Stormy one evening, Rainbow the next

Lake Douglas on Saturday evening

Lake Douglas on Sunday evening

Heath Ledger delivers brilliantly as the Joker

(I first saw Heath Ledger in "The Patriot" when it came out about eight years ago.


In this file photo originally released by Warner Bros., Heath Ledger portrays The Joker in a scene from 'The Dark Knight.'
(AP Photo/Warner Bros., Stephen Vaughan)

By DAVID GERMAIN
AP Movie Writer
Fri Jun 27

LOS ANGELES - The buzz over Heath Ledger's performance as the Joker in "The Dark Knight" for the last several months was justified. With his final full film role, Ledger delivers what may be remembered as the finest performance of his career.

A press screening of the "Batman Begins" sequel Thursday night had the audience cackling along with Ledger's Joker, a depraved creature utterly without conscience whom the late actor played with gleeful anarchy.

At times sounding like a cross between tough guy James Cagney in a gangster flick and Philip Seymour Hoffman's fastidious Truman Capote, Ledger elevates Batman's No. 1 nemesis to a place even Jack Nicholson did not take him in 1989's "Batman."

Nicholson's Joker was campy and clever. Ledger's Joker is an all-out terror, definitely funny but with a lunatic moral mission to drag all of Gotham, the city Batman thanklessly protects, down to his own dim assessment of humanity.

Spewing alternate personal histories for how he got the horrible scars on his face, the Joker hides behind distorted clown makeup that looks like a chalk drawing left out in the rain.

The Joker masterminds a series of escalating abductions, assassination attempts, murders and bombings, all aimed at calling out Batman (Christian Bale) and proving to the tormented vigilante hero that they are two sides of the same coin.

"You complete me," the Joker tells Batman, dementedly borrowing Tom Cruise's sappy romantic line from "Jerry Maguire."

Long before Ledger's death in January from an accidental prescription drug overdose, his collaborators on "The Dark Knight" had been describing his performance as a new high in the art of villainy for a comic-book adaptation.

Director Christopher Nolan, reuniting with "Batman Begins" star Bale, told The Associated Press earlier this year that Ledger came through with precisely what he had envisioned for this take on the Joker, "a young, anarchic presence, somebody who is genuinely threatening to the establishment."

"It was though they'd taken the Joker and all the colors, everything of it, and just kind of put him through a Turkish prison for a decade or so," Bale told the AP. "It's like he's gone through that personal hell to come out being this, if you can even call him mad, at the end here."

A best-actor Academy Award nominee for "Brokeback Mountain," Ledger has earned fresh Oscar buzz for "The Dark Knight," which could land him in the supporting-actor race.

Running just over two and a half hours, "The Dark Knight" is a true crime epic. Throughout, the Joker's bag of tricks is bottomless, twisted to the point of horror-flick sick.

"Some men aren't looking for anything logical," Michael Caine's butler Alfred tells Bruce, who's trying to decipher the Joker's motives. "Some men just want to watch the world burn."

Come July 18, when "The Dark Knight" lands in theaters, the world will be watching Ledger burn up the screen.

Speaking of The Police

There are many fans of the video "Every Breathe You Take".
Another video that is even more amazing at least in terms of its technical achievements is "Wrapped Around Your Finger".



Here is an article that explains how this was accomplished:
"We were shooting in 16mm principally because we had earlier done "Every Breath You Take" and even though there was some prep for "Synchronicity" in the $60,000 cost, the entire music video industry was scandalized that they had spent so much, and not even gotten color. So a big part of the mission was to make "Wrapped" for as little as possible. The state of fast films was far from what it is today, so I decided to shoot the 100 ASA negative, and the need to shoot at 50 fps doubled the amount of light required. There was some additional lighting hung overhead. A few SBIF (silver bulb inside frost) coops if I remember correctly, but only just enough to get me to exposure wide open on the Æ’ stop. What I wouldn't do to be able to shoot that video again today with our current film technology and lighting advances."

(A critical property of a stock is its film speed, determined by ASA or its sensitivity to light listed by a measurement on the raw stock. Just as film speed is used in still photography, the same is true in motion pictures. Speed determines the range of lighting conditions under which the film can be shot, and is related to granularity and contrast, which influence the look of the image. The stock manufacturer will usually give an exposure index (EI) number equal to the ASA which they recommend exposing for. Television cameras shoot at 30 fps while motion picture cameras such as Arri typically shoot on 35mm at 24 fps. So, the general rule of thumb is the wider the apeture and the higher the film speed is, the less light that is needed.)

Letter to the Maryville Daily Times

(I sent an email containing this message to the editor and a certain reporter at the Maryville Daily Times regarding their (lack of) coverage of a certain candidate and most of all, not being fair and balanced.)

Dear Mr. Davis,

Given that the particular matter has been brought to my attention, I'm writing to express my displeasure and disappointment in your refusal to provide "fair and balanced" coverage of Tona Monroe-Ball's campaign.

Come to think of it, I think the Knoxville News Sentinel has provided better coverage. At least they've published my letters over the years, around 50 in all, which are in their nature opinion pieces. News articles, on the other hand, should be just that, news or information, not op-ed pieces masquerading as news. You can read them here.

Mr. Davis, you claim that since Tona doesn't have a degree from an "accredited institution as recognized by the U.S. Department of Education", you go on claiming that she isn't so.

Sir, if I may call you that, do you have a degree in fair and balanced reporting from an ""accredited institution as recognized by the U.S. Department of Education". If so, which one? Can you provide such documentation? One thing I hate is a politician who lies. Of course, that is in their job description. But when a reporter such as you claim to be fair and balanced, yet goes around and refuses to even adhere to basic rules of conduct, then such a lofty claim is questionable. It calls into question one's judgment and impartiality. Exactly who then pays your salary? Or is the Daily Times just another propaganda piece for the elitists?

Having been a newspaper reporter myself (not to mention working several years in television), I'm all too aware of the pitfalls that they face.
In fact, one reason I'm no longer working at a certain newspaper is because I refused to be a certain school board chairwoman's lapdog. The editor having refused to keep his private passions for this certain individual separate from his professional responsibilities, I figured it was best to part ways and I'm a better man because of it.

The circulation of the nation’s daily newspapers plunged during 2006, in one of the sharpest declines in recent history. The slide continues a decades-long trend and adds to the woes of a mature industry already struggling with layoffs and facing the potential sale of some of its flagships. In addition newsstand sales of magazines fell more than 4 percent, to about 48.7 million copies.

The trend is true of newspapers in medium sized cities and small towns too. Why? Largely because of the internet. Inspired by the 1960's counterculture revolution, the necessity for the internet grew from the populists desire to break free from the elites who control the big papers, financial institutions, broadcasters, the schools to name a few. Be they Rockefeller Republicans or Roosevelt Democrats, they are cut from the same mold. In fact, I am not too far from a lake that was once pristine farmland. But because FDR thought he knew better, he used the FBI to harass and threaten farmers (the people who built this country!) and put up a dam run by TVA. Mr. Davis, I would be interested in an article on how much debt TVA runs up these days.

