Is Nothing Sacred Any More?

Heard about the latest flap with benzene in soft drinks? Yep. Unfortunately for the people behind this latest panic, all I managed to put together was that fruit juice drinks were the real culprits and not Root Beers, Sodas and other sugary carbonated drinks as they would have us believe. The panic mongering from certain quarters just seems to continually increase. These people won't be satisfied till they have sucked all the joy out of life and flushed it down the toilet.

I need a Root Beer!

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Benzene In Soft Drinks, Root Beer, Libertarian

Animal Farm Inside The Beltway

Looks like the pigs really do run things in DC and they've had a record year of feeding at the trough according to the latest report issued by Citizens Against Government Waste. The muck makers inside the Beltway managed to set new records in spending and pork last year, to the tune of $29 Billion in pork alone. Amazingly enough the House Appropriations Committee thinks that just isn't so.

....the amount of money devoted to earmarks in appropriations bills fell over the past year, from $19.8 billion in the 2005 budget year to $17 billion in the current year.

Hmmm...now let me think. Whom should I believe? Some Congresscritters or some citizens?

If there ever was a time when Republicans or Democrats were fiscally conservative, (which I seriously doubt) this just goes to show that the Pigs in DC are all members of the same party. The Boot On Your Neck Party and they are only interested in how much we can pump into their troughs. How's it feel to be a government asset? Who said vassalage was dead?

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Libertarian, Republican, Democrat

A House Divided?

And where will this end? Perhaps where Lincoln the Tyrants speech ended, in smoke, fire, bloodshed and death. Or, given the attitudes of Americans these days it may just end in more Liberty taken from us as the populace sit down for the latest episode of "Desperate Housewives" or "24". Regardless, the "immigration" flap currently underway is adding more stress to an otherwise frayed national fabric.

El Presidente' Bush wants a quick resolution from the Congress on the matter, preferably one which supports his position. The Senate wants to support the President, by and large but are split on the matter and the House is being hawkish enough to scare many people, legal or illegal.

Now add in the Evangelical Christians and the various political arms of other religions and we are looking at something that just gets worse by the day. So, now we have folks taking sides as a religious matter, too. So, not only do we have racism, corporate slavery, government insecurity and only the gods know how many other sub group/issues in the mix now we have folks drawing lines along religious boundaries. Can it get worse? Yeah...it can. Just wait and see.

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Immigration, Bush, Politics
Christianity

So Just How Bad Is It?

How bad are things when you have to start using US Navy personnel as ground troops to support a war? It FUBAR, that's how bad it is and that's exactly what the Bush administration is doing, according to Star's and Stripes, (via Cryptogon). While I was aware that they were using US Navy Seabees in some rear echelon posts and their usual construction capacity, this is the first time I have heard of the Pentagon using US Navy ratings in ground combat situations.

If the Bush regime is reaching this deep and far for bodies then things are not going well, folks. At this rate a reinstatement of the draft will become inevitable. Squids are not grunts and shouldn't be used as such unless you're looking for cannon fodder. Seabees fight when they must and train with the US Marine Corps to attain a modicum of combat ability but they are constructors, not combat troops. A swabby is trained to participate in the day to day operations and support of sea going vessels or support for Naval Air assets, the USMC is the ground combat unit of the US Navy. Using the Navy in this manner, and admitting to it points up some serious problems in Bush's wars, especially where manpower is concerned.

As someone who grew up in a USN family, (Seabees, to be more specific) I cannot fathom the thinking going into this. Pulling sailors from sea duty and placing them in ground operations is ludicrous. If the almost inevitable conflict with Iran takes off one has to wonder where the Bush administration will get their warm bodies for the grinder? Off the streets and out of our schools, no doubt. The time is growing short for Libertarians, Republican, Democrats and others to draw the line in the sand and put an end to this.

