your world and welcome to it

Glenn Beck is the Greatest Threat to Conservatives

2010-01-20T14:23:00.007-05:00

Glenn Beck who hosts one of the most popular cable talk-shows has become the greatest threat to the Conservative and Libertarian movement. It is said in many ways that the greatest threat to an organization, movement, or nation comes from within, a Benedict Arnold.

In an interview with the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Glenn Beck places himself in the conservative/libertarian camp:
"I consider myself a libertarian. I'm a conservative, but every day that goes by I'm fighting for individual rights. I mean, you name it and I am there. Our individual rights, I think they are being taken away, dribs and drabs. I'm not going to give this government another right no matter what they claim." [Source]
On the surface the only troublesome thing is Beck's implication that fighting for individual rights is against a typical conservative agenda.

Glenn Beck gained the trust of conservatives by conducting favorable interviews of evangelical ministers and attacking liberal politicians such as Hillary Clinton and Nancy Pelosi.

In early 2009 Glenn Beck started the 912 Project who's mission "is designed to bring us all back to the place we were on September 12, 2001." A time in history when the majority of Americans were willing to hand over their rights to the government in allowing the passage of the PATRIOT Act.
Lately Glenn Beck has been calling for more taxes in his Value Added Tax (VAT). More taxes in the same manner as Pelosi's VAT?

Glenn Beck's hoard of tea baggers who have hi-jacked the original Tea Party movement started in 2007 have dumbed-down the face of the conservative movement.

Now Glenn Beck who claims to be a champion of individual liberties calls for the arrest of those who protest the 9/11 Commission Report.

After traitor has successfully infiltrated its target, it delivers the payload.

Newsweek Repackages a Tactic to Spur Government Control

2009-12-17T20:47:00.004-05:00

It's April 28, 1975, and you pick up the latest Newsweek to find this article [PDF].

It's scary! The earth is cooling off and a new Ice Age is threatening your way of life:
The drop in food output could begin quite soon, perhaps only ten years from now.

Unfortunately none of the scientists have theories on what caused impending catastrophe:
Just what causes the onset of major and minor ice ages remains a mystery.

At the end of the article a solution is implied:
... the growth of world population and creation of new national boundaries make it impossible for starving peoples to migrate from their devastated fields, as they did in past famines.
Climatologists are pessimistic that political leaders will take any positive action to compensate for the climatic change, or even to allay its effects. ... some of the more spectacular solutions proposed, such as melting the Arctic ice cap by covering it with black soot...

Notice the problems listed in the last citation? Apparently fixing the climate would be much easier without the current population growth and national sovereignty.

Knowing what you know now, imagine what today would be like if these solutions had been carried out.

Fast forward to September of 2009, and you read this Newsweek article on Global Warming.
Too few cold days disrupts the plants' flowering schedule which in turn affects pollination and hurts yield.

Sound familiar? Yes, but this article has a more direct answer to the problem:
In response to agricultural demands, the Waxman-Markey bill exempts the agricultural industry from emission caps and cedes control over what activities warrant carbon offset credit to the Agricultural Department, not the EPA.

Government has the answer. There is no question, and there are no alternatives. Only more legislation can save us. That's what Newsweek would have you to believe.

Why Movie Producers Should Take a Tip From the Big TV Networks

2009-05-11T14:53:00.008-04:00

Perhaps you remember the law of supply and demand from school. Now what happens when a business increases the price of its product beyond its demand? One of two things happen: people learn to do without or they find an alternative method to get that product. Enter internet piracy.
I know internet piracy has existed for a long time and will continue to exist, but I wager to you that its popularity is due in large part to absorbent prices of movie tickets, software, and other media.
A big part of illegal file sharing had included many commercial-free versions of prime-time TV shows such as Lost and Heroes. In an attempt to stem the piracy of these shows and to regain some profit, some networks tried selling these shows on iTunes. But that never seemed to take hold. People wanted to watch the shows when they wanted, but they didn't want to pay for them and didn't want to purchase a DVR.
Thus, hulu was born. A quick Alexa comparison between thepiratebay.org and the rise of popularity in hulu.com shows a direct correlation.
Today the most popular torrent seed is the new Star Trek movie. This begged the question, "How much is a ticket?" In my town that's $13 for just one adult. Ouch!
Charge people $2, let them watch it on their computer, make them watch commercials, and you will see ticket sales skyrocket.

What you don't know about the Federal Reserve can hurt you.

