I also put Hidden Wedges on there. I highly suggest it - over the allegory if you were to only read one. It may give you the courage to do the things you’ve been saying you would do someday. It’s amazing, please read it!

Thanks everyone for reading and visiting my site…. again, you have something really cool you want to contribute tell me; I haven’t read everything…. yet.

A quote that has driven my mind to much thought in these last few years…

At first glance it gives the message to take time and enjoy life and not be so busy, which is a very good thing to apply. I love - so very much - just laying under a star lit sky, looking at them all flicker so peacefully quiet and just soaking up the good energy from the ground beneath me as I contemplate life; I enjoy watching the sunset as beautiful colors unfold out of nowhere and I especially enjoy sunrises as birds sing as if welcoming the glorious new day and the air is crisp and clean.

I stand and stare as often as I can because I love the world around me; I love how beautiful everything is - down to it’s very atomic structure; I love knowing that God loves it when we appreciate the things He made beautiful for us, and I am grateful, and I hope you are too - for there is much to be grateful for when not cluttered by the many things that this life can heap onto your schedule. Which brings me to my next point - the other thing I more recently got out of the quote that I feel is a little deeper….

It goes in line with another quote - and you see how I live life one quote at a time, I feel they put truth into a nice sentence that’s easy to remember - the quote is by Socrates, a man I much adore, “An unexamined life is not worth living.” After you make it a habit to take time to “stand and stare” you start to take that time to reach even deeper into the meaning, as it were, of life and the purpose of everything. It slowly goes from appreciation to contemplation, and before long, in those times of silence and beauty, you ponder about pretty much everything; you start to ‘examine’ life.

“What is life, if so full of care, we have no time to stand and stare?” In time - as I pondered this daily, I simplified the question to where I would ask myself, “What is life?” And I think that is the level of thinking that this quote and that Socrates encourages. You need the time away from everyday cares to clear your mind - even if it’s only a few minutes a day, for it will start to grow and you will enjoy it’s sweet flavor.

An unexamined life is one that is just lived one day at a time, the only thoughts crossing your mind consisting of work, money, food, social life and etc - relatively shallow things. A life that is thoroughly examined is one, I believe, that time is taken out every day to just stand, stare and study - stand to slow down your pace, stare to soak in everything and begin to study what it all means. Wherever it is that you start in your thinking, such as why is that flower so pretty and smell so good? Or why are there so many stars at night? Just simple questions like that will burst into other ones. A few minutes a day will turn into all day with a thought in your head - a thought about life.

When you start to look at things a little deeper and start to sense and see life as a bigger picture than you have before, things become more fulfilling and precious. Life makes more sense - yet there’s so much more to it than you knew - and if you turn those thoughts into action you will know what Shakespeare meant when he said, “There is a tide in the affairs of men, which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune; omitted, all the voyage of their life is bound in shallows and misery.”

So, “What is life, if so full of care, we have no time to stand and stare?” Well, Socrates said that it’s “not worth living,” and I couldn’t agree more.

This is my plea to you. Don’t let life get out of hand; don’t undertake so many things that every day is just a blur and sleep is the only thing giving rest to the whir of everyday life. Too many cares, too busy for meditation is a good way to let life get out of hand. Time may seem slow as it passes, but once we look back at it we realize just how fast it slips away and you know it’s true. I hate looking back on anything with regret, and I’d be willing to bet that you do too. Every lost day and opportunity to do what I love kills me; I don’t know how people do it most of their lives. May we all have the courage to “ride high on that tide which leads on to fortune-the everlasting good fortune of a life well lived.” (Richard L. Evans, This Day… and Always, p 61.) God bless - for that’s what He does best.

They say, well gas prices are so much worse everywhere else, people are starving everywhere, so many are out on the streets without anywhere to go to. So many arguments comparing you to the average human, trying to flatten you down to the majorities level and keep you away from greatness - as an individual and as a nation, but the truth is that there is no ‘average,’ there is no majority - only individuals that make up these vague terms, and while it is true that you ought to be grateful for the blessings you do enjoy, because without gratitude there would be no incentive to get more of anything, it is not true that you should let gratitude smother your yearning for greatness or at least the basic things that make life great, and any argument that is made by comparison can be shot down by comparison.

Yes, many people don’t have food or shelter and you should be grateful for what you have, but should that stop you from wanting anything else? In response to this argument, not many people, very few in fact, have ever been free, and - yes - we ought to be grateful for what we have in respect to liberty, but we should not and cannot just sit by on our rocking chairs of gratitude till our liberties are lulled out of our lives. Our gratitude must drive us to get more of what we are grateful for and other things. Gratitude, by nature, is meant to give us more of the things that make life abundant.