You are free to do what you want. But when you continue to lose subscribers, ad revenue, and general circulation, you should for once stop whining about it and ask yourself why that is the case?

Sincerely,

Chris Fortner

Billboard Hot 100...25 years ago

The Billboard Hot 100 number one single from May 28, 1983- July 2, 1983 was "Flashdance...What A Feeling".



The following week, another classic would top it. While the lyrics and title are memorable, it has often been misunderstood. Here's a hint: this is not the type of song you should be playing at weddings.

A member of the WBIR family loses cancer battle

It is with sadness we report 7-year-old Emily Barger has lost her battle with cancer. Emily's father Brian is a producer at Channel 10.

You Are Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

You are kind, popular, and generous.

You tend to be successful at anything you try.

A social butterfly, you are great at entertaining a crowd.

You are most compatible with strawberry ice cream.

Sure sounds like Dolley Madison.
James Madison on the other hand is like me.

The Ultimate Summertime Treat: Ice Cream!

According to Wikipedia, "ice cream was introduced to the United States by Quaker colonists who brought their ice cream recipes with them. Confectioners sold ice cream at their shops in New York and other cities during the colonial era. Ben Franklin, George Washington, and Thomas Jefferson were known to have regularly eaten and served ice cream. First Lady Dolley Madison is also closely associated with the early history of ice cream in the United States. One respected history of ice cream states that, as the wife of U.S. President James Madison, she served ice cream at her husband's Inaugural Ball in 1813."

You Are Strawberry Ice Cream

A bit shy and sensitive, you are sweet to the core. You often find yourself on the outside looking in. Insightful and pensive, you really understand how the world works. You are most compatible with chocolate chip ice cream.

What Flavor Ice Cream Are You?

Do the quiz and send me your feedback.

Taking on a Ford

I had a letter which I'm going to send off to William Clay Ford Sr., owner of the Detroit Lions and grandson of Henry Ford on Monday was posted on Fire Millen.

I figure if I'm going to ever become a General Manager of an NFL team someday and maybe even run for governor, President of the USA, etc..., I might as well get started. LOL!

Latest News on Liberty Dollar Lawsuit

Alert #19: June 20, 2008

Dear Liberty Dollar Supporters…

GREAT NEWS: The victims of the FBI Raid have filed a Rule 41(g) Motion for recovery of their property from the wrongful search and seizure! Let the fun begin!

Now, before I get into the meat of this rather extensive Alert, please do two things: 1) Read this whole Alert! It includes the Motion… the Tenth Anniversary… my retirement… things you may want to know about. 2) This is a very serious time for the Liberty Dollar. We really need your support, please. Our shopping cart had been dead since November and does not accept credit/debit cards. Liberty Dollar's survival is in critical condition. Please support this effort by mailing in an order, making a contribution to the Contingency Club or just sending in a donation or all three! Now here's the news:

I! am very pleased to inform you that a representative group of twelve victims (hereinafter Plaintiffs) having not received a reply to their Demand Letter have filed a Rule 41(g) Motion in Federal District Court in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho for the return of their property that was represented by either paper and/or digital warehouse receipts. They are proud to proclaim, "We are not going to let the G-boys steal our gold and silver." In fact, while I have been unusually quiet for over a month, I have actually been diligently working with the plaintiff on Rule 41(g) Motion that was filed on June 17, 2008. Let the fun begin!! Please click HERE for the Demand Letter, the Rule 41(g) Motion and all the Exhibits.

Please note this Motion was filed on paper so it won't appear in Pacer so you will not be able to look up the case in Pacer. So please note the link above to al! l the docs.

Now begins the long and difficult task for ! the retu rn of $3.5 million in gold and silver that was wrongfully seized. If you have paper or digital Liberty Dollars and have not signed up for the "Class Action Lawsuit," shame on you! Please click HERE and take action now. Do not let the government steal your property! Then write to Assistant US Attorney Thomas Ascik, as noted below.

I am proud of the thousands who have taken action. Thank you! And a very special thanks to our attorney Robert J. Stientjes of St. Louis and the Contingency Club for making this Motion possible. Robert Stientjes is a dedicated, experienced and successful attorney who is well prepared to recover all the seized material. The Contingency Club consists of Liberty Dollar supporters who are financing the Rule 41(g) Motion and will double their money when we win!

Retaining an attorney was particularly difficult because all of Liberty Dolla! r's money was confiscated, aka "economic persecution." And, of course, attorneys want to be paid, just as we all do. So my situation was: 1) The government confiscated of all my money. 2) The people whose material was wrongfully seized were short on money. 3) And attorney's usual contingency fee of 33% meant everybody would lose a third of their property, just to force the government to return the other two-thirds from the wrongful seizure. This just seemed too costly.

So I created the Contingency Club and designed a new financing plan to pay for the recovery and save everybody who have paper and digital warehouse receipts a lot of money.

The best estimated cost to recover the material was approximately 10%. So I offered a few people the opportunity to double their money by financing the attorney fees. I was very pleased that a reasonable number of people responded immediately and the Contingency Club was formed. As t! he individual members of the Contingency Club are not oblig! ated to pay the attorney fees, I hope you will join the Contingency Club and help us shoulder this formable expense and DOUBLE YOUR MONEY with a contribution.

The Contingency Club works like this: I have guaranteed the attorney's hourly rate to recover your property for only a 10% duty on all returned material verses the usual 33% contingency fee. A savings of 23% on your property! Plus you can even recover that 10% or more when you double your money by contributing to the Contingency Club to finance the court battle over Rule 41(g) Motion.

Here is how you can double your money. Contingent upon winning the case (that looks extremely good given our extensive legal research) and securing the return of all the material, the Contingency Club will: 1) Pay you two dollars for every dollar you contribute if the attorney fees are less than $150,000; 2) Return your original contribution plus 50% if the attorney fees are between $150,000 a! nd $300,000; 3) No contribution will be returned if the attorney is paid over $300,000 or if we lose. Neither is very likely.

Bottom line is that you should get your property back for only a10% duty by weight. Which most likely will be more than offset by a 10% appreciation in the value of silver. But we need your help to cover the attorney fees, please.

Minimum contribution to the Contingency Club is $100. Please make your check payable to "Burk & Reedy," the law firm that is handling the Contingency Club bank account and mail it to the Office in Evansville. We will forward it to Burk and Reedy and send a confirmation and acceptance of your contribution within ten days. Please note more than one contribution may be placed, such as $100 per month, and this "Double Your Money" offer may be withdrawn if over subscribed.

PLEASE NOTE: Thank you if you made an earlier donation to the "Legal Defense F! und," but that money was used on earlier legal issues and! is not part of the Contingency Club. If you want to participate in the Contingency Club, please send in your contribution to the Evansville office with the check made out to: "Burk and Reedy" please. Thank you for all your support!

