Storms Kill 13 in Eastern US

A series of violent storms left thirteen dead and more than three million without power, in the mideast and eastern United States, on Saturday.

Most of the deaths were caused by falling trees, though some were heat related.

Six were killed in Virginia, two in New Jersey, two in Maryland, and one each in Kentucky, Ohio and Washington DC.

The states of Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland and Ohio were joined by Washington DC in declaring themselves disaster areas.

It is expected to take several days to restore power to all those effected.

Mexican Elections Sunday

Nieto, Mota, Orbador

On Sunday Mexico will vote for it's new President, as well as many other positions in congress, the senate, governors, and local ones as well.

Former governor Enrique Pena Nieto is seen as the leading candidate, but it is still up for grabs.

Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador and Josefina Vazquez Mota are both seen as still having possibilities of winning.

Nieto formerly was the Governor of Mexico state, and belongs to the Institutional Revolutionary Party, which held power for more than seventy years, until 2000.

Obrador is the former Mayor of Mexico City and belongs to Party of the Democratic Revolution, and almost won in 2006. His campaign has seen a recent surge of support from students.

Mota, a businesswoman and former education secretary, belongs to the National Action Party, which currently holds the presidency.

A lot of focus has gone into how each candidate pledges to end corruption, work on the nation's poverty, and deal with the war on drugs.

At least 55,000 people have been killed in drug related violence, since the last Presidential elections, in 2006.

Mexico faces a population with more than one third below the poverty line, this whilst only having a 4.5% unemployment rate.

Morsi Sworn in as Egypt's President

Mohmaed Morsi was sworn in as Egypt's President on Saturday.

Morsi is the first freely elected President in Egyptian history.

He belongs to the Muslim Brotherhood, a party which until recently had been banned in the country.

The new President has very little actual power, as the military still controls all decisions until a constitution can be written.

In his inaugural, President Morsi took a conciliatory tone with the military, upsetting some supporters, but he also encouraged the military to speed the process towards establishing the rest of the new government.

Previously Morsi had been one of the most vocal opponents of any military involvement.

SCOTUS Refuses Stay: 9th Circuit Supports Voter Fraud

Several weeks ago, Arizona won on many provisions of Proposition 200, a state voter integrity law. However, one key provision of the law was qualified and restricted by the 9th Circuit Court. The 9th Appellate upheld the ruling on that one provision.

Arizona Secretary Of State Ken Bennett issued this official statement on June 28, 2012:

Supreme Court Rejects Stay

The United States Supreme Court has denied Arizona's request for a stay from the 9th Circuit Court's ruling that federal voter-registration law supersedes Arizona's voter registration requirements. Arizona filed the request in advance of the forthcoming appeal to the ruling in which the 9th Circuit struck down Arizona's requirement that residents provide proof of citizenship when they register to vote on the federal form.

The court fight stems back to 2004 when Arizona voters passed Proposition 200 which would help ensure that only US citizens vote in elections.

Those registering to vote in Arizona are required to prove citizenship by providing one of the following documents: a driver's license, passport, birth certificate, tribal identification or naturalization certification number. Voters seeking to register online must provide a driver's license number, where eligibility is verified through Arizona’s motor vehicle system.

"Today’s disappointing action by the Supreme Court seemingly flies in the face of the text of the NVRA which uses the term 'citizen' repeatedly," said Secretary of State Ken Bennett. "Arizonans clearly believe that people should provide proof of citizenship when they register to vote."

"There isn’t a corner of this state where people are not concerned with voter fraud and opposition to the simple act of providing proof that you are legally eligible to participate in our elections is hard to fathom. We look forward to the day when we'll make our case for fair and fraud free elections to the Supreme Court. Until then, we await the mandate from the 9th Circuit and will be working with the 15 counties as to a practical application."

The law requires voters to present valid identification at polling places in order to cast a ballot.

The law, however, does little to prevent absentee ballot fraud or Permanent Early Voter List (PEVL) fraud. Those ballots are cast via the mail or courier, usually in advance of the actual election date. However, voter fraud and perjury statutes apply to those ballots if deemed in violation. Anybody casting a PEVL ballot can be called to testify, in person, they cast that ballot. they can also be compelled by Arizona courts to demonstrate they are eligible to cast that ballot, if it should come into question.

To a law-abiding citizen, that makes sense and should not be a questionable issue. If you are doing the right thing, you have nothing to worry about.

The law also included provisions for providing proof of residency, eligibility, and citizenship when registering to vote. Those provisions are already in place when registering through the "Motor-Voter" act of 1993. Many other rights protected by both the US Constitution and the State of Arizona also require valid identification. The US Second Amendment is one such example. Arizona law requires a valid, government-issued ID card in order to carry a firearm. If you are an Arizona Resident (and a US Citizen), a state ID or Driver's License serves that purpose.

In the Supreme Court Decision Bush v Gore in 2001, the USSC determined that there is no constitutional right to vote in presidential elections. In fact, there are no provisions for a "right to vote" in the US Constitution at all. The US Constitution dictates that voter eligibility is determined by the sovereign states. Those determinations are restricted by several amendments in the US Constitution. However, within those parameters, the states determine who can vote in their states. Those parameters are dictated by the 14th Amendment, the 15th Amendment (no restrictions for race or condition of servitude), the 17th Amendment (changes election of senators to a popular vote), The 19th Amendment (no restrictions due to gender), the 24th Amendment (prohibition of poll taxes), and the 26th Amendment (minimum voting age set at 18).

However, the 9th Circuit Court stated  that Arizona cannot mandate proof of citizenship in order to register for federal elections, especially when using the federal voter registration form in lieu of the state registration form. This means that if somebody wants to fraudulently register, they just use the federal form instead of the state one. Under the decision, Arizona State election officials cannot ask for proof of citizenship. The court stated that by signing the self-verification affidavit on the federal form, they fall under federal perjury statutes. They claim that is enough to prevent voter fraud.

Please stop laughing. This is serious.

The "Motor-Voter" Act of 1993, further bolstered by the HAVA of 2002 (both of which Eric Holder violated in his attempt to stop Florida from cleaning voter rolls) mandate that the states complete audits of voter rolls removing ineligible voters no later than 90 days prior to an election. Ineligible voters are felons of a certain classification or higher (as deemed by state law), deceased, and non-residents. Read that last classification again. Non-residents are not eligible to vote. This is meant to keep people from voting from multiple states. If you move from Illinois to Arizona, you cannot vote in both states. You have to claim one as your legal residency. However, illegal immigrants are NOT legal residents of ANY state, as they are not legal residents of the US.

