitled, Jasonpye.com.
I was an avid reader right from the beginning. At that time, the hits were pretty scarce, I think, but the Pyeman kept hammering away. He was actually quite prolific with his postings and before long he really had things rolling--lots of good, quality posts; a growing readership; and a nice following of knowledgeable commentors that led to a lot of quality debate.For years, www.jasonpye.com was an everyday stop for me.
In particular, I think of the 2006 Georgia election season and the 2007/2008 POTUS primary season and campaign as highlights of the blog. In the Fall of '06, Jason was pulling double duty as he was Chair of the Georgia LP and was doing his blogging. In 2008 he was pulling triple duty as he was operating his blog, working on the campaign for Bob Barr 2008, and getting involved with another blog, United Liberty (UL). Of course, during all of this, he was still working a full-time job in addition to working on some local campaigns here and there as well. Ultimately, it was UL that took more and more of Jason's time and involvement as he was the Editor-in-Chief and was responsible for most of its content.
I had started writing a print column in 2009 and by 2010 had started up another blog to house those columns with additional content, but I started longing to do some political stuff again as the East Metro blog had been on hiatus for several years. Early in 2011, when Jason asked if I'd like to be a contributor for his page, I jumped at the opportunity to be able to write for the blog that I was such a fan of. I did a few posts, though not nearly as many as I'd have liked, but before long, I fell into a lot of the time constraints as Jason did, including spending more time writing at UL. Plus, it's not like many of us are doing this full time. We have jobs, responsibilities and other things going on.
As 2012 wore on, the posting at Jason's eponymous blog started to get slower and slower. Although out of sheer habit, I was still hitting the site at least a time or two a week just to see if anything new was up. So it wasn't really a huge surprise when I saw that Jason wouldn't be posting there anymore. But still--I had this keen sense of sadness when I heard the news. I immediately thought back to the many memories from it over the years. Blogs like Jason's become more than just a basic visit on the web. They become parts of our lives.
As I understand it, Jason will keep the site up as basically a resume page for his writing with links to his other projects, Twitter feed, etc. And we'll still be able to read Jason's stuff at Peach Pundit in addition to UL.
So...farewell to an old friend. Goodbye JasonPye.com. Seven years--that's a damn good run!
29 August 2012
The RNC Power Grab
A lot of you have probably already heard about the latest round of shenanigans and hijinks, courtesy of the RNC. For those who haven't, it all started Friday when the Rules Committee, led by one of my least favorite people, John Sununu, decided to radically change the power structure of the party, in essence, neutering the grassroots. Specifically, it would make the RNC very much a top-heavy organization and give the national party establishment, as well as the party's nominee, ultimate authority over the delegate process.
So fast-forward to Tuesday when the convention convened to start handling party business. The matter concerning the rule changes was brought before the assembled body and while, according to multiple reports, the nays had it, it was passed. Before we go any further, I'd have to recommend a write-up by Dean Clancy of FreedomWorks. This pretty much gives all the info you need about this power grab. The main points were Rules 12 and 15, respectively, which if changed, would create the aforementioned shift of power.
As Clancy notes, there was a lot of misinformation flying around that helped cause this mess. The main one being that this was just a Ron Paul thing:
My personal thoughts were basically along these lines: Is the GOP intentionally trying to do everything wrong? But perhaps Matt Kibbe, president of FreedomWorks,who was just highlighted yesterday on a blog I contribute to,United Liberty, summed it up best:
So fast-forward to Tuesday when the convention convened to start handling party business. The matter concerning the rule changes was brought before the assembled body and while, according to multiple reports, the nays had it, it was passed. Before we go any further, I'd have to recommend a write-up by Dean Clancy of FreedomWorks. This pretty much gives all the info you need about this power grab. The main points were Rules 12 and 15, respectively, which if changed, would create the aforementioned shift of power.
As Clancy notes, there was a lot of misinformation flying around that helped cause this mess. The main one being that this was just a Ron Paul thing:
Some delegates seem to have believed that the rules fight was really just a proxy fight in the larger battle being waged between the Romney and Ron Paul camps over who would represent certain states on the convention floor. This assumption may have discouraged some Rules Committee members from supporting the minority reports.Certainly it seems intuitive that the power elite of the party probably figured this would happen and that it would help their cause. As Michelle Malkin herself tweeted, this was not about Ron Paul. It was an all-out power grab. During the session, #RNCpowergrab started to trend on Twitter. On the front lines of this battle--FreedomWorks and The Heritage Foundation. For Heaven's sake, even Rush and Mark Levin started to decry this obvious mistake, but, it didn't matter. It passed...
