Biden @ Lyco and Palin @ Bowman Field

Today was an awesome day. I went to hear Joe Biden speak with passion and then geared up for the Palin visit. Before I go into anything, I want to point out how ironic it is that Palin was speaking at the stadium used by a team called the "Cross Cutters." Take what you will from it, but I find it rather ironic.

The Biden rally was much what I expected it to be, and I saw many people there I had no clue supported Obama but wasn't surprised that they did. We didn't wait long, It was inside, and it was nice and toasty. It was a cozy environment full of hope. Several hundred people showed up, old, young black white, latino, christian, jew, muslim, the whole shebang. Everyone was local and many people knew each other and talked about how uplifting the experience was and of course a lot of Philadelphia Phillies talk. Biden didn't bash Palin or McCain and instead explained positions and offered clear plans. The Palin event couldn't have been more different.

First off, they had to hold it at Bowman field because they bussed in people from State College, Lewisburg, Lock Haven, Mansfield, and Bloomsburg. Then people would exclaim how McCain would win the election and of course cause Palin lured thousands from Williamsport come out, yet Biden had only several hundred. Seriously, that's your deductive thinking? Biden's visit was last minute, Palin's was planned. And if you don't believe me that's your fault for not going to both, the difference was clear.

I didn't go into the stadium, because, let's face it - I have a temper and I don't play well with Hard-Right Neo-Cons. But a lot of people from the Biden Rally actually did, to hear first hand the Palin message of hate and to give her a chance to talk to them. Nobody I talked to who went to both came away voting for McCain. By all accounts of independant voters I talked to ( granted were not many the event was one big Bible hugfest) Palin spent most of her time attacking Obama and Biden instead of dealing directly with issues.

The saddest part of the whole experience was the vile hatred towards us. There were grade school children with us who were subjected to many vulgar words, hateful words, people yelling about Obama being an Arab or Muslim, claiming a right to life means a raped woman who is not christian must succumb to christian values and have the baby. Many well to do folk who told us to go to Russia and to enjoy a socalist USA and many, MANY rednecks who told us to: "go to fu#$ing hell" "you're a bunch of f#@king losers" "god hates you fag loving hippies" "you're going to f&^king hell." Mind you there were children present everywhere. There were people driving by rolling down their windows yelling "baby killer" and giving us the finger. WHO GIVES THE FINGER TO AN 8-YEAR-OLD GIRL?!?! Then three people tried to steal our coffee, doughnuts, signs, and sign making materials and when we chased after them, they dropped everything but threw the coffee and kicked the bags, yelling how it was on the ground and therefore open game. The man called me a "fu*&ing piece of shit" and a "ni&&er lover" and challenged me to fight, boy did I want to. We did have several people apologize for the behavior of many of the flock and say while they disagreed with our positions, that we still had our right to be there and we shouldn't have to deal with vulgarity and verbal abuse.

This is exactly the problem with McCain/Palin. They offer up nothing but hatred and division while telling people they must pay taxes on $5000 the gov will give you, meaning here's $5000 now pay us $300 to $600 in taxes, which by the way can't come from the $5000 we're giving you. I read the McCain plan, that's exactly how it works. And here's a catch, it will be considered income, which violates MANY tax laws. It can NOT be considered income. That's what the GOP ticket is running on: FEAR AND HATRED. I can't wait for Obama to win. And let us not forget that this nation was founded on RELIGIOUS FREEDOM, which means freedom for muslims, jews, athiests, satanists, EVERYONE! Not just CHRISTIANS!!

Follow Up On State Representative Race

The blog linked therein is my blog. If you read the blog I state how I heard some information about Dave Huffman and then RESEARCHED the information. I have the document that shows he beat his wife and if I could find it, anyone with even a passing knowledge of the internet, the ability to receive a fax, and the knowledge to use a telephone ( with long distance I might add ) can find it also. I will scan a copy if someone wants to see it, but they must give me a verifiable name, address, e-mail and listed telephone number. thos are my rules, if you don't want to follow through, you don't get the document.

