Good Times A-Comin'

Got some good news this morning, from two sources.  Patty had to put aside her ambitions with being a trucker’s broker when the company she was an agent for went bankrupt.  This put a pretty good hole in the monthly ledger and she has been down in the dumps, and trying to get a job in an economy wracked by Obamaism.  Her boat arrived Monday morning with a call to report for drug test and training starting Tuesday.

Atta go girl.

And when I opened my e-mail account Monday a.m., I found a delightful note from Cindy Rosmus, editor at Yellow Mama, a hard boiled mystery and crime magazine.  One of my Simon Sol Dorsey mysteries, “A Princess Gone” will be published in the October 12 issue.  Like it hard boiled, read it here: http://blackpetalsks.tripod.com/yellowmama/index.html

Good news is always welcome around the J-P Rancho.  Have a great day, read good books, and stay regular…

Dog Days of Summer

Hot!  Yes, dear one, these indeed are the Dog Days of Summer, something endured by those living in the northern hemisphere during July and August, and those living under the Southern Cross in January and February.  Endured is probably the correct word to use as these are typically the hottest, driest days of the year, one following, then another, then another until madness approaches.

I may have exaggerated just a bit there, but remember, the Romans, those ancients that, too suffered under the concept of dog days, sacrificed a brown dog to ease the effects of the heat.  The Romans called the brightest star in the heavens Sirius, or Dog Star, and it’s in the constellation Canis Major, meaning, you guessed it, Large Dog.  Ah, but it was the Greeks, according to Aristotle, who coined the term Dog Days.  Ancients believed it was an evil time.  In 1813, a Mr. Brady wrote in “Clavis Calendaria”, “The seas boiled, the wine turned sour, dogs grew mad, and all other creatures became languid …”

Makes one want to sit on the edge of a babbling brook, dangling one’s feet in the cool refreshment of said brook, of course enjoying the rapture of a sprawling leafy tree’s shade, quaffing an intoxicating mixture of liquid pleasures.  The Dog Days of Summer bring on a “state of inactivity, listlessness.”  Oops, that’s the definition of Doldrums.  Must be related, eh?  Only colloquially.

Doldrums also relates to seafaring, particularly in areas near the equator, between the two tropical zones.  Winds are calm, often non-existent, interspersed with squalls, and the gentle trade winds.  Sailing boats and ships have been known to be trapped, dead in the water for days, even weeks, by The Doldrums.

Back in the 19th Century some people were referred to as being a doldrum, that is, a sluggish and slothful person.  That evolved into meaning a state of low spirits, and that evolved into the seafaring colloquialism.  The seafaring doldrums didn’t come into general usage until the mid 19th Century, and was used as the geographic area rather than the state of the ship involved in the calm air.

Well, enough of that.  The blender just mixed up some orange juice and rum, and possibly another ingredient or two, glasses have been removed from the freezer, and the kiddie pool awaits.  Have a great day, read good books, and stay regular.

King Obama?

King Obama?

It appears from this distance of more than miles, rather a vast separation of what makes up the concept of “American Citizen,” that the current administration seems to believe  the general public will follow the leader without question, that a regular feeding of lies and deception, coupled with an uncanny ability to “speechify,” will suffice for leadership of a noble kind.  The first thought that comes to mind: Nixonian.  This isn’t simply liberalism run wild for even the hard core of the far left appear amazed at the level of criminality that exists in the Obama administration.  No, this is a power mad egoist with an agenda, and it’s that perceived agenda that I fear most.

Setting aside large areas of the constitution in the name of anti terrorism, denying terrorism when it suits the mood, and cracking the whip over political enemies by way of the most feared arm of the federal government, that is, the IRS, is leading to a scary conclusion.  Oh, and before I forget, stifling the free press, over and over again.  Obama and his henchman, Eric Holder, are looking to stay in power at the end of this current constitutional term, and declare a national emergency to pull it off.

