Freedom Lawyers of America

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Friday, April 30, 2004

misc

Canadian MMJ users reject gov's product
----------
Canada.com
   "Nearly a third of the patients who got marijuana through Health
   Canada's medical access program have returned the product, says an
   activist who sees that as proof that federal pot isn't worth
   smoking." (4/30/04)
http://www.free-market.net/rd/298228403.html

Zurich gov buys brothels in failing attempt to 'clean up' city
----------
SwissInfo
   "The authorities in Zurich are buying brothels in the city's
   notorious red light district, Langstrasse, and converting them
   into housing as part of efforts to clean up the area. But while up
   to 20 'salons' have been forced out, the number of prostitutes
   working the streets continues to rise." (4/29/04)
http://www.free-market.net/rd/293207407.html

Sheldon (Shelly) Waxman,
Writer/Lawyer/Independent Contractor Specialist
PURCHASE MY BOOKS AT WEBSITE
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posted by FLoA # 4/30/2004 03:39:15 PM

Amen on the no national borders--we are all human beings

Get rid of all socialistic benefits, except my social security--now that I am getting it. Also do not cancel my wife's disability payments or any other government scam I can get my hands on.

Now get to work on Gunner.

posted by FLoA # 4/30/2004 03:28:53 PM

Thursday, April 29, 2004

Iraq

What's going on there reminds me of "The War of the Jews" by Josephus. Striking parallels. Rome/USA--Jews/Muslims

Sheldon (Shelly) Waxman,
Writer/Lawyer/Independent Contractor Specialist
PURCHASE MY BOOKS AT WEBSITE
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posted by FLoA # 4/29/2004 03:30:10 PM

We Know How Sprm Ct Will Rule Don't We

Government seeks to quash medical marijuana exception
Liberty For All

"The government wants to roll back the decision by a federal appeals
court that the prohibition on marijuana is unconstitutional when used
to prosecute people who use it medicinally. Tuesday the Justice
Department asked the Supreme Court to review the Ninth Circuit Court
of Appeals ruling in Raich vs. Ashcroft. ... The government contends
there should be no medical exceptions to the federal anti-marijuana
laws." (04/29/04)

http://www.libertyforall.net/2004/may9/Prosecutions.html
Court martial in Iraq
CBS News

"Last month, the U.S. Army announced 17 soldiers in Iraq, including a
brigadier general, had been removed from duty after charges of
mistreating Iraqi prisoners. But the details of what happened have
been kept secret, until now. It turns out photographs surfaced
showing American soldiers abusing and humiliating Iraqis being held
at a prison near Baghdad. The Army investigated, and issued a
scathing report. Now, an Army general and her command staff may face
the end of long military careers. And six soldiers are facing court
martial in Iraq -- and possible prison time." (04/29/04)

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/04/27/60II/main614063.shtml

Sheldon (Shelly) Waxman,
Writer/Lawyer/Independent Contractor Specialist
PURCHASE MY BOOKS AT WEBSITE
http://thelawyer.info/ OR Call Iuniverse toll free 1-877-823-9235

posted by FLoA # 4/29/2004 09:19:28 AM

Wednesday, April 28, 2004

Yeh, I'm Tired of the Change Too

Louisiana to stay on daylight savings time?
----------
The Advertiser
   "There would be no turning back of clocks next fall in Louisiana
   when most states go off daylight savings time, under the Slidell
   Republican's House Bill 291. Louisiana would become the first
   state to go permanently on daylight savings time, known as 'war
   time' when it was first put into practice by the federal
   government during World War II." (4/28/04)
http://www.free-market.net/rd/572882629.html

Sheldon (Shelly) Waxman,
Writer/Lawyer/Independent Contractor Specialist
PURCHASE MY BOOKS AT WEBSITE
http://thelawyer.info/ OR Call Iuniverse toll free 1-877-823-9235

posted by FLoA # 4/28/2004 03:51:40 PM

misc

Missouri tracks scofflaws through pizza delivery databases
    USA Today

"It's dinnertime, and you're hungry and tired, so you pick up the
phone and order your favorite pizza. But you might have just landed
yourself a lot more than pepperoni and cheese. If you owe fines or
fees to the courts, that phone call may have provided the link the
state needed to track you down and make you pay." (04/27/04)

http://tinyurl.com/yrygo

-----

Marijuana convict won't face drug testing
    MAPINC

"Citing an Oakland case's precedent, a federal magistrate in San
Francisco refused Monday to order drug testing for a Sonoma County
man who has been freed from federal prison camp to appeal his medical
marijuana conviction. ... Convicted of marijuana cultivation, Keith
Alden was sentenced in December 2002 to 44 months in federal prison,
but he went free April 1 after a panel of three 9th Circuit judges --
citing the Raich ruling -- ordered him freed pending an appeal of his
conviction. He's the first person released from prison due to the
ruling." (04/26/04)

http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v04/n640/a09.html

-----

Shooter goes out with a bang
    Yahoo! News

"Friends of a champion Irish clay pigeon shooter have fulfilled his
dying wish by packing his ashes into shotgun cartridges and blasting
his remains over firing ranges around the world. Shooting enthusiast
Tony Mullan made the request before he died at Easter aged 63 after a
year-long illness. 'Tony said 'I want to go out with a bang and it's
up to you guys to help me,'' said Willie Hughes, Mullan's best friend
and shooting partner of 20 years." (04/27/04)

http://tinyurl.com/2cn5r

Sheldon (Shelly) Waxman,
Writer/Lawyer/Independent Contractor Specialist
PURCHASE MY BOOKS AT WEBSITE
http://thelawyer.info/ OR Call Iuniverse toll free 1-877-823-9235

posted by FLoA # 4/28/2004 07:50:10 AM

Monday, April 26, 2004

Looks like we are going into the final stages of despotism and socialism

Patriot Act gaining in popularity?
----------
Seattle Times
   "[T]he [USA Patriot] act suddenly has emerged as a
   cornerstone of Bush's re-election campaign, while
   Democratic rival Sen. John Kerry and others have toned
   down their criticism. The Patriot Act is proving to be
   more popular in opinion polls than once expected ..."
   (4/26/04)
http://www.free-market.net/rd/862714502.htmlIRS gives state tax thugs names of "tax shelter abusers"
----------
Capital Times
   "The U.S. Internal Revenue Service has given the Wisconsin
   Department of Revenue the names of more than 300 firms
   and individuals suspected of being involved in abusive
   income tax shelters. .... In addition, the IRS supplied
   3,500 names to California officials. .... The new list
   of possible tax cheats comes at a time when [WI] state
   government may be facing a $277 million budget gap ..."
   (4/26/04)
http://www.free-market.net/rd/840780596.html
Austria turns toward socialism in presidential election
----------
BBC
   "Opposition candidate Heinz Fischer has been elected
   Austrian President -- the first Social Democrat to hold
   the largely ceremonial post since 1986. .... During the
   campaign Mr Fischer .... stressed his commitment to
   Austria's neutrality and to the country's welfare
   state." (4/25/04)
http://www.free-market.net/rd/832449603.html
Virginia woman loses suit over SSN use
----------
The Daily Press
   "A Hampton [VA] couple's attempt to disassociate themselves
   from their Social Security numbers because of their
   religious beliefs was dealt a legal setback ... when a
   judge convicted Leslie Carmichael of driving without a
   valid license." (4/24/04)
http://www.free-market.net/rd/798014292.html