Furthermore, Dave Huffman blindly voted no as a school board memeber, and has stated numerous times with vigor about how he will vote no anything with a tax increase. He also talks about abortion as an issue. It's NOT AN ISSUE FOR STATE REPRESENTATIVES! The legality of abortion comes from the federal government. The State is limited to requiring providers to provide information about gestation and such to a woman interested in obtaining an abortion. Dave Huffman also talks about his support of the 2nd amendment. This again is a mute issue. As we have recently seen with District of Columbia v. Heller, the Constitution and the Supreme Court unequivocally established and continue the right to bear arms. All the states are allowed to do is provide the legal process to obtain arms. 5 day waiting period, computer background check, whatever hoops are created the right remains and will not perish.

These two issues, which Dave Huffman consistently tries to reinforce, have more to do with trying to get voters to vote on percieved emotional and cultural values, than having voters vote on who is best suited to represent them in the 83rd District. Rick Mirabito, from everything I've heard him say, has no opposition to guns and LEGALLY it doesn't matter if he is or isn't, so this means that Dave Huffman's attempts to bring the issues of Abortion and the Second Amendment to bear is his only recourse in getting the voters to ignore the fact that he is unable to lead, has no valuable experience, does not own property in the District, does not hold a job, and who's own party leaders privately have no confidence in his ability to be a State Representative.

He abused his wife, he intimidated Retirement Home Residents, he intimidated Pennsylvania College of Technology Students, he misleads the 83rd District voters, his campaigners use unethical tactics in print media as well as removal or obstruction of posted campaign signs, he is a free-loader with no verifiable employment, has no familial ties to the 83rd District even going as far as holding a political fundraiser in is father's town well outside of the 83rd District, yet he claims to be TRULY Invested in the community. He can't even come up with his own slogan? Anyone notice Huffman came out with the whole "Truly" addition to a slogan Rick Mirabito has used as a foundation of HIS campaign? You don't even have to look very hard to see the subversion that thisman's life is all about

My plan to fix the Big Ten and save College Football

Here is my plan for the Big Ten:


Logo



1. Change the Name to the Big Tens Conference
2. Add 9 teams:

Syracuse - Big East
Notre Dame - Big East
Rutgers - Big East
West Virginia - Big East
Pittsburgh - Big East
Marshall - Con USA
Maryland - ACC
UConn - Big East
Iowa State - Big 12

3. Split into two divisions:

Western Division

Minnesota
Iowa
Wisconsin
Northwestern
Illinois
Purdue
Indiana
Michigan
Michigan State
Iowa State

Eastern Division

Ohio State
Penn State
Syracuse
Notre Dame
Rutgers
West Virginia
Pittsburgh
Marshall
Maryland
UConn

4. Add a Conference Championship Game

Each team plays 14 games a year. Two conference rivals that you always play: PSU - Mich, Wisc; OSU - Mich, Mich State; Mich - PSU, OSU etc. and then they play the rest of thier conference with one of four teams rotating out over four years: OSU - Marshall, Maryland, UConn, Rutgers; PSU - Marshall, UConn, Syracuse, Rutgers; etc.
Two non conference games at the beginning of the season one must be a mid-major or higher.

August
Week 1 Non-Con 1

Sept
Week 2 Non-Con 2
Week 3 Conference Game 1
Week 4 Division Game 1
Week 5 Division Game 2

October
Week 6 Conference Game 2
Week 7 Division Game 3
Week 8 Division Game 4
Week 9 Conference Game 3

November
Week 10 Division Game 5
Week 11 Division Game 6
Week 12 Conference Game 4
Week 13 Division Game 7

December
Week 14 Division Game 8
Week 15 Conference Championship Game


Here is an example of what could be the 2012 season using the 4 most watched teams:

Penn State 11-3

1 Southern Florida W
2 Navy W
3 Iowa State W
4 @Syracuse W
5 Notre Dame L
6 @Michigan W
7 West Virginia W
8 @Maryland L
9 Wisconsin W
10 @Rutgers W
11 UConn W
12 @Mich State W
13 Ohio State L
14 @Pittsburgh W


