Nightgaunt

We just bought a house in Hazel Park and are moving out of our rental house in Ferndale. It's 2 bed/1 bath, small, but would be great for a single person. $650/month and the landlord is great...leaves you completely alone, but has always promptly taken care of any problems we had.

Actually, there are several thousand new species discovered each year. 353 New Species Discovered in the Himalayas Fanged Frogs and Giant Rats Discovered in New Guinea 10 Strange Species Discovered in 2008 17,600 New Deep Sea Species Discovered If you're talking about confirmed surviving dinosaurs, skunk apes, or chupacabras, well, the number's a little smaller.

As of right now, Tszuragaunt plans on going...

Tszura and I have a deal that if I dance to Lady Gaga (and I have to do it with gusto), then I get to choose her clothing for the next trip to City Club.

That's my main sticking point. While I agree that not all "tea party" gatherings are overseen by the Neo-Cons, the most vocal and visible group, the one traveling around the country with Sarah Palin, obviously is. Guess which group the media will be focused on. For all intents and purposes, the public perception will be that the Tea Party movement is being spearheaded by the Republican (Neo-Con) party. The fact that a large percentage of Tea Party adherents have conservative leanings and are still caught up in the idea that the Republicans and Democrats at the highest levels are in opposition, rather than being two sides of the same coin, adds to that perception. I'd be interested to know how many "End the Fed" signs are seen at the rallies of this group doing the national tour. Not many, if any, I'd be willing to bet. The emphasis will be on anti-Obama sentiment, which will feed into the idea that it's about Republican vs. Democrat, rather than Liberty vs. Tyranny, the concept that the Tea Party movement originally grew out of. In April, there are three or four "documentaries" to be released, criticizing the Tea Party and like-minded groups as being "anti-government", violent, and racist. The Southern Poverty Law Center has been all over the major news outlets pushing this viewpoint. Why do you think they're busting "militia" groups all over the country right now? They're "priming the pump, so to speak, to get people to turn against anyone who opposes health care, Internet restrictions, body scanners, etc. Notice how you never hear the "militia's" side of the story or hear about legitimate militias getting busted. By "legitimate militias", I mean those groups who work with their Sheriff's Departments and operate under strict guidelines. I don't discount the possibility of a "false-flag" incident that gets blamed on the "anti-American" elements of society. This is not unprecedented and has even been admitted to by the government and military. Research the Gulf of Tonkin incident and subsequently declassified documents for the most egregious of these incidents that have been admitted to. I don't want to encourage conspiracy-theory thinking here. I just want to encourage people to look into things on their own. Look at the past behavior of this (and other) governments, and keep an eye out for repeating cycles. Learn how those who would manipulate the government and public to achieve greater power operate. Use your innate discernment. If something sounds like it might be the least bit fishy, research it! As F.D.R. said, "In politics, nothing happens by accident. If it happens, you can bet it was planned that way."

"The Right of the Citizen to travel upon the public highways and to transport his property thereon, either by horse drawn carriage or by automobile, is not a mere privilege which a city can prohibit or permit at will, but a common Right which he has under the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." - Thompson vs. Smith, 154 SE 579 It does say how. I think it's a bit of a stretch to say that what they meant was that people have a right only to be driven, not to drive. That would open the door to the creation of a system where we have different classes of citizens: those who are granted the right to drive and those who are not. That goes against the idea of a Republic based on natural rights.

But the whole issue here is that driving is a right. The state or city has no authority to abrogate or charge a fee to exercise that right. It cannot, Constitutionally (according to the Supreme Court), take away your right to drive with a point system, with the points being issued at will by police. That sort of thing has to be done in a court of law, with the burden of proof being on the state or municipality that the driver is a threat to others. If you can demonstrate competency behind the wheel, that should be it.

Yep. And the Tea Party movement has been co-opted by the Neo-Cons. Sarah Palin is the spokesperson this year. The establishment has turned the whole endeavor into another aspect of the false Left/Right paradigm, encouraging us to bicker amongst ourselves, rather than focus on what's really happening in this country. Now it's Coffee vs. Tea while the Republicans and Democrats continue to lie to us and pass legislation that cripples us financially and abrogates our rights.

I agree...there definitely has to be a way of certifying people as being competent to drive. My issue is that the state should not be able to take away your right to drive because of unpaid parking tickets and the like. The whole system of funding government through the issuance of tickets has got to go, as does the practice of only allowing people to exercise their right to drive if they've paid a pile of fees. When a government relies on people breaking laws and regulations in order to stay afloat, there's a problem.

