The Watering Hole – Saturday, 10-23-2010: The Third Amendment

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No Soldier shall, in time of peace be quartered in any house, without the consent of the Owner, nor in time of war, but in a manner to be prescribed by law.

Tacit in this is the acknowledgment that the government has the power to station soldiers in our homes. Why does this matter? Well, Teabaggers, including candidates for public office, have stated that if they don’t get their way at the ballot box, they will exercise their Second Amendment rights: ie. armed revolution; a time of war.

This, in turn, would allow the Commander-in-Chief, by exercising the power granted to that office during the Bush Administration, the ability to issue executive orders asserting federal command over State’s Militias, and yes, the Commander-in-Chief could order soldiers posted in private homes, starting with the homes of folks taking up arms against the government.

Now, get this, since we’re in a “war on terror” we are no longer “at peace.” The President has the authority to order military force against anyone taking, or threatening, violence against the United States (the same authority that allowed Bush to invade Iraq). We could have soldiers quartering in our houses, now, and until the “War on Terror” is over.

This is our Open Thread. Please feel free to add your thoughts on this, or any other topic that comes to mind.

83 thoughts on “The Watering Hole – Saturday, 10-23-2010: The Third Amendment”

  2. That last phrase implies a necessary law. Is this already in placed and defined somewhere, or would it require a new law during an insurrection?

    Teabagger pettiness is beyond belief. “We lost the election in 2008, which is tyranny. If we don’t get what we want this time, we are honor-bound to revolt.” No clue, not even the tiniest one, about the point of representative democracy.

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  3. Wow!

    We could have soldiers quartering in our houses, now, and until the “War on Terror” is over.

    I would look forward to the company, someone to talk to, you know. What I would really welcome is help with the chores.

    And somebody to change the litter in the cat’s litter box!

    And cooking.

    What do I have to do to get one? Can I volunteer anywhere?

    /snark 🙂

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  4. “That last phrase implies a necessary law. Is this already in placed and defined somewhere, or would it require a new law during an insurrection?”

    The Authorization to use Military Force that allowed Bush to invade Iraq, and other laws passed during the Bush Administration allowing a federal take-over of State’s Militias any time the President felt a need to are all the laws necessary.

    Obama is not likely to resort to such draconian measures, but a Teabagger Administration could use this to suppress all “liberals” and “progressives.”

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  5. Most Americans can list the accomplishments of a Real Housewife of New Jersey but have no idea what Nancy Pelosi has done or not done.

    Helen has it all wrapped up right there! Priorities to a great deal of Americans goes on the t.v. – so unfortunately if they have a fix on Faux News that’s the only ‘slant’ they have. And of course Madam Speaker has done absolutely nothing/s.

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  8. From Ex-Wife #1:

    Did you know that…

    The words “race car” spelled backwards still spells “race car”?

    “Eat” is the only word that, if you take the first letter and move it to the last, spells its past tense, “ate”?

    And if you rearrange the letters in “so-called Tea Party Republicans,” and add just a few more letters, it spells: “Shut the fuck up you free-loading, progress-blocking, benefit-grabbing, resource-sucking, violent, hypocritical douche bags, and deal with the fact that you nearly wrecked the country under Bush and that our president is black.”

    Isn’t that interesting?

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  11. Much much better. Able to eat normally (and very hungry) and fit enough to take the dog to the off-leash park for a bit of decent weather before the rain begins. Thanks to everyone for last night’s good wishes and for all the cheering-up music.

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  13. Damn that virtual virus – sorry you’re ‘under the weather’ Zooey. Wishing you a ‘speedy back to normal health’.

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  19. Raising (lowering) the level of advertisement:
    the pic of O’D and the phrase ‘Not Me’ – superb who ever thought of that one!

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  20. First of all, thanks to everyone yesterday for the b-day wishes. I spent the day away from the keyboard and with my daughter, the one soon to graduate with honors and a B.S. in Chemistry. Fun to have a daughter smarter than oneself! Pure delight, she is.

    Special thanks to ebb for the wolf video — it ‘spoke’ to me, believe it!

    In re palindromes, my favorite is one from Barbara Kinsolver’s book, The Poisonwood Bible. It’s roughly described as the effect of the Sunday service’s last AMEN by the fundie preacher, that special loosening granted by god:

    AMENENEMA

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  23. pachy – (hint: you may want to post a photo of either you or Auggie in a kilt. The mariposa would totally swoon to see a dragonfly in plaid).

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  24. Speaking of Gary… has anyone looked under the sofa for the lad?
    I believe he was ‘in his cups’ last evening. Lots of fun mind you but may not feel very well today!

