NC Candidate Blogging

Bob Orr is a Republican candidate for governor in North Carolina. He's decided to make and attempt at blogging. I do hope he keeps up regular updates throughout the campaign. My suggestion, Mr. Orr (even if you didn't ask for it) -- update daily, every day, no matter how busy you are.

Oh, and turn on comments! Sure, you'll get some wackos in there (this is North Carolina, home of the socialists of NC Blue), but it will do nothing but help you. Just post some blurb about how those comments aren't your position. Seriously, I think this could really help you connect with voters.

Fred Smith appears to have a blog, but it's pretty out of date. This is the 2008 election, folks -- blogs ARE being used. I really think they can do more good than harm.

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Giant Llama

Have you ever seen a llama so big?

That's a big llama.

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Iran Asks for Help

The people of Iran want help. I wonder who will help them.

According to the research, 58% of the people in Iran want help from a foreign military to remove I'mADinnerJacket from power. 79% of the people of Iran want a Democratic government, instead of the current Sharia totalitarian dictatorship. A full 43% of the people even support a military strike to stop Iran from getting a nuclear bomb! And I'mADinnerJacket's approval rating is even lower than the US Congress: at 8%.

So, to those who oppose the war on terrorism, those who oppose the war in Iraq. To those who oppose Americans at war everywhere on the planet I have one question: would you help these people? These people who WANT help? These people who are begging for help in getting rid of a madman dictator?

Regardless of your opinions of the war in Iraq, how we got there, why we got there, current progress, etc. Who will stand up and tell these people, "Oh gee, sorry, if you want to get rid of your insane dictator, you're going to have to do it yourself because we're just not interested in helping."

I think perhaps it's time to withdraw from Iraq -- and into Iran. We would be welcomed by the people there.

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Classic BDS

Wow. If you've never seen the abbreviation "BDS," you might not be familiar with it. For those who don't follow all things political, I'll help you out -- BDS is "Bush Derangement Syndrome." I imagine the APA will come up with the exact classifications for this syndrome (if they haven't already). Wikipedia credits the source of the syndrome to Charles Krauthammer:

"the acute onset of paranoia in otherwise normal people in reaction to the policies, the presidency -- nay -- the very existence of George W. Bush."

Now, if there's any psychologists or psychiatrists (I always forget which is which) who really want to study this syndrome, I can provide a classic "textbook" case of BDS, with an example.

Last week I posted about Democrats. Specifically, it was about one bill that the Democrats did not support. It outlined what was in the bill and gave quotes of Democrats -- those same Democrats who would not support the bill. The post was about showing how Democrats say one thing but actually DO another.

Along comes a person to comment. The very first comment was about President Bush. Now there was absolutely nothing in the post about President Bush at all. It was about Democrats. I told the commenter that they could read the post. At this point, the commenter almost got it. He mentioned that my post didn't mention Bush at all -- but then he continued to ask about President Bush's position.

After trying to explain to the commenter that I was talking about the United States Senate, he continued to ask about president Bush. I went ahead and explained in simple terms that the post was about the Senate and not Bush. I explained that I really didn't care what Bush thought about this particular bill. Therefore, this commenter somehow logically concluded that I was ignorant.

Yes, because I didn't want to talk about something that this person did (Bush), I was ignorant. The discussion actually continued. In each and every comment (except one), this posted continued to mention Bush. As of this writing, he has continued to mention Bush -- 19 times now. And he's blamed Bush for, well, I'm not sure what. And yes, because I didn't want to talk about what he wanted to talk about, he started calling me names.

Take a peek at the thread if you dare -- but be careful, if you attempt to apply rational logic or attempt to discuss with him, you may actually get dumber. It's a true classic case of Bush derangement syndrome.

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Easley Writes Budget Again

In most representative forms of government, there are three branches. The division of powers is usually quite clear. But in North Carolina, there's not much division. Democrats have retained control for literally over a hundred years, so when they disagree with one another, that doesn't mean much. But sometimes they disagree so much that they just do one another's jobs for them.

This time, governor Easley has decided that he gets to decide how much government will spend. According to that old, outdated, useless document (the Constitution), the legislative branch determines spending. But here in North Carolina, when the governor wants to spend money, he just spends it. He just decided what the budget will be for education, no matter what the legislature decides.

Oh, and Easley's claiming that he has the authority to do so because a renegade judge previously had ruled that he, personally (the judge) could determine the exact dollar amounts to be spent on education, no matter what the legislature decided.

