2012 shortlist

Presidential (& VP) candidates I would vote for in 2012:

Ron Paul (Texas Congressman)
Gary Johnson (Former Governer of NM)
Jesse Ventura (Former Governer of MN)
Judge Andrew Napolitano
Lew Rockwell
Pat Buchanan


There are more, but they are even more obscure, sadly.

How I would fix the economy

Believe it or not, there are some things the government can do to grow the economy: mostly they boiled down to getting out of the way.

1. Decrease the minimum wage. Yep, make it lower. To about the level illegals and waitresses are paid, lets say $4/hr. This would mean that workers are cheaper, and therefore you can hire more of them! Having a sucky job with poor pay is better than no job with no pay, especially these days.

2. Decouple health care from jobs. No other country on earth has health care determined by their employer, its a stupid holdover from 1950's union policies. Scrap it, and suddenly competition skyrockets, because everyone is in the same 'pool'. Also means employers have one less hassle and should make it cheaper to hire more people.

3. Deregulate small businesses. We need jobs desperately, and we need them now. Regulations are stifling job growth, so we nix most of them. Notice a pattern here?

4. Scrap income tax, and replace with a Value Added (think Sales) Tax. Income taxes are insane, arbitrary, and demeaning. Punishing people who earn (i.e. work) more is blatant classism, and subject to political whims and strategy (like now, for instance). Eliminate the system and replace with two 10% sales taxes, one for 'normal' government, and the other for Medicare/Medicaid/social security (and this time put the funds in SEPARATE accounts). This way, everyone puts in their fair share by definition, and saving is actually encouraged! And, by separating out the social programs (and labeling them as such) we have a real reminder of how atrociously large a percentage it is of federal spending on ever receipt. Of course, that brings us to....

5. Slash federal spending to 2000 levels, at least. Remember when we had balanced budgets, you know, under our last democratic president? Would it really be so cruel to do now what we did then?

Well, that's the gist of it. You know the rest, bring home the troops from everywhere overseas, end subsidies, that sort of thing. Boils down to shrink the public sector, grow the private sector.


Lurker

The 14th Amendment

Okay, so there have been some calls lately to 'adjust' the 14th amendment, which starts:

All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside.
No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.


For decades, this has been interpreted to mean that children born to 'unprocessed' immigrants (i.e. illegals) within the borders of the USA have been considered citizens. This has complicated the whole issue and led to the term 'Anchor Babies' because we wouldn't force a parent to part with thier child or send a minor citizen off to some terrible third world country, would we? And there are some pregnant mothers who come here for this very reason.

Now Republicans, in an effort to out-do one another, have come up with this bold idea to amend the Constitution to stop this practice and win points from the Tea Party movement in the process.

Firstly, I'm glad to finally hear mainstream politicians talk about the Constitution. That might encourage them to actually read it. I'm overjoyed to hear people talk about ammending the
Constitution, a tacit admission that government recognizes some kind of rules and limitations, and that there is an actual process to changing those.

Secondly, are they out of their minds?!? Illegal aliens are already an underclass with few rights and ripe for exploitation. And they want to make that class permanent? Whatever your position on the whole mess, at least the situation is limited to one generation. Children who are born here are fully citizens, the same as the rest of us. (I would change it so that anyone who survived and graduated thru high school should be granted the same status, but thats just me.)

But if children born here were not citizens of the United States of America, what would they be? Citizens of a country they had never seen? Nationless migrants consigned forever to the edges of society? Defacto endentured servants or slaves?

No, no, no. This idea is just so very bad. It would turn a temporary problem into a permanent one. Absolutely the wrong direction to go. I apprecieate the sentiment and the attempts at problem-solving, but no. Try again.


Lurker
(Why does no one talk about expanding LEGAL immigration?!?)

What the Tea Party is getting wrong: Immigration

The Tea Party was flawed almost from it's very inception.

I should know, I was there. The backbone of the movement is the Ron Paul supporters who were sadly ahead of their time. After the election of Obama and his massive expansion of the already atrociously huge big government fostered by Bush, our opposition went mainstream, and the Tea Party was born.

Thus the problems began. The only rallying cry everyone could agree on was OPPOSITION. They were unhappy about the bank bailouts (started by Bush), became obsessed with taxes, and coalesced against the insane Obamacare, all the while somehow missing the underlying principal:

Cut spending, cut spending, CUT $PENDING!

Then Arizona just had to pass their anti-illegal immigration bill. Believe me, I understand the reasons, the frustrations, and justifications for the bill. I was even glad when it passed.

But immigration should have NOTHING to do with the Tea Party movement. Why? Because it is an inherent contradiction to the already confused Tea Party platform: it complains the government isn't doing enough.

Yes, it is a huge issue. But all of the solutions presented (Amnesty, guest workers, national ID, border security) are an expansion of government, whereas government has been the problem all along.

A sad truth is that one of human beings principal motivations is convenience. Lets say you have a goal that you wish to accomplish; with one path being legal but inconvenient (time/$$$/consequence/etc) and the other path illegal but much less of a hassle overall. Guess which path gets chosen more? The vast majority of people only follow the law when it is, at most, as inconvenient as breaking said law.

The solution to this crime (like most!) is to LEGALIZE it. Make it AS convenient to immigrate into this country as it is to trek across the 130 degree Arizona deserts (that should tell you something right there). Ten year waiting periods? Employment requirements ahead of time? No wonder people are so frustrated by the current system that they are willing to risk death and deportation to get here rather than absurd bureaucratic ineffectual nonsense. That which is illegal is unregulated.

Additional solutions: Lower the minimum wage (illegals already work for less, brings down unemployment). Decouple health care from employment (legal employees cheaper to higher). Combine slimmed-down immigration offices with border posts (make the maze of bureaucracy a physical one, lasting minutes not years). The real solutions are LESS government.

Sadly, the Tea Party as it is today is incapable of this or any nuance. Therefore, they should just drop the issue altogether, or have a congruent organization rallying around this issue. Combining the messages of 'down with big gov' and 'gov screwing up' are just too confusing and alienate the movement even more.

Drop it, not helping.

Open letter to JD Hayworth running for Senate against McCain

Dear J.D. Hayworth,

You have declared war on big government "conservatives" by challenging McCain.

Start acting like it.


You need the following endorsements to get traction with the Tea Party movement:

Tucker Carlson

Pat Buchanan

Lew Rockwell (of LewRockwell.com)

Judge Andrew Nepolitano

Gov. Jesse Ventura

Gov. Gary Johnson (of New Mexico)

Barry Goldwater Jr.

Ron Paul and the rest of the Liberty Caucus


Main issues where you and Tea Party are in sync:

Anti-Tax

Anti-Bailouts

Anti-Cap & Trade

Anti-Obamacare (must apologize for 2003 Prescription Drug vote)

Pro-Constitution (must apologize for expansions of executive power)


You were swept into office in the '94 revolution, lost your way, and kicked out of office in 2006 for turning away from the principals of limited government along with the rest of the Republicans.

You are the poster boy for what the Republican party had become.

You have to show us that you "get it".

Stop trying to out-republican McCain, he has no principals and will say anything. You must take on the big government Washington beltway "conservatives" he represents, expose them for what they are.

Make this fight about the heart and soul of the Republican party. Start talking about the 9th and 10th amendments, not just the 2nd. Start talking about actual spending cuts and not just tax cuts. Put your Social Conservatism in a box because it's not going to win you any new voters.


I can help you become the national Tea Party spokesman that Palin is not. All you have to do is stop addressing issues and start addressing principals. If you want McCain's seat you have to rise to his stature.

The Tea Party is another American Revolution. Become our Patrick Henry.


"Give me liberty, or give me death!"


DH the Lurker

Battlestar Galacta: Who should've been the Final Five

Battlestar Galactica (the modern Sci-Fi channel version) was a masterpiece of characterization and complex multi-year storytelling. If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend watching it, and not reading the rest of this entry until you do.

*Spoilers*

Okay, so at the end of season 3 they revealed Saul Tigh, Chief Galen Tyrol, Samuel T. Anders, Tory Foster, and half-way thru season 4 Ellen Tigh. Now half of these were interesting choices character-wise, but I think they could've done alot better. So here are who I thought shoul've been revealed as the Final Five:

1. Admiral Helena Cain: An amazing character, considering she was in all of 3 episodes and 1 tv movie. Would've had repercussions with the entire main cast. Imagine her running the cylon armada.... terrifying.

2. Lt. Daniel "Bulldog" Novacek: Okay, very minor character. But a great actor from an amazing episode that was never followed up on.

