RAG Perspective: An American Pro-Liberty Conservative: Miscellany: 11/15/14

Saturday, November 15, 2014

Miscellany: 11/15/14

Quote of the Day

One measure of leadership is the caliber of people who choose to follow you.
Dennis Peer

Image of the Day

Via Rand Paul

via the Tea Party

John Stossel simulates a business startup meeting a government bureaucrat

via Lawrence Reed

Rant of the Day

Daily supplement use is the easiest, fastest, safest and cheapest way to bring costs down suddenly, dramatically and permanently and improve health at the same time.

If every high-risk American over the age of 55 took an ordinary omega-3 supplement -- just like the one I'm sure you take -- we'd save $2.1 billion per year in health care costs, according to a major new study.

Want to save even more cash? Throw in another one of my favorites, the B vitamins that can protect heart, bones and brain and prevent or reverse chronic disease, and we'll save another $1.5 billion a year.

That's $3.6 billion -- BILLION -- saved every year with two ordinary vitamins taken by just one set of carefully chosen patients. And these supplements may run you about 5-10 cents a day.

But what does our government do? They use your tax dollars to run active campaigns AGAINST vitamin and supplement manufacturers. Heck, every chance they get, they try to run the vitamin makers out of town on a rail.

It's more proof that government health care isn't about saving money, and it's certainly not about saving lives. It's a basic redistribution of wealth, crony socialism at its worst, as you're forced to pay for the health care of people who don't want it, don't need it or, in too many cases, refuse to work to earn the cash to buy their own.

Your money is going to Big Government's pals, like insurers and drug companies, to treat people who never had to become sick to begin with. And we can stop it tomorrow, with little 5-cent-a-day supplements you can buy anywhere. - William Campbell Douglass II, MD

Facebook Post of the Day

I voted yes on ‪#‎HRes676‬, which authorizes the speaker of the House to initiate or intervene in civil actions against the president for failing to uphold the law "with respect to implementation of any provision of [Obamacare], including a failure to implement any such provision."

Over the past five years, the president has unilaterally delayed implementation of parts of Obamacare, refused to enforce certain immigration laws, and provided waivers of work requirements for welfare recipients, among other things—all in contravention of the laws as written. Absent constitutional objections, it is the duty of every president to "take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed." If the president simply doesn't like the law—or feels that delaying implementation will benefit him politically—he can work with Congress to change it.

Suing the president is not my preferred method to hold the president accountable. Congress should use more effectively its power to approve or disapprove spending. Still, it is reasonable for Congress to use all tools available whenever any president violates the Constitution, including requesting the opinion of the judicial branch.

It passed 225-201 - Justin Amash

Politically Incorrect Joke of the Day

"Did you hear the news? The Washington Redskins are removing that embarrassing, demeaning word from their team name. From now on, they’ll just be called The Redskins," says Bryan Stevenson. Via Lew Rockwell

The Early Years of a Great Pro-Liberty Economist of Color

Feedback Corner

(Libertarian Republic). Ted Cruz Vs. Rand Paul: What Should The GOP Do Now? [PODCAST]
Ted Cruz is too idiosyncratic, strident and confrontative to ever win over independents and moderates; he is also far more militaristic than Paul. Rand Paul is a smoother, more consistent pro-liberty conservative, a more pragmatic, less strident version of his Dad. He actually talks the talk to minority groups, reaches across the aisle for prison reform, civil liberty reform, Constitutional limits on the Presidency's war-making. Cruz is more of a loose cannon, willing to shut down the government at the drop of a hat. As one of the true libertarian-conservatives, I clearly favor Rand Paul.

(Libertarian Republic). "The Republican Party Needs To Be More Welcoming To Immigrants." - Senator Rand Paul
Rand Paul is absolutely spot on. If you are for liberty, you are for immigration, period. No arcane nativist nonsense.

Choose Life

On One of My Favorite Remakes of All Time

October 16, 2006

Dear Dan: Though you never knew, for many years before you recorded my song, YOU were my idol. Your sensitive lyrics and wildly, grand arrangements spoke to me in a way that always sent a thrill through me. The first time I heard "Leader of the Band", I was awash in tears. Having had a not so great relationship with my own Dad, it touched me in ways that I can't even really explain.

So, there really is no way that I can put into words the feelings that went through me when my good friend, Len Green called me and he said, quote: "John, you won't believe me when I tell you this but Dan Fogelberg has recorded your song and from the looks of the full page ad in Billboard, it looks like the push cut/single from the album.” I was floored, stunned. I told Len, "You must be kidding, he never records other peoples songs". Well, I have the chart on my wall from Billboard, week ending November 17th, 1990 and there sits my song at #1 on the Hot Adult Contemporary Chart.

To this day, hundreds of people have recorded "Rhythm of the Rain" but none have ever, and I mean NO ONE has ever done it better than you. I always felt my own recording of it, huge as it was, was weird as it's really a sad song about lost love and here we are doing it spritely and uptempo. Back to your music though. Seems in all the music you write, nature plays a great role. Also, your style, the chord changes you use; there is so much spirituality and power in what you do. Netherlands just blew me away, I even have Twin Sons of Different Mothers. It would take me way too long to make a list of my favorites. I've tried in vain to emulate what you do or even come close, but I've resigned myself at the ripe old age of 68, that I probably never will.

To finish: You have no idea what a thrill it was for me to chat with you for a few minutes back stage at the Greek. I was so in awe to be in your presence and was so nervous I never really got to say all that I wanted to, so hope this email makes up for it. I'm so saddened to hear of your plight and all I can say is "Keep up the Good Fight”. The world needs more of you and more of what you do. Get well and get back in the studio again.

From the deepest part of me, Thank you so much for YOUR wonderful music and thanks for doing such a great job with MINE.

Gratefully,
John Claude Gummoe
Composer of "Rhythm of the Rain", lead singer with The Cascades

[As Dan's fans know, he was diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer in mid-2004. For a while he went into remission, but it returned and he passed in late 2007. My baby sister gave me a copy of the (1990) The Wild Places, which was an outstanding move on her part not knowing my taste in music and not even being in primary school when I left for college. The soulful, slow, despairing interpretation and awesome sax background is faithful to Gummoe's lyrics; I have sung along with Fogelberg's recording dozens of times and never tire of hearing it. Gummoe's tribute to Fogelberg is one of the highest forms of respect I've ever heard from one songwriter to another; I know if a famous singer-songwriter covered one of my songs (no, they haven't been published or recorded yet), it would be an honor.]

My Greatest Hits: November 2014

I think this is the second month a 2012 post has placed among the top 5 posts. I'm pleased to see one of this week's one-off posts has already done well enough to place (I liked it myself, and it's been interesting seeing readers steadily picking up on it since it was published):

Political Cartoon