The "wood" police got hard for Gibson Guitars

Just in case you live under a rock and somehow found this blog entry before you read any other news in world, here is a run down of what happened:

Gibson, a guitar manufacturer based in Tennessee, was suspected of breaking a law.   It is speculated that the law in question had something to do with wood that was imported from India.  The government has not released a specific violation at this time.

Federal agents raided the the manufacturing plant like it was a Branch Davidian compound, brandishing full swat gear and weapons.   They shut the plant down, sent the workers home, and confiscated all items they deemed necessary for their investigation.  

The owner of the company claims that he was not given any warning on violation of law or given the chance to correct any issues related to complex import laws.  See this long video if you like:

Of course we understand the need for the government to use deadly force against crazy militia types.  Eventually, those Branch Davidians would have screwed up the whole country.  Police raids on citizens in their homes is needed as well to protect us from illegal drugs.  We accept this as necessary even if the police bust into someone's home, shoot them 70 times in front of their wife and child, lie that the homeowner shot first, and then say it was justified because of evidence which cannot be disclosed:

So, why should we be surprised that the government will now raid reputable businesses?   I'm sure the people they sent home can apply for mortgage assistance so they don't lose their homes while they try to find another job making guitars.  And, if at some point in a future raid, something pops in the production line, and the police think they are being fired on ... well, I suppose the greater good of the law is justified.  

After all, it is completely unreasonable to expect the government to explain a 10,000 page law to a company, give them a chance to comply, and fine them if they continue to circumvent the law.  Imagine how expensive that would be for the government to explain all those laws.   It's saving us billions in tax dollars for the government to rule by fear, and get other businesses to comply by showing how ruthless a raid can be to their bottom line.   I'm sure this is the type of freedom our founding fathers envisioned when they formed this country.

Somebody's dream for the world is alive, but not mine.   Please support political candidates like Ron Paul who will be on your side.  Few of the people in power today care about you or your plight to make a way in this world.  You are a servant to them at best, and a nuisance at worst.  It's time to stand up.  A vote for the status quo is a vote for tyranny.

It does seem like a tipping point!

This get's really good, especially about half way through:  http://www.prisonplanet.com/ron-paul-explodes-in-popularity-despite-smears.html

Great News!!! Wages in China are on the rise.

With all the wage increases going on in China, multinational corporations are now looking to move their manufacturing facilities to virgin areas of human population.  Some are looking to move to the interior of China while others consider Africa and other Asian countries.  Keep on moving; that's what they have to do to find people who will work on the cheap.


It's pretty rough how people in China get a raise though.  When enough overworked employees commit suicide because they can't afford to live, the government takes notice and forces wage increases.   So, I figure we only have to wait 30 or 40 more years for manufacturing to reach every corner of the earth and come 'round to America again.  Then maybe we'll have the opportunity to commit suicide so our friends can get a raise.


http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Analysis-China-costs-start-to-rb-860146679.html

Top 10 Reasons to Vote Your Heart

Have you ever thought, "I really like what Joe Notachance stands for.  I think it would be great if he could win, but I don't want to waste my vote on a candidate that doesn't have much of a chance."  


Here's a little list of reasons to go for it, and vote your heart anyway:


10. The more votes Joe gets,  the more the guy with the pretty hair has to pay attention to what Joe said.


9.  Your vote might not tip the election, but it might tip Joe's confidence enough to run again in the next cycle.  Times may change, and Joe might have a better last name by then ... like Joe Slimtonone for example.


8.  Joe is usually a regular kind of guy, and he probably lives in a neighborhood like yours.  Just think how cool you'd be if you could say, "I almost backed over Joe, the presidential candidate, while he was out riding his bike yesterday!"


7.  Heck, Joe might even answer you personally if you sent him an email with your ideas on how to make the world a better place.


6.  Your support might encourage Joe's son, Jand Possiblecontender, to carry the torch for ol' dad.


5.  You never know when everyone else is going to say, "What the heck, let's do it."  Then you'd already be on Joe's bandwagon when everyone else is ready to get on.


4.  It feels good to join a rebel cause that was started by a regular Joe.


3.  There are so many good ways to waste a vote these days, why not waste it on a Joe you actually like?


2.  A vote for Joe might make the Uncle Sam's in there now think twice about voting in another raise for themselves. 


1. When that big bucket of poo in the sky hits those rotating blades of everyone's favorite cooling device, and "shhhtuff" flies everywhere, you can say: "Told ya so, I voted for Joe!"

Be A Rebel

I'm such a rebel, with my 'non-tinted' windows. I swear, the govt. is way too involved in our lives. Building codes say I have to put tinted windows in my house to make it more energy efficient. Well, screw you Mr. Sam, I happen to like to see out my windows. Besides, I have shade trees, and the only windows that even get direct sunlight are the ones that face south. You know, the ones that let more light in when the sun drops to the south in the winter ... when it's cold, and people want some extra heat from the sun.

Damn govt. regulations, won't somebody save us from idiocy ... oh yeah, Ron Paul. Please win!

Ron Paul 2012 - Free Magnetic Bumper Stickers

I'm giving away free magnetic bumper stickers.  If you want one, please email me: jdat747 [at] yahoo [dot] com    All I need is your mailing address.  

If I do get a large response to this offer, I will put a donate button on this blog page, but I won't harass you via email.  Each bumper sticker costs $2.44 but I'm happy to give away as many as I can afford to.

The magnetic bumper stickers are great because you can remove them when you wash your car, or when you go to a party with a bunch of Bush or Obama fans, or later when the election cycle is over.   That's a pet peeve of mine; trashy, worn out, out of date bumper stickers.  The magnetic ones are also easy to adjust and get straight.

What I'm getting at here - if you really believe in balancing our budget and bringing our troops home - you got no excuse for failing to help spread the vision.

Ever get a wild hair in the kitchen?

Have you ever just happened to have some ingredient just sitting on the counter when you were cooking supper?  And did you ever find the urge to throw some of it in the pot overwhelming ... lol, only to cringe with regret the moment after it was too late to do anything about it?

Well, I did.  It was black eyed peas.  I seasoned them up the way I usually do with plain ol' salt and pepper.  But, I just happened to have a jar of honey sitting on the counter!  "I wonder how a scoop of honey might go with some peas," I thought.   So, I put about half a teaspoon in there with my cup of peas.   Then I thought, "honey and pepper doesn't sound like such a good combination.  Grrrrr, what'd I do that for."

Too late for regrets so I just made sure to stir that honey in so it wouldn't scorch to the bottom of the pan while the peas boiled.  It smelled good, and usually that's a good sign.  If kitchen experiments smell funky, they probably taste funky too.  Of course, there's no guarantee that the lack of funk smell equals a gourmet delight.

Actually, my peas turned out pretty good, as far as peas go.  Certainly they were good enough that if you need some extra incentive to eat more vegetables, you should try it.  A small amount of honey adds a hint of new flavor, a slight exotic kind of sweet.