So, the 9th Circuit Court has ruled to impede Arizona from effectively auditing and maintaining a lawful voter registration roll. They are mandated to purge the rolls of non-residents, but are prohibited from verifying citizenship at the time of registration, if the registrant utilizes the federal registration form.

Proposition 200 does not prevent any lawfully eligible voter from registering and voting. In fact, it protects the votes of those eligible by insuring their ballots are not devalued by fraudulent ballots and registrations.

Arizona requested a stay of this ruling from the USSC pending a USSC ruling on the case. The 9th court of Appeals already stated the rest of the law is constitutional. The USSC denied that stay, leaving open the opportunity for fraudulent voter registration and voter fraud.

Original Post on Mental Aikido

Freedom Lost? Time to Fight For It!

Today our country faced one of the most obvious and blatant losses of freedom that it has ever faced. With the Supreme Court voting to uphold Obamacare, personal freedom is clearly shown to no longer be a guarantee of any branch of the US government.

Obamacare could not survive in it's original form as a pledge to help everyone, as the majority of Americans not only did not want it, but are against it. Over time it has become more and more clear how restrictive it is, and there are so many issues with the bill that they may not even have all been found yet. There are lesser known parts such as the ones allowing for mass euthanasia, if a doctor signs off on it. Dr. Kevorkian would move from murderer to hero.  The most obvious has been it's attack upon religious freedom. Obamacare requires religious institutions to do things that are against their belief systems Anything that interferes with religious freedom is entirely against the Constitution, that alone makes this health care bill illegal.

To get around things the administration started saying that it was a tax, and that is what the Supreme Court upheld it as. The US government is now forcing a tax upon an unwilling populace. Let's not forget that one of the tenets of the foundation of this country, one of the reasons rebellion from England occurred, was taxation without representation. The majority of US citizens are against this bill, probably even more when it's worded as a tax, as many of it's supporters were all about "free healthcare". How then is this a representative tax?

No, this country has been betrayed. First by the executive branch. Then by the legislative. Now by the judicial. The federal government has proven it's lack of respect for law and for the voice of the people. They've left the people and states with only the choice to fight back.

Individual states now have no choice but to utilize their rights as sovereign states and pass their own laws which block Obamacare in any form from their borders. The election this fall also became all the more extremely important. With the right people in office, it is possible for Obamacare to be repealed. It is possible to begin the move back towards regaining freedoms.

It is definitely the time to stop allowing the government to slowly take our precious freedoms away. It is most assuredly time to fight for the beliefs that the United States of America was founded on. This country was founded with unalienable rights which are listed in the Constitution and Bill of Rights. The time is now to remember those rights, to remember your rights, and what we are allowed and called to do to defend those precious freedoms.

Waldo Canyon Fire Burns as Many as 300 Homes

Since Tuesday afternoon the Waldo Canyon Fire went from 6,200 acres to over 18,500.

It has now claimed between two and three hundred homes, and forced the evacuation of at least 32,000 people.

The amount of damage it is causing is placing it as even more costly than the High Park Fire.

Strong, shifting winds caused the massive expansion of the fire.

Garden of the Gods and the nearby state parks remained closed due to threat from the fire, parts of the Air Force Academy have been evacuated as well.

Over 1,000 firefighters are battling the flames, containment is around five percent.

The Waldo Canyon Fire is but one of many fires burning in Colorado at this time.

Many other fires are also burning across the US, but more than half of the national resources are being committed to the Colorado fires.

President Obama is set to visit Colorado on Friday, and fly over the fires.

NCAA Football Playoff Plan Approved

The NCAA has approved a plan to eliminate the current BCS and install a playoff system.

In the new system will use a committee, instead of a poll system, to determine rankings.

NCAA basketball already uses a similar system for it's tournaments, and it was used a basis for the football version.

Said committee will select the top four out of all the NCAA football teams.

One and four will play each other as two and three do the same. The winners of each game will then continue to the playoff for the national title.

The games will be hosted at the Rose, Orange, Fiesta, and Sugar Bowls; with two more to be added.

2014 will be the first year of the playoff.

Review: Civilization V: Gods and Kings

Gods and Kings came out a week ago, and it's been a little disappointing. The first thing I noticed was that the game is slower, especially to load, and sometimes freezes up during combat. Can't blame my comp on this one, it's totally more than capable of handling ciV.

Whilst the religion has the intriguing ability to be different each time, depending on which beliefs you choose, I have yet to see the great sweeping religious wars that it could cause in cIV. Nor does it have the ability to bring about world peace, and victory if the entire world comes to your religion and you basically become super pope. For the most part the religion aspect of ciV seems mostly to be something else for you to have to worry about building in your cities, distracting from troops or buildings. So many of the supposed benefits are only possibilities rather than sureties, it's almost like playing the lottery, though the odds area a lil better than that. Be careful not to fall into the trap of building too many prophets, they cost a lot more than missionaries, but only have one more conversion ability.

The spies also have left me wanting a bit, as they really can't do all that much. O sure, now you can look inside a city to see what is being built, but you can't sabotage that in any way, so at most it gives you a little warning of a troop build up or a wonder nearing completion. If you're behind technologically your spy can steal techs (after a very long time), but if you're ahead they just sit there. The ability to effect a city state's voting outcome only really seems to be usable by the AI, as every time I've looked I only have a zero percent chance of achieving such a feat. Apparently the best thing my spies can accomplish is to let me know so and so is going to invade someone else, and then gain a lil favor with them if I send a warning.

Great leaders have significantly been changed, the addition of a Great Admiral being the most immediately obvious and helpful. I was very saddened though to see the changes to the Great Merchant, who can no longer start a golden age, leaving them only useful if there are city states in the world. Without city states present, they have no ability to do anything except take up space, so I was forced to use the delete unit button. The Great Artist has also been severely limited, due to the ability to culture bomb being taken away, which at least for me was it's primary use.

Moving to the one hundred point combat system seems to have been a brilliant move, which I am very happy with. Though I will definitely admit being annoyed by enemy units surviving at one percent health. I have definitely noticed an improvement in how the AI sends out it's armies, as well as in how it fights yours. Finally an AI that has some real tactics instead of just numbers.

