Current mood: excited

The radio interview with Marilyn Steffen (see last month’s issue of New Mexico Liberty or the LPNM blog) has been posted to the LPNM’s YouTube account in three parts –

Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3

The interview has also been posted to lpnm.us as a single MP3 file –

lpnm.us/MediaFiles/MarilynSteffenInterview-KOOT.mp3

Thanks to Allen Cogbill for posting it to the net!

NOTES

Current mood: cynical

My completed survey from the City of Albuquerque about “ABQ the Plan,” as formulated by Mayor R.J. Berry:

Thank you for sharing your thoughts on ABQ the PLAN.

Your opinion will help shape Mayor Berry’s presentation during the 2011 State of the City address to Albuquerque.

Working together, we can make Albuquerque an even better city.

Summary of Response

Should we invest in our future?

No

Bus Rapid Transit & Route 66 Improvements

Not Important

EXPO New Mexico (State Fairgrounds)

Not Important

Convention Center

Not Important

Civic Plaza

Not Important

4th Street Pedestrian Mall

Not Important

Rail Yards

Not Important

ABQ Culture Trail

Not Important

Balloon Fiesta Sports Park

Not Important

98th Street Sports Park with APS

Not Important

Mesa del Sol Sports Park

Not Important

50-Mile Bike Loop

Not Important

Rio Grande Enhancements

Not Important

Paseo del Norte & I-25 Interchange Improvements

Not Important

Other Project Ideas

Take any money left over from this year’s budget (if any) and either give it back as a tax return or set it aside for next year. Or put it towards repayment of some of the city’s existing bond expenditures.

Get over it – this schtick about "there’s nothing to do" in Albuquerque is bunk. Take a look at the local newspapers – Alibi, Local iQ, the Journal, etc. – and you’ll see plenty of things to do listed.

If you really want to "invest in the future," cut taxes, cut regulations on business, and cut regulations on private property. Let us in the private sector grow the economy by getting government out of the way.

NOTES

New Mexico Liberty for May 2011

Albuquerque Liberty Forum is a no-host dinner, with discussion of issues important to libertarians, anarcho-capitalists, extropians, and Constitutionalists.

We’re currently meeting at the Sizzler at 7212 Menaul NE in Albuquerque (two blocks to the east of Louisiana Blvd., on the south side of Menaul), from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM.

Suggestions for speakers are welcome. Speakers will have 30 minutes to make their case, then should be open to questions from the audience. Audience members are requested to ask questions of the speaker as opposed to making statements. All speakers will be considered to have consented to being recorded, including but not limited to audio or video devices, for posting to the internet (YouTube, etc.).

ABQ Campaign for Liberty

Facebook

FreedomConnect

FreedomTorch

Myspace

NMPolitics.org

New Mexico Liberty

Agenda for this event

1. Round-robin introductions (if needed)
2. State of the Party speech by LPNM State Chair Mike Blessing
3. Notices about upcoming events
4. Getting Started as an Activist

After-event review

What went well

1. We stuck to the posted agenda fairly well – we didn’t get sidetracked much at all.
2. We had a few new faces at this event – total attendance was twelve, which is double last month’s number.

What needs improving

The venue’s management seated us in the separate room after another group had previously reserved that same room for every Thursday. So at 7:00 PM, we had to move from that room to the main dining room, where we had to raise our voices to be heard over the piano.

NOTES

Copyright © 2011 Libertarian Party of New Mexico. All rights reserved.
Produced by KCUF Media, a division of Extropy Enterprises. Webmaster Mike Blessing
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Current mood: cynical, pissed     

Neo-con Bushevik David Horowitz has this annoying habit of taking pot-shots at libertarians. In one of his latest, he goes after Ron Paul – Ron Paul Is A Vicious Anti-Semite and Anti-American and Conservatives Need To Wash Their Hands of Him.

So I guess, by that “standard,” I’m a “vicious anti-Semite,” as well, joining everyone else who advocates ending foreign aid to every country.

By Horowitz’s “standard,” there are Jews who also qualify as being “vicious anti-Semites.”

Here’s the clip from Glenn Beck’s TV show where Horowitz was a guest and complained about “. . . libertarian websites indistinguishable from the anti-American left – lewrockwell.com and others like that . . . totally in bed with the Islamofascists and turned against this country” –

As for the assertation that Horowitz “calls out the Islamists,” I can do that, too – and I can do it without stumping for tyranny here in the States or overseas military actions and occupations.

Want to call out the Islamists without being a creep like Horowitz? Simple – invoke the Bill of Rights when they insist that the governing body incorporate the malum prohibitum aspects of sharia into the U.S. Code, state law, county or city ordinances.

