They almost got me

Libertarian Platform Preamble

As Libertarians, we seek a world of liberty; a world in which all individuals are sovereign over their own lives and no one is forced to sacrifice his or her values for the benefit of others.

We believe that respect for individual rights is the essential precondition for a free and prosperous world, that force and fraud must be banished from human relationships, and that only through freedom can peace and prosperity be realized.

Consequently, we defend each person's right to engage in any activity that is peaceful and honest, and welcome the diversity that freedom brings. The world we seek to build is one where individuals are free to follow their own dreams in their own ways, without interference from government or any authoritarian power.

Gladwell's Five Steps to Success

1. Find meaning and inspiration in your work.

2. Work hard.

3. Discover the relationship between effort and reward.

4. Seek out complex work to avoid boredom and repetition.

5. Be autonomous and control your own destiny as much as possible.

Malcolm Gladwell

RD: How does a kid become the next Bill Gates or Tiger Woods?
Gladwell: Both of these men had parents who allowed their children to focus almost exclusively on what brought them joy and what they were good at. And both of them were able, as children, to invest an extraordinary amount of time in pursuing that particular passion. Again, not just a little time. The magic number for them, for Mozart, and for so many outliers, as I call them, appears to be 10,000 hours.

The Pluralism Project

Mission

Our mission is to help Americans engage with the realities of religious diversity through research, outreach, and the active dissemination of resources.

I'm very interested in this project. Hopefully, I can get involved one day.

Liberty

In every country and every age-the priest had been hostile to liberty
-Thomas Jefferson

Wiccan Rede

Bide within the Law you must, in perfect Love and perfect Trust.
Live you must and let to live, fairly take and fairly give.

For tread the Circle thrice about to keep unwelcome spirits out.
To bind the spell well every time, let the spell be said in rhyme.

Light of eye and soft of touch, speak you little, listen much.
Honor the Old Ones in deed and name,
let love and light be our guides again.

Deosil go by the waxing moon, chanting out the joyful tune.
Widdershins go when the moon doth wane,
and the werewolf howls by the dread wolfsbane.

When the Lady's moon is new, kiss the hand to Her times two.
When the moon rides at Her peak then your heart's desire seek.

Heed the North winds mighty gale, lock the door and trim the sail.
When the Wind blows from the East, expect the new and set the feast.

When the wind comes from the South, love will kiss you on the mouth.
When the wind whispers from the West, all hearts will find peace and rest.

Nine woods in the Cauldron go, burn them fast and burn them slow.
Birch in the fire goes to represent what the Lady knows.

Oak in the forest towers with might, in the fire it brings the God's
insight. Rowan is a tree of power causing life and magick to flower.

Willows at the waterside stand ready to help us to the Summerland.
Hawthorn is burned to purify and to draw faerie to your eye.

Hazel-the tree of wisdom and learning adds its strength to the bright fire burning.
White are the flowers of Apple tree that brings us fruits of fertility.

Grapes grow upon the vine giving us both joy and wine.
Fir does mark the evergreen to represent immortality seen.

Elder is the Lady's tree burn it not or cursed you'll be.
Four times the Major Sabbats mark in the light and in the dark.

As the old year starts to wane the new begins, it's now Samhain.
When the time for Imbolc shows watch for flowers through the snows.

When the wheel begins to turn soon the Beltane fires will burn.
As the wheel turns to Lamas night power is brought to magick rite.

Four times the Minor Sabbats fall use the Sun to mark them all.
When the wheel has turned to Yule light the log the Horned One rules.

In the spring, when night equals day time for Ostara to come our way.
When the Sun has reached it's height time for Oak and Holly to fight.

Harvesting comes to one and all when the Autumn Equinox does fall.
Heed the flower, bush, and tree by the Lady blessed you'll be.

Where the rippling waters go cast a stone, the truth you'll know.
When you have and hold a need, harken not to others greed.

With a fool no season spend or be counted as his friend.
Merry Meet and Merry Part bright the cheeks and warm the heart.

Mind the Three-fold Laws you should three times bad and three times good.
When misfortune is enow wear the star upon your brow.

Be true in love this you must do unless your love is false to you.

These Eight words the Rede fulfill:

"An Ye Harm None, Do What Ye Will"

Presidential Speeches

Every presidential speech, press conference, or any statement to the public should include 3 components

Inform the people, give them a brief summary and then tell them where to go to get more info

Tell the people how you are going to address the issue

Give the people mandates.

The last being the most important. The people need a leader. The people need someone to give them direction. The people need to feel empowered and clear tasking is one way to do this.
I wish the president would stick to their constitutional duty of Commander and Chief; but I doubt anybody is going to give up the power that we, in our ignorance, allowed them to have. They use this power to lead the government and the military; but not the people.

I think the best thing that could ever come out of this administration is to get the people fully involved. People seem to believe that voting is the most important civic duty. I believe voting is pretty important; but more important is being informed and making choices that will aid in the progression of our country. I think our most important civic duties are laid out in the first amendment. Freedom of speech, Freedom of assembly and freedom to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

"Ask not what your country can do for you..."
As president it is vital to start telling the people what they can do for their country.

I know President-Elect Obama has addressed this idea; but I think it should be given a lot more importance over the next four to eight years. I honestly don't think He can fix this country by himself. We all need to get our hands dirty and work for true progress.

Isn't it Ironic

So, the whole reason we're in this economic mess is because banks gave loans to people who they KNEW couldn't afford it or didn't know how to manage their money.
Then the govt.'s solution is to give loans to banks that don't know how to manage their money

People complain about socialism
The govt. can't own businesses because they'll just fuck it up
The American people allowed banks to own America... and they fucked it up

People complain about bureaucracy and bloated govt.
How do you let banks get so bloated that their failure causes the downfall of our economy?

And wasn't the great depression partially caused by the banks loaning people money to invest in the stock market? Now banks are loaning people money to invest in real estate...