The new civilizations seem to fit in well, and the Carthaginian ability to cross mountains isn't as alarming as it sounds. O yes, no longer are they safe boundaries if they're you're neighbor, but any Carthaginian units that end their turn on the mountain lose fifty health points. That eliminated my main fear (and hope) of them hiding up on the mountains, where I couldn't go, and pounding my units from above.

Boudicca and her Celts may be too powerful though, or it was just my luck of the draw. In my first Gods and Kings game I played as them, and the game was all too easy. The second saw my forces, and that of the rest of the world combined, unable to keep up with them. I'm in my third game now (as the Dutch), no Celts are present, and the world seems fairly well balanced without them in it. Hopefully I'm wrong, and the first two were just the way those games went. But I shall def be keeping an eye out for Celts showing up.

As I said I'm only in the third game of Gods and Kings, so maybe my opinion will change in the future, and if it does I shall be sure to let you know. For now though, I'll just keep hoping thing get better.

Cameron Confirms Avatar Movie Series

Back in 2010 James Cameron stated that he planned to see Avatar become a trilogy.

Now he has not only confirmed that, but announced he will start making the films this fall. Yes, films.

For Cameron making one at a time isn't enough. He plans on shooting Avatar 2 and 3, at the same time.

Nor does it seem a trilogy will be good enough, as he mentioned that there would at least be an Avatar 4.

Avatar 2 is set to come out sometime in 2015, with the rest to follow.

Cameron has stated that he only plans on making Avatar films for the remainder of his life.

The first Avatar grossed over two billion dollars worldwide, making it the all time leading dollar maker.

At this time only Sigourney Weaver has confirmed that she will be reprising her role in the films.

Battles Against Fires Continue in Colorado

At least nine fires are burning throughout Colorado at this time. Most have been burning for at least a week, with some having gone on for over a month.

The Chimney Rock Fire had been threatening homes on the north side of Cabezon Canyon, since it's start Monday, but latest reports have the fire completely suppressed.

Residents of the town of Elbert have been allowed back home, as the CR 102 fire, which started Sunday, reaches ninety percent containment.

Lightning started several fires near Boulder and Flatirons, firefighters hit them hard and quick due to the locations and only two are left. So far no evacuations have been ordered there, and hopes are to have the remaining two finished off tonight.

At over 87,000 acres the High Park Fire continues to burn since being started by lightning on the ninth. One person and 248 houses have been lost to the fire. Close to 1,900 personnel have it around fifty-five percent contained. Many evacuation orders are still in place to the northwest of Fort Collins.

Parts of Last Chance and Woodrow are no longer evacuated due to the Last Chance Fire's becoming one hundred percent contained. A car accident sent sparks into dry grass on Monday, and the fire quickly spread, burning 45,000 acres and four homes in less than twenty-four hours. Local residents were crucial in stopping the fire, using tractors to plow fire lines to halt the blaze.

Northwest of Pagosa Springs, the Little Sand Fire has reached over 22,000 acres. It started on May 13 and is only twenty-nine percent contained. Around two hundred personnel are fighting the fire, struggling against difficult terrain, and doing their best to keep it from spreading towards the town.

No evacuations have yet been issued for the three hundred acre Treasure Fire. The fire started Saturday, near Leadville, and is under investigation. It is considered to have been human made. Firefighters have it near ten percent contained.

Some of the 11,000 evacuations for the Waldo Canyon Fire were lifted on Tuesday, but the fire is getting closer to some homes in Manitou Springs and parts of Colorado Springs. Garden of The Gods and the surrounding area is still closed due to the threat. Six hundred personnel have reached five percent containment on the fire, which has burned over 5,100 acres and at least one home. The fire's cause is under investigation.

Four hundred personnel have reached fifteen percent containment on the Weber Fire near Mancos. Over one hundred homes have been evacuated, and several highways in the area have been closed to the public. Officials are investigating the cause of the fire, but it too is thought to have been set by humans.

Turkey Promises Retaliation if Syria Nears Border

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared that, "any military approach to the Turkish border from the Syrian side will be perceived as a threat and will be dealt with accordingly."

His speech came after Syrian forces shot down a Turkish jet on Friday.

The two countries have arguing stories as to whose side of the border the plane was on when it was fired upon.

Over the past year there have been several incidents of Syrian troops crossing into or firing into Turkey, as they chased or fired upon escaping refugees.

NATO  has pledged it's full support to it's member state Turkey.

Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen continued on to promise that the alliance would keep a close eye on all happenings near the border area, but also said that, "It is my clear expectation that the situation won’t continue to escalate. What we have seen is a completely unacceptable act, and I would expect Syria to take all necessary steps to avoid such events in the future."

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad let loose a defiant speech re-accusing the United States, Israel, Al Qaeda, and others of working together to take his country from him.

Big Ben's Tower to be Renamed After The Queen

Britain's Parliament has decreed that Victoria Tower shall be renamed to Elizabeth II Tower.

The decision came as way to honor Queen Elizabeth II during her Diamond Jubilee.

Elizabeth has served as Queen for sixty years.

Victoria Tower had originally been named King's Tower, but was renamed after Queen Victoria when she reached her own Diamond Jubilee.

The tower is part of the Parliament building, but is most famous for what is in the tower, Big Ben.

Many people thought that the renaming was happening to Ben, but Big Ben is actually the bell which is housed inside the tower.

A ceremony is being planned now, for the renaming, which Parliament and the Queen shall all attend.

USSC AZ SB1070 Decision: Impact on Border States

In Arizona v US concerning Arizona's SB1070 has spurned a lot of speculation. Both sides of the law have claimed a form of victory in the decision and opinions handed down by the Supreme Court.

The decision, majority, and dissenting opinions aggregate to seventy-six pages. All of them are partially dissenting, partially assenting.

Four provisions of the State Law came into contention. Three of the provisions were struck down on the sole concept of preemption. Federal Laws already on the books preempt state laws in regards to immigration. The US Constitution provides a clear clause in Article 1 Section 8 that states the Congress has the sole authority in determining naturalization and immigration laws.

This decision enforces the US Constitution's supremacy over state laws in accordance to Article 6 Clause 2 when used in application to the explicitly stated enumerated powers. Those who support the US Constitution as the supreme law of the land should support this decision, even though they approve of the state level law.