New Hampshire busybody wants state troopers to stop more drivers
----------
SeacoastOnline
   "[NH] Assistant Safety Commissioner Earl Sweeney says ....
   '[I]f you ride around for eight hours and you're
   observant that you should find somebody to stop every
   hour or two.' .... He said troopers should hand out more
   tickets for stop-sign and solid-line violations, and
   make more stops for missing a license plate, rolling on
   bald tires or not showing brake lights." (4/26/04)
http://www.free-market.net/rd/838560385.html

Rhode Island nannies to tie youth driving to other behavior?
----------
Boston.com
   "[RI] State lawmakers are considering a bill to cut down on
   school truancy. The bill would give Family Court the
   authority to suspend a student's driving privileges if
   the juvenile has skipped school. Authorities also could
   act on a driver's license for certain behavior, such as
   possession of cigarettes or alcohol ..." (4/26/04)
http://www.free-market.net/rd/850212260.html

Oregon doctors nannied on obesity prevention
----------
Oregon Statesman Journal
   "The Oregon Medical Association's ruling House of Delegates
   urged doctors to take a more aggressive stance on
   preventing obesity. .... 'This epidemic is real, hits
   very close to home and threatens the health of not only
   this generation and future generations, but also our
   entire health care system and our economy,' said Dr.
   James Unger ..." (4/26/04)
http://www.free-market.net/rd/852542492.html

Sheldon (Shelly) Waxman,
Writer/Lawyer/Independent Contractor Specialist
PURCHASE MY BOOKS AT WEBSITE
http://thelawyer.info/ OR Call Iuniverse toll free 1-877-823-9235

posted by FLoA # 4/26/2004 03:42:42 PM

Monday, April 19, 2004

misc.

Zero tolerance school policies finally raising alarms
----------
Houston Chronicle
   "As schools across the nation have attempted to crack down on
   violence and danger ... they also have increased the number of
   offenses for which children can be sent to discipline schools,
   suspended, expelled, ticketed or even arrested. A growing body of
   evidence suggests that these efforts have gone too far." (4/18/04)
http://www.free-market.net/rd/773082104.html

U.S. Congress to investigate claims Saddam bribed UN
----------
Independent
   "An American congressional panel will begin hearings this week
   into charges that Saddam Hussein bribed officials around the world
   with billions of dollars from the United Nations' oil-for-food
   programme." (4/19/04)
http://www.free-market.net/rd/777692794.html

Illinois town rankles pols with tax-collection refusal
----------
Chicago Sun-Times
   "[T]he Village of Rosemont, the northwest [IL] suburb housing the
   stadium [Allstate Arena], ... refuses to charge event-goers an
   amusement tax that has been in effect countywide since 1997." That
   means county officials have not had their pockets filled as they'd
   like; the legal battle is ongoing. (4/19/04)
http://www.free-market.net/rd/769271411.html

Nevada police on record-setting shooting pace
----------
Las Vegas Review Journal
   "Police officers in Southern Nevada have shot and killed five
   people since Jan. 1, putting local police agencies on pace to
   exceed the nine fatal officer-involved shootings last year and the
   record-setting 10 fatalities in 2002. There have been seven
   officer-involved shootings altogether this year, but weapon-
   wielding suspects in two cases survived." (4/19/04)
http://www.free-market.net/rd/760829113.html

Sheldon (Shelly) Waxman,
Writer/Lawyer/Independent Contractor Specialist
PURCHASE MY BOOKS AT WEBSITE
http://thelawyer.info/ OR Call Iuniverse toll free 1-877-823-9235

posted by FLoA # 4/19/2004 05:13:33 PM

Thursday, April 15, 2004

Fw: Happy tax day, USA; Yee's cleared, but muzzled

Sheldon (Shelly) Waxman,
Writer/Lawyer/Independent Contractor Specialist
PURCHASE MY BOOKS AT WEBSITE
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----- Original Message -----
From: "Free-Market.Net"
To:
Sent: Thursday, April 15, 2004 11:11 AM
Subject: FND: Happy tax day, USA; Yee's cleared, but muzzled