Tell the Islamists, “NO, you can’t have that sort of law here in America. If you want to live by this sort of code voluntarily, feel free to do so. Feel free to try persuading others to file suit. But you do NOT get to insert this into American law. Deal with that.”

NOTES

Current mood: amused     

Well, folks, it looks like veteran comics writer Larry Hama has done it again – this time, he takes on “conventional” “left” vs. “right” politics with a special focus on The Barack.

Web comic – samples of the comics published on paper, as linked to below:

Issue 1 – From a far away land rises a mighty hero. The son of peasants from two different realms, the one known only as Barack protects the people of Hope Kingdom at all costs. Watch as he takes on the likes of Boosh the Dim, Red Sarah and Cha-nee the Grim in this hilarious first issue! Cover A / Cover B

Issue 2 – Barack begins his assault on the Elephant Tower by entering the dreaded Labyrinth of Right Turns guarded by the Screeching Enchantress and her many-headed dogs. Meanwhile his other enemies plot and scheme and work their dire magicks.

Issue 3 – Barack escapes from the horrific Pit of Punditry and battles his way past eldritch threats and byzantine obstacles to reach the pinnacle of the Elephant Tower whilst The Old Warrior and Red Sarah nip at his heels. At the top of the tower Boosh and his evil vizier cast down spells and aspersions.

Issue 4 – In the blazing conclusion of the first arc, Barack storms the citadel of the Elephant Cult at the pinnacle of their cursed tower to free the goddess held captive there by the evil despot Boosh and his nefarious Vizier.

The Fall of Red Sarah – Red Sarah, wandering the Northern wastelands, stumbles upon the gates of a fabulous city on a hill, apparently deserted. Meanwhile, her least favorite barbarian finds another entrance to the same city. Neither suspects the secret horror guarding the city’s treasures, and neither will escape unscathed – if they escape at all!

Articles covering the series at MTV.com and Wikipedia.

Finally, for those who are just don’t get it, there’s He’s Barack Obama! to really drive the point home.

NOTES

The Weekly Sedition

Show Notes for Thursday, 31 March 2011

Upcoming events in New Mexico

Saturday, 10 December / Sunday, 11 December 2011 – Silver Spurs Gun Show at Expo New Mexico

Tonight’s articles for discussion

From KOB-TV (Albuquerque Ch.4)

No charges filed against NM co. that sent body parts to Kan.

Michael Crichton used this sort of situation as the basis for his novel Next – the main storyline is based upon the case of Moore v. Regents of the University of California, in which Moore was treated for cancer by a Dr. Golde, after which Dr. Golde developed a cell line of T-cells from Moore’s tissue samples. This cell line netted Golde Ø110,000 a year and 75,000 shares in Genetics Institute common stock, while Moore got nothing.

Woman charged with DWI for letting friend drive drunk

Keychain fobs are availble with built-in breathalyzers. Anyone with a fourth-grade education can determine if the number that comes up is above or below 0.08, which is the current legal standard for intoxication – if it comes up over that, you’re too drunk to drive.

Embudo Canyon fire 100% contained

This is just like the Bosque Fires of 2002 – government officials at all levels (local, state and federal) doesn’t let people go in with chainsaws and axes to chop up the dead wood lying around. Then when that wood catches fire, those same officials talk like this was an “act of God,” when it was an easily-preventable condition.

From KOAT-TV (Albuquerque Ch.7)

City Launches Free Website For Local Businesses

I leave it to you, the voters and taxpayers of Albuquerque, whether or not this is a desirable use of City funds.

Police Arrest Couple After Kids Miss School

What this looks like is a simple paperwork screw-up. Rather than just fixing the error, the Los Lunas School District are playing jack-booted thugs here in filing charges against the Chavez family over this. Yet the people running the government-owned-and-operated daycare-indoctrination system think that they deserve more of our cash?!

From KRQE-TV (Albuquerque Ch.13)

Dangerous fire season ahead

So instead of letting people chop up that dead wood, we’re told by “our betters” that we can’t have campfires and our backyard barbeque parties have to be restricted. Why again do we keep these people on the payroll?

Source: Football player sodomized

But if this kid had fought back and injured one of his tormentors, well, then, he would be the guilty party, just like Casey Heynes in Australia. At least that’s what the Ruling Classwipes will tell us.

From the Weekly Alibi

A racist joke from the Secretary of State’s Office?

This looks like some senior staffer, part of the Madrid / Vigil-Giron clique, who is getting ready to quit the office, wanted to take a parting shot, and have it attributed to Secretary Duran.