The court decision does little for or against the border states. The federal laws are on the books and should be enforced. States are allowed to enforce federal laws, but not allowed to change them. That makes sense. The question left hanging is can states sue the federal government for not enforcing their own laws.

The provisions struck down include the stipulation that Arizona made being in the country/state illegally a state-level crime. The violation already serves as a federal crime, no state level crime is necessary. The provision was merely to raise attention to the fact the federal courts and enforcement officials were refusing to do their jobs. Striking down this provision, in effect, does nothing.

Making it a crime to hold a job while in the country illegally is already against a federal law. State and federal laws targeting employers already exist as well. Striking down this provision also does nothing.

The one provision struck down that actually serves as a blow to the border states is the decision that state and local level law enforcement officials must grant 4th and 5th Amendment rights to non-citizens who are in the US illegally. No searches, seizures, or arrests without warrant are allowed to border states since they allegedly preempt federal laws.

However, the most contentious of the four provisions remained upheld. If somebody is stopped under suspicion of breaking another law, include during a routine traffic stop, local law enforcement officers can inquire citizenship and/or legal residency status. Any person detained must have such status verified before being released. If found in the country illegally, they can be referred to the US Federal authorities for prosecution. If the federal officials defer to prosecute, the state officials can prosecute and jail those personnel as appropriate, making the judgement fit the crime.

To an extent, the decision sends a message to border states. It tells them "you cannot defend yourselves". However, it also sends the message "you can enforce the federal laws, as long as you do so in accordance with those federal laws and include the proper federal authorities".

The best response border states can employ at this point is to ease up on Castle Doctrine laws. If somebody in a border state believes their property is being invaded, they should be allowed to defend their property, shooting on sight. Of course, I also advocate ranchers on the borders being allowed to own and employ M2 .50Cal machine guns to protect their sovereign property.

Mental Aikido: USSC Decision -- Impact on Border States

Nine Fires Burning in Colorado

Much of Colorado is covered in smoke as nine fires are now burning in the state.

The High Park Fire near Fort Collins, is still the largest at nearly 82,000 acres, but resources are being diverted from it to fight the others.

Colorado is facing a series of temps near or above triple digits, low humidity, and varying winds.

With already near five thousand firefighters fighting the various blazes, more are being sent from across the US.

The town of Manitou Springs was completely evacuated, due to the Waldo Canyon Fire.

In Estes Park twenty homes and another structure have been burned by the Woodland Heights Fire.

Parts of Elbert were evacuated due to a fire threatening the town, but hopes are that it will be fully contained by Monday.

Firefighters have fully contained the Springer Fire and all evacuees have been allowed to return home.

Near Alma, the Treasure Fire is not expected to grow much further as it is being pushed up a ridge that will put it above the tree line, where fires struggle to spread at all.

To the south of Durango, the Stateline Fire has destroyed a few structures.

Mancos is facing off the Weber Fire which has threatened homes, but so far hasn't been able to take any.

Concerns are that it will cut the highway which connects Cortez and Durango.

In the east, near Pagosa Springs the Little Sand Fire has been burning for over a month.

During the last few days it has started spreading at over 1,000 acres a day.

High Park Fire Expands as Containment is Lost

Containment dropped from sixty down to forty-five percent as the High Park Fire grew to over 75,000 acres.

High winds and temps in the hundreds helped fuel the blaze.

In some places fire trucks had to be pulled back or they would've been lost to the expanding flames.

Firefighters see no relief in sight, as the same weather conditions are expected to repeat over the next few days.

Over 1,900 firefighters backed by more than 130 engines, seventeen helicopters, and eleven aircraft have been battling the blaze.

So far the fire has killed one, burned nearly two hundred homes, and cost an estimated twenty-five million dollars, making it the costliest and most destructive in Colorado history.

The fight continues against the Springer Fire, though hopes are to have full containment by the end of Saturday.

It forced hundreds of evacuations as it burned over 1,100 acres. Around four hundred fifty fire personnel are involved in fighting that fire.

Another fire started Saturday, near Estes Park, when a cabin caught on fire, which quickly spread in the area.

Sixteen structures were quickly claimed by the new blaze, as it grew to around fifty acres.


Resorts and campgrounds in the area have been put on evacuation alert, but for now it seems to aiming straight at the town instead of them.


It's proximity to the town has made it a focus, and two helicopters and one tanker were switched from the High Park Fire to it.

Efforts are being made to eliminate this blaze by the end of Sunday.

High Park Fire Causes More Evacuations

With record heat striking Colorado, the High Park Fire has grown to nearly 70,000 acres.

Despite the heat, winds, and low humidity, firefighters reached up to sixty percent containment.

However, 733 more evacuation notices were sent out to areas that hadn't received them previously.

The fire has claimed one life and a total of 191 home.

Incident commander Bill Hahnenberg updated his statement that it could be months til the fire was completely contained to saying that they're aiming for July 15.

Over 1,900 firefighters backed by over 130 engines, seventeen helicopters, and eleven aircraft are battling the blaze.

So far the fire has cost an estimated twenty million dollars, making it the costliest in Colorado history.

Rabid Skunk Outbreak Continues

Since the beginning of June officials in Colorado have found a whole slew of sick or dead skunks with rabies.

So far twenty-two have been found in Larimer and Weld Counties.

Authorities have also found a couple rabid foxes this month.

Both the Weld County Department of Public Health and Environment and the Larimer County Department of Health and Environment have warned residents to be on the alert for dead animals, or for living ones acting strangely.


Rabies is a very contagious disease that affects the nervous system in it's victims.


It can also cause those sick with it to become violent.

Banning Children's Side Walk Chalk Art

A homeowner's association in Stapleton, Colorado has banned children from drawing on sidewalks.

According to Innovations and Courtyard Traditions the ban covers, "anything that offends, disturbs, or interferes with the peaceful enjoyment is not allowed on shared spaces".

And apparently a three year old's sidewalk chalk flowers are included in that.

The company says that they have received complaints from neighbors regarding the chalk, whilst the family says they haven't heard a thing.

Family members said they will continue to allow the little girl to continue drawing in a form of protest, until the ban is lifted.

Remembering: The US Constitution

Almost as soon as they were ratified the Articles of Confederation showed their weakness.