3. Tom Zarek: The super-villain waiting in the wings. Never really had his moment to shine.

4. Dr. Sherman Cottle: Loved this supporting character. Held the power of life and death over almost the entire cast at one point or another. Oddly kept several peoples' secrets over the course of the show (cancer, parentage, etc).

5. Zak Adama: Revealed as the final cylon, Adama's dead son would have brought the series full circle. Apollo's brother, Starbuck's fiance... and it would basically have been a brand new character in a show that had been killing off mains left and right.


All right. Just thought I'd share my thoughts.

Good things about the Health Care Bill

Attention fellow Tea Partiers, Revolutionaries, and members of the Rebel Alliance. There are a few (a very few) good things to come out of the egregious Health Care Insurance legislation recently signed into law (grumble). Namely:

1. Insurance carriers can no longer drop you after you get sick. Say what you will, but one of the few proper roles of government is the enforcer of contracts. Your contract with insurance companies of any stripe is that you pay into the system with the understanding that if the unforeseeable happens, then one is financially covered, so to speak, and able to return to the status quo. It was and is outrageous that they only looked for and exploited loopholes after their services were required; other insurance companies don't get away with that... very often.

2. The end of big government republican Mitt Romney's political career. He signed the abysmal health care legislation that is tanking Massachusetts. The current Republican platform is totally anti and repeal, leaving no room for anyone remotely for it. Thank goodness. He would have guaranteed Obama another 4 years.

3. The Republican platform has almost become the Tea Party platform. Lower the deficit, limit and repeal big government programs, respect the Constitution, and the dropping of social conservatism (we'll see how long that lasts). We must join party leadership positions to crystallize and make permanent these planks in the platform.

4. The electorate is energized. Both sides have been rallying the troops for what seems like a year, getting everyone informed*, involved, and gearing up for the midterm election (where turnout is usually much lower than average). A healthy republic, depends on citizen participation, and their veto power.


So you see, it is not all bad. Demoncrats have been exposed for what they are, and all pretense of civil liberties have gone out the window.

Time for a revolution!


Lurker

Crazy Wheel of Time theories

1. Egwene's obsession with Gawyn is a distraction, and will eventually end up with Galad instead. There have been too many jokes about the Amyrlin marrying the top Whitecloak (mentioned at least twice). The two organizations ally (perhaps they all become warders).

2. The man in white that Berelain ends up with is Rhuarc (there was something between them after all.) Rhuarc will be wearing white because he'll become permanent Gai'shain like many of the others (returning to the Way of the Leaf and all that). Mayene is on the edge of the Wetlands. The waterless sands are likely to become home to surviving Aiel when the world breaks anew.

3. Last but not least: Davram Bashere killed Asmodean. The OBVIOUS hint that RJ was referring too was the wine. The last chapter of book 5 was out of order. Asmo dies in the wine cellar. Bashere first appears to Rand carrying a bottle of wine, which he had to get himself since there were no servants. Every book Bashere is drinking wine just to make it more blatant. He's a Darkfriend (possibly Demandred), and expect complications with Faile and Perrin.

4. Last battle begins the instant Rand, Mat, and Perrin are in the same place. This hasn't happened since Bk4 in Tear! That's the reasoning behind the color swirls and the tug towards eachother.

5. Sammael did not die in Shadar Logoth. No body, no proof. Moridin saved him?

6. Morgase will be turned by the 13x13 Darkfriend recruiting circle. Poor Elayne, Gawyn, and Galad.

7. Cadsuane retires and joins the Kin after the last battle (only one old enough to get any rank).

8. Rand dies and takes over Moridin's body. I wonder who he was before Ishy took that body over...


Lurker

End the Wars, Pay Down the Deficit

We the people are spending trillions of dollars on undeclared wars and policing the world.

Who thinks this is a good idea? Constitutional? Moral? Sustainable?

The Democrats were elected on an anti-war platform and are looking for something to cut that isn't a sacred entitlement. The Ron Paul Revolutionaries (the backbone of the Tea Party movement) are vehemently anti-deficit and in favor of a drastic reduction in military spending.

The time is now for the next stage in the Revolution.


The Federal Budget under Obama is way over a trillion dollars in the red this year and for many to come. Something has to give. Actually, many, many things have to give. But bringing the troops home from Iraq (125,000+), Afghanistan (~50,000), Germany (~57,000), Japan (~33,000) , Korea (~27,000), Italy (~10,000), UK (~10,000), and thousands more in dozens of other countries is a good start. Iraq and Afghanistan, say what you will, are not in any way the slightest overt military threat to us or their neighbors. And what's with all the leftover troops in the former Axis powers? Really? Not really a threat anymore, right? Now Korea is a whole 'nother issue, but even there I'd say our leaving would do more good than harm, leading to reunification sooner and ending that whole 60 year standoff behind us.

The purpose of the military (well, ours at least) should be very straight forward: a rapidly deployable destructive force pointed towards things you want to blow up and die. They aren't supposed to be nice, they are the exact opposite of politically correct, and anytime you have them trying to win over 'hearts and minds' instead of engaging the enemy... objectives become insubstantial and moral suffers.

Support our troops: bring them home. Stop bailing out the world.


Lurker

Bystander to a Crime Against Humanity

You'll have to forgive me. This is an issue that is extraordinarily personal, explosively controversial, and something I am both embarrassed and passionate about.

I am a victim of a crime akin to rape.

There, I thought that might get your attention. Even worse, this crime was child abuse, of a type that happens to billions of boys and girls across the planet. Worst of all, and this is something I may never forgive myself for, I was unable to prevent it from happening to my little brother and even my own nephew, because I was too ashamed to speak out. What is this horrendous crime, you might ask?

Circumcision.

There, I said it. And your reaction was to probably close this page, blush, laugh, *eyeroll*, dismiss, or something involving your eyebrows.

I am not kidding, not even a little bit. Amputation of the most sensitive erogenous zones on the human body, without consent, is almost worse than rape.

You'll notice I seem to be unfairly lumping male circumcision in with the recognizable atrocity that is FGM (female genital mutilation). They have the same means (removal of tissues with equal or greater sensitivity than our lips and fingertips) and, originally, the same goal (enforced sexual repression by elders). Both are monstrous atrocities perpetuated across countless generations.

Circumcision rates in the USA are dropping since their height in the eighties (when I was born, unfortunately). Instead of being taken for granted, now we give mothers and fathers a terrible choice: harm your newborn baby or have him be different from everybody else.

I find this question to be offensive by its very nature. I know all of the so-called reasons for and against. Completely Irrelevant. Routine Infant Circumcision (RIC) is evil not because it amputates healthy tissue and scars someone for life, as bad as those are. No, the heart of the issue is consent, or rather, the lack of it.

Their body, their choice. There is nothing so personal as ones sex life, and parents are making irrevocable anatomy decisions so the kid can look like his Dad? Really? I guarantee no adult getting this operation has placed that particular metric high on their decision list.

Circumcision of minors (who cannot give consent) should be made illegal. You heard me, illegal. There is no justification whatsoever for imposing this life-altering operation on a child legally unable to give consent and oblivious to the consequences. No, not even religious (I'm talking to you, Jews and Muslims). If an individual chooses to get circumcised after they turn eighteen, that is their business, and their right. Afraid they might choose otherwise? Why, that is exactly the point.

Individual choice, to live ones life as they see fit. You know, one of the cornerstones of our society.

I, myself, would have chosen otherwise.



Lurker

Wheel of Time chapter arc reading guide

Okay, so you want to start reading the massive Wheel of Time series consisting of 14+ books, a dozen primary characters, thousands of minor characters, 3 dozen plotlines, and by the end about 5 million words.

A bit daunting, to say the least.

So, on my last read-thru of the series, I set about to create a way of keeping everything straight. Originally, I constructed a timeline that would enable a network to produce TV episodes at the same rate events were happening in the books. Yes, squish 14 novels into the span of 3 and a half seasons of television (and that's still not compressed enough).

Long story short, I chopped up the series into little digestible bites, or arcs, if you will. Each arc has one obvious protagonist, one or two sub-plots (or thereabouts), and a beginning, middle, and resolution.

I made it easy. And if anyone ever dares to do a Wheel of Time television series, I can assure you this would be the episode guide they would follow.

And a completely different experience for WoT fans who've read it forwards and backwards already. Or if they want to skip those... less satisfying characters/plots.

Well, seeing is believing:

*Cut!* For the new guide, see:
http://astralspirit.blogspot.com/2010/11/wheel-of-time-arc-reading-guide-wotarg.html


Lurker

The Republican Party needs only one tentpole

The way our electoral system is set up in America, there will always be two major parties, each trying to reach just over 50% of the populace. As such, strange bedfellows are all but a given (union workers & environmentalists, big business & religious conservatives, etc). This alliance on the Republican side is fracturing, and if things are not changed they will become the next Whig Party, and lost to history.