My personal thoughts were basically along these lines: Is the GOP intentionally trying to do everything wrong? But perhaps Matt Kibbe, president of FreedomWorks,who was just highlighted yesterday on a blog I contribute to,United Liberty, summed it up best:
I believe that the Republican party has made a huge mistake by effectively disenfranchising grassroots activists who want to be a part of the party process. If the party sincerely wants the support of citizens, shutting them out of the process is not the way to do it. Sooner rather than later the Republican establishment needs to come to terms with the decentralized nature of grassroots organization circa 2012. The terms of engagement can no longer be dictated from the top-down.
27 August 2012
Tampa, FL--It's Gettin' Hot in Herre!
Most people wouldn't know it, but even though the 2012 Republican National Convention has only been in session for a short amount of time, there has been a ton of stuff going on. First off, before the convention even started, there was a lot of committee meetings and things of the like going on. That's where the interesting stuff has been occurring.
As I mentioned on United Liberty, there has been a lot of BS going on including the GOP's inexplicable decision to be A-holes to the good doctor himself, Ron Paul. Naturally, with their way of thinking, they decided that it would be best to lie, cheat, and steal their way to a nice scripted infomercial for Mitt Romney and company. That sucks! And it's weak as hell. However, they saved their best for later...
On Friday, the Rules Committee, headed up by none other than Jabba himself, John Sununu, decided they would just basically do away with grassroots activity, all together. They probably thought it would work. Why not? Everything else that the establishment has done has worked. But they didn't count on other people and groups not going for it. Like the entire Texas delegation, Washington delegation, FreedomWorks, and a plethora of other groups and organizations.
So, just this Monday evening, on the eve of the convention, the establishment worked out a "compromise" that changes the worst aspects of the aforementioned decision in order to dispel any perception of disunity, which has been, apparently, their goal all along. But...I think that things just might be getting started. I think more and more people are getting fed up with this crap emanating from Romney and the establishment. I think we might be on the verge of something very interesting. I think it's about to get hot in Tampa.
UPDATE!
It's gettin' hotter, baby!
From FreedomWorks:
Now the Romney forces are removing unfriendly Rules Committee members.
'
The GOP is obviously a more fractured party than most people are thinking. That's without even getting into this whole Romney power play thing. This is getting very interesting...
24 August 2012
GOP breaks own rules; Dr. Ron Paul will not be properly nominated
*This write-up was cross-posted at United Liberty*
Well...it's all but official now. Ron Paul will not be on the ballot in Tampa, nor will he be able to speak. Dr. Ron Paul and the forces of Freedom worked very, very hard to get the good doctor a plurality of delegates in 8 states. Easily passing the threshold of 5 states needed to be able to nominate Dr. Paul from the convention floor and give him the automatic speaking time earned, the GOP and the Romney camp has spent the last several months fighting and lawyering its way to silence the Paul forces. Things have really heated up this week in Tampa as various convention committees have broken its own rules multiple times to make sure that the Republican National Convention is a smooth, scripted infomercial for Mitt Romney and the Grand Old Party.
But. At what cost? Will the majority of Paul supporters be content with a Rand Paul prime-time speech on Monday night and several platform planks that, honestly, really don't matter. I don't think so. I think the GOP has really mucked this one up. Rather than letting things play in a natural way where the 500 or so Paul delegates and alternates--and the thousands and thousands of supporters across the country--would have felt validated and respected, the Republicans have basically said that it is more important to maintain a facade of loyalty and unity. Rules and principles be damned.
My take on all this? I think Gary Johnson will be seeing a surge of support in the next few weeks.
Well...it's all but official now. Ron Paul will not be on the ballot in Tampa, nor will he be able to speak. Dr. Ron Paul and the forces of Freedom worked very, very hard to get the good doctor a plurality of delegates in 8 states. Easily passing the threshold of 5 states needed to be able to nominate Dr. Paul from the convention floor and give him the automatic speaking time earned, the GOP and the Romney camp has spent the last several months fighting and lawyering its way to silence the Paul forces. Things have really heated up this week in Tampa as various convention committees have broken its own rules multiple times to make sure that the Republican National Convention is a smooth, scripted infomercial for Mitt Romney and the Grand Old Party.
But. At what cost? Will the majority of Paul supporters be content with a Rand Paul prime-time speech on Monday night and several platform planks that, honestly, really don't matter. I don't think so. I think the GOP has really mucked this one up. Rather than letting things play in a natural way where the 500 or so Paul delegates and alternates--and the thousands and thousands of supporters across the country--would have felt validated and respected, the Republicans have basically said that it is more important to maintain a facade of loyalty and unity. Rules and principles be damned.
My take on all this? I think Gary Johnson will be seeing a surge of support in the next few weeks.