On May 25, 1787 a Constitutional Convention began in Philadelphia.

It took less than three months for the delegates to come up with a new constitution that allowed for a strong federal government, but established many checks and balances to restrain it.

The Constitution required that nine of the thirteen states ratify it, for it to become legal.

On June 21, 1788 New Hampshire became the ninth state to do so, and the new government was approved.

March 4, 1789 saw the beginning of the new government under the Constitution, with only eleven of the states having approved it.

North Carolina would do so in November 1789, whilst Rhode Island held out til May of 1790 and only did so under pressure from the other states.

The United States Constitution is the longest living constitution in the world.

This Is What Contempt Looks Like

The title is a paraphrasing of that phrase the Occupy crowd loves to chant to the point we ignore it. "This is what Democracy looks like!". Well, Sparky, you obviously failed your civics classes. Our federal government is not a democracy. We are a Republic. In fact, the US Constitution explicitly mandates that every state of the union and those seeking to join must demonstrate they have a republican form of government, not a democracy.

However, the democratic process our duly elected representatives to one portion of the bicameral legislative branch of our great republic has spoken. After deliberations, amendments to the order voted upon, with one approved, the House Oversight Committee has decided to go forward with contempt charges against Attorney General Eric Holder.

In earlier articles, I discussed Eric Holder's seeming disregard (and contempt for) Federal Voter Laws, such as the "Motor-Voter" Act of 1993 and the "HAVA" of 2002. He has also shown disrespect for state sovereignty in establishing voter integrity laws that support those federal laws, such as his suit against Arizona' voter integrity law. Furthermore, he demonstrated contempt for states who wish to bolster federal laws and assist in seeing them enforced with laws such as Arizona's SB1070 and similar laws in Georgia and Texas.

This order brings the vote to the general assembly of the House of Representatives. It is not a "guilty" verdict. It is more along the lines of a grand jury indictment. The charge of contempt is not the same as other charges some seek against the AG in regards to Operation Fast and Furious. It is more like a charge of impeding an investigation.

The committee has requested numerous documents in regards to the gun-walking operation. In addition, they requested documents in regards to Operation Wide Receiver that was conducted during the Bush administration. The majority of the documents requested still have not been turned over.

Holder, feeling the heat, attempted to negotiate a settlement on the night of June 19, 2012. He promised a portion of the documents. He showed up with none. He offered to give an oral summary. Given the "inaccuracies" he was caught uttering while giving previous testimony, the oral summary was out of the question.

The vote came down mostly along partisan lines. Some of the Democrats may have crossed the aisle had some of their proposed amendments passed the committee vote. None did.

The real star of the hearing was Representative Trey Gowdy of South Carolina. He presented perhaps the best non-partisan arguments in the debate. Representative Gowdy demanded all the documents from all gun-walking programs be brought forward. He stated that whoever the AG in charge was during the times of each should be questioned, to include Eric Holder.

The Democrats who attempted to defend Holder and oppose the order spoke mainly of intentions behind Operation Fast and Furious as investigations into how to reform gun sales in the United States. Translation, they claim it was an investigation meant to look for more ways to violate our citizens' Second Amendment rights.

That argument doesn't make any sense. How does intentionally giving weapons to criminals and terrorists who oppose our country supposed to bring reforms to how our citizens defend themselves? It doesn't.

One congressman even made a statement about AK-47 ownership in Arizona. He claimed that there is no reason to own one. He stated that an AK-47, an M-4, or an AR-15 does not fulfill the need for hunting or self-defense. Obviously this individual  needs to talk to the family of Robert Krentz, a rancher who was assassinated by a drug cartel.

The criminals will get these weapons, regardless of the laws. You cannot defend your family and property with a pellet gun if those trespassing, invading, attacking and destroying them are carrying PKMs. In addition, one lone rancher facing five to fifteen armed men is outnumbered and out-gunned with just a shotgun or a .45cal pistol. The US Supreme Court ruled that police do not have the responsibility to protect individuals or their property. In addition, the closest police station is up to an hour away on some southern Arizona ranches.

Instead of looking for ways to prevent guns that originate in the hands of lawful US gun dealers from ending up in the hands of foreign criminals, they should have looked into ways to track those already in their hands. They made a mistake. They used no methods to track the weapons. Such tracking methods  do exist and are effective. We have employed them in similar operations in other countries. However, this time were not employed. The weapons went, unaccounted for, to terrorists and criminals. The end result was the murders of over three hundred Mexican citizens, and at least one US Border Patrol Agent we know of, so far, Brian Terry.

The backpedaling involved an ulterior motive in recording how complicit the weapons dealers were in supplying the cartels. The issue with that claim is that the weapons' dealers agreed to assist the ATF and DoJ in this operation out of a sense of patriotism. They weren't caught breaking the law. They were asked to help the DoJ and ATF break the law. As the son of a former licensed gun dealer, I know the value in cooperating with the ATF when they ask for help. It can make necessary audits remain thorough but a lot less unpleasant.

The executive response to the hearing was to send some aid from the AG's office with a notice that Obama indicated he may seek executive privilege on the documents. The truth, even with that memorandum, is no such privilege had been invoked. Holder was in violation of the summons at the time the hearing took place. The alleged crime had already been committed.

The formal contempt vote is set to take place some time next week. Today, however, the contempt order (bill) on Holder passed with a vote of 23-17.

Still, Holder tries to obfuscate and stall investigations. In response, Holder made a statement that he handed over more than 7,600 documents already. Many of these were redacted to the extent that they no longer contained no information. It was also just a small portion of the documents requested. Unverified rumors also indicate that Obama will, in fact, invoke "executive privilege" in order to protect AG Holder.

This makes me want to review the case of US v Nixon. 

This is what contempt for our US Constitution looks like. It looks like Eric Holder.

Tulowitzki Gone Through August

Bad news for the Colorado Rockies as it has been announced that Troy Tulowitzki will be gone through at least August.

Tulowitzki has been having issues with his left leg for awhile, and now doctors have finally discovered the problem.

He will be undergoing surgery to remove scar tissue that is impacting a nerve in his left groin.

This marks the fourth injury, three of which were major, that the twenty-seven year old short stop has had since 2008.

For Tulo, there is a lot of relief in finally knowing what the problem is.

Hopes are that he'll return strong for next season, if not the end of this one.