The Republican Party needs to stand for something, and they haven't in a looong time. Right now, the only thing keeping them together (and the Tea Parties as well) is standing against something: Barack Obama's agenda. Every so-called principal was abandoned during the Bush era, with the final nail in the coffin was the selection of presidential candidate John McCain, whose platform was reduced to "Lookit me, I'm a Veteran" and "Earmarks ur bad" and then 'suspending his campaign' to vote for the bailouts. If he'd stood up to Bush and voted against that egregious pork-filled government intervention in the marketplace, he might've won.

So, now the GOP is doing some soul searching. Well, better late than never. There is one thing, and only one thing that can save this party. One principal that can garner support from the unease and opposition to Barrack Obama, recruit young people, and do an end run around Rush Limbaugh fans without alienating them. What is this radical new idea, you say?

Fiscal Conservatism. Remember that?

Yeah, I know. Crazy idea. But wait, aren't Republicans for "tax cuts"? Ostensibly. But do you know what's even better than "tax cuts"? Spending cuts! Because cutting government revenue and increasing spending ('cause who's against that?) leads to... huuuge deficits. Which now threaten to destroy the country.

Actual fiscal conservatism means reducing the size and scope and spending of the federal government. No new spending, no more bailouts, no more entitlements, no more endless undeclared wars. We need to start rolling everything back, and certainly stop adding to the problem.

Nobody in my generation expects to have Social Security. It's a pyramid scheme. Phase it out. Anyone born in the 1960's gets 50% benefits, 70's get 25%. Boom. Done. Next.

Bring the troops home from Iraq, Afghanistan, North Korea, Germany, Japan, and the rest of the freaking planet that can support itself yet we defend on our own dime. And stop all that foreign aid, real allies don't need bribes.

For goodness sakes, return issues like health care and education and illegal drugs to the states. See, they have to have balanced budgets. Many states will be able to figure something out, and other states will follow suit or people will move there themselves.

Stop all the fascist market regulations. Yes you read that right. The federal government requiring you to buy goods and services is horrendous. Shouldn't we have a freer marketplace than, say, China?

Do tax reform last. You read that right, LAST. We have tens of trillions of dollars in debt, and hundreds more in unfunded mandates. Take care of those first. For too long Republicans have done a targeted 1% tax cut and allowed 5% more in spending, and called themselves fiscal conservatives. This ends now.

Whatever your position (pro/anti) for the War on Terror/Drugs/Poverty/What-have-you, or abortion, school prayer, and so-called family values (insert definition here)... if we don't stop this monstrous federal growth and spending those other issues won't really matter because we won't have a country left.



Lurker
(Gary Johnson 2012)

Tea Party Health Care Reform Platform

As a long time proponent of limited government, a supporter of Ron Paul during his 2008 presidential campaign, and now an active participant in the Tea Party protests, I figured it is about time I lay out my health care positions. Even better, I'm going to simplify the counter-arguments against the Democrat/Obamacare proposals to only five basic precepts.

1. We can't afford it.
The federal government is spiraling towards bankruptcy. With all the bailouts, the falling revenues, overseas adventures, and countless social services, we literally can't afford to spend any more money. We're spending more than 100 billion dollars a month than we're taking in (or printing). We can't afford what we have now, and we want to spend more?!? If anything, we need to CUT SPENDING dramatically.

2. Tort Reform.
Doctors perform unnecessary (and expensive) tests so they don't get sued. They charge more to pay for malpractice insurance. We need an overhaul of the legal system so doctors can do what they think is best for the patients instead of covering their rears. If a doctor screws up he should lose his certification.

3. Lower costs by tossing regulations.
You can't buy health insurance across state lines, which reduces competition and keeps prices up. You can't go to unlicensed practitioners (who would be less expensive). Natural foods with legitimate health benefits are prohibited from advertising them at all by the FDA. Importing drugs from outside the country is illegal, and prescription drug companies have lobbied Congress for decades for "regulations" that keep competitors out and prices high. Countless mandates and regulations are stifling and overpowering free-market forces, creating burgeoning bureaucracies and inflating prices. Legalize drugs while your at it!

4. End subsidies that increase costs/rationing.
Medicare, Medicaid, Prescription Drug Benefits, even the VA are all making health care more expensive for the rest of us. This is because they pay up the maximum amount for services, patients get as much care as they can because they aren't paying for it (directly at least), and payments are immune to market forces so potential competitors cannot compete and prices stay high. So naturally the Democrats want to throw more government money into the pool, increasing the demand (but not the supply), which will inevitably lead to lines and rationing. Instead we need to prevent new people from going on these expensive programs, fulfill our obligations to people already on them, and eventually dismantle them entirely, and let the free market fulfill this obviously high demand for services.

5. Maximize choice and personal freedoms.
I cannot conceive of anything more small scale and local than my own body. Abandon all Federal oversight and turn the whole mess over to the states/counties/cities where people can vote for whatever crazy regulations they think they want, see what works, and flee the region when it all comes crashing down in flames. Will Democrats really want Conservatives making health determinations for them when they're back in power? Its my body, and 90% of the time I'm going to know whats best for me, not some distant bureaucracy.


Lurker


http://www.campaignforliberty.com/article.php?view=172
http://www.lewrockwell.com/paul/paul339.html

Warcraft Level Brackets

In the last patch, WoW is enabling experience in Battlegrounds, and also allowing experience to be turned off. The second change in particular can have extraordinary repercussions. Leveling since WotLK has been very easy, and tons of content is being bypassed so people can get to 80 ASAP. But with experience turned off, all the old content can come back into play as people try to be the best level 60 or 70 (or whatever) they can, and see the extensive but until now irrelevant (gearwise) old content once more.

BLIZZARD needs to take this idea and run with it, and not just with Battlegrounds. Arena brackets, instances, tournaments, quests, item level and quality... If people are not leveling, they are gearing out up and exploring the content. So here's what I think the revamped level brackets should be:

1st. [01-10] One Talent.
Journeyman skill level
1 Battleground. New: Warsong Gulch
8 new Zones: Durotar, Tirisfal Glades, Mulgore, Eversong Woods, Elwynn Forest, Azuremyst Isle, Teldrassil, Dun Morogh
Instance: Ragefire Chasm
No sets?


2nd. [11-20] 3 talent tiers. Mounts!
Expert Skill level
2 Battlegrounds. New: Arathi Basin
9 new zones: Loch Modan, Westfall, Bloodmyst Isle, Darkshore, Ghostlands, Silverpine Forest, The Barrens (split in Cataclysm). Redridge Mountains, Stonetalon Mountains.
3 new instance: Wailing Caverns, The Deadmines, Shadowfang Keep,
Sets: Defias Leather (Deadmines), Embrace of the Viper (Wailing Caverns)


3rd. [21-35] 6 talent tiers.
Artisan Skill level
2 Battlegrounds.
6 new Zones: Ashenvale Forest, Duskwood, Wetlands, Hillsbrad Foothills. Thousand Needles, Arathi Highlands, Desolace, Alterac Mountains, Stranglethorn Vale
9 new instances: Blackfathom Deeps, Stormwind Stockade Razorfen Kraul, Gnomeregan, The Scarlet Monastery (4 wings: Graveyard, Library, Armory, Cathedral), Razorfen Downs
Sets: Chain of the Scarlet Crusade (Scarlet Monastery).


4th. [36-45] 8 talent tiers. Fast Mounts!
Master skill level
2 Battlegrounds.
7 new Zones: Dustwallow Marsh, Badlands, Swamp of Sorrows, Hinterlands, Feralas, Tanaris, Searing Gorge
5 new instances: Uldaman, Zul'Farrak, Maraudon, Sunken Temple of Atal'Hakkar, Blackrock Depths
Sets: The Gladiator (Blackrock Depths)


5th [46-50] 9 talent tiers
6 new Zones: Blasted Lands, Azshara (reduced in cataclysm), Felwood, Un'goro Crater, Burning Steppes, Western Plaguelands
6 new instances: Dire Maul (3 wings: East, West, North), Lower Blackrock Spire {10-man}, Scholomance, Upper Blackrock Spire {15?-man},
Sets: 4 Scholomance sets, Ironweave Battlesuit (Blackrock Spire), Dungeon Set 1 & 2


6th [51-55] 10 talent tiers.
3 Battlegrounds. New: Alterac Valley.
5 new zones: Eastern Plaguelands, Winterspring, Moonglade, Silithus, Deadwind Pass
6 new instances: Stratholme, Zul'Gurub {20-man}, Molten Core {40-man}, Blackwing Lair {40-man}, Ruins of Ahn'Qiraj {20-man}, Temple of Ahn'Qiraj {40-man}
Sets: Tier 1 (Molten Core). Tier 2 (Blackwing Lair). Tier 3? The Postmaster (Stratholme), PvP-Rare set. Arathi Basin sets. Zandalar Tribe set (Zul'Gurub). Cenarion Circle set and Brood of Nozdormu set (Ruins of Ahn'Qiraj). Tons of Leatherworking sets.


