Some Post Debate Observations

Warning: political observations ahead. Do not continue if you hate politics, are easily offended, or have a natural bias against libertarians.

No, I have not seen the debate, but I didn't need to. I'm already what they call a "disillusioned voter," and I have no intention of being wooed back to the Republican party to vote for Romney. If they didn't want us before, why should we come back now? So what I'm about to say probably doesn't mean anything as far as either establishment goes.

I've been listening and observing around my campus and on the internet after the debate last night, and there's one thought that has kept running through my head:

I am SICK and TIRED of people acting like Obama and Romney are any different.

Hint: They're not.

They may have different strategies, but a vote for either of them is a vote for more deficit spending, more foreign entanglements we have no business getting into, and more regulation and laws that are NOT NEEDED.

I'm tired of hearing that Obama is "for the middle class" when he signed into law the massive "Affordable Care Act" that will become a massive burden for everyone, most of all the middle class. I'm tired to hearing that Romney is "better than Obama" when they both support continual renewal of the Patriot Act.

This is making me depressed.

And if you don't believe me, here's 100 Ways Mitt Romney is Just Like Barack Obama from the Independent Voters Network. If any of you are so happy and excited about supporting one over the other, I would really rethink that. I'm not telling you to just change your views because I said so, but in the words of Mark Twain, "Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect."

And where will I be this November? Still voting. Still planning to send in my absentee ballot. They may marginalize me and pretend my views don't matter, but I'm still going to keep expressing them by either voting for Gary Johnson or writing in Ron Paul.

Wasted vote? No. It's not wasted because I believe in whom I'm voting for. Can any of you say the same?

Internet Community, Take Note!!!!

Federal government censorship is NEVER acceptable.

Please take a stand against SOPA along with all the other sites blacking out in protest.

Here's one petition.

Here's americancensorship.org's form to Senators that you can send off.

Remember what Faber said to Montag about what happened after people stopped reading--"So few want to be rebels anymore."

Resistance is victory!!

Happy Bill of Rights Day...

Congress: "Oh, yeah, here's the National Defense Authorization Act that gives the executive branch the power to take away basic rights set out in the Bill of Rights. This is all for your safety. You're welcome."

"Of all tyrannies, a tyranny exercised 'for the good of its victimes' may be the most oppressive." -C.S. Lewis

......

I've spent quite a bit of time today writing all of my representatives. Every single one of them voted for the travesty. In fact, EVERYONE from my home state other than Ron Paul voted for it which REALLY disappoints me.

I urge you, readers, please see if your representatives voted for it and if they did, send them angry (but hopefully polite) letters and withdraw your support!
~
"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing."-Edmund Burke

Just Because I'm Paranoid

This is disgusting.

Whether you're Democrat, Republican, or Libertarian, this should make you mad. John McCain has obviously not read the Bill of Rights lately, or he would have encountered some amendments such as this one:

Amendment IV: "The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, again unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized."

....or how about this one:

Amendment V: "No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the Militia, when in actual service in time of War or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offense to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation."

...or maybe this one:

Amendment VI: "In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the Assistance of Counsel for his defense."

.........

"Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety."-Ben Franklin
My finding this story today after having watched Red Dawn last night makes for an incredibly brain-loaded day of thinking of contingency plans. But my thoughts on Red Dawn will have to go onto another blog post.

I Found What I Want to Do With the Rest of My Life

I want to be a part of the Seasteading Movement.

The Seasteading Institute wants to create floating cities away from any waters that are governed and create libertarian societies for those sick and tired of oppressive and out-of-control governments. From their website:

"The vision of seasteading is an urgent one. We can already see that existing political systems are straining to cope with the realities of the 21st century. We need to create the next generation of governance: banking systems to better handle the inevitable financial crises, medical regulations that protect people without retarding innovation, and democracies that ensure our representatives truly represent us.Seasteaders believe that government shouldn't be like the cell phone carrier industry, with few choices and high customer-lock-in. Instead, we envision a vibrant startup sector for government, with many small groups experimenting with innovative ideas as they compete to serve their citizens' needs better.Currently, it is very difficult to experiment with alternative social systems on a small scale; countries are so enormous that it is hard for an individual to make much difference. The world needs a place where those who wish to experiment with building new societies can go to test out their ideas. All land is already claimed -- which makes the oceans humanity's next frontier."