From USA Today

Romney: On jobs, where is Obama?

That’s an easy one, bozo – he’s busy stumping for the federal takeover of the healthcare industry that he cribbed from your state-level plan in Massachusetts.

Gadhafi’s rule relying on wavering tribal support

See the next article . . . .

From the McClatchy DC desk

Libyan rebel leader spent much of past 20 years in suburban Virginia

Thanks to William Norman Grigg, owner of the Pro Libertate blog, for the heads-up.

From Talking Points Memo

GOP Rep: I’m ‘Struggling’ On My $174K Salary (VIDEO)

MUST-SEE VIDEO from Stansberry & Associates – endofamerica2011.com

Texas stores accepting pesos
Manhattan stores accept euros
Oil trade to convert to euro, yen

Know your rights as the accused / Know your rights as a juror

Copyright © 2011 Mike Blessing. All rights reserved. Produced by KCUF Media, a division of Extropy Enterprises.
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Current mood: excited     

I’ve known Bill English for thirteen years now, and can attest to the quality of his character. He’s running for the U.S. Senate seat that will be vacated by Jeff Bingaman in 2013, and getting the cold shoulder from the Republican Party’s Establishment types. Instead they seem to be supporting Heather Wilson, who is cast from the same mold as those who gave us the round of corporate bailouts in late 2008.

Yes, the same round of bailouts that started the Tea Party groups.

I’ve known Bill as a Ron Paul Republican for most of that time, long before the term “Ron Paul Republican” hit the big time. I don’t agree with him on everything, but I’ve never known him to waver from his principles.

Bill’s campaign site is here – billenglish4senate.org

Anyway, Bill has asked me to organize a modest fund-raising event for his campaign, probably in Albuquerque in the near future. Details later for those interested.

Below is a note from Bill that he’s asked me to pass on to potential supporters.

– MWB

To Fight or Not to Fight – That is the Question

It has indeed been an interesting week! Most notably is the fact that as a political neophyte, I received the education of a lifetime and discovered that all is not as it seems.

As many of you know I am (was?) running for United States Senator for the State of New Mexico. Which is a race that hasn’t even made it to the primaries yet, but already has overtones of a feeding frenzy with a pack of piranhas.

What many of you do not know is that I am a convicted felon. Yeppers, it’s true. About ten years ago I was convicted of a class four felony for aggravated assault because I pulled a gun on a man that was raping my then fourteen year old daughter. I’ve never hidden this fact from anyone, and while New Mexico state law clearly says that as a convicted felon I cannot run for an elected position within the state, it does not say that I cannot run for an elected position within the Federal Government.

Does the fact that I am a convicted felon make me an evil person? Or does it make me a father trying to protect one of his children from a sexual predator? I also point out that I didn’t shoot the little so and so. I put my neck on the line to protect one of my kids. I am willing to do the same for my state and for my country. The question now becomes, what are you willing to do?

During the course of the past several weeks it would appear that the consulting firm that I had hired to help me with the election began running endless polls and among the questions asked was “Would you vote for a convicted Felon?” Apparently they didn’t like the answers because very shortly after that they terminated the contract with me, and left me swinging in the proverbial breeze. It also turns out that they also asked if they would vote for someone who’s been divorced. I have, but I am pleased to say that after twenty three years of marriage to my current wife, I think this one I got right. Hell, it took Newt three tries before he could get his right, and I point out that not once did I ever cheat on my first or second wives.

So! The question now becomes: do I stick it out and fight for what I believe to be right? Do I continue with no money, or no apparent support from those with the power and say so? Or do I quit? I could take the easy way out and quietly fade into obscurity, but then I’d always be sitting there wondering. Or I could continue on in the hope that the citizens of New Mexico will finally take a look at what we got and what we’re going to get, and maybe decide that they need some one like me in office to protect what is New Mexico and its people.

Whatever else I may be, I am still an American first, and a New Mexican. We have too many problems both on a state level and a national level. As each day goes by we lose more and more. I’m willing to fight for my country and my state. Will you stand by me and help me to do battle against those who would see us destroyed?

At least with me you know what you’re getting . . .

NOTES

The Weekly Sedition

Show Notes for Thursday, 24 March 2011

Upcoming events in New Mexico

Saturday, 10 December / Sunday, 11 December 2011 – Silver Spurs Gun Show at Expo New Mexico

Tonight’s articles for discussion

From KOB-TV (Albuquerque Ch.4)

UNM president proposes tuition hike

How many VPs does UNM have? How many more multi-million-”dollar” recreational complexes is UNM going to build?