Ohio State 12-2
1 Troy State W
2 Army W
3 Michigan L
4 @Pittsburgh W
5 Wisconsin W
6 @Mich State L
7 Syracuse W
8 @Marshall W
9 Illinois W
10 @West Virginia W
11 Notre Dame W
12 @Iowa W
13 Penn State W
14 @Maryland W

Michigan 11-3

1 Southern Miss W
2 Air Force W
3 Ohio State W
4 @Purdue W
5 Northwestern W
6 @Penn State W
7 Minnesota W
8 @Iowa W
9 Notre Dame L
10 @Wisconsin L
11 Illinois L
12 @West Virginia W
13 Mich State W
14 @Iowa State W

Notre Dame 11-3

1 San Diego State W
2 Stanford W
3 Mich State L
4 @West Virginia L
5 Penn State W
6 @Indiana W
7 Maryland W
8 @Syracuse W
9 Michigan W
10 @UConn W
11 Ohio State L
12 @Purdue W
13 Pittsburgh W
14 @Rutgers W


All four teams would end up ranked in the top 15, all playing in big bowl games, and the Big Tens Conference has the best strength of schedule ahead of the SEC.

The Local State Representative Race

I definitely blog in Williamsport, about Williamsport, FOR Williamsport! I moved to Williamsport about 6 years ago and I have been consistently disappointed with the political landscape here. Why is it that a Republican Mayor is so scared about party politics that he endorses a Republican candidate for State Representative who beat his wife and had a restraining order against him? This makes no sense, I wasn't able to vote in the primaries but on the Republican side I liked Rebecca Burke and I'm hoping that she comes public and endorses Mirabito!

Do the owners all of these houses I pass with Dave Huffman signs out front know what kind of person Dave Huffman REALLY is?! I'm a republican and a christian and I can not in good conscious vote for a coward who physically and verbally abused his wife!
When I heard about Dave Huffman's past I didn't believe it at first, but then I did my own research and was astonished at what I found. Dave Huffman owns no property in Lycoming County, is UNEMPLOYED, is a Domestic Abuser, and is NOT a Christian in action, only words. Not to mention, he has repeatedly stated that he will never vote for a tax increase which in today's economic situation is an ill-advised and ignorant position to take. How can an underfunded education system rely on someone who will blindly vote no at every chance he can? I'm not talking about paying teachers, but FUNDING EDUCATION! You cut a property tax to give the taxpayer relief, then you need to use a tax increase somewhere else to maintain education funding!

The biggest problem I have is the subterfuge being used by those who Dave Huffman has surrounded himself with in this election. Charles Messner, Jamie Gilbert, Jason Fetter, and Michael Fetzer have been making statements in the virtual newsroom and/or letters to the editor as though they are just casually interacting with Dave Huffman when in all reality they are campaigners for Dave Huffman. Isn't that kind of subterfuge, while legal, not very ethical? I would assume that they know of Dave Huffman's past transgressions and have still chosen to support him. As far as I can tell Dave Huffman is a slightly unstable, unethical, and ignorant little man and he and his supporters should be held accountable to their actions.

And Mr. Fetter, next time you choose to not teach your Pennsylvania College of Technology class and have Dave Huffman in to substitute for you, make sure you accept responsibility for him telling students to vote for him like he did this past April. I had friends who were in those Marketing classes.

Please vote for Rick Mirabito, a man who won't beat his wife, who will not intimidate people in a retirement community, who will not intimidate college students, and who will NOT blindly vote NO simply because a tax is presented.

Rant on the Issues

Let's look at issues that are so ever present in the current political landscape. I encourage democrats, republicans, independents, catholics, christians, muslims, jews, atheists and everyone else to approach the issues on a LEGAL and CONSTITUTIONAL level.

