baseline politics

In politics, nothing happens by accident. If it happens, you can bet it was planned that way.

Franklin D. Roosevelt

what do you believe in?

When someone asked Jesus what the greatest commandment is, he replied,

“The most important commandment is this: ‘Listen, O Israel! The Lord our God is the one and only Lord. And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’ The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these” (Mark 12:29-31 NLT).

http://www.wnd.com/2013/08/a-second-look-at-the-ten-commandments/

you are what you eat

“If people let government decide what foods they eat and what medicines they take, their bodies will soon be in as sorry a state as are the souls of those who live under tyranny.”

Thomas Jefferson

Teddy's thoughts on immigration

"In the first place we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here in good faith becomes an American and assimilates himself to us, he shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed, or birthplace, or origin. But this is predicated upon the man's becoming in very fact an American, and nothing but an American...
There can be no divided allegiance here. Any man who says he is an American, but something else also, isn't an American at all. We have room for but one flag, the American flag, and this excludes the red flag, which symbolizes all wars against liberty and civilization, just as much as it excludes any foreign flag of a nation to which we are hostile...We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language...and we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the American people."

--Theodore Roosevelt, 1919

pissing enemies

It's better to have your enemies inside the tent pissing out, rather than have them outside the tent pissing in.

~LBJ

On the 2nd Amendment

Quotes on the Second Amendment

The Founding Fathers on the Second Amendment

"I ask, Sir, what is the militia? It is the whole people. To disarm the people is the best and most effectual way to enslave them."
George Mason
Co-author of the Second Amendment
during Virginia's Convention to Ratify the Constitution, 1788

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"A militia, when properly formed, are in fact the people themselves …"
Richard Henry Lee
writing in Letters from the Federal Farmer to the Republic, Letter XVIII, May, 1788.

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"The people are not to be disarmed of their weapons. They are left in full posession of them."
Zachariah Johnson
Elliot's Debates, vol. 3 "The Debates in the Several State Conventions on the Adoption of the Federal Constitution."

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"… the people are confirmed by the next article in their right to keep and bear their private arms"
Philadelphia Federal Gazette
June 18, 1789, Pg. 2, Col. 2
Article on the Bill of Rights

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"And that the said Constitution be never construed to authorize Congress to infringe the just liberty of the Press, or the rights of Conscience; or to prevent the people of the United States, who are peaceable citizens, from keeping their own arms; …"
Samuel Adams
quoted in the Philadelphia Independent Gazetteer, August 20, 1789, "Propositions submitted to the Convention of this State"

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The Founding Fathers on Arms

"Firearms stand next in importance to the constitution itself. They are the American people's liberty teeth and keystone under independence … from the hour the Pilgrims landed to the present day, events, occurences and tendencies prove that to ensure peace security and happiness, the rifle and pistol are equally indispensable … the very atmosphere of firearms anywhere restrains evil interference — they deserve a place of honor with all that's good."
George Washington
First President of the United States

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"The supposed quietude of a good man allures the ruffian; while on the other hand arms, like laws, discourage and keep the invader and plunderer in awe, and preserve order in the world as property. The same balance would be preserved were all the world destitute of arms, for all would be alike; but since some will not, others dare not lay them aside … Horrid mischief would ensue were the law-abiding deprived of the use of them."
Thomas Paine

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"To preserve liberty, it is essential that the whole body of the people always possess arms and be taught alike, especially when young, how to use them."
Richard Henry Lee
American Statesman, 1788

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"The great object is that every man be armed." and "Everyone who is able may have a gun."
Patrick Henry
American Patriot

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"Are we at last brought to such humiliating and debasing degradation, that we cannot be trusted with arms for our defense? Where is the difference between having our arms in possession and under our direction and having them under the management of Congress? If our defense be the real object of having those arms, in whose hands can they be trusted with more propriety, or equal safety to us, as in our own hands?"
Patrick Henry
American Patriot

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"Those who hammer their guns into plowshares will plow for those who do not."
Thomas Jefferson
Third President of the United States

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"The constitutions of most of our States assert that all power is inherent in the people; that … it is their right and duty to be at all times armed; … "
Thomas Jefferson
letter to Justice John Cartwright, June 5, 1824. ME 16:45.

