It's Time to Audit the Federal Reserve

Last year when I still lived in Washington State, I wrote my congressman (Jay Inslee) and both Senators telling them to vote NO to the banker 'too big to fail' bail-out bill that cost us taxpayers trillions of dollars. Even though I and nearly 90 percent of the other letter writers wanted 'NO,' it passed anyway. Now they have the gall to say they're against 'too big to fail' after the bail out bill has proved to be an abysmal failure. None of that money trickled down to the 'small bizshnuss' man as Bush promised. Right now credit is tighter than a snare drum, but Goldman Sach certainly made out well--their stock more than doubled. They also raked in record bonuses while many Americans got pink slips. And now they're offering to loan $500 million to small businesses as a PR gesture. What a pathetic joke. Why are so many GS operatives in key government positions? To change the rules to favor themselves. If this isn't fascism, it's at least cut-throat capitalism. Some call it 'crony capitalism.'

Earlier today I happened to catch Sen. Judd Gregg on CNBC getting visibly angry when questioned about Ron Paul's bill to audit the Federal Reserve. CNBC and other media outlets routinely support the Fed, Geithner and the status quo. They repeated the Gregg clip throughout the day. In these days of kelpto-corporatocracy, fair reporting gets replaced by naked greed and self-interest.

I'm paraphrasing from memory, but here's what the foolish senator spouted:

"Auditing the Fed is an outrage!" "The Congress can't manage its own fiscal policy, but now they want to manage monetary decisions?" "The Fed needs to maintain it's independence, but they want to unfairly paint it as a dark entity!" "This reminds me of William Jennings 'populism.' "Paul and his supporters just want to beat up on the Fed to get reelected." "It's the Fed's job to keep the dollar sound--and this bill endangers that..."

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It amazes me how HE thinks people have lost touch with economic reality when its the FED who has bankrupted America more than any other entity--including our spendthrift Congress!

• Auditing the Fed is not an outrage. The Fed's 'independence' has enabled a cabal of private bankers to control our money system--and us. Paul has said it's not about interfering with monetary decisions. It's about finding out where trillions of dollars went--a lot of it to mystery banks overseas!

• It's not a matter of Dems vs. Republicans and it certainly is not about 'populism.' It's about We The People having some say where OUR money goes--the money we must pay for with interest.

• We need the Fed to keep the dollar 'sound?' That was a howler. How can that guy say that with a straight face. Hard to believe he can say that when, after the establishment of that pernicious institution, the dollar has lost 96 percent of its value--and going down!

Gold and silver are the only safe haven against the 'Fed's monetary decisions' and that's why precious metal has been going up.

It amazes me how some people continue to want to cast a cloak of meretricious goodness over these bums. They're worse than bums. They're greedy, money-mad, power-hungry criminals. Yet how many times have we heard talk show hosts like Alan Colms and Bill Maher say "Oh, I'm no economics expert and I don't understand the Fed...we should just let them handle it!" My jaw drops when I hear this. These guys are experts in politics and have opinions on everything under the sun EXCEPT the most important thing--who controls our money? He who controls the money controls the game! That's why Goldman Sachs has so many operatives and lobbyists in government!

It's time for Americans to WAKE UP and see the curtains pulled back on this money system we have. It's BROKEN.

OK, that's enough from me.

RENSE

My 'Ron Paul/Audit the Fed' cartoon made it on Rense.com today!

Here's the cartoon. Click to enlarge. Click on the link to see the 'toon on rense.com

http://www.rense.com/2009halloween/ex.jpg

GRRRGRAPHICS

I came up with this logo yesterday to help tie together my anti-big government tyranny cartoons and graphics. My point here is this: If we do not exercise our Constitutional liberties, we will see them compromised or lost outright. Therefore, it's important for all of us to speak up and speak out using words and pictures.

Also shown here is my latest cartoon and I have many more ideas!

Spokane Timeline

Here's a graphic I did last month for the Spokane Inlander. It took awhile to get paid, but they came through. Yippee! Waiting to get paid for freelance (or not getting paid at all) is a common lament among freelance artists.

Rather than do the traditional timeline left-to-right bar with lines pointing toward copy, photos, logos and graphics, I decided to make it more visually interesting by breaking up the centuries into hills. I had to build in space in the middle for the fold, which I was told was rather deep.

It was a fun project and I wish I could get more assignments like this, but times are tough and jobs are few.

Big Government BS

Here's my latest cartoon. I have lots of ideas but no venue to post 'em. Newspapers won't touch 'em of course. I want to make these free to the public, but I'm not sure how to do that yet.

Click on the cartoons for a larger view. Feel free to use the cartoon however/wherever. Just make sure my signature stays on.

Tyranny Tree

I drew another editorial cartoon today--this time depicting the 'tyranny tree' that has entwined its roots into the nation. Of course people will call me a conspiracy theorist but the CFR really does exist and Hillary admitted to receiving instructions from them (she actually called it the 'mothership'). The Fed system and its onerous income tax system certainly exists (needs to be audited) and the Bilderbergs meet secretly with top political officials. Nearly every president since Kennedy had to have their stamp of approval. So there you have it.

