In a Constitutional Republic, the members of elected bodies represent the views of the people. I'm not saying the members should take a poll every time they vote on something, that would be a straight Democracy -- but then you could get Hamas in charge of a government...

In North Carolina, however, the legislators simply rule against the will of the people, even when the people are supporting what is good and right. 73% of the people in North Carolina want a Constitutional Amendment that would "protect all private property from being taken by government through eminent domain for private economic development purposes."

Well, the North Carolina House (in a committee) disagrees. They feel that there is not such amendment needed because "landowner protection laws are already strong."

In other words, they want the option. If there is not Constitutional Amendment, then the legislature is completely free to change the laws to fit their needs, including allowing the government to take any land they want for any reason they want. Welcome to the land of the free if the royal legislature gives you that permission.

Posted by: Ogre at 12:06 PM | Comments (4) | Add Comment
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Here's a song I've had running through my head all day long -- it's got quite a catch tune. I'm not sure what type of tune this is, but I love it. And be sure when you read it, you roll the "rs" just a little bit on the chorus to add that Irish flavor.

As usual, you can listen to a clip to get you in the mood:

And come tell me Sean O'Farrell tell me why you hurry so
Husha buachaill hush and listen and his cheeks were all a glow
I bare orders from the captain get you ready quick and soon
For the pikes must be together by the rising of the moon

By the rising of the moon, by the rising of the moon
For the pikes must be together by the rising of the moon

And come tell me Sean O'Farrell where the gath'rin is to be
At the old spot by the river quite well known to you and me
One more word for signal token whistle out the marchin' tune
With your pike upon your shoulder by the rising of the moon

By the rising of the moon, by the rising of the moon
With your pike upon your shoulder by the rising of the moon

Out from many a mud wall cabin eyes were watching through the night
Many a manly heart was beating for the blessed warning light
Murmurs rang along the valleys to the banshees lonely croon
And a thousand pikes were flashing by the rising of the moon

By the rising of the moon, by the rising of the moon
And a thousand pikes were flashing by the rising of the moon

All along that singing river that black mass of men was seen
High above their shining weapons flew their own beloved green
Death to every foe and traitor! Whistle out the marching tune
And hurrah, me boys, for freedom, 'tis the rising of the moon

'Tis the rising of the moon, 'tis the rising of the moon
And hurrah, me boys, for freedom, 'tis the rising of the moon

Posted by: Ogre at 08:09 PM | Comments (5) | Add Comment
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For those that are new to this site, I participate in a "blogburst" every Thursday. That blogburst contains news and views about the ACLU. The ACLU is a horrible, evil organization. You might think they do some good, but the little good they do is vastly outweighed by the huge amounts of evil they do. Seriously. This organization has absolutely nothing to do with protecting anyone's civil rights. They want to advance their cause and make money -- no matter who gets trampled in the process.

This week's blogburst lets you know Gribbit's view on the ACLU:

Have you ever noticed that every nutty idea that the ACLU sues over comes out of San Francisco, New York, Boston, or Chicago? Think about it seriously for a few minutes. None of these ignorant press releases about national policy ever originate in say Rapid City, SD or Kansas City, MO. And why is that? It is because all the brain dead lawyers in this nation gather like rats in the least pleasant locations in the nation.

Where the riff-raff are, the ACLU will be there to defend them. Deny it if you wish but you if you do you are living in the land of denial. The ACLU is nothing more than Ambulance Chasers with cause. And their cause is to take cases which will place national and local policies designed to defend morality and shred them in their precious cause of civil rights.

more...

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Everyone who does not live under a rock (and no, there's nothing actually wrong with living under a rock -- it's very nice in some ways) knows about the Supreme Court decision called Roe v. Wade. It claims that states cannot pass laws that restrict abortion because a woman has a "right" to abort their child.

Now it seems that a group has filed a lawsuit saying that men have "reproductive rights," too:

The gist of the argument: If a pregnant woman can choose among abortion, adoption or raising a child, a man involved in an unintended pregnancy should have the choice of declining the financial responsibilities of fatherhood.

It just seems to horrifyingly twisted that we allow murder as "choice" and "privacy" but force men, who are not allowed any choice, to pay for that "choice/privacy" as a "societal necessity". I'd say NOT MURDERING BABIES would be a much more important societal necessity.