Sounds like a great idea, right?

After I saw this on the Blaze, someone from my church posted the Yahoo version of the article on the church facebook group with the comment, "What would a society look like with no laws or moral code?"

....another case of libertarians being misrepresented. UGH!!!

My response was "I think the Yahoo article misrepresented the Institute. I saw this on the Blaze and then went to their actual website. Nowhere do they say that they are opposed to laws; just overregulation and over-sized government. They even say, "We need to create the next generation of governance: banking systems to better handle the inevitable financial crises, medical regulations that protect people without retarding innovation, and democracies that ensure our representatives truly represent us."
Libertarians aren't opposed to laws; we're opposed to big and out-of-control government. The Seasteading Institute wants to be able to try small government from the ground up. I applaud them for that."

I really want to live on one of these things someday...

Music That Currently Makes Me Happy (Part 4)-Miscellaneous

Before we get to the final post in the "Music That Currently Makes Me Happy" series, did anyone see the GOP debate last night? I was unable to, though I was encouraged by an article that said that Ron Paul "was the crowd favorite."
Oh, the joys of being able to vote in the next election!! I can't wait.

We wrap up with miscellaneous music: two alternative songs and a soundtrack song.

First, Under the Milky Way by the Church. This guy's voice....oh...my...gosh. I love it. Just the title of the song makes me happy thinking about it. These Aussies are pretty awesome.




Next, Elephant Love Medley from Moulin Rouge. This song is SO BRILLIANT on so many levels. Baz Luhrmann took what on their own are sappy love pop songs and combined them into the medley, which is PERFECT for Christian and Satine in the movie. I hadn't even liked most of these songs on their own, but combined, they rock.



On a side note, this is a very cool video that someone made of the original songs in the medley against pictures of Satine and Christian.


Finally, Wonderwall by Oasis. You'll remember I've been obsessed with this song for quite a long time.
Still love it.




Honorable Mentions: Where the Streets Have No Name, (Pet Shop Boys version) Nara, (E.S. Posthumous) Test Drive, (How to Train Your Dragon soundtrack) Lucky, (Jason Mraz and Colbie Caillat) In Your Eyes (Peter Gabriel) and Come What May and Your Song. (from Moulin Rouge)

Unbelievable

Group Arrested for Dancing at the Jefferson Memorial

First, it's incredibly ridiculous that this court decision even exists. Dancing considered the same as picketing, marching and public speaking??!?
Second, people actually being ARRESTED for it?


Then, there's this: Jefferson's Love of Dance Himself.


I am shocked.

Nice Going, Big Brother

Tea Party Pictures

As most of you are probably aware, recently all over the country there were Tea Party protests of Obama raising taxes, emulating the Boston Tea Party. I recently received an email with some good pictures from them, and just had to share some of my favorites.

Why I Can't Travel Out of the Country for the Next Four Years (at least!)

((Reason 4,019: because it's too embarrassing with this president!!))

LOST: Because You Left, and The Lie

So.... I had planned to write a lengthy, ranty post about politics and the Obama administration the other night, but while I was writing, I got depressed about the whole bloody affair, so I quit. To see what disturbs me, you can visit the links to these two articles.


1. Guantanamo Shut Down; Relased Detainee Back to Confirmed Terrorist Activities
2. Our Taxes Will Now Support Abortions Performed World-Wide


But....on to happier matters.
It's late, I know, but....
Time to talk about LOST!!!!!! Warning, as usual, I give away LOTS and LOTS of spoilers.


First of all, theories:
*Daniel, when he was working on the Orchid station, wasn't supposed to be there. He was traveling in time.
*Pierre Chang's baby is MILES. (second place for my favorite theory)
*The baby (whoever it may be) may also imply that at that time, children conceived on the Island won't die. Maybe Daniel did something to mess with the potential energy and caused the childbirth problem.
*The compass that Richard gave Locke, is the SAME compass that John is supposed to pick when he was a child being questioned by Richard. Locke's going to give Richard the compass in the past so that Richard can find him as a child.
*The British soldiers may explain Widmore's line about how the Island has always been his. Maybe they have something to do with when Widmore actually controlled the Island.
*Desmond is special because "The rules don't apply to you." The rules mean that you can't change the past or the future. But if the rules don't apply to Desmond, it means he can change things.
*The Island moving around: if those marks on Mrs. Hawking's computer are places the Island has been, than that northern mark was how the polar bears got there originally.
My personal favorite: *Mrs. Hawking is Daniel's mother. (!!!) Like Dad said: "It's not like Daniel told Desmond to go find his mom because his mom makes great apple pie." That would also explain why Daniel would be so involved with Oxford.

