November 09, 2006
The Good Fairy
Another fixture at the fair that doesn't have a "stage" is the fairy. If you've been to the festival, you've seen her picture on the tickets. In case you saw her picture and never saw her, well here she is in all her beauty:
(Click to Enlarge)
She spends her time flitting around the fair, usually playing with the children. She doesn't speak, but instead gives away small magical stones to the children and laughs and plays with them. She also sprinkles around some fairy dust. Another great performer that helps to make the overall atmosphere of the fair a total escape from reality. Previous Performers:
Manolete
Tree Man
Magician
Dextre Tripp
Jewels of the Caravan
Blackenshear the Curious
The London Broil
Dextre Tripp
Posted by: Ogre at 07:04 PM | Comments (15) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)
Stop the ACLU
So, America voted for change? They should be careful what they ask for because they will get it. For those that voted or stayed home in order to send the Republicans a message on election day...congratulations! Your all important "lesson" will now backfire in your face. You just cut off your nose to spite your face. Not only have you helped to give both Houses over to the left, put Nancy Pelosi in as the Speaker of the House, and completely destroyed any chance of getting a Constitutionalist majority in the Supreme Court, but groups like the ACLU seem to think this election was a mandate for their insanities. Look, you can't say we didn't warn you.
Posted by: Ogre at 05:01 PM | Comments (15) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)
Government Knows Best
A few commenters to this blog have attempted to argue that things that take away freedom and cost money are perfectly okay, as long as they advance the "common good," as defined as anything they like. This is a hallmark of the Democrat party, wherein they like to tax working people so they can "help" others, making that "help" a common good. The recent big push in North Carolina is "free" health care for children, because it's for "the common good."
I strongly oppose any and all efforts along these lines. Some Democrats and ultra-liberals claim that since the phrase "the common good" appears in some Constitutional documents, any spending for any reason by the government is, by definition good, and anything is okay if is advances "the common good." They are wrong, plain and simple. They are describing a utopia that simply doesn't exist, and will never exist, on earth. They want to believe that government will somehow do good by making slaves out of working people. Well, England has already gone down that road, and they're ready to take the next logical step: outright murder anyone, anyone at all, that they don't like. Under this proposal, anyone who the government decides doesn't contribute to the common good can simply be executed. Democrats, meet your utopia. How long before anyone who likes freedom is declared opposed to "the common good?" Come and get me if you can.Posted by: Ogre at 03:06 PM | Comments (18) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)
Guard the Borders!
This Blogburst is also available as a Podcast.
Why the United States Has Lost So Much in Latin America By LomaAlta at Linknzona The facts are not in dispute. During this Administration’s “watch”, the geopolitical situation in Latin America has deteriorated well beyond the tragic losses of any previous Administration. Communist tyrants rise in Venezuela, Bolivia, and now Nicaragua and socialism is on the march in other countries. President Reagan’s successes in spreading democracy and freedom in Latin America appear to have been stopped. Let’s examine some of the possible reasons. Negligence.Posted by: Ogre at 01:07 PM | Comments (15) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)
New NC Democrat Tax Increase
Gee, what a surprise, eh? Democrats vote to raise taxes in North Carolina. Well, as the king supreme leader head of the county commission in Mecklenburg says, "That's what we're supposed to do -- tax and spend" and "I make no apology for raising taxes."
Posted by: Ogre at 11:03 AM | Comments (9) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)
November 08, 2006
Manolete!
Now this guy is really a class act. This is his second year at the Carolina Renaissance Festival, and he's just getting better and better. I went to his 4:15 show this past Sunday, and that's the same time as the final joust -- therefore he gets quite the small crowd -- so I just cheered more.
I also saw him standing around before his show. I stood there and talked with him for a little bit while we waited for the previous act to clear off the stage (they were late). Another just honestly nice fellow, this Manolete.
(click to enlarge)
In this picture, it's sort of hard to tell what he's doing. I tried numerous times to get a good shot of his bolos -- but they were just simply moving too fast for the camera. I'm going to have to work on some camera settings so I can try again next weekend. Here he's getting ready to use the bolos to knock the feather out of the volunteer's mouth. Then he did it with a smaller feather -- blindfolded. A very nice fellow and quite the impressive show. And ladies, how about those abs, eh? Mine look like that too, but you just can't tell for the padding. Hey, if airbags are safe... But seriously, if you get a chance to get to the show, be sure to head down to the stage and watch this show. And if you've already seen the joust, make sure you get to his 4:15 show so I won't be there by myself next time! Previous Performers:
Tree Man
Magician
Dextre Tripp
Jewels of the Caravan
Blackenshear the Curious
The London Broil
Dextre Tripp
Posted by: Ogre at 07:02 PM | Comments (14) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)
Elections 2006
Well, that sure sucked, didn't it?