> FREEDOM NEWS DAILY
> ------------------------------------------------------------------
> Please forward this to anyone who might enjoy FND. To join or
> leave this free list, click to: http://free-market.net/news/
>
> Freedom headline news:
> 1- Happy tax day: it took longer to file this year for many
> 2- IMF warns U.S. deficit threatens world finance
> 3- Iraq violence means U.S. military breaks deployment promises
> 4- Verichip pushes chipping people to use firearms
> 5- U.S. to get domestic spy agency?
> 6- UT senator Hatch says USA Patriot only rankles the "fringe"
> 7- Ethics complaint filed against Kennedy aide over memo
> 8- U.S. Army drops charges against Yee, but silences him
> 9- Iraqi politicians "an obstacle" to U.S. occupying force
> 10- Dallas company uses creative data-mining to find state nonpayers
> 11- Western Amerinds file claim for 20+ million acres of U.S.
> 12- CIA had pilot-school alert; failed to act
> 13- U.S. gov squashes privacy rights for sensitive drug testing
> 14- Largest U.S. bureaucracies communicate worst
> 15- Gov critics say management is FBI's problem
> 16- Some question harsh penalties for breaking CAN-SPAM
> 17- Most Wisconsinites are sheep on taxes
> 18- Cali fire protection: choose between people and environment
> 19- Houston gov mulling privatized parking meters
> 20- Colorado CLU sues drug thugs
> 21- Arizona university gets athletics welfare tax
> 22- Detroit mayor's prayer vigil doesn't quell crime
> 23- Indianapolis busybodies crack down on private signs
> 24- Bin Laden offers Europe a terrorism truce?
> 25- UN envoy proposes "caretaker" gov to transition Iraqi gov
> 26- Kiwi police get DNA-swiping okay
> 27- Aussie Prime Minister to meddle in teen's sex change treatment?
> 28- Canadian prime minister the "prince of pork"
>
> Freedom commentary:
> 1- April 15: a day of moral shame
> 2- Book review: "Liberation by Oppression"
> 3- The power of language and the language of power
> 4- Bush is a piker at manipulating science
> 5- The truth about freedom
> 6- Fixing a broken tax system
> 7- April 15: the American citizen's final exam
> 8- Five reasons you don't owe income tax, dammit!
> 9- The new neutrality
> 10- Dangerous minds: Hernando de Soto
> 11- Time to take another look at teacher certification
> 12- The FSP's unique role among libertarian organizations
> 13- A taxing meditation
> 14- FASB stumbles stock options
> 15- Social Security and taxes
> 16- Parental rights and the pledge
> 17- Dominion and stewardship: believers and the environment
> 18- Hubris and nemesis
> 19- "It's so simple, it's ridiculous"
> 20- Feeling a draft
> 21- How our government evolved
> 22- Private promises, public priorities
> 23- Rolling democratic dice in Iraq
> 24- The media and power
> 25- Warning: eating can be hazardous to your health
> 26- Hybrids in carpool lanes: a nonstarter
> 27- A national ID card won't make us safer
> 28- Protest is not terrorism
> 29- Robin Hood, friend of liberty
> 30- Why I love the IRS
>
> Freedom movement news:
> 1- Guidelines for creating a new institute
> 2- ISIL 2004 world conference
> 3- 2004 summer seminars in political economy
> 4- Shoots from the Grassroot Institute, 4/14/04
> 5- Iraq quiz
>
>
> 1- Happy tax day: it took longer to file this year for many
> ----------
> Fox News
> "The [U.S.] government estimates that the average taxpayer
> filing a typical tax return with itemized deductions and
> income from interest, capital gains and dividends, has
> to spend 42 minutes more than last year doing the math
> and paperwork. The total estimated time to finish these
> common forms is 28 hours and 30 minutes." (4/14/04)
> http://www.free-market.net/rd/271362037.html
>
> 2- IMF warns U.S. deficit threatens world finance
> ----------
> Newsday
> "Uncontrolled U.S. budget deficits would pose a serious threat to
> global prosperity in coming years as rising interest rates depress
> economic growth in the United States and around the world, the
> International Monetary Fund warned ..." (4/14/04)
> http://www.free-market.net/rd/270131615.html
>
> 3- Iraq violence means U.S. military breaks deployment promises
> ----------
> Salt Lake Tribune
> "The Pentagon has extended orders for 450 Utah combat engineers
> whose yearlong tour was to have ended this month, breaking a
> pledge to all GIs when they were deployed to Iraq last year."
> (4/15/04)
> http://www.free-market.net/rd/325783398.html
>
> 4- Verichip pushes chipping people to use firearms
> ----------
> Wired
> "A new computer chip promises to keep police guns from firing if
> they fall into the wrong hands. .... The technology is the latest
> attempt to create a so-called 'smart gun' and could be marketed to
> law enforcement agencies within a year ..." And of course, there's
> talk of legislation mandating chips for firearms owners. (4/14/04)
> http://www.free-market.net/rd/261739365.html
>
> 5- U.S. to get domestic spy agency?
> ----------
> San Francisco Chronicle
> "Revolutionary changes in the nation's counterterrorism efforts --
> including creation of a new domestic spy agency -- are among ideas
> receiving serious consideration from members of the commission
> investigating the Sept. 11 attacks." (4/15/04)
> http://www.free-market.net/rd/266430838.html
>
> ---------- LOOKING FOR SPANISH LIBERTARIAN BOOKS ONLINE? -----------
> Look no further -- the Hispanic American Center for Educational
> Research (HACER) has listings and links in their library. They also
> publish or reprint many excellent Latin-American commentaries in
> English, Spanish, and Portuguese.
> http://www.free-market.net/rd/740209835.html
> --------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> 6- UT senator Hatch says USA Patriot only rankles the "fringe"
> ----------
> Salt Lake Tribune
> "Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, says the USA Patriot Act is an
> excellent weapon against terrorism that rankles only those on the
> political fringes. .... But at a hearing of the U.S. Senate
> Judiciary Committee ... opponents from across the political
> spectrum voiced concerns that parts of the act are eroding civil
> liberties ..." (4/15/04)
> http://www.free-market.net/rd/343186788.html
>
> 7- Ethics complaint filed against Kennedy aide over memo
> ----------
> CFIF
> "The Center for Individual Freedom ... filed an ethics
> complaint ... against Olati Johnson, the former aide to
> Senator Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) who wrote the ... memo
> urging the Senator to delay consideration of a judicial
> nominee in order to manipulate ... the outcome of the
> University of Michigan affirmative action cases ..." (4/13/04)
> http://www.free-market.net/rd/282184572.html
>
> 8- U.S. Army drops charges against Yee, but silences him
> ----------
> Seattle Post-Intelligencer
> "The Army dismissed the final, minor charges against Capt. James
> Yee ... tossing out the last thread of an espionage case that once
> tied him to a prison holding suspected terrorists but which later
> unraveled. However, the victory for Yee ... will be a silent one.
> ... [T]he Army handed Yee an order gagging him from speaking
> publicly about the case." (4/15/04)
> http://www.free-market.net/rd/276813543.html
>
> 9- Iraqi politicians "an obstacle" to U.S. occupying force
> ----------
> Washington Times
> "Iraqi politicians are playing a growing role in blocking U.S.
> commanders from unleashing fatal force on insurgents. In the most
> glaring example, Adnan Pachachi, a Sunni member of the U.S.-
> appointed Iraqi Governing Council, insisted to American
> Administrator L. Paul Bremer that Marines cease their attacks on
> insurgents in Fallujah so he could initiate talks." (4/15/04)
> http://www.free-market.net/rd/356840923.html
>
> 10- Dallas company uses creative data-mining to find state nonpayers
> ----------
> SEMissourian
> ACS Inc. is a company that works with states to increase
> collections of fines and fees. One of their methods of finding
> individuals relies on buying databases from other companies,
> including pizza delivery lists and magazine subscriptions.
> (4/14/04)
> http://www.free-market.net/rd/610246066.html
>
> 11- Western Amerinds file claim for 20+ million acres of U.S.
> ----------
> Rocky Mountain News
> "The Cheyenne and Arapaho tribes of Oklahoma filed a claim
> ... for 27 million acres given to the tribes in a 19th