So, who, exactly, gets to decide how much money is spent on education in North Carolina? The governor claims that he can. One judge claims the he can. Meanwhile, the Democrats in the legislature are arguing over how many tax increases they can get past the people while they attempt to decide. What a total cesspool. The only way to fix this nightmare is to start over. North Carolina government really, really stinks.

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Geek Quiz

Now that quiz is just scary accurate. I actually HAVE played T&T! (And I'm betting there will be no one who reads this who even knows what that is...)

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NH Gun Laws

Apparently the Supreme Court in New Hampshire has serious problems with freedom. That's really unfortunate, because New Hampshire is the site of The Free State. Then again, that's why freedom-oriented people (over 400 of them) have already moved to New Hampshire -- to advance freedom, somehow.

However, the recent election of Democrats in NH has definitely slowed the advance of freedom. And now the supreme court there is doing it's part to ensure no one shall be free. They have ruled that people just don't really have that whole right to bear arms. The court seems to think that people have that right, but if government wants to take that right away, that's fine too.

The news article points out the case and makes it more complicated than it really is. However, the article does point out that the court basically ruled that the government IS free to restrict and regulate the "right" to bear arms any time it wants to. Sigh. I guess the word "rights" doesn't actually mean RIGHTS any more. If it's subject to restriction and regulation, then it was never a right to begin with. The whole point of a right is that the government CANNOT remove it. But no longer in NH (although there may be an appeal to the US Supreme Court).

If you want more gory details (with graphic, but accurate word usage), see what Bruce has to say about this horrible, horrible blow to freedom. After all, if the supreme court rules that government can, at will, restrict and regulate anything they want, what was the whole purpose of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights? According to the NH Supreme Court, those documents literally mean NOTHING because the government can remove or adjust them any time they want.

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Let the Brainwashed Vote!

S. Hankins, of the News and Observer, wants the legislature to allow people to vote. Now that's a VERY odd position for any editor of any print paper in the country to take. Nearly all the time, the editors strongly and blindly support the all-knowing and all-powerful legislature over the opinions of the stupid people that read their papers. So what gives?

Well, currently the North Carolina Legislature is considering raising some taxes (well, that's actually about ALL they do -- they are Democrats). This time, however, they're considering creating a brand-new tax, instead of just raising a tax. And this tax would really, really raise a LOT of money -- which means a lot of people would really get slammed with it. And yes, as usual, the poor would be hardest hit by the tax.

What's the new tax? It's the moving tax. Yes, literally, this is a tax that you would pay, a fine, for moving from one house to another. It would be based on the price of the house, so it wouldn't matter if you made money on the house or lost money. In fact, as with most taxes, it would actively DISCOURAGE moving -- which is what government really, really likes. Of course if they called it a tax on moving, no one would support it. So instead, they call it something confusing and nice -- a "land transfer tax."

The article goes on to mention how the legislature is feeling a lot of pressure from various people to NOT pass this tax. For example, if the tax passed, a large number of Realtors would be out of a job -- because people could no longer afford to sell their houses. Contractors and home-builders would be out of jobs because people couldn't afford the new houses that just increased in cost by 2-5%. And yes, the economy WOULD suffer because housing starts and sales absolutely would reduce.

So this author claims that most of the voters would support this tax, while the legislators would not. Of course, that's backed up complete and total lies:

What's the alternative to a land transfer tax? Higher property and sales taxes and increased water and sewer rates.

Liar, liar, pants on fire, Mr. Hankins. That is a complete and total lie, and you damn well know it. The clear and obvious answer to everyone but those who hate freedom is for GOVERNMENT TO SPEND LESS MONEY. Why is that concept so hard to grasp for socialists and miserable bastards who want to take the money I earn from me? Mr. Hankins, you're a scumbag. If YOU want more government spending, YOU work for it and pay for it. Leave me the hell alone.

Oh, and the answer to my original question? Mr. Hankins is actually a super-socialist: He is executive director of the N.C. League of Municipalities and president of the Partnership for North Carolina's Future -- in other words, he openly and continuously despises anything that relates to freedom. He IS a communist and is actively working to destroy capitalism, freedom, and the republic; hoping to replace it with total communism. He is my enemy.

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Friday Feast #152

Here's how it works:

Each Friday when you visit this meme, you will find 5 enticing courses for your mind to gobble up:

Appetizer - a quick, tasty morsel to get you started

Soup - smooth and warm to soothe your mind

Salad - a nutritious blend of "veggies"

Main Course - a hearty portion that is sure to satisfy

Dessert - light concoction for your sweet tooth

And now for this week's fare:

Appetizer: On a scale of 1 to 10 (with 10 being highest) how much do enjoy watching sports on television?