I knew that Daniel would be an awesome character. And I think he's now my official favorite of the freighter folk and possibly one of my overall favorites. Though Miles is hilarious...and Charlotte has the awesome name...and Frank has the most fascinating eyes...Ack! They're all so interesting...but Daniel's my favorite of those four.

So...I wanted to leave you with the trailer for the next episode, (Jughead) but my internet was killed last night. It's functioning about as well as someone with pneumonia. That's also why there aren't any cool pictures up either...oh well. When the internet gets better, I'll add some.

I Think I Have a Thing for Dystopian Novels

First Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451, now Anthem by Ayn Rand.

I didn't exactly mean to read it all in one sitting before going to bed last night. It just sort of...happened. But I'm ahead of myself...

Yesterday Mom and I were on the way home from the Post Office and the library, and she said, "Ok, we're listening to Anthem." (backstory: Instead of doing book reports, Mom and I take turns choosing classics to listen to in the car and we discuss them.) So we did. And it was fascinating. It's written from the point of view of Equality 7-2521, a man part of a communist world. Everyone exists for the good of all. There is no individuality. The word "I" is non-existent.

I (Tasha) was hooked.

When I got home, I immediately scanned the library and found the paperback. That night, as already revealed, I read the whole thing. That's pretty special. Yes, it may be considered only a 'novella' by some, but I haven't read like that in a long time. It was...awesome. I almost cried when reading a lot of the parts with Liberty 5-3000. AND it had a happy ending. Well, not happy per se, but hopeful. Again, a lot like Fahrenheit 451. Not completely happy, but hopeful.

One note: at the end with all the ego parts, I disagreed with some of the conclusions that Ayn Rand came to, mostly because I'm a Christian and she was an atheist. Let me explain....

*here be spoilers*

At the end, Ayn Rand comes to this conclusion: "And now I see the face of god, and I raise this god over the earth, this god whom men have sought since men came into being, this god who will grant them joy and peace and pride. This god, this one word: 'I.'"

I (Tasha...) agree with Ayn Rand that individual freedom is indispensable and that the rights of "the many" should not be placed ahead of the rights of the individual, but I cannot agree that 'I' am a god. Only the Lord Jesus Christ can give me peace and joy. Only God can make us complete. Only the God of the Bible is God. He is the only great I Am.

*spoilers be over*

So to close: look upon that dark society well. Unless individual rights are embraced and protected (especially Second Amendment rights, but that's another topic for another time) we will become like that. Only part of a collective. A Borg lost in a sea of never-ending cubes. A slave to society. Never to be regarded as an individual.

"I guard my treasures: my thought, my will, my freedom. And the greatest of these is freedom." -Ayn Rand

Doom and Gloom is the Key Phrase Around Here

I really don't know what to say.

.

..

I have nothing to say, and yet everything to say.

...

....

Our country is doomed.

.....

......

I need a cup of tea. Or some chocolate. Reality has hit. Obama is our next president.

......

.......

I miss Ronald Reagan.

"Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction."

~

"A troubled and afflicted mankind looks to us, pleading for us to keep our rendezvous with destiny; that we will uphold the principles of self-reliance, self-discipline, morality, and, above all, responsible liberty for every individual that we will become that shining city on a hill."

~

"With regard to the freedom of the individual for choice with regard to abortion, there's one individual who's not being considered at all. That's the one who is being aborted. And I've noticed that everybody that is for abortion has already been born."

~

"Government is not the solution to our problem. Government is the problem."

~

"If a tax hike makes it to my desk, I'll veto it in less time than it takes Vanna White to turn the letters V-E-T-O!"

~

"The ten most dangerous words in the English language are 'Hi, I'm from the government, and I'm here to help.'"

~

"I hope we once again have reminded people that man is not free unless government is limited. There's a clear cause and effect here that is as neat and predictable as a law of physics: As government expands, liberty contracts."

~Ronald Reagan

Seeing Double?