> century treaty but said they would settle for 500 acres
> to build a casino in a symbolic return to Colorado." (4/15/04)
> http://www.free-market.net/rd/355340723.html
>
> 12- CIA had pilot-school alert; failed to act
> ----------
> Toronto Star
> "In August, 2001, George Tenet and his deputies at the CIA were
> given a briefing paper labelled 'Islamic Extremist Learns to Fly'
> about the arrest days earlier of Zacarias Moussaoui -- but they
> did not act on the information. The incident was one of a string
> of glaring intelligence failures at the CIA ..." (4/15/04)
> http://www.free-market.net/rd/353770236.html
>
> 13- U.S. gov squashes privacy rights for sensitive drug testing
> ----------
> Fox News
> "As soon as next year, the [U.S.] federal government will overhaul
> its drug-testing program for certain highly sensitive government
> jobs and begin requiring hair, saliva and sweat tests along with
> the urine checks. .... [T]he government says employees in highly-
> sensitive jobs must be clean -- a mandate that outweighs their
> privacy rights." (4/15/04)
> http://www.free-market.net/rd/348278752.html
>
> 14- Largest U.S. bureaucracies communicate worst
> ----------
> GovExec.com
> "The Defense and Homeland Security departments, two of the
> largest federal agencies, did a relatively poor job of
> relaying clear, comprehensive and meaningful information
> in their annual performance reports last year, according
> to George Mason University researchers." (4/14/04)
> http://www.free-market.net/rd/253265585.html
>
> 15- Gov critics say management is FBI's problem
> ----------
> c|net news
> "... Ashcroft warned that through the 1990s, 'the FBI's
> information infrastructure had been starved, and by
> Sept. 11, it collapsed from budgetary neglect.' The
> analysis drew a skeptical response from government
> watchdogs, who painted it as a typical bureaucratic
> reflex: Blame the budget rather than management." (4/14/04)
> http://www.free-market.net/rd/268781516.html
>
> 16- Some question harsh penalties for breaking CAN-SPAM
> ----------
> c|net news
> "Spammers convicted under a recently enacted national
> antispam law could face stiff sentences under newly
> finalized government recommendations. .... [A]
> representative for the National Association of Criminal
> Defense Lawyers [said] 'The whole idea behind the
> federal sentencing guidelines was to make the punishment
> fit the crime. But this is just junk mail.'" (4/14/04)
> http://www.free-market.net/rd/256457299.html
>
> 17- Most Wisconsinites are sheep on taxes
> ----------
> Capital Times
> "With the April 15 deadline looming, an overwhelming share of
> Wisconsin residents say it's wrong to cheat on their income taxes.
> .... Ninety-one percent of those surveyed say citizens have an
> obligation to be completely honest when they fill out their tax
> forms. Only 5 percent said it's OK to cut corners." (4/14/04)
> http://www.free-market.net/rd/364482760.html
>
> 18- Cali fire protection: choose between people and environment
> ----------
> Contra Costa Times
> "California must choose between protecting the environment or
> protecting life and property as homes spring up in what once were
> wildland areas in the nation's most populous state, a governor's
> review panel concluded ..." (4/15/04)
> http://www.free-market.net/rd/323732978.html
>
> 19- Houston gov mulling privatized parking meters
> ----------
> Houston Chronicle
> "[V]anishing meters cost the city [Houston] thousands of
> dollars in lost collections ... and creates confusion
> for drivers looking to park legally. The inability of
> the city's Parking Management Division and Department of
> Public Works and Engineering to ensure contractors
> replace meters and signs is one of example of why a
> private company should take over meter operations ..." (4/14/04)
> http://www.free-market.net/rd/322882890.html
>
> 20- Colorado CLU sues drug thugs
> ----------
> Colorado Freedom Report
> "The American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Colorado
> (ACLU) announced ... that it had filed suit ... against
> the North Metro Drug Task Force .... The suit alleges
> that Task Force made her strip naked ... in full view of
> her neighbors and male law enforcement officers and
> forced her to submit to an unjustified, humiliating, and
> degrading 'decontamination' ritual ...." (4/12/04)
> http://www.free-market.net/rd/299157811.html
>
> 21- Arizona university gets athletics welfare tax
> ----------
> Arizona Daily Star
> "Pima Community College [AZ] students will be paying more -- some
> substantially -- to attend classes next year even though the
> tuition rate will remain the same. The college's governing board
> ... approved a new student services fee of $2.50 per credit hour
> that would generate money for activities such as athletics."
> (4/15/04)
> http://www.free-market.net/rd/345447016.html
>
> 22- Detroit mayor's prayer vigil doesn't quell crime
> ----------
> Detroit Free Press
> "Despite recent citywide prayer vigils, public appeals by police
> and politicians to end gun violence, and [Detroit MI] Mayor Kwame
> Kilpatrick's multi-agency task force charged with getting wanted
> felons off the streets, guns continue to kill and injure
> Detroiters at an alarming rate." Maybe they would do better
> focusing on the criminals instead of the guns. (4/15/04)
> http://www.free-market.net/rd/337555525.html
>
> 23- Indianapolis busybodies crack down on private signs
> ----------
> Indy Star
> "Indianapolis inspectors trashed more than 190 illegal signs in a
> single sweep ... as part of an effort to crack down on a code
> enforcement issue they said affects both aesthetics and public
> safety." (4/15/04)
> http://www.free-market.net/rd/361011770.html
>
> 24- Bin Laden offers Europe a terrorism truce?
> ----------
> Reuters
> "A purported audio tape by Osama bin Laden, aired on Arab
> television ... offered a truce to Europeans if they
> pulled troops out of Muslim nations but vowed to
> continue fighting the United States and Israel." (4/15/04)
> http://www.free-market.net/rd/324803110.html
>
> 25- UN envoy proposes "caretaker" gov to transition Iraqi gov
> ----------
> San Francisco Chronicle
> "The United Nations emissary to Iraq laid out a blueprint for
> Iraq's transition to sovereignty ... proposing a caretaker
> government to shepherd the country to free elections by the end of
> January 2005. Under the proposal, the U.S.-appointed Governing
> Council would be dissolved when the United States hands over power
> June 30 ..." (4/15/04)
> http://www.free-market.net/rd/274242486.html
>
> 26- Kiwi police get DNA-swiping okay
> ----------
> New Zealand Herald
> "[New Zealand] Police will be able to take DNA samples from
> burglary suspects and those suspected of offences
> punishable by at least seven years in jail under a new
> law .... Justice Minister Phil Goff said the Criminal
> Investigations (Bodily Samples) Amendment Bill ... would
> greatly enhance the police ability to resolve crimes." (4/15/04)
> http://www.free-market.net/rd/333644714.html
>
> 27- Aussie Prime Minister to meddle in teen's sex change treatment?
> ----------
> Sydney Morning Herald
> "Prime Minister John Howard said ... he was seeking further advice
> in relation to a Family Court decision allowing a 13-year-old girl
> to start treatment to become a boy. .... The decision is the first
> time an Australian child who is biologically one sex has been
> given legal approval to begin a gender change for purely
> psychiatric reasons." (4/15/04)
> http://www.free-market.net/rd/328863946.html
>
> 28- Canadian prime minister the "prince of pork"
> ----------
> Canada.com
> "The Liberal [Canadian] government embarked on a spending
> spree in the first two weeks of April, announcing more
> than $1-billion in spending that targeted Liberal
> constituencies and regions expected to be key
> battlegrounds in an upcoming election." (4/15/04)
> http://www.free-market.net/rd/330574157.html
>
> For more News Reports see:
> http://www.free-market.net/directorybycategory/news/
>
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------
> FREEDOM COMMENTARY
> ------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> FEATURED COMMENTARIES:
> 1- April 15: a day of moral shame
> ----------
> TOC
> by Edward Hudgins
> "[T]his is ... the relationship between most citizens and