That's a tough one. No, really, it is. I'm trying to think, right now, of which sports you can actually participate in ON a television. Then again, according to ESPN, damn near anything is a sport (POKER?), so I guess things like placing a lamp on the television could actually be considered a sport. Therefore, I guess I'm going to have to go with "1" because I'm not really all that thrilled by watching people place lamps on televisions. What a strange question.

Soup: If you could completely memorize any one work of fiction, which one would you pick?

There's only one possible answer to this question. WHY?!? Good Lord, with all the things I keep forgetting, there's no way I'd use up valuable brain space with a work of fiction! There's already too much useless crap I can remember in there now (like Don Mattingly's lifetime Batting Average of .307)!

Salad: What is your favorite breakfast food?

None of the above. Really. I don't eat breakfast much. Actually, most days I snack all day and just eat supper. Don't worry, it's mostly nutritional stuff (and only a few cookies and beers a day). Then again, it's not really that I don't like breakfast, but there's no time. When I leave the house by about 4:45am each day, there's only so early you can wake up in the morning.

Main Course: Name something fun you can do for less than $10.00.

How long is this answer supposed to be? I can think of dozens, no, hundreds of things that are fun to do that cost less than $10. And you there, with the dirty mind, I wasn't thinking of that type of thing. Actually, I've always been relatively creative, so my mind is continuously already thinking of things to be doing (usually other than what I'm supposed to be doing at the moment). I guess if I had to try and sum up one answer for this one, I'd say: CREATE.

Dessert: How long does it usually take you to fall asleep?

Okay, I've been working on this one, but I don't quite have the answer yet. I keep starting the stopwatch when I lie down, and I promise myself that as soon as I fall asleep, I'll reach over and turn it off...

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Llama Riding

This is a little girl riding a llama. Is it just me, or is there something really, really odd about this picture?

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Canival of Homeschooling

I thought carnivals were dying down. Boy was I wrong! Look at all the entries in this week's carnival of Homeschooling!

Wow. Even if you don't homeschool, you ought to wander over there and take a peek. Lots of really interesting and neat stuff there.

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Democrats Support What Troops?

Democrats keep complaining that they support the troops. Well, they support the troops like I support Hillary Clinton: I just don't want her to win. A few details about the "support" that the Democrats want to give to the American troops:

To recap here are a few items that the Department of Defense Authorization Act would do:

* A 3.5 percent pay increase across-the-board for all service members and would guarantee a pay increase for members of the American Forces
* $50 million for the Defense Health Program sustainment account for health care facilities, particularly at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center.
* An increase in the authorized payment from $12,000 to $100,000 for Defense Department military personnel who die while working in a combat zone.
* An additional $4.1 billion for Mine Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicles.

To recap here is what Democrat Senators have said about the troops:

* “We've all made a promise to our servicemen and women that while their away protecting us; we would be in Washington protecting them and their families. We should not let partisan judicial politics stop us from keeping that promise.” (Sen. Mark Pryor, Senate Democrat Conference Web site, accessed 7/19/07)
* “Our first priority should be to ensure that the men and women who honorably serve our country are given the resources they need to succeed both on and off the battlefield.” (Sen. Dick Durbin’s Web site, accessed 7/19/07)
* "As part of the Defense Authorization bill this week, I will introduce an amendment making it clear Congress will provide every dollar and every authority needed to build vehicles resistant to roadside bombs and shaped charges. As long as we have a single soldier in Iraq, we must do whatever it takes to provide them the best protection possible. This must be a national priority. (Sen. Joe Biden press release, 7/16/07)
* “…it is extremely important to make sure our troops continue to know we support them. The president was right to commend the troops for their tremendous efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan, but honoring them with words is not enough. It’s critical that our troops have the proper equipment they need to do their jobs.” (Sen. Jay Rockefeller press release, 1/20/04)
* “As long as our nation's policies put them there, our troops should hear an unequivocal message from Congress that we support them.” (Sen. Carl Levin Washington Post Op-Ed, 6/21/07)
* “We are here to say that, yes, we're going to fight hard for all of what government can do -- the needs that they [soldiers] have, the financial needs, whether it's health care needs, mental health care needs, equipment and everything.” (Sen. Mary Landrieu press conference, 7/11/07)
* The first definition of patriotism is keeping faith with those whoÂ’ve worn the uniform of the United States of America. Our obligation is to keep faith with the men and women of the American military and their families-whether they are on active duty, in the National Guard or Reserves, or veterans. (Sen. John KerryÂ’s Web site, accessed 7/19/07)
* We must ensure that our troops at home and abroad have the tools they need to protect freedom and democracy across the globe. I'm committed to working together to ensure our military and our men and women in uniform have what they need to do their jobs.” (Sen. Max Baucus’ Web site, accessed 7/19/07)

Yet when it came time to vote on legislation to increase troop pay, to increase money for military healthcare, to increase benefits for military widows and families, to increase the safety of our troops; Democrats staged a self-described stunt and when that failed to even impress their own liberal base, they throw a temper-tantrum and pulled the bill from the floor.