7th [56-60] 11 talent tiers. Burning Crusade! Death Knights!
Grand Master skill level
3 Battlegrounds.
3 new zones: Hellfire Peninsula, Zangarmarsh, Terokkar Forest
6 new instances: Hellfire Citadel (2 wings: Hellfire Ramparts, The Blood Furnace), Coilfang Reservoir (2 wings: Slave Pens, The Underbog), Auchindoun (2 wings: Mana-Tombs, Auchenai Crypts)


8th. [61-65] 12 Talent tiers. Flight.
4 Battlegrounds. New: Eye of the Storm
3 new zones: Nagrand, Blade's Edge Mountains, Caverns of Time
9 new instances: Caverns of Time (2 wings: Escape from Durnholde Keep, Opening the Dark Portal), Auchindoun (2 wings: Sethekk Halls, Shadow Labyrinth,), Coilfang Reservoir: The Steamvault, Hellfire Citadel (2 wings: Shattered Halls, Magtheridon's Lair {25-man}), Karazhan {10-man}, Gruul's Lair {25-man},
Sets: Tier 4 (Karazhan, Gruul's Lair and Magtheridon's Lair). PvP-Epic set. Zandalar crafted sets. BC Uncommon crafted sets?


9th. [66-70] 13 talent tiers! WotLK! Fast flying mounts!
4 Battlegrounds.
5 new zones: Netherstorm, Shadowmoon Valley, Howling Fjord, Borean Tundra, Isle of Quel'Danas
12 new instances: Tempest Keep (4 wings: The Mechanar, The Botanica, The Arcatraz, The Eye {25-man}), Magisters' Terrace, Zul'Aman {10-man}, Coilfang Reservoir: Serpentshrine Cavern {25-man}, Caverns of Time: Battle for Mount Hyjal {25-man}, Black Temple {25-man}, Sunwell Plateau {25-man}. Utgarde Keep, The Nexus.
Sets: Tier 5 (Serpentshrine Cavern and The Eye). Tier 6 (Hyjal Summit, Black Temple and Sunwell Plateau). Dungeon Set 3. Gladiator aka S1 PvP armor. Rare crafted sets? Battlegear (PvP) set. Merciless Gladiator aka S2 PvP armor. Vengeful Gladiator aka S3 PvP armor. Brutal Gladiator aka S4 PvP armor. Epic crafted sets, Resistance sets.


10th. [71-75] 14 talent tiers! Legacy cold weather flying?
6 battlegrounds. New: Strand of the Ancients, Isle of Conquest
6 new zones: Dragonblight, Grizzly Hills, Zul'Drak, Sholazar Basin, Crystalsong Forest, Storm Peaks
13 new instances: Azjol-Nerub, Ahn'kahet: The Old Kingdom, Drak'Tharon Keep, The Violet Hold, Gundrak, The Oculus, Caverns of Time: Culling of Stratholme, Utgarde Pinnacle, Naxxramas {10/25-man}, Obsidian Sanctum {10/25-man}, Ulduar (3 wings: Halls of Stone, Halls of Lightning, Ulduar {10/25-man})
Sets: Tier 7 (Naxx, Obsidian Sanctum), Tier 8 (Ulduar)


11th. [76-80] 15 talent tiers. Cold weather flying. Cataclysm?
6 battlegrounds.
3 new zones: Hrothgar's Landing, Icecrown, Wintergrasp
12 new instances: Trial of the Champion, Icecrown Citidel (4 Wings: Forge of Souls, Pit of Saron, Halls of Reflection, Icecrown Citadel {10/25-man}), The Eye of Eternity {10/25-man}, Vault of Archavon {10/25-man} (3 wings: Archavon, Emalon, Koralon), Onyxia's Lair {10/25-man}, Crusader's Coliseum (2 wings: Trial of the Crusader {10/25-man}, Trial of the Grand Crusader {10/25-man}).
Sets: Tier 9 (Crusaders' Coliseum), Tier 10 (Icecrown)



All of the brackets above should have their own exclusive battlegrounds, arenas, and instances. And if I were Blizzard, I would create Dedicated/Hardcore characters at levels 10, 20, 35, 45, 50, 55, 60, 65, 70, 75, and 80 that started out with all of the abilities learned for that level but could not gain any experience. Or, more likely, I would create a new type of Server/Realm (like a RP or PVP server) and let anybody with a level 80 warlock (for example) create a hardcore warlock at any prescribed level up to 75. Very liberating, I would think.



Lurker

LotR fanedit proposal

Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings Trilogy should have been six movies. Tolkien wrote one massive story divided into six books that was artificially formed into 3 novels by publishers. Unfortunately, PJ tried to preserve this format, and the whole Frodo/Sam/Gollum arc that was and is the heart of the story got subsumed and overwhelmed timewise by the sidequests of the fellowship.

Fortunately there are a number of movie fanatics out there that like to re-edit movies to save directors from themselves. You should see how many Star Wars fanedits there are out there. Anyway, I propose that the Lord of the Rings be overhauled into 6 movies, taking out unnecessary PJ additions wherever possible, and ideally reflect the original intentions of Tolkien. Parts I and II are rather straightforward considering the linear nature of Fellowship. Part III is more problematic, but I would redact quite a bit, adding back the reunion at Isenguard, leave some of the later Gollum stuff, stopping right after the Gates of Mordor. I have a very detailed outline, but I'll get to that later.

Anyway, for this post, I'll be focusing on Part IV. Based on the Extended Edition unless stated otherwise.


IV
Prologue from RotK: Deagul finds the Ring, Gollum takes it.
Smeagul/Gollum argument from TTT. Until "Murderer" accusation
2nd half of prologue. Gollum narrates his changes after murdering Deagul.
Smeagul makes Gollum go away. Sam stews rabbits. Capture by Faramir.

More RotK. Edoras. Legolas "eye of the enemy is moving"
Pipin can't sleep, swipes Palantir.

Elven 'prologue' from TTT about Sauron, cutting in right after Sarmuan stuff.
Mapscene with Faramir, Frodo and Sam 'prisoners', Boromir family reunion flashback.
After the Forbidden Pool, truncated scenes from theatrical version. Off to Gondor.

Discus palantir info. Pipin leaves with Gandalf. Merry laments. Same as movie.

Theatrical version: Arrival at Osgiliath, Faramir shoots Nazgul, no Sam speech.
Escape thru sewers from EE.

Pipin/Gandalf arrive at Minas Tirith. Unchanged until asked about death of Boromir.
Extended death of Boromir from FotR
Continuing with Denethor. Background on city. "Help must come to us"

Tea time, Crossroads scene, now back to RotK.
Aragorn/Eowin great wave dream?
Gollum Reflection scene, stopping right before fight with Sam (though he heard it)

Minas Morgul sequences. Very nicely ties together Gandalf and Frodo storylines.
Osgiliath river attack sequence.
Stairs: "he wants it"
Faramir "fall back to Minas Tirith", saved by Gandalf

Theatrical "go home" scene, reduced however possible.
Denethor/Faramir confrontation.
Shelob's cave sequence, theatrical version.
Gandalf's task for Pipin, theatrical
Sam vs. Shelob, Frodo captured by orcs
Lighting of beacons, ending with silhouette of Aragorn


Massive changes, I know. Almost the entire Gollum arc, Faramir is a main character and a good guy (*gasp!*), two plotlines heavily intertwined and almost aware of each other (unlike the arbitrariness of the film versions), and much faster moving since there isn't half an hour between appearances. Heck, even Boromir gets a heck of alot of screentime, as well he should since the movie is about the consequences of his death.


Anyway, just wanted to put these ideas down somewhere before they were lost. I've got Parts V & VI done as well, I'll post those eventually. And hey, hopefully I'll inspire some aspiring faneditor out there as well...


