First for Fridays

First Poster sets the topic.

If you are looking for something to start with, why not the Supreme Court's ruling that skin color does not make for diversity and if you are local, you should know how much this ruling will effect our school system and our lawsuit between the NAACP and the School Board and the budgetary fighting going on between the County Commissioners and the School Board.

Enjoy the weekend!

Life Synthesized: A Future Realized

Craig Venter and his team has made another break through in his quest for synthesizing life. He has successfully transplanted one bacterium's genome into another and it worked; atleast 1 out of 150,000. His team, led by John Glass of the J. Craig Venter Institute, took the genome of Mycoplasma mycoides and transferred it to M. capricolum (a related parasite) via a tedious process that they still don't completely understand. The result? The cells that took the transfer appear to be completely transformed into Mycoplasma mycoides. What does this mean? It means that Venter is only weeks or months away from a synthetic life if his progress maintains its pace.

You can read more here.

Some questions:

-What does this mean for lay persons?
-What does this mean for those who are religous? Does it pose a problem to your faith?
-What benefits will come from this synthesis?
-If you have read the link on Venter, what do you think about him attempting to patent a genome?

How Do You Say North Pole In Russian?

Russia's Kremlin has staked claim to a substantial chunk of the Arctic (more than the 200 miles that border its coast as alloted by the United Nations). Russia is challenging the International Seabed Authority in this current bid to steak claim to gas, oil and minerals in the expanded territory. Russia has challenged the International Seabed Authority in the past but without success; now they are steaking their claim based on an underwater ridge, the Lomonosov Ridge, that connects Russia to the Arctic. This is currently not allowed under the UN protocol.

This newly claimed "Russian" area is said to hold twice the oil of Saudi Arabia and is 5 times the size of Britian.

You can read more here.

Some questions:

-How do you think the West will react to this claim?
-Do you think this is a predictable step by Putin who is becomming less warm to outside influence?
-Will this boundary issue spark more land grabbing and territorial disputes or even war?

Executive Privilege

The White House has refused to turn over subpoenaed documents to Congress as well as refused to allow Harriet Miers and former political director Sara Taylor to testify before Congress under the subpoena.

President Bush is able to refuse such a subpoena due to the seperation of powers (or the White House's interpretation of it) and maintain that refusal based on Executive Privilege. Congress is able to press the issue in Federal Court due to their interpretation of the seperation of powers.

The White House has made some concessions to Congress concerning this issue but Congress refused to accept what was offered as it does not appear to be a legitimate compromise.

You can read more here.

Some questions:

-What are your thoughts on the Executive Privilege?
-What are your thoughts on the seperation of powers?
-Do you think that this issue should be fought out until Congress gets its way? If so, what do you think this will do to the seperation of powers statute?

C.S. Lewis on Atheism

"When I was an atheist my argument against God was that the universe seemed so cruel and unjust. But how had I got this idea of just and unjust? A man does not call a line crooked unless he has some idea of a straight line. What was I comparing this universe with when I called it unjust? If the whole show was bad and senseless from A to Z, so to speak, why did I, who was supposed to be part of the show, find myself in such violent reaction against it?... Thus in the very act of trying to prove that God did not exist--in other words, that the whole of reality was senseless. I found I was forced to assume that one part of reality--namely my idea of justice--was full of sense. Consequently atheism turns out to be too simple. If the whole universe has no meaning, we should never have found out that it has no meaning."
-C. S. Lewis
Mere Christianity

You can read more here.

Some questions:

-What is your position on God? Why?
-If you have read Mere Christianity, what are your thoughts on Lewis' argument?

TIME OUT!

When I was a kid I used to get frustrated with my cousin when, during the middle of a game of tag, he would call "time out" right before I was about to tag him.

It appears that one never grows out of these tactics. A thief was being chased by police and after a 500 meter dash to escape arrest, he made the infamous hand signal for "time out" to the police in an effort he hoped would allow him to regain his composure and catch his breath. Nice try but it did not work.

You can read more here.

Some questions:

-Did you ever play tag? Did you ever envoke the dubious "time out" rule?
-Do you think thief should incur more time for attempting to use "time out"?
-Where did the concept of "time out" come from?

Fairness Doctrine

Paul M. Weyrich, chairman and CEO of the Free Congress Foundation has written an article on the Fairness Doctrine. His concern is that it is a left-wing tactic that could be used to censor the right where the right speaks the loudest: Talk radio.