NOW: And if you have not signed up for the Class Action Lawsuit please click HERE to do so. PLEASE don't let the government steal your property!

Have you written to Assistant US Attorney Thomas Ascik? I certainly hope so! If you have any paper or digital warehouse receipts, then please send the sample letter (at the end of this Alert) to Mr. Ascik and identify yourself as an interested party and ask him to put you on the government List Serve so they have to notify you before they take any action to forfeit/auction your property. PLEASE don't let the government steal your property!

Your letters to Mr. Ascik are working! He ! has actually returned phone calls and stayed any auction of the seized material. Thank you for sending a letter.

If you want to be real active, please send this request and sample letter to everybody on your email list and ask them to write Mr. Ascik also, provided they have some paper or digital Liberty Dollars. This is the type of Internet action that is so devilishly effective! Please take action today! Help get your property back. Mr. Ascik needs to hear from as many people as possible!

OLD ORDERS…

Questions & Inquiries… The Office has received several calls regarding orders placed before the Raid. And questions about how can we take new orders when we haven't even filled the earlier orders? First, I would like to do nothing more than fill your order. But the material for your order was seized. I simply do not have the material to fill your order. The government has it and you should writ! e to Assistant US Attorney Thomas Ascik and demand the retu! rn of yo ur property. Second, I cannot return your money because the government also confiscated that. Third, all new products have been from 1) donations, 2) financed by loans to Liberty Dollar, or 3) were financed by pre-paid new orders. I can well understand your frustration of placing an order and not receiving it. We will be most happy to fill all orders or return your money when the funds and material are returned to us.

Pre-Move Up Orders: I am pleased to inform you that all orders placed before the Move Up to the $50 Silver Base have been filled.

Re-minting Orders: I am even more pleased to inform you that all stock for the Re-minting Orders has been placed. Now it is just a matter of time… unfortunately… a lot of time. Due to the surge in silver prices, the supply "tube" was exhausted of all existing manufactured silver. The Mint has informed us it will be six to eight weeks until the blanks ar! e available… then minting and shipping. We are waiting just like you and understand your concern. We will ship all the Re-mining Orders asap. Please be patient because it is going to take some time.

Meanwhile, talking heads like Jason Hommel, are stirring things up. There is no actual "shortage" of silver at this time. There is only a shortage of manufactured silver. That is a huge difference and the topic of much misdirected communication.

NEW LIBERTY DOLLARS:

Use the following Order Form.

Announcing the Tenth Anniversary!
It is a testament to your desire to have Real Money that the Liberty Dollar has survived two Move Ups from the initial $10 to the $20 and now at the $50 Silver Base, the US Mint warning, FBI Raid and ten years of monetary ignorance. We feel like celebrating and hope you will join us! T-shir! ts, Money Bags, sets and even Uncut Proof Sheets… al! l are a testament to the largest effort to return America to value - one dollar at a time. Thanks a million times for all your support!

Tenth Anniversary Orders: With fewer orders, we have turned our efforts to celebrate the Tenth Anniversary of the Liberty Dollar in grand style. But unfortunately our shopping cart still does not accept credit/debit cards!!! This makes it extremely difficult to order, as you must mail in your order with a check or money order. Then it takes us about ten minutes to enter each order… all this is extremely time consuming and trying. But that is the situation under this government…

The top of the line of incredible Tenth Anniversary commemorative is the Tenth Anniversary Set of four Silver Libertys in a special Lucite holder in a special imprinted box and our very first Certificate of Authenticity! You gotta see this item…. So click HERE! In fact, we did something similar for the Fifth Anniversary with three Libertys… and I bet you have never seen it. I bet you have not even heard about it. To the best of my knowledge, I don't think one has ever traded on eBay! They are that special and likewise the Tenth Anniversary Set will be equally special. Please click HERE to see this truly amazing showstopper.

But wait! This Tenth Anniversary Set with four Silver Libertys is available in two numbered editions. Both Editions are packaged in a custom stamped box with the certificate and hand numbered on the one ounce $50 Liberty. Plus each is individually hallmarked with a new "USA" stamp in the shape of the country. Click HERE for more detailed photos. But that is not all. The First 100 Edition, numbered 001 to 100, will be marke! d with FDI on the package and certificate for "First D! ay of Is sue" for an added premium. The second edition sets, numbered 101 forward, will be marked LNE for the "Limited Numbered Edition" on the package and certificates.

Pre-anniversary prices at current LOW silver rates (below $25/oz) are: FDI is $179 for Associates and $199 for non-Associates. LNE is $159 for Associates and $179 for non-Associates. Prices will change with the silver market and will definitely be raised after October 1, our Tenth Anniversary. And if I am arrested or Liberty Dollar is closed, the prices will be out of this world and only available on eBay.

The most unique Commemorative is without a doubt the Uncut Sheet of four $50 Certificates that were originally printed to commemorate the Liberty Dollar's Fifth Anniversary in 2003. Did you get any of the 2003 Proof $50 Certificates? They are still hot on eBay! But these had a small printing error so they were put away and forgotten… until ! after the Raid. While digging around we found this old box... and what a treasure! Now, the long displaced Uncut Sheets have been overprinted in wonderful two-tone engraving script to commemorate our Tenth Anniversary. Each sheet is 100% cotton banknote paper and has the original invisible DNA "thread," and while you cannot see it on the printed Certificate area, by tilting the paper just so, you can see the welt of a duplicate "thread" from the impregnation of the DNA in the paper to the right that is now overprinted. Plus each sheet was originally printed on both sides and is now individually numbered and signed by me. This specimen measures a huge 12-1/2 inches left to right by 12 inches tall. Please note the Certificates are not serial numbered but they are individually printed OCTOBER 1, 1998 - 2003. This is truly a unique item. We only have 500 of them… so order early as I am sure all will be gone by Octob! er 1. Very special - pre-anniversary giveaway price of only $5! 9 eac h. Sorry, there is no Associate rate on this very unique item. Click HERE to view this item.

Hallmarked $50 Libertys: Also available is the $50 Silver Liberty with the special "USA" Hallmark. This is a single item that has been "cherry picked" and packaged in a capsule. Please note that each one is individually hand hallmarked, so each one is unique. The hallmark may not be complete as each one is different due to the nature of a hand stamped hallmark. Pre-anniversary Associate rate is $45… that's under face value! Non-associate rate is $65. All prices will increase after October 1, regardless of silver price. See it HERE.

Tenth Anniversary T-shirt is also available. Of course it features the new $50 Silver Libe! rty on the back with the proud caption: LIBERTY DOLLAR IS NOT A CRIME. The white, 100% cotton shirts are available in M, L, and XL for $12 each.

$5000 Money Bag: Did you get any of the $1000 bags we did for the Fifth Anniversary? The new Money Bag is dated 1998-2008 and printed with $5000 LIBERTY DOLLARS as each bag holds 100 Silver Libertys and that is now $5000!!! Nice to see the value of our money go up in value, eh?! Canvas Money Bags are only $5.00 each. Great item for your Liberty Dollar collection and your children! This item can be viewed HERE.