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"The best we can help for concerning the people at large is that they be properly armed."
Alexander Hamilton
The Federalist Papers at 184-8

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The Founding Fathers on Maintaining Freedom

"The greatest danger to American freedom is a government that ignores the Constitution."
Thomas Jefferson
Third President of the United States

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"There are men in all ages who mean to govern well, but they mean to govern. They promise to be good masters, but they mean to be masters. "
Noah Webster
American Lexicographer

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"The people never give up their liberties but under some delusion."
Edmund Burke
British Statesman, 1784

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"What country can preserve its liberties if their rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance. Let them take arms."
Thomas Jefferson
to James Madison

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"They that give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."
Ben Franklin 
American Statesman

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Later Quotes on Gun Control

"The ruling class doesn't care about public safety. Having made it very difficult for States and localities to police themselves, having left ordinary citizens with no choice but to protect themselves as best they can, they now try to take our guns away. In fact they blame us and our guns for crime. This is so wrong that it cannot be an honest mistake."
Malcolm Wallop
former U.S. Sen. (R-WY)

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"An armed man is a citizen. A disarmed man is a subject."
Anon.
Seen on a bumper sticker

The Never List

• Joshua M Brown
• October 20th, 2013

Never sell a service or product that you cannot deliver. Never sell a service or product that the buyer doesn't absolutely need or love. Be essential or desired, not annoying and unnecessary.

Never work for someone who isn't as smart as you are. Or plan your exit the moment you figure out that you have learned all you can and that you are now the smarter one.

Never work for or with people with a lesser moral code than your own. Be aware of how your colleagues feel about doing the right thing. You should watch how they prioritize it. Once you determine that the moral failings of the people around you are systemic and indefatigable, it's time to get going. If you can fix a bad situation, by all means try. If you can't, reserve judgment and simply say goodbye.

Never work in a career that relies on opacity, obfuscation, rhetorical fallacy or sleight of hand. There are plenty of people who can do this sort of work, fooling their neighbors and customers or tricking them into transactions that aren't what's in their best interests - the key is to not be one of them. Those who engage in this sort of work are either sociopathic or trapped because of financial circumstances or too stupid to have thought the consequences of their career choice all the way through.

Never cut any corners, there is no such thing as a free lunch and everything has a cost, even if you can't see it right in front of you. Riskless reward is a desert mirage.

Never pursue something that you don't really want in the first place just because you think you have to. You don't have to and it won't work out anyway. Successful people become successful because they are doing what they love and have a talent for.

Never keep a bad client just because they're willing to keep paying you. Never allow a mismatched customer relationship to skew the way you do business or take care of your other clients. Never put off firing a customer the moment you realize there is a bad fit and that neither of you will be satisfied in the relationship. Life is too short to do business with unreasonable people or nice folks whom you just cannot make happy.

Never go through the motions. Find a psychologically rewarding way to go about your tasks, remind yourself constantly where the day-to-day drudgery of your job is leading. If it's leading nowhere or toward something you don't truly want, stop immediately. Don't spend a moment being busy for no good reason.

Never taunt others when things are going your way, people like dealing with gracious winners who raise others up with positivity. Never burden others with your problems when things are not going your way, the amount of mileage you'll get out of pity is minimal and people will go out of their way to avoid getting involved with you.

Never watch the clock or calendar. Have reasonable expectations for the timeline of your success. If you enjoy what you're doing and are going to work with purpose each day, then what's the rush? Only people who are doing something they hate are worried about how many dollars they can rip out of the endeavor right away.

Never believe for one moment that your path is already laid out for you or that you can't break away and find your own road toward happiness and success. Remember - Fate is the cards you're dealt, Destiny is how you play them.

refuge of politicians

“The first panacea for a mismanaged nation is inflation of the currency; the second is war. Both bring a temporary prosperity; both bring a permanent ruin. But both are the refuge of political and economic opportunists.”

– Ernest Hemingway, Notes on the Next War: A Serious Topical Letter

Fools Rush In

Proverbs chapter 18 verse 2 states

 “A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing his opinion.”