Anheuser-Busch Trademarks 42 US Airport Codes

Anheuser-Busch has applied for trademarks on forty-two US airport codes.

The applications cost the company only $11,500.

They did not release their plans for the codes, but the guessing is pretty much all in agreement.

Most likely we'll be seeing an entire series of new beers from the company.

Each one named after, and only available at each airport.

Some people would likely make it a mission to have had each one, and if in bottles, to collect one of each.

It would be quite the coup for bragging rights, by the company.

Libyan Clashes Halted by Military

The military has successfully halted tribal clashes in Libya, that had been going on for a week.

At least 150 people were killed and over five hundred injured in the fighting.

Members of the Zintan and Guntrara tribes had been involved in a series of battles with the Mashashya tribe.

The violence began when a Zintan was allegedly killed by a group of Mashashya.

Libya's National Transitional Council has struggled to maintain peace between various tribes since it took power after the Gaddafi government was overthrown.

In just a few weeks the country is scheduled to hold it's first free election in decades.

Starbucks Announces First Tea Bar

Starbucks has announced plans to open a tea bar near it's Seattle headquarters.

The store will carry more than eighty varieties of loose-leaf tea, tea lattes, and iced teas, as well as packaged chocolates, infused sugars, honeys, and food similar to what the regular stores carry.

The company is hoping to expand it's Tazo brand of teas with shops such as this one.

Over the last year Starbucks has begun greatly expanding into other markets than their normal cafe.

Earlier this month, they bought a bakery chain in San Fransisco, with the goal of eventually only selling their own baked goods.

In March, they also opened up their first juice bar, with it's own set of food menu, after they began selling their own juices in November.

Meteor Shower Grounds Fire Fighters' Air Support

As over 1,900 firefighters fight the High Park Fire to the north west of Fort Collins, Colorado; others are fighting another fire to the west of Colorado Springs.

The Springer Fire started Sunday, and has over 1,100 acres near Lake George.

Around four hundred firefighters, five helicopters, and five aircraft had been nearing twenty-five percent containment today.

But then an object falling from the sky was reported near the area, causing a fireball on Badger Mountain.

It was followed by reports of several other falling objects being sighted nearby, though none so spectacularly.

Officials quickly grounded all aircraft, and are now saying that the objects are part of an unexpected meteor shower.

Holder Found in Contempt

The US House Oversight and Government Reform Committee has voted 23-17, deciding that Attorney General Eric Holder is in contempt.

Chairman Darrell Issa said, "Our purpose has never been to hold the attorney general in contempt. Our purpose has always been to get the information the committee needs to complete its work, that it is not only entitled to, but obligated to do."

Earlier in the day President Obama invoked executive privilege on documents that contain information on Operation Gunrunner, which Holder had been in charge of.

Some see the move by the Committee as a retaliatory response to Obama's.

On Tuesday night, Holder made an attempt to convince Issa not to move against him, offering up certain documents, but not all of the ones that the Committee had asked for.

Holder has been repeatedly questioned by the Committee, even since guns connected to Gunrunner were used to kill a US Border Patrol agent, in 2010.

The Committee originally asked for the documents in February of 2011, at which time the Justice Department denied anything existed. The denial was later withdrawn.

Leading Democrats in the Senate have accused the Republican led House Committee of only pushing the issue to hurt Obama's reelection campaign.

Republicans fired back by pointing to the obvious attempts to hide the information regarding the operation from the Committee.

Investigators have stated that much of the operation was illegal in nature, and any government officials found to have been involved could not just face firing or impeachment, but criminal charges as well.

Weapons involved in the operation have been linked to several other murders in the US, as well as hundreds, if not thousands, of murders in Mexico.

Jim Carrey Drops Out of Dumb and Dumber To

Last serious talks began about making a sequel to Dumb and Dumber, when Jim Carrey joined in on the idea.

The sequel was set to have a plot that was set in the now rather than taking place immediately after the first movie.

Director and cowriter Peter Farrelly had promised that all in between would have been explained.

Jeff Daniels, who had starred with Carrey in the original, had been wanting a sequel for a long time, but hadn't been able to push it forward on his own.

But now Carrey has apparently dropped out due to a "lack of enthusiasm" from the studio that was making it, New Line.

Without Carrey it is doubtful that the film will get anywhere.

High Park Fire Might Not Be Stopped For Months

Cooler weather today and an increase in humidity have helped firefighters get up to fifty-five percent containment on the High Park Fire in Colorado.

During the course of it's twelve day progress, to nearly 66,000 acres, the fire has killed one person, burned nearly two hundred homes, and has already cost more than fifteen million dollars.

Whilst only the second largest fire, in Colorado history, it is by far the most destructive and costly.

Over 1,900 firefighters backed by over 130 engines, seventeen helicopters, and eleven aircraft are battling the blaze.

Despite the good news of today, incident commander Bill Hahnenberg now says that the fire might not be fully stopped for months.

Summer has just begun, meaning warmer temperatures are ahead, and a lot of the terrain the fire is gaining in is extremely difficult to reach; the mix of which will only drag it's term out.

Another Meth Lab Found in a Walmart

Police in Mentor, Ohio arrested a man after Walmart security called them regarding a shop lifter.

Officers found that he was stealing merchandise and then making a form of meth, all whilst in the store.

The incident occurred less than two weeks after a very similar story took place in St. Louis, Missouri.

There two people were arrested when police were called about a shoplifter, and found them making meth.

In neither case were store employees involved.

Because of the extreme similarities police are warning Walmart and other stores to be extra vigilant for customers acting suspiciously.

High Park Fire Still Growing

Now in it's eleventh day, the High Park Fire is continuing to grow.

It has now burned nearly sixty thousand acres north west of Fort Collins, Colorado.

One person was lost to the fire, and nearly two hundred homes have been burned.

The weekends have calmed down, but temperatures have risen and humidity has dropped.

Smoke from the fire has affected air quality to the point that the Denver metro area was put under an ozone alert.

Around 1,800 fire fighting personnel are involved in trying to gain more than fifty percent containment.

They are being aided by over one hundred engines, seventeen helicopters, and eleven aircraft.

The High Park Fire is the most costly in Colorado history, nearing $15 million in damages.

West Virginia Top Democrats Won't Go to DNC

West Virginia's Democratic Party has announced that three of it's top members will not go the Democratic National Convention this year.