If Democrats really supported the troops they would call on their leadership to quit pandering to the left and pass legislation that actually does support our troops.

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Good News Briefs

Yes, every now and then, something good happens that makes it to the news. Keep in mind, of course, that every day LOTS and lots of good things are happening all around you -- you just have to wake up and look around to see them:

Robert Byrd (Democrat Senator, KKK member) of VA supports the death penalty. In this case, he wants to apply it to people who kill dogs, but it's good to have a Democrat on the right side of this issue. And no, the death penalty isn't about motivating others to not commit the crime -- it's about stopping the person who committed the crime from ever doing it again.

VA has massively increased fees for driving violations. How about $1,050 for using the wrong turn signal? I think these new fines are GREAT! And no, they won't do what the government thinks they will. These fines were passed with the hopes of raising more money for the government. Instead, the opposite will happen -- they will get less because people won't break those laws any more -- WHICH IS WHY TRAFFIC LAWS ARE SUPPOSED TO EXIST! I seriously hope these fines are not repealed or reduced because they will truly show that if you honestly want to increase traffic safety, massively increasing the fines will do so.

In Cleveland, a city councilman actually tells a thug that his gang-related activities will land him in jail or dead. Of course the reason the 18-year old is a 2-year veteran of the justice system and a thug can quickly be traced to his mother who claims telling someone they'll die or end up in jail from being in a gang is a death threat. And fortunately, the city councilman is not backing down or going to sensativity training.

And did you see? There is actually one person in the Bush administration with guts. He told Clinton that she's aiding the enemy by trying to force the administration to give a concrete date after which terrorists will not have to fight Americans in Iraq. Undersecretary of Defense Eric Edelman told her where she could go with her requests. I'm betting he gets fired or transferred before the month is out -- but it sure is nice to see.

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Democrats Hate Freedom

Once again, Democrats and others in Congress have shown how they feel about this country and freedom. They honestly don't like freedom. Once again, they are showing that they are willing to bow to Muslims because they don't want to offend them. Once again, this time Congress has voted to allow Muslims and any other terrorists or criminals to sue anyone who reports them for suspicious activity. In other words, as the picture shows, if you see a suspicious package, DO NOT report it! If you do, you can be sued for all you own. Instead, government really is telling you to shut your mouth OR YOU WILL PAY.

Repubicans Respond:
"ItÂ’s official, last night when given the opportunity to stand up for the First Amendment and free speech, Senate Democrats rose in near unison (one yea) to clearly say they oppose free speech rights for American broadcasters. By a 49-48 vote (3/5 required) the Democrat-led Senate voted against considering Sen. Norm ColemanÂ’s (MN) Amendment aimed at guaranteeing free speech protections.

"Among the 48 Democrats voting against free speech protections for Americans:

* Sen. Pryor (AR)
* Sen. Biden (DE)
* Sen. Durbin (IL)
* Sen. Harkin (IA)
* Sen. Landrieu (LA)
* Sen. Kerry (MA)
* Sen. Levin (MI)
* Sen. Baucus (MT)
* Sen. Lautenberg (NJ)
* Sen. Reed (RI)
* Sen. Rockefeller (WV)

"Please check out the NRSCÂ’s online petition and Web site at www.stopliberalcensorship.com intended to alert the American public to the DemocratÂ’s attempts to stifle public debate and to provide a unified voice to say Americans will not stand for Liberal Censorship. Currently the Fairness Doctrine would only impact broadcast media, but how long until Democrat attempts to censor free speech expand to other media outlets?"

Know what my response is to government? The same as usual: Bite me. Sorry, but I'm going to continue fighting for freedom, even if I can't win. I will go down fighting.

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Wake County Young Republicans

Wake County Young Republicans Win National Award for GOP Tailgate Contest

RALEIGH, N.C. – The Wake County Young Republicans’ GOP Tailgate Contest received the National Event of the Year Award at the Young Republican National Convention on July 7 in Hollywood Florida. The contest encouraged Republican football fans throughout North Carolina to show their support for Republican candidates by hosting Republican-themed tailgate parties at college and NFL games in 2006. The Wake YRs also won the Event of the Year Award at the N.C. Federation of Young Republicans’ State Convention in February. The club is already working with the state and national YR organizations to broaden the contest’s scope in 2007 and 2008.