21 August 2012
Former Marine Arrested and Detained for Anti-Government Comments
Early Monday morning while making my news rounds, a very interesting item from caught my attention. Brandon Raub, a former Marine, was arrested by local police and the
FBI in Virginia and was sent for a mental evaluation for posting
anti-government comments. At least, according to that first article I
read.
I sure as hell wasn’t going to share or comment on the story until I had more info, but I had to get to work. So, as the day progressed, I read more and more about this story. There was talk about green warrants and possible mental health issues. Then someone posted a link to this guy’s FB page. Some of the stuff on there was just downright crazy. But! Was it a threat or a call for violence? No. Not in my opinion.
Still…I didn’t have the necessary information to make an informed decision. Did this guy’s family have him committed? At this point, it’s looking like no. And the strangest thing to me was, as I mentioned, that the FBI was involved with his detainment.
As of last night, Mr. Truth himself, Ben Swann, stated that he was on it. That makes me feel good. Ben will get to the bottom of it. He has said that at this point—it does not seem to be passing the smell test. Also, The Rutherford Institute has now come out in support of Mr. Raub. But until more information presents itself, I just can’t make an informed analysis; however, I will say this—if he wasn’t involuntarily committed in a proper way…if this was just the government deciding that they would detain this man for words he wrote. Then—we might have a problem. This might be a game-changer. This could be one of the biggest stories in America that hardly no one knows about. If this was done improperly, then the United States Government may have just committed an egregious error.
Time will tell, I’ll follow up soon…
I sure as hell wasn’t going to share or comment on the story until I had more info, but I had to get to work. So, as the day progressed, I read more and more about this story. There was talk about green warrants and possible mental health issues. Then someone posted a link to this guy’s FB page. Some of the stuff on there was just downright crazy. But! Was it a threat or a call for violence? No. Not in my opinion.
Still…I didn’t have the necessary information to make an informed decision. Did this guy’s family have him committed? At this point, it’s looking like no. And the strangest thing to me was, as I mentioned, that the FBI was involved with his detainment.
As of last night, Mr. Truth himself, Ben Swann, stated that he was on it. That makes me feel good. Ben will get to the bottom of it. He has said that at this point—it does not seem to be passing the smell test. Also, The Rutherford Institute has now come out in support of Mr. Raub. But until more information presents itself, I just can’t make an informed analysis; however, I will say this—if he wasn’t involuntarily committed in a proper way…if this was just the government deciding that they would detain this man for words he wrote. Then—we might have a problem. This might be a game-changer. This could be one of the biggest stories in America that hardly no one knows about. If this was done improperly, then the United States Government may have just committed an egregious error.
Time will tell, I’ll follow up soon…
15 August 2012
The East Metro Round-up, 8/15/12
National
Corn shortage--Obama's got that!
Let's see. We could scrap the mandate for ethanol, lowering corn prices and therefore lowering meat prices in the process (and stopping it from tearing up our engines), or...just spend upwards of 200 million of tax money to artificially inflate meat prices. Brilliant!!!
From the article:
"To recap, government is driving up the cost of food, animal feed and gasoline, and Obama's solution is to drive up meat prices as well. Obama could eliminate the entire problem overnight and reduce carbon emissions were he to waive the ethanol mandate in a time of drought. Instead, he is creating a new spending program to mollify livestock producers, who, were it not for the ethanol mandate, would be able to make an honest living without his help."
Paul Ryan--for realz?
So we've all heard about the Ryan thing. Obviously, it's a smart pick from the GOP/Romney perspective. He does seem to energize the base and as someone said on twitter (I think it was Dave Weigel), he at least seems like the type of person who will remember what magazines and newspapers he reads and could probably recall at least a couple of SCOTUS decisions.
Of course, many of us, especially those of us on the Liberty tip, can point out that Ryan is not the conservative Godsend that many on the right are thinking he is. Let's go down the list: he supported TARP, the auto bailouts, Stimulus I & II, Patriot Act, Medicare Expansion, No Child Left Behind, NDAA, and several other big-government policies. But that won't stop your regular FOX viewer from gettin' real excited about him as I've already seen several times in the last few days.
Over at United Liberty, a page I contribute to, Matt Naugle looks at Ryan's budget plan to see if that, at least, is something that Libertarians and independents can get behind. The short answer--no. Unless you think balancing the budget should take a generation or two to complete...
And to complete the UL hat-trick, here's a very well-written write-up (I'm a sucker for alliteration) that tries to explain why a Libertarian/libertarian should get behind a Romney/Ryan ticket.