Senator Joe Manchin, Governor Earl Ray Tomblin, and Representative Nick Rahall will all be skipping the 2012 national convention in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Manchin has already publicly stated that he is unsure if he will vote for Obama, and has voted with Republicans on several big issues.

The senator said that he felt his time was better spent focusing on the people of West Virginia's future, rather than this single election.

Tomblin and Rahall have not given any sort of release as to why they aren't going.

Obama is very unpopular in West Virginia, having barely won the state primary against a convicted felon; he also struggled in Arkansas and Kentucky.

Microsoft's Surface

Microsoft has announced it's own tablet computer, Surface.

It is expected to take on Apple's iPad, and conquer a good chunk of the market for the company.

Surface will run on Windows 8, and is only 9.33mm thick, just big enough to fit a USB port.

An SD card slot will also allow further integration with your save information from other devices.

The 10.6", 16:9 screen has been designed to allow viewing from almost any angle.

It's screen intensity will auto adjust depending on the lighting situation.

Equipped with a kickstand, it also comes with a 3mm thick touch sensitive cover that can double as a keyboard, that attaches magnetically.

Not one, but two cameras are on Surface, so you can show either yourself or what you are viewing, without moving it around.

Dual microphones allow for you to sound like you are with the person you're talking to, and stereo speakers make it easy for you to hear.

The casing is top of the line technology to protect the tablet, as well as having a finish that is easy on the eyes and to your touch.

Surface will start off being available in five colors, with more expected to come.

Subway Adding Vegan Sandwiches

Subway restaurants are beginning their plan to attract even more people.

Locations in Canada had already begun selling vegan patties for their sandwiches.

Now locations in Maryland, Virginia, and DC will begin having three vegan sandwiches on their menus.

Vegans will have the three choices of; Sweet Riblet, Malibu Greek and Italian Black Bean.

Previously vegans had been limited to the Veggie Delight, which was just a salad on vegan bread.

Burger King Invading China

Burger King has announced intentions to begin opening locations in China.

They plan to open around 1,000 stores by 2020.

This comes just weeks after the chain announced a planned expansion into Russia.

In Russia they expect to open around 500 locations.

Last year, the company began opening an expected 200 locations in Brazil.

Teenage Ninja Turtles Delayed

Paramount Pictures has announced that the Teenage Ninja Turtles movie will be delayed til May 16, 2014.

It had been scheduled to hit theaters December 2013.

The movie has already taken a lot of heat with Producer Michael Bay's announcement that the turtles would be aliens, instead of mutants.

Bay has responded to the anger, over the change, by promising fans that it'll be worth it.

No word was given on why the delay was taking place.

This is the third movie to be delayed by Paramount, within the last few weeks. G I Joe Retaliation was pushed back nine months and World War Z about six.

50 Mph Winds Striking High Park Fire Area

Braced by winds reaching fifty miles per hour, Colorado's High Park Fire has reached over 55,000 acres.

Nearly 1,700 people, over 100 engines, seventeen helicopters, and eleven aircraft are fighting the fire.

Containment on the fire is nearing forty-five percent, and hopes are to maintain that if not improve upon it, despite the winds.


The high winds have caused near evacuations, and halted the planned returns.


Almost two hundred homes have been damaged or destroyed, and one person lost their life to the fire.

It is being called the most destructive fire in Colorado history, and has cost around ten million dollars.

Prince Nayef bin Abdulaziz, Dead at 78

Saturday Nayef bin Abdulaziz, the Saudi Crown Prince died of unknown causes.

A three day mourning period is expected to follow the funeral, on Sunday.

Bahrain and Kuwait have both announced a mourning period of their own.

It was just in October that he had been named heir to the throne.

Nayef had led the Saudi side of the war against Al-Qaeda, since 9-11.

His son, Prince Mohammed bin Nayef, will now be the Saudi lead in the war on terror.

Sometime in the next week a new heir is expected to be announced.

Remembering: Breed's Hill

June 17, 1775 General Howe orders his twenty-four hundred British troops up Breed's Hill against entrenched colonials.

General William Prescott ordered his militiamen to hold fire until they could see the whites of the British eyes.

At forty yards they unleashed, and broke the British ranks.

Howe ordered another wave forward, and the story repeated.

The third British wave came as the militia was running low on ammo, giving the British a chance to break into the outnumbered colonial line, and forcing the militia to retreat.

British forces chased them to Bunker Hill, and then gave up pursuit. The redcoats had suffered a loss of nearly one thousand troops including ninety-two officers.

Colonial forces may have lost the strategic position, but the battle only built their morale.

It was the last time that the British would attempt a purely frontal assault against American militias.

For some reason history generally remembers it as the battle of Bunker Hill, where the militia were chased to, rather than Breed's where it was fought. 

Yemen's Military Continues Advances Against Al Qaeda

After multiple successes earlier this week, Yemen's military continues it's gains.

The army moved into the town of Shuqra on Friday, the third city this week that they've taken back from Al Qaeda.

Al Qaeda had taken the towns, and others over the past year.

Things have changed though as Saudi Arabia began putting money into paying for US training for the Yemeni troops.

Saudi Arabia and the US were both concerned by the gains Al Qaeda had been enjoying, in their ally.

Parts of Yemen are still under Al Qaeda's power, but thousands of Yemeni troops are working hard to eliminate their presence.

Obama Halting Deportations

President Obama today announced that he plans on halting the deportations of nearly one million illegal immigrants.

His new presidential note, gives immunity to illegal immigrants who are currently under thirty, were under sixteen when brought to the US, have lived here for at least five years and graduated high school, and not have any felonies.

Very few have come out in support of Obama's move, even most Democrats have backed away from the issue, for now.

Many opponents of the move are pointing out the blatant circumvention of Congress, and therefore illegal nature of such a move.

Congress has repeatedly voted no on the so called dream act which would give immunity to many illegal immigrants.

Other opponents question how Obama can justify the move, whilst at the same time millions of citizens are out of work.

Even some illegal immigrant activists are wary of the move, noting that it is really only a memo, not an actual executive order.

They worry that it is simply just another empty promise from the Democrat party, in an effort to gain votes and support.

Hispanics voted nearly two to one for Obama, in 2008; but since then have becoming increasingly critical of his administration's lack of work towards any kind of immigration reform.