“I never imagined that spending a few afternoons tailgating and organizing a contest would win a National Award, but it just goes to show that the political arena is ready for some new, innovative ideas,” said Dave Reynolds, Chairman of the Wake County Young Republicans and creator of the GOP Tailgate Contest. “Whether it is work or play, you have to enjoy what you are doing. While some may be turned off by politics-as-usual, I think it’s safe to say that most people enjoy tailgating and attending sporting events, and placing a candidate’s sign at your tailgate party is an easy and effective way to show your support.”

"By its nature, the GOP Tailgate Contest did not rely on the same few people who always do all the work," said Kim Cotten, State Chairman of the N.C. Federation of Young Republicans. "Instead, the contest encouraged new people to get involved and participate. The tailgate contest was an incredibly innovative idea, and its success proves that one person can make a difference."

“We really liked the simplicity and creativity of this grassroots campaign,” said Glenn Murphy, Chairman of the Young Republican National Federation. “The GOP Tailgate Contest is a fun, positive way for people to show support for our Republican candidates. We will be implementing this idea on a national level and are excited about the future of the contest.”

About the Wake County Young Republicans

Membership in the Wake County Young Republicans (YRs) is open to any registered Republican between 18 and 40 years old, inclusive, who resides in Wake County. The club is a member of the N.C. Federation of Young Republicans (NCFYR) and is an auxiliary organization of the Wake County Republican Party. The Wake County Young Republicans club provides members with opportunities to get involved, develop friendships with other like-minded young professionals, learn about the political process, hear from Republican elected officials, candidates and other conservative leaders, contribute to the advancement of Republican principles and ideals, and help Republican candidates win election to public office. For more information, please contact Chairman David J. Reynolds at 919-559-9915 or davereynoldsyr@gmail.com or visit www.wakeyr.com.

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Deport Illegal Aliens

Hope these 14 reasons are forwarded over and over again until they are read by the majority of Americans. Then they will have something substantial to complain to their U.S. Congress members about.

14 Reasons to Deport Illegal Aliens...

1. $11 Billion to $22 billion is spent on welfare to illegal aliens each year. http://tinyurl.com/zob77

2. $2.2 Billion dollars a year is spent on food assistance programs such as food stamps, WIC, and free school lunches for illegal aliens. http://www.cis.org/articles/2004/fiscalexec.html

3. $2.5 Billion dollars a year is spent on Medicaid for illegal aliens. http://www.cis.org/articles/2004/fiscalexec.html

4. $12 Billion dollars a year is spent on primary and secondary school education for children here illegally and they cannot speak a word of English! http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0604/01/ldt.0.html

5. $17 Billion dollars a year is spent for education for the American-born children of illegal aliens, known as anchor babies. http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0604/01/ldt.01.html

6. $3 Million Dollars a DAY is spent to incarcerate illegal aliens. http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0604/01/ldt.01.html

7. 30% percent of all Federal Prison inmates are illegal aliens. http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0604/01/ldt.01.html

8. $90 Billion Dollars a year is spent on illegal aliens for Welfare & social services by the American taxpayers. http://premium.cnn.com/TRANSCIPTS/0610/29/ldt.01.html

9. $200 Billion Dollars a year in suppressed American wages are caused by the illegal aliens. http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0604/01/ldt.01.html

10. The illegal aliens in the United States have a crime rate that's two and a half times that of white non-illegal aliens. In particular, their children are going to make a huge additional crime problem in the United States.
http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0606/12/ldt.01.html

11. During the year of 2005 there were 4 to 10 MILLION illegal aliens that crossed our Southern Border also, as many as 19,500 illegal aliens from Terrorist Countries. Millions of pounds of drugs, cocaine, meth, heroine and marijuana, crossed into the U. S. from the Southern border. Homeland Security Report: http://tinyurl.com/t9sht

12. The National Policy Institute "estimated that the total cost of mass deportation would be between $206 and $230 billion or an average cost of between $41 and $46 billion annually over a five year period."
http://www.nationalpolicyinstitute.org/pdf/deportation.pdf

13. In 2006 illegal aliens sent home $45 BILLION in remittances back to their countries of origin. http://www.rense.com/general75/niht.htm

14. "The Dark Side of Illegal Immigration: Nearly One Million Sex Crimes Committed by Illegal Immigrants In The United States.” http://www.drdsk.com/articleshtml

So using the LOWEST estimates, the annual cost OF ILLEGAL ALIENS is $338.3 BILLION DOLLARS A YEAR! So if deporting them costs between $206 and $230 BILLION DOLLARS, get rid of em', weÂ’ll be ahead after the 1st year!!!