Her main point is--"we've got to start somewhere." That somewhere is supposed to be a voucher program for Medicare that really probably won't lower expenses and will probably only benefit the big health insurance companies? I don't think so. And as I commented on her write-up, the elephant in the living room is military spending. We're just wasting time until we're ready to address that:
Y'all do know that we have a trillion dollar defense budget. Meanwhile, Social Security, at approx. 770 billion per year, is still basically paying for itself as is Medicare. We've got to get serious about this military spending before it's too late. Ole Ike tried to warn us about this a half-century ago...
Local/East Metro
We've got 2 runoffs coming up in Newton Co. BOC 5, GOP, and State House 113--Democrat.
The BOC race is between Levie Maddox and Ronnie Dimsdale...mmm...I just don't know about that one. Dimsdale does seems to be a "consensus builder," whatever that means, and Maddox seems to be a pretty intelligent guy who seems to really care about our county. Chances are, either one of them would probably to an alright job, so perhaps you should just flip a coin.
In the State House race, I'd definitely voted for Mrs. Sharon Sawyer if I lived in that district. She's a super nice lady who would do a good job, I think.
Corn shortage--Obama's got that!
Let's see. We could scrap the mandate for ethanol, lowering corn prices and therefore lowering meat prices in the process (and stopping it from tearing up our engines), or...just spend upwards of 200 million of tax money to artificially inflate meat prices. Brilliant!!!
From the article:
"To recap, government is driving up the cost of food, animal feed and gasoline, and Obama's solution is to drive up meat prices as well. Obama could eliminate the entire problem overnight and reduce carbon emissions were he to waive the ethanol mandate in a time of drought. Instead, he is creating a new spending program to mollify livestock producers, who, were it not for the ethanol mandate, would be able to make an honest living without his help."
Paul Ryan--for realz?
So we've all heard about the Ryan thing. Obviously, it's a smart pick from the GOP/Romney perspective. He does seem to energize the base and as someone said on twitter (I think it was Dave Weigel), he at least seems like the type of person who will remember what magazines and newspapers he reads and could probably recall at least a couple of SCOTUS decisions.
Of course, many of us, especially those of us on the Liberty tip, can point out that Ryan is not the conservative Godsend that many on the right are thinking he is. Let's go down the list: he supported TARP, the auto bailouts, Stimulus I & II, Patriot Act, Medicare Expansion, No Child Left Behind, NDAA, and several other big-government policies. But that won't stop your regular FOX viewer from gettin' real excited about him as I've already seen several times in the last few days.
Over at United Liberty, a page I contribute to, Matt Naugle looks at Ryan's budget plan to see if that, at least, is something that Libertarians and independents can get behind. The short answer--no. Unless you think balancing the budget should take a generation or two to complete...
And to complete the UL hat-trick, here's a very well-written write-up (I'm a sucker for alliteration) that tries to explain why a Libertarian/libertarian should get behind a Romney/Ryan ticket.
Her main point is--"we've got to start somewhere." That somewhere is supposed to be a voucher program for Medicare that really probably won't lower expenses and will probably only benefit the big health insurance companies? I don't think so. And as I commented on her write-up, the elephant in the living room is military spending. We're just wasting time until we're ready to address that:
All I’m pointing out, to use a business analogy, is if I’ve still got cash flow covering most expenses on a certain budget item (medicare) while I’m spending tons more without any revenue on another budget item (military, DOD, FP etc.), I would look at the item where I’m spending way more without any revenue. I run a business and you have to look at the big, long-term picture (net profit) and short-term (cash flow) at the same time. Both are important but when you’re in survival mode, you’ve got to look at cash flow with more urgency. With all that said, as I’m sure you well know, all one has to do is to look at the government’s own numbers relating to future expenditures of entitlements and debt service to see how really screwed we are. But! We’re going to be dead in the water anyway until we make huge spending cuts on everything else. Those cuts must be done right now for us to have any chance…
Y'all do know that we have a trillion dollar defense budget. Meanwhile, Social Security, at approx. 770 billion per year, is still basically paying for itself as is Medicare. We've got to get serious about this military spending before it's too late. Ole Ike tried to warn us about this a half-century ago...
Local/East Metro
We've got 2 runoffs coming up in Newton Co. BOC 5, GOP, and State House 113--Democrat.
The BOC race is between Levie Maddox and Ronnie Dimsdale...mmm...I just don't know about that one. Dimsdale does seems to be a "consensus builder," whatever that means, and Maddox seems to be a pretty intelligent guy who seems to really care about our county. Chances are, either one of them would probably to an alright job, so perhaps you should just flip a coin.
In the State House race, I'd definitely voted for Mrs. Sharon Sawyer if I lived in that district. She's a super nice lady who would do a good job, I think.
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