And don't forget about the new 2008 $50 Base brochure, still below cost at only a dime each. And weekly gold sales are continuing too. Just call the office to order the new quarter ounce $500 Gold Liberty.

All the above mentioned items can be ordered using the following Order Form.


The Four Gallons for a Buck has been captured on YouTube.

Spent two Twenties in past week: Of course the new $50 Silver base Libertys in $50s, $20s, $10s and soon the $5s are out there and being used. Ray Ubinger filed these Success Stories of his recent use: One for a Red Bull at a gas station in Virginia and one for a Dilly Bar at a Dairy Queen in North Carolina. As always he didn't said anything misleading or duck any questions.

"At the Red Bull I asked, 'Do you take silver Liberty Dollars?' as I handed her the round. The clerk at first said 'Sure!' but then on looking the round over said she d! idn't know so she'd check with the manager, who was 20 feet away. I waited silently in place. I saw the manager handle the round and heard him ask the clerk, 'How many does he want to use?' 'Just this one," said the clerk. The manager then said okay. He never talked directly to me himself. Gave LD$20, got Red Bull + US$17 in change.

"For the Dilly Bar I led with, 'Would you prefer government paper or actual silver?' as I put both an LD Twenty and an FRN Five down next to each other. The clerk asked of the silver, 'Is it real?' I said yes, it's real silver, two-fifths of an ounce, 99.9% pure, in Brilliant Uncirculated condition. He said he was going to buy it right out of the register after the transaction. He asked where I got it, was it from a bank? I said no, it came from a currency exchange online. 'Cool,' he said. That was that. Gave LD$20, got Dilly Bar + US$18 in change."

Editor note: Right on Ray! It is good ! dedicated people like you who are lighting the way for our ! country to find its way back to value. BIG Thanks for your support and efforts!!!

Retirement and Annual National Tour: As I have mentioned several times, I agreed to give the Liberty Dollar my time and money for ten years. I have decided to keep to that schedule and will retire on October 1. Of course I remain responsible to resolve all the legality issues but I will not wait to find someone to take my place. I must remain true to other projects that require my time. So this year's tenth Annual National Tour (ANT) will be my last tour. And with gas and hotels at an all-time high, I am sure it will be the most expensive tour. So this is a good time to offer me a free meal and a place to stay. This year's ANT will start on July 9th. The basic route is from Miami, to Maine, San Diego, Vancouver and back to Miami with two stops in Evansville and hopefully down to Texas. If you want me to visit, please send an email to me. No newbies, ple! ase. This is for seasoned supporters only as my schedule is already MAXXED… Hope to see you. It's been a terrific TEN YEARS!

Slowest & Lowest Period:
Jonathan Kosares and Randal Strauss of Centennial Precious Metals in Denver demonstrate that buying gold during the summer doldrums has been a winning trade for each of the last seven years, averaging a gain of nearly 13 percent in about six months.
You can find the Kosares-Strauss analysis, headlined "Seasonal Price Trends Look Favorably on Summer Purchases," at Centennial's site: http://www.usagold.com/analysis/doldrums-2008.html
So now as we enter the summer months and the living is easy… and gold and silver are usually at their lowest, I urge you to take action. When we launched the Liberty Dollar ten years ago, the most popular question was, "Why should I pay twi! ce the price for silver?" Of course very few people ever ! exchange d at face value. The brave souls who stepped up to the Liberty Dollar usually paid $6.50 or $7.50 depending on quantity. Recently that very same 1999 Liberty Type 2 went for $1000 on eBay! Don't be deceived by the likes of Lew Rockwell, Mark Skousen, Bill Bonner, et al anti-Liberty Dollar gang. The Liberty Dollar offers the most serious solution to the hyperinflationary depression this country is rushing toward. Please read this article and then protect yourself and those you love with gold and silver at low summer prices.

PS: Numerous people have jumped into the fray to get their silver back. Jerry Collette is perusing the silver on Constitutional grounds. More info on his effort can be found at: http://www.libertarianlegal.org/recover_rp_dollars.html. Robert Clarkson, who was also raided by A! gent Andy, Special FBI Agent for the Asheville NC office about two years ago, is also working to get his property back. Robert's site is: www.PatriotNetwork.info. We welcome any effort that you think will work. I personally think Robert Stientjes is on the right track. Please support the Contingency Club and make some money so everyone can get his or her property back.

Just imagine, in the last ten years the Liberty Dollar has appreciated 500%, from the $10 to the $50 Silver Base, while the US dollar has lost over 50%! Thank you for your patience and support of the Liberty Dollar that exemplifies the high ideas that our country was founded upon.

Bernard von NotHaus
Monetary Architect / Editor

PS: It has been a wonderful ten years. I cannot express my sincere thanks for all that you have done. Thank you for reading the whole Alert. Thanks for caring. Bernard.

TAK! E ACTION: PLEASE SEND THIS SAMPLE LETTER TO YOUR EMAIL LIS! T AND TH E US ATTORNEY ASCIK:

Thomas Ascik, Esq.
Assistant United States Attorney
100 Otis Street
Ashville, NC 28801
Phone: 828.271.4661

Dear Mr. Ascik,

I understand that you are in charge of the forfeiture and auction of the material seized in the Liberty Dollar investigation.

Please know that I am a holder of Warehouse Receipts and/or electronic Liberty Dollars and you are in possession of my lawful property.

Please be informed that I am most definitely an interested party and hereby request that you keep me informed as to every step of the process to forfeit and auction any of the material seized as required by law regarding the Liberty Dollar investigation.

Therefore, I hereby request you add me to the government's "service list" for all pleadings and all other developments filed regarding Liberty Dollar forfeiture action.

I further demand you return all material sei! zed at Sunshine Mint immediately so I can redeem my Warehouse Receipts and/or electronic Liberty Dollars and enjoy my property.

Please confirm receipt of this letter.

Sincerely,

(your name AND address)

END OF SAMPLE LETTER

They said it!

"The continued rapid cooling of the earth since WWII is in accord with the increase in global air pollution associated with industrialization, mechanization, urbanization and exploding population."
—Reid Bryson, “Global Ecology; Readings towards a rational strategy for Man”, (1971)

The Greatest Hoax Ever Perpetrated

Gore closed GIM’s second “green” fund, Climate Solutions Fund, in April at $683 million. The first fund, Global Equity Strategy Fund, has invested $2.2 billion in large companies judged to have, from an environmental, social and economic viewpoint, a “sustainable” business. I wonder, can any of the companies that Gore is investing billions in help him and his Nashville mansion use less than 10 times the amount of energy the average American household uses? But don’t worry, he’s using compact fluorescents in his house, so it’s ok to use 10 times as much energy as everyone else. Speaking of Gore’s waste and gluttony, I wonder how ginormous his carbon footprint was while he was jetting around the world promoting his lie/movie and trying to convince everyone to invest in his companies.