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  25. Damn it ebb, I wish you had said something sooner. I put all my kilts in a box of stuff I gave to the good will today.

    I got a lot of stuff to unload for the move to Argentina next year.

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  28. That was perfect – the innocent ‘set up’ by the winged Zebra…
    the kilted Dragonfly didn’t miss a beat –

    ‘ain’t love grand’…

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  30. I need an interpretation on that there remark Z!

    ‘kilt abuse’ – as in it shouldn’t be covering up what maybe underneath? or sacrilege?

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  32. We should have acted like the teabaggers when the SCOTUS appointed that asshole in 2000. Our mistake for not raising hell then. I supposed we should be raising hell over Bush/Cheney not being prosecuted for war crimes especially when you consider as soon as there’s a Republican majority they will start filing charges against Obama for no reason at all.

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  34. NASCAR Takes Ethanol For A Spin

    AMERICA’S premier auto racing association NASCAR says it will use a 15 per cent ethanol blend in its racing fuel beginning next year.
    Mike Lynch, managing director of the Green Innovation division for NASCAR, says with Sunoco Green E15, they are leading by example, showing that this renewable fuel, which reduces greenhouse gas emissions, works in the most demanding racing environment in the world.

    Y’all know I never miss the chance to brag when the racin’ folk do something good for the environment. This should prove to the yahoos that the ethanol blend gas for their cars can work, if Dale Jr. can run his stock cars with it.

    Kudos to all the Navy fans, they beat Notre Dame for me 35-17 earlier today!

    Danica was running the Nationwide Series at Madison, Ill. today. She was caught up in a major wreck that caused a temporary stoppage of the race, and is in the garage.

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  35. ebb, I don’t know, all I get from that link is a Fortune City logo.

    Zooey, I’ve lived in Florida for quite a while, but I still have some longjohns from when I lived up North.

    We’ll have to stop in Mendoza and arrange for weekly wine deliveries to Tierra del Fuego

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  37. Say, House – you wear a beard, don’t you ;>

    ——–

    Walt are they really looking to prosecute the ‘theft’ of virtual items or the fact someone broke into her account (privacy-type issue)?

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  39. Shayne, if there ever is another ‘repuke’ majority, (after filing false charges against Obama) they’ll ram legislation to have Bush/Cheney/Reagan busts placed on Mt. Rushmore. Re-name Washington, DC “St. Ronnie’s Town”
    The ten commandments and a cross will become companion pieces to our country’s flag.

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  42. Not a kilt, but three years ago I made a Halloween costume for my dear friend, Ed (who’s a dead ringer for Die Hard creep Alan Rickman; very good looking man). He wanted to go as a Japanese School Girl, replete with Hello Kitty accessories, garter belt and stockings. Ed is six feet four. So, I measured him (waist, length from waist to skirt hem, etc.) and made him a gorgeous zip-up red pleated plaid skirt (complete with “Made Especially For You By T tag). Mind you, no elastic waist band; it was fitted with a zipper and button closure. It came to mid thigh. Nope. Not short enough. Bring it up six or seven inches. OK. I did. We then went to Wally World and I fitted him for a red hipster garter belt and seamed stockings. Little did I know that he had no intentions of wearing “panties”. He showed up to the Halloween party in his school girl outfit, garters and stockings and NOTHING underneath. His Mr. Happy was very happy. Somewhere I have the photos; and I did win the prize for making the best costume.

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  44. Sorry, if I keep posting things about Joe Sestak. My god, we can’t have Toomey go to Washington. He makes Sarah Palin look like a liberal. Toomey went over the right wing edge. He wants to put doctors that perform abortions in jail and he wants Seniors to start paying for their medications and he will hand over our Social Security money to Wall Street in heartbeat and send more jobs off to China. I don’t even want to imagine a country with Toomey, Miller, Angle, Paul, and O’Donnell in the Senate.

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  45. “Speaking of Gary… has anyone looked under the sofa for the lad?”

    Definitely had more than I should have last night, 2ebb. Been making a quiet day of it, working on little projects and not annoying myself by reading TP. Been so quiet that the nervous cat keeps falling asleep in my lap.

    I’ll probably wander off to dinner and not be online much the rest of not only tonight but this weekend. (Dinner is some kick-ass home-made vegetarian chili. If you’re not jealous, you ought to be.)

    If I don’t drop around much or at all tomorrow, fret not for me!

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    • My nap was very helpful, and I feel a bit better. Just came in to turn off the computer and then I’m back to sleepy time.

      Tomorrow’s Sunday Roast is a foodie post, so put your thinking caps on and be ready to share. 🙂

      Goodnight, all.