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Bush, US Navy, Libertarian
Iran

The New Operation Keelhaul

So much for the concept of the Land of the Free and Home of the Brave. The Bush Administration is following in the footsteps of the last big socialist president, Franklin D. Roosevelt and planning to forcibly repatriate hundreds, more likely thousands of Chinese who fled to this country from their Communist homeland. The hypocrisy on the part of the Bush Administration and their head of Homeland Insecurity is mind boggling. The Republican dominated government and their Democrat buddies are prepared to grant tacit amnesty to millions of "illegals" from south of the border, but will forcibly "repatriate" Chinese who fled a Communist regime for a better life in a supposedly free country.

Given the ignorance of the current regime inside the Beltway, I am willing to bet that they've never even given a thought to the parallels of their current scheme and Operation Keelhaul, crafted by Stalin, Roosevelt, Churchill and Truman. Either that or they just do not care. Given the governments stance on the Elian Gonzales case, I tend to lean towards the latter.

Why the hypocrisy? What makes Central Americans any better than Chinese? If anything you would think that this country would jump at the chance to take the high ground and offer sanctuary to people fleeing communist countries. How many of these people that Crypt Keeper Chertoff is sending back will end up as forced labourers in some People's Collective Farm? How many will end up on their knees in a stadium somewhere receiving a 9mm to the back of the skull, (and have their families billed for the ammo)?

The PRC may have changed a great deal in some ways since I lived there in the late 70's, but it sure hasn't changed enough to convince me that anyone sent back will receive anything resembling a fair shake. The Bush regime should realise this, but given their stance towards China I must assume that they just don't give a damn. If this country can absorb 11 million "illegal" Central Americans then it is a certainty that we can, and should offer "amnesty" to the 39,000 Chinese who fled to this country from Communist China.

“Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”

If, as we have been told, George W. Bush thinks the Constitution is "...just a goddamned piece of paper!"...then what can we assume his thoughts are where Lady Liberty is concerned? Maybe she's "..just a goddamned statue!" and what she stands for is outmoded when it comes to pleasing our communist Chinese trading "partners"? We know what they think of her, they showed the world on June 4th, 1989.

One thing is certain....the words inscribed above obviously mean nothing to most Americans anymore. Perhaps the Lady herself has outlived her day and should be removed from the public eye, since she obviously holds no place in the heart or soul of this country any longer. What a sad day when those seeking freedom are sent back to tyranny.

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China, Immigration, Bush
Politics, Libertarian, Republican, Democrat

As If I Needed One More Reason To Avoid CBS News

It appears like CBS is landing its first female anchor for the CBS Evening News and it is none other than the Vapid Queen herself, Katie Couric. Now, I haven't watched CBS News in any form for well over a decade, mostly due to Red Dan Rather. I guess it'll be another decade before I do so again. None of the Evening News shows are worth the money it takes to produce and sustain them and they are certainly not worth the time it takes to watch them but Couric will be the final nail in CBS news' coffin.

The viewers will no doubt flock to see her receive yet another colonoscopy, as if we didn't already know she was an...well....you know. And they can thrill to her exciting and substantive interviews. What ever happened to putting someone on air who could just report the damned news? It's just seems impossible to find anyone who can do that these days. Ah, well...at least there's the Internet, until we get a Libertarian News Network.

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CBS News, Katie Couric, Libertarian

A Quick Round Up

From the "Here We Go Again" files:

Looks like folks are stating the obvious where Iran is concerned. Saying that attacking Iran would spark global terrorist strikes is like saying the Earth is round. When you don't have huge standing armies, you go with what you're good at and in Iran's case that's car bombs, terrorism and the like. This situation just keeps heading towards the worst case scenario and neither of the two heads of state involved are going to flinch in this game of chicken. Hell, both of them are looking forward to it.

Iran, Bush, Terrorism


Dr. Stangelove: Back In Action!

Just when you thought the Cold War was over the current administration and the Council on Foreign Relations bring back the spectre of an American first strike on the "former" Soviet Union. Needless to say there are more than a few people in Russia who are worried about this. People inside the Beltway should be concerned, too. If they believe for even one moment that ALL of the nuclear arsenal of the USSR suddenly disappeared when they self destructed then I've got a watch they might like to buy.
So, will someone tell me again why having a Libertarian as president would be a bad thing?

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Russia, Libertarian, China
Bush, War


Ready? Set? Start Your Riots!