In answer to Patrick Henry’s question, “Is life so dear or peace so sweet as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery?” I answer with a resounding NO! People starve to death physically, but because those people are starving, does it mean that because I’m not starving I ought to not strive to have more? And while we all worry about who is starving physically, who is worrying about who is being starved of life and liberty, the spiritual and intangible things that have more worth than food in both this life and the next? Should I be starved of my desire to make the most of life till that part of me starves to death because somebody doesn’t have food? Freedom deserves more attention than food and shelter - it has so much longer lasting effects. Furthermore, with freedom, you can earn food and shelter, but with food and shelter given to you by some power, you will never earn your freedom.

Another way to look at it: I’ll strive for as much as I can get; what I don’t need, I’ll give to those who do, and through my efforts and maybe my example, they will have some sort of standard to look up to; they will have a reason to strive for greatness and have what they want instead of just seeing everybody feeling sorry all the time to an extent that nobody has the dream or passion to be rich with life.

I do not turn my heart away from those in need. I strongly believe that we ought to share as much as we can and not be greedy. I think the best place to start would be with freedom though, and from there we could rebuild the world into a place people would live in love and love to live in.

In large part, I do not like days of patriotic celebration - for the same reasons I do not like those bumper sticker that say support our troops, those little cheap flags people stick in their yards every now and then and other things like that because I find that when people do things like this, they feel like they are fulfilling their civic duty; they say, “I support the troops; I’m patriotic;” they do so little for the welfare of their country yet buy off as patriotic people. The same goes for ‘patriots day’ and the fourth of July. People are patriotic two or three days out of the year and call it good when they ought to do so much more every day for the welfare of their nation.

I daresay that Ezra Taft Benson agrees; he says, “If America is destroyed, it may be by Americans who salute the flag, sing the national anthem, march in patriotic parades, cheer Fourth of July speakers - normally good Americans who fail to comprehend what is required to keep our country strong and free - Americans who have been lulled away into a false security.” (April 1968, General Conference Report) Think about it, if a person thinks they have done enough to keep their country ’strong and free,’ they certainly won’t seek out better ways to serve that purpose; they will be completely complacent.

Don’t get me wrong, I love this country; I love this country with all my heart and freedom even more. I, more than most, think we ought to celebrate and work to preserve our blessings of freedom and faith in this nation. I only disagree with how monotonous our so called celebrating has become. We ought to be more patriotic every day than we are on the two days of the year we focus on it. Our freedom relies on an awake patriotic citizenry. I think in large part that we have forgotten what it truly means to be patriotic in this country; we have forgotten to stand for principles, liberty and the author thereof and now stand for legislations, programs, presidents and socialism. We “fail to comprehend what is required to keep our country strong and free.”

So in memory of 9/11, I am so sorry for the families of those who died in the assault - those who have suffered and mourned for their losses. It was a tragedy that was horrific and without mercy, but I hope it will be a point at where many Americans wake up and start fighting to make this country as great as it once was - when freedom and peace were found overflowing.

In closing I quote Abe Lincoln when he said, “Whence shall we expect the approach of danger? Shall some transatlantic giant step the earth and crush us at a blow? Never. All the armies of Europe and Asia could not by force take a drink from the Ohio River, or make a track on Blue Ridge in the trial of a thousand years. If destruction be our lot, we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of free men, we shall live forever, or die by suicide.”

A people that are mentally awake to the world around them, free to act how they please on their knowledge and have something to believe in enough to fight for could not ever be worried of any enemy, but we - as we have lost our faith - have become frightened on account of such small threats. We have become blinded by so many things, and it is my prayer that we may all wake up and start to cleanse this nation of all things impure before we even think of reaching outward.

Source: http://www. campaignforliberty. com/blog/?p=272#more-272
“Dr. No” stands alone yet again

In an earlier post, we mentioned how Dr. Paul had been the lone “no” vote this week on a House resolution listing out a number of actions our government believes the Chinese government should take.

Congressman Paul also found himself the lone dissenting vote this week on H.R. 4040, the Consumer Product Safety Modernization Act, which is the House of Representatives’ attempt to deal with the recent problems concerning lead in children’s toys, among other provisions in the bill. As we can see in this article from an ABC affiliate, inspection and evaluation of the legislation gives way to political rhetoric, with yet another bill being passed “for the children.” They even include a parting shot at Dr. Paul at the very end for good measure. You can read the summary (which is quite long in itself) of the legislation here.

If it was truly a bill solely dealing with lead in children’s toys, then it wouldn’t be nearly as lengthy as it is. Once again, the federal government goes above and beyond when exceeding its constitutional limitations.

Many will look at this bill and say that Dr. Paul voted against making toys safe for children. Besides the obvious problems with that statement, here are some of the reasons Dr. Paul voted against H.R. 4040:

- It authorizes $626 million in new money over six years for the Consumer Product Safety Commission without any offsets in the overall congressional budget, further driving up our debt and devaluing our dollar.

