Poor Peanut the Squirrel

 I just had to share this meme, stolen from Joe at Fat in Indiana.

My sentiments exactly......

Government overreach at it's finest.

Sluggy

Our Vacation in New Hampshire

We leave soon for our vacation.
We are staying with and visiting one of my three cousins in Maine.
Then we head up to the North Woods of New Hampshire.

Lancaster NH is right over the Connecticut River from Vermont and under 50 miles South of the Canadian border at Quebec Province.

We are going to PorcFest.
The porcupine is the mascot of the Libertarian party thus the reference and the name PorcFest.




Hubs has wanted to go for a few years now but it never worked out with our schedules.  Now that he's retired I told him now or never so we pulled a plan together.

It's a 6 day Festival for people who love liberty and advocate for personal freedom.
Most of the attendees have Libertarian leanings so this is my tribe(other than my frugal online tribe).

There are round table discussions and lectures on everything from economics, political activism, legal issues, bitcoin, technology, political satire, home schooling to branding and marketing.
But it's not all serious stuff.
It's also a big party with lots of fun social activities like RPG and LARP, something called beergasm, demonstrations about beekeeping, a shooting field trip to a range, tiny homes, green practices.
There is a bonfire at the end where we have Burning Porcupine(similar to what they do at Burning Man).

But the one thing I am most looking forward to seeing is Vermin Supreme's show.

If you don't know whom I am referring to, watch this...........




I confess that I am nervous going to this thing.  I won't know anyone there but Hubs.  I am not into politics really so I am going for the social aspects mostly.
Hubs in the political animal in this family so he'll be in his element.
 All the folks on the closed chat group seems very young so in terms of making friends I may be way out of place at this thing.

I'll report back next week on how it was and the wifi may be iffy up there so I may not post much in the coming week.

Wish me luck!


  Sluggy

The Morning After Quarterbacking & Feeling Good About My Personal Choices

I've been reading around the internet since the election.  Yes, Sluggy isn't one of those, "I vote every 4 years and then forget about our political system until the next presidential election" type of people.  Sorry about that. ;-)
Anyway I was doing some, as they like to call it in the sports world, some post-game analysis.

I am the 1%
who voted for
peace,
balanced budgets,
to end crony capitalism
federal overhaul of tax system
federal marriage equality
federal end of drug war
and to LIVE FREE
I voted Gary Johnson for President.


While I knew Gov. Gary Johnson had a less than zero chance of winning the election, I still feel he made some inroads into the process.

 More of the open-minded folks in this country heard of us Libertarian "nut jobs" and our message and embraced it.  Just like many in this country are now embracing "preppers".....though i still think a few of those folks ARE nuts!lol
The Libertarian Party now has achieved ballot access in 30 states and the District of Columbia.  This means the next election cycle the party only has to work to get onto 10 state's ballots.

Just having ballot access is a big step forward for a 3rd party.  It means that less money has to be wasted on defending our candidate(s) in the frivolous lawsuits that the 2 major parties throw up in an effort to keep control of the political process in this country.

Just in PA alone, the state Lib. party had to spend NINE WEEKS throwing money, time and lawyers at a lawsuit brought by the state Republican party to keep a 3rd party candidate off the presidential ticket.
NINE WEEKS of courtroom intimidation and protesting legitimately collected petition signatures.
Hey, it's not like we went all old school Chicago style and hit the local cemeteries for votes!

Isn't freedom and choice something American's believe in?  And the more choices we have makes our country better, right?
Apparently that is only true if you are a Dem or a Rep. anymore.

Gary Johnson garnered 1% of the popular vote in this year's election.  He had the highest vote total for a Libertarian Presidential candidate ever.  I will take the little victories.

I was reading an article online on the Missouri Libertarian Parties website by Cisse Spragins, you can view the whole item HERE if you wish.