Please pass this on. And call your representative in Congress...Americans need to wake up!

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$500 Million in New NC Taxes

It's just so easy to tell when Democrats are running a government. North Carolina has raised taxes every year for more than the last decade. You'd think at some point government would have enough money. I seriously do not think that Democrats believe there is such a point. Despite raising taxes continuously EVERY year, they're preparing to raise them yet again this year -- by at LEAST half a billion dollars more.

It appears likely that they will raise the sales tax by "only" a half-cent again this year. That will effect everyone, and will affect the "poor" more than the rich -- because the sales tax applies to nearly everything and will heavily impact "the poor" -- who keep voting Democrat for some odd reason.

The other big increase appears to be set to really hit "the poor" hard -- a massive new tax that will penalize you for not spending thousands of dollars on solar energy. Yes, if you cannot afford the tens of thousands of dollars to build inefficient solar energy on your house, you will have to pay the government piles of new tax money.

Keep in mind, folks, this is the North Carolina DEMOCRATS who are punishing you for being poor, not the "evil" Republicans.

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Redress of Grievences?

If someone handed you a paper with the following printed on it, what would you think?

IS IT RIGHT TO WORK FOR THE "INTERNAL ROBBERY SQUADRON?"

I have the right to remain silent. IRS agents have the right to quit their jobs. If that is not possible, they have a responsibility to work as inefficiently as possible when taking our money, and as quickly as possible when returning it.

I'm here to respectfully ensure they know that I do not appreciate what they are doing and to make them feel uncomfortable...morally, not physically.

IRS taxes fund torture, waste and unconstitutional Federal mandates like the privacy-killing "Real ID."

If you would like to join New Hampshire's peaceful resistance to IRS tyranny, come to

NHFREE.COM
The state's most active web forum

"Keeping NH Free
From Keene to Shining Sea"

Do you feel threatened or endangered? Apparently, you should be terrified. You see, those words, combined with a piece of paper, will get you throw in jail. Seriously.

You see, Dave Ridley did that. He printed up a few papers with those words on them and handed them out at a local IRS office. He was quiet, peaceful, and absolutely did not interfere with anyone. In fact, when he was asked to leave, he DID. And for that, the government threw him in jail for 4 days. Seriously. Apparently he was charged with "distributing handbills."

Wow.

Each day I'm more amazed at the massive power of the federal government. You actually GO TO JAIL for asking an IRS agent if they should work for the government. Not for trespassing, not for interfering with government, not for non-cooperation with government officials, but for asking a question of government.

I'm beyond words. Folks, in case you have any delusions about freedom, see this example: A man has been arrested and jailed for FOUR DAYS for distribution of handbills! I think I'm going to mail a copy of the handbill to the IRS office in Keene right now from right here in North Carolina.

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Jessica's Law in NC

From the good people at Jessica's Law NC Now:

Why North Carolina is without JessicaÂ’s Law

This past year, a coalition formed taking a non-political stand, because it was the division of politics that was holding up this bill. The coalition called, “Jessica’s Law Now North Carolina” was a response to the apathetic lawmakers, who were dithering about Jessica’s Law, rather than making a solid difference toward protecting our children. Jessica’s Law Now North Carolina issued warrants for Judiciary II Committee, Sub- Committee, and Speaker of the House well as other members of North Carolina House. It was for people to call our representatives on both sides and urge them to do right thing and pass HB 933, the Jessica Lunsford Act.

On Tuesday, April 24, 2007 the Judiciary II Committee met, led by Representative Dan Blue (D-Wake County) and he sent HB 933, the Jessica Lunsford Act to a sub-committee. The reason given was this eleven paged bill was too long to read; and various committee members had trouble with it. This was a way the bill could be taken apart and weakened or worse get buried, once again.

The next day was Legislation Day and Mark Lunsford was present for a press conference to urge lawmakers, to pass a bill for stronger laws against sex offenders. Mark Lunsford is the father of Jessica Lunsford who was raped and murdered. In the memory of Mark LunsfordÂ’s daughter Jessica, a law had been introduced to enforce stricter laws pertaining to sex offenders called it was called, JessicaÂ’s Law.

JessicaÂ’s Law Now North Carolina trying to be positive and cautiously optimistic, in hopes that the Judiciary II Sub-Committee will do the right thing by moving forward with HB 933, the Jessica Lunsford Act, at their meeting Thursday, June 14, 2007.