> politicians. Politicians tell us, 'We know you're not up
> to the burden of raising your own children..., insuring
> yourselves ..., saving for your retirement, tying your
> own shoes or wiping your own noses without our help.
> Don't worry, we'll give you all you need.' If we have
> any integrity we should spit on such offers." (4/15/04)
> http://www.free-market.net/rd/288535927.html
>
> 2- Book review: "Liberation by Oppression"
> ----------
> FEE
> by Brian Doherty
> "... Thomas Szasz ... has tirelessly agitated for over four
> decades ... in defense of the rights of our culture's
> most abused group: the so-called mentally ill. .... In
> Liberation by Oppression Szasz uses another illuminating
> metaphor to revisit his favorite topic, 'mental illness'
> as an excuse for oppression." (4/04)
> http://www.free-market.net/rd/290316335.html
>
> 3- The power of language and the language of power
> ----------
> Strike the Root
> by Roderick T. Long
> "[E]uphemism of some sort is a pervasive and universal
> feature of (nonlibertarian) political speech -- and not
> accidentally so. Government, by its nature as a coercive
> monopoly, necessarily violates the norms of peaceful
> cooperation and reciprocity whose approximate observance
> is a precondition for social existence." (4/15/04)
> http://www.free-market.net/rd/183286436.html
>
> 4- Bush is a piker at manipulating science
> ----------
> CEI
> by Henry I Miller
> "The political silly season has spawned a flurry of attacks on the
> Bush administration for 'politicizing science.' To be sure, some
> of the criticism is justified. .... But the critics seem to have
> become overnight converts in wanting public policy to be science-
> based. Not one of them was publicly censorious of the Clinton
> administration's blatant and heavy-handed abuse of science."
> (4/11/04)
> http://www.free-market.net/rd/293756822.html
>
> 5- The truth about freedom
> ----------
> USTL
> by Paul Jacob
> "Folks in the Middle East are ready for freedom and
> democracy. They can handle it. That's always been my
> view: people everywhere naturally love freedom and are,
> well, darn good and ready for it." (4/12/04)
> http://www.free-market.net/rd/287185796.html
>
> 6- Fixing a broken tax system
> ----------
> Heritage Foundation
> by Daniel J Mitchell
> "Maybe it's time for America to board the flat-tax bandwagon. It's
> frustrating to see former communist nations adopt the flat tax
> while the United States struggles with an unfair tax system that
> combines the worst of class-warfare ideology and the worst of
> special-interest deal-making." (4/14/04)
> http://www.free-market.net/rd/314731350.html
>
> 7- April 15: the American citizen's final exam
> ----------
> Antiwar.com
> by Anthony Gregory
> "Government education is responsible for the attitudes of so many
> Americans that allow the state to get away with its worst crimes.
> As my friend Stony pointed out to me, the government's
> perspective, concerning its school system, could be summed up as
> follows: 'We taught you everything you know.' It's kind of creepy
> when you think about it." (4/15/04)
> http://www.free-market.net/rd/173184206.html
>
> -------------- Questions about nutrition and health? ---------------
> ACSH has answers! They're an education organization dedicated to
> providing the public with sound scientific information on food,
> nutrition, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, lifestyle, the environment
> and health. Check them out!
> http://www.free-market.net/rd/237856585.html
> --------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> 8- Five reasons you don't owe income tax, dammit!
> ----------
> Reason
> by Brian Doherty
> "Here are some of the core arguments against the legality of the
> income tax one finds in the tax honesty movement. Devotees
> probably would regard them as oversimplifications. This is
> certainly not an all-inclusive list." (4/14/04)
> http://www.free-market.net/rd/130055976.html
>
> 9- The new neutrality
> ----------
> TCS
> by Michael J Totten
> "Europeans may feel anxiety about America's oversized role in the
> world. But Americans are not going to go into their countries and
> murder their citizens. Middle Easterners have and will." (4/15/04)
> http://www.free-market.net/rd/300747974.html
>
> 10- Dangerous minds: Hernando de Soto
> ----------
> Cato Institute
> by Gene Healy
> "... de Soto is an extraordinary individual. It's not every
> economist that finds himself the target of terrorist bombings and
> assassination attempts. Because of his scholarship and activism on
> behalf of the world's poor, in the late '80s and early '90s, de
> Soto was repeatedly targeted by the Marxist terror group, the
> Shining Path." (4/14/04)
> http://www.free-market.net/rd/279294024.html
>
> 11- Time to take another look at teacher certification
> ----------
> Mackinac Center
> by Jon B Perdue
> "School districts typically require teachers to finish an
> accredited teacher certification program involving costly and
> lengthy courses on teaching theory. This system precludes retired
> military personnel, corporate leaders or anyone with expertise
> outside of the education field who would bring real-world
> experience into the classroom." (4/15/04)
> http://www.free-market.net/rd/297677346.html
>
> 12- The FSP's unique role among libertarian organizations
> ----------
> FSP
> by Stephen Cobb
> "The libertarian failure can be seen in the lack of concrete
> results: by nearly any measure one could name, our ideas have not
> won out. .... As the only libertarian organization performing the
> role of concentrating activist manpower, it is critical that the
> FSP stay focused ...: 'The Free State Project is an effort to
> recruit 20,000 liberty-loving people to move to New Hampshire.'"
> (4/12/04)
> http://www.free-market.net/rd/295827209.html
>
> 13- A taxing meditation
> ----------
> PRI
> by Lloyd Billingsley
> "This year, tax freedom day, the day Americans cease working for
> the government and begin working for themselves, came on April 11,
> the earliest it has been since 1967. While a welcome change, that
> is still not early enough." (4/14/04)
> http://www.free-market.net/rd/278233913.html
>
> 14- FASB stumbles stock options
> ----------
> Townhall
> by Alan Reynolds
> "The FASB proposal to require companies to treat the estimated
> fair value of stock options as an actual and current expense rests
> on a dubious conjecture about what the cost of stock options to
> stockholders really is and when it occurs. .... The FASB scheme
> looks like a risky way to repair some problem that has yet to be
> seriously defined." (4/15/04)
> http://www.free-market.net/rd/301558433.html
>
> 15- Social Security and taxes
> ----------
> FoG
> by James Hamilton
> "Because a financial crisis looms over Social Security, the huge
> tax bite that falls on Americans will only get bigger unless
> something changes. Social Security has to be fixed -- now."
> (4/15/04)
> http://www.free-market.net/rd/316391760.html
>
> 16- Parental rights and the pledge
> ----------
> Ifeminists
> by Wendy McElroy
> "Just as separation of church and state should live or die on the
> merits of its substance, so too should the question of a
> noncustodial parent's standing in court. It is a question that
> should not be discarded on the back of a technicality." (4/14/04)
> http://www.free-market.net/rd/578330879.html
>
> 17- Dominion and stewardship: believers and the environment
> ----------
> Acton Institute
> by Samuel Gregg
> "As the United States prepares to celebrate Earth Day on April 22,
> people of faith should be wary of a 'neo-pantheism' underlying
> much of the secular environmental agenda." (04/14/04)
> http://www.free-market.net/rd/795315049.html
>
> 18- Hubris and nemesis
> ----------
> Antiwar.com
> by Nebojsa Malic
> "The wannabe global hegemons seek power, secure in their
> belief in their vast superiority over the rest of
> humanity. Since admitting errors would mean immediate
> adverse consequences, while perpetuating them only gives
> them access to more power, the second choice is
> obviously more appealing." (4/15/04)
> http://www.free-market.net/rd/106401755.html
>
> 19- "It's so simple, it's ridiculous"
> ----------
> Reason
> by Brian Doherty
> "It's devoted to the belief that the secret forces of the
> universe can be bound by verbal formulas if delivered