Posted by: Ogre at 05:07 PM | Comments (3) | Add Comment
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You may hear the term "conservative" tossed about -- and if it's in the media, it's likely used as a derogatory term. It's not -- it is simply a way to view life, freedom, government, and America. I was reading over at Lockjaw's Lair (another Ogre in NC) his "What I Believe post." I like the part about government:

I believe in the sovereignty of the individual. I believe that each person should be left to his own choices and the results of those choices. Each person's actions should be considered his own, only answerable to others insofar as they affect the life, liberty, and property of others. To create a false construct called government in order to impede upon the sovereignty of the individual is an evil act.

The government which governs least, governs best. Government should exist to protect the populace and property within its borders from outside nations and powers. Government should protect the basic rights of its citizens from infringement by others. Government should levy taxes only when necessary to do these basic jobs.

As we are a constitutional republic, I believe that our federal and state governments should act within the limitations of the constitutions which define government at both levels. The interpretations of these documents should be based upon the intentions of those who crafted it, and not upon modern re-interpretations that are designed to change its meaning. The Constitution of the United States of America is not a living document, except insofar as there are means available through it to make changes to it.

There's more, please head on over and read it.

Posted by: Ogre at 04:03 PM | Comments (8) | Add Comment
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1 Ogre, That reminds me of one that I did to start off my blog experience. I was actually thinking about posting it again Can you believe April 22, 2006 will make two years?

Posted by: Louisiana Conservative at March 09, 2006 04:47 PM (2pFqv)

2 Two years? Wow. You're an old .... (fill in the blank) now, eh?

Posted by: Ogre at March 09, 2006 05:24 PM (/k+l4)

3 Ogre, my friend... You talk a good game, but do you really mean what you say? For example: Individualism. Sounds good. But how far can you take that? Lin Yutang wrote excellent essays on "the wayward and incalculable individual". Is that what you mean? He prizes that type as the paragon of humanity, unable to be cowed by governments, business leaders, military leaders, and so on. Is that going too far in the individuality department? He contrasts the "wayward and incalculable individual" with the obedient and heteronomic "soldier". Where do you come down now? Soldier or Individual? A soldier, in Yutang's scheme, need not be an actual soldier...but can simply think and behave like one...which is to say that he or she is involved in the giving and/or taking of orders, dressing like everyone else, acting in uniformity with codes, bla bla bla. Told what to do. Not to throw down on soldiers. They are probably necessary. Glad I am not one of them. I am an individual. And many Liberals and Progressives (capitalized or not) share this celebration of the individual, and do not want to give it over to "big causes" like war and such. Many Reps and Cons like to think they are great defenders of individualism, but it seems to break down during wartime. Why is that? Is the vaunted individualism not that important to you guys? Just curious... Hey...hope you are enjoying this amazing weather. Gotta love that global warming! At least the immediate benefits. Dave

Posted by: anonyMoses at March 10, 2006 06:01 PM (Y4z5V)

4 Individualism as a political point of view. In other words, the individual is supreme to the government in all cases. I also view this as a personal choice of individualism. So if someone wants to voluntarily join up with someone else and wear the same clothes, that's not in opposition to my view of individualism, because they CHOSE to do that -- as do all of today's US military. And strangely enough, I didn't even write the word "individualism" once in that post... But in your example of soldier or individual, I see a third option -- personal choice. Each person should be completely free to choose if they want to be a solider. And some could choose to be soldiers in some areas of their life and not in others! And yes, this global warming, after causing those record cold temperatures, is fun.

Posted by: Ogre at March 10, 2006 06:18 PM (/k+l4)

5 Yeah but but but... You are correct, my soul twin and doppelganger! But do you a see a difference between "sovereignty of the individual" and "individualism"? My problem with an individual deciding to become less of an individual, by melding into a group, say, is that they are giving up on their individualism, it seems to me. In which case I should think it didn't mean much in the first place. But granted, I see times when that is exactly what is called for. The native Americans, riding the prairies, would often separate into bands and even individuals...but would coalesce in times of crisis. No problem with that. Makes sense. A group is stronger than an individual. Synergy is real. I think we both share the belief that stronger individuals make for stronger groups, and that we are not so far apart as some knuckleheads might contend. We probably also would agree that, even in a group setting, as in platoons and such, individual conscience is something one may want to hang onto. May have prevent Abu Graibh from getting out of hand, for instance. Hey...I was curious of your assessment of Mister Bush, now that he has been able to work his magic lo these many years. I see you deny his conservatism, but I hope you don't think he is any sort of liberal, for that would be a hard egg to hatch. He, like so many, is a godhopper, but other than that...who knows??? Dave