The Warmest Year on Whose Record?

Although the menace of "global cooling" has abated, the last 25 years have not seen any moderation in the tendency of the media to focus on the bizarre, the unusual and the speculative in relation to climate science. The geological evidence demonstrating that 20th-century warming is nothing unusual has been ignored, while hysteria over "global warming" has been pushed relentlessly. With important policy decisions depending on an informed public, this is journalistic negligence.

Bloggers must be doing something right!

More than 64 people have been arrested for using blogs as a
means of protest since 2003, finds a US report.

Places to See and Visit

Blogger's Note: All this week, I will be blogging about my trip to Franklin County, Tennessee which occurred from May 29-31. Come back often this week for more exciting reads and feel free to leave a comment.

(part 10 in a series)

Some people may think there is nothing to do or see in small towns or counties that are primarily rural. The simple fact is that you can if you know were to look. Franklin County does have more than enough things to do and see.

To name a few, I like Granddaddy's Farm located at 1165 Highland Ridge Road in Estill Springs. I did an article on them once while a middle school tour group was coming through. They are open between September 15 to October 27. In addition to hayrides, they also have a corn maze that can rival the one at Maple Lane Farm in Greenback, TN. You can call them at 931-967-8628.

Monteagle Inn, a 14 suite bed and breakfast located on the Cumberland Plateau in Monteagle.

University of the South (better known as Sewanee) although that is the name of the town itself. This is like referring to Penn State as State College, but I digress. Today, "Sewanee" is primarily a liberal arts college and a seminary. For those who are familiar with college football, especially its history can't help but to to note the remarkable achievements of the 1899 Tigers known as the "Iron Men".


Franklin County also has several events throughout the year. These include
The International Dogwood Festival in April and the Polly Crockett Festival which will be taking place September 20th and 21st. For more information, you can visit the Franklin County Chamber of Commerce or call 931-967-6788.

Incident with the Trail Mix

Blogger's Note: All this week, I will be blogging about my trip to Franklin County, Tennessee which occurred from May 29-31. Come back often this week for more exciting reads and feel free to leave a comment.

(part 9 in a series)

Belle at about two weeks old
On Saturday, after sleeping well the night before, I basically spent the day packing up and being on the computer, checking email and what not. I googled directions to Charlotte, North Carolina where I was planning to drive to on the following Tuesday for a job fair that the Carolina Panthers were having. I wasn't hired for what I applied for, but at least I was able to interview. This is the closet yet in my attempts to get on with an NFL team. Surely something will break sooner or later.

Around 1 in the afternoon, I walked into the kitchen and realized that the trail mix I had bought at the Swiss Pantry was not on the table. Then I saw that Belle, my brother's 2 1/2 year old puggle had jumped up on the table and started eating (devouring it). There isn't anything she won't put her mouth on at least once. One time, a ex-girlfriend of Joey's, Rachel had made the mistake of leaving Belle in the car alone with food sometime last fall. Belle broke out of her cage and went straight for the pumpkin pie. Rachel wasn't gone for more than 10 or 20 minutes, but it was too late. She had consumed the entire contents.

Not more than two minutes after this incident with the trail mix, Joey pulls in and I told him what she did. He asked me how much she ate because "there was a lot of it in there". I told him, "Well, there isn't much left."


I left around 2 CST and headed up the highway through Manchester, Smithville and some other small towns on my way to the I-40 connector. I made it home around 6 EST. So that basically wrapped up my trip. Then it was back to life as usual.

Huntland Graduation

Blogger's Note: All this week, I will be blogging about my trip to Franklin County, Tennessee which occurred from May 29-31. Come back often this week for more exciting reads and feel free to leave a comment.

(part 9 in a series)

It Takes Less Time To Do It Right Than To Explain Why You Didn't

After visiting the mill and wandering about, I headed over to the Huntland school. I arrived around 5 p.m. which was too early since we didn't need to be there until 7 p.m.

I wished I had wore shorts on this day because the heat and humidity were making me miserable even with the AC running. I was fine one night, and miserable the next in terms of the weather. Plus we had a very brief rain. But I can't complain.

Out of a class of 54, the Huntland Class of 2008 had one salutatorian and five valedictorians. One of those valedictorians was Christie Sanders.
I first came to know Christie from the time I was covering several of Huntland's football games back in 2006. The cheerleaders apparently liked having me there because as Christie once wrote to me, "You were the only one there that would take our picture!". LOL!
There was one time when it had rained all day and the field was muddy. They weren't too thrilled about having to do cheers and stunts on a muddy ground. But eventually with some encouraging from me, they overcame their fears of getting a little dirty and cheered their fellow Hornets to victory. I took a picture of them that ran in the paper the next week under the by-line: "Cheerleaders or Mudwrestlers?"

Christie is now living in Music City, working at the Grand Ole Opry and wants to pursue a career in the Music Industry although not certain on the specifics at this time.

The Place Where A Legend Grew Up

Blogger's Note: All this week, I will be blogging about my trip to Franklin County, Tennessee which occurred from May 29-31. Come back often this week for more exciting reads and feel free to leave a comment.

(part 8 in a series)

Smokers and Chewers will please spit at each other and not on the stove or floor



Huntland is a small town off Highway 64 about a mile past Falls Mill. The population is around 900. Now whether that includes livestock and pets, I don't know. LOL.

I first became acquainted with Huntland in 2006 when I was a newspaper reporter.
I covered their homecoming celebrations, and several football games, including their playoff game against the Jo Bryn Red Devils of Cedar Hill in Robertson County. Robertson County is literally on the border with Kentucky just above Davidson County.
I remember leaving around 2 that afternoon and not getting back home until about 2 the next morning.

Huntland School started up in 1908 which means this upcoming school year is going to be very special in its own way. It is a K-12 school with around 600 students.

Speaking of football, this is where a UT legend by the name of Johnny Majors played most of his high school football. After transferring before his sophomore year from Moore County Schools in Lynchburg, he played for his father, Shirley Majors who was hired in 1949 to restart the football program which had been dormant for at least two decades prior to his arrival. Johnny won several state player of the year awards in addition to being the state scoring champion three times. They won the state championship in 1951. He also played alongside his brother Joe. The rest as they say is history.

As The Wheel Turns

Blogger's Note: All this week, I will be blogging about my trip to Franklin County, Tennessee which occurred from May 29-31. Come back often this week for more exciting reads and feel free to leave a comment.

(part 7 in a series)

Opportunity is often missed because it is disguised as hard work

Falls Mill which is located off David Crockett Highway at Old Salem Road in Belvidere first started operating around 1873 has operated as everything from a cotton gin, woodworking shop, to a grist mill. It is currently owned by John and Jane Lovett. The 32 overshot water wheel is believed to be the largest overshot wheel still in productive service going back to 1906.

The wheel operates with 32 brake horsepower and rotates at 3 RPM (revolutions per minute).