Freedom really took a hit here. If you don't believe that, you're seriously delusional. Let's look at my predictions for the "First 100 days:" 1. Democrats will raise taxes. That's simply what they do. Sure, they've been pleased with the massive increases in government spending over the last two years, but they literally cannot have enough money to spend. They will absolutely vote to raise taxes. This is their #1 priority. Bush will give token resistence, but don't expect him to actually veto, well, anything. He will whine and complain, but he'll sign the laws and raise taxes. 2. Democrats will attempt to destroy the American citizen. They will vote to allow all criminal aliens to become full citizens. At best, they may require these new citizens to pay a $1 processing fee. They will also likely be exempt from paying taxes and I won't be surprised if they're given the right to vote. Bush will not only support these actions, he will likely lead the charge. He's been trying to legalize criminals for years, and now he's got allies in the Congress. 3. Democrats will do all they can to surrender in Iraq. They will have trouble, because even though they don't understand that they're not in charge of the military, they will still try and get out. They will reduce funding for the military to the point where the military simply cannot do their job. Then Bush will be forced to withdraw the troops. But wait, all hope is not lost! Seriously, please keep reading if you've read this far. I would like to extend an invitation. To all those in Mecklenburg County who voted for Jim Puckett; to all those in Virginia that voted for Allen in Virginia; to all those who voted for conservative candidates and lost; to all those who are displeased with the direction this country is headed; to all those who want freedom; I personally invite you to do what the founders intended. I invite you to advance freedom. I invite you to withdraw you support (and money) from the moochers who want to crush you and only want you for your money. I invite you to vote with your feet. Please take a look at The Free State Project.Are you frustrated at the loss of freedom and responsibility in America, while the growth of government and taxes continues unabated? Do you want to live in strong communities where your rights are respected, and people exercise responsibility for themselves and in their dealings with each other? If you answered "yes" to those questions, then the Free State Project has a solution for you.
Seriously, folks, this is the only hope for America today. If you honestly love freedom and you are willing to DO SOMETHING about it, I strongly encourage you to go join the Free State Project. This isn't just blogging and complaining, this is action. The people who move to New Hampshire WILL be putting their words into action. This CAN work, but only if you who love freedom are actually willing to DO SOMETHING. There were over 1,000,000 people who voted for Allen in Virginia. Only 20,000 are needed in New Hampshire to really make a serious change. Come on, Allen supporters, withdraw your support from your Democrat Senator and go to New Hampshire. Over 900,000 voted for Kean in NJ. Head to New Hampshire and let those in New Jersey who dislike freedom fend for themselves without your help. Don't worry about all the excuses. Go ahead and complain that you can't find a job, that you don't like the weather, that your family won't like it -- I'm sorry, but all that means is that you're not really serious about liberty and freedom. If you honestly want freedom; if you really believe in "Live Free or Die," your only choice now is to join with the Free State Project. Any other option is just surrender.
Posted by: Ogre at 01:05 PM | Comments (30) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)
And that's not an insult, I assure you, my efforts could put Don to shame!Democrats Kill, Drive Out Blacks
Well, that's what happened in 1898 in Wilmington. And some parts of the story will be published in some newspapers in a couple weeks.
What may be most interesting is to see how much the fact that it was Democrats who did this will be played down. The "commission" that "investigated" this incident suggested that all victims be compensated. Oh, but of course, since it happened over 100 years ago, none of the victims are alive. That's okay, because we can just "compensate" their descendants. I've got an idea, socialists, how about if we're going to compensate the descendants, that the descendants of the guilty do the compensating? In other words, you're going to have to go get the white Democrats who did this to pay black Republicans. Stupid idea? Well, pretty much anything involving government these days is, isn't it?Posted by: Ogre at 11:06 AM | Comments (13) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)
November 07, 2006
Treeman
Another fun sight at the Carolina Renaissance Festival is the tree man. As you can see from the picture, he's, well, as tall as a tree. He can walk around a little bit. And he doesn't talk much -- after all, he IS a tree.
