I received this from my son in South Korea today. Why am I hearing about presidential candidates in the USA from people overseas?? I must not be paying close enough attention or something, but I never even heard of this man until today. After watching the video on this link, I want to hear more. Please check it out.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LKwKSWBLpjE

Well folks, something has occurred in my life that I had nearly given up on. One of my life-long dreams seems to be coming true.
As you know, I'm disabled and living on a bee's budget. The thought of home ownership was a fond wish that I was fairly certain would never come true.
Thanks to bad leadership and mismanagement at a state wide level, having no credit at all has become my ticket to wish fulfillment.
Years ago, when the conspiracy to eliminate family farms started, the powers that be apparently didn't realize they were also destroying their tax base. New York is populated with abandoned farms and nothing could hurt my gut more than seeing empty homes. Because of this short-sighted plan, New York now is in the position of having to repopulate rural areas. I'm quite certain this is true in other states as well. I saw the ruin in rural Alabama back in the early 70's!
Anyway...US Dept. of Agriculture is now offering loans through their Rural Development program and I....me, the lady with no money and no credit, have been approved for a loan to buy a home. Can you believe it??? I have been dancing on air. A yard of my own to grow vegies and flowers and trees in...rooms I can paint and decorate to my hearts desire...my own place of comfort and sanctuary...my God, I never thought it could happen.
Receiving this news is truly one of the happiest days of my life and I can't wait to get started. Barbara and I and our mother will be able to share expenses and help each other survive day to day life. This is especially timely due to the fact that mom is 80 now and needs someone to be there everyday. I am so blessed that here, in the last quarter of the game; I will have the means to do what I always promised I would do...take care of her. There are tears in my eyes - tears of joy and gratitude to whatever cosmic influences have made this possible.
Honestly, it was one of the most amusing things I've ever heard, to hear a woman happily proclaim on the other end of the telephone, that I was approved for a loan because I had no credit!
I guess America really is the land of opportunity after all...you could knock me over with a feather. So, please, all of you that know me and whom I love; feel free to let out a big Yee Haw for a very happy camper in rural New York.

Seeing I can't afford to go and see Steely Dan perform, I ordered the album "Morph the Cat", which Donald Fagen won a grammy for. For those of you who loved Steely Dan, you will love this CD. Same creamy-dreamy sound with a pinch of funk and a dash of jazz. Donald Fagen hasn't got the throaty rasp of many in this lingering generation and the sound is as smooth as lubricating jelly...( )
Pye didn't really say that, did she??

I am often taken aback and surprised by peoples' reactions to certain words. It seems some words are "loaded" and the mere mention of them can cause people to wig out. Take the word "socialism". I was talking to a friend one day and unfortunately the subject of politics arose. I cannot remember the specifics, only my friend turning pale, becoming tense and struggling to even say the words; "you're talking about socialism". As I questioned her about her reaction, it was clear she did not really even know what socialism was...only that it had something to do with Russia.
So how is it we can be so certain of our own system when even discussing other ways of doing things is somehow blasphemy? I also think it's a pretty good trick to get people so flipped out about words that they become unable to think rationally on certain subjects.
My understanding of socialism is that the workers own the means of production. What's so bad about that? That means the people working themselves to death would actually get a cut of the profits rather than some CEO living like a king in his fiefdom surrounded by peons.
Public Utilities shouldn't even be privately owned. The systems that have been built with taxpayer money especially need to be owned by the taxpayers.
I really don't understand why private ownership of industry is supported so wholeheartedly by the workers. Is it because they might get the chance to hit the big time and become rich and powerful themselves? Well, if it is at the expense of other people, what the hell good is it?
Our system of capitalism is Darwinism at it's finest...only the strong survive. If that is the kind of world we want, why even bother with things like health care and food stamps? Let the weak die...right?
I have always believed it was human compassion that separated us from animals; that as humans we rise above the need to kill, maim and pillage in order to survive. It seems though, the only thing that really separates us from animals is that we have much better ways of wiping our competitors out. We do not view the planet as one community that requires our attention to all; we guard and protect our own little pile of stuff with a killers instinct, then we take that to broader and broader boundaries until we are a country who seems to think nothing of invading other countries to take their resources. If this is the case, why do we need law and order? If this is our basic nature, to steal and kill...why do we need punishment? Because people don't want to live in a dog eat dog world. People want to live a peaceful, comfortable life. All people want this. No one wants to live in a war zone. It seems to me, in order to live a peaceful life, one must be peaceful. One must know how to play and work well with others...kindergarten stuff. Bullying others, pushing them down and taking their lunch is just what America is doing to the middle east. If we are going to be involved with the rest of the planet, we must set an example of human behavior. Destroying countries, torturing and imprisoning people and causing general mayhem in all arenas is not my idea of maturity and leadership. This is just my opinion though.

This small and humble pyewacket has been having problems getting out of bed for the past few mornings. There has been something happening in the outer perimeters of my life that I have wanted to write about, but have been unable to bring voice to.
I'm not even sure I can now, but I'm going to try.
A life long friend of my sister has been experiencing about the worst scenerio anyone could fathom going through. Her 19 year old nephew was arrested and recently convicted of second degree murder.
During the months of investigations, interviews and general police mayhem that the family has endured, I have had to ask myself how much justice there really is happening in our justice system.
The entire situation has seemed to be more about political careers and number crunching than concern in any way shape or form with the lives of the human beings involved.
I have read with utter disbelief the entire case printed in the newspaper before it ever entered a court room. If a person has already been found guilty in the local press, how can this same person hope to get a fair trial in that same locality? How is it that evidence can be discussed in the daily news before it has been entered as such into the proceedings? How can evidence that is pertinent to a case be disallowed from being presented? How is it that any of the other people "of interest" were never even looked at or investigated?
How can a 19 year old boy who has never been violent before in his life, suddenly be convicted of a murder in which there is no body? How can anyone be convicted of a murder where there is no body and no definitive crime scene?
I might be able to grasp this whole thing if this family had a history of violence and trouble; but they don't. You'd think you'd see evidence of that kind of disturbing behavior in over 40 years of knowing someone, wouldn't you?
There is so much going on in this country that makes my gut knot up. I try to write about these things...to find out if I'm the only one feeling this way - which I'm not; and to maybe inspire another person to ask these questions too. I am relieved to find there are many other people wondering about the same things I'm wondering about, but wondering isn't enough when children are being led away in chains without fair and objective judgment.