Lots of random bits of information I'd like to impart because lately Cease Repining has been almost entirely lame... You can blame it on my acting classes and current projects. (Bookmark of Doom and Death Wears a Suit) There's been alot of work on both of these things. (headshots, mock auditions, and preparations for the showcase for the former; script editing, pre-vis photography, and induction of a new member of EJC on the latter)

But anyhoo....first off. You are not seeing double. We have another kitten.

Here's his story... For about a week, we had been seeing him every once in awhile at night. He'd meow and want food, so we'd feed him. We thought he was one of Mimi's wild cats. Because we'd always see him at night, Dad started calling his Nightcrawler. (X-Men fans? Anyone? Anyone?) So then a day came when our dogs were going nuts for no apparent reason. I went outside onto our porch and found him again almost freezing to death (slight exaggeration...maybe) because it was windy and cold that day. From that time on, we kept feeding him and bringing him into the house.

We know now that he is NOT one of Mimi's wild cats because he LOVES being petted and none of Mimi's cats will let anyone come near them. We figure someone dumped him.

That's the story of our pet life. Some....(what I wish to say should not be said in polite society) has always left his poor dogs or cats on the road or in a ditch to let them die. I hate it!! It makes me so mad that people would be so cruel and irresponsible. How hard is it to take them to Petco or an Animal Shelter? Ugh....

What's really nice is that now Charlie doesn't drive the older cats nuts. She has Nightcrawler to fight and play with. And believe me, they fight and play hard. It's funny; now all of our cats are in pairs. Rochilimea and Pseudomonis, (who are, incidentally siblings) Lucy and Figaro, and Charlie and Nightcrawler. (Slinker and Crawler, hee hee.)

Speaking of M. Night Crawler, (that's one of his other nicknames) I am mourning...for a sillyish reason.

Joaquin Phoenix is retiring from acting.

.....................................................................

I'm dead serious. I wish I wasn't. Apparently, the aquirance of his skills for playing Johnny Cash in Walk the Line inspired him to become a musician instead.

So, to start the mourning process, the other night I watched the Village which is one of my favorite movies. I SO want to do a spoof of that great scene where Ivy is holding out her hand and the creature almost gets her. That is SUCH a beautiful scene, yet still creepy. Ah well...maybe we'll have time to spoof it after principal photography of the two main projects.

***************

Final bit of news: Poll Results.

Is our country doomed?

Yes: 5 (55%)

No: 2 (22%)

*sigh* It depends on the election: 2 (22%)

I guess tonight we'll find out our fate.

New Poll and DOOM!

I'd like to put forth a question. Is our country doomed? With election day drawing closer and closer, a feeling of doom seems to have fallen on the GOP. Are we ready for four to eight years of Obama? I'm certainly not.
But in the midst of doom and gloom, light does shine.

Daniel 2:21: "It is He who changes the times and the epochs; He removes kings and establishes kings; He gives wisdom to wise men and knowledge to men of understanding."

Poll Results/Debate

Because of Sarah Palin are you more excited, less excited or the same about the upcoming election?
More excited: 6 (42%)
Less excited: 1 (7%)
No change: 3 (21%)
I'm never excited about elections: 4 (28%)

~*~

I don't care what the media says; Sarah Palin CREAMED Joe Biden in the VP debate. And, Biden just lied, and lied, and lied, which gave rise to our old joke. Mom asked, "How can you tell whether Joe Biden is lying?" I answered, "His lips are moving."
He even lied about the Constitution. He said that the Vice President has nothing to do with the Senate except vote when there's a tie. Well, it's true that the VP votes only when there's a tie, but it EXPRESSLY says in Article 1, Section 3 that the VP presides over the Senate in the same way as the Speaker serves as chairman of the House of Representatives. HA!
All right, I'm done....

No, I'm not...I LOVE Sarah Palin.

Now I am.

Recommended Websites

Ok, I found some really cool websites just now, so...I'm starting another one of my list articles.


Entertainment:
Andy Hunter (one of my favorite musicians; he's a genius!)
Arwen-Undomiel (great LotR site)
Chad Vader (awesome parody by Blame Society Productions)
Lostpedia (WAYYYY better than normal wiki for Lost information)
Spareoom (great Narnia site)

Other:

Amazon (great deals on books)
Christianbook (when you can't find it on Amazon, you can find Christian stuff here)
LaughLab (fascinating look into the psychology of humor)
Monologue Archive (YES! ACTORS NEED THIS!)
Picnik (the best free photo editor I've found)
Zazzle (triciakeierleber) (our business, political, Christian, and many more products!)