The part that got my attention was this exceprt at the end.....
*********************************
" "I used to think that the number of votes cast for Libertarians was a measure of our discontent as a nation," said the party's chair, Dr. Cisse Spragins, "but I now realize it's a measure of our courage." "Discontent is high - congressional approval ratings are in the toilet, yet virtually everyone was re-elected. And yet while millions of alleged fiscal conservatives wasted their votes on Romney and millions of alleged anti-war, pro-civil liberties voters wasted their votes on Obama, over a million people were willing to step up and vote their conscience for Gary Johnson, and millions more cast Libertarian votes down ticket," Spragins said. "That gives me hope. I'm really proud of our candidates and our voters."

Voters who recognize that the two-party duopoly has jointly led the country to the brink of economic disaster and who are tired of never-ending foreign wars and a ballooning Big Brother police state will find common ground with the Libertarian Party. The LP is Americas third-largest political party and has been working for smaller government since 1971. The Missouri Libertarian Party has been a recognized party in the state, with continuous ballot access, since 1992. For further information visit www.lpmo.org or call 877-Vote-4-Us."
 **************************
I think that Ms. Spragins has something there, don't you?

Yes, a lot of people look at Libertarians(or any 3rd party really)as just a bunch of malcontents.

But the thing is, disapproval ratings for ALL politicians is high.  Look at any of the polls taken in this country.....when asked about approval ratings and how you think your 'fill in the name' politician is doing to make this country better/do their job/be accountable to their constituents.....a majority of the public will and continue to say that none of them are doing their job well and need to go.

But come election time, we continue to rehire them?!  If you look at all the races held on Election Day, a majority of incumbents, no matter the race, were re-elected!
So we thing they are doing a shitty job but we rehire them??  If it wasn't so insane, it would be funny, wouldn't it?

So if so many of "We the People" are not pleased with these representatives, why do we keep electing them over and over again?!?!

People need to stop believing the rhetoric and start looking at what our elected officials DO.
Track records people, track records.
Does your political party say one thing but vote another way?
Do your elected representatives have the best interest of you, your state, your country at the core of what they do or are they "in it" for their own glorification, power and bank accounts?

Listen, we ALL want only the best for ourselves and our families....can we at least agree upon that?
We all want to live in peace and have the right to enjoy our lives as we see fit as long as we don't infringe upon someone else's right to pursue their peaceful life.

And we all want our government to defend us and protect us from aggression both foreign and domestic.
There has got to be a better way to go about the fine details to make this all happen that doesn't oppress any one group in this country.
Yet, every election we let the people in charge divide us so they can conquer us.  We point fingers at each other and The Powers That Be keep their control over our rights and our wallets.
Does no one else see this but me?!?!
Some days I think I am all alone out here tilting at windmills.....

"I" am not the problem in this country.
I am NOT the malcontent, because I voted my conscience on a candidate who aligns with my principles.

Everyone in this country who voted for someone &/or a party whose principles they don't believe in because they were A-- too lazy to find out what that party ACTUALLY stands for and/or B--voted AGAINST someone instead of voting FOR someone, THOSE PEOPLE and all the people who came before them and have done the same exact thing, THEY are the people who will get what they deserve; a country that doesn't respect their rights or protect their freedoms.

In retrospect I feel only contentment about the choices I made for me, my family and my country this election season.  No "Wednesday Morning Buyer's Remorse" here! 
I hope you can look beyond the party rhetoric at what your party actually stands for and feel the same way.

If you can't, then maybe you need to look closer at whom you are entrusting you and your children's futures to.

Don't just Question Authority....Challenge Authority!
Take back your power.

Sluggy--one of the "other" 1%

Will You Stand Up to The Bullies Today?

"I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand.  It's when you know you're licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what.  You rarely win, but sometimes you do." --Atticus Finch in 'To Kill a Mockingbird'

 

 5% of the vote cast this election for a 3rd party candidate will END the 2 Party System and the stranglehold they have on real choice in this country.

 Sluggy--who you KNOW is serious about this because she had to PAY cash monies for her yard signs  8-)