Weyrich states, under the Fairness Doctrine, if I appeared on a radio program and expressed strong views on a topic, someone of a different point of view could appear at the station and time would have to be made available. In fact, if there were six different points of view, time would need to be made available to all of them.

He goes on to say that Rush Limbaugh said when he hears what he does for a living is a "problem" it may mean that Senators would be required to create their own ways to overcome them or it may mean that "We're just going to have to wipe them out."

From Weyrich's point of view, the Fairness Doctrine would effectively cripple the right wing radio programs and allow for the left to catch up and take root on the airwaves; something they have tried to do in the past but have failed.

You can read more here.

Some questions:

-Would you vote for the Fairness Doctrine?
-Do you think that Congress should be concerned with such things as this when there are still such things as poverty, educational woes, etc?
-What are some of the benefits this bill could bring? Some of the detriments?

Harsh Words From Germany On Scientology

Germany has denied access to military bases for an upcoming movie concerning a plot to kill Adolf Hitler. This is not out of the ordinary, but the reasoning behind the denial is what is causing raised eyebrows. Scientology is not recognized by Germany as an official religion. Tom Cruise, a professed scientologist, is playing the role of Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg who led an unsuccessful attempt to assassinate Adolf Hitler. When an inquiry was sent as to the reason for the denial, this statement was made by Harald Kammerbauer: [The studio] will not be allowed to film at German military sites if Count Stauffenberg is played by Tom Cruise, who has publicly professed to being a member of the Scientology cult.

Along with Germany, Belgium, France, Great Britain, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Luxembourg, Spain, and Mexico, do not hold Scientology to be a religion.

You can read more here and you can read on Germany's view of Scientology here.

Some questions:

-Is the reasoning for the denial fair?
-If this was taking place in the U.S. could Tom Cruise sue for descrimination?
-Is Scientology a cult?

Nurse Removes Toenails of Dementia Patients

There are allegations and planned charges facing a nurse at Japan's Kitakyushu, Fukuoka Prefecture. The charge? Removal of finger and toenails from patients suffering from dementia. It is reported that she removed them as a form of punishment. These actions came to light when the patients family members started to complain about the missing nails. The nurse denies the allegations and stated that the nails were already coming off and she was administering treatment.

You can read more here.

Some questions:

-What does this make you think about your upcoming health care when you will be entrusted to others for daily living help?
-Does this concern you for your parents/grandparents if they are no longer able to live on their own?
-Do you think that there is a camaraderie between fellow employees that would allow for such a thing as this to take place? If so, how do we as a society change that as to place more value in honoring the old?

Death

I have had a death in the family and will be out of pocket for the whole of this week. I hope to return next week and post some on death and that which comes with it.

Teacher Teaching More Than What's on the Cirriculum

In Prescott, WI a 38 year old female substitute teacher was allegedly caught copulating with a 13 year old student by the student's father. The 13 year old was dating the substitute's daughter. The 13 year old boy took his mother's car for a nightime get together with the substitute teacher. The boy's father found the car and his child at the substitute's home. It was stated that the teacher was having sex with the child while the teacher's child and husband were at home. No details or statments have been released by or concerning the daughter and the husband who were there while this act occurred.

You can read more here.

Some questions:

-How can we prevent things like this from happening?
-Is it society's responsibility to prevent things like this or is it the parents or both?
-What penalty should the substitute's husband incur if he was privy to this going on?
-If this proves to be true, what punishment should the substitute incur? What punishment do you think she will incur?

Blockbuster Gets The Blues

Matthew Smith, a VP of merchandising with Blockbuster, stated, "The consumers are sending us a message. I can't ignore what I'm seeing." What is that message? High Definition video rentals have gone blue, blu-ray that is. Blockbuster customers have overwhelmingly chose blu-ray rentals over HD-DVD. This has led Blockbuster to toss out the idea of further providing HD-DVD rentals. This is a blow to the HD-DVD camp in a long running battle in the format war due to the market saturation of Blockbuster. It is reminiscent of the Betamax vs. VHS war from days of old except this time, Sony is on the winning side and Toshiba is appears to be losing with its red laser HD-DVD format.

You can read more here.
You can get a better understanding of High Definition here.

Some questions:

-Do you own a high definition player? If so what format is it?
-Do you care which format wins the war?
-Will you purchase high definition in some form or fashion in the next year?
-Is high definition even something that interests you?

First for Fridays

No, the week is not missing a day, I will just be out of town and will not be able to post again until Monday. Feel free to post about whatever you want here while I am away.