Speak LIBERTY!

With the election near at hand, I would like to put forth a wonderful website that my Dad found today.

Speak Liberty

After signing up for an email, the website shifts to a page for viewing downloadable handouts.
Here's an example: Which is better? Democracy or Republic?
Also, What's the Difference Between Liberty and Freedom?

Quotes: Glenn Beck

Since this week is turning out to be political week on Cease Repining, here are some quotes from one of my favorite political commentators.

"I am a conservative, but I am not a zombie."

"Good for you, you have a heart, you can be a liberal. Now, couple your heart with your brain and you can be a conservative."

"Political correctness doesn't change us, it shuts us up."

"Political correctness is going to be the death of us." -Glenn Beck

If Only I Could Vote

Only a few more years.....gotta keep telling myself that. This election is getting exciting. I love Sarah Palin! On all of the litmus test issues, she scores with flying colors. Plus, we now have the "politically correct" advantage of having a woman on the ticket. Beat that Biden.

Here's my blow by blow:
1. Palin is a member of the NRA

2. Palin supports a ban on abortion and advocates teaching creationism along with evolution

3. Palin is a Christian.

4. Liberal media: "Palin doesn't have enough experience." Pah! She's run a state for almost two years, Obama's run.......nothing. He was a senator. So don't go pointing fingers at us!

5. Liberal media: "What about Palin firing an official who refused to fire her sister's ex-husband??" Did anyone tell you that her sister's ex-husband was abusive! He was abusive, AND shot a stun gun at their child! Did any of those liberal tabloids tell you that??

6. Liberal media: "What about her husbands DUI?" People that was over twenty years ago...I like what Glenn Beck said: "The DUI arrest, by the way, happened at the same time that Barry Obama, otherwise known as Barack Obama, was snorting cocaine. I just wanted to point that out."

7. Liberal media: "She has a down-syndrome baby...how can she possibly manage her responsibilities as a mother AND vice president?" I'd like to ask what happened to the idea of the super-mom? Are you saying she has (to quote Glenn Beck) "To be barefoot at home with the kids?"

8. Liberal media: "What about her daughter's pregnancy?" If it were up to Obama, that baby would be killed. He's the one who said if the same thing happened to his daughters, "I don't want them punished with a baby." Palin's daughter is doing the responsible thing by keeping the baby.

I hope you see why I'm excited about Sarah Palin and I hope y'all are excited too.
To close, here is something I've posted before by Glenn Beck. I am PROUD to be an conservative! I will not apologize for my beliefs.

"A conservative believes that our inalienable rights do not include housing, healthcare or Hummers.
A conservative believes that our inalienable rights DO include the pursuit of happiness. That means it is guaranteed to no one.
A conservative believes that those who pursue happiness and find it have a right to not be penalized for that success.
A conservative believes that there are no protections against the hardship and heartache of failure. We believe that the right to fail is just as important as the chance to succeed and that those who do fail learn essential lessons that will help them the next time around.
A conservative believes in personal responsibility and accepts the consequences for his or her words and actions.
A conservative believes that real compassion can't be found in any government program.
A conservative believes that each of us has a duty to take care of our neighbors. It was private individuals, companies and congregations that sent water, blankets and supplies to New Orleans far before the government ever set foot there.
A conservative believes that family is the cornerstone of our society and that people have a right to manage their family any way they see fit, so long as it's not criminal. We are far more attuned to our family's needs than some faceless, soulless government program.
A conservative believes that people have a right to worship the God of their understanding. We also believe that people do not have the right to jam their version of God (or no God) down anybody else's throat.
A conservative believes that people go to the movies to be entertained and to church to be preached to, not the other way around.
A conservative believes that debt creates unhealthy relationships. Everyone, from the government on down, should live within their means and strive for financial independence.
A conservative believes that a child's education is the responsibility of the parents, not the government.
A conservative believes that every human being has a right to life, from conception to death.
A conservative believes in the smallest government you can get without anarchy. We know our history: The larger a government gets, the harder it will fall." -Glenn Beck