Posted by: anonyMoses at March 10, 2006 07:24 PM (Y4z5V)

6 Ah, such interesting philosophical questions you present! I'm not sure I do see that difference. I think if the individual has, by choice, joined a group, they can still act and feel as an individual -- perhaps as you mention with an individual moral compass. I don't really see it as too much of a reduction in the individualism, either, because if it were all by free choice, the individual could choose at any time to remove themselves from the group. So, yes, we'd agree that strong individuals can make a stronger group (under certain circumstances). And yes, individual conscience is nearly always valuable -- which is why the UCMJ makes it a crime to commit a crime, even if ordered to by a senior officer. Bush? Well, I'm not sure what to call him, but no, he's not conservative. Maybe he's that "new breed" called a "compassionate conservative" (I really hate that term, as it implies that "regular" conservatives aren't compassionate. He certainly does have his position and he won't be changed once he's really made his mind up. I just don't agree with him all that ofter -- yet moreso than I agree with Kerry, for example... The lesser of two evils? You bet -- but then again, if you're voting for a politician and not a statesmen, you ARE selecting an evil in my view.

Posted by: Ogre at March 10, 2006 07:34 PM (/k+l4)

7 Always nice to discuss things with you. Thanks for clarifying and illuminating. Time to hit the out-of-doors! Enjoy! Dave

Posted by: anonyMoses at March 11, 2006 07:00 PM (N4rL4)

8 Most certainly agreed! I've been outside all day and plan to be there tomorrow as well. Perhaps we'll meet up soon -- only 7 more months until the Ren Fest!

Posted by: Ogre at March 11, 2006 10:03 PM (CyQ4M)

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The Observer today ran an opinion piece that is a thinly disguised attempt to manipulate the voters into supporting more socialism. The article complains about the fact that there is little, if any, competition for legislative seats in the North Carolina House and Senate. However, they try and blame Republicans when ALL decisions made by the Legislature are Democrat decisions only.

They also attempt to blame the lack of competition on money -- implying that it costs too much to run a race, so public financing should be undertaken and people should not have the right of freedom of political speech.

They also claim that the system developed by "Republican and Democrats" allows the legislature to pick their consituents instead of the other way around. They're half right -- the current system is 100% run by Democrats with zero input from Republicans.

I did a lot of work with Patrick Ballantine, former NC Senator, in the 2000 elections, just before a redistricting. Republicans had a redistricting plan. It went something like this: Divide the total population into the correct number of people to even split the seats. Start at the western edge of NC and start counting. When the correct number of people was reached, start a new district. Exceptions were only for breaking up towns or streets.

That's the Republican plan -- simply allow the districts to be small, contiguous, and fair. It's the current DEMOCRAT plan that splits district along party registration lines. It's the DEMOCRAT plan that creates long, winding districts to ensure the election of Democrats.

In addition, the Observer attempts to claim that there is balance -- the Senate has 50 seats. They claim 21 are Democrat, 21 are Republican, while 8 are "up for grabs." That's a lie. The 8 "up for grabs" are solid, confirmed, Democrat districts. Republicans have NEVER had a majority in the NC Senate -- EVER -- despite a vast majority (as many as 56%) of statewide voters voting for Republican Senate candidates.

The Observer hates freedom, they hate fairness, they hate Republicans, and they love socialism. Keep that in mind when reading their "balanced" opinions.

Posted by: Ogre at 02:40 PM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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Oh, this is not going to go over well with the left/Democrats/media/socialists/etc.

It seems an appeals court judge actually ruled that people are responsible for their own actions. From the decision:

In that it appears to the Court in this case that there is no legal duty by a commercial provider of alcohol in North Carolina after service of the final drink by the defendant, the plaintiffsÂ’ claims for relief do not establish recognized legal claims.

They have worked hard to sue and shut down bars, bartenders, and anyone who sells the evil alcohol. They have been successful in making it the bartender's fault that some moron drove home drunk. But this case turns that idea completely on its head and back to common sense -- YOU are responsible for your actions.