(click to enlarge)
Fun stuff, I'm telling you! Previously:
Magician
Dextre Tripp
Jewels of the Caravan
Blackenshear the Curious
The London Broil
Dextre Tripp
Posted by: Ogre at 07:01 PM | Comments (15) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)
Why Freedom is Lost Today
Yes, I shall indeed be voting today, despite having no good reason to vote. And for those who are interested, there will be plenty of better and more comprehensive coverage of the election today than the Ogre can provide (because some of us have to work for a living).
Instead, today, I'd like to pre-empt all regular programming for this essay about freedom. Other than the afternoon's Renaissance Festival review post, there will be no other posts here today. Instead, feel free to read and digest this single short post about freedom. Freedom, to many people, is a relative concept. Personally, I like freedom. I like freedom a lot. I am willing to, and have, put my life on the line just for this strange concept of freedom. But true freedom is gone from this world, and it is highly unlikely to ever return. Now certainly, you'd get no argument from me that The United States of America is the freest country in the world. Of that I have no doubt. After all, there's a reason those refugees keep coming here from nearly every country in the world. But yet I maintain we are not free. We may be more free than anyone else, but we're still nowhere near free. To some, this is rather obvious. If you doubt that you are free, I challenge you to make it through one single day without either asking government for permission to do something or paying them a tribute. Go ahead, give it a shot. If you're thinking you'd just go out camping in your backyard, that won't work because you've got to pay taxes on that yard or the government will take it. I submit that there is literally nothing that can be done today without asking government permission or paying a government fee. But that's not what this post is about. If you disagree that our freedoms are limited in America, there's not much point in your reading much further. The rest of this post assumes that you agree that government causes us to not be as free as we could be. My problem is that not only are we not free, but I find it highly unlikely that ever again, as long as this current society reigns, will there ever be any chance for actual freedom in the world today. Why? Because freedom isn't nice. Now freedom isn't mean, either. In fact, freedom is completely neutral when it comes to feelings and emotions. It is, however, good, just as the absence of freedom is evil. But our society, both in America and around the world, simply cannot handle, and cannot deal with anything that's "not nice." Freedom requires responsibility. Freedom says that you reap what you sow. Freedom say that nothing is free. And that's just not nice. That's not compassionate. "For the Children" has been the rallying cry for the anti-freedom population for decades -- and it still works every single time. In recent years, many have quoted Ben Franklin, who said something to the effect of "They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." While that is true, we have moved far beyond that state today. We are not giving up liberty for safety, we are giving up freedom for compassion -- and our society has become so compassionate, we are simply not willing to give that freedom back. For example, if there is a starving child in the street, what should be done about it? In a truly free country, a free society, any single person or organization would be completely free to help that child however they see fit. However, in today's compassionate society, that is not what happens. Instead, those who work are punished, fined, and jailed if they do not pay that fine; so that this poor child may have food. The child has to do literally nothing to obtain that food. Now, would freedom have allowed that child to starve? In a word, yes. Freedom would allow people to make bad choices -- and those bad choices could, and indeed often would, result in death. So is freedom bad for allowing death? No, freedom is freedom because it allows people to choose the options that lead to death. If you are prevented from being allowed to make that choice, you are no longer free. Now our society has taken that example above and expanded it beyond what the founders of our country could ever have believed. Do you know that there are now 3 generations of people who live in a house where not a single person in the entire family has ever worked a day in their life? How is that possible? Simple: by taking freedom away from others and giving cash to those who do not work to reward them for not working. In a truly free society, what would happen to those who do not work -- either by choice or because they are unable? In previous decades, those who could not work due to physical maladies would be cared for by their families, by the churches, or at private hospitals (usually run by churches). They may not have lived a luxurious life, but live they did, due to the voluntary works of the individuals who wished to sacrifice, because they had freedom and the ability to do so. Those who would not work would perhaps be taken care of by the same entities, but with freedom, that very same entity had the freedom and option to decide that they would no longer support a person who refused to work. Most often in that case, the person who refused to work would either be forced to work, or they would simply die. That's not compassionate, but that's freedom. I could outline various other cases and example wherein freedom would allow people to die. Once again, part of being free means to take responsibility for your actions, and being free to make the wrong choice