President Obama was a constitutional law professor before his congressional elections and apparently what he learned from that was how to evade the workings of the government of the United States.  The man seems to have no regard for law.  An obvious coup in Egypt, which sets in motion a law that has existed for years forcing the government to end all monetary aid to that country, and Mr. Obama plays semantics to break the law.  Every lawyer learns how the judicious use and mis use of words can influence a situation, but this man is extraordinary in its use.

How does Mr. Obama plan to pull off his own coup?  First and foremost, the general public must be disarmed, and then their personal freedoms must be limited or made non existent.  The first of these points are already underway, and watch what happens when troops are pulled from the near east.

Mr. Obama’s patriotism has been questioned before, and his fealty to the constitution is limited at best.  Where are his core values?  They do not appear to be attached to things like personal freedoms and individual rights as demanded in our constitution, but rather in some vague idea that the presidency is a step toward monarchy, the opposite of what our first president fought so hard to evade.

The major news outlets have let the public down from the beginning of this administration, seemingly to coddle his moves, and even now, they are finding it difficult to report what to many seems so obvious.  Those on the political right have a hard time understanding the concept of the ACLU because they do seem to defend contemptible people, while in reality, they are defending the rights of those contemptible people.  Now, those on the left are finding themselves having a difficult time understanding why so many citizens are screaming about the contemptible actions of the president and his attack dog Holder.

These words you’re reading are public comments on a public soap box, so the federal bloodhounds at NSA would have every right to read this.  They probably are or have.  Paraphrasing, the president. ‘every citizen of this country however, should not fear the government’s current practice of monitoring telephone and e-mail conversations unless they are doing something illegal.’  The government does not have the right to monitor those messages without specific permission from a court, and with a specific goal in mind.

So, it follows, the objective must be greater than finding illusive terrorists, and in my mind, that equates to subduing the populace through fear of its own government, which leads, again in my mind, to clandestine take over of a free and democratic republic.  This man we call president still has three years left in his current term, and only the people can slow or stop his final objective, President for Life.

To paraphrase something that has been paraphrased too many times, “It’s the people, stupid.”  This government came into existence for the benefit of the people, not to provide a haven for government.  It was a fight against an overbearing government that led to the American revolution and this grand experiment we call representative democracy.  And those in congress that are supposed to represent us need to get their act together and begin impeachment hearings soon, before Mr. Obama and his henchman can get their act in full gear, or there might well be a second American Revolution.

Our Bill of Rights

The Bill Of Rights Of The American Republic

AMENDMENT I.

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

AMENDMENT II.

A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.

AMENDMENT III.

No Soldier shall, in time of peace be quartered in any house, without the consent of the Owner, nor in time of war, but in a manner to be prescribed by law.

AMENDMENT IV.

The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

AMENDMENT V.

No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of  a Grand Jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval  forces, or in the Militia, when in actual service in time of War or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offence to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.  

AMENDMENT VI.

In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the Assistance of Counsel for his defence.

AMENDMENT VII.

In Suits at common law, where the value in controversy shall exceed twenty dollars, the right of trial by jury shall be preserved, and no fact tried by a jury, shall be otherwise re-examined in any Court of the United States, than according to the rules of the common law.

AMENDMENT VIII.

Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.

AMENDMENT IX.

The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.

AMENDMENT X.

The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.

thoughts on being libertarian

Thoughts on being libertarian

To be safe and secure, or to be free and independent?  We have village, town, city, county, state, and federal law enforcement agencies that are well paid and whose job it is to enforce the laws of the land.  We have intelligence agencies at the federal level to keep us informed of outside threats and dangers.  Interplay between them should be relegated to information only.

If that’s the case, then why do we have federal intelligence agencies (NSA) spying on American citizens inside our own country?  Why do we have a federal law enforcement agency (FBI), using drones to spy on American citizens inside our own country?  If by way of specific court orders directed at specific individuals, we probably wouldn’t be having this discussion, but that is not the case.  A broad spectrum of millions of American citizens inside the comfort of their own country are being treated as if they are foreign thugs out to destroy the American way of life they felt was safe.