If you are board, you can watch the Jackson, TN Police Department devastate the NewsTalk WMD's. The WMD's play ABC's WBBJ TV staff tonight at 7pm.

Enjoy your weekend... I know I will!

Scandal in the NAACP: Allegations Against Richard Fields

I will not repeat the story, but apparently another blogger, Thaddeus Matthews, has come across some pretty damning information concerning a local Jackson and Memphis, TN NAACP lawyer Richard Fields. If the allegations prove true, it could very well lead to some big headlines nationally concerning both the NAACP and Richard Fields himself dealing with seduction, setups and corruption.

You can read about it here exclusively.

-Some questions:

-If what is stated on Thaddeus' blog is true, how do you think this will effect the black community? The white?
-How do you think it will affect the NAACP?
-What are your thoughts concerning the allegations?
-Do you think that Thaddeus has a vendetta against Mr. Fields?

UPDATE: I just listened to Thaddeus Matthews doing a local radio interview and he went so far as to call Richard Fields a racist and a rapist.
Also as a little background, Thaddeus is a self-proclaimed shock-jock and based out of Memphis, TN who is no stranger to controversy. He stated that if anyone has any questions or needs information on Richard Fields, feel free to contact him through his blog.

Elections, History and Politics

When did our electoral system turn into the beast it is today? The fundraising, the mudslinging (not just by the candidates but by the "unbiased" news), the stats, the polls, the electoral college... I wonder what our founding fathers' intentions were concerning this system? Surely they did not intend for the limitations placed on a potential nominee to include their income or ability to raise several millions of dollars did they? That would mean that only the rich or smooth talkers (reminescent of the snake-oil salesmen from days of old) would dare to apply. Even if you do have money and are a smooth talker, that does not guarantee anything today as the press has to see someway to sell their "news" to the public and if you are not a story, then the next candidate gets the headline.

So how were things done back when America was just a fledgling nation? Was it any better? See Article II, Section I of the Constitution.

Some questions:

-What are your thoughts on the progressive exclusivism of those who can hold office?
-How would you reform the system?
-What needs to be done to make things "even" and "fair"? Can it ever be?

President Bush Mugged in Front of Secret Service

Call it a slight of hand, call it thievery, whatever you call it, President Bush is out a watch.

While in Albania, President Bush spent some time with the citizens and allowed them to touch him. It was a very warming crowd and they all cheered for him... or at least that is opinion. They could have been cheering for the man who stole a watch right off of the President's wrist. We may never know, but rest assured, one man has a great story to tell his grandchildren and a watch to pass down for generations to come.

You can read, watch the video and see the pictures here.

Some questions:

-If this can happen, would it have been possible for someone to actually hurt the President?
-Looking at the pictures, does it appear safe the way they are touching him?
-How should the Secret Service prevent things such as this in the future?

Dodgeball Charity Tournament

Dodgeball is alive and well in Jackson, TN. Our local NewsTalk Radio station has challenged several different organizations to a game of dodgeball that will lead to a double elimination tournament in August. Some of the teams they are playing are the Sheriff's Department (which they beat), the Police Department, the Madison County Commission, the Jackson City Council, WBBJ TV, the Diamond Jaxx Staff among others.

The event has been set up to raise charity funds for the opposing team's charity of choice. The first game against the sheriff's department resulted in a $600 purse that was given to Greensburg, KS as a way to help in the tornado relief efforts. Tonight's game against the police department will result in all proceeds going to the "Make a Wish Foundation". Several radio callers called in to the WNWS radio station yesterday pledging money for the cause. One caller said he would make up the difference up to $1,000 and another caller said he would match all gate proceeds dollar for dollar.

This event appears to be a great way to raise funds as well as a great way to see some of your local leaders and talk show hosts in action. Dodgeball is a great spectator sport believe it or not. So, if you are around Jackson, TN come out and watch the game, it is $5.00 at the door to get in or if you cannot, it will be live on WNWS.com at 7pm or you can buy a DVD of the game(s).

You can see the schedule here.

Some questions:

-How do you feel about elected officials getting out and playing in Dodgeball?
-Would you ever cheer on the County Commission or the City Council?
-Do you think that more events like this would be good for the community in that it builds community?
-Are you comming to any of the games?