> with the proper ritual. There are numerous formulae in
> the tax honesty spellbook .... Which spell is best: The
> summoning of the Sovereign Citizen? The incantation of
> the Constitutional Definition of Income? The banishing
> spell of No Proper Delegation?" (4/14/04)
> http://www.free-market.net/rd/122604521.html
>
> 20- Feeling a draft
> ----------
> Antiwar.com
> by Paul Craig Roberts
> "Moderate Shiite clerics, who have been attempting to hold the US
> to its promise of democracy and elections, have indicated that an
> attack on Najaf would lead to a generalized Shiite uprising. Such
> an uprising would involve huge numbers. The calls for more US
> troops would be urgent. The only source of those troops is to
> reinstate the draft." (4/15/04)
> http://www.free-market.net/rd/103241283.html
>
> 21- How our government evolved
> ----------
> LewRockwell.com
> by Brad Edmonds
> "The market allows the self-interest of consumers to balance that
> of producers. When forcible government steps in, people in
> government are forced to take sides; they will generally take the
> side that benefits them. Defeat always results for one of the
> sides, while free markets tend toward win-win outcomes." (4/15/04)
> http://www.free-market.net/rd/140648185.html
>
> 22- Private promises, public priorities
> ----------
> TCS
> by Duane Freese
> "Michigan's Gov. Jennifer Granholm says that she has assurances
> from ... John Kerry that he won't pursue stiff fleet fuel economy
> standards on sports utility vehicles that would hurt Michigan's
> auto industry. .... It's true that Kerry has flip-flopped on ...
> the gasoline tax. .... But in the case of CAFE, his remarks have
> been rather confusing." (4/15/04)
> http://www.free-market.net/rd/313211198.html
>
> 23- Rolling democratic dice in Iraq
> ----------
> Cato Institute
> by Patrick Basham
> "Bush may need to compromise his democratic ideals with a
> healthy dose of pragmatism. What may be desirable in
> Iraq in the short to medium term is democracy lite,
> i.e., democratic gradualism. One must appreciate that
> the United States is attempting to sow the seeds of
> 21st-century political institutions in the soil of a
> 15th-century political culture." (4/15/04)
> http://www.free-market.net/rd/285445273.html
>
> 24- The media and power
> ----------
> Strike the Root
> by Per Bylund
> "The symbiosis between the media and the government is the
> main reason I distrust whatever is on the news. Next
> time you watch the news on television, take a moment to
> count how much news originates from the government or
> bureaucracy, and how much is really a result from
> investigative, trustworthy journalism." (4/15/04)
> http://www.free-market.net/rd/206103348.html
>
> 25- Warning: eating can be hazardous to your health
> ----------
> CCF
> by staff
> "In a 1500-word masterpiece, Shaw rightly dismisses Americans'
> growing but flawed sense -- fed by activist-driven food scares --
> that their next bite could be their last." (4/14/04)
> http://www.free-market.net/rd/302288634.html
>
> 26- Hybrids in carpool lanes: a nonstarter
> ----------
> LA Times
> by Robert Poole
> "When I was a boy, my father taught me the importance of always
> selecting the right tool for the job. Carpool lanes are a tool for
> managing traffic and making our freeways flow better. There are
> many ways public policy can encourage less-polluting and more
> energy-efficient vehicles. But trying to make HOV lanes energy
> and emissions problems is using the wrong tool for the job."
> (4/14/04)
> http://www.free-market.net/rd/249603572.html
>
> 27- A national ID card won't make us safer
> ----------
> Minneapolis Star Tribune/Schneier.com
> by Bruce Schneier
> "[T]he card would be a minor invasion of our privacy, and
> undoubtedly it would add to the growing list of interruptions and
> delays we encounter every day; but we live in dangerous times, we
> live in a new world .... It all sounds so reasonable, but there's
> a lot to disagree with in such an attitude. The potential privacy
> encroachments of an ID card system are far from minor." (4/1/04)
> http://www.free-market.net/rd/588160604.html
>
> 28- Protest is not terrorism
> ----------
> Haaretz
> by staff
> "In addition to the protests of those directly harmed by the
> [security] fence ... there are also groups of Israelis and
> foreigners protesting against it in solidarity with the
> Palestinians. .... Demonstrators must not be made to pay with
> their lives for legitimate civil protest." (4/15/04)
> http://www.free-market.net/rd/339125664.html
>
> 29- Robin Hood, friend of liberty
> ----------
> LVMI
> by Adam Young
> "As so much in legends, the historical truth isn't what
> matters. Instead it is the legendary deeds of Robin Hood
> that excite us. The man who challenged the state, who
> dared to take what the rotten government claimed to own,
> the man who not only did these deeds himself, but also
> recruited others to help him and in doing so, gained the
> trust and affection of his people." (4/14/04)
> http://www.free-market.net/rd/166262674.html
>
> 30- Why I love the IRS
> ----------
> Loose Cannon Libertarian
> by Garry Reed
> "How anyone can describe taxpaying as 'patriotic' is beyond
> any comprehension I've ever been able to wring from
> Psychology 101. Patriotism demands the perpetual protest
> against taxes. Our nation was born of it. .... The
> reason I love the IRS is the knowledge that once we
> abolish it ... we will have solved 90 percent of this
> nation's politically transmitted diseases." (4/15/04)
> http://www.free-market.net/rd/340806074.html
>
> For more Commentary, Opinion, and Book Reviews see:
> http://www.free-market.net/directorybycategory/commentary/
>
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------
> FREEDOM MOVEMENT NEWS
> ------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Guidelines for creating a new institute
> ----------
> HACER
> Spanish-language document to help individuals create new
> pro-freedom institutes. (PDF file)
> http://www.free-market.net/rd/580091254.html
>
> For more Online Resource Directories see:
> http://www.free-market.net/directorybycategory/homepages/
>
> ISIL 2004 world conference
> ----------
> ISIL
> ISIL's world conferences keep getting better! 7/21-26 in lovely
> Rotorua, New Zealand, with optional post-conference tour.
> Confirmed speakers include: Elbegdorj Tsakhia, Jan Narveson,
> Louis James, Jim Peron, and many more. Great opportunity to see
> Hobbiton, too. Online reservations (price varies with currency
> fluctuations) available.
> mailto:isil@isil.org
> http://www.free-market.net/rd/781281305.html
>
> 2004 summer seminars in political economy
> ----------
> Independent Institute
> General information for II's two summer seminars for high school
> and college students, 6/14-18 and 8/9-13 at the Institute's
> Oakland CA conference center. Enrollment form, more information
> available. Email with questions.
> mailto:cclose@independent.org
> http://www.free-market.net/rd/292596667.html
>
> For more Events see:
> http://www.free-market.net/directorybycategory/events/
>
> Shoots from the Grassroot Institute, 4/14/04
> ----------
> Hawaii Reporter
> by Richard O Rowland
> "Inviting an Uncivil Society"
> http://www.free-market.net/rd/286365581.html
>
> For more Magazines and Periodic Columns see:
> http://www.free-market.net/directorybycategory/magazines/
>
> Iraq quiz
> ----------
> LewRockwell.com
> by Jim Cox
> Take a twenty question quiz to see how much you know about Iraq.
> Answers are given after the quiz with links for references.
> http://www.free-market.net/rd/145251011.html
>
> For more Games, Surveys, and Tools see:
> http://www.free-market.net/directorybycategory/games/
>
>
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------
> End of Today's Freedom News Daily Update
> ------------------------------------------------------------------
> Please forward and copy this message. Freedom News Daily is edited
> by Sunni Maravillosa. It's a service of Free-Market.Net: The
> Freedom Network and The International Society for Individual
> Liberty, a 501(c)(3) non-profit. Click here to suggest stories:
> http://free-market.net/cgi/addNews.cgi
>
> Please support Freedom News Daily and our other activities with a
> tax-deductible donation: http://www.isil.org/store/membership.html
>
>