2008-10-05T16:30:00.001-04:00

Differences between McCain and Obama

2008-09-28T20:42:00.003-04:00

I pulled this from a commenter on Reddit.com, and I don't think I could have put it better myself:

There really are no substantive differences between the two major party candidates:

Which candidate will end the fraudulent and unconstitutional War on Drugs, which funds covert counter-democracy CIA activities abroad while eroding civil liberties here at home?

Which candidate will end the fraudulent and unconstitutional War on Terror, which transforms the Middle East into a breeding ground for radical jihadists who are eager follow in the footsteps of the CIA-manufactured ones that attacked us on September 11th?

Which candidate will dismantle the secret state within the CIA, which has waged a continuous and covert war against peaceful, progressive, socializing movements throughout the world by aiding and arming repressive regimes who abet the plunder of their nation's resources by Western elites?

Which candidate will end our unconditional military, economic, and moral support for the apartheid, Zionist state of Israel?

Which candidate will eliminate the Federal Reserve, which puts control over our economic future and prosperity into the hands of a supra-elite cartel of international bankers?

Which candidate will repeal the unconstitutional income tax, which funds the cancer that is the military-industrial complex?

Which candidate will disclose what the government really knows about UFOs?

Which candidate will nullify the authority of sovereignty-eroding global governing organizations, that set policy and law on an international scale without any representation from or accountability to the people of any nation?

Which candidate will start a genuine investigation into 9/11, as opposed to the underfunded, stonewalled, still-born, shameful whitewash that was the 9/11 Commission Report?

Which candidate will ferret out and bring to trial the traitors in the White House, State Department, Justice Department, Pentagon, Congress, DHS, FBI, CIA, FEMA, and any other agency, who have been responsible for the subterfuge of our democracy, starting with the current president and vice-president?

Which candidate will restore our constitutional democracy by drastically reducing the power and scope of the federal government as well as that of the corporate estate?

If you still buy into the stage-managed "left" versus "right" game of political hot-potato that passes for political discourse in our society, these words will probably fall on deaf ears. But if you're willing to dedicate yourself to seeking the truth of things with an open mind, you'll soon wise up to the fact that so-called consensus reality is a well-crafted charade designed to conceal and perpetuate a power structure of global scope which is unmistakably totalitarian in both action and intent.

So, which candidate will work to abolish the institutionalized causes of terror, conflict, inequality, injustice, and suffering, in our nation, and throughout the world? Neither.

The Antidote is Here

2008-09-19T18:26:00.008-04:00

Recently the Fourth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution was gutted by the FISA. Despite the outrage, the bill was passed, and the mainstream news moves on to other news like lipsticks and pigs.
FISA may seem like a huge tragedy(and it is!), but it is one of many Constitutional violations committed in the last few presidencies. The Republicans and Democrats are both guilty.
Here's a few more examples:
H.R. 5122: John Warner National Defense Authorization Act of Fiscal Year 2007
This grants the president the ability to declare martial law without a vote in Congress.

Homeland Security Act

Patriot Act

I understand a feeling of helplessness, but there is a solution.
It's called the American Freedom Agenda Act(pdf).

The American Freedom Campaign summarize the bill well:
"The American Freedom Agenda Act would bar the use of evidence obtained through torture; require that federal intelligence gathering is conducted in accordance with the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA); create a mechanism for challenging presidential signing statements; repeal the Military Commissions Act, which, among other things, denies habeas corpus to certain detainees; prohibit kidnapping, detentions, and torture abroad; protect journalists who publish information received from the executive branch; and ensure that secret evidence is not used to designate individuals or organizations with a presence in the U.S. as foreign terrorists."

I implore you to call your representatives. If you aren't sure how to contact them, us Congress.org. It's an excellent source.

Now is the time to take action!

The Essence

2008-09-11T13:07:00.002-04:00

This is the essence of what is wrong with our government:

Now, I'm not for socialism by any means, but why is our government sending $1 billion to the country of Georgia when gas prices are about to shoot through the roof from an impending hurricane? An infusion of a billion dollars could stem the cost of gasoline, or better yet, aid the recovery for the impending destruction of homes and businesses in Texas.

The government is broken.

The FDA fails again: Bisphenol A

2008-09-04T21:34:00.009-04:00

"The fact is, it's industry's responsibility to demonstrate the safety of their products. . ."

"The fact that industry generated data to support the safety I don't think is an unusual thing."