Our way of life should be safe from foreign intervention and foreign threat.  Out way of life should be safe from home grown threat.  Our way of life should not be threatened by way of our own government.

And now, when the heat in the kitchen is getting a bit too hot, our fearless leader wants to start another war in the Middle East.  Two aren’t enough, now we’re going to arm groups that have spent millions of dollars to destroy the American way of life to fight a Syrian government that poses no direct threat to the United States.  Many of those that oppose the Syrian government do pose a threat to the United States.

Somewhere out in that vast wasteland known as politics there is someone that can bring our foreign policy goals into some semblance of order based on the American way of life.  What a concept.  Our meddling has destroyed Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, and Egypt so far, and Pakistan isn’t the same country it was twenty five years ago, either.  Now, because we don’t like the guy, we’re going to arm and support organizations that oppose our way of life and become mired in another useless example of bullyism.

There are many people in this country that are registered republicans that wish the libertarian party had enough strength to make a serious showing in national, state, and local elections.  I’m one of them, and the current National Security Agency (NSA) scandal is a separation point among republicans and libertarians.  Many republicans, particularly on the far right, are calling the young man that blew the whistle on the government’s spying on its own citizens a traitor.

Most of those that are swayed more by a libertarian point of view regard him as a hero, or at the very least, a very brave young man to bring to the nation’s attention the fact that hundreds of millions of Americans have had their private lives violated by their own government. 

Just as it is the ability of the human to conceptualize and reason that sets it apart from the rest of the animal kingdom, it is the constitution of the United States of America that sets Americans apart from the rest of the world.  We have certain “rights” delineated in that document, and when our own government crosses the line, becomes a felon, it is the responsibility and obligation of the American citizen to call it out.

My right to be free from government harassment, free from government snooping, free from government, is one of those rights, and right now, I don’t feel free.  I’m writing this of my own free will and posting it on the Internet for others to read.  I’m sure at least one government agent is probably reading it right now, and there is nothing wrong with that.  However, if I posted it to you by way of USPS, that agent would be committing a crime if he read my letter.  Thusly, if I posted it to you by way of e-mail and that agent read it, it would be a crime.

The president said we should feel safer because of the NSA actions.  I feel violated, not safer.  Our very principals are being destroyed, not slowly, by this current administration.  The so-called war on terrorism is being used to create a dictatorship and our people are wandering around like lemmings, searching for that cliff from which to jump.  Freedom of the press is being challenged with criminal complaints, the right to bear arms is suffering major attacks, the concept of probable cause has been thrown out the window, and at the direction of the president, not congress, agencies of the government other than the military are attacking other countries and killing people indiscriminately.

Someone with no fear must step forward and become a leader.  A leader says “Follow Me.”  Our current president says “do it my way or else, and the constitution doesn’t have anything to do with what I’m doing.” 

Mr. President, sir, the buck has stopped.

Let's Party

Summertime, Summertime

As this ancient and battered old earth travels through the vast wasteland of space, spinning along on its own axis, there are special days that humans living here find celebratory.  Among them, the Summer Solstice, or more commonly, the first day of summer.  Shakespeare felt strong enough about the matter he set it down on parchment as Midsummer, while in Wiccan mythology it might be celebrated as Litha.

June 21 is the day when we have the most sunlight, the period from official sunrise to official sunset.  Everything must be official, of course.  At Stonehenge and Avebury in Jolly Olde England, the stones line up properly, but it was the Druids that have been responsible for the economic value of the occasion.  The Summer Solstice is celebrated in Druid life as the wedding of heaven and earth, and many feel because of that, it is lucky to be wed in June.  Bless their pagan souls.

