http://community.victoriaadvocate.com/home/Blog/thewaywardwind Government from local to national is deciding what is "best" for us. California wants to put remote control thermostats in homes because the government knows best. California has decided that children cannot be home schooled unless the parent has a teaching certificate because the government knows best. Mississippi has a bill pending in the legislature that fat people (as defined by the state) cannot be served in restaurants because the government knows best. Texas tells people they cannot play eight liner machines that pay out too much because the government knows best. The United States government tells us what time it is because the government knows best. I'm tired of the government telling me what is best. I want to return to the days when I was allowed to decide for myself what is best. Government from local to national is deciding what is "best" for us. California wants to put remote control thermostats in homes because the government knows best. California has decided that children cannot be home schooled unless the parent has a teaching certificate because the government knows best. Mississippi has a bill pending in the legislature that fat people (as defined by the state) cannot be served in restaurants because the government knows best. Texas tells people they cannot play eight liner machines that pay out too much because the government knows best. The United States government tells us what time it is because the government knows best. I'm tired of the government telling me what is best. I want to return to the days when I was allowed to decide for myself what is best. en-us http://community.victoriaadvocate.com/home/Blog/thewaywardwind/8448 http://community.victoriaadvocate.com/home/Blog/thewaywardwind/8448 <p><a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1043164/How-Clooney-offers-good-friend-Obama-advice-issues-body-language-Iraq.html">http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1043164/How-Clooney-offers-good-friend-Obama-advice-issues-body-language-Iraq.html</a></p> <p>I'm sure glad Obama is getting first class foreign policy advice.&nbsp; Certainly a presidential candidate couldn't do better than George Clooney!&nbsp; Let's see, it could be George as Secretary of State and perhaps Brad Pitt as Secretary of Defense.&nbsp; I'm glad I'm old.&nbsp; I don't think the country has much future left.&nbsp; For those of you with kids, they will grow up in an America vastly different from the one in which I grew up.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> http://community.victoriaadvocate.com/home/Blog/thewaywardwind/8436 http://community.victoriaadvocate.com/home/Blog/thewaywardwind/8436 Your poll question about who is right, Russia or Georgia, or the third option, they both should quit fighting needs a fourth option.&nbsp; I think this conflict offers the United States the perfect opportunity to butt out and recognize it's none of our business. http://community.victoriaadvocate.com/home/Blog/thewaywardwind/8425 http://community.victoriaadvocate.com/home/Blog/thewaywardwind/8425 I hope enough people buy cars from Quality Suzuki&nbsp;that they can afford to make a new commercial.&nbsp; Their grand opening commercial&nbsp;has to be the longest running commercial in &nbsp;the history of car dealerships.&nbsp; C'mon guys, a little variety would be appreciated.&nbsp; http://community.victoriaadvocate.com/home/Blog/thewaywardwind/8376 http://community.victoriaadvocate.com/home/Blog/thewaywardwind/8376 <font face="Times New Roman" size="3">I keep seeing stories in the blotter about people being arrested for possession of illegal drugs in a drug free zone.&nbsp; Now, since possession of illegal drugs ANYWHERE is already illegal, it does my heart good to know that possession of illegal drugs in a drug free zone is illegaler.&nbsp; When it comes to common sense, this is right up there with hate crime where it is somehow worse to beat up someone you hate than -- oh, I don't know -- beating up someone you <em>like?</em></font> http://community.victoriaadvocate.com/home/Blog/thewaywardwind/8292 http://community.victoriaadvocate.com/home/Blog/thewaywardwind/8292 Congress has passed and President Bush says he'll sign a bill authorizing $48 billion for AIDS relief and the lifting of the ban of foreigners traveling into the U.S. who have HIV/AIDS.&nbsp; That $48 billion is a lot of money and could do a&nbsp; lot of good here at home for American citizens who don't have health insurance.&nbsp; I'm not real thrilled with lifting the ban on travel into the country by people who have AIDS.