I also colored the 'audit the Fed' cartoon I did earlier. I have more ideas and will draw them and try to get 'em out on the Web. I submitted the black and white version to the local paper in Missoula. Naturally it was rejected.

Audit the Fed!

I'm a big supporter of Ron Paul's efforts to audit the Federal Reserve. Of course, the international bankster elites are balking. Bernanke claims it will interfere with decision making. Nonsense. What it WILL reveal is where the many trillions have gone. Without knowing, it's no different than a bank robbery. It's taxation without representation. We The People must pay all that money back. WITH INTEREST! It amounts to slavery for us and our descendants. It's time to end the Fed!

In that spirit, I drew this cartoon. (click to enlarge). It's free to anyone who wants it. If you need a larger copy or color version, just let me know.

Flathead River shoot

It's been a long time since I've blogged (not that many read it anyway, but I like keeping a diary of sorts) and there's not much to post. A month ago I had severe heartburn and ulcers and it forced me to radically change my eating habits. No more coffee and now I'm on a strict, more alkaline diet. I've been going on long walks and in four weeks I've lost nearly 30 pounds. Hard to believe, but it's true. I'm getting back to the old 'skinny' me. Not easy for a middle aged guy, but I feel much better.

I've also been out taking photos. I hope to use some for reference for future paintings. I'm not the best photographer but every once in a while I can shoot something that impresses me. Here's a shot of me in action.

More posts soon I hope!

Field of Yellow

I've been too busy to get out and explore the new environs yet, but on Sunday I shot this field on the way to visit some art galleries in Big Fork. It was high noon when I took the picture. That's never an optimal time for outdoor photography, but the intense yellow made the shot. I don't know what the plant is, but I suspect it's canola. This would not make a convincing painting. It would task the viewer's credulity that a field could be this intensely yellow. (Click on photo for larger view).

Water Works

Here are a couple of simple info graphics I did recently. They were a fun change of pace from what I normally do. I miss newspaper work and these reminded me of assignments I'd get as an info graphics artist.

New Horizons

It has been a long time since I've blogged and a lot has changed. I'm now living in 'big sky' country and that description is accurate. The skies are bigger and the views are magnificent and inspiring. Everywhere I look I see landscapes to paint. Moving, of course, has been a gigantic headache. I've learned it's better to jettison as much as possible and buy new later. It's too expensive to haul things like heavy desks, ladders and so forth.

Here's a photo of the road to the peaceful town of Lakeside. I've already walked up and down it several times. Also shown is my son playing in the living room. It sounds like the Hollywood Bowl! The acoustics are great due to the high ceilings. I even sound fairly competent on the viola. It is a lot more fun to play when sound is resonant.

I need to get going and do some unpacking. I'll write more later.

Eearios

http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&q=eearios&btnG=Search+Images&gbv=2

I came across this image the other day by accident. I did it. Hadn't seen it in years. I tossed it together in a couple hours for an AOL contest--I guess maybe about 10 years ago. I won first place and prize--a little base boomer speaker for my computer--long since broken.

I don't know how this image got proliferated, but it has. I noticed various sites put their own label on the file. Nobody knows I did it. I guess it should be obvious to me just how powerful the Web is IF you can come up with an image or idea that catches on. Could spread like wildfire. Could be profitable or it could open avenues that could lead to money. Who knows.

Creeping Tyranny: Beware!

Patriot Act Fact Sheet

What it is: The so-called “Patriot Act” was pushed through congress in the days following Sept. 11, 2001. Few congressmen had time to read the bill, let alone analyze it. The Bush administration threatened that Congress would be blamed for its inaction following future terrorist attacks if it did not pass. In reality, the bill does little to protect us from terrorism and contains numerous items that Congress had rejected in earlier bills. No discussion or amendments were permitted. It gives the Department of Justice sweeping new unconstitutional powers despite that law officials, many of them Reagan-Bush appointees, say it actually hinders our ability to protect ourselves from terrorism. The proposed “Patriot II” act goes even further to curtail American rights and freedoms.