MMR Vaccine & its Link with Autism Goes to Trial

It has long been held by some of the parents of those with autistic children that the Measles, Mumps, and Rubella (MMR)Vaccine is the key to why their children are suffering with this socially debilitating syndrome. The preservative thimerosal seems to be the culprit as it is mercury based and an additive to the MMR vaccine as well as others. Soon and very soon, these parents will get their day in court. If the families win the court battle, they will be entitled to funds from a multibillion dollar trust fund.

To date, there have been no proven links between the vaccines containing thimerosal and autism.

You can read more here.

Some questions:

-To enter school, your child must have certain vaccinations. If they do not get the vaccines, they do not enter school. If the link between thimerosal and autism proves to be true, what would your thoughts be about the mandates passed down to you from the government for your children? Would you still abide by them?
-Do you think the government needs to do a better job of testing before mandating that parents must vaccinate?
-If your child has autism, do you think this link is legitimate?
-If this lawsuit includes you in it, what do you plan to do with your portion of the trust fund?

Disability Checks a Thing of the Past?

The UK has published a report (Social Market Foundation Study SMF) showing that they have some 6.8 million people on disability. The report further states that this costs the UK taxpayers billions of dollars every year and that amount is only growing. If the UK is able to get these people back into the workforce, it could boost their economy by over 35 billion within the next 30 years.

The report stated that the most common disabilities are back pain, breathing problems or blood pressure and those who suffer from these disabilities should be able to reenter the workforce with "world class" skills by 2020 if a plan is put into place to rehabilitate the disabled. The study shows this would raise the 35 billion over the 30 year period as mentioned above.

The director of SMF who released the report states that, "Despite rising levels of employment for disabled people over recent years, too many are still without jobs and living in poverty as a result. Supplying disabled people with the skills they need is the missing link between ending child poverty, boosting the economy and getting more people off benefits and back into work. As this report shows, investing in disabled people's skills is a win/win situation for Government, creating massive dividends for the economy and delivering greater equality at the same time."

You can read more here.

Some questions:

-Do you think those on disability should be reintegrated into the workforce?
-Do you think a vast majority of those who are on disability are really not disabled? Please explain your answer.
-Could you see this as a benefit if it is instituted in America?
-Under the "Director of SMF" link above, there is another article on working past retirement age; what are your thoughts on that?

Mary Winkler Set Free After "Man Slaughtering" Her Husband

Today was the sentencing trial for Mary Winkler. She was given 3 years but only has to serve 210 days of that behind bars. Even with that, she may not spend a day locked up due to her already spending 5 months under lockdown before the criminal trial. On the other hand, she has been ordered to submit to 60 days in a proper mental facility to address her psychiatric needs. Those 60 days can count towards her 210 day sentence for "man slaughtering" her husband.

There is talk around West Tennessee as to her ability to keep her parental rights. A lot say they should be revoked, some say that she should be able to keep them as her charge was not one in which the relinquishing of custody is mandated. A local radio personality who goes by George B sides with those who would say she should be able to keep her parental rights. You can listen to his opinions between the 3 and 6 o'clock hours during the work-week on WNWS FM online.

You can read more here.

Some questions:

-Do you think 210 days is justice served?
-How do you feel about the sentencing? In light of the accusations made by Mary Winkler against her Church of Christ pastor husband?
-Do you think that there is such a thing as 1st degree murder anymore?
-Given what you know about this situation, what are your thoughts on child custody?
-Placing yourself in the children's shoes, do you think you would want to live with your mother?

Paris Hilton: Jail or No Jail, That is the Question

Opinion Polls & Market Research

I wasn't going to post on this, but I am interested in what you think justice is in this case. Should she go to jail? Should she not? What is fair? When you choose your answer, please comment as to why you chose what you did.

You can read more here and here.

Torturing & Killing for Money: Chasing the American Dream

Step 1. Find a single mother with a child.

Step 2. Date the mother and convince her to marry.

Step 3. Convince the mother that the child needs an insurance policy.

Step 4. Murder the child.

Step 5. Collect the insurance money.

At least, this was Joel Zellmer's plan. He attempted this with several women and took out several insurance policies on their children. Some covered accidental deaths, others covered injuries sustained during car wrecks. Some of his victims recieved blistered hands, burnt lips, a broken leg (alleged car wreck hospital followup showed no broken bones, 3 days later he took the child back in asking for more x-rays and this time a leg was broken), attempted drownings and one actually drowned.

During this latest attempt to collect on insurance money, the firefighters who pulled the little 3 year old girl, Ashley McLellan, out of the pool noticed that the stepfather was not wet, was calm and did not even ask if she was going to live. This tipped off police which led to the above mentioned insurance scams and torture of children.