Abortion:

Legally, and if I am wrong then someone needs to show me the CONSTITUTIONAL LAW that says otherwise, a person is either Human or a corporate entity. On the HUMAN side of things, one is not a Human until the moment of BIRTH. Therefore, from a constitutional point of view and unborn child is NOT a Human and therefore are not afforded any rights of a Human. No matter what your religious or moral viewpoint, the LEGAL status of Humans is as such and anyone who would argue otherwise is simply instilling a religious or moral viewpoint on an issue that is a LEGAL one. With that being said, I do not favour nor do I support abortion. Personally I would not be for it, but I will NEVER tell another HUMAN that she can not get an Abortion especially if she's been raped or is in a medical emergency. From a constitutional standpoint Abortion is and shall always be legal and I dare say that no state can make a law providing for it because it would violate the United States Constitution. I suppose you must place my position as being liberal when in reality it is simply a constitutional position.

Affirmative Action:

Affirmative action is constitutionally illegal. It gives a preference based on race, sex, or other category. To give a preference to one group over another when it comes to race, sex, religion, age, etc is ridiculous and unconstitutional. I would even go as far as to say that the age of majority and the age of consent should be one and the same and the age should be placed at 14, meaning you can vote, drink, smoke, what have you at age 14. It would eliminate 14-year-old kids getting off with 4 years of detention and being tried as an adult for adult actions. We are going through a reversal of times. Years ago people were wed at very young ages for many different reasons; life span, religious views, necessity, etc. People were wed at onset of puberty through arranged marriage. There is no reason to prolong childhood into our adult years. Back to Affirmative Action, if a company does not hire a proportionate number of women, african americans, seniors, what have you, then they could be subject to going before a court to explain why that is such and the person or persons who feel they have been prejudiced against need to prove how. If a woman sued a lumber company for not hiring her because she was a woman, I would have a hard time finding in her favour. She would have to prove that she was physically able to do the job. I'm sorry but if you can DO a job, then you should be allowed to DO IT. If you are physically, mentally, or found inadequate in another aspect for a specific job, THEN YOU SHOULDN'T BE IN THAT PROFESSION! A person should be hired only on his or her merits and qualifications. The legal system exists for those who have been screwed over by corporate prejudice.

Gay Marriage:

Once again, I urge everyone to look at this from a strictly legal sense. Marriage is a LEGAL and FINANCIAL agreement between two HUMANS. To say that marriage is only for a man and a woman and is for the protection of FAMILY is not only religious bigotry and hatred, it is unconstitutional. The problem is that it needs to be fought in each and every state. It violates the United States Constitution. Gay marriage at the time of this writing is legal is California, Massachusetts, and Connecticut. Again, if I am wrong someone prove me wrong with CONSTITUTIONAL LAW. If it's legal in one state, i.e. made LAW in Cali., Mass., and Conn., then it MUST me ratified and recognized by the rest of the states and territories, MEANING same sex marriage is technically legal in every municipality in the United States. Let's not forget about the whole idea of making laws based on age, sex, race, or sexual orientation!

Gun Ownership:

Self-defense and providing for food. That's what gun ownership is about. I can do both with an automatic weapon, but I can do it better with a double pump shotgun or an AR15 with 3 round burst. I don't feel that a private citizen should be allowed to own a fully automatic weapon. That should be for the military and the military alone. The police should not be allowed to use weapons that civilians cannot use, so I feel that while private citizens should not be allowed to own a fully automatic weapon, if the police can than private citizens should. If you don't want to hunt, do hunt, but do NOT tell others that they can't. While we're at it, if a burglar tries breaking in, I'm shooting him or her, once they enter my house without proper warning. And proper warning shall be understood as if you come into my house with out my permission I have every right to shoot you. I should NOT have to tell someone to NOT come into my house. This goes for police as well as private citizens.