This restores contract law. The contract is -- person A gives bartender $5 for a beer. The bartender meets his portion of the contract, as does person A. That's all. The contract is now over. That's how contract law works -- ANYTHING that happens with person A after that has nothing to do with the bartender.

But don't worry -- the judges did leave a hole for the Democrat-led Legislature to drive a truck through:

had the General Assembly intended to prohibit by statute consumption of alcoholic beverages by intoxicated persons on the premises of an ABC licensee or permittee (and by implication thereby to impose a legal duty of care), it easily could and would have done so.

Posted by: Ogre at 02:09 PM | Comments (6) | Add Comment
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1 $5.00 for a beer? I wouldn't be drinking enough to be the moron driving drunk, that's for sure!

Posted by: Oddybobo at March 09, 2006 02:37 PM (6Gm0j)

2 You don't pay $5? You don't get out much, do you?

Posted by: Ogre at March 09, 2006 02:42 PM (/k+l4)

3 Sigh... Nothing good seems to last very long. ;-)

Posted by: vw bug at March 09, 2006 05:11 PM (qxjXY)

4 Hopefully this will be a turn-around case for all the dumb suing-spree cases. I.e. the moron who is suing the company that manufactored his iPod because HE chose to play it too loudly and hurt his ears. Besides, the iPod doesn't directly make the noise, you should be suing the headphone company. haha If that dude wins his case against iPod makers, then I'm going to wear my Reeboks on the wrong foot, then sue Reebok when my feet become disfigured for not properly labeling which shoe was for which foot. haha But seriously, if this MADD case is ever overturned or ruled differently, then those fat people suing McDonalds for weight gain should have won. If you can blame a bartender or bar for the effect their product has on you, then you should be able to blame a clerk or restaruant for the effect their product has on. Fair is fair, right? haha

Posted by: The Realest White Boy at March 09, 2006 05:17 PM (vFzZ+)

5 Sorry, VW. And White Boy -- this is just a glimmer of hope, just a tiny start of a possibility. People are not going to stop sueing over the things you listed until there is real, actual, legal reform -- like making the loser pay for bringing the lawsuit in the first place.

Posted by: Ogre at March 09, 2006 05:26 PM (/k+l4)

6 i bet it is so! talk politics at www.getmad.ca

Posted by: kmj at March 13, 2006 07:13 PM (+W7mb)

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It seems the Democrats in Washington are upset that they're Catholic. I know, it doesn't make any sense to a thinking person, but apparently the Democrats who are members of the Catholic religion feel that they should be in charge of making all decisions for everyone, including the Pope. Hey, at least they're consistent -- they think they should make decisions for you, too.

SAN DIEGO, CA—Catholic Answers Action has denounced the “Statement of Principles” released last week by fifty-five Catholic Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Led by Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.), a group of fifty-five Catholic Democrats in the House signed a statement designed to paper over their dissent from Church teaching on abortion. Signers included House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi of San Francisco.

Jimmy Akin, spokesman for Catholic Answers Action, released the following statement to the press:

“The fifty-five signers of the statement have done American voters a favor by revealing what hypocrites they are. Their statement of ‘principles’ is a transparent attempt to disguise their position, and they’re not fooling anybody. They are putting their politics above their faith.

“The statement says that they ‘work every day to advance respect for life,’ but the signers of the statement have an 80 percent anti-life voting record this term.

Posted by: Ogre at 01:08 PM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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The official election season in North Carolina has begin. The filing has ended. Let's take a look and see what action there is to look forward to this year:

* crickets chirping *

That's about it. As the Charlotte Observer notes, the majority of candidates for the North Carolina General Assembly have already "won" their elections because they face zero opposition. Many of those that do only have a primary race, so there's not much to be decided on election day in November.

Why? Primarily because of gerrymandering. The districts are specifically drawn so that there is no competition. The current legislators are picking their "constituents" instead of the people electing people to represent them. Why? Because the legislators are part of an elite class that knows better than you what you need.

The Observer does mention a side issue -- that the legislature is a total cesspool and many upstanding people simply do not want to be associated with that much filth.