Mitchell Cheeseman

Deputy Director of the FDA's office of food additive safety (source)

As a quick review, Bisphenol A (BPA) is a polymer used in many applications which require plastics such as the manufacturing of shatter-proof plastic baby bottles.

The FDA recently released a Draft Assessment of Bisphenol A for Use in Food Contact Applications, and in this assessment I found this:

"FDA estimates that BPA exposure from use in food contact materials in infants and adults is 2.42 μg/kg bw/day and 0.185 μg/kg bw/day, respectively. FDA has determined the appropriate no observed adverse effect level (NOAEL) for its assessment of BPA to be the NOAEL for systemic toxicity of 5 mg/kg bw/day (5000 μg/kg bw/day) derived from two multigenerational rodent studies. This NOAEL results in adequate margins of safety of approximately 2,000 and 27,000 for infants and adults, respectively. The data reviewed on highlighted endpoints, such as the prostate gland and developmental neural and behavioral toxicity, were insufficient to provide a basis to alter the NOAEL used to calculate the margins of safety. FDA has concluded that an adequate margin of safety exists for BPA at current levels of exposure from food contact uses. At a later date, FDA will publish a separate document that provides a safety assessment of BPA exposure from other FDA-regulated products."

In short, we are all consuming/absorbing BPA, but the FDA says it has "insufficient" data to prove the levels we are receiving are dangerous.

Because this is the U.S., and we have too much bureaucracy, there is another federal department studying the same thing. The United States Department of Health and Human Services recently published this report on the Potential Human Reproductive and Developmental Effects of Bisphenol A. That's when I found this:

"Recognizing the lack of data on the effects of bisphenol A in humans and despite the limitations

in the evidence for “low” dose effects in laboratory animals discussed in more detail below, the possibility that bisphenol A may alter human development cannot be dismissed."

Are you surprised?

Waiting. . .

2008-09-03T20:53:00.007-04:00

I'm waiting for the "liberals" to be liberal and the "conservatives" to be conservative, and I would love to see them all fight for a restoration of the Constitution.

In May of 1961, President John F. Kennedy proposed to send a man to the moon. What an audacious (and liberal!) move, and a huge expense to the country! However, future will tell that the payoff has been immeasurable. Scientific advancements in electronics led to the Computer Revolution and ultimately the Internet. John F. Kennedy who, in his tragically short presidency, did amazing things for this country. He was a true liberal and a good one.

Barack Obama is running a campaign on the ambiguous idea of change. Sounds liberal enough. However, in Barack Obama's Plan for Lifetime Success through Education he plans to cut funding from the NASA Constellation Program. The goal of the program would be to create a new generation of spacecraft for human spaceflight. Barack Obama doesn't have only liberal ideas.

Theodore Roosevelt. . . Wow! Just, wow! Reading about some of the things he accomplished nearly brings a tear to my eye. I can't see the future, but I doubt either McCain or Obama could accomplish in eight years what President T. Roosevelt accomplished in one. Setting aside more land for national parks and preserves than all previous presidents combined. Apparently he didn't even want to have a Christmas tree in the White House fearing it would come from a virgin forest. Theodore Roosevelt did hunt, but he believed in sportsmanship.

Palin electrifies conservative base, or so the headlines go these days. She is against abortion, and that's about all I have on her conservatism. Yes, Sarah Palin is a member of the NRA, but unlike President Theodore Roosevelt, she does not support good sportsmanship in hunting. In fact, Sarah Palin is a member of the American Petroleum Institute, a lobbying group for oil companies, which is suing to keep polar bears from the protection of the Endangered Species Program. Even worse, Palin supports the aerial hunting of wolves which looks like this. That's not very conservative.

Theodore Roosevelt and John F. Kennedy weren't perfect presidents. They were great presidents. In the Bible, David is referred to as "a man after God's own heart," and he accomplished much. But, David cheated on his wife with Bathsheba and later killed Bathsheba's husband, Uriah. I point this out because we measure David's accomplishments by their sum.

I don't want you to find me a politician who has done a few good things for this country and it's constitution. They are a dime-a-dozen.

I want a candidate who has made a career of fighting for our liberties and the Constitution.

Sarah Palin, wasn't even McCain's choice

2008-08-30T23:47:00.001-04:00

Then who picked her?