What it does:
The Patriot Act
Allows the FBI to access your records without a warrant or probably cause. It forces any third party, including doctors, libraries, bookstores, universities, and Internet service providers- to turn over records on their clients or customers.
Forbids disclosure of their seizures. In other words, the FBI can, without a warrant, review what books you are reading and forbid the librarians from informing you that you are being watched.
No longer requires the government to show evidence that the subjects of search orders are an “agent of foreign power,” a requirement that previously protected Americans against abuse of this authority.
Frees the FBI from showing reasonable suspicion that the records are related to criminal activity, much less the requirement to show “probable cause” that is listed in the Fourth Amendment.
Removes judicial oversight, a part of checks and balance. Judges would not have the authority to deny any investigation.
Allows surveillance orders to be issued based on one’s First Amendment activities. You could come under investigation because of the books you read, the Web sites you visit, letters to the editor you write, or even attending this rally.
Forbids disclosure of an investigation, denying the individual the right to challenge illegitimate searches.
Violates the Fourth Amendment, which says the government cannot conduct a search without a warrant and showing probable cause to believe that the person has committed or will commit a crime.
Violates the First Amendment’s guarantee of free speech by prohibiting recipients of search orders from telling others about those orders, where there is no real need for secrecy.
Violates the First Amendment by effectively authorizing the FBI to conduct investigations of American citizens in part of exercising their free speech.
Violates the Fifth Amendment by failing to provide notice – even after the fact – to persons whose privacy has been compromised. Notice is a key element of due process, which is guaranteed by the Fifth Amendment. Notice allows one to question irregularities in the warrant and forces law enforcement to operate in the open. Without notice, we have created a secret Gestapo.
Allows wiretaps without warrants for criminal prosecution. It effectively revokes your right to speak without your conversations being monitored. The justice department has regularly acted irresponsibly in this area. The FISA (Federal Intelligence and Security Act) Court noted that federal agents applying for warrants had regularly filed false and misleading information.
Puts the CIA back in the business of sping on Americans. This was outlawed due to abuses in the 1970s and earlier when the CIA engaged in widespread spying of protest groups and other Americans.
Creates the crime of “domestic terrorism” in which those supporting groups such as Operation Rescue, Greenpeace, or PETA could come under investigation. Any non-citizen providing assistance to any such group could be detained or deported.
Allows for the indefinite detention of non-citizens, denying them due process.

Chilling. But even worse is Patriot II. It would:
Allow the government to disappear anyone it chooses by not requiring them to identify those being detained.
Allow local authorities to spy on religious and political activities.
Allow chemical plants to operate with no accountability to the communities they occupy. Chemical plants would no longer be required to disclose the public safety threats they pose.
Allow the government to revoke the citizenship of natural born Americans.
Allow property and asset seizures of those participating in civil disobedience.
Allow the deportment to any country of citizens and non-citizens alike, to stand trial before a foreign court without any review from American courts.
Effectively repeal the writ of Habeas Corpus.

It almost sounds comical, if it weren’t so serious. The danger to our civil liberties is real. Just as the RICO anti-racketeering law, established to fight organized crime, was interpreted to crack-down on other groups such as pro-life organizations, these laws, once on the books, would allow the government unchecked powers to remove political opposition. Imagine what would happen if, following a WTO protest, the government seized the property and deported even a hand-full of the protest leaders. What would this sort of power due to free speech in America?


What you can do:
Copy and distribute this fact sheet.
Get more information. Visit the sites below.
Write your representatives. Many of them don’t like these laws either, but are to intimidated to stand against things with such misnomers as “Patriot.”
Visit the ACLU website. In about 2 minutes you can send a fax to your representative telling them to vote NO to Patriot II and repeal Patriot I. It couldn’t be easier. Tell 10 of your friends to do it to!
Sign a petition demanding that libraries and other institutions say no to section 125 of the Patriot act. Librarians are staunch defenders of the first Amendment. Public libraries across the country, including Palo Alto, CA and Huntsville, AL have issued statements that they will not comply with this unconstitutional law.

Sibelius: Genius from Finland

I usually go through phases and listen to certain composers over and over before moving onto a different one. With Sibelius I can't stop listening. If I had been born a great composer, I would have written music like his. Today I listened to his very short 7th symphony a half dozen times while working on a project. I've heard plenty of profoundly beautiful music in my life, and the finale of his 7th is right there at the top. The music climbs the highest summit and then keeps on going up from there. One critic said the music defies gravity and he's right. It's amazing stuff and a tonic to the soul. Shown here is a photo I took of an impressive bronze bust of Sibelius at the Nordic Heritage Museum last year.

As for my feeble viola playing, it's an ongoing struggle. One that I enjoy. Today I decided to change my 'A' string. I have been unable to get a good sound on it when playing quietly. I replaced the string and it sounds better, but unfortunately I can't get the single tuner on that sting reinstalled correctly. A simple thing that produces complete bafflement.

I bought a beginner book on positions. The 3rd position is the next logical step in my musical journey. I don't feel I'm ready for that yet and I keep putting it off. I spent most of December playing Christmas music including some older works that sounded monastic. I loved it. My son was home from college and we played many duets and his girlfriend came over a few times (she also plays violin) and we played several trios including a piece from Handel's Messaiah. It was great and so much fun when I played it all correctly. The few people who heard me play last year commented that they've noticed a great improvement, and I was happy to hear that. (Thanks, mom!) I used to be petrified to play in front of audiences--even one person--but with practice my confidence and powers of concentration have greatly improved.

Meanwhile, I just put together a little course on info graphics--in particular charts--for the company I work for. I used to know all that stuff like the back of my hand when I worked for newspapers. I was surprised at how rusty my brain had become with all the rules and SND jargon. It all came back to me, though. I put together several sample charts for the presentation and that was a lot of fun too. I may post some on my next visit to blog land.

On a side note, it's my son's 19th birthday today. His last year of being a teenager. He's doing well at RMC at Billings, Montana. Right now he's enjoying temperatures near 0°. Happy birthday, Ian!