So what's the solution? As much as I hate the idea of them, the only way to attempt to stop this and actually let people elect others to represent them (instead of members of the elite deciding) is term limits. If the legislator can only "serve" for 2-4 terms, they'll have less of a reason to continue to add filth to the cesspool and others will get a chance to serve.

Now the only question is how to get those self-serving control freaks in the legislature to pass them...

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Here's another tune I heard this morning as I continue to celebrate Saint Patrick's Day Month. Searching for it's origins, all I can find is "traditional" and "classic ballad," etc. I'm not sure where it came from, but it, like most of these songs I'm listing, it just fun to sing -- just imagine swaying back and forth with your friends and really belting out that chorus!

To get you in the singing mood, here's a clip of the tune.

Come single belle and beau, to me now pay attention
And love, I'll plainly show, is the divil's own invention.
For once I fell in love with a damsel most bewitchin'
Miss Henrietta Bell, down in Captain Kelly's kitchen

chorus:
To my toora loora la, my toora loora laddy
Ri toora loora la, ri toora loora laddy.

At the age of seventeen, I was 'prenticed to a grocer
Not far from Stephen's Green, where Miss Bell for tea would go, sir
Her manners were so free, she set me heart a-twitchin'
She invited me to tea, down in Captain Kelly's kitchen.

Next Sunday bein' the day we were to have the flare-up
I dressed myself quite gay, an' I frizzed and oiled my hair up
The Captain had no wife, he had gone out a-fishin'
So we kicked up high life, below-stairs in the kitchen.

Just as the clock struck six we sat down to the table
She served me tea and cakes --- I ate while I was able,
I ate cakes, drank punch and tea, till my side had got a stitch in
And the hours flew quick away, while coortin' in the kitchen.

With my arms around her waist, I kissed ---she hinted marriage
To the door in dreadful haste came Captain Kelly's carriage!
Her looks told me full well that moment she was wishin'
That I'd get out to Hell, or somewhere far from the kitchen.

She flew up off my knees, full seven feet or higher
And over heads and heels, threw me slap into the fire
My new Repealers coat, that I'd bought from Mrs. Stichen
With a thirty-shilling note, went to blazes in the kitchen.

I grieved to see my duds, all besmeared with smoke and ashes
When a tub of dirty suds, right in my face she dashes.
As I lay on the floor, still the water she kept pitchin'
Till the footman broke the door, and marched into the kitchen.

When the Captain came downstairs, and seen my situation
In spite of all my prayers I was marched off to the station
For me they'd take no bail, tho' to get home I was itchin'
And I had to tell the tale of how I got in the kitchen.

I said she did invite me, but she gave a flat denial
For assault she did indict me, and I was sent for trial.
She swore I robbed the house, in spite of all her screechin'
And I got six months hard, for my coortin' in the kitchen.

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I've already finished my extortion records taxes for this year. Did I get them wrong? More than likely. It's pretty much impossible for anyone to ever get them right -- don't you see a problem with that? Why not make taxes fair? Here's this week's fair tax blogburst:

You may have noted a story recently that H&R Block, the tax preparation giant, is in trouble for, guess what? -- goofing on its own taxes.

Reuters, in a story dated February 23, says:

The company, which is in the middle of its make-or-break season preparing other people's tax returns, said it had underestimated its own "state effective income tax rate" in previous quarters -- meaning it owes another $32 million in back taxes.

As a result, H&R Block said it would restate previously reported earnings going all the way back to 2004.

While this story seems to revolve around state taxes, the Federal Tax Code certainly doesn't make things any better. It is no secret that our Tax Code has gotten out of hand. As of 2003, the code comprised more than 55,000 pages of laws, regulations, and rulings. As of Tuesday, March 7, 2006, the IRS has 954 Forms and Publications available for download on its web site. This is up from 402 in 1990, and 526 in 2002. In addition to the common W-2, Form 1040-EZ, and others with which you might be familiar, some of the more interesting forms are: more...

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Have you ever read the Carnival of Liberty? It's a really great carnival. For those who aren't sure about this whole blogging thing -- a blog carnival is when a group of people get together and post on a specific topic, idea, physical location, animal, or SOMETHING that can be related. Then one person makes one big post with links (sometimes with descriptions, details, or commentary) to all those other posts. This way there's one big page with a whole pile of information about one thing.