Lurker

Perfect Warlock Rotation

I've been working on a super Shadow Bolt spec for my level 80 Warlock for World of Warcraft. At the moment, it looks like this:

http://talent.mmo-champion.com/?warlock=235021200002351005000000000000000000000000000000000000055200015200331051025000000&glyph=031714030204&version=9947

Yes, I know, really weird looking Destruction/Affliction hybrid spec. But its designed to majorly beef up all of the Shadow spells: Curse of Agony, Corruption, Shadowburn, and of course Shadow Bolt. Plus I get Conflagrate, which rocks. Now whats the rotation for this weird setup you might ask? It goes something like this:

Always start with Life Tap, then

Immolate
Shadow Bolt
Corruption
Shadow Bolt
Curse of Agony
Conflagrate
Shadow Bolt
Corruption
Shadow Bolt

Repeat until dead. Looks a little funny, but over the course of 24 seconds, Shadow Embrace is always up (stacked twice), Conflag goes off right at the end of Immolate, and Curse of Agony and Corruption are always up, tho Corruption does get clipped on a regular basis.

Of course, with Nightfall, Backlash, and the Glyph of Corruption, there will be a whole bunch of instant cast Shadow Bolts. Might that mess up this awesome rotation? No! In fact, those open up holes in the rotation for supplementary spells:

Immolate
Shadow Bolt {then} Searing Pain (Chance for Pyroclasm proc)
Corruption
Shadow Bolt {then} Shadowflame (In case Conflag misses Immolate)
Curse of Agony {if near death} Shadowburn (Finishing move, great w/Conflag)
Conflagrate
Shadow Bolt {then} Death Coil (Daze prevents Horror?)
Corruption
Shadow Bolt {then} Life Tap (Useful anytime)

And still keeps that 24 second cycle going! Nice, eh?


Lurker
(Not my usual blogpost, I know...)

Musings on the upcoming Hobbit Movie

I'm a huge Middle-Earth fan, I've been giving quite a bit of thought on the upcoming Hobbit movies. Now, for quite a while there, it looked like the second movie was going to 'bridge' the timeframe between the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings... certainly there was a great deal of potential there. Fortunately, they've just decided to split the book in two instead. Now the chapters for The Hobbit look like this:

[1] An Unexpected Party
[2] Roast Mutton
[3] A Short Rest
[4] Over Hill And Under Hill
[5] Riddles in the Dark
[6] Out of the Frying Pan into the Fire
[7] Queer Lodgings
[8] Flies and Spiders
[9] Barrels Out of Bond

[10] A Warm Welcome
[11] On the Doorstep
[12] Inside Information
[13] Not At Home
[14] Fire and Water
[15] The Gathering of the Clouds
[16] A Thief in the Night
[17] The Clouds Burst
[18] The Return Journey
[19] The Last Stage

Now there are several potential 'climaxes' for the first movie: escaping Gollum, death of Smaug, etc. It was my father who first suggested what now seems obvious to me... What chapter is half-way thru the book? Why Barrels Out of Bond, of course. Bilbo saves the company from imprisonment by the elves by use of his wits. Here the book also transitions from getting to Smaug to dealing with Smaug. Arriving at Laketown is a great place to begin the 2nd movie. And if an Elvish prisonbreak isn't exciting enough, at the exact same time Gandalf and the White Council are driving the Necromancer (aka Sauron) from Dol Gulder in Mirkwood!

Which brings me to my other source of glee: del Toro is going into all the backstory! And what a backstory. The fall of Moria, the war of Orcs and Dwarves, the fates of Thorin's father and grandfather, Aragorn as a kid, Prince Legolas and his father, Saruman leading the White Council, Gloin the father of Gimli, and how the Quest is ultimately about preventing an alliance between Sauron and Smaug. Tons of material to draw from, especially from the appendices from LotR.

Something to think about.


Lurker

ESSENTIALS MAPPING THREAD II

*removed for length*

See:

http://marvelmasterworksfansite.yuku.com/topic/458?page=1

http://marvelmasterworksfansite.yuku.com/topic/12554/t/ESSENTIALS-MAPPING-THREAD-III.html

Supreme Court Amendment(s?)

There is almost nothing in the Constitution about the Supreme Court, or about the judicial branch in general. So we might as well establish their power to overturn unconstitutional laws within the constitution itself, but with a few tweaks.

For instance, the US Supreme Court should only be allowed to throw out federal laws, not state laws, they have their own supreme courts. However, they should be able to nullify international treaties, since those are federal. Lower courts should have the same powers.

While we're at it, we need way more circuit courts... How about starting at 50 (one per state) and adding as needed. Right now there's too much power in too few hands.

Lastly, there needs to be a fixed number of Justices in the Constitution. Right now the number of 9 is only by law and tradition, it needs to be more foundational. I propose that we should have 12, which would mean both higher turnover and less impact from a single nominee. Yes, that is an even number, which is where the Chief Justice comes in. He should vote only for tie votes (which would be less frequent with a larger court).

Now for the most controversial idea: the Chief Justice should be an elected position. I know the reasons for appointments... impartiality and all that. But think about it, the people of the USA only vote for one, ONE national office, that of the President (paired with the VP). They need more say. And there's little public influence or accountability in the Judicial branch. Making the head of that branch open to public scrutiny and approval would be good for our democratic republic, and with the actual voting power weakened, the Chief Justice would be more of a symbolic figurehead, a spokesman for the judicial system, for good or ill.

Optimally, the Chief would be elected ever four years, 2 years out of phase from the presidential elections. This would prevent it from being overshadowed by that election, and raise the profile of congressional elections.




Lurker
(yes, I do think about these things)

An Engineered Market

This is an email I received that is is quite enlightening:


All economies are engineered since the beginning of social organization. Once a group of hunter gatherers got to a critical mass of people the became a tribe and found consensus on a chief. part of the chief's responsibility was to control trade. If he did well then the tribe grew and prospered if not then they ceased to exist as a tribe or they got a new chief. Knowledge is not power and neither is action from knowledge. True power comes from the control of the action of others.

So how does this relate to our current economic situation? We have had 26 downturns in the economy with the worst being the "Great Depression" of 1929 to 1941. This was one was different because of its worldwide effect and its severity. The Depression has been raging since August of 1929. Unemployment is up to 25% of the population. Deflation has dropped prices of goods and commodities; farms and houses are going into foreclosure at an alarming rate. Almost 10,000 banks have closed and people are scared. Then suddenly in March 1933 everything gets better overnight. Coincidentally Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR) takes over as President that very month. He starts his first 100 days passing New Deal programs at a record pace. But I thought everything got better in March 1933? Why did he enact all these programs if had already gotten better? I will look at that and more in this missive. I will some of the programs, agencies, and significant persons involved. I will discuss the success and failures of each of these and then decide whether the New Deal was a good deal or a bad deal.

The National Recovery Administration (NRA) was one of FDR’s first programs enacted. Its mandate was simple fix prices. It was run by Hugh Johnson appointed by FDR himself. Once prices were stabilized the workers would get higher wages through collective bargaining; sounds like a great idea doesn’t it. There were parades with thousands of citizens marching and showing their support. Now if prices stay the same and wages go up what happens to profits? The only way to make more money was to do more with less people, not a good way to reduce unemployment. Business started using the NRA codes to stifle competition and pushed to raise prices. In 1935 the Supreme Court declared the National Industrial Recovery Act (NIRA) unconstitutional making the NRA defunct. Apparently Congress had delegated legislative power to the executive branch to approve codes with the force of law; sounds familiar doesn’t it.

FDR created the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) finding work projects for young men, the Federal Relief Administration giving half a billion to states to cover unemployment, and the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) to build dams for hydro-electric power. He created the Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) as a watchdog for Wall Street, The Home Owner’s Loan Corporation to prevent foreclosures, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), the Civil Works Administration (CWA), and the Works Progress Administration (WPA). What does he get for all this enacting? The share our wealth society founded by Huey Long wanting to redistribute income and wealth, labor riots, strikes, a 3 percent decline in unemployment and a marginal rise in the Gross National Product (GNP).

The second new deal starts with the National Labor Relations Act by Senator Robert Wagoner. Now FDR gets a National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) protecting their right to organize and collectively bargain. The Social Security Act creates a federal pension through a new payroll tax. The Wealth Tax Act hits the rich, inheritors, and corporate profits. The public utilities are reorganized under the Public Utility Holding Act. The Banking Act gives FDR the Federal Reserve Board where members are positions are presidential appointments. What does he get for all this? By 1938 the GNP is down, unemployment at 19% and the stock market plunges by 25 percent.

I believe the New Deal accomplished quite a few of its goals of social and political reform. I didn’t agree with Theodore Roosevelt’s grab for centralized executive power at the expense of congress and I agree with the Supreme Court finding the AAA and the NRA unconstitutional. This was definitely the time social reengineering or the American culture and psyche. In my opinion the New Deal did not get America out of the Great Depression. That was caused by World War II. It did prove that massive government spending can have an effect on the economy albeit a short term effect in my opinion. I am concerned that we are doomed to repeat this process with the current administration and economy. I learned a lot researching this and the similarity between now and then frankly scares the hell out of me.