Representative Tim Moore (R- Cleveland) has been fighting to get HB 933 heard before a sub-committee. This has been due to Representative Chairman Dan Blue dragging his feet about the bill. Chairman Dan Blue assigned HB 933 to a sub-committee April 24, 2007, due to the length of bill. Interesting, many other bills that had basic same amount of length had not met with same difficulty.

Since the sub-committee meeting, it was felt that HB 933 Jessica Lunsford Act is too costly. Again, our legislatives want to put a price tag on welfare of our children. Funny those other states Maryland, Tennessee, Texas seem not having that problem. For some reason North Carolina does with our childrenÂ’s welfare.

Still, it has been over three years and our lawmakers have not done anything but act busy as this bill and others languished in committee. For the sake of our children, North Carolina needs to get tough on Sex Offenders and pass JessicaÂ’s Law before it is too late. The more delays, the more children fall through the cracks and become victims.

JessicaÂ’s Law Now North Carolina has issued warrants, for North CarolinaÂ’s Most Wanted Representatives. Who are not full filling their duties expeditiously, by pushing H.B. 933 out of committee they are failing, when it comes to protecting our children. We need to remind our North Carolina Representatives of the importance of protecting our children from sex offenders

Presently our state lawmakers are inconclusive towards Jessica's Law. If our lawmakers would take the following steps this would be step in right direction.

1.) North Carolina Lawmakers need to take a stand and apply the needed differences have JessicaÂ’s Law by passing HB 933 Jessica Lunsford Act. This would supply the foundation that our state requires. Legislators should not question any funding for HB 933, since numerous governments and private funding available. What would make the most sense that paroleeÂ’s pay cost and save tax money?

2.) North Carolina Lawmakers should take advantage of the Adam Walsh Act and use the monetary bonus payment available to those states complying with the act sooner than its three-year timeline. Rather than a 10 percent reduction in Justice Assistance Grants and certain reductions of Sex Offender Management Assistance Program monies for those states that do not comply with Adam Walsh Act.

"We should all work together to make sure that Jessica's Law is passed in all fifty states. There are presently 15 states that have not yet passed any form of Jessica's Law, it saddens me to think that my home state of Tennessee and North Carolina where I grew up is included in the list of states that have not passed Jessica's Law. I do not know why, but I intend to find out." God Bless, Charlie Daniels

Since Charlie Daniels made this statement, laws have become stricter in Tennessee for sex offenders. Tennessee now has a version of Jessica's Law. North Carolina is one of the 11 states that has not step up to the plate for Jessica's Law and our representatives are inconclusive, as to what they are doing to make this law a reality.

JessicaÂ’s Law Now North Carolina will not rest till North Carolina has passed JessicaÂ’s Law.

Posted by: Ogre at 11:22 AM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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Moonbats in Charlotte

What an evening. I have to say I really felt like I completely wasted an afternoon. I could have come home and done something important, like go to the bathroom or something. Ah well. Here's the report from the scene.

I found out Tuesday morning that Sheehan was supposed to be at a local park at 5:00pm. I decided I'd head over with the camera. Just before it was time I found out the morning host at WBT 1110, one Keith Larson had found out that Cindy's "people" didn't reserve the park. He quickly tried to reserve the park, but Mecklenburg Parks and Rec would not allow him to reserve it. Since they wouldn't let him, he invited all his listeners out for a pick-up baseball game at about 4:00pm.

I arrived just after 4:00, and indeed, there was a good-sized group out on the baseball field where Cindy was supposed to speak:

I talked to Mike from Mecklenburg Parks and Rec and got the real story. Cindy's supporters applied to the City of Charlotte police for a noise permit to allow them to use an amplifier for their rally. The police were supposed to refer them to the Parks and Rec people to make the reservation, but the person who approved the noise permit didn't recognize the name of the park. Therefore there were now three groups that were planning to use the park at the same time -- and none had it reserved.

Oh, the third group? The Gathering of Eagles:

And yes, Charlotte's finest had quite a strong presence there:

I counted at least 12 officers there in various positions around the crowd.

There were plenty who joined the Gathering of Eagles folks around. They settled in for a long afternoon. It was always rather simple to tell which ones were with the Eagles -- they all had American flags:

The first "incident" of the afternoon was between Keith Larson and the local men in blue:

Larson had a megaphone and was using it to invite Cindy's supporters to play America's Game. It seems in Charlotte, you're not allowed to use a megaphone unless you ask government permission. The police were nice and Mr. Larson quickly complied with their instructions and put his megaphone away. I think next time he'll have a "permit."