This week's carnival of Liberty is posted at Owlish Mutterings. Folks, this carnival's topic is LIBERTY. Now I know there are those reading this that honestly don't like liberty and freedom (The Democrat Party comes to mind...) -- this carnival is not for you. But if you like freedom, you should read this carnival.

Now I'll warn you -- very often this carnival is full of reporting on the current erosion and outright destruction of liberties -- that's part of the carnival. But hopefully each week there's at least a little bit of hope and good news for liberty -- even if it is harder and harder to find these days...

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Early this morning in Charlotte, there was a horrible car crash. One person died. The crash was the result of a person going the wrong way on an interstate highway.

It is indeed sad that this has happened. The press has been reporting all day, and cannot mention the accident without saying that 7 people have died in 5 wrong-way accidents on the interstates in Charlotte in the last 6 months. Of course, they leave out how many of the people who caused the accidents were illegal immigrants and/or drunk.

Even worse, the coverage shows how out of touch the press really is. On the morning radio reports, radio "news" reports, the reporter kept complaining that the area where the accident happened didn't have any street lights -- not that the lack of lights caused the accident, but that not having the lights made REPORTING THE ACCIDENT difficult! In other words, we should have all interstates lighted everywhere so REPORTERS can see better. Holy cow.

But there's more. Most reports are focusing on "what can be done about this?" News flash for the reporters: IT'S AN ACCIDENT! However, this does show the absolutely insanely liberal point of view of the press and the media -- if ANYTHING bad happens, government should solve the problem.

They are debating -- should we have more lights? Should we have flashing lights? Should there be more signs? Should there be more cameras for monitoring the traffic? Should there be ways to notify drivers who are driving the right way? Should there be spikes in the road?

The whole point of view says that the problem CAN be solved. It cannot. Life is not safe. For some reason the left/media/Democrats cannot understand that. Life is dangerous. People make mistakes. People die. It's not a good thing, I'm not celebrating, I'm just saying that is it quite impossible to make sure that no one dies, ever, despite the desires of the media/Democrats/left.

Maybe we could do what Democrat politicians always do -- let's make it illegal to drive the wrong way on the interstate! What? That's already illegal? No problem, we'll continue the Democrat way -- we'll make it MORE illegal! Yes, let's increase the fines for driving the wrong way on the interstate. That will stop the drunk illegals from driving the wrong way, won't it?

Life is not safe. No amount of government intervention will ever make it so.

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Well, since Nascar and everyone else has given in and given up on the free market, capitalism, and people, why not the NC Zoo? I really like the NC Zoo. It has always been a tremendous place that does a great job helping animals without being a terrorist. They do have their faults -- like still believing the falsified DDT research on eggs, but overall, they've done a good job.

I give them a lot of money. I donate every year as a member and always give to extra projects when they need the money. I've sponsored various animals and expansion exhibits because I liked them. Well, apparently my money's no longer needed because they're asking the state for $6,000,000.00.

Guess what? That's my damn money. For those not keeping up with things -- the state has ZERO money unless they take it from me. So yet again we have a successful enterprise that's working fine, but they want more, so they ask the state to take it from people. That's not freedom. That's not a free market.

So, I guess I shall have to redirect my donations from now on, because the zoo is going to get my money from me by force through the state. Since they are taking my money, I will not give them another dime of my own free will. Any business or organization that does this is, and I'll tell every one of them, worth no more than a pile of dog doo.

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You've got to have a pretty darn good radio station in your town to hear "Do Wah Diddy Diddy" on the way into work in the morning...

There she was just a-walkin' down the street, singin' "Do wah diddy diddy dum diddy do"
Snappin' her fingers and shufflin' her feet, singin' "Do wah diddy diddy dum diddy do"
She looked good (looked good), she looked fine (looked fine)
She looked good, she looked fine and I nearly lost my mind

Posted by: Ogre at 01:03 PM | Comments (6) | Add Comment
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1 You have my kind of music, oldies but goodies. I can walk up a storm on the treadmill listing to that song. Now it's in my head and I love it. Do Wa Diddie Diddie Dum Diddie Do,

Posted by: Debbie at March 08, 2006 02:05 PM (C2mjC)

2 I've been humming this one all day long, too (with images from Stripes as well).

Posted by: Ogre at March 08, 2006 03:12 PM (/k+l4)