Actually, the idea of fluoridating drinking water was brought to England by a member of the Russian Communist party named Kreminoff. In the 1930s, Hitler envisioned a program of mass control by drugging the water supply, and sodium fluoride was the cornerstone of this plan. Repeated doses of small amounts of fluoride affects a specific portion of the brain - actually eats holes in it - and makes a person more compliant and submissive. When the Nazis invaded Poland, the German and Russian General Staffs exchanged information and compared notes, and the water fluoridation scheme was adopted by the Communists. There is a list a mile long of the health problems associated with the ingestion of fluoride. You can find a wealth of information concerning the degenerative effects of fluoride via Google searches, like this place.

The Supreme Court has ruled on several occasions that a state or municipality cannot interfere with the Constitutional rights of a citizen. The Second Amendment says that citizens have the right to bear arms, therefore no governing body can interfere with that right. Right? If you misuse said arms in a criminal fashion, that's when the law is supposed to step in and smack you around. “The state cannot diminish rights of the people.” - Hertado v. California, 110 US 516 “Statutes that violate the plain and obvious principles of common right and common reason are null and void.” - Bennett v. Boggs, 1 Baldw 60 “The assertion of federal rights, when plainly and reasonably made, is not to be defeated under the name of local practice.” - Davis v. Wechsler, 263 US 22, at 24 “Where rights secured by the Constitution are in volved, there can be no rule making or legislation which would abrogate them.” - Miranda v. Arizona, 384 US 436, 491 “The claim and exercise of a constitutional right cannot be converted into a crime.” - Miller v. US, 230 F 486, at 489 “There can be no sanction or penalty imposed upon one because of this exercise of constitutional rights.” - Sherer v. Cullen, 481 F 946 So, the Second Amendment. What did the Framers mean by: ? As with the rest of the rights enumerated in the Constitution and Bill of Rights the Second Amendment was intended to preserve and guarantee, not grant, the right of the individual to keep and bear arms. Although the need for a militia is emphasized, it was not meant to serve as a prerequisite for an individual to bear arms. Think about it: the spirit of the Constitution is the guarantee of individual rights and a limit on the power of government. The Founders had just come through a long and bloody war and were well aware that without strict limits and being overseen by the people, a government will become tyrannical. What sense would it make then, for them to intend that only the government be permitted to bear arms? They knew that without an armed population, the Constitution would have been burned within a couple of generations as the power-hungry were drawn to positions of power. It's a lot more difficult to round up and throw into camps an armed population. Weeellllllll...many, myself included, would like to see driver licenses and vehicle registration go the way of the dodo. The "common wisdom" that you always hear is that driving is a privilege, not a right. Here's what the Supreme Court has to say: "The Right of the Citizen to travel upon the public highways and to transport his property thereon, either by horse drawn carriage or by automobile, is not a mere privilege which a city can prohibit or permit at will, but a common Right which he has under the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." - Thompson vs. Smith, 154 SE 579 Now, just because the Supreme Court rules one way, doesn't mean that state and local governments are going to follow it. That's where the people are supposed to stand up and demand that their rights not be abridged. We don't do that in America anymore, so we just silently put up with things that the Supreme Court has declared unconstitutional, like: The government selling off or leasing highways to foreign interests for the purposes of creating toll roads. The government holds the highways in trust for the people. The rules of Traffic Acts are there to regulate the use of highways in the public’s interest, but not to destroy your rights to use them, yet the state will forbid you to drive at the drop of a hat. An execution of a right can not be charged a fee, yet we put up with it. Insurance fees can not be mandatory. Hahahahahaha. You wouldn't put up with having to buy a free speech license, so why a driver license?

You're not a real goth unless you're Bull Moose party all the way.

I completely agree with you. I've always had a problem with the way kids are taught to make that pledge by rote. I know that I was never taught, as a child, what the words actually meant. These kids grow up to be adults that still recite the Pledge in that child-like, conditioned way. It sounds like nitpicking, but it makes a difference when you hear it that way and then hear it spoken by someone who understands it and believes in what they're saying. "I pledge allegiance. To the flag. Of the United States of America. And to the Republic. For which it stands. One nation. Under God. Indivisible. With liberty and justice for all." VS. "I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands: One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all!" A good test is to ask someone to recite the Pledge where they avow loyalty to the Republic and then ask them if we live in a Democracy. Guess what most people will tell you?