- It creates new mandatory standards for four-wheel all-terrain vehicles, temporarily banning three-wheel all-terrain vehicles until they devise safety rules for them. This was added in conferences.

- It encourages frivolous Eliot Spitzer-type lawsuits by allowing state attorney generals to bring lawsuits based on violations of federal law.

- It also creates new federal standards for garage door openers and cigarette lighters.

A little overboard with the regulations, perhaps?

- It permits the Consumer Product Safety Commission to use asset forfeiture, a system that has been abused in the past by law enforcement.

As one of Dr. Paul’s congressional aides mentioned to me, if federal regulation was an effective way to promote safety, than why was 2007 the year of the recall? This bill does nothing more than further tear away at the Constitution and waste more of your money. It’s time that we start trying to find solutions other than throwing money and regulation at a problem.

By the way, the vote was 424-1, and you can contact your Representative and thank them for further destroying our dollar and expanding federal power here.

It was in Tiananmen Square, China that the people’s outcry was smothered and silenced by the force of government, but so long as there are those to remember what they did and why they did it, their plea will never be quiet in our hearts.
Let us, on this June 4th, take some time to remember the freedom that so many have died for - with success and failure - no matter your country, your race or gender, freedom is loved by all.

Let us remember that, though it is not everyone’s fate to be martyred for freedom, it is left to those who do not die to sacrifice some breath of life preserving that which was won by those who gave their death of life - even if all it came to be was only an idea right now. Idea’s give power to the people who hold them, and if the people hold them long enough they will solidify into reality; action in result of thought is the bond that holds reality together. Without thought and without action, reality is meaningless.
In closing, may we all remember that blessing more precious than life itself and remember what has been given for it to survive in our hearts and minds. May it grow from those pure fountains into the whole world. Let us remember the feeling and power of liberty.

Accounts Receivable Tax

Building Permit Tax

Capital Gains Tax

CDL license Tax

Cigarette Tax

Corporate Income Tax

Court Fines (indirect taxes)

Dog License Tax

Federal Income Tax

Federal Unemployment Tax (FUTA)

Fishing License Tax

Food License Tax

Fuel Permit Tax

Gasoline Tax (42 cents per gallon)

Hunting License Tax

Inheritance Tax Interest Expense (tax on the money)

Inventory Tax IRS Interest Charges (tax on top of tax)

IRS Penalties (tax on top of tax)

Liquor Tax

Local Income Tax

Luxury Taxes

Marriage License Tax

Medicare Tax

Property Tax

Real Estate Tax

Septic Permit Tax

Service Charge Tax

Road Usage Taxes (Truckers)

Sales Taxes

Recreational Vehicle Tax

Road Toll Booth Taxes

School Tax

State Income Tax

State Unemployment Tax (SUTA)

Telephone Federal Excise Tax

Telephone Federal Universal Service Fee Tax

Telephone Federal, State and Local Surcharge Taxes

Telephone Minimum Usage Surcharge Tax

Telephone Recurring and Non-Recurring Charges Tax

Telephone State Charge Tax

Telephone Usage Charge Tax

Toll Bridge Taxes

Toll Tunnel Taxes

Traffic Fines (indirect taxation)

Trailer Registration Tax

Utility Taxes

Vehicle License Registration Tax

Vehicle Sales Tax

Watercraft Registration Tax

Well Permit Tax

Workers Compensation Tax

[And all too many more taxes not listed]

Not one of these taxes existed 100 years ago and our nation was the most prosperous in the world, had absolutely no national debt, had the largest middle class in the world and Mom stayed home to raise the kids – What Happened???” – Anonymous Email.

I completely agree with this message. We are entirely overtaxed and overburdened by the federal government. I don’t mention the state governments because they are merely field offices for the federal government disguised by name only.

I am not against all taxes even though I am weary and suspicious of every single one. I appreciate very much that we have a constitution that establishes a government that can manage international issues and protect our rights. There is a very real need for that government to receive funds from its citizens – from us, and so long as I am enjoying any protection from the government, I will gladly pay my part to keep it functioning, but I will not pay for more than it needs. All it needs to do is function; it doesn’t need to push us through every day of our life in one way or another.

“Mom stayed home to raise the kids.” The number of mothers in the workforce today is huge compared to the nations past, and it is only growing. This, I believe, is a direct result of our nation becoming more socialistic. Karl Marx wrote in the communist manifesto that women need to be treated no different from the men in order for a nation to become communist; they are only tools of the state and should have no distinguishing factors in society. More and more women are demanding that they be treated the same as men. I’m not blaming our socialist state on women; I am noting that as the nation drifts farther into socialism it becomes harder for men and women to assume different positions in society. Through governments communist legislations, other aspects of communism are coming about naturally.