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  46. I’m a NJ person who works in PA, in a Federal building where Kanjorski has an office. I see Kanjorski staff in the elevator every day. We talk. I can’t vote for him since I live in NJ, but they knows my congresscritter, E. Scott Garrett. Kanjorski is in a run for his life. Vote for Sestak, Kanjorski. And eliminiate those who live in NJ under Garrett.

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  48. Question to my fellow Zooers…

    A band called Wilco…

    Heard them today and there was a serious George Harrison riff along with vocals that sounded like George…

    Do you know what the song was?

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  49. If the virtual items are for sale for real money, I am not seeing any real reason they could not be stolen in the criminal sense. Though frankly, the dollar amount is probably going to be low enough to not make it worthwhile to prosecute.

    Any “hacking” and privacy invasion issues would obviously be more serious criminal offenses, but not the only ones.

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  52. “BnF, what’s the frequency Kenneth?!”

    Huh?

    I can tell you the name “Kenneth” comes from the gaelic Coinneach meaning “handsome one”.

    There’s also a Celtic Rune, “Ken” which means the fire or passion of creativity. It is light out of confusion and darkness. It is inspiration, creativity, and enlightenment.

    But as far as frequency…I’m sorry, I’m at a loss.

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  54. Briseadh na Faire, “Kenneth, what is the frequency?” was what the nutter that assaulted Dan Rather said.

    The person believed to have done the attack is in prison for following someone from NBC home and killing them in a similar attack.

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  55. whomisspoketoday
    October 23, 2010 at 6:35 pm · Edit

    My oldest, at Newark Airport, with Willie Nelson…

    I got a warning that it was posted from an untrustworthy URL.

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  56. Gummitch,

    I would never direct you, or anyone, to an unsafe site.

    I can access Ellen’s photo with no problems.

    From my end, it’s clean.

    It’s just a photo of my daughter, neck in neck with a really stoned Willie Nelson.

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  58. whomisspoketoday

    She’s gotta lot a teeth too. Sure wish I had me some purty teeth like that!

    And a beautiful smile. 🙂

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  59. What if we interpreted the third amendment to require us to pay for our wars? That’s what I suspect it meant when written, to quarter and feed a soldier was to pay the cost of having that army in the field. If soldiers came and knocked on your door tomorrow, looking to raid your pantry in order to supply our troops in the “war on terror”, it would at least require a citizen to make a tangible sacrifice, and perhaps negate the arguments of those who want war without end and a tax cut too.

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  60. Briseadh na Faire, “Kenneth, what is the frequency?” was what the nutter that assaulted Dan Rather said.

    Oh. I had forgotten that bit of trivia…ye, gads, from 1986…has it been that long ago?

    I had to look it up… the nutter was obsessed with the thought that the media had taken control of his mind… I assure you all, I am not obsessed with the thought that the media has taken over my mind. I am not obsessed with that at all. Why would anyone think I would be obsessed with that? My tin-foil hat works perfectly well, thank you.

    😉

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  61. Outstanding,

    the Third Amendment was written to prevent the abuses that the British inflicted upon the colonists, forcing them to give room and board to British soldiers (and perhaps a daughter or two).

    Imagine if a couple of Marines were to come knocking on your door, and said “We’ll take the Master Bedroom. You folks can figure out the rest of the room arrangements on your own.” Your choice is to let them have the Master Bedroom, or they take your whole house. Or burn it down and go to the neighbors. And you have no recourse. Except, that is, your “Second Amendment” rights. (just see how long you’d last in a firefight with Marines.)

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  63. I get that BnF, and I appreciate your insight. I just don’t think there’s much danger that my own government would need to occupy this country. The British were trying to force us to accept and pay for the need to put down dissent. I find it more plausible that we would force other countries to quarter our troops on their own soil. And I would still prefer that when our country goes to war that the sacrifice was spread accross all segments of the populace.
    As to the occupation scenario, I live in Virginia, no matter how defective our casus belli, we have family memory of occupation.

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  65. Damn, I wish it wasn’t 1:30. I have a family that will expect cinnamon rolls by 8:00 AM. I hope the very smart perosn I was having a discussion with (BnF) will not take it as a sign of disrespect if I have to go to bed.

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  66. Apologies Cats but I must say this:

    Viva! Los Gigantes de San Francisco.

    The Phillies were a worthy adversary but the Orange and Black are going to the WS…

    ——-

    Oh, I do see the link is just a logo – again my apologies. Well, Zooey declared the lad wearing the kilt a ‘girly skirt’ or some such thing (now that was very sexist and not kind of the butterfly). Actually it was a sinewy, ripply fellow – just not Z’s ‘cup o tea’.

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