Obama signs off on NM disaster declaration

More “stimulus” cash by another name.

From KOAT-TV (Albuquerque Ch.7)

Kirtland Jet Fuel Spill Seeps Into Neighborhood

And the eco-fascists blame the private sector for destroying the environment . . . .

Governor Appoints Horse Racing Commission Members

Is this Commission really necessary?

Man Who Had Sex With Horse Released From Prison

A sad case of unrequited love . . . ?

From KRQE-TV (Albuquerque Ch.13)

Business groups want unemployment fix bill signed

What ever happened to free markets?

Shop owner shoots at suspected robber

Hats off to Ray’s Smoke Shop on Isleta Boulevard SW!

From the Weekly Alibi

Playing Chicken With Millions

From USA Today

Obama team: Libya is not a ‘war’

White House considering ‘all options’ in Libya

Back in 2007, then-Senator (now Vice President) Joe Biden said that if George W. Bush ordered military action against Iran, that Bush should be impeached. I wonder if he’s changed his tune now that Obama is ordering military action against Libya?

MUST-SEE VIDEO from Stansberry & Associates – endofamerica2011.com

Texas stores accepting pesos
Manhattan stores accept euros
Oil trade to convert to euro, yen

Know your rights as the accused / Know your rights as a juror

Copyright © 2011 Mike Blessing. All rights reserved. Produced by KCUF Media, a division of Extropy Enterprises.
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Current mood: amused

Recently, I had heard about one of our intrepid legislators referring to local radio station 770 KKOB-AM as “KKKOB.” Here’s the article in the Albuquerque Journal and the associated video clip.

Anyway, I ran a Google search on “KKKOB” NM, and learned that this gaffe from Eric the Red is merely the latest in a string of such comments, some of which go back years.

Here’s the earliest such that I found on the internet:

There’s these comments posted on NMFBIHOP – 19 December 2007, 3 March 2008 and 23 July 2008.

Over at Democracy in New Mexico – 3 March 2008 and 13 May 2010.

“eideard” posted on Kate Nash’s Green Chile Chatter on 28 July 2010.

“justaUNMstudent” posted a comment at N.M. Politics – 30 April 2010.

At DailyKos – 7 October 2009.

At stinque.com – 7 April 2009.

The SWOP blog – 1 July 2008.

At Walled-In Pond: 19 December 2007.

It isn’t limited to political discussions, either: here’s a link to a posting at The Lobo Lair – 24 December 2010

And it’s not just 770-AM that’s received the “KKKOB” nickname – it was applied to KOB-TV on 29 December 2006.

NOTES

The Weekly Sedition
Show Notes for Thursday, 17 March 2011

Upcoming events in New Mexico

Saturday, 10 December / Sunday, 11 December 2011 – Silver Spurs Gun Show at Expo New Mexico

Tonight’s articles for discussion

From KOB-TV (Albuquerque Ch.4)

Small labor rally held in Civic Plaza

So there’s still some life in the Mad Dog 20/20 Party after all.

NM film industry sends S.O.S. – Save Our Subsidy – over the airwaves

Those seeking sympathy for this brand of corporate welfare handouts being cut should email their complaints to pacstaff2@gmail.com or contact Lora Cunningham at Albuquerque Actors Studio LLC

From KOAT-TV (Albuquerque Ch.7)

Film Projects Back Out Of NM Amid Uncertainty

Foreign Nationals Voted In NM Elections, Official Says

Maybe Americans should get to vote in foreign elections, then? Here’s the link for the Consulate General of Mexico in Albuquerque (Consulado Carrera de México en Albuquerque), and here’s a map with its location – 1610 4th St NW Albuquerque NM 87102. Demand your right to vote!

From KRQE-TV (Albuquerque Ch.13)

Tire dump on state trust land?

So what we have here is one public official signing off a tire dump as an “erosion control measure,” then his successor calls it an “eye-sore.” Why do we leave protection of the environment up to politically-focused bureaucrats? A clear example of the tragedy of the commons – this was known back in Aristotle’s day.

Plan lets chiropractors prescribe drugs

So will Susana sign this and support medical liberty and deregulation of business?

From the Weekly Alibi

Granny Get Your Gun

What’s not to love?

From USA Today

House votes to cut off taxpayer funds for NPR

Remember, this still has to pass the Senate and be signed by Obama. Or get 2/3 in the House and 2/3 in the Senate to be veto-proof.

Why government’s doors must be open

Know your rights as the accused / Know your rights as a juror

Copyright © 2011 Mike Blessing. All rights reserved. Produced by KCUF Media, a division of Extropy Enterprises.
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