3 Well heck we dont even have an oldies or country station..I'm jealouuuuuussssssssssssssssssss!

Posted by: Angel at March 08, 2006 04:28 PM (DvxG7)

4 It's a small price to pay for living in the sticks, though, what with the internets and all...

Posted by: Ogre at March 08, 2006 05:10 PM (/k+l4)

5 Yep, can see the guys from Stripes marching along... ;-)

Posted by: vw bug at March 08, 2006 07:22 PM (TzFkf)

6 And can't help but picture Bill Murray...

Posted by: Ogre at March 08, 2006 07:30 PM (/k+l4)

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So, what could you do with an "extra" $210 million PER YEAR? The state of North Carolina has decided that the people of NC don't need that money, so they're going to take it and give it to people who openly break and flaunt the law. That's the current estimated cost of educating criminal aliens.

Those who support such massive expenditures are quite generous with other people's money, of course, as all government agencies are. They will even point to the NC Constitution which guarantees a free education for the state's citizens -- but seem to miss the point that these are NOT state citizens, but are criminals who are actively breaking the law.

At what point does it become too expensive? Supporters will claim that having the criminals more educated will help everyone -- but how much is too much? Wouldn't the entire world be better off if everyone in Africa had a Ph.D. in some science? Why don't we just raise taxes enough to pay for that?

If you're not a citizen, if you're breaking the law by entering this country illegally, you are owed NOTHING. If you want an education, learn the language first.

Posted by: Ogre at 12:08 PM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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Ach. This month we're celebrating Saint Patrick's Day on more than just the 17th. Every day I'll tell you about a great Irish tune for celebrating. Todays is "The Maid of the Sweet Brown Knowe." While looking up this tune, I did notice some limeys that tried to claim the tune was from England. Well, one quick listen and I'm sure you'll see this is clearly an Irish tune.

So settle in with your Guinness or your Killian's, and sing along with me, will you?

Come all ye lads and lassies and listen to me a while,
And IÂ’ll sing for you a verse or two will cause you all to smile;
ItÂ’s all about a young man, and IÂ’m going to tell you now,
How he lately came a-courting of the Maid of the Sweet Brown Knowe.

Said he, “My pretty fair maid, will you come along with me,
WeÂ’ll both go off together, and married we will be;
WeÂ’ll join our hands in wedlock bands, IÂ’m speaking to you now,
And I’ll do my best endeavour for the Maid of the Sweet Brown Knowe.”

This fair and fickle young thing, she knew not what to say,
Her eyes did shine like silver bright and merrily did play;
She said, “Young man, your love subdue, for I am not ready now,
And IÂ’ll spend another season at the foot of the Sweet Brown Knowe.

Said he, “My pretty fair maid, how can you say so,
Look down in yonder valley where my crops do gently grow,
Look down in yonder valley where my horses and my plough
Are at their daily labour for the Maid of the Sweet Brown Knowe.”

“If they’re at their daily labour, kind sir, it’s not for me,
For I’ve heard of your behaviour, I have, indeed,” she said;
“There is an Inn where you call in, I have heard the people say,
Where you rap and call and pay for all, and go home at the break of day.”

“If I rap and call and pay for all, the money is all my own,
And IÂ’ll never spend your fortune, for I hear you have got none.
You thought you had my poor heart broke in talking with me now,
But I’ll leave you where I found you, at the foot of the Sweet Brown Knowe.”

Posted by: Ogre at 08:02 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Overheard today:

"Oh, I see what this is! This is them [a bank] just trying to find another way to get you to pay overdraft charges! They just want you to do this so you can attempt to withdraw too much and they get to "get" you with another overdraft fee."

This person really believes that executives at Bank of America and Wachovia have meetings like this:
Executive A: You know, we need to find a way to make more money.
Executive B: I know, let's try and earn more in overdraft fees.
Executive A: Excellent. Let's set a goal this year of $1 million in net proceeds from overdraft fees. Make sure you make the fee high enough so that we'll recover the actual costs of the overdraft process.
Executive B: Great. Since it's a new revenue stream, we'll have to find ways to promote people doing things that will generate an overdraft.
Executive A: Leave that up to marketing. I'm sure they can make a commercial that will encourage people to spend more than they have.
Executive B: Yes, this will be perfect. If a person only has $10 in their account and they try and spend $12, we will charge them $25 -- more than they even have -- so we can really get some income.
Executive A: Perfect. Now, with a goal of $1 million and only a $25 fee, we need at least 40,000 transactions of people trying to spend more than they have. Get to work on this right now.

