The above link doesn't work. Can anyone tell me how to insert a link? I don't understand why a web site preceded by "http://" isn't automatically entered as a link in this editor.

Rick - I used "copy & paste" and put the link into my browser and it worked. I believe you inserted the link correctly. This is what is in my browser (IE7)

http://www.buzzflash.com/farrell/06/02/far06003.html

Thanks Rick G.

Time*treat PM'ed me how to do it. I was making a mistake. Thanks, Nancy.

Unfortunately, the blogs won't allow a link to be highlighted in blue, not allowing the viewer to click on it, but rather having to copy and paste onto the browser.

People won't be forced into a police state. They'll ask for it because the government is implementing it under false pretenses such as "protecting the people from terrorism". The sad part is that people are actually buying into it, and calling the few who see behind the BS, conspiracy nuts.

Rick G., have you discovered "the plan" yet? If you don't know what I'm talking about, that's okay. It means you haven't.

Pac, I post links all the time. I just did this morning in my blog. Maybe you are thinking about the blog comments, but the blog entries can have many hyperlinks. Well, Rick said he got his answer from time*treat so it's resolved.

I don't think people who say there's a possibility of martial law in this country are conspiracy nuts. In fact, for years I've been saying that we are losing our freedoms. As early as 92, I was looking for a place to live abroad. In 2001, I went to Central America for that reason. However, I had too much to lose. At that time I had a good job here with benefits and I wasn't old enough (still far from it) to collect soc security. Americans have always been ethnocentric and chavinistic, believing we're better than everyone else just because we're Americans. I mean, we complain when immigrants don't learn English, but travel to foreign countries and then expect the citizens to all speak English and practice our customs. But more than ever, our government's actions has endangered Americans abroad with its evil ways. Ignoring the U.N. and then committing acts of torture doesn't help improve that image.
We can talk about this all we want to, but what's the solution?

Yes Justx, I meant comments section.

Justx, traveling to another country for vacation or for whatever temporary stint is different than immigrants moving here and not trying to atleast learn the language. Apples and pomegrantes...lol

No problem, Rick. I like it when you comment on my blog. I welcome all points of view. There is only one person on the entire LP board I've ever blocked. If someone feels he/she is intellectually superior to me and that I never post anything of value or write compelling comments, I don't see why he/he would want to read my blog anyway.

Just a comment about the economy. About 2 years ago a few people asked me why I wasn't buying real estate, since I'm renting. I used to own and, unfortunately, my company closed and I took a loss & moved here to the Sunshine State where they pay you in seashells & sand. I used to think Tropical Depression was a meteorological term, not the state of the economy. LOL Anyway, maybe I've made some bad choices in my life, but one thing I saw coming was this housing slump. I know it sounds like an excuse & hindsight, but I took a mortgage course and was stunned by how many people thought a 1% increase would add a tiny amount to their payment, not double, if their rate was 1%. Real estate in FL like in many states was very overpriced, yet people were waiting in line to buy new homes. There were even lotteries at some developments. Many of these people were wealthy, but some were young couples who used every resource, including 2 incomes, to buy their dream home.

The government is now blaming all the foreclosures on shady practices by mortgage companies which is, in many cases true. It's also because many people didn't listen and never thought about the future. But if you look back, homeowners were encouraged by the government to get the low interest loans and then they increased the rates. What better way to control people than to make them lose their homes?

Now, if anyone writes "but you always say there isn't a conspiracy" that isn't true. I also complained that the rate cut hurts people on fixed incomes who depend on interest. I continue to stand by that statement. I said a long time ago that the new bankruptcy laws might hurt some people. I mean, first pass a law like that and then bankrupt the people. Keep us poor and ignorant and we will make easy targets. Isn't that a conspiracy? I just don't support every conspiracy theory that is floating around and, to use the expression, I like to play devil's advocate to get a variety of ideas. But I've been questioning the WTC attacks for years.

Yikes - how did this get on your blog? My bad. I know what I did. I feel stupid. I meant to post it on mine. I am so very sorry. I wrote it offline and then pasted it. This is terrible. To everyone - this was a big goof on my part. Wish I could delete my last comment. It doesn't belong here. I wrote that lengthy comment to post on my own blog when Rick apologized for bringing up political candidates.

Nancy, the solution begins right here with discussions like this...talking about it and becoming more aware of the laws up for vote in Congress so we can contact our representatives to help sway their vote. That has more effect than the Diebold voting machines. Every congressman or woman wants to be re-elected and that won't happen if they have an unhappy constituency.

The Patriot Act was passed without nary a peep from 90% of the American public (or of the Congress). I would venture to guess that very few have read it or the Military Commissions Act and the subsequent acts being pushed through Congress. This is the time for us to start paying attention. Believe me, it's an eye opener of who they think might be "domestic terrorists" and what can be considered a terrorist activity.   It's very scary.

Nancy you can post anything you want on my blog. Besides I liked your post.