A viewer asked this question on 1/11/2000:

Dear XpertSite.com,

I have been forwarded an email that gives a few statistics on the United States Congress Members.

For example, it states the following:

29 have been accused of spousal abuse,
7 have been arrested for fraud,
19 have been accused of writing bad checks,
117 have bankrupted at least two businesses,
3 have been arrested for assault, etc.

This list is longer than the above. I would like to know if this information is true. If it is true, I would like to know what are the sources for these statistics.

It comes originally from Capitol Hill Blue (www.capitolhillblue.com). I do not know if all of it is true, but I have no reason to disbelieve the reports. Other sources have reported similar happenings.

You can find a series of articles starting at http://chblue.com/aug1999/081699/criminalclass1%2D081699.htm . The e-mail you reference seems to have come from a summary of this series issued by the Libertarian Party in “NEWS FROM THE LIBERTARIAN PARTY,” (http://www.lp.org/) on September 2, 1999. I reproduce most of this release from their site:

“For additional information: George Getz, Press Secretary. Phone: (202) 333-0008 Ext. 222. E-Mail: 76214.3676

“From wife-beaters to drunk drivers, Congress is a crime wave, study says

WASHINGTON, DC — A new investigation reveals an astonishingly large number of wife-beaters, drunks, shoplifters, check-bouncers, business failures, and drug abusers in the U.S. House and Senate — which ought to make Americans think carefully before turning to Washington, DC for moral leadership, the Libertarian Party
said today.

“Mark Twain once said Congress may be America’s only ‘distinct criminal class’ — and this new study suggests he was correct,” said Steve Dasbach, the party’s national director. “If even half these charges are true, expecting Congress to serve as a moral
role model is like asking Bill Clinton to serve as a poster boy for monogamy.”

According to an investigation by Capitol Hill Blue, an online publication that covers federal politics, a remarkable number of U.S.
Representatives and U.S. Senators may have spent as much time in a jail cell as on Capitol Hill.

After researching public records, newspaper articles, civil court transcripts, and criminal records, Capitol Hill Blue discovered that:

* 29 members of Congress have been accused of spousal abuse.

* 7 have been arrested for fraud.

* 19 have been accused of writing bad checks.

* 117 have bankrupted at least two businesses.

* 3 have been arrested for assault.

* 71 have credit reports so bad they can’t qualify for a
credit card.

* 14 have been arrested on drug-related charges.

* 8 have been arrested for shoplifting.

* 21 are current defendants in lawsuits.

* And in 1998 alone, 84 were stopped for drunk driving, but released after they claimed Congressional immunity.

Capitol Hill Blue did not list the names of all the individual members of Congress accused of the various crimes, but did note that some were “serial offenders” with extensive tracks records of fraud or violence.

For example, reported Capitol Hill Blue, Rep. Corrine Brown (D-FL) has a “long, consistent record of deceit,” including tens of thousands of dollars in unpaid bills, allegations of bribery, and numerous lawsuits against her. And Rep. Jim Moran (D-VA) faces charges that he beat his wife, has a history of barroom brawls while mayor of Alexandria, and has publicly stated that he likes “to hit people.”

“With a rap sheet like that, you have to wonder why Americans expect Congress to solve the problem of crime — since Congress seems to be causing so much crime,” said Dasbach. “In fact, if this study is correct, the best way to cut crime may be to lock up Congress and throw away the key.”

And given the obvious economic incompetence of so many Senators and Representatives, you have to wonder why voters trust them with the federal budget, he said.

“Here are politicians who routinely bankrupt businesses, write bad checks, engage in fraudulent practices, and have bad credit,” said Dasbach. “That could explain why the country is more than $5 trillion in debt, why federal programs are so wasteful, and
why taxes are always going up. Are these really the kind of economically illiterate people we want to trust with our money?” If nothing else, said Dasbach, the Capitol Hill Blue investigation may help puncture the myth that Senators and Representatives are somehow superior to ordinary Americans, or better equipped to solve the nation’s problems. “By its very nature, politics tends to attract venal people who crave power, who want to control the lives of other people, and who think they are above the law,” he noted. “This study makes that
point clear — and illustrates that when it comes to politicians, the only thing worse than their voting records are their criminal
records.”

stevehaddock gave this response on 8/22/2000:

I’m afraid the above figures are at least approximately accurate. You could do the homework yourself, but I’m sure you could find out who is who with only a little research (try typing the name of a shifty looking representative or senator into one of the news search sites, especially for a newspaper serving their constituency).

None of the things described above would prevent a person from running for office or would require that they be removed if they were in office.

Why is this so? One reason - the opposing candidate is often much worse. The current governor of Louisiana was facing corruption charges but won in a squeaker. His opponent? David Duke, a former leader of the Ku Klux Klan.