that might result in your own personal injury or even in your death. Freedom is not safe. Freedom is not friendly and compassionate. Freedom is, however, free. As a society today, again across America and the world, we are no longer capable of allowing people to die. We will do anything, we will spend any amount of money, and we will indeed take away any amount of freedom that is required to ensure that (some) people do not die. There is, quite literally, nothing we as a society will not do to ensure that all those who desire life will get it as long as possible, no matter their actions or choices in life. And most often the first thing that must be taken away to absolve people of the responsibility of their actions is the freedoms of others -- and that's just plain wrong. Can you name a single elected official that actually supports freedom? When is the last time you heard your local county politician say, at a zoning board meeting, "Gee, folks, we don't have any right to tell this person what to build on their property -- it's their property, not ours?" If we were in a truly free country, you would hear that. Have you ever heard a politician say, "I'm sorry, but we can't give away that million dollars to the poor children so they can have medicine. It's not our money to give." Again, in a free country, that would indeed be the case. So feel free to discuss the merits of the "education lottery," the "clean air" laws, and the "health insurance for the poor." But realize that's not freedom. Go to your town meetings and oppose the building of an interchange where you don't want one. Tell your representatives to support the minimum wage. Ask for more money for the government school -- but don't tell me you support freedom. And repeat to yourself that we're the freest country in the world. Feel free to tell me that I'm crazy and I'm welcome to leave this country any time I like. But know that you do not have freedom, and you likely never will. We, as a society, simply will not abide the real responsibility that comes with true freedom. Freedom may not be compassionate, but freedom is good. As a society, we are no longer capable of allowing neutral freedom. We require compassion, and we will do anything to obtain it -- including destroying every semblance of freedom that exists today. We have lost freedom, and it will not soon be found again. Oh, how I yearn for freedom.Linked to:
Pirate's Cove Linkfest
Woman Honor Thyself
Third World Country
Church and State
Is it Just Me?
N.I.F.
Posted by: Ogre at 11:01 AM | Comments (20) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)
November 06, 2006
A Magician
Today I present a magician...and I don't know his name. He was performing this weekend at The Carolina Renaissance Festival at the Washer Wenches stage, but I didn't catch his name. Take a careful look and see if you can see what he's doing in this picture:
Yes, that's correct, he's nailing a nail into his face. There was a sword swallower at the festival a couple years ago I really loved, but he's moved on -- so this guy takes his place (at least for nails). This fellow was an excellent magician, working the crowd and working classic magic tricks. Towards the end he really made the cups and balls tricks interesting when oranges started showing up! And for the grand finale, SIX oranges and a cantaloupe showed up! Very impressive. He also said he's be on Letterman in a couple weeks, so I'll see what else there might be to that! Previously:
Dextre Tripp
Jewels of the Caravan
Blackenshear the Curious
The London Broil
Dextre Tripp
Posted by: Ogre at 07:03 PM | Comments (13) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)
Why Vote?
Why should I bother to vote? After all, in New York, the dead are voting in record numbers. Chuck Norris says to vote for conservatives. Well there's none on the ballot anywhere near me (including the judges). I'll let you know if I spot one.
Some people that claim to like freedom are voting Democrat to teach those nasty big-government Republicans a lesson -- presumably by attempting to replace them with bigger government Democrats. And heck, according to the media, the Democrats have already won. Maybe the dead are winning with large amounts of "early voting." Around the world, leftists are winning. Why should the US be any different? Why shouldn't we give up on freedom? Where on this entire planet, is freedom expanding? Where is freedom successful in the 21st century? It works everywhere it's tried, but no one is trying it any more. The only possible tiny glimmer of hope for freedom left on the planet lies with The Free State Project -- and they can't seem to find 20,000 people on the entire damn planet that are interested in freedom. And oh yes, I've signed up. And I've joined as part of the first 1,000. So where's everyone else who wants freedom?Posted by: Ogre at 04:36 PM | Comments (20) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)
Cheney's Sense of Humor
If nothing else, this shows that Republicans, and Cheney in particular, certainly have a sense of humor. Dick Cheney is going hunting on election day. After all the tasteless jokes over and over again about the last time he went hunting, in which an associate of his was accidentally shot in the face, the timing on this absolutely has to be intentional.
Either it's for the humor value, or to get the lunatics over at the Democratic Underground something shiny to look at and talk about.Posted by: Ogre at 01:01 PM | Comments (16) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)
NC needs $125 Million
Hey, the economy's good, right? Therefore, the NC government can raise taxes to give $125 million to start a research institution for nanotechnology. After all, if government doesn't do it, no one will, right?