As I said, I really meant to write that last long comment on my own blog. I bet that's a first on LP. Anyway, Pac, you misunderstood what I wrote (again) I was saying that when Americans travel to foreign countries I often see them annoyed because the people don't speak English or they don't have certain items on the menu. That's all. And I'm not just talking about vacationing there either. For example, some Americans who live in Panama or Costa Rica haven't even tried to learn Spanish. Regarding living here, a lot of immigrants who came to America worked 2 jobs to feed their families and never learned to read or write English. Some of our grandparents are in that group of people, but they never asked for special treatment or waved their native country's flag in our faces. I love cultural diversity and different languages.

The menus should be in english, it's now the universal language. How do they expect tourists to order food? Yes...please give me an order of galobi chicken with ahmed sauce and a side of Torkeysi ...lol

Did I say the menus weren't in English? Maybe you're joking. By the way, tourists are French, German, Spanish, Italian, etc. Guess we better stop this or we'll get way off the topic of the blog! Maybe you need reading glasses too, Pac. I said "don't have certain items on the menu." Anyway, I find it totally boring and a waste of money to travel somewhere and do exactly what we do at home. I mean, it's often safer to stay in a tourist area (for obvious reasons) and take precautions, but when I lived up north and went to islands like Aruba, St Martin and many others, or places in Mexico like Cancun, they were pretty much the same. A hotel with Americans, restaurants that served food that Americans like to eat...yadda, yadda, yadda. However, if you take a different approach and stay with a family in a foreign country, you learn about the people & the culture. There's certainly nothing wrong with going somewhere to veg out on a beach in the sun and get blitzed. I was just saying that we have this attitude of self-importance (the "Ugly American") that is hated around the world.

Getting back to Martial Law - Did I see this on LP before?   Sorry if it's already been posted I remember seeing this on YouTube and can't remember where I first heard about it. It's a video showing soldiers taking over a town in NC for "practice." This was before 9/11 too. If you haven't seen it, you should!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=71Jux68F_AQ

Yes Rick is right, it starts here when people talk. Everybody brings something to the table. Even the arrogance of the intellectual snob and the ignorance of the bigot.

And Rick G said the right thing - PAY ATTENTION. A lot of these laws are passed when we are watching American Idol, listening to the latest on Britney Spears and other sensationalisms. When they ran Anna Nicole Smith over and over when nobody even knew who she was in the first place, I made sure I looked around to see what it was I needed to pay attention too.

It's our own fault for being pre-occupied with trash and not the very things that affect our lives. It's also our own prejudices and bigotry that keep us divided and help put the wrong people in office. They use our hatred for each other to do what they do to us. Divide and Conquer. We need to stop hating each other and stop being so afraid. We can start in our own family.

We are well diversified on this forum and our political views will come from our experiences, where we are in life, and our intellect. I don't try to push anything on anybody, but I state my opinions and I don't take what people say as "gospel".

I listen and interpret. My interpretation comes from who I am. Where I am. What I've struggled with and what I have accomplished. It comes from what I see happening to others and whether it's good or bad. That's what matter to me.

I don't claim to know anything about politics. I hate anything political but I know what's right and what's wrong and I know that government is suppose to be for the people and not made up wars, the rich, people who own the oil and the big companies. I know you'll suppose to take care home first and then help other. It's enough to go around.

I know it's wrong when our jobs go out the country and people can't feed their families and lose their homes and don't have enough gas to get to work. If it's a law that take away the well being of the people it's just wrong to me and it's nothing anybody can say that can change my mind.

Wrong is wrong and right and right and forget that intellectual jargon that says "I'm smarter than you and that's you are over there and I'm over here" after they have cheated you.

We got some that can quote you all the political stuff from way back just to win an argument. That argument ain't worth a damn if it's not good for everybody.   So maybe when we can stop hating each other maybe our government won't get away with so much. Pay attention.

Thanks for the Tirade.

Right on, Janet!

Wow - great point, Tenaj. I'm not saying it's a conspiracy or something that was planned, but it's true that the news is filled with all this trash. Even when Heath Ledger died and his family begged the media to leave them alone, it's been all over the news, on the cover of magazines, etc. So is it because people love to read that junk and watch all the gossip or because it's a diversion? When I was at a diner in NH (so it had to be in the early 90s) I remember 2 women talking about Dolly Parton and how she must have implants. I was thinking to myself while drinking my coffee, who the heck cares? Would you? Yet I have a friend who is very smart and when I said I was going to Taco Bell she said "that's where Britney likes to eat." I didn't have a clue, but found out she was talking about Britney Spears. She knows all about who is married, divorced and cheating on whom in Hollywood, and I suddenly realized that was a big gap between us, although I still like her and enjoy her company. I'm far from perfect so I know people put up with a lot from me. However, in my whole life, except when I was 12 or 13 and the Beatles came to Boston, I never spent any time reading about Joe Movie Star boinking Mary Rock Star or even cared if Joe was boinking Bill his co-star, or Mary & Bill at the same time.