Money bomb to take down Lindsey Graham-nesty

2008-08-30T21:48:00.004-04:00

This November we not only have the opportunity to remove a senator who has been whittling away at liberties, but we now have someone who will champion the ways of the Constitution.
His name is Bob Conley.
Even if you don't live in South Carolina, you can help take down Lindsey Graham and elect someone who will be a champion for liberty. This Monday, September 1st, a local Campaign for Libery Meet-Up group is calling for a Money Bomb for Bob Conley. You can donate at Bob Conley's website: aimhighwithbob.com.

Here is a statement from a founding member of the Meet-Up group, Vicki Simmons:

Lower Your Gas Prices: Bob Conley sees solutions to reduce your gas prices through the use of alternative energy and conservation. To end our dependence on foreign oil, we need to change our energy policy. Bob will fight for this change by: encouraging more energy production at home, promoting the development of alternative energy sources, wider use of proven alternative energy solutions, and encouraging the use of energy-saving technologies. We’ll regain energy independence and create good jobs in the process!

Iraq: Bob Conley believes it is time to end the occupation, and support our troops by bringing them home!

Jobs & Immigration: Bob supports secure borders and wants South Carolinians to have first choice of jobs in South Carolina.

Jobs & Trade: Bob Conley says no to trade agreements that send our good, well-paying jobs to foreign lands. The U.S. needs to withdraw from trade agreements that have cost us 3.5 million of our good manufacturing jobs since 2001!

Bob will promote and restore America First trade policies. We need to follow the Constitution – Congress is to regulate trade with foreign nations. We must end most favored nation status for Communist China. Bob is our fighter to change trade policies, correct our massive trade imbalance, and keep our good jobs here at home.

Economy: We must implement fiscal policies to end deficit spending. Bob Conley believes we must change our monetary policy, restore sound, honest money, and halt the fall of the dollar. We must stop predatory lending practices, end the Wall Street bailouts, and put a lid on massive expenditures abroad.

Military: Overseas deployments of occupation are breaking our military. Deployments in recent years have left 80% of our National Guard units without the necessary equipment for training – and the missions they should be prepared to serve here at home. Our National Guard needs to be rebuilt.

Veterans: Bob Conley believes veterans need to be given adequate care, not shuffled around in a Veterans’ Administration that should be overhauled. Bob will work to pass a new GI Bill for our veterans who have fought in the twenty-first century.

Constitution and the Bill of Rights: Bob Conley will fight to repeal the Big Brother legislation passed by rubber-stamp Republican Congresses. We cannot afford to give up essential liberties under the false pretense of security. Measures that infringe on our individual liberties protected by the Constitution and the Bill of Rights must be repealed! We must restore the Constitution and respect the principles on which our Republic was founded.

Bob Conley is the freedom candidate.

when soft facism goes hard

2008-08-30T17:58:00.008-04:00

If you haven't been following saga of the protesters at the Democratic Convention in Denver over the past few days, don't worry. You're not a lone.
Mainstream media coverage has been all but non-existent.

This should catch you up:

There are some people who might say the protesters deserve to be locked up in warehouses. Let me direct your attention to the First Amendment.

This isn't the first time this amendment was tested, and it won't be the last. What concerns me is our government keeps forgetting our rights.

If this is how anti-war protesters are treated at the DNC Convention, I shutter to think what the Ron Paul supporters will be facing in St. Paul.

The FDA failed at math

2008-08-30T13:19:00.005-04:00

We know trans fat is a bad dude in nutrition, that's why we try to buy foods which advertise 0 grams of trans fat.

So why does your food still have trans fat in it?

After doing a little research on the FDA's web site, I found that "0 grams" actually means 500mg per serving! This is a problem for an Oreo-lover such as myself when one serving is only two cookies!

What happened in Texas?

2008-08-29T23:41:00.007-04:00

On August 27th Bob Barr was the only presidential candidate slated to be on the Texas ballot for November. Both McCain's and Obama's campaigns failed to meet the August 26 deadline. There were no exceptions.

However, today when I looked at the official list of candidates to be on ballots in Texas, I see McCain and Obama. I checked this site on the 28th, and it was blank for both Republican and Democratic party presidential candidates.

Which exception was used when there was no exception?

your world and welcome to it

2008-08-29T22:04:00.001-04:00

"Discussion in America means dissent."

- James Thurber

Welcome to my first legitimate blog.
Perhaps you've already figured out I'm a fan of James Thurber. The title of my site is taken from a short-lived sitcom based on the humor and cartoons of James Thurber.

As I go down this path, I hope to reintroduce people to their world. I might reaffirm some long-held beliefs, or maybe I'll strip all that away and lead you down the rabbit hole.