Ron Paul on Fox Business Channel

Its clear to anyone that’s listening that Ron Paul knows what he’s talking about when monetary policy is concerned. Check out this video.

More Police Misconduct, This Time in TN

A Cookeville man, cooperating with police, is allowed to be attacked by a dog, then after multiple searches of his jacket and pants, a cop makes a hand signal, and another reaches into his pocket and plants a bag of weed in his jacket

This is all alleged misconduct by the way, but I feel like the video is pretty clear.

Just another reason why I’m distrustful of police and the government in general.

Housing Bubble

I find it ironic that the government is blaming mortgage companies for the subprime loan fiasco, when in reality, the government was what started the whole mess.

So, for those of you who are still trying to catch up, this is how things work in America. The government decides something in the economy isn’t “fair”. The government then enacts some sort of legislation to fix the problem. This legislation causes a new, much worse problem. The government blames capitalism and calls for more of the same bad legislation to fix things.

This is why government intervention in the market is bad. There are always unintended consequences to their decisions. And it always ends up being worse for those the government claims to be helping, more often than not because the “rich” that everyone tries to screw over are one of the main catalysts for the growth of the economy, which offers more opportunities for the poor.

I am so frustrated. But at least I can read this blog every day to know just how bad it is.

Questions? Comments? Rude remarks?

Live blogging the oscars

Jon Stewart is awesome. Gaydolf Titler. Yes.

Alexandra Byrne is scary.

We’re on dvr, so fast forwarding through commercials. I’m kinda hungry. Commercials would be good to make some food. But I want to make breakfast. Oh well.

Is something wrong with Clooney? He can’t talk.

BTW, if you didn’t see Enchanted. You should. It was pretty amazing.

Nostalgia is the best. But the HD tv sucks for watching old tv clips.

Insert Christopher Reeve joke here…

WTF?????? Persepolis is like “Picasso does Puberty”

This guy’s jokes are lame. If you aren’t a comedian, you probably shouldn’t talk besides saying thank you.

I am so glad, after that short clip, that I didn’t go see Norbit. If that was a funny part, I can’t imagine what the rest of the movie was like.

There was convo over at Scott’s place about Kristen Chenoweth singing one of the songs from Enchanted tonight. I know why know. Amy Adams is decent, but her range isn’t that great.

CGI blows my mind.

Weird. Looks like Rob Lowe just stood up to give the Goldan Compass guys a handshake. Edit: Why is Rob Lowe there to begin with?

Hopefully nothing funny happens. I’ve got to make some food. Breakfast it is.

Back, and yeah, there’s no way Amy Adams could have done what Chenoweth did. That’s Broadway stuff she was having to perform, and you need a pro, not a kinda decent singer. Though I will say Amy Adams is prettier than Chenoweth. But we all know that Sorkin was proud. And probably wishes he could have written an episode of Studio 60 about it.

OMG! Angelina Jolie and babies makes for a great joke

Superbad deserves and Oscar. For real.

What? Someone whose name I can’t pronounce won best actress? Really? Definitely would have been okay with Linney, Page or Christie.

The girl who won sounds like Borat. “I thank you ‘love'” Ummm, the music should definitely come on when you start thanking concepts.

This is more about the sponsor of the Oscars, but though I love to make fun of JCPenney, I think I’m gonna have to check out their new line of clothes.

Here comes Once. I LOVE this song.

I love that song. To the extreme

There are so many movies I need to see. I’ve seen almost everything that’s won since 88. The few I haven’t seen have been because I didn’t want to (Shakespeare in Love and Lord of the Rings come to mind) but I need to go watch some of the older ones. Netflix time I guess.

Still can’t stop thinking about “Falling Slowly”. I’m renting Once this week.

I’d love to see the appraisal on Kidman’s necklace/scarf of diamonds.

OH NO….. BIRDS!

This guy is committed. He’s clearly inches from death. What is an honorary Oscar anyway? Is that like, “Oh sorry, you got shafted, so we’re gonna try to make up for it so you can be embarrassed by the fact that you’re 127 years old in front of millions of people”

“The Oscars, brought to you by JCPenney, We’re actually trying to make stuff you want to buy now.”

Kazakhstan got a nod for Mongol. Who knew that they actually, you know, had cameras

I gotta see Once.

Jon Stewart has such great comedic timing. The guy always cracks me up.

Charlie Wilson is on the stage!

I thought we were done with the shameless use of the military to play on the jingoism of Americans?

There is an SNL parody in the works for that short documentary director. The shaking and crying and mouth a-gape.

I meant to go see No End in Sight… need to rent it I guess.

I’m starting to feel like there’s no end in sight to the Oscars. Falling asleep.

I’m glad that Juno won, I’m not glad that Diablo Cody has no fashion sense.

Its an adjective-fest with the Queen. And again, like half of her dress is made of diamonds. How many Africans are dead so that our movie stars can be sparkly?

Ok, now I can go to bed. My first live blogging experience has been fun. I hope I was slightly humorous.