It is important to note that not all illegal immigrants come from Latino countries; they come from all over the world, of all different races and ethnicity.

Cain Throws Perfect Game

On Wednesday Matt Cain, of the San Fransisco Giants, forever put himself in the books.

He threw the twenty-second perfect game in baseball's history, and the first for the Giants.

With one hundred and twenty-five pitches, he managed a career high fourteen strike outs.

The game was saved on two occasions by great catches from his outfield.

In the sixth, left fielder Melky Cabrera made a leaping catch at the wall, and then in the seventh right fielder Gregor Blanco made a diving catch.

This was the second perfect game of the season, a feat which has only been done twice before; in the 2009 season, and then way back in 1880.

It also marked the fifth no hitter of the season.

Obama Skips on Food Bill

Obama is really regretting this mistake.

On Tuesday he compared Republicans to people who order the most expensive stuff, "and then, just as you're sitting down, they leave, and accuse you of running up the tab".

The analogy truly didn't make a lot of sense then, but then again, consider the source.

But then Obama made it even better.

Wednesday he took four guests out for lunch, and then he and the group left, without paying the bill.

The White House paid off the bill about an hour later, but the damage was done, as the word had reached the press.

Obama's face painting was shown to be directly into a mirror.

Saudi Arabian Women Petition to Drive

Over six hundred women in Saudi Arabia have signed a petition to King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz.

The petition asks the king to make a law allowing women the right to get a driver's license and drive vehicles.


King Abdullah will receive the petition on Sunday, and many expect him to allow it.


Aziz is thanked, in the petition, for previously granting voting rights to women.

Women will get their first votes in the 2015 local elections.

Spanish Miners Launch Rockets at Police

Miners in Spain have been striking for over three weeks now.

They have been protesting austerity cuts that the government has begun.

Over the last few weeks they've clashed with police and the Spanish Civil Guard.

At times, police have used rubber bullets and tear gas to force rioting miners to back down.

But now things have escalated as the miners began launching home made rockets at the police lines.

So far no one has been seriously hurt, but things are becoming increasingly dangerous, with talks of bringing in the military to end the strike.

Remembering: The 49th Parallel

In 1818 British and US delegates agreed upon a border from Lake of the Woods to the Rocky Mountains, along the forty-ninth parallel.

They further agreed that the Oregon territory would be a jointly occupied area, shared by the two countries.

But by the early 1840s Oregon was filling up with US citizens and pressure was rising.

In the 1844 election, James K. Polk ran and won on a ticket of promising to deliver the fifty-fourth parallel as a border for the west, or he would fight.

Luckily very few wanted a third war between Britain and the US, so negotiations started again.

On June 15, 1846 the two countries agreed upon the extension of the border along the forty-ninth parallel, all the way to the Strait of Georgia.

The border between the US and Canada was now secure all along its length. It has almost ever since been the longest unmilitarilized border in the world.

High Park Fire Jumps Containment

Thursday saw the High Park Fire, in Colorado, jump containment lines and grow to over 52,000 acres.

Firefighters had been using Highway 14 as one of the containment lines, but embers crossed and the fire gained a foothold to the north of the lines.

The spread caused eighty more homes to be sent evacuation notices.

So far the fire has killed one and  destroyed one hundred and eighteen structures, many of which were homes.

Over 1,200 personnel are now fighting the fire, many from out of state, with that number expected to be 1,500 by the end of Friday.

Despite the jump, total containment is up to around fifteen percent.

The fire was started by lightning, Saturday morning, and is the largest in the country. It is nearing Colorado state records.

Remembering: The Bear Flag Republic

By 1846 the scene in California was extremely tense.

Most of the population, of the northern most part of Mexico, was made up of citizens from the United States.

The situation became even worse with rumors of war between the US and Mexico, over whether Texas could join the US.

In the spring of 1846, John C. Freemont, an officer in the US Army, began encouraging Californians to form militias and prepare for rebellion.

It is unknown if he did so on his own initiative, or under orders.

Either way, his encouragement worked, and on June 14, 1864 the revolt began bloodlessly.

The next day a flag was designed, and California was declared an independent country.

After the militias won a few small battles with Mexican forces, Freemont took command of their troops.

Rebellion spread, gaining more and more cities, but on July 7, a separate group of US troops raised the US flag over California territory.

The Bear Flaggers ultimate goal had been to join the US, and so they ended their own government to join the US as a territory.

In 1850 California would join the US as a state, bringing the Bear Flag with them.

Remembering: Old Stars and Stripes

On June 14, 1777 the Continental Congress approved a flag for the fledgling United States.

It was based on the Grand Union flag, which had been originally made by Betsy Ross.

Legend is that George Washington asked her to make it, to his specifications.

The flag was made with thirteen stripes and thirteen stars to represent each of the colonies.

At first, each time a state joined the country a star and a stripe were added.

It was in 1818 that Congress added a law that changed it to changing just the stars, and the amount of stripes was reset to thirteen to represent the original colonies.

Now, June 14 is known as flag day, in the US.

Remembering: Alexander The Great

In 356 BC, one of the most influential people to ever live was born.

Alexander, son of King Phillip II of Macedonia and Queen Olympias and taught by Aristotle, would become known as The Great well before his death.

At the age of sixteen he was leading troops in his father's army, and by eighteen helped his father conquer Greece.

Phillip was assassinated in 336 BC, and Alexander took the throne.

Two years later he invaded Persia, facing superior and larger forces, Alexander simply out maneuvered and used extremely efficient strategy to beat his foes, never losing a single battle.

By 330 BC all of Persia and Asia Minor had been made part of his empire, and by 327 northern India and much of Central Asia as well.


As he went he founded cities and spread Greek culture, political structure, and economics.

In 326 his army refused to continue, they were simply tired of fighting and wanted to go home.

Whilst back in Babylon, building a fleet to return home, Alexander became ill, and on June 13, 323 BC Alexander the Great died.

He had never declared a successor, and his only child was yet unborn.

By 322 his army and empire had split into factions, who constantly tried to conquer each other.

Much of Taiwan Under Water

Many areas of the island of Taiwan, including the capital Taipei, are under water.

Torrential rains have caused flash flooding, bringing knee to waist high standing water in some areas.

At least four people have been killed in mudslides in the hills.

More than 3,000 people have been forced to evacuate.

Rains continue to plague the island and may not stop til Thursday evening.