This New Year's Eve I had a dream in which I was running with Ron Paul. He was running home, and I was running with him. We went past some busy traffic, and into a neighborhood. We stopped by a house I was living at there, and I asked him, "Is there anything I can get for you, Mr. President?" I gave him some water, and showed him some food in the fridge. He said he wanted a leftover chicken dish. I served him dinner. My wife came home, and she asked him a question about policy. He patiently took the time to explain to her something that she obviously didn't understand. I was baffled that he would take the time to speak with regular people like us. Then he continued on his run, and I tried to run after him for a while, but I was falling behind. He stopped to rest, and he was complaining about government interference in medicine. It seemed appropriate, him being a doctor and all, but I had never heard him speak so harshly against it. I have not yet been involved in the Ron Paul 2012 campaign, so I don't know what this means.

I don't know the future, and maybe this is just wishful thinking; but I predict that 2012 will be the year of Ron Paul. I predict that he will cause tremendous upheaval and make a significant mark in history. If he becomes President, I theorize that the powers-that-be will unleash all sorts of chaos, economic collapse, civil unrest, and even fragmentation of these United States. They will blame it all on Ron Paul (even though he had nothing to do with it) and the simple-minded American people will cry for his impeachment.

[Update 1/31/2012]

Running with Ron Paul today. Saw him in Fort Collins, and Denver, Colorado. Great turnout and enthusiasm.

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I have to admit, after reading the Washington Post article about the Air Force dumping the remains of soldiers in a landfill, I wasn’t too surprised.  Anyone who has ever been in the military will tell you that their lives aren’t counted for much.

Of course, that bit of news was preceded by the Senate vote on Bill 1867, which gives the military the ability to arrest anyone in America and hold them without trial. That didn’t catch me off guard either – or the near-fatal shooting of an American veteran at the “Occupy San Francisco rally a month or so ago.

Then there was that messy little affair that culminated in the murder of an American citizen in the mid East by a predator drone, operated anonymously by an ex-gamer with a  game boy joystick. I wasn’t all that surprised that the POTUS would do that.

I guess when you’ve witnessed over 60 million babies end up in landfills since 1972, watched Kent State college students shot by National Guardsmen, and many reports about brave police officers protecting their lives by beating and tasing grandmothers or the CIA’s killing bad people throughout the world for over sixty years,  the methodical destruction of those pesky aboriginal tribes, or the American Negro, your skin gets comfortably thick. Nah, my conscience doesn’t really bother me – “Does your conscience bother you? Now tell the truth”…

No, I sleep well at night – knowing that the god I worship will take care of me. That god never sleeps. It watches over me through my phone, my computer, and my neighbors. No, I have no reason to fear, I’m well taken care of.

I give generously when the commercial comes on that tells me how I can send money to help the poor puppies and kitties.

Why should I resist the irresistible? I’m bombarded with promises of sex and drugs from all sides.  I’ll be glad to hand over any food, guns, friends or family members to appease my god. Every god requires sacrificial offerings. Come to think of it, there’s not much difference between my god and the Muslims – except for the fact that my god promises me 70 virgins to enjoy now, not later.

I can’t feel anything actually. I thank god for modern chemicals, human-engineered food, and of course, blessed insurance. I love my country no matter what it does in my name. Of course I believe that all human life is important - it’s just that I’m more important.

I’m proud to say that I vote every direction, I mean every election.  I guess Newt Richgrinch is okay, but I’m in love with Bachman (too bad she burned her overdrive).

You know, I really shouldn’t give a Mitt who I vote for, as long as there is an “R” behind their name! Except that crazy doctor guy, what’s -his –name.

No, I can’t see anything wrong with my world. I see no reason to change anything that I think or do.

Josephine County, Ore. -- Two months ago Gil Gilbertson, the sheriff of this rural county in southern Oregon, drafted a 10-page report exploring the origins and extent of federal power within a state and emailed his findings to various parties, asking for comment.

Since the report was in rough-draft form he was somewhat surprised that it went viral, but it shows there are a lot of people hungry for information about how much power (particularly law-enforcement power) the federal government actually wields within a state, where that power comes from, and the limits to that power.

Gilbertson continued his research and recently completed a 13-page revised and updated version, retitled: Unraveling Federal Jurisdiction within a State. It is highly footnoted with references to statutes and court decisions.

This a “must read” for anyone concerned about infringements against the 10th Amendment and federal encroachments in general – like road closures, Wild Lands and Monument designations, mining and other resource uses. In other words, this is for anyone and everybody with an interest – no matter how casual -- in accessing the public lands, either as a “resource user” (a rancher or miner) or simply a casual vacationer who enjoys weekend camping.

“If you’d told me two years ago that I would be writing such a document, I would have probably walked away from you shaking my head,” the sheriff notes in the introduction.

“This paper is a result of a clash with the federal [U.S. Forest Service] law enforcement in this county, from citizens complaining of what can only be described as harassment and violations of their rights,” he explains. “The first time I approached the USFS the door closed regarding any discussion. The USFS advised me to file a Freedom of Information (FOI) request. "

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It's hard to believe that it has been almost three years since I served as your Sheriff in Dorchester County.
Although the decision to retire after three terms was a difficult one, it was clearly the best one for me and my
family. But I will always value the faith and confidence you placed in me for those 12 years. As you may
remember, I campaigned hard for the man I wanted to see as my replacement, but in the end it was not enough
to stay the current sheriff's ascent to that office. As a result, many of the things I feared would happen have
indeed come to pass under this administration.

It's now time for the voter's to choose a new Sheriff. Thankfully, we have another good man who has entered the
race this time around. If you do not already know him, let me introduce you to Mike Turner. I have worked with
Mike in local law enforcement since I hired him as a young officer in Summerville over 20 years ago. I remember
my interview with him to this day and knew then that he was a rising star. Mike did not disappoint me as he
quickly rose through the ranks at Summerville, ultimately serving as the Assistant Chief of Police.