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Libertarian Saturday
Author: TriSec    Date: 03/01/2008 11:19:14

Nothing.

We got nothing. At 10pm last night, the city of Waltham declared a snow emergency, to take effect at 11pm. Fortunately I was still up and about and happened to hear the cruiser driving by...so like a good soldier, I obediently got dressed and moved my car to off-street parking.

Since yesterday was February 29th, it quickly became obvious that the *real* reason was a budgetary shortfall, as the city began towing cars not very long after 11pm last night, and by midnight the street was clear.

Of course, I rise this morning to less than one inch of snow. I'd wager if the city fleet wasn't out plowing sparks last night, we wouldn't be having the usual snow budget crisis. Anyway, I digress.


Of course, if there's a Saturday blog before 7am, that can only mean your loyal TriSec is off for his monthly platelet donation. If you're already a regular blood donor, why not move on to the next level?

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14 comments (Latest Comment: 03/02/2008 05:10:37 by livingonli)

The Pendulum Swings
Author: BobR    Date: 02/29/2008 13:31:29

We went to our first Drinking Liberally last night and had a blast. There were some lively people there, discussing things both political and non-political. I got into a rather intense discussion with a fellow named Maurice we'd met previously and who was previously working on a senator's campaign, and is now working on the campaign of Rand Knight in an attempt to unseat Saxby Chambliss.

As I write this (and you read it) let me just say that a lot of this came from Maurice (quite the student of history), so I'd like to give credit to him in advance. To some extents, I am acting simply as a stenographer here...
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97 comments (Latest Comment: 03/01/2008 03:41:25 by livingonli)

Why this all matters
Author: Raine    Date: 02/28/2008 13:51:11

It is critical that we elect a Democratic Candidate to the Executive office in Novemeber. Critical.

It is critical that we get a super majority in the House and the Senate as well.
Damage Control at High Court:
Exxon Mobil, the giant oil corporation appearing before the Supreme Court yesterday, had earned a profit of nearly $40 billion in 2006, the largest ever reported by a U.S. company -- but that's not what bothered Roberts. What bothered the chief justice was that Exxon was being ordered to pay $2.5 billion -- roughly three weeks' worth of profits -- for destroying a long swath of the Alaska coastline in the largest oil spill in American history.

"So what can a corporation do to protect itself against punitive-damages awards such as this?" Roberts asked in court.

The lawyer arguing for the Alaska fishermen affected by the spill, Jeffrey Fisher, had an idea. "Well," he said, "it can hire fit and competent people."

The rare sound of laughter rippled through the august chamber. The chief justice did not look amused.
The Court Justice is more concerned about Poor Exxon and it's corporate profits than it is about the 10's of thousands of people who are plaintiff's in this case? Many of them have since died.
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230 comments (Latest Comment: 02/29/2008 02:35:38 by livingonli)

Constitution Redux... further musings
Author: BobR    Date: 02/27/2008 13:31:38

Last Saturday, TriSec posted a muse on the U.S. Constitution. I'd like to provide a "part II", and continue along the same lines, discussing some bits that I find interesting as well.

From Article 1, Section 8:
To regulate commerce with foreign nations, and among the several states...
To coin money, regulate the value thereof, and of foreign coin...
To provide for the punishment of counterfeiting the securities and current coin of the United States...
To define and punish piracies and felonies committed on the high seas, and offenses against the law of nations...
This sounds to me that Congress is given most of the foreign relations power. Yet we seem to often expect that power to reside in the presidency. In fact, the whole "foreign policy" experience issue seems to be the number one talking point this election cycle, even though the President is not granted any specific powers in that area.
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130 comments (Latest Comment: 02/28/2008 04:51:20 by livingonli)

Ask A Vet
Author: TriSec    Date: 02/26/2008 11:45:44

Good Morning.

Today is our 1,627th day in Iraq.

We'll start this morning as we always do, with the latest casualty figures courtesy of Antiwar.com:

American Deaths
Since war began (3/19/03): 3972
Since "Mission Accomplished" (5/1/03): 3833
Since Capture of Saddam (12/13/03): 3511
Since Handover (6/29/04): 3114
Since Election (1/31/05): 2534

Other Coalition Troops: 307
US Military Deaths - Afghanistan: 483


We find this morning's cost of war passing through: $ 497, 650, 000, 000.00

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196 comments (Latest Comment: 02/27/2008 07:15:33 by livingonli)

--Story Redacted--
Author: Raine    Date: 02/25/2008 13:27:47

Last night, CBS's 60 Minutes reported the story of the prosecution of former Alabama governor Don Siegelman. The show featured comments by Republican insiders about what they allege to be politically motivated prosecutions against Democratic officials. It was pretty damning stuff. In case you were not aware, the Governor is in jail for corruption. He took money for his campaign in return for favours to supporters.