You can read more here.
Or you can read the report from Andrew Bergh, Attorney. Here is a quote from his publication: In sum, the McLellans’ loss in the courts may be our gain. Zellmer v. Zellmer is a virtual mini-primer on the parental immunity doctrine, and should be consulted in any case involving a minor child’s injury claim against either his parent or stepparent. The opinion not only cites every relevant case in Washington, but also discusses the principles to be employed for the limited exceptions to the rule.

Some questions:

-What do you think would cause a person to do such a thing as this, multiple times?
-What do you think his punishment should be?
-How should the police monitor "trends" like this to ensure that it does not happen for such a sustained amount of time?
-If you were victimized like the childrne who lived in this case, do you think you would forgive him?

First for Fridays

You post it, we discuss it.

Post away!

Genpets: A Consumer Product

Picture this: A living, breathing creature suspended in a form of hibernation hanging on your local Wal-Mart shelf just waiting for you to purchase one. Once you get it home, you take it out of its package, remove the life support system and wake it up. You have just purchased your first bio-engineered "pet". They have feelings and they think and they interact with you. Once you are done with them, just throw them away... afterall, they are just a product made for consumers, right?

The Genpet comes in 6 varieties to choose from: Athletic, adventurous, serene, playful, imaginative, and helpful. You just buy the one you feel is right for you. Once you get home, if you find out you selected the wrong one, just discard it and go buy a new one. If yours becomes diseased, simply throw it away and go pick out a fresh one.

You can read and see more here.

Some questions:

-What do you think about buying a disposable life-form?
-Do you think this blurs the lines of ethics and morals?
-Would you buy one? If yes, why? If no, why not?
-What are your thoughts about the concept?
-How does this make you feel?.

Palestinians Poised For Civil War?

The men who were once considered freedom fighters and heros in the eyes of the Palestinian people are now thought of by some as merely thugs and gangsters. A Palestinian housewife by the name of Mai when asked about the Israeli strikes to halt rocket attacks said, "It's very ironic but I'm relieved the Israelis have started a bombing campaign. The gunmen killing each other on the streets were forced to go into hiding."

The fighting is between to Islamic factions in Palestine: the Fatah and Hamas. President Mahmoud Abbas (of Palestine) has declared that the Palestinians are on the brink of a civil war.

You can read more here.

Some questions:

-What are your thoughts on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict?
-Why do you think that those once for the destruction of Israel are now glad they are bombing? Is it a pull for the lesser of two evils?
-What do you think started the internal strife? Could it stem from the Hamas election?

Booz2Go: Powdered Alcohol

A group of Dutch students have come up with a way to make alcohol into a powder. Not only that but their intention is to sell it to minors (under 16 in the Netherlands) as it is not in liquid form and therefore not a banned substance for minors. They say it will cost around $1.35 to $2.00 for a pack that contains 20 grams. The students say all you have to do is mix it with water and you have yourself a drink comparable to the flavored Bacardi mixed drinks with 3% alcohol content.

A number of companies have shown interest in Booz2Go and the students claim the companies could avoid taxes and have a wider consumer base since it is in powder form (doesn't fall under the tax for alcohol and minors can buy it currently).

You can read more here.

Some questions:

-What are your thoughts on the students' motives for making the powdered alcohol?
-What are your thoughts on the companies that are interested in it?
-Do you think that a product like this would be allowed in the US?
-Do you think the Netherlands will eventually change their laws to include this powdered form?
-What are your thoughts on haveing the drinking and smoking age set at 16?
-What does this say about our culture?

The Pope-Mobile

A report came across the wire this morning that the security barracade that was supposed to protect the Pope was breached by a man wearing a pink shirt. He apparently vaulted himself over the barracade and made it to the back of the Pope-Mobile before he was wrestled to the ground by security. He is being detained for questioning.

You can read more here.
You can watch the video here.

Some questions:

-What are your thoughts on the Pope? The current Pope?
-Where can I get a Pope-Mobile?
-Do you think it neccessary that the Pope have his own vehicle brand?
-What significance do you think the pink shirt holds?
-All joking aside, what do you think is the most important thing that Pope Benedict has done since becoming Pope?