&nbsp;&nbsp; I am afraid that many will end up in the health care system here, rather than back home.&nbsp; I tell you, seems like every time I hear a story that has Bush's name in it, I look more forward to the day he leaves office.&nbsp; I admit I voted for him, and considering the choices I had, might still vote for him given the same circumstances.&nbsp; But, he has turned out to be the biggest dissappointment I have ever seen in a public official.&nbsp; January can't get here fast enough to suit me.&nbsp; http://community.victoriaadvocate.com/home/Blog/thewaywardwind/8246 http://community.victoriaadvocate.com/home/Blog/thewaywardwind/8246 <p><font size="3">It seems the authorities have discovered the &quot;blonde, blue eyed, 14 year old girl whose call for help set off the Fundamentalist Church of Latter Day Saints raids that led to the removal of hundreds of children from their parents by CPS.&nbsp; Only thing is, she ain't blonde, blue eyed, OR 14 years old.&nbsp; She doesn't even live in Texas.&nbsp; Her NEXT address, however should be in Texas for about twenty years.</font></p> <p><a href="http://www.newsweek.com/id/148992">http://www.newsweek.com/id/148992</a></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> http://community.victoriaadvocate.com/home/Blog/thewaywardwind/8245 http://community.victoriaadvocate.com/home/Blog/thewaywardwind/8245 <p>Five years ago, 19 people died horribly in the trailer of a truck that was suppposed to take them to Houston.&nbsp; That was a tragedy of major proportions and highlighted the dangers faced by people sneaking into the country illegally.&nbsp; BUT, it was five years ago and the Advocate has been running stories about it for weeks now.&nbsp; You would think it was&nbsp;a breaking news event rather than a rehash of a five year old story.&nbsp; I believe a remembrance article on the anniversary is appropriate, but I don't understand front page stories for weeks.&nbsp; Is it a slow news cycle, or do newspapers have &quot;sweeps weeks&quot; like television stations?&nbsp; </p> http://community.victoriaadvocate.com/home/Blog/thewaywardwind/8170 http://community.victoriaadvocate.com/home/Blog/thewaywardwind/8170 <font size="3">When the cameras were installed to control the traffic lights on the streets that intersect with Loop 463, I thought they might be a good idea -- if they work.&nbsp; The cameras at Mockingbird and Sam Houston are a waste of money.&nbsp; For sometime now on my way to work I've been frustrated by waiting at a red light on Mockingbird while almost non-existant traffic on Sam Houston has a green.&nbsp; This morning was the last straw.&nbsp; The green for Sam Houston lasted one minute twenty seconds and seven cars passed while traffic stacked up on Mockingbird, especially in the left turn lane.&nbsp; I don't know how much money was spent on this control system, but it was too much for the benefit they might provide.&nbsp; Surely the city can get someone to do something about this set of cameras and the lights they are supposed to control.&nbsp; Until then, I'll take Guy Grant from Mockingbird to Navarro.</font> http://community.victoriaadvocate.com/home/Blog/thewaywardwind/7984 http://community.victoriaadvocate.com/home/Blog/thewaywardwind/7984 <p><a href="http://www.chron.com/disp/commnts.mpl/front/5874654.html?plckCurrentPage=4">http://www.chron.com/disp/commnts.mpl/front/5874654.html?plckCurrentPage=4</a></p> <p>I just read this story in the Houston Chronicle.&nbsp; This is outrageous!&nbsp; Texas prisons need to go back to the days when they were self sufficient.&nbsp; Increase the size of the farms to grow all the food eaten by the inmates.&nbsp; Increase the size of the herds to feed inmates and provide leather for shoes and belts.&nbsp; Install textile machines to provide materiel for clothing and beds.&nbsp; Bring back road gangs to clean ditches.</p> http://community.victoriaadvocate.com/home/Blog/thewaywardwind/7922 http://community.victoriaadvocate.com/home/Blog/thewaywardwind/7922 Read Ron Paul's column in today's (1 July) Advocate.&nbsp; His views on personal liberty are the reason I support him as a Congress critter and supported him as a presidential candidate.&nbsp; Unfortunately, his ideas on freedom don't mesh with either of the major political parties and, because of that, he will never be successful on the national stage.&nbsp; The freedom of people to be left alone by government is the most important freedom we have and it is fast disappearing.&nbsp; The democrats want to control your pocketbook and the republicans want to control your bedroom.&nbsp; It is sad there are so few like Congressman Paul.&nbsp;