US Social Forum

Due to the fact that I never watch the news, I was completely unaware that the US Social Forum was being held in Detroit and Tuesday afternoon 10,000 people marched through the streets of Detroit to kick off the festivities. 

This excerpt from a Democracy Now report grabbed my attention for two reasons.  One, the atrocious grammar and how stupid the person sounded (though that ends up being a factor of transcribing a live on the street interview and she sounds much closer to average intelligence in the video) and two, the comparison to New Orleans.

I’m here in Detroit with the Restaurant Opportunities Center of New Orleans, Louisiana. When I came to Detroit, I was kind of surprised, because Detroit looks a lot like New Orleans, in such a state of disrepair, with so many abandoned buildings. And I was shocked by that. You know, I didn’t realize it. I know that there were some financial difficulties, but it’s such a similarity. And it’s sad that across our country we still have the same sort of disproportionate disparities, you know, and it’s a little frightening.  (http://www.democracynow.org/2010/6/23/over_10_000_march_in_detroit)

Detroit looks like New Orleans, a city wiped out by a freakin hurricane.  Unfortunately the attendees of this idiotic forum will never understand that it is a result of all the government programs they're pushing that has caused this. 

Government thugs

Currently I am at my BF's house while he is at work. Moments ago the doorbell rang. I ignored it. It rang again. I thought it might be important so I opened the door hesitantly.

There was an intimidating-looking man who flashed a government badge at me. I supposed he was from the census, as the BF has not participated in even the head count and has been visited by the census once already. Instead, he grunted, "US Customs and Immigration Enforcement."

"Oh! Woah!," I babbled, or some such nonsense, because I was immediately intimidated by his intimidating-ness. Apparently I looked as frightened as I felt because he said, in a much more friendly fashion and with a slight laugh, "Don't worry, it's okay." (This made me realize that I need to work on remaining calm and collected when in engaging in any 'friendly chat' with a government agent. I know that you should never talk to the police, etc., but it is hard to respond calmly in a real situation, for the government workers do hold the power.)

He asked if I knew the neighbor Phil. I said "No, I don't live here." He left. Then he walked across the street to another house where a man was outside working on his truck. The agent talked to him for less than a minute and seemed to get no information.

Government thugs are on the prowl...

Buying politicians who can grant you a legal monopoly

If the facts of this Detroit Free Press article are true, Matty Moroun is far from the kind of entrepreneur I admire. Rather, he is like James Taggart from "Atlas Shrugged": a leech who uses government power in his favor, and a bully who buys lobbyists to continue working in his favor.

Evil = a state using public money to build a bridge
Evil = a private individual buying off politicians to vote against a bridge, when that new bridge would remove his monopoly over US-Canada border traffic

Garden

Probably should have done so a month ago, but I expanded the garden today.  Now I have lettuce and peppers in addition to my one non-producing raspberry plant.  For the time involved, I don't really see this as saving a lot of money but we shall see.  If you're doing this Alpha Strategy stuff on the level of Jack Spirko it's probably worthwhile, but I'm not sure on a small scale.