Sportsplex: Longer Than Expected Profitability

Several years ago there was a motion to build a sportsplex that could be used by the locals during the week and reserved on weekends for the travel ball teams that would fill the sportsplex and bring much revenue to this city and local business such as the hotels and restaraunts. Well, this is the first year in and the date of profitability has been pushed back by several years while the taxpayers continue to pay the bill. There are those who fall on the side of "give it more time and you will see what an asset this will be to our community" and then there are the nay-sayers who say, "Winvested in Pringles Park and look at it. We invested in the Ned and look at it. Now we are invested in the sportsplex and look at it... when will we learn our lesson".

The city has accrued debt, $9.1 million to be exact, to build this sportsplex. They were initially looking at two years before it started paying for itself, now that two has turned to 4. When asked why, it was stated that the city was too optimistic in their projections and neglected to look at such scenarios as rainouts and holidays.

You can read more here.

Some questions:

-What are your views on the West Tennessee Healthcare Sportsplex?
-Do you think it to be a good investment eventhough the current year's projection is suffering? If so, why?
-Should we always compare new projects to old ones such as Pringles Park, etc.?
-If the city was not responsible with the taxpayer's money by not doing the proper research on this project before signing off on it, what recourse do we as citizens have to gain back our $9.1 million folly?
-If we had it to do over again, knowing what you know now, should we build it?
-Are the local taxpayers really able to use it as promised during the week?

Fleeing Nazi Germany in Modern Day America

There were certain events that led up to the rise of Nazi Germany. It did not happen over night. Some took the cues and left while the vast majority stayed. Out of that vast majority, many died unnatural deaths. Nazi Germany was not a kind place to the Jew nor was it kind to the nations around it. Many neighboring countries fell to the strong hand of Germany and it took much death and fighting to do away with the Nazi party and restore things to how they were prior to the rise of Hitler.

Now, living in America, a Holocaust survivor has decided to move back to Germany. Why? Not because he misses his homeland, but because of fear. He says he is taking his cues and will not be here for when America does what Germany did. He said that, "I'm going back because I've seen this before." He then commenced to explain that when he was a kid, he watched with his family in fear as Hitler's government committed atrocity after atrocity, and no one was willing to say anything. He said the news refused to question the government, and the ones who did were not in the newspaper business much longer. He said good neighbors, people he had known all his life, turned against his family and other Jews, grabbing on to the hate and superiority "as if they were starved for it".

You can read more here.

Some questions:

-Do you think that this man is alone in his thinking?
-What do you think about this Holocaust survivor's view of America in this current time?
-Do you think his concerns are legitimate? Why?
-If you could ask this man one question about the signs of the time that are causing him to move, what would it be?
-Are there other Holocaust survivors out there who feel the same way?

Virtual Haircut

I found this online somewhere a while back and found it again while searching through my archives. Anyways, I found it amusing and very realistic. Basically, it is a virtual surround sound experience that simulates you sitting in a barber's chair getting a haircut. The electric razor sounds almost too real. So give it a go and tell me what you think.

You can listen hear. (I recommend earphones)

Vermont Public Looking at Secession

Would Abraham Lincoln be rolling over in his grave right now? The state of Vermont has some citizens who are mulling over the idea of seceding from the union. They have come up with a manifesto giving their reasoning for the move to secede calling it the Green Mountain Manifesto. In their manifesto it states: ...the U.S. has become an empire that is essentially ungovernable -- it's too big, it's too corrupt and it no longer serves the needs of its citizens...

The ideology further holds that, Congress and the executive branch are being run by the multinationals. We have electoral fraud, rampant corporate corruption, a culture of militarism and war. If you care about democracy and self-governance and any kind of representative system, the only constitutional way to preserve what's left of the Republic is to peaceably take apart the empire.

What is more, they are armed with T-Shirts.

You can buy the novelty shirt here.

You can read more here.

Some questions:

-What is your take on secession?
-Do you believe that Vermont really could help save the US by seceding?
-What if the Union collapsed and the states were left to govern theirselves without the federal government? Do you think this would be a better way of life or do you think it would provide less protection?
-Do you think the founding fathers ever envisioned such a large federal government?
-If you live (or lived- hypothetically speaking) in VT, would you support such a movement?

Strange USA

Looking for some adventure? Check this site out. It features an interactive map that lists out places near where you live (as well as other places) that have had reports of weird phenomena such as flying saucers, hauntings, etc. There was even a UFO sighting right here in Jackson, TN.

Check it out here.

Some questions:

-What are your thoughts on the paranormal?
-Do you think alien races exist?
-If you are religous, how do these things impact your beliefs?

First for Fridays

First to post sets the topic.