Well, guess we can get set for some more rioting in France. Mr. Chirac seems dead set on signingWe'd be glad to help you, too! legislation which has already resulted in riots, strikes and destruction of private property. Here's a clue, Jack...government isn't the solution to problems...it IS the problem. You people and your nanny state have created the problems facing you, French youth, business and workers in your country. If you really wanted to fix things you'd start by beginning to dismantle your machine of State.


Libertarian, Movement of the Libertarian Left, France, Politics

Calling Dr. Evil

The cliche' of the Mad Scientist permeates cinema, TV and literature in our country and now we get to see it in the full bloom of reality. Thanks to Kevin, over at Cryptogon we get to see what kind of lunatics are shuffling along the halls of Texas academia these days. Apparently we no longer have to worry about socialists, communists and others corrupting the minds of the youth at our colleges and universities now. Nope, we have to worry about genocidal maniacs with access to biology labs and feeble minded and adoring students.


Seems as if Herr Professor Eric Pianka of the University of Texas at Austin would like to use ebola and other diseases to wipe out 90% of the worlds population in order to restore ecological balance to the Earth. You'd normally dismiss a lunatic like this as a one off crank, except his "peers" at the conference he was speaking at gave him a standing ovation and then gave him an award as the "2006 Distinguished Texas Scientist". The Powers That Be who were hosting the even even went so far as to make sure the speaking event wasn't recorded, unfortunately for them someone actually took notes and decided to squeal on them. Is it something in the water down there in Texas, or what? When I was younger I looked to Texas as a rather Liberty and Freedom oriented place but, in recent years I've changed my mind. They turn out some dangerously delusional people.

Now, I am rather proud of the fact that I am married to a real, honest to goodness research scientist. I've spent years around scientists while my extremely significant other was getting her degrees and I feel I can comfortably say that I have never heard anything like this come from their mouths. This is straight out of the Al Gore camp and reminds me of nothing less than the evil antagonist in Whitley Streiber's "Natures End". Kill everyone so Bambi and Thumper will be safe....this man is a blight on the scientific community and people in that community should pay close attention to this person and his students, the last thing we need is a Pianka worshipper deciding to honour the insane professors wishes...

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Dr. Evil, Texas, News

So, I Put My Family In The Fireplace

I did it because I didn't have a hole dug in the backyard and storing them under the house was just too time consuming.

Sounds like the confession of a serial killer, huh? Or maybe a member of the Stonebender clan. Nope. It's just where I stored the family for a few minutes when the weather was raging and a freight train was knocking down trees in the forest behind the homestead. It seems that the gods themselves decided to wreak havoc on Indiana for switching to Daylight Savings Time in contravention of the laws of nature. So they gifted us with storms that blew down some pretty hefty trees in the forest while I was looking out the back and listening for the ubiquitous freight train.

After waking up the kiddo's and bringing them out to be with us I spent my time at the door, looking, listening and paying token attention to the local weather liars. It wasn't too long before I heard the winds roaring up and then saw and heard the trees back in the forest crashing down. So, into the fireplace they went. Now, this isn't a cow roasting size fireplace, but it sure isn't one of those rinky-dink things that builders try and pass off as one nowadays, either. I can tell you that it fits two kids and a grown woman just fine, tho. Not enough room for dad, but that's a different story.

Thankfully, whatever was rampaging through the woods tearing down the trees passed us by and everyone was fine, even if they had the odd spot of soot on them. When things got calmed down and the worst of the storm was gone to plague others, (and remind them that DST is evil and unnatural) the brave and strangely obedient children were safely tucked back into bed I learned that Momma doesn't think it's such a bad idea to have a "storm" shelter now. Guess, we'll have to hire someone to dig the hole.

The local Powers That Be set off their tornado sirens, which was what alerted us to any weather abnormality and, being the sort of folks we are we perked up our ears and decided to pay attention to the weather. Odd thing about those sirens...they turned them off just as the worse part of the storm was passing over our area. Sure does make me wonder about those folks, must be a FEMA thing...

Midwest, Weather, FEMA
Indiana, Daylight Savings Time