Ah, the pagans.  The Midsummer moon is called the Honey Moon for a very good reason, or at the least, belief.  Mead is fermented honey, and mead made under the Honey Moon was used at weddings during the ---  your guessed it --- Summer Solstice.

Back to Stonehenge for a moment.  It is expected that in excess of 20,000 people will descend on the ancient property and in the past there have been problems with destruction of property and “improper” behavior.  There is no charge to be there during the solstice period, and they even have free parking.

The southern California community of Santa Barbara, not to be outdone by the pagans, mind you, has its own summer solstice celebration, which includes a parade and a Bollywod festival.  And in New York City, you can enjoy a Paul Winter show at New York’s Cathedral of St. John the Divine for just $35.  The concert begins at 4:30 in the ayem, mind you, well before sunrise.

In Sweden, land of the Vikings, the celebration has to do with the land, as in agriculture, and is centered on hoping for the best harvest.  Interestingly, Maypole dances are held.  Maypole dancing in many parts of the world are centered on spring, new life, or as pagans believed, the Maypole was a phallus symbol, an impregnation of Mother Nature, and good harvests.  It’s all mixed up in Sweden.

Since this is a phenomenon that is world wide, obviously, most beloved, there are celebrations from Slavs to Chinese.  In fact, Li, the Chinese goddess of light, is honored during the solstice.

Well, enough of that.  It’s a long day.  Let’s party!!!

Random Thoughts

Some Notes

A wonderful old line, almost a quote from “1984”, was used by the National Security Agency head following disclosure that his agency has been monitoring just about every single telephone call made by almost every single American,  “If you haven’t anything to hide, this shouldn’t bother you.”  Cops love that line.  But a government that is spying on its own citizens? 

People writing letters to the editors saying they think it’s alright for the IRS to specifically target Tea Party or conservative groups.  Wonder if they would feel the same if the IRS specifically targeted one of Harry Reid’s PACs?

Attorney General Eric Holder having his agency consider a reporter an alleged criminal for doing his job?  Without a free press a criminal administration like the current one would be, no Virginia, not Nixonian, rather Stalin-like.  Oh, my, it’s close now.

We don’t detain alleged criminals, we kidnap them and send them to overseas prison camps where they are tortured.  We don’t declare war on nations, we send drones to kill anyone we feel might be guilty.  Who needs laws?  They just get in the way of the process.

Some in congress are calling for Holder to come forth, but why should he?  They have paper fangs.  Without a special prosecutor, that Obama henchman will evade, evade, evade, as he has been doing.

It’s a shame that someone didn’t save that plaque that Harry S. Truman had on his White House desk.  Remember?  “The Buck Stops Here.”  Maybe we should all make one up, box it nicely, and ship it to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.  Or would that be considered a terrorist plot?

There are two things missing in most of what we are experiencing from our government today.  One: where is the outrage from the general public?  The IRS, the NSA, the CIA, and the DOJ, out of control, obviously at the behest of the boss, Mr. Obama, and we don’t have great angry crowds marching about.  Remember Vietnam?

And two:  there seems to be a lack of gajones in the halls of congress, and this might be because of the effects of number one, above.  The New York Times editorializes that the Obama Administration has lost all credibility, and still, congress won’t make a move.  Maybe they don’t understand that the constitution calls for three equal parts to this thing we call the federal government, and they are one of those equal parts?

Here’s an interesting little thing to discuss over a martini or three.  While the NSA is called on the carpet over the phone/Internet fiasco, while the IRS is being lampooned over the Tea Party actions, while DOJ is trying to explain away naming journalists as criminals, the president is in China complaining that China doesn’t allow its citizens full use of the Internet.  And, promotes Obamacare.  In China.

It’s way past time for a special prosecutor to come into the picture.  It’s way past time for great crowds to gather and speechify, and for those in congress?  Get off your collective duff and do your job.

Until next time, have a great day, read good books, and stay regular.