There really are people who think this way. I blame the government-run education system that actually wants people to hate business and the free market. Still -- can you imagine going through life believing that everyone and everything is out to get you?

Posted by: Ogre at 06:03 PM | Comments (6) | Add Comment
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1 Looking at some of the banks I deal with overdraft policies, I cand see where people may get this impression. However if you paid closer attention to your banking practices, you wouldn't go overdraft.

Posted by: Contagion at March 08, 2006 01:11 PM (Q5WxB)

2 Hey you facist Nazi -- stop advocating personal responsibility! That's not allowed in this age. Dinosaur.

Posted by: Ogre at March 08, 2006 01:29 PM (/k+l4)

3 I still want to find a banker who can actually give an answer that sounds reasonable and logical when I ask the following question. I say that I want to find one that SOUNDS good, as I know the real answer, which is I MESSED UP and am paying the price for my laziness (sorry for the personal responsibility line there Ogre, but you're thousands of miles away, and I don't think you have any missiles, do you?) Why is it that when I go into overdraft, which obviously means I have no money, do banks charge me MORE of the money I DON'T HAVE? Again, it's a rhetorical question, but it's just fun to ask it and (try to) act serious, just to get people's reactions.

Posted by: Smoke Eater at March 09, 2006 05:05 AM (5LGKd)

4 How do you know I don't have missles? Ever heard of the second amendment?

Posted by: Ogre at March 09, 2006 01:21 PM (/k+l4)

5 I worked as a bank teller for several years, so I'll answer. Basically it's the bank's legalistic way of calling "shotgun" on the money you're GOING to have :-)

Posted by: Harvey at March 12, 2006 01:14 AM (ubhj8)

6 Sweet. Can I call "shotgun" on Harvey's money next?

Posted by: Ogre at March 12, 2006 02:33 PM (CyQ4M)

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I don't know why people speak of the press and media as a "protector" of free speech. They are quite the opposite these days -- working to supress free speech in various ways and forms. In this case, they have fired anyone who had anything to do with printing Mulsim CARTOONS, but celebrate those who claim Christians are terrorists.

The irony about the town in question is that it doesn't exist, it is being built and everyone who lives there will choose to live there. The only control being asserted is by the Left who thinks living in a society free of rampant porn and promiscuity MUST be stopped. No one will be forced to live there. While Catholic, the values of that town largely map to any conservative branch of Christianity. Living in a community of that nature is a choice that cannot be allowed.

The town aside, it still remains obviousthat this is rank hypocrisy of the highest degree. You can't criticize Islam, or even run cartoons that did which sparked international feror, but by all means, keep spewing hate speech at the Catholics.

If you are as upset about this as I am, I encourage you to post about it and get the word out. I also encourage you to call and write the Daily Illini. The DI's number is 217-337-8300 and the e-mail in question is opinions@dailyillini.com, but you can also mail the interim editor (yes the editors who ran the cartoon are STILL suspended) at editor@dailyill

Posted by: Ogre at 05:38 PM | Comments (9) | Add Comment
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It's finally happened. The last professional sport in the United States has finally given in and joined the government dole. That sport, of course, is Nascar, and the event is the Hall of Fame appearing in Charlotte, NC.

Each time I observe the events of the world and this country, I have thoughts of the Novel Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand. If you have never read this book, you absolutely should. You cannot honestly understand what is going on in this country without reading that book. It doesn't matter how much you dislike reading, get this book and read it.

What is really scary is how accurate the predictions made in that book were -- and as we, in real life, are only partway through the book, it makes the future look even scarier.

Nascar was the last bastion of professional sports capitalism. They paid their own way. They made piles of cash based on a free exchange of products. They provided entertainment and people willingly paid for the entertainment. They built their own tracks by trading commodities with those who wanted to freely. But no more.

Nascar is now on the bandwagon with illegitimate force and transactions made by unwilling participants. They are now getting money from government transactions and government entities who spend money that is not theirs. Nascar has given up and joined the socialists that dominate in government today. It is indeed a sad day for this country.

If anyone knows where John Galt is, please send him my direction.

Posted by: Ogre at 04:06 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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