posted by FLoA # 4/15/2004 02:36:48 PM

Wednesday, April 14, 2004

Fw: BookExpo America 2004 - Chicago

book_email_blast

I will be signing books there.

Sheldon (Shelly) Waxman,
Writer/Lawyer/Independent Contractor Specialist
PURCHASE MY BOOKS AT WEBSITE
http://thelawyer.info/ OR Call Iuniverse toll free 1-877-823-9235

----- Original Message -----

From: BookExpo America

To: shelly@cybersol.com

Sent: Wednesday, April 14, 2004 4:59 PM

Subject: BookExpo America 2004 - Chicago

BookExpo America is pleased to bring you information about the event that may be of interest to you. To discontinue receipt, scroll to the end of this message.

Educational Programs: June 3-6, 2004
International Rights Marketplace: June 4?6, 2004
Exhibition Halls: June 4-6, 2004


Dear Bookseller,

At BookExpo America you?ll discover the newest trends, surround yourself with thousands of exhibits, meet best selling authors (over 500 of them will be signing autographs) and uncover niche publishers and titles.


Plus?New Visitor Super Pass Saves & Simplifies Your exhibition registration price now includes access to the exhibition halls for the entire show, the autographing program and your choice of over 80 conference sessions as well as many other events - a major savings.

Register early and save.
Register today at www.bookexpoamerica.com and you?ll not only save, you?ll receive valuable updates on everything that?s new.


Big savings on travel. Click on www.bookexpoamerica.com and check our new travel and hotel section for exclusive access to special deals on hotels, airfare and rental cars. You?ll get the LOWEST AVAILABLE RATES.

(Note: Certain all day seminars and author events will require separate fees, you can upgrade your registration to include these.)

BookExpo America 2004 gives you the ultimate competitive advantage.

		20,000 new titles covering virtually all categories of books.
		1,200 publishers, including 800 you can?t see anywhere else.
		2,000 exhibitors.
		Over 500 authors.
		Pavilion areas for graphic novels, children?s books, Spanish books, and more.
		Conference sessions that cover all the competitive challenges you face.

For complete Event details visit www.bookexpoamerica.com or call customer service
at 1-800-840-5614 or 1-203-840-5614

Leaving our List. BookExpo America makes every effort to send you only information we believe you will find useful. We apologize if this information is no longer valuable to you. Please bear in mind that removal from our list is permanent. You will no longer be eligible for special offers and promotions.

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posted by FLoA # 4/14/2004 09:03:57 PM

Monday, April 05, 2004

You can Bet there is central bank intervention in Forex today

And fund liquidation of long positions in gold.

Sheldon (Shelly) Waxman,
Writer/Lawyer/Independent Contractor Specialist
PURCHASE MY BOOKS AT WEBSITE
http://thelawyer.info/ OR Call Iuniverse toll free 1-877-823-9235

posted by FLoA # 4/05/2004 10:04:13 AM

PTSD on CNN

It was reported today that there is a new medical treatment for PTSD. The theory is that bad things that happen to people create an "adrenaline rush", which causes memories to be hyperimplanted in the memory. The drug Propanol, if given early on after the experience, has proved to be very successful in moderating the symptoms caused by traumatic events. It does not erase the memory; it only modifies the effects of the adrenaline rush so that the memory does not cause the traumatic physical symptoms of: nightmares, pounding heart, sweating, reliving of the event over and over, etc. Very interesting.

Sheldon (Shelly) Waxman,
Writer/Lawyer/Independent Contractor Specialist
PURCHASE MY BOOKS AT WEBSITE
http://thelawyer.info/ OR Call Iuniverse toll free 1-877-823-9235

posted by FLoA # 4/05/2004 09:17:52 AM

Science Fiction????

THE SMALL BUSINESS ADVOCATE

N E W S L E T T E R

"Dedicated To Small Business"

April 5, 2004 / Volume V, Issue 21

Reprints and other distribution by permission only.

www.smallbusinessadvocate.com

Jim Blasingame, Publisher/Writer

Davonna Hickman, Editor

Please feel free to forward The NEWSLETTER to friends and associates.

They can subscribe by clicking here and writing "subscribe" in the message box.

You may also use this link to send comments and suggestions.

WAKING UP IN WAL-WORLD

A Satire

Riiinnnnngggg ---- Riiinnnnngggg ---- Rin

"Uhh, hallow."

"Good morning, Walter. This is your wake-up call. It is 6:30am in Wal-World, time zone 3. Current temperature is seasonally appropriate at a crisp 11 degrees Wal-Cius. Wal-Weather for today has been programmed to rise to a very comfortable 25 degrees W-C. Have a nice day."

Walter Wallace II, a 35 year-old Wal-Mart community planner, had received the same phone call every morning of his life since he was eight years old. That was the year, 2048, when planet Earth, as he and all other Earthlings had known it for thousands of years, became Wal-World, wholly owned by Wal-Mart.

In the 50 years prior to 2048, the world economy gradually became dominated by Wal-Mart. But it seemed that the momentum of this assimilation gained frightening velocity not long after Wal-mart was first identified as the largest corporation on the planet.

By 2030, Wal-Mart had moved its headquarters from Bentonville, Arkansas to occupy the entire lower tip of the island formerly known as Manhattan - now renamed New Wal-Town. From its offices on Wal-Street, the company directed strategic acquisitions worldwide that would, quite literally, change the world.

The Big Move
In the summer of 2048, Walter and his family, along with everybody he knew, moved into an apartment inside a Wal-Mart. That fall, Walter and his little sister, Wilma, enrolled at the Wal-School inside their new Wal-Mart community.

Other than actually moving into a Wal-Mart, the lives of Walter's parents, Wilbur and Wanda, didn't change all that much by the move; both already worked for companies wholly owned by Wal-Mart. Wilbur was a supervisor at a Wal-Car automobile factory, formerly Honda-GM-Volkswagen, and Wanda managed the kiosks that vended Wal-Mac food.

Living inside a Wal-Mart did simplify life; most people on the planet, now called Wal-Lings, spent much of their lives there anyway. Walter remembered his dad telling him, "by the time of 'The Big Move' in '48, it was hard to tell where Wal-Mart stopped and the rest of the world started."

Wal-History
In 9th grade Wal-History class, Walter learned how the company kept building bigger facilities to house all of the acquisitions they had made, until finally, with Wal-Mart selling literally everything the world's consumers consumed, it made sense to just move everyone inside.

Coincidentally, 2048 was also the year the last remaining small business in the world closed. With everybody now living next to a Wal-Laundry, Louie's Dry Cleaning in Lansing, Michigan, finally threw in the towel when Louie could no longer use the convenience angle as a competitive advantage in his marketing effort.

By 2028, world agriculture output was controlled by Wal-Mart, which pretty much put the kibosh on restaurant and grocery competitors. Three years later Wal-Mart finished sewing up the world's garment industry, from fiber to fabric to finished goods, and then proceeded to mop up the global petroleum industry.

The year 2035 saw Wal-Mart pull off the hat trick, achieving total control over autos, pharmaceuticals and healthcare, and information/technology. The latter was made easier as a result of Microsoft being decimated by years of anti-trust lawsuits.

All that was left, after polishing off the transports, utilities, telecom, and banks over the next 5 years, was to allow the culture enough time to adjust to the concept of Wal-World. That was essentially accomplished by 2048, when Wal-Mart announced that it had acquired 98% of housing and commercial space in the developed world.

Now that Wal-Mart controlled everything, there was really no need for any of the world's currencies. It had been years since anyone had seen cash, let alone a traditional paycheck. Everything Wal-Lings needed was provided by Wal-Mart, and the value of products and services they consumed was deducted from their salary accounts, including withholding for Wal-Care, the universal healthcare system, and the Wal-Pension. Anything left over - what once had been known as "take home pay" - was deposited in a debit account accessed by a Wal-Card.

Walking to work that morning in 2075, Walter stopped at a Wal-Mac kiosk to get breakfast. As he swiped his Wal-Card to pay, a strange noise began coming out of the machine.

Eeep---Eeep---Eeep---Eeep---Eeep---Eeep---Eeep---Ee

Another Wake-Up Call
"Hummph?" Walter grunted, as he slapped the snooze button. "Wazzat? Where am I?"

"Honey, are you okay?" Walter's wife, Susan asked. "You must have had a nightmare. You've been tossing and crying out for the past hour."

