Monday, June 27, 2016

Promptings

Today has been a weird day, where I've been receiving Promptings in multiple occasions.  A meeting where I was pointing out potential bugs in a computer program, then later at Costco when, while standing in line at the exit, I noticed I was not charged for an item.  

After that, while shopping at Walmart, I was looking at the Odwalla juices and found at least one that was past it's maturity date.  I was able to notify an employee, who was gracious enough to stop what she was doing to go through all of the bottles and pull any that were expired.

These Promptings happen in the most random places, but I'm thankful for them.  For some odd reason, I guess God still loves me.

Sunday, June 26, 2016

Load #3



I meant to post this when it happened, but load number three, which actually contained three boxes of stuff, was donated March 31st 2016.

I'm in the process of getting more items from the kitchen and clothing gathered to donate, I'll post details as it happens.








Friday, June 24, 2016

The Big Reaction

In the wake of the Orlando night club shooting, people started calling for stiffer gun laws.  There were two lines of thinking:  either regulate which guns are available to the public or regulate who can purchase a weapon.

The stories in the press - and online - were all over the place as far as where people landed on the spectrum of the two arguments being brought forward. One argument to tie gun purchases to the No Fly List is causing uproar with people because it's flawed.  Yet I don't see any rallies or demonstrations from We The People to get the No Fly List fixed.




The interesting thing out of all of this impassioned arguing was that people have had no problems in getting vocal about their views regarding gun rights and the 2nd Ammendment of the U.S. Constitution, but when other issues come up, all you get is the sound of crickets in the distance.

At last word, the latest measure in Congress to allow the FBI & NSA to have permanent powers to use National Security Letters in order to monitor your online activity has stalled.  These National Security Letters also place a gag order on your email provider so they can't tell you that the FBI and NSA is looking at you.  Who knows, they might even see the types of weapons you are looking to purchase next.  And by whom.

This would be the same "Lone Wolf" provision in the Patriot Act that gives the FBI & NSA carte blanche without any warrants that was exposed by Edward Snowden.








So, this begs the question, why are we not raising the roof in protests about this?  Do you enjoy having your private emails shared to the amusement and entertainment of government computer nerds?

Where is your activism  now?

Then there is the matter of Civil Asset Forfeiture, which allows the police, during a routine traffic stop,  to take your money, and now even credit cards and gift cards in some parts of the U.S., with no proof of any improper use of these funding sources, and you have to sue to get it back.  Don't ask what happens if they find a weapon in your vehicle.


So, if the government doesn't get your weapons by stealthy surveillance or via Civil Asset Forfeiture, they could always take your home instead.

Let's say you are living in a house, you've paid your mortgage on time every month, you pay your property taxes and everything else that goes into home ownership.  But your home is now sitting on property that a developer wants to use for, let's say, a baseball stadium.

It's call Eminent Domain, and it allows the government to take your property away from you, all for the sake of profit.





Where is your activism now?

The time is almost too late for America to wake up.  Are you threatened that someone will take your guns?  The government has already found other ways to take those guns - and a lot more from you.