There is also a country store and a Log Cabin Bed and Breakfast.

In This Spot, Crimson Grows

Blogger's Note: All this week, I will be blogging about my trip to Franklin County, Tennessee which occurred from May 29-31. Come back often this week for more exciting reads and feel free to leave a comment.

(part 6 in a series)

The drive on David Crockett Highway (Highway 64) is a pleasant drive out of downtown Winchester into a rural atmosphere. The Amish are prominent in this area as well as a few other places in Tennessee.
You head into Belvidere and Maxwell which are unincorporated. It is in this area where David Crockett and his family lived during their time in Franklin County.
It is also where the Crimson Clover caught on in the United States. Red or crimson clover seeds had been sent from Europe to Swiss settlers in Franklin County in the 1880's. When World War I interrupted the major European trade in red clover, Franklin County began to supply seed for this important agricultural product. Fields were quickly converted to growing clover and both seed and clover were exported from the county.




I stopped by the Swiss Pantry to pick up a quick snack of trail mix.

Since it was Friday, which usually means I don't have a plan, I'm just living for the minute, I just headed on down to Huntland where I snapped a few pictures. You can view the rest of them on MySpace.

A Day On The Square

Blogger's Note: All this week, I will be blogging about my trip to Franklin County, Tennessee which occurred from May 29-31. Come back often this week for more exciting reads and feel free to leave a comment.

(part 5 in a series)

After sleeping around nine hours, I woke up refreshed on Friday morning and looking forward to my day.

I ate some breakfast, then left the house around 10. I headed down the highway to Winchester. It takes approximately 30 minutes to get there. I walked around the square and took some pictures.






I stopped by to have a brief talk with Franklin County Mayor Richard Stewart and Winchester City Administrator Beth Rhoton.

Around 11:30 or so, I was about ready for lunch. So I headed down to Skip's Grill. I've eaten there a few times before and I can vouch for their simple, down-home cooking. I ordered some flounder, green beans, pinto beans and mashed potatoes as well as their chocolate cake. It cost around $8.

After about an hour there, I headed southbound on David Crockett Highway (yes, David, not Davy) towards Huntland.

Jubliant and Sleepy Too!

Blogger's Note: All this week, I will be blogging about my trip to Franklin County, Tennessee which occurred from May 29-31. Come back often this week for more exciting reads and feel free to leave a comment.

(part 4 in a series)

After meeting Ashleigh and waiting around for about 30 minutes so that the traffic could clear, I proceeded up the highway back towards Tullahoma.
I was hungry again and I was looking for some places that might be open. Having lived there for a brief time, I know that most places are closed by 10 p.m. when my day is usually just getting started. Hard to believe that when Jack Daniels is just next door in Moore County which is officially "dry".
It is real easy to find. Just turn left and keep going straight. Tullahoma has George Dickel. Presently, these are only two brands of Tennessee whiskey on the market. Duh! The town isn't officially dry or wet, but they certainly act dry. Franklin County, on the other hand, is definitely wet which is why I feel much more at home there. Now if only I had a 1969 Dodge Charger that was painted orange. LOL!


Zaxby's happened to be open and I stopped in real quick for some chicken fingers and Texas toast.
I love the Zax Sauce®.
Pretty much after eating and taking a shower, I headed to bed.

A girl named Ashleigh and Nicole too!

Blogger's Note: All this week, I will be blogging about my trip to Franklin County, Tennessee which occurred from May 29-31. Come back often this week for more exciting reads and feel free to leave a comment.

(part 3 in a series)


After making a quick stop by the bank to make a deposit, I stopped by the Winchester Antique Mall because you will always find something interesting in antique stores especially in small towns. You can give them a call at 931-967-9930. I'm a celebrity autograph hound with signed pictures from Deborah Norville, John Schneider, Jacklyn Smith to name a few. I bought five photos including one of Dolly Parton.

By this time, I was getting hungry, so I stopped by Oasis for a quick appetizer. But this time, it was a few hours before the big event, so I headed on to the school.

I arrived around 5:30. To my surprise, although I was rather dressed up than most people and it was warm, I wasn't suffering from it unlike I would be the next day, but more on that later.

To make a long story short, I sat over on the visitor's side of the football field. Without having any information, I was able to, much to my surprise out of a class of 356, pick up the individual I had attended the graduation for in the first place, Ashleigh Cole who was sitting on the far right end of the 4th row. Sometimes, I even surprise myself. Another interesting fact was "Nicole" is a popular middle name around here. I counted 16 young ladies with a middle name of Nicole, one young lady with a first name of Nicole and another with a first name of Nichole.

I met up with Ashleigh after the ceremony initially thinking I had missed her at the main gate, but I managed to meet her. I had seen her around quite a bit during the Christmas parades and pageants in late 2006 while I was a newspaper reporter there (long story) and was a "friend" on MySpace.
But this was the first time I had actually talked with her and had that formal introduction so to speak. On this particular night, although a natural blond, she was reddish-brunette. You can probably tell by the picture how hot and humid it was for her especially with that graduation gown on. She has been a singer since she was three and performing publicly since she was 12. Big things seem to be in the works and so we'll have to see what happens. Who knows! She might even want to try some of the songs I've written.

Settling In

Blogger's Note: All this week, I will be blogging about my trip to Franklin County, Tennessee which occurred from May 29-31. Come back often this week for more exciting reads and feel free to leave a comment.

(part 2 in a series)

I arrived in Tullahoma around 10:30 CST road weary (actually mostly weary from being up all night), but still functioning enough to haul my luggage and what have you into my brother's house. Joey is the public relations officer at Arnold Air Force Base which is primarily a flight stimulation center and technology development/testing facility.

I took my shower, grabbed a quick bite to eat and then attempted to get some sleep which was going to be much needed in order to look halfway decent for my appearance at the Franklin County High School graduation ceremonies which was at 7:30 that evening.

I slept decent which would also describe my mode of sleep over the previous month. I sleep like a baby during the cold, dark winter months, but when it is daylight and warmer, sleep can be a challenge at times especially when you work the crazy hours I do.

I woke up around 2 that afternoon and proceeded on with my "day". I cleaned up, put on my dress clothes and headed out towards Highway 41 (US Alternate 41) south towards Winchester, the hometown of Dinah Shore. As you head into the northern part of Franklin County, you take a "leisurely drive" through Estill Springs which has a drive-in theater called Montana Drive-In owned by Ray, Beth and Montana Rhoton. Beth is the Winchester City Administrator. They also own the Oldham "On The Square" in Winchester, Capri in Shelbyville and Sewanee Union Theater. Hopefully, some of my movies will be showing there as making movies was my original plan in life and I'm getting back to my first love slowly, but surely.

Journey from The Marble City to the city of "red dirt"

Blogger's Note: All this week, I will be blogging about my trip to Franklin County, Tennessee which occurred from May 29-31. Come back often this week for more exciting reads and feel free to leave a comment.