Teaching Family Values, Sex Education, Creationism, and allowing Prayer in School:

Family Values: No
Sex Ed: Yes
Creationism: No
Prayer: No
Notice anything? The "No's" are all issues that have to do with religion and morality. You shouldn't teach something in public schools that is based on a religious or moral viewpoint, especially when public school children have many diverse backgrounds. Now if you have a religious viewpoint and do not wish that your child learn how to protect itself from STD's, understand puberty, understand date rape, pregnancy, or a myriad of other valuable tools, then you sign a waiver your child brings home before instruction can begin. You can't teach family values when the idea of family values varies so greatly from family to family, even ones within a shared religious set. Creationism is NOT science and has to carry with it a belief in a Christian God, therefore being biased towards a group based on a religious or moral viewpoint. Now, if you wish your child to learn creationism, teach him or her on your own or in your religions educational program. Prayer should NEVER be a mandatory part of ANY PUBLIC AFFAIR. There should not be a prayer to open a session of congress, to open a sporting event, or any other circumstance except a religious service or event. It is offensive to anyone who is not Judeo-Christian to be made to worship along with others or to endure worship of something that very may well be against your own religious viewpoint. Now I understand this might be hard to understand for those who are Judeo-Christian, which is part of my point. Imagine being a Judeo-Christian and going to a basketball game and having to listen to a prayer to Allah or hearing a reading on how the players should play with the Buddhist Principles of the Eightfold Nobel Path of Enlightenment. I'm pretty sure you would be beyond uncomfortable and you should not have to be subjected to that. Nor should anyone else, so pray on your own or before or after the event on your own. Heck give your shout out to your god or gods while you play I don't care as long as you don't violate the rules of the game or taunt or make fun of another person's religious or moral beliefs.

Death Penalty:

As I mentioned earlier, a Human is born and as such a human dies. That death should ALWAYS be natural, save accidental death. If someone murders another, depending on the circumstances, that person should spend as much time in prison or a mental care facility until it is deemed that person can return to a life outside of a cell. It is not only cruel and unusual punishment, but one can not expect to be and enforcer of inherent rights if one takes those rights away. Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness may not be taken away for taking someone else's life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Pretty simple, maybe someday the rest of the world can figure that out.

Drugs and the War on said Drugs:

Marijuana should be legal. Not because I am a pothead, I'm far from such. It's a naturally occurring substance, not man-made, and therefore should not be regulated for personal use. While I agree that adults should be allowed to use alcohol, marijuana, tobacco, etc., I think that it should be unregulated except for health reasons, non smokers can laugh, but hear me out. Cigarettes should be made free of chemicals and additives and a health warning be on all packaging. Cocaine, meth, opium, etc should be illegal because they can easily kill someone who is not knowledgeable enough or could mishandle the drug, i.e. everyone other than herbalists, chemists, doctors, and the like. Not only should the war end against marijuana, we should go after the other drugs with a vengeance while offering programs to those who wish to end their addiction to tobacco and/or alcohol. The use of weed for medicinal purposes should negate every ridiculous law outlawing it's use, possession, and consumption.

The Patriot Act:

The Patriot Act violates constitutional rights. The Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001 (Public Law 107-56), otherwise known as the USA PATRIOT Act, is an American act which was signed into law by President George W. Bush on October 26, 2001. It was renewed on March 2, 2006 by the Senate and on March 7 by the House. President Bush signed the renewal into law on March 9, 2006. Unfortunately provision 213 allows for the "surreptitious search warrants and seizures upon a showing of reasonable necessity and eliminates the requirement of Rule 41 of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure that immediate notification of seized items be provided." Also, many people do not know that the owner of the property or person identified does not have to be told about the search. There is an extra special clause that allows the Director of the FBI to ask for the phone records of a person without EVER notifying the person and if the company does not provide said documentation fines, or worse can be imposed. For things other than Phone Records the person or property owner must be notified, but not necessarily before the search occurs. THEN you have Section 215, which allows the FBI to secretly obtain a warrant from the United States Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court for library or bookstore records of anyone connected to an investigation of international terrorism or spying. Many parts of the Patriot Act are not needed at all and in fact are illegal. It allows law enforcement to infringe upon freedom of speech, freedom of the press, basic human rights, and the right to privacy. THE WORST PART: section 215 allows government investigators to gain access to personal records such as financial, medical, telephone, internet, student records, and/or library records, simply on being "relevant for an on going investigation concerning international terrorism or clandestine intelligence activities," rather than probable cause as the Fourth Amendment of the CONSTITUTION provides.

And so for now I will go lay down and let my mind wander as I drift off to sleep.