I'm of the belief that all this "security" is intended to be more of a way of conditioning society to accept having their rights abrogated in the name of safety. Mark my words, there will be an incident at a shopping mall and then it'll be airport-style security just to buy a pair of shoes. Oh my god! He's asking questions! He's not being meek and subservient! He has an attitude! Confiscate everything he has, rough him up, and send him home on foot! This was more about teaching people to shut up and bend over than catching terrorists. This is reflected in a lot of the posts I've seen in this thread. "If you've got nothing to hide, then you've got nothing to worry about, right?" Wrong. That assumes the government is made up entirely of sterling examples of Humanity and are incapable of abusing power. As long as we don't do anything wrong, we shouldn't protest anything the authorities want to do to us? I don't recall who posted it, but there was a response here that amounted to "be a man and submit". I think that's precisely the sort of attitude that the more draconian elements of our government are trying to engender in the populace. How much intrusion is too much? Would you protest if there were guards in every public bathroom stall, making sure no one was carrying weapons or drugs in their underwear? How about cameras in every room of your home, monitoring for terrorist activity. Hey, if you don't have anything to hide, etc. Nut up and take your cavity search like a man. I tend to agree with MstrBeau when it comes to cops. More and more, they seem to behave like playground bullies that never grew up. I've been pulled over twice now for the crime of driving. The officer always makes a big show of talking to you like you're a naughty child. Both times, I was asked if it was okay if the officer searched my car. Both times, I answered no, and the cop backed off. More recently, I got pulled over because my plates were four days overdue for renewal. Fine. Whatever. Legitimate reason to stop me. What sticks in my craw is that the cops around here NEVER use turn signals, go tearing through my neighborhood at 40 mph, and turn their flashers on just to go through red lights. These are not the actions of peace officers here to serve and protect; they are the actions of those who consider themselves above the law. I get fined a couple of days' pay for not using my turn signal, but Billy Bob the Cop is a Supercitizen and not subject to the same laws as the common rabble. Maybe Peter Watts had a punch in the face coming to him because of his abrasive and/or rude nature. Federal officers however, were not the ones who should have administered it. Having a police force, be it Federal, state, or local, administering punishment is a very scary idea to me. Let the flames begin!

I rather imagine he'd opt for one of these...

Certainly helps me keep that 40 pounds I gained last year in perspective...

ROFL Yeah, I'm to blame.

Nightgaunt and Tszura go. Nightgaunt put meat in fire, eat meat up. Nightgaunt pick up heavy things, show sexy muscle.

Thank you so much for the birthday wishes! And special thanks to LillyLu, Fidget, and Slogo for the cake!

I have a "conlang" project that has languished for years. I think it's something that'll have to wait until retirement to see completion. Oh, wait, I'm not a baby boomer; I don't get to retire...

I've been reading up a little on copperworking. Doesn't look too difficult. With some bits of old leather and maybe some wood veneer, you could probably whip up something in a weekend... Copper prices are kind of high, tho...

1. Lose 1-4 points of intelligence, you may draw again. As indicated, the mongoloid countenance causes loss of 1-4 (d4) points of intelligence immediately. They are lost and cannot be regained (although points can be restored by other means). Eh, no big deal when you're starting from zero, right? 2. Gain a treasure map plus 1 magic weapon. Roll a treasure map with +20% on the dice. The weapon with it must be one usable by the character, so use the table for SWORDS (III.G.), MISCELLANEOUS WEAPONS (III.H.), or RODS, et al. (III.D.) as needed. Great! Oh, wait, with my dimished intelligence, I can't read the treasure map... 3. Minus 3 on all saving throws vs. petrification. The Medusa-like visage of this plaque brings a curse which only the Fates card or god-like beings can remove. The -3 is permanent otherwise. Guess I'll have to find a new home for my pet basilisk... 4. Defeat Death or be forever destroyed. A minor Death appears (AC -4; 33 hit points; strikes with a scythe for 2-16 hit points, never missing, always striking first in a round) and the character must fight it alone -- if others help, they get minor Deaths to fight as well. If the character is slain he or she is slain forever. Treat the Death as undead with respect to spells. Cold or fire do not harm it, neither does electrical energy. Can't I just challenge Death to a game of Battleship? 5. You are imprisoned. This signifies imprisonment -- either by spell or by some creature/being at your option. All gear and spells will be stripped from the victim in any case. The deck disappears. Thanks, Gary Gygax. Thanks so much.

"You've a pretty mouth."