(part 1 in a series)

After being up all night working, I was certainly in a mood to be making the 3 hour or so long trip from Knoxville to Tullahoma where my brother lives (hint-sarcasm). I headed out around 6:45 EST and proceeded on I-40 westbound. As I was making my way towards the I-40/I-75 split in West Knox County, I thought briefly as to which route I wanted to take. Personally I was in the mood for a scenic drive given I thought it would lift up my tired frame of mind.

As I headed west, I listened to the song 'What Hurts The Most' by Rascal Flatts three different times on three different stations. Gives you an idea what I do when I travel. I am the same way with the TV which is why I don't watch TV much anymore. I also heard 'Don't by Shania Twain for the first time in a long time. I certainly wasn't in the mood to argue. I stopped by briefly near Cookeville for a quick 30 minute nap, then proceeded on my epic journey westward. I drove past Lebanon in Wilson County, then I took the overpass onto State Route 840 towards Murfreesboro. Then I jumped onto Hwy 24 which heads back east towards Chattanooga. But instead of dealing with anymore highway traffic than I had to, I took Route 231 through Shelbyville, the home of the Tennessee Walking Horse Celebration. Well, I found several horses in a town that is even smaller, but more on that later.

Dancing With The Presidents

Chances are you have either heard of or follow a certain show called "Dancing With The Stars".
I've watched it from time to time too trying to pick up on cues so I can have a chance in wooing a future wife.

Last week, I thought of something cool: What would it be like if the format were "Dancing With The Presidents" who are stars in their own right.

Here is how I see it happening. Obviously, since George Washington was our first President of the United States under the Constitution, he will go first.

Check out this interesting bit of history!

So anyways, since George Washington was 'first in war, first in peace and first in the hearts of his countrymen', he will naturally be first on the dance floor. He was accomplished in many things from dancing, social graces, horseback riding, you name it. If he were alive today, he would either be President of United States or the starting quarterback for the Redskins. Now while Martha Dandridge Custis Washington will always be first in his heart, Dolley Madison will always be the first woman to dance. They would make quite a pair!

If John Adams were alive today, he would be on prozac. So, he will sit this one out. In order to keep his lovely wife, Abigail Adams from dangling, she will be paired with Thomas Jefferson. This works out very well since Jefferson was a widower during the time he was President. James Madison will then be paired with Rachel Jackson.

Now who is Andrew Jackson going to dance with? Bear with me.
I'll get to that in a moment.

Anyways, in order to not irritate advertisers and to keep viewers from getting confused, Presidents No. 5, 6, 8-11, 13, 14, and 16-42 will remain as a pair. No. 15 James Buchanan will be paired with Zachary Taylor's wife Margaret Taylor

"Old Rough and Ready" himself will be paired with the original First Lady.

Which brings me back to "Old Hickory". He will then be reassigned to Laura Bush. This will then give her the chance to finally dump that lame excuse of a husband of hers.

One Million Friend Challenge

A friend of mine on MySpace by the name of Ashleigh Cole posted this about a boy in the United Kingdom who has cancer: "James is four and has cancer. The challenge here is to get one million friends and raise awareness of childhood cancer. Come and join us and follow his progress and James will make you explore a whole range of emotions you never knew you had. We need new friends to keep the challenge going so click on the banner, check out the profile and please add us."

James, young boy with cancer seeking 1 million

Why I'm Not Voting For Barack Obama

For the record, I voted for Ron Paul in the GOP primaries.

Much has been made about senator and presumptive presidential candidate Barack Obama's relationship with his now former Reverand Jeremiah Wright. I say presumptive just as I do with John McCain because if you followed politics as long as I have, you know that things change on a dime. Remember when the "media" i.e. FNC, CNN, etc... was saying that everyone with the exception of Ron Paul was going to win the nomination? Go figure!

My main problem isn't necessarily whether Wright believes AIDS is a white person's invention (one is free to come to their own conclusions no matter how absurd it may be; heck I believe in UFOs and the existence of other life forms in outer space!!!).

My main problem is that he is doing it merely for his own self-promotion and usually I have an issue of pastors putting themselves as 'head of the church' when Jesus should be. Pastors are human and they do human things. They are NOT God. That is the thing to always keep in mind.

In spite of resigning from Jeremiah Wright's church, is he truly separated from him or was it just for appearances? I suspect the latter to take the media glare off of him as being connected to Wright at least until after the Democratic National Convention in late August.

In addition, as a state senator, Obama directed $225,000 of Illinois taxpayer money to Father Michael Pfleger; In the U.S. Senate, he has earmarked $100,000 as U.S. Senator to Pfleger. People, if any Republican candidate for President appeared as if they were taking orders from Pat Robertson or even Billy Graham, we would be outraged. So why should we give Obama the benefit of a doubt?

One way to determine an elected official's values is to look at their voting record.

I find quite interesting the number of "Not Voting" votes on his record especially for someone who has only been a senator for a little over three years. Barack Obama has missed 245 votes (42.0%) during the current Congress, yet the "media" glances over this. Why?

While Barack Obama says he will withdraw troops from Iraq, he has actually voted along with the Bush administration most of the time or not voted at all. Keep in mind that Bush is not a conservative at all. He is actually more liberal if you will than Ted Kennedy if you can imagine that. Call him what you will, but a conservative he is not.

On 5/24/07, Obama voted 'no' On the Motion: This $120 billion dollar package was passed in the Senate by an 80-14 vote. The bill primarily focuses on funding for the Iraq war but also addresses other unrelated topics.

A previous war funding bill was vetoed by the president because it included troop withdrawal deadlines, which were largely supported by anti-war Democrats as well as many people who have called the invasion of Iraq (I'm being blunt here) immoral, illegal, based on lies among other things.

According to the Washington Post, this bill includes 18 "benchmarks that the Iraqi government must meet to continue receiving reconstruction aid."

Seventeen billion dollars in the package is for domestic spending. Out of this funding, $6.4 billion is for Gulf Coast hurricane relief efforts, $3 billion in emergency aid for farmers, $1 billion to upgrade port and mass transit security, $3 billion towards converting closing U.S. military bases to other uses, and $650 million to increase funding for children’s health care. A Congressional Research Service summary states that the “other domestic beneficiaries include state HIV grant programs, mine safety research, youth violence prevention activities, and pandemic flu protection.”

Sens. Barack Obama (Ill.) and Hilary Clinton (N.Y.) were among the 14 who opposed the bill.

On 6/5/07, he didn't vote on S 1348: Allard Amdt. No. 1189 to eliminate the preference given to people who entered the United States illegally over people seeking to enter the country legally in the merit-based evaluation system for visas.

Also, on 5/24/07, he voted 'no' on S 1348: Coleman Amdt. No. 1158 which would have amended the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 to facilitate information sharing between federal and local law enforcement officials related to an individual's immigration status.