Thanks Rick,

Ive been saying the same thing all along.....just a matter of time.....its sad though because the ratio between those that have there eyes wide open is small compared to those that eyed, hoodwinked, and just blind......and to talk about you are called a conspiracy theorist, paranoid and just plain crazy!!!! I always wondered how would someone allow themselves to be implanted with some gadget or knowingly allow there every movement, conversation to be monitered.....and BAM 911.........out of chaos the NWO will be born....not my words..but Daddy "B".......and all it will take is something major to happen here like 911 and they wont have to force us to be implanted with this "chip" we will do it voluntarily!!! Of course it will be because they have put such fear into us from whatever disaster they are planning...call me crazy too...but i know what im talking about!!! lol check out these 2 books if you like to read....Behold, a pale horse and Surveillance Society.......and the real travesty of it all is that this stuff is written about......even broadcasted in the news.....but WE dont pay attention and we dont read!!!

Good points, Ladee. During this Presidential campaign I have been watching and reading the coverage closely. It is absolutely mind boggling how the media is using its influence to mold our views and pick our candidates for us. These debates are not debates at all. They are carefully planned orchestrations to highlight "their" man or woman. After the debates you have the talking heads telling you what you just heard but with their slant on what "their" guy said and no mention of what "your" guy said. The last Republican debate was a great example of CNN and Anderson "Hurricane" Cooper highlighting "their" man, Mitt Romney.

We are quietly being brainwashed by the corporate media. The media is now in the pocket of the government and there is no longer accountability. Journalism used to be the best tool to inform the people and bring to light government trespasses. That was when media was controlled and there was a limit in ownership of media outlets. This is no longer the case. Now you have a handful of people controlling all of the media outlets and the only news we get is what they want us to hear to further their agenda. The only reliable source of news is from the internet where free speech still exists. But the government has its eye on controlling the internet too. They see the power of free speech and are being exposed daily by independent journalists and bloggers. They will put an end to that. In fact all of those bloggers and journalists can be arrested and detained indefinitely as enemy combatants under our new "anti-terrorist" laws.

When you have the government and the media on the same team you're treading dangerous waters. The people realized that years ago and that's why they made laws to control media ownership in the first place. The best example of government and media's team spirit came in the run up to the war in Iraq. The Bush administration lied to the people and every media outlet went right along with those lies to sell us on the war. Not one major media outlet said, "Hey, wait a minute...is this right?"

Gotta run...there's a news story on Britney being escorted to the hospital by 40 cops.

You have to admit that Lou Dobbs is the only one out there who isn't afraid to tell it like it is. I like that guy a lot. He sticks up for the working class. He exposes corruption and dosen't beat around the bush when explaining it. And if anyone like tried to run for office, they'd be knocked off in a heartbeat. What a shame. Kennedy is a prime example. If you don't follow that status quo, you're a marked man.

My blood boils when I hear those Bush puppets defending every rediulous swill that this administration spews. People like Bill O'reilly, Shawn Hannity, and Rush Bimbo. You can't tell them anything. Especially Bill. One of the biggest jerks out there. If you don't agree with him on everything....watch out...he'll explode on you.

I also wanted to add that I'm neither republican or democratic. I think they all stink to high heaven. Have you ever heard od a poor politician? They promise you the world just to get their foot in the door and then every excuse in the world comes out about why this or that plan failed.

The funniest is Swillary Clinton. She wants to have a healthcare plan, yet she has to start with herself first, by not taking anymore kick backs. I can't wait to see how she would do that if she got into office. That's another thing....lobbyists should be outlawed. Criminal activity done legally...what a joke.

I want to see a common sense party, then I'll vote. This country has been bought, sold, and paid for a long time ago. The crap they shuffle around every four years is just a pony show.

I'll get this right, in the right blog.

The 2nd. amendment is the guarantee of no martial law being implemented. If they got all the US military together (less than 2 million) plus all the police you want etc., they wouldn't stand a chance against 50 million "armed" law abiding Americans, and "they" know it. You think the insurgency in Iraq is like really, scary bad? You ain't seen nothing. All of us should understand that any politico that wants to take right to bear arms away from law abiding citizens is not to be voted for. Every criminal including the criminal, corrupt, politcos that want to take your firearms away want to do it for a reason, to take you to an internment camp without a fight, or kill you without a fight, double f- that. When my uncles were murdered by a facist, they had no self defense other than scythes and rocks, they couldn't fight back. Remember if you can't fight back, game over, the stuff you are describing here could happen, but not to me and many others as long as we can fight back, ammo lots of ammo.

What really is ironic is that so many people dump on the military and police etc.., the deserve more credit than being mind numb robots, they are the ones that would have to turn on the American people. It will never happen, the miltary, the police etc would never turn on American citizens, this ain't Cuba, China, Russia, Sudan, Iran, Saudi, etc. not yet, don't let it go that far, vote pro 2nd amendment candidates. And those of you who believe in some world order, yeah right, like a bunch of NATO tough guys are going to come over here and subdue the Americans HA Ha Ha Ha HA what a joke! NATO/NWO can't even control unarmed societies.

If I was a gambler, I would take 1000 Philly Eagles fans over 10 NATO/NWO brigades any day. As a matter of fact it would be a rout if the fight was in Philadelphia.

Even against 10 Communist Chinese divisions, the Philly fans win.