Random Thoughts:

Even with the huge ( and illegal ) outlay of foreign aid by the U.S. government, individual American citizens voluntarily give three times more than the government to help people overseas, says Congressman Ron Paul of Texas. Foreign aid isn't allowed but occurs, big-time, with many millions per day wasted on this madness. Dr. Paul always votes correctly on this issue. You can call his office and thank him for looking out for you at 1-800-RONPAUL (clever number, isn't it) or listen to his toll-free message at 1-888-322-1414. " There are good reasons why the U.S. Constitution does not allow our government to send taxpayer money overseas as foreign aid. One of the best is that coerced 'charity' is not charity at all, but rather it is theft. If someone picks your pocket and donates the money to a good cause, it does not negate the original act of theft." - Congressman Ron Paul (R-Texas)

Can you beat Social Security's fabulous return by investing on your own? Of course you can. You can take $1,000 and invest another $1,000 each year at an assumed return of 10 percent (easily attainable) for forty years and have at retirement $532,111.07. That's only $83.33 per month, or about $2.77 per day. You can have the money drafted from your account each month. That's what Social Security does - it takes it away before you see it. This account would belong to you and your heirs. The Social Security account expires as soon as you do, to be crude. Your heirs get nothing, a very bad deal. The average stock has returned about 12 percent over the past 80 years so the example is probably a low figure of what you could expect to have.

Football question : No one would want to be the answer to this one - Which Florida State quarterback lost to Miami five times during his college career? Was it?

a.Bill Cappelman

b.Charlie Ward

c.Peter Tom Willis

d.Chris Rix

e.Danny Kanell

f.Chris Wenke

g.Thad Busby

i.Dan Kendra

Answer coming up.

Conservative criminal justice professor Mike S. Adams of UNC - Wilmington says he has found a use for hate mail. He says he often reprints it, ridicules it, and submits it to his editors for financial gain.

Answer to football question : Chris Rix. Do those names bring back memories?

From lewrockwell.com - one reason the libertarians have so little political success : " Political success comes from energizing defined constituencies and we ain't got any." - Jim Healey, writing in his blog Unqualified Offerings

Ol' Bubba Bill, or former president (ugh !) knows how to shake the old money tree. Clinton was paid more than $10 million for his memoir "My Life," which sold more than two million copies in the U.S. and has been published in more than 30 countries. Clinton now expects to get about $5 million for a new book on public service. I haven't heard Ross Perot complain. Ross whined a lot about Ronald Reagan getting $2 million or so for a speech in Japan after leaving the presidency. Of course Ross, a Reagan-hater, likes ol' Bill and was happy to help him win the presidency with 43 percent of the vote. He preferred Bill to another man he hated, George Bush. In fact, you'd have to look hard to find Ross ever criticizing anything the Clintons ever did.

Bumper sticker of the day : Political Correctness Means Always Having To Say You're Sorry.

The trouble with the 1980s : Democrats controlled the House, thus controlled and spending and taxing measures. Tax rate cuts always work for revenue increases; spending control is another matter.

All Lincoln lovers, and this includes Newt Gingrich, should remember this. The Southern states were invaded by the largest army ever assembled, says Lincoln critic Thomas DiLorenzo, author of The Real Lincoln (highly recommended).

Ed Asner, veteran leftwing actor, used to be president of the Screen Actors Guild. For years he has been a member of the Democratic Socialists of America. He sent out a bunch of direct mail solicitations for new DSA members and it has been said that membership increased 13 percent as a result of the membership campaign. The DSA has been called America's largest socialist group but have you ever heard the lamestream media refer to Asner as a socialist ? I haven't. It's all in the marketing and socialism is a turnoff word when you're trying to sell socialism. They assiduously avoid labeling these characters correctly.