He also has earned 100% ratings from Americans for Democratic Action, NARAL Pro-Choice America, the National Organization of Women, the NAACP and the NEA. Hardly conservative organizations. So, in spite of his claims that he is a conservative, moderate or even an outsider, he operates very much like an insider with a love of big government.

In a head-on race, Obama wins over McCain hands down. His relative obscurity helps him and granted he simply looks better than McCain. But for those hoping Obama will deliver us to the Promised Land, you will be sorely disappointed.

When She Cries

I heard this song on the radio this morning for the first time in a long time.

McCain is a coward!

06/05/08 - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

"McCain is a coward for avoiding questions"
says local Ron Paul Assistant Organizer.


Following Senator John McCain's visit to Nashville on Monday June 2nd,
2008, former Nashville Assistant Ron Paul Organizer declares "McCain
[is] a coward for sidestepping and muddling answers to questions" at the
town hall meeting in the Ryman Auditorium earlier this week.

Senator McCain was first asked a question by a member of the audience
"what or who is the supreme authority in your life, and how will it be
evident in your presidency"?". McCain responded by telling a story of a
sympathetic guard in the POW camp where he was imprisoned and finished
with "that's the one person I've always wanted to see again" before
moving on to the next question. The question about his faith was not
directly answered but instead sidestepped by taking the audience on a
journey of his experience as a POW.

Former Nashville Assistant Ron Paul Organizer Matt Collins states
"although I don't care what religion or faith McCain subscribes to, he
is a coward for not answering the question. If he didn't want to respond
then he should've said so and moved on to the next question. Instead he
tried to trick the crowd by using underhanded oratory tactics that
avoided giving a straight answer"

Senator McCain also used similar tactics when asked about his stance on
immigration. After jumping to the previous question, fumbling around,
and then coming back to the immigration question he stated, "all of us
are created equal".

Former Nashville Assistant Ron Paul Organizer Matt Collins discusses
Senator McCain's response "I think it's pretty obvious his answer shows
that he is pro-illegal immigration and has a desire for amnesty".
Collins also states "McCain knows that both faith and illegal
immigration are hot topics here in Nashville and his response to these
direct questions prove that he does not have respect for Nashvillians or
he would've answered them head-on. It is also disconcerting that a
Senator and a man running for President would 'wimp-out' in this
situation and it's ironic Senator McCain uses the slogan "Straight Talk"
when he doesn't have enough resolve to answer questions like this. How
can he function as President?".

Collins concluded his statement with "Since I refuse to vote for a slick
liberal regardless of their party affiliation, Senator McCain will not
be getting my vote". Like many other disenfranchised Republicans Collins
is still unsure if he will vote for the Libertarian candidate Bob Barr,
the Constitutional candidate Chuck Baldwin, write-in Congressman Ron
Paul, or simply sit out the November election.

Matt Collins was a key player in the Nashville grassroots campaign for
Ron Paul as an Assistant Organizer during the Presidential Primary
season. He considers himself a conservative-leaning libertarian. The
Nashville Ron Paul Meetup Group does not represent, nor is it affiliated
with, the official Ron Paul 2008 presidential campaign. The Nashville
Meetup Group was founded May 17, 2007, and is part of the Meetup.com
online community. The group currently has 820 members. Group members
participate in local and national events to promote the message of
Presidential Candidate Ron Paul, whose positions include support for the
Constitution and the promotion of personal liberty for all Americans.

Matt Collins can be reached for questions or an interview by contacting:
Matt@UltraSonicDesigns.com or 615-731-0060


Recorded audio of these two questions can be found to here:

http://www.7616millbridge.com/temp/McCain_sidesteps_answer_on_faith.mp3

and

http://www.7616millbridge.com/temp/McCain_wants_amnesty.mp3

Home-grown vegetables grow in popularity

According to the U.S. National Gardening Association, Americans spent some $1.4 billion on growing their own vegetables last year, an increase of almost 25 percent on 2006.

Languages, Oh Languages!

If you were born in the Southern United States, (why Oklahoma, New Mexico and Arizona aren't considered "southern" states, I don't know), chances are you have spoken with the Southern accent or if you have visited other parts of the country or another nation, you might have been knocked for your accent or attracted curious on-lookers. The funny thing about me is that I've been confused by native southerners as sounding British even though I've never been to the island nation. In actuality, the English language is Germanic in origin.

For general overview of Linguistics, click here.

I've studied the English language on and off for over a decade especially since my interest was piqued after taking a public speaking course during the summer of 1997. Officially, Southern American English is a group of dialects of the English language spoken throughout the Southern region of the United States, from Southern and Eastern Maryland, West Virginia and Kentucky to the Gulf Coast, and from the Atlantic coast to throughout most of Texas.

There are also small and/or isolated places in Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Colorado, Arizona, Wyoming, Montana, and the San Joaquin Valley of California where the prevailing dialect is Southern in character or heavily Southern-influenced, due to historical settlement by Southerners particularly from Oklahoma. Also, the speech patterns of most of the southernmost counties of Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois – settled by Southerners and Southern Appalachians - have a predominately Southern influence rather than Midwestern.

Southern dialects substantially originated from immigrants from the British Isles in the 17th and 18th centuries.

Settlement also included large numbers of Protestants from Ulster, Ireland, and from Scotland. During the migration south and west, the settlers encountered the French immigrants of New France (from which Kentucky, Arkansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Mississippi and western Tennessee originated), and the French accent itself fused into the British and Irish accents. The modern Southern dialects were born. William Shakespeare himself was said to have originated as many as 20,000 new words.

The Virginia Piedmont dialect is possibly the most famous of Southern dialects because of its strong influence on the South's speech patterns. Because the dialect has long been associated with the upper or aristocratic plantation class in the Old South, many of the most important figures in Southern history spoke with a Virginia Piedmont accent including a former Queen of England. Other dialects include Coastal Southern, South Midland or Highland Southern, Southern Appalachian, Ozark, Cajun, and Creole with a variety of derivatives. There is also Gullah and African American Vernacular English. So what is the official language of the United States? After reading this, you will wonder too.

What kind of Blogger are you?

You Are a Pundit Blogger!

Your blog is smart, insightful, and always a quality read. Truly appreciated by many, surpassed by only a few

What Kind of Blogger Are You?

Mackenzie Grace McMahan

(Image Courtesy: Baby Mackenzie Foundation)

I first heard about "Baby McKenzie" Mackenzie Grace McMahan last summer while picking up a pizza in Dandridge. While I never met her, I certainly rooted for her and learned more about what took her life: Rhabdoid Cancer. In January, Children's Hospital remodeled the cancer clinic and play area. The Baby McKenzie Foundation is undertaking efforts to raise awareness and funds to battle this rare form of cancer. They are having a Bike Rally at the 411 Biker Depot in Maryville on June 28th. I met with Cindy Currington and Cindy Poe at Cowboy's Seafood this afternoon. They are planning future fund raisers and have found a doctor who is willing to research Rhabdoid Cancer.

Check out the Baby McKenzie Foundation website.