My response:

Wow, that was quite an email. Tons of details I quite frankly wasn't familiar with. And filled with an alphabet soup of government acronyms. But really, you need to project all the way to the end of WWII, because the government grew and grew and life got even harder with shortages and rationing. The Great Depression didn't end until the massive government takeover of the economy was massively scaled back in the months and years after VJ day. That coupled with the ruinous destruction of the economies of the rest of the Western world, and the US economy grew at an unprecedented rate.

You also leave out the role of the Federal Reserve, astonishingly. Created in 1912, it created the credit bubble that fostered the 'roaring twenties' which popped in 1929. Then for the duration of the 30's it UNDERprinted the currency. There literally was almost no $$$ to be had. Plus all of the programs under FDR were funded with public debt, not to mention WWII.



Thoughts anyone?

Does this sound shady to you?

Got this email recently while looking for work. Check it out:


from Resource Manager

TEST OF TRUST (TOT)









Hello Candidate ,

We are glad to hear from you with your interview answer.Very have gone through it thoroughly and we are glad to let you know you passed the interview and you have given the oppourtunity to work and earn pay with the company. Your Salary is going to be $400 per week, you will be recieving your pay every weekend. You have been required to take a proffessional assignment that serves as a Test of trust (TOT) which would involve you handling your mini-office purchases and transactions such as your new laptop and printer through the company shipper .The company will pay for all the expenses inquired in purchasing the equipments and software but you will proceed with this test under strict instruction which will be explained to you in a bit.

Note : The company will be resposible for funds needed to purchase this softwares and equipments.You will be working for the company and you will be paid every week either via check,paypal,credit card,bank transfer...whichever you prefer is fine.

Now to your Test (TOT) : You will be required to go through the proffessional assignment with the company to test your skills,your ability to follow instruction ,level of trust and honesty before you being approved as a worker and at the completion of this,we will get your appiontment letter sent to you via courier along with your mini office equipments.This assignment is called the * TOT OF TRUST*.You are required to recieve payment onbehalf of the company,process it and document it.The payment will come in form of check .

The payment will be delivered to you via courier service(ups),Once you recieve it,you will have it cashed at the bank,you will also deduct $200 for yourself as sign up bouns fee.After deducting the total of $200,You will be required to send the balance of the money via money gram money transfer to the company*s shipping agent who will ship to you all your data entry softwares and your mini office equipment that would have the company name on it and also your personal Initails branded on it.These items will include a brand new laptop computer,coloured printer and other equipments to set up your mini office at home and start work asap.This payment that will be sent to you is meant to test your skills,your ability to follow instruction ,level of trust and honesty,Ability to work in a fast paced environment while maintaining accuracy and confidentiality and most importantly your experince with handling and disbursing cash.i wil provide to you the tracking # to the package containing the payment so you can keep me eye on it to know when you're getting it and i will email you the shipper*s details to foward balance for your mini office equipments.

To proceed E-mail me the following details now so it can be fowarded to the account dept of the company and it can also be entered into the data base of the company and sent out to who will be making out the payment..

Title email as: TOT INFORMATION .
***************************

Fullname.........:

Contact address.......(physical home address):

City.......:

State........:

zipcode.........:

Home and cell phone #..... :

email address:


Will be expecting your detail asap so you can recieve you mini office equipments and start work .
Regards,

Dr Jay Pron .






Full of spelling errors and reeks of money laundering. My friends think its a scam. What do you think?


Lurker

Better representation: Increase Congress to 1000

The number of Representatives in Congress has been fixed at 435 since 1913, not long after the creation of the Federal Reserve and the income tax. Now originally, there were 30,000 people for every House Rep. When the number 435 was reached, there were about 212,000 people for every official in the House.

Today, there are over 700,000 people represented by only 1 congressman.

Does that sound right to you? Certainly not the original intent of the Founding Fathers. Now, I'm not advocating that we go back to the original ratio of 1/30000. That would be unwieldy, since we have at least 300 million Americans, resulting in a House with 10,000 members! Yikes!

Now why the heck am I bringing this apportionment issue up? Well many of you know that I want turnover in my political systems. Fewer voters means fewer voters to change their minds. Not only that, if you really want fresh blood and to minimize the effect of tenure, just make the pool larger.

The arbitrary number 435 is not written into the Constitution. Its merely an Act of Congress, so all it would take to change it is another Act. With the Democrats back in power (and feeling overconfident), and another census on the way, now is the time to build a bigger House. We can sell it as a way to cement their power, as well as being more democratic.

1500. That is how many house of Representative I want. Yes, this is a huge increase, but hey, so is the change from our population back then to now. The U.K. has 650 Members of Parliament, and we vastly outnumber them. Shouldn't we be more representative than merry ol England? With 1500 members of the house, we would be back to the ratio from the 1910's, about 1 to 200000. Less than the ideal beginnings, but not so large that it becomes impossible to work with.

Running some numbers: Wyoming would get at least 2 or 3, South Dakota gets 4, Montana 4 or 5. Previously all states under a million residents only got 1 representative! If we added Guam, US Virgin Islands, Northern Marianas Islands, and/or American Samoa (all with under 200,000) they would still only get one Rep, and not be in the same boat as the current 7 smallest states. Other potential states like Puerto Rico or New Zealand would get about 20 and 21 respectively. But I would probably fix the # at 1500 even if we added new states, but only by Act, not by changing the constitution.

California and Texas would have about 184 and 122 respectively, but they have gigantic populations. Of course, I would encourage large states to separate and add additional senators, but that's a separate argument. But larger state should have more of a voice in national politics. Plus more voices = more dissention.

So that's the thrust of my argument. More information in the websites listed below. All I want to do is make the government reflect the will of the people, and that's much easier when Representative actually represent small, specific populations. Of course, I still want them to run at large...



Lurker


http://www.thirty-thousand.org/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_congressional_apportionment
http://fruitsandvotes.com/?p=328

Go back to basics: Less Government, More Freedom

The reason Reagan was so popular is not what he did, but what he said:

Government exists to protect us from each other. Where government has gone beyond its limits is in deciding to protect us from ourselves.

Man is not free unless government is limited.

Protecting the rights of even the least individual among us is basically the only excuse the government has for even existing.

The most terrifying words in the English language are: I'm from the government and I'm here to help.

They say the world has become too complex for simple answers. They are wrong.

We must reject the idea that every time a law's broken, society is guilty rather than the lawbreaker. It is time to restore the American precept that each individual is accountable for his actions.

If you analyze it I believe the very heart and soul of conservatism is libertarianism. I think conservatism is really a misnomer just as liberalism is a misnomer for the liberals–if we were back in the days of the Revolution, so-called conservatives today would be the Liberals and the liberals would be the Tories. The basis of conservatism is a desire for less government interference or less centralized authority or more individual freedom and this is a pretty general description also of what libertarianism is.



Unfortunately, most conservatives think Ronald Reagan was a great president for what he did: increasing the budget and the deficit, undeclared wars, raising taxes, amnesty, and inane compromises. And because Reagan is considered to be the best we can do, we keep drifting MORE to the left!

It must be our goal to surpass the legacy of Ronald Reagan, by actually doing what we say we stand for: limited government, balanced budgets, paying off the deficit, no entitlements, individual responsibility, no big brother, and getting the heck out of the U.N.

New State Project

I like the idea behind the free state project. Have a bunch of libertarian-minded individuals move into an area, and turn it into a liberty stronghold and start the revolution at a local level.

Absolutely great idea. But its not working fast enough. Plus New Hampshire is way too cold (I'm from Arizona) and with over a million people, there's huge amounts of political inertia to fight.

Why don't we just make a new state from the ground up?

Think about it, we could write our own constitution based upon the principals of liberty!

I propose that we focus on one of the territories. Specifically the Northern Marianas Islands. They have less than 90,000 people, meaning that far fewer of us need to move compared to NH. And they reportedly have the most equable temperature in the world and a large immigrant population already.

But any of the territories, aside from Puerto Rico, would work exceptionally well. If several thousand of us move into one of these regions, we can take over in no time, with less sacrifice and far more gain.

Just think of all the fun we can have with 2 Senators and a couple of Representatives!



Thoughts?

Non-winner-take-all electoral college

As some of you may know, I can't stand the winner-take-all system for the electoral college. Whoever wins the most votes (be it 87% or a mere 34% in a three way race) wins ALL votes for the state during the presidential race. Not only is this horrendously unfair (particularly in mega-states like California and Florida) but it all but eliminates any chance of having third-parties gain any support, because you have to 'win' first place.

