Eureka!!

Here you go, Papa, the answer to our dilemma the other day:

From the website of VotePact.org:

The Problem:
Most voters don’t vote for—often don’t even consider voting
for—third parties because they view voting for a third party as helping the
establishment party they most dislike. Disenchanted Democrats continue to vote
for Democrats because they don’t want Republicans; disenchanted Republicans
continue to vote for Republicans because they don’t want Democrats.

—The Solution:
Disenchanted Republicans should pair up with
disenchanted Democrats and both vote for third party or independent candidates
they more genuinely want. This way they siphon off votes by twos from each of
the establishment parties. This liberates the voters to vote their actual
preference from among those on the ballot, rather than to just pick the “least
bad” of the two majors. They could each vote for different candidates, or they
could vote for the same candidate. If the later, it could offer an enterprising
candidate a path to actual electoral success.

So, I am officially on the lookout for a disenchanted Republican voter in the state of New York who would rather vote for someone else besides John McCain, but feels they need to vote for him to be sure the other guy does not win. I would like to form a vote pact with you for BOTH of us to vote third party, according to our conscious and principles. If I had not been woken up by Ron Paul this year, I would assuredly be voting for Obama, so your pact with me would be preventing a vote for him. How about it? Anyone?

If I don't find someone to have a vote pact with, I might vote for NOBODY. No, not not vote. Actually cast a ballot for nobody, a blank ballot. Imagine this: 100,000,000 voters fill the voting booths on election day, but the major candidates only receive 70,000,00 votes all together. What happened to those other 30,000,000 votes? They went to NOBODY! That would send a message, wouldn't it

Spread the word about this, people! I know some of you just have to be facing a vote of the lesser of two evils. Don't vote for evil, find someone to make a Votepact with. I'm just happy I found a way to not "waste my vote" AND vote my principles! So, who's game?

When All Else Fails...

Sometimes all you can do is laugh! In light of today's defeat of the move by congress to destroy our dollar further, let's celebrate with a little lighter take on the matter:



I wanted also to share an amazing resource I ran across today. There is a website with a slide show that addresses the major challenges of the economy, peak oil and the environment in such a clear and elegant way, I had to watch the whole thing today. The website is http://www.chrismartenson.com/and I think you should grab a cuppa and go watch it right now. Ok, if it is after midnight as you read this, as it is here as I write this, you can wait til morning. It is a couple of hours long. I really liked the way he explained all the ins and outs of our economic system and how he tied it all together with the energy and environmental issues. To warn you, the last chapter about what to do now is not yet available. That was a bit frustrating, but as none of what I saw there was really new to me, I already have a plan of action. At least there are forums to discuss amongst ourselves until that last chapter gets up.

Enjoy the video above and go watch that slideshow!

Makes You Go, Hmmmm

If you were to ask me if we unschool because we have a problem with school, I would assure you we are simply choosing another way to gain an education, one that suits our family and our goals for our children better than school does. However, should I wish to make the argument, I would not have to go far to find support for the idea that "school is bad". This video below is a good example:

Watch more videos like this at www.quantumshift.tv

What are we setting ourselves up for, indeed. In light of recent events, this is serious food for thought.

For more detailed info, you can read John Taylor Gatto's book, The Underground History of American Education, in it's entirety online, here.

Oh, and in case anyone cares, we made it back from NY safely Saturday night. We have not yet closed on the house. Tomorrow, they say. We hope!

Like Odysseus...

I go home tomorrow. It has taken me longer than 10 years to get home, and I haven't been fighting a war in the meantime, but I feel road weary and eager to be back in familiar spaces. Soon, I will be able to say "I dwell in shining Ithaca" once more.

Wish us luck on the last minute details and a smooth closing! See you in a week!

It's Good To Have Friends

I just have not had it in me to gather my pictures and thoughts and spare moments enough to write out a big post about the conference. So, to tide you over until I get my act together, a few pictures.



This year, for me and the girls, Live and Learn was about friends, seeing old ones again and making new ones. Too bad there is just never enough time to spend with everyone. We had to savor every moment we had. Until next time...

I'm FED up!!!

Key moment: One of the guys mentions that none of the presidential candidates is even talking about the chaos in the economy the past few days. Wrong!!! Ok, so he is not technically a candidate, but Ron Paul actually warned us about the events that have come to pass these past few months. Are we all so deaf, dumb and blind? AAARRRRGGGHHHH!!!!!! All those pretty sounding plans of McBamas' gotta be bought with something, don't you know? How can we have a government, when we don't have any money. If we don't have any money, how can we have a government?

I hope you all have your finances in order and your future poverty plan in place. Where will you live when you can't pay your mortgage or rent? Can you grow your own food? Do you have any skills that can create actual useful items? How will you fit into the informal economy? Because there won't be a formal one soon enough.... How long before the foreign banks who finance our government call in the debt?

Good luck to you all.

Oh! Here's a good idea!

Just a Little Video....

...to inspire and offer food for thought.

Hey!

Don't leave me looking like a total loser here. Check out the little gadget on the side there for followers of this blog and sign on up! I know a lot of you dear readers, but I want to know you all!!!! Pretty please...

Happy Birthday to Me!

And happy blogiversary to this blog. 37 and 3, respectively. Two prime numbers, I must be in my prime! Oh, wait, it is also my 12th wedding anniversary today. Not prime, but still an important number. We've had a happy dozen so far. Here's to many more!

I got breakfast in bed, made lovingly by my children and husband. C was relegated to toast duty, since the girls are better at cooking eggs than he is! My birthday present of a massage will be taken advantage of when we get back from Live and Learn. C is being granted guilt free time to go fly as my anniversary gift to him, and tonight we all go out to eat at a japanese steakhouse. The bulk of the day will be spent getting packed up for the trip to North Carolina tomorrow for the conference. We already have the van decorated with unschooling slogans! I'd post a picture, but C just left to fly and took the van. Ha! He did not think about how he would have to drive it to the airport and out to dinner tonight when he and the girls begged me to do the decorating this morning. My plan was to do it tonight before bed!

I'm signing off for a week to be free to revel in time with my tribe! See you all when we get back!