This needs to be a nationwide thing

I would hope that Glen at Tennesseefree.com would be all over this.

And hat tip to to the Free Republic

**** An Open Letter to the Massachusetts State Legislature ****

from Michael Cloud and Carla Howell

Dear Massachusetts State Legislators,

On behalf of the 3,000,000+ taxpayers of Massachusetts,

For the purposes of transparency and accountability of the Massachusetts state government,

We request that you show us the money: open the books for all Massachusetts State Government income and spending.

We ask that you post the Massachusetts state government budget – every dollar of all state government income and spending online – on an open, free, easily readable, and easily accessible website.

Taxpayers shouldn’t need a Freedom of Information request to find out where the money comes from and where it goes.

Taxpayers shouldn’t have to be Certified Public Accountants or trained business auditors to follow the money in Massachusetts state government.

Taxpayers shouldn’t need training in encryption or code-breaking to understand the language, grammar, or syntax of the Massachusetts state government budget.

We request that you make this state government budget easily readable and understandable by average 12-year old students in the Massachusetts public school system.

Why not? The Massachusetts state government budget isn’t calculus or trigonometry. It’s not even algebra. It’s simple addition and subtraction. With just a little basic multiplication and division.

Taxpayers should be able to log onto this online Massachusetts state government budget website and see exactly where the money comes from and where it goes.

Taxpayers should be able to easily find out how much we’re paying for supplies and services. For rent or purchases. For construction and maintenance.

Detective novels tell us to follow the money.

Taxpayers should be able to easily find out which individuals and companies we are paying these tax dollars to. Government employees. Government expenditures. Contractors. Suppliers and vendors. Outsourcing.

This will help eliminate even the appearance of political favoritism, sweetheart deals, conflicts-of-interest, bribery, or corruption.

It will help taxpayers identify and call attention to overcharges, underperformance, and poor returns on tax spending. It will let taxpayers shine a spotlight on previously unnoticed government overspending and waste.

Closed Books government is secretive government.

Closed Books government is unaccountable to taxpayers. Neither morally, nor financially.

Closed Books government fosters inefficiency and ineffectiveness. It protects incompetence and irresponsibility.

Closed Books government conceals and covers up 3 kinds of waste.

1. Paying champagne prices for beer.

2. Paying champagne prices for champagne – when you only need beer.

3. Buying champagne or beer when you don’t need either.

Open Books government is transparent and accountable.

Open Books government shows taxpayers and voters that the Massachusetts state government has nothing to hide.

Open Books Government is a huge step toward an INFORMED consent of the governed.

You can easily and cheaply post the Massachusetts state government budget online – including all off-budget spending. Post every dollar received and every check written by the state government – with no exclusions – on an open, free, easily readable, and easily accessible website.

We ask that you do this and do it quickly – within 30 days. Starting March 8, 2008. You can and you should.

Why?

Transparency delayed is transparency denied.

Accountability delayed is accountability denied.

On behalf of the 3,000,000+ taxpayers and workers of Massachusetts,

On behalf of the 3,000,000+ voters who will go to the Massachusetts polls this November 4th,

We ask you to open the books of the Massachusetts state government.

Sincerely,

My new favorite blog

too great.

Another Reason to fear Universal Health Care

Apparently in Britain, the government legislated, because of long wait times at ERs, that no one could wait for more than four hours. What did the hospitals do to comply? Well, they just keep people in the ambulances so the clock doesn’t start til they can get you in in four hours. Legislation doesn’t change the laws of supply and demand.

Hat tip Lew Rockwell 

Illness

I’ve been getting sick all week. Yesterday, it came to a head.

I really thought I had the flu. I could barely move, my head was throbbing,  temperature wasn’t out of control bad, but it felt like it (my normal temp is right at 97, so a 99.2 feels like a significant fever) cough, congestion, the whole shebang.

Today I’m much better. Definitely better than I was last night. I’m still coughing and still have congestion, but the headache is gone, fever is down by almost half. But the one problem is, I can barely walk. My body is so exausted that after standing for more than a minute or so, my legs get wobbly and my back can hardly support me. So, I guess I’ll be missing another day of work, which means we’re another day poorer. But at least I’ve made it through without spending money on a doctors appointment. If I hadn’t felt better this morning, I was going as soon as I awoke.

Anyway, just wanted to give ya’ll an update on what’s going on. Blogging has been sporadic, I know, but with the new job, more controversial topics are gonna have to be on the backburner, at least for a while. I promise I’ve got good stuff, and I’ll continue to link to what I think is important. Hope you are having a wonderful Valentine’s Day.

Struggling With Faith

This post may be the best religious post I’ve read since I’ve been blogging. I don’t know that I’ve ever related to something such as this. Granted, I’ve never left church, and I’m a minister now, but I completely understand where he’s coming from, cause I’ve felt, and still feel, some of those same exact things.

Check it out and let me know what you think.

H/T to Phil for linkage 

Dear Guys who call the Nashville Singles Line

No women calling that thing look like this

Stop dreaming.

Sincerely,

Justin