Now don't get me wrong, I LIKE the main aspect of the electoral college: it gives smaller states more of a voice in who becomes president. However, what I can't stand is the fact that a few 'swing states' are the only ones who really determine the outcome of the election. The presidency is the only national elected office we have (well, that and the VP, more on that later). EVERY state should be a swing state.

Okay, here's my plan. Bear in mind, the president is not (and shouldn't be) elected directly by public. He/she is elected by electors from the electoral college. All I want to do is tweak how the electors are chosen.

First off, this idea builds off my proposed congressional reforms from way back in September 2006 (go check it out). Very basically, congressional representatives are chosen statewide (i.e. no districts). If the state has 6 seats, then the top 6 win. My tweak would be that for each person who gets (re)elected to congress, then their party gets one elector.

Since the electoral college is based purely on the number of seats in Congress, we have to look at the Senate as well. In order to do the same thing as above, senators would have to be elected every 2 years. To do this we could add a third senator to every state, ensuring an election every cycle and increasing the power of smaller states (Yay!).

In any case, we should still have the Presidential candidates name on the ballot. But whoever gets the most direct votes for President would only get 2 electors, not the whole shebang. The rest would be determined by the # of incoming congressmen.

Many more states would be in play this way, as people would be voting more for parties than people. Presidents are much more likely to have their party in power in congress, and there would be more new people voted into (and out of) congress on a regular basis. Not only that, but third parties can actually start picking up votes in the electoral college. Every state comes into play, congressional elections soar in importance, and become harder to hold on to.

The main effect of this is that party branding and party loyalty become paramount. Coattails become insanely important, in both directions. To maximize your vote for the president, you have to vote for their party in congress, even if that means voting against your popular and powerful representative from the other party in favor of a new guy.

Best of all, this kind of reform can be started at the state level. State legislators can abolish congressional districts, and make congressional seats state-wide elections. They can change how their electoral college votes are distributed. This sort of change can be spread slowly, reforming the system from the bottom up. And it is designed to force new blood into Congress, which can facilitate other revolutionary ideas along the way...


Lurker

Ron Paul wins the electoral college?

Okay, Ron Paul didn't get the Republican Presidential Nomination. His name isn't going to be on the ballots this fall.

But there is one, final, hail mary tactic we can use to our advantage, something created by the founding fathers for just this very situation:

The Electoral College.

The President of the United States is NOT voted into office by the people. He (and the vice-president) are elected by delegates in the Electoral College. And they can vote for whoever the heck they want!

This is our last chance. If Barr and Baldwin are on board, any delegates they win can vote for Ron Paul instead! With Texas out of play for the main parties, we can get 34 delegates uncontested.

Not only that, we can expand the DVDs4DELEGATES program to convert the electors for McCain AND Obama!

Think about it. Republicans want to hold onto the White House at almost any cost: McCain proves that. But if we can reach those electors, we can make them understand that the founders empowered them to make the best choice for the country, and that they have the last voice in the process. Disgruntled Hillary supporters are probably very well represented in the electoral college. We can get them on board too.

"Winning" on election night does not mean you win the presidential vote. To quote Wikipedia:

"Electors chosen on Election Day meet in their respective state capitals (or in the case of Washington, D.C., within the District) on the first Monday after the second Wednesday in December, at which time they cast their electoral votes on separate ballots for President and Vice President."


WE CAN STILL WIN! Even better, we can win using the very mechanisms designed by the founding fathers!

I'm going to Comicon!

The March on Washington was awesome. There were tens of thousands of people there. I got to protest at the Federal Reserve, boo at the IRS building, and finally see Ron Paul in person! Tons of speakers talking about the NAU, imminent marshal law, the Fed, and even some allies from the progressive movement.

Anyway, this weekend I'm going to be in San Diego for the Comicon! I've never been before, but some of my friends are going so thought that it'd be the perfect ending for my month long tour of the US. I'll be the only guy there wearing a blue cap with the presidential seal. My friends have no idea the levels of geekdom I will subject them to. MWHAHAHAHA!

Next post should be about the impending EXODUS...



Lurker

Next

I've been meaning to do this for a while: updating everybody on where I'm going for the Peace Corps. Sorry for the delay, I myself have waited for what seems like forever to find out what country I'm going to and exactly when I leave.

So here's the scoop: I'm not going.

Why? What happened, you say? Well, the truth is, I really wanted to go last summer, fresh out of college, and see the world before kids and mortgages and get paid doing it. But that didn't happen, due to lack of communication and missing the window of opportunity.

*sigh*

Basically the same thing happened this time around. I'm just so frustrated by the endless hoops and impenetrable nature of the agency I'm calling the whole thing off.


So have I given up on my dreams of "Saving The World" and making it a better place? No, in fact, I have been refining them. During the last year I have been working as a teacher's aide for a charter school, tutoring at-risk junior high students in math, science, and social studies and hopefully making a difference. I have also been heavily involved in the Ron Paul presidential campaign, at long last finding like minded libertarians conspiring to take over the Republican party and save this country from the excesses of neo-conservatives and big government and the coming North American Union. I even went to the New Hampshire primaries last January to volunteer. It was cold.

So my current plans are thus: I will be going to Washington DC for a Ron Paul freedom march culminating on the 12th of July. I hereby invite any freedom-loving (or anti-bush or whatever) people to come along. I've never been to DC before, and I plan to make the most of it.
The very next day (the 13th) I will be flying to Washington state for the week-long family reunion.

Then, from September 1st thru the 4th in will be in St. Paul, Minnesota protesting the Republican National Convention. It should be quite an event, and hopefully the last straw for McCain.

Other than that... my future is pretty flexible and uncertain. I am exploring job opportunities across the world. My friend Matt is studying Judo in Japan, and I'm considering joining him there as well. I have some wildly ambitious political ideas I'd like to try out in a few different countries... however with the current direction the country is heading in (massive inflation and two big spending senators running for prez) I think I'll probibly stay in the states and do whatever I can to save my country from a looming financial meltdown.

Thats pretty much everything. If you have any advice, job offerings, or even a couch I can sleep on for a few days... drop me a line!

I'm going to New Hampshire

Okay, its official, I am a Ron Paul fanatic. I donated alot of money again on the anniversary of the Boston Tea Party, helping to raise over 6 million dollars in one day. I'm on youtube most every day increasing the stats of RP videos. I've even registered as a Republican! And now, I've decided to go all the way by joining Operation Live Free Or Die ( www.operationlivefreeordie.com ) and am going to New Hampshire! I'll be there basically the first week of January, and will be helping the campaign by going door-to-door and convincing people personally to vote for Ron Paul for their primary on the 8th. I expect to be very cold, but hey, its all part of the adventure!

Remember, remember...

Last Monday Ron Paul raised over 4 million dollars in his effort to become the republican presidential candidate. I, personally, donated hundreds of dollars on that day. For those who know me, being the cheapskate that I am, this should emphasize just how important this rEVOLution is to me (of course, all my political posts over the years should be a big hint). I even had a hand in forming the idea of doing something that day.

So, the next "money bomb" day is looking like December 16th, the anniversary of the Boston Tea Party that started the American Revolution. A much more appropriate anniversary. So for those of you sitting on the fence, do a little research, and donate $100 (or $10, or whatever you can afford) and help start the second American Revolution!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oG_OwTthS-E


Lurker

next star trek series

Star Trek: Defiant

First episode has something no other Trek series ever had: mutiny!

'Evil' captain overthrown by crew and tossed into brig. Of course, that would make the crew outlaws, on the run from the Federation. Now that sets up potential for conflict! And of course they would find a large conspiracy taking over the government, and eventually spearhead a revolution and civil war! Yes, its a little Star Warsish, and very Babylon 5, but mostly new territory for a Trek series. The trick is keeping the evil Cap'n a major character and predominant antagonist and indeterminate loyalties.

Should take place post TNG, DS9, Voyager, and so forth, but soon enough that it could conceivably reuse several characters from those series. Definitely has to use a ship called USS DEFIANT with cloak technology (DS9).

New Characters:
A former Q; Has very different perspective on things, needs memory blocks to prevent quick fix tech solutions. Doctor?
A Romulan; Least explored major species. Engineer?
Blended Male/Female human (ala Tuvix); Two people combined into one in a transporter accident. Explores concepts of identity, gender, and makes Star Trek socially relevant again. Security?
Tholian; First Non-Humanoid crew member?
Breen/Gorn?


Well thats enough geeking out for me. Still trying to work in my earlier idea of the Saurians from the Voyager series deciding to take back their ancient homeland of Earth. Hmm....