So how about those protesters? Here's the philosophical one:

Why do I hear Ty Webb saying, "Be the Ball..." This woman was also strangely delusional. Every time the Gathering of Eagles broke into a cheer or a chant, she joined them rather enthusiastically. I think maybe she just liked to yell a lot, I'm not sure.

I liked this guy's sign:

In case you can't read it, it says, "Cindy, your son would be so ashamed of you."

One sign of a professional protester: they bring their own chair to sit in during the "protest:"

This was a bunch of the Eagles making evil plans:

The guy in the red shirt with his back to me is the guy in charge and organized what went on, as much as things were organized.

Now here's someone who REALLY had too much time on her hands:

Yes, she is actually putting on a costume of a peach that says, "impeach" on it. You just can't make this stuff up.

Oh, and remember the baseball-playing guys? All this time they were still playing:

(That's Keith Larson himself)

This move really bothered the Sheehanites:

They had their nice little wall set up with various banners and the Gathering of Eagles folks walked behind their line and held up their own signs. There was much yelling.

See the little bell in this guy's hand?

It's amazing how well a cow bell will penetrate noise. When this bell was ringing, I couldn't hear the moonbats, even with their amplifier.

Here's a general shot of the crowd gathering. There were lots of press people there -- about 20 that I counted. Oh, and note the two guys in the background -- the game just kept going.

There were a few people wearing Muslim garb at the rally:

And yes, they were with the Sheehan supporters.

Here's a wider angle shot of pretty much everyone:

See the guy in the middle?

He caught the ball with his eye. Notice everyone laughing at him. At this point these guys had been playing softball for an hour and a half or more. Cindy was already over 30 minutes late, so the pickup game mostly broke up at this point.

Here's one of the professional protesters:

See, now if you can be Republican and against the war and Republican and for the war; or Democrat and for the war or Democrat and against the war -- someone tell me again the difference between Democrats and Republicans?

I finally sat down after walking around for almost 2 hours. Eventually a woman showed up and claimed that she was Cindy Sheehan's spokesperson. She was addressing a group of us that were clearly the press. She said that Cindy wasn't going to be coming to the rally because the situation was "too tense." In other words, the Gathering of Eagles scared her away. Word quickly spread to the Eagles, and a great cheer arose:

It was hot and I was hungry. As I headed for the exit, I noticed this fellow, WAY on the other side of the field:

I guess he was watching for snipers.

Other notes about the gathering:

I counted people. At the highest count, there were about 30 Gathering of Eagles folks, about 40-50 pro-Cindy professionals, about 20 press or people with cameras, and about 10 baseball players.

When Cindy's entourage arrived (without Cindy), it appeared very, very rehearsed. A group made a long walk around with banners and took up a certain position. Then the hippie sang a song while the entourage sang along. Then a very, very angry man recited a poem. Then there was more singing, then another poem. A muslim spoke. Then more talking.

The group was very odd because they were only addressing themselves. Charlotte has a population of about 630,000 people. It seemed that almost none of them showed up -- listening to the interviews, many people said they were from places other than Charlotte.

In fact, as I was heading out, I decided to check out the cars in the parking lot (which apparently rather bothered the local police). Here's what I could tell from obvious signs on cars:
Peace hat on dashboard -- NY plates.
Peace symbol painted on windows -- CA plates.
Peace bumper stickers -- SC plates.
Impeach Bush sticker -- FL plates.
IM4PEACE license plate -- NC plates.
Peace bumper sticker -- NC plates.

Retired USAF -- NC plates.
Veterans against Kerry -- SC Plates.
Don't tread on me sticker -- NC plates.
These colors don't run sticker -- NC plates.
Vietnam Vet plate -- NC plates.

While I was looking at cars and writing this down, one of Charlotte's finest approached me. She was not very happy. She demanded to know why I was writing down license plate numbers. I paused for a moment. It was hot, so I didn't feel like being a pain. I bit my tongue and did NOT say, "Because I want to, now bite me." It was, however, rather irritating that she had already concluded I was doing something wrong when I was not. Instead, I was nice, even when she wasn't -- I explained I was checking the location of plates with pro- and anti-war slogans. She asked a few other questions to see if I was drunk or something, then went on her way, but she did keep a close watch on me after that.

Folks, Cindy doesn't have any support in Charlotte (except from maybe one or two smelly hippies). I actually feel bad I wasted my afternoon waiting for such a person. I suppose the best thing to do with Cindy is just to ignore her and hope she goes away -- because at least here in Charlotte, no one really cares.

Posted by: Ogre at 11:19 PM | Comments (18) | Add Comment
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