"Boy - I'll say," Walter sighed, wiping the sweat from the back of his neck. "I dreamed Wal-Mart had taken over the world."

"I told you not to eat clams so close to bedtime," Susan scolded. "Now come downstairs. Breakfast is ready."

Shuffling into the kitchen, Walter sat down at the table as Susan handed him a cup of coffee and the paper. "Hurry up," she coaxed. "You've got to open the store in an hour."

"I tell you, Susan, that was the worst nightmares of my life. It was just awful. They controlled everything, even the governments."

"Who? Are you still talking about Wal-Mart?" Susan asked.

"Yes," Walter said.

"I told you not to get all worked up over all the different industries Wal-Mart is getting into. We're cutting out the clams AND web surfing before bed from now on. Now read your paper and maybe that will take your mind off of it."

"She always seemed to know how to settle me down," Walter thought, as he took a deep breath and leaned back in the chair. But then, opened up his paper, Walter saw this headline:

"WAL-MART BECOMES WORLD'S LARGEST CORPORATION."

Ni-Ni-Ni-Ni, Ni-Ni-Ni-Ni
As a cold chill ran down Walter's spine, the radio in his head was playing the Twilight Zone's signature music, ni-ni-ni-ni, ni-ni-ni-ni, ni-ni-ni-ni.

In his small business later that day, Walter thought about his baby boy, Wilbur, and the time-line of his dream. What will the world look like when Wilbur's son turns 8?

Walter thought about his dream of passing his small business along to his children, and vowed to do his part to fight the Big Boxes in the only way a small business can.

Talking to his employees that morning, Walter told them, "We can't win the price war with the Big Boxes. We can't win the selection war, either. But we can win the service war, and the innovation war, and the creativity war.

"Our small business is vastly more capable than any of the Big Boxes at giving customers that most valuable of commodities. Not price. Not selection. Not new and improved. We can give them time." Walter declared. "We'll give them time through innovative and creative ways of delivering our products and services. Not how much do they want to pay, but how do they want it, when do they want it, and where do they want it?

"All we have to do is let our customers know that, when service matters, when technical information matters, when your time matters, think of us. Small businesses can do those things better than any Big Box. And then," Walter reminded his people, "we have to deliver what we promise."

Write this on a rock - Wal-World will never happen as it did in Walter's dream. But if you let the Big Boxes intimidate you and cause you to throw in the towel, or worse, get into a price war you cannot win, one day you will wake up in your own version of Wal-World. If you let that happen, you might as well go ahead and move in.

posted by FLoA # 4/05/2004 09:01:13 AM

Sunday, April 04, 2004

On The Subject of Lawyers

There are good and there are bad, as in all professions. Many students become lawyers for idealistic reasons and not for money. There are many moderately poor lawyers, contrary to the popular perceptions. It was lawyers who founded this country. Some lawyers are now fighting the fascistic system they, unfortunately, allowed to be put in place, such as those who I count as Freedom Lawyers. There are too many laws, period. The more laws, the more lawyers, cops, jails, etc. The proliferation of laws has to stop.

Sheldon (Shelly) Waxman,
Writer/Lawyer/Independent Contractor Specialist
PURCHASE MY BOOKS AT WEBSITE
http://thelawyer.info/ OR Call Iuniverse toll free 1-877-823-9235

posted by FLoA # 4/04/2004 12:00:55 PM

Saturday, April 03, 2004

You are abusing the Freedom Lawyers of America Group's messaging

I have warned you before. Please keep your messages short and stop cross-posting and posting email links. Once more and I will have to remove you from our list. Moreover, you have become a ranter. My discussion group is only interested in real news and real facts.

Sheldon (Shelly) Waxman,
Writer/Lawyer/Independent Contractor Specialist
PURCHASE MY BOOKS AT WEBSITE
http://thelawyer.info/ OR Call Iuniverse toll free 1-877-823-9235

posted by FLoA # 4/03/2004 02:43:23 PM

Friday, April 02, 2004

Jobs data killing metals

Man, things move fast.

Also, heads up, IRS thinking about applying witholding for self-employed people.

Sheldon (Shelly) Waxman,
Writer/Lawyer/Independendent Contractor Specialist
PURCHASE MY BOOKS AT WEBSITE
http://thelawyer.info/ OR Call Iuniverse toll free 1-877-823-9235

posted by FLoA # 4/02/2004 09:04:47 AM

Thursday, April 01, 2004

Misc.

An article in Wednesday's Kalamazoo Gazette reports that, "The Kalamazoo
County Jail reached an all-time high population of 414 prisoners Monday
morning in what Kalamazoo County Sheriff Michael Anderson called 'an
intolerable situation'."
(Kalamazoo Gazette)
http://www.mlive.com/news/kzgazette/index.ssf?/base/news-9/108075001251470.xml

U.S. House committee passes copyright bill expanding FBI power
----------
c|net news
   "The House Judiciary intellectual property subcommittee voted for
   the "Piracy Deterrence and Education Act" (PDEA) ... overruling
   objections from a minority of members that it would unreasonably
   expand the FBI's powers to demand private information from
   Internet service providers." (3/31/04)
http://www.free-market.net/rd/185248292.html

Sheldon (Shelly) Waxman, Writer/Lawyer
"The Black Messiah Murders," Sam Cohen #1
"Piranhas On the Loose," Sam Cohen #2
"In the Teeth of the Wind,"
"All Anybody Needs to Know About Independent Contracting"
PURCHASE AT MY WEBSITE: http://thelawyer.info/ OR Call Iuniverse toll free 1-877-823-9235

posted by FLoA # 4/01/2004 03:05:06 PM

misc.

Bills back drug testing in middle, high schools
MAPINC

"Jenny Watkin is president of Boca Raton [FL] High School's student
council and a member of the varsity soccer and bowling teams. She has
a GPA of 3.6 and is headed to Florida State University in the fall.
She says her active student life leaves no time for illegal drug use,
yet next year, students such as Watkin, 18, could find themselves
being tested if bills making their way through the Florida
Legislature become law. The bills ( HB 113, SB 1838 ) would give
school boards more power to require drug testing of all middle- and
high school students participating in any extracurricular activity,
whether it be the chess club or the varsity football team."
(03/31/04)

http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v04/n513/a07.html
Google to offer free e-mail with 1GB in storage
MSNBC

"Search giant Google Inc. announced Wednesday that it would launch a
free ad-supported Web-based e-mail service that would let each user
store up to 1 gigabyte of data and include a built-in search
function. The announcement of the new 'Gmail' service was first
reported by the New York Times and quickly reported by CNET News.com
and wire outlets as well." (03/31/04)

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/4641298

Supreme Court repeals 4th Amendment in border states
Arizona Republic

"A unanimous U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday ruled that border agents
have wide freedom to search vehicles entering the United States even
if they do not have a specific reason to suspect wrongdoing. Writing
for the court, Chief Justice William Rehnquist said border
authorities need broad discretion to search vehicles to combat drug
trafficking and terrorism. The government's interest in preventing
the entry of unwanted persons and effects is at its zenith at the
international border,' Rehnquist said. More than 90 million Mexican
vehicles enter the United States every year, according to the U.S.
Embassy in Mexico." (03/31/04)

http://tinyurl.com/2pn2d

posted by FLoA # 4/01/2004 07:14:23 AM