According the the article and the supporters of huge, bloated government, by spending this money, we can bring back the dead; we can cure Michael J. Fox; and heck, why not, maybe even cure cancer. So if you oppose raising taxes enough to throw away yet another $125 million, you're against curing cancer! Bloated. Useless. Communist. Utterly and completely anti-freedom. Your North Carolina Democrat Party.Posted by: Ogre at 11:05 AM | Comments (12) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)
November 04, 2006
Thoughts for the Weekend
via Flight Pundit
Good health is merely the slowest possible rate at which one can die. Give a person a fish and you feed them for a day; Teach a person to use the Internet and they won't bother you for weeks. Some people are like a Slinky... not really good for anything, but you still can't help but smile when you shove them down the stairs. Health freaks are going to feel stupid someday, lying in hospitals dying of nothing. All of us could take a lesson from the weather. It pays no attention to criticism. Why does a slight tax increase cost you 50 dollars and a substantial tax cut saves you 50 cents? In the 60s, people took LSD to make the world weird. Now the world is weird and people take Prozac to make it normal. We know exactly where any untaxed car is located among the millions of cars in the United States. But we haven't got a clue as to where thousands terrorists and crooks are located. Maybe we should put the DMV in charge of the police.Posted by: Ogre at 06:23 PM | Comments (13) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)
Conservative Redefined
It seems that, like the Democrat Party, the Republican are simply changing their definition of words to fit their own purposes. Many who supported the Democrat Party when they were classic liberals have found the party has left them. Many have not yet realized their party has drastically morphed. Republicans are picking up on that morphing as well to their own party.
Yesterday I got an ad supporting a Republican for Congress in my district. He will win with about 75% of the vote because the district was clearly and obviously drawn to elect a Republican. His ad says: "Re-Elect Patrick McHenry for Congress. Effective. Conservative." So, let's see what the "new" definition of "Conservative" is:"Congressman Patrick McHenry voted against CAFTA because it would cost thousands of Western North Carolina jobs"
So now, supporting higher prices and reducing freedom for companies is somehow conservative?
He's fighting to get more money out of the education bureaucracy....
So increasing government spending is now also, apparently, "conservative." I SO wish there was somewhere for people to go who actually wanted to be free, because this place sure isn't it.
Posted by: Ogre at 04:13 PM | Comments (18) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)
Governor Easley "creates" jobs
Well, I guess that's not really news, is it? In this case, the governor is taking $1.52 million of money that people of North Carolina worked hard to obtain, and he's using it to bribe a business to come to North Carolina.
Oh, but he can't claim total credit for the "creation" of new jobs. You see The N.C. Department of Commerce, Guilford County, the City of High Point, the High Point Economic Development Corp. and the Piedmont Triad Partnership (ALL HUGE piles of taxpayer money) ALSO used truckloads of cash to bribe the business to relocate to North Carolina. But don't worry, it will create a whopping 200 jobs. Because there are so many government entities involved, it will be impossible to determine the exact amount of taxpayer funds wasted on this bribery. Extremely conservative estimates would put the total at $200 million. For 200 jobs. Yes, the state of North Carolina just spend over $1 MILLION per person to create 200 jobs that pay an average of $33,695. And they think that it's a good thing. This is your Democrat-led North Carolina government.Posted by: Ogre at 12:03 PM | Comments (19) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)
November 03, 2006
Dextre Tripp
I know, I know, I introduced you to Dextre Tripp earlier in the week. But you know, I enjoy his show so much, I've got to show him twice. Heck, you might even get to see another glimpse of him next week, too -- he's that good.
This shot is during his fire and water show. He balances on the top of the ladder, then lights off 300 firecrackers, then lets everyone throw water balloons at him! Is this guy crazy, or what?
(Click to enlarge
Once again, if you can find time to get to the Carolina Renaissance Festival, be absolutely sure to check out Dextre Tripp. His stage is all the way at the back, but you be sure to head back there -- you will NOT regret it! Previously:
Jewels of the Caravan
Blackenshear the Curious
The London Broil
Dextre Tripp
Posted by: Ogre at 07:07 PM | Comments (11) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)
Caloenas nicobarica
Isn't this little guy beautiful?
It's a Caloenas nicobarica, or The Nicobar Pigeon. It's native to the uninhabited Nicobar Islands in the Indian Ocean. I wonder how they found it, then...
Posted by: Ogre at 05:04 PM | Comments (15) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)
Human Shields Die
It's about time. Women that were human shields were killed by Israelis. Folks, if you want to be a human shield for terrorists, prepare to die. This is another example of so-called "peaceful" participants in the war on terror. It's a war. People will die. Want it to end? Get the muslims (Hamas, et al) to stop.
Posted by: Ogre at 04:59 PM | Comments (16) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)
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