Lurker

I got a job!

Yes, this is the first post in quite a while updating details in my personal life. Sorry, my life is usually less interesting (IMHO) than the random insights I have to share. Anyway, on to the details!

Oddly enough, it started with Ron Paul. Well, more accurately the local meet-up group, to which I decided to go. On the spur of the moment decision, I called a long-time friend of mine, actually he lived next door when I lived in the dorms during my first year in college. Anyway, we usually clash on politics (in an amusing, respectful way) and I was right in my guess that he'd get a kick out of a room full of libertarianish conspiracy nuts like me.

Anyway, before the meeting started, he mentioned that the school he was working for was looking for people to help out disadvantaged junior high kids. We asked each other questions about how well I worked with youngins, and he said he'd talk with the principal about getting me an interview.

So the next morning he gives me a call, and tells me to be there by noon. I show up, and the principal is impressed by my mathmatics background (I can tutor Calculus) and my previous instructional experience (being a black belt). So I pretty much get the job on the spot.

So now I'm a teacher's aide for Junior High students at a charter school. I help with Math, Science, Social Studies, and eventually English too. I really feel like I'm making a difference, and they were totally okay with my leaving for the Peace Corps in May, in fact thats when the school year ends.

So I've got this cool job now, helping the disadvantaged and earning somewhat decent money, with no regrets leaving for the Peace Corps. I am quite pleased.

Now transportation is an issue, since the bus lines don't connect my new job to my current location, so my new friend and I are considering getting an appartment....

Ron Paul beats out Guliani, Tompson, and McCain in Iowa straw poll!

Mitt Romney, spending millions of dollars, bought first place in the Iowa Straw poll today. However, more interesting is that Dr. Ron Paul got more votes than Rudy Guliani, John McCain, and Fred Thompson combined! This straw poll illustrates just how inane the status of "front runner" is this early in this wide open campaign.

Is that murder or suicide...?

Its a weird question I like to ask when the rare opportunity presents itself. Which isn't very often. But it is an intriguing question to ask, and one that rarely has an answer. Examples:

Traveling thru time and killing your self
Vizzini in The Princess Bride drinking the poisoned goblet
Anything involving clones
The ending of Fight Club
Rozencranz and Gildenstern in Hamlet
Trying to think of when this has happened, but swapping minds with someone and then trying to kill them/yourself


Just one of my unique quirks.

Youtube question(s) for republican debate

I watched the last Democratic debate and enjoyed the fact that individuals posted questions to youtube.com and the candidates were forced to answer. It was still filtered thru CNN, but the randomness and straightforwardness was refreshing. Too bad most of the responses were rehearsed.

Anyway, I'm trying to thing of the perfect question to ask. I'm a Ron Paul supporter, so I'm tempted to address him directly to speak in favor of his more obscure views that would be in favor with the general public (drugs, taxes, anti-draft, war, UN, etc). However, if you've read any of my previous posts, you know I've got some strong views on some out of the mainstream issues: secession, new US states, space, anti-RIC, UFOs, citizenship, and countless others. This may be my chance to springboard one of my causes into the national arena... if it isn't too crazy and rejected.

In an attempt to have my cake and eat it too, I think I'll ask my family members to put forth some questions themselves. Using an Iraq war vet or a cute younger sibling might be more appealing. I also advocate that you, yes YOU submit your own question(s) to the candidates:

http://www.youtube.com/contest/RepublicanDebate

I'll mull my options over this weekend. Hopefully a few more Republican Candidates will sign on for the debate. So far its only Ron Paul and McCain....


Lurker
(N.A.S.A question or states rights to secede? Hmm...)

And now for something completely different

In a completely unrelated theme, I'm posting my crazy movie ideas!

Slasher movie in an old folks home! Exactly the same script as normal teen slasher film, love scenes and all. Only the chase scenes would be a little slower.

Romantic comedy set in 2121! Mom complained that all sci-fi movies are apocalyptic and end-of-the-world disaster scenarios. So a romantic comedy dealing with robots, shape changing aliens, time-travel, and other cool stuff would actually be the ultimate date movie. Something for everyone.


Well thats all the original stuff I got. Personally I want to see movie versions of Childhood's End, Xanth, Shannara, Riftwar, Wheel of Time (though TV series may be more appropriate) , not to mention all the potential comic book movies... but thats a post for another day


Lurker
r*evol*ution!

Proposed constitutional amendments

I've been promising to do this for a while, but here are some of the proposed amendments I'd make to the constitution:


Repeal of the 16th amendment. Government never should have been given the power to tax the income of individuals. It punishes productivity, aggravates millions, and is completely unnecessary to finance federal government.

Rights of non-citizens. Are illegal aliens granted constitutional rights? Prisoners in Gitmo? Astronauts in space? Ambiguity on whom the constitution applies (and where) really need to be defined, and the ability for government suspend rights guaranteed by the constitution nullified.

Abortion. Currently the federal government has no authority over abortion, either to make it legally available for women or to prohibit it. Despite what the courts say, there is nothing in the constitution that addresses this. If there is going to be a federal policy, lets amend the constitution to establish it as a right or make it illegal; otherwise the federal government should stay the heck out of it.

Secession. This issue is so huge, I'm surprised it hasn't been addressed before. Heck, we fought a civil war over this! The constitution sets out criteria for joining the United States; it makes no mention of leaving the union. This really needs to be addressed: people should be free to have the choice to leave the union without violence, preferably by popular vote of the state (Hawaii would be the first to go). Also covered should be the splitting up of states (like Texas or California), merging (Dakotas), and eviction or kicking out of a state by the rest of the country (which may happen to California eventually).

Highest law of the land. This one shouldn't be necessary, but there should be an amendment that says the US Constitution is the highest law of the land, above organizations like the UN, NATO, NAFTA, the proposed North American Union, and any other international organization. Also there should be *no* circumstances under which the constitution should be suspended, be it martial law or what have you.


Thats all for now!



Lurker

Ron Paul coming to Arizona TOMARROW!

When:

Saturday, June 16, 2007, 9:00 AM

Where:

Phoenix Sky Harbor Air Port
3400 E Sky Harbor Blvd
Phoenix , AZ 85034

Description:

*** Arriving Flight info: ***

Airline: USAir
Arrival: 09:11 AM Saturday June 16
Terminal 4 at sky harbor
(either the "A" or "B" gates which will not be determined until just before arrival)

It is suggested everyone park in short term terminal 4 parking, parking is level 4 to level 9, arrivals/gates are level 3. A gates are on the west end. B gates are on the east end of the terminal.

Fox News Network will be there to interview Ron Paul at 10am (the more people there the better).

RP talks to the ARA at 12:00. Talk with Q&A is 1 hr. So finish at 1:00 PM. Figure it will take another 30 to get out the door (handshakes photos etc) and to the car. 20, 25 drive to Sky Harbor. So? Supporters to Terminal #2 by 2:00 for another chance to meet Ron Paul.

Departure is Continental at 14:55 actual flight time out of terminal 2. There is only
security checkpoint in 2. So we should have no problems finding him. :) only question is
what time do we tell/ask everyone to be there for departure.

Endorcement for 2008

I wasn't terribly excited about 2008. Hillary scares me. Obama seems interesting but inexperienced. My enthusiasm for McCain wore off years ago. Guliani seemed worth more attention, as he seemed fiscally conservative (yay!) and socially liberal (also yay!). But then I woke up to a new possibility. Listening to Rush Limbaugh the morning after the Republican debate, everyone was talking about the comments of Ron Paul.

Who?

I checked him out on YouTube. A libertarian out conservativing other republicans! I was smitten. Took a look at his platforms. Wow. He's a man after my own heart. Even though I don't quite agree on his Iraq position, I understand his point of view, and I'm slowly coming around. I signed up to volunteer at his website, and spoke well of him to friends.

Then this weekend, I caught the whole Republican Debate. Wow, he was the only one up there with personality! And he sounded even more like the kind of president I could actually endorse, instead of voting against the other guy! I looked up everything I could on youtube, and decided he was 'the one'. Yes, I'm in love! This guy is awesome!

He could even get the nomination, since its like a year away. But if he doesn't, he really could be a viable third party nomination. He ran on the Libertarian ticket once before in 88. He might even work in my 'Coalition Party' proposition, where a candidate gets the nomination of several minor parties, so as to get on all the ballots at least once. Even if he doesn't get a nomination, I think I'll put him down as a write-in ballot!

Anyway, I've gushed long enough. Go check him out at:
http://www.ronpaul2008.com/html/Issues_fx.html
http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=RonPaul2008dotcom


Lurker
(Wonders if he can be paid for working on his campaign somehow)