Littlestuff Weekender-4-28-2012

Here’s a shocker for the weekend. Europe and its union are in trouble. Political discontent, fiscal crises and economic woes from The Netherlands in the north to Spain in the south and the Czechs in the east plus major disagreements in Germany all add up to turmoil and increasing fragility. Unfortunately the best word picture that I can suggest is the ever popular “whack-a-mole” as issue after issue pops up and demands immediate action. So…anyone know how Monaco is doing these days? It must be a tiny haven of sanity in the midst of all this chaos. Then again, perhaps not.

Here in NW Ohio we are experiencing some “payback’ for our balmy March as we have some chilly days and nights interspersed with more typical April weather. The inconsistent temps have caused me to delay much of my transplanting as I wait for the danger of frost to dissipate and soil temperatures to maintain levels above 55 degrees.

So it appears Romney has locked up the nomination according to him, the media and most pundits. The Ron Paul stalwarts caution “not so fast” as they continue to harvest the fields for committed delegates. The best analyses that I have read indicate that RP could indeed finish second in the race and secure major platform and convention concessions. Despite the internal activities of the GOP, it seems that Obama and Romney have begun squaring off against one another. Romney’s vetting process for VP has begun and the early money is on Senator Marco Rubio (Fla.) or Senator Rob Portmann (Ohio). Don’t overlook governors from key states, but a senator would offset Romney’s lack of experience on Capitol Hill.

On Friday I’ll be leaving for a convention in Las Vegas and later in the month we’ll be off to Orlando for a few days. I also have several medical tests scheduled for this coming month (250,000 mile check-ups), and the outdoor work will be accelerating. Consequently, I will not be posting on my regular schedule until around June 8^th although I will add something from time-to-time when I can.

Kudos to Ohio State Representative Randy Gardner who has begun a state-oriented effort to correct the invasive species issues with Lake Erie. He rightly observed that we DO NOT want the federal EPA involved. Meanwhile, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood has called for a federal ban on cell phone use in automobiles. He’s a former Republican Congressman from Illinois….would someone please read the 9^th and 10^th Amendments to him? Geeeeesh!

Back on the air with my usual Tuesday program on Tuesday May 1^st from 6:00-7:00pm on The Talk of Toledo, 1370 WSPD.  www.wspd.com

Off to a “plant swap” and an auction today followed by some late afternoon fence work. Have a wonderful weekend. Liberty….first, foremost and forever.

cearlwriting@hotmail.com

www.littlestuff-minoosha.blogspot.com

Littlestuff Weekender-2-25-2012

So was the CNN-Mesa debate the final one of the primary/caucus season? Are more than 20 enough to inform the voters? Apparently not because the polling suggests that support is broadly diffused among the four remaining candidates with no one solidifying a solid majority or even a significant plurality. With Michigan and Arizona scheduled to decide on Tuesday their results may have an impact on Super Tuesday, March 6^th. However….each of the candidates has selected their most favorable Super Tuesday states for concentrated campaigning suggesting that the outcome may be even more fractured than it is today. The race is on……

http://youtu.be/H9b2zB3HwOM

Following the 9-11 murders, I enthusiastically supported the military action in Afghanistan to seek and destroy Al Qaeda. Our Special Forces, air power and the coalition with the Northern Alliance dislodged the terrorists and forced them to run for cover to the badlands of the Pakistani-Afghan border region. Then…..things began to go sour as our bureaucracy, political leaders and political correctness seized control of the mission. For the past several years our troops have been fighting the locals (Taliban) rather than the foreign fighters, our “Rules of Engagement” have hamstrung our men and women, our mission has become blurred and indistinct, and our allies in the region, particularly Pakistan, have undermined our efforts. Afghanistan is a 13^th century tribal society with 21^st Century technology….think of Fred Flintstone with a laptop and laser-guided munitions. Their society is corrupt and bigoted. Our efforts at nation building are resented and thwarted by tradition, mullahs and a tribal culture. Bring our people home.

http://youtu.be/nZ8sQfzuZnE

Here at my Little Pat-Ch of Paradise in Northwest Ohio it has been an amazingly mild winter…..so far. The good news is that we haven’t had to shovel or move much snow, and our utility service has not been interrupted. On the other hand the lack of sustained freezing and the standing water suggests that we may have some pest issues with the gardens this season. We’ll deal with it. Our “skeeters” will probably be the size of crows when they finally hatch, but there will be plenty for the birds to consume. It’s difficult to believe that March will be upon us come Thursday.

Gasoline prices are rocketing upward as the value of the dollar declines. We could all switch to those high-cost electric cars except for that fact that a number of power-generating plants are going off-line because of environmental concerns and inefficiencies. Even the most elemental form of transportation may be difficult to acquire because the USDA has resumed inspecting horse butchering facilities. You will now be competing with foreign food markets and dog food companies for a one-horsepower people mover. Every candidate talks about the need for an energy policy, but the bureaucratic briar patch created by our big government politicians has severely limited our capacity for exploiting known reserves of fossil fuels. Meanwhile….the green agenda funnels more and more of our borrowed dwindling resources into crony businesses that are unable to compete in the open energy market. We’d better pray that global warming is a reality because our current energy policies will doom many to freezing to death if our winters become too severe. Government will never learn the law of unintended consequences because it has no brain.

Sometimes I feel like picking up my toys and going home. Trying to get politicians to face reality and act courageously is similar to butting my head against a wall. It seems for most of them that if you’re vain enough to attempt to sway people to like you, you are too self-centered to be a true representative for your constituents. Maybe we should consider changing eligibility standards for political office….cloistered nuns, friars or mystics couldn’t be any more out of touch than our current crop of “servants,” and they would be much more thoughtful. Perhaps we should empower and elect recluses and hermits while providing them with wi-fi and laptops. They wouldn’t be tainted by the glamour or seduced by the power. Their payroll needs would be much lower, their staff requirements would be non-existent, and their commuting costs would be minimal. Yes…I can see it now ……… Homeboys for Hermits.

Elizabethtown, Kentucky is the site of the annual Libertarian Party of Kentucky (LPKY) annual convention, and I’m honored to be the keynote speaker on Saturday afternoon (the 25^th). The topic is “Why Liberty, Why Now?” Yes even hard core Libertarians should be reminded that The Issue is Liberty. Fiscal and economic problems arise when government overspends. Big government consumes our liberties. If we restore our inalienable rights, government will be constrained in its constitutional box. When dealing with an oppressive community or a government, The Issue is always Liberty. Re-read the “Lord of the Flies.” Even the extreme of liberty, anarchy, can be oppressive (see the French Revolution). The essence of freedom is personal sovereignty granted by God. For any person, group or government to undermine that relationship is immoral.

Have a great weekend. We’ll be back on the air Tuesday night from 6:00-7:00pm on the Talk of Toledo 1370 WSPD. www.wspd.com

cearlwriting@hotmail.com

www.littlestuff-minoosha.blogspot.com