It was pretty much summed up this way:
"They targeted Don Siegelman because they could not beat him fair and square. This was a Republican state and he was the one Democrat they could never get rid of."
Former Alabama AG, Grant Woods

The prosecution was led by a U.S. Attorney in Alabama who happened to be married to the campaign manager of Siegelman's Republican gubernatorial opponent. The story also weaved its way into the entire US attorney firing scandal. Karl Rove was named as conspirator in this case as well.
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145 comments (Latest Comment: 02/26/2008 04:27:18 by livingonli)

Root this here blog!
Author: velveeta jones    Date: 02/24/2008 12:02:39

How do? Listen up. Miss Velveeta has gone and got herself a job, a real one too, not one o’ them lay about “jobs” she’s always claiming t’ have, like "filmmaker" or "artist" or whatever. So, as she is off working at her job which is where she should be, she has asked me, her ex-husband, to write this here blog thing. Course we was only married for a short while, then she started wanting to all this fancy stuff and stopped even cleaning the house! No doing my laundry, NOTHING! So, as you can imagine: right out she goes. And good riddance far as I'm concerned. But eventually we start being neighborly again. She's nice enough to help get me back into the house after I plowed my car through the porch one morning. And she does look prettier than a glob of butter melting on a stack of pancakes, so its hard to resist when she asks. Also, she pays me in Bud.

But now, I haven’t rightly introduced myself. Though yawl may have heard o’ me, I’m sure she talks me up all the time, right? She does don’t she? For those t’aint heard a me my formal name is Clemet Franklin Robert “Lee” Davis, Jr. Course my friends call me "Root", and that’s what yawl can call me.

First off, I sure am glad that Miss Velveeta got herself one of these computoor talky things so’s I don't have to type, otherwise this blog thingy would never get to written, fer sure! Hell, I’d spill my beer typin’. Its kinda spooky to see the words that I'm saying comin' cross the screen as I am sayin' them. Weird stuff! Pussy! Haahahahhahahahaha! Buttfucker!! Wooooooooo!

Now then, off to the stories. The note under my six-pack says I'm supposed to talk about Bill O'Reilly and his lynching comment and then segoo into talkin' bout animals and how man is the cruelest animal of all and talk about this here book. Pffffffth. Yawn. I'm gonna need more beer
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58 comments (Latest Comment: 02/25/2008 05:16:20 by Mondobubba)

Musings on the Constitution
Author: TriSec    Date: 02/23/2008 13:13:20

Morning folks. Instead of the usual Libertarian Saturday, I've got some disjointed thoughts to share about something we all hold dear to our hearts.

I've been reading "The Patriot's Handbook", a terrific collection of important American documents from the Mayflower Compact all the way up to some George Bush speeches given after 9/11. It's not Liberal, or Conservative, or Red, or Blue...but American. It's a fascinating read, and some of the documents of the Founding Fathers have been truly eye-opening. I heartily recommend it.

Among the things I've read recently is the United States Constitution. Sure, we all aver that we know and love it, and will fight to the death to defend it...but what's in it that's so important? Have we all really read it? I was really struck by the juxtaposition of the Presidential Oath of Office and all those things that the President is supposed to "Preserve, Protect, and defend." I'm not going to lecture everyone on it, but I'll skim along and add some things that I think are relevant, and some of my comments.

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12 comments (Latest Comment: 02/24/2008 04:36:42 by Mondobubba)

What a Wonderful World
Author: BobR    Date: 02/22/2008 13:25:35

It seems that life is so hectic these days, full of work and presidential campaigns and running errands. How often do we stop and take notice of all the tiny miracles that we take for granted so often that they become just part of the wallpaper on the walls that we build around ourselves? Sometimes nature stretches and tosses us something we can't ignore and forces us to look.

The night before last was the full lunar eclipse. In our little corner of this little blue marble hurtling through the cosmos it started out a little cloudy, and we were disappointed that we'd miss it. As the night slowly ate the green cheese, nibble by nibble, the clouds gradually demurred until the moon in all its orange glory remained alone.
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196 comments (Latest Comment: 02/23/2008 15:40:57 by m-hadley)

Is this McCain's blowjob?
Author: Raine    Date: 02/21/2008 13:42:27

By now you have all heard the big news. Did he or didn't he? Does it matter?
We have eaten bigger scandals than this for lunch. But this really is not about us, it is about John McCain, the Republicans, Ethics, and Hypocrisy. And even more important: why was this story published now?

McCain does have a history with ethics, there is no doubt about that. He was a member of the Keating Five, and received a large sum of money in donations from Charles Keating himself. That was back in 1989.

Now we see that he did it again. The NYT article reports
...a partner at the firm Alcalde & Fay, represented telecommunications companies for whom Mr. McCain’s commerce committee was pivotal. Her clients contributed tens of thousands of dollars to his campaigns.
This happened before the McCain-Feingold Act was passed in 2002 and after the savings and loan scandal of the eighties.
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191 comments (Latest Comment: 02/22/2008 04:39:58 by Mondobubba)

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