Another Family Link to the Brecon and Monmouthshire Canal

Publication date was 14 October 1871:

I believe this is William Vaughan christened 1830 in Hay, Breconshire, and who died before 1881 when his wife Elizabeth (Betsy) is listed in the Llanfoist Census as "widow." It appears that he was engaged in dredging the Brecon and Monmouthshire Canal and not in the illegal activity.

John and Elinor's first-born child, that we know of, was named William. He died in 1823. It was a common practice to name a child after a sibling that had already died. In fact, John's uncle William (1768-1851), who we believe may have trained him as a butcher, was the third William in that family after two others died as infants.

The Bigger the Tea Party, the Smaller the Munchkin

Soon to be former House Majority Leader

¡Hasta la vista, Eric Cantor!

Tea Party Member

A very small percentage of Virginia voters has just thrown out the Republican House Majority Leader, Eric Cantor. He lost his primary to a tea-party challenger.

Yes, the tea party is not dead yet, it's just killin' the party formerly known as the Republicans. Democrats aren't doing so great with terrible approval ratings for the President and a likely 2016 front-runner that a good portion of the country just loves to hate - again.

This all does help establish the ultimate point that if government is the problem, then it must be disrespected and destroyed by any means.

"The Bigger the Government, The Smaller the People"

The Lollipop Guild

Republican Leadership:
McConnell, Boehner, Cantor 

You said it, John! So I'm thinking maybe they should I will now call it the "Lollipop Guild" rather than the "Tea Party."

Republicans will cut off their Pose to spite their Base

I thought of that this morning after I had already posted last night. Since it ain't over 'til the fat party sings, I can still make the prediction and we'll see how it comes out.

Let me just state a few more basic premises. While a good Treasury Secretary can be very creative in a pinch (think Lincoln's Salmon P. Chase and FDR's Henry Morganthau - assisted by BYU-grad Mariner S. Eccles at the Federal Reserve). It is still the responsibility of the Congress to raise money and authorize the spending and borrowing of such.

To Tea or Not Debt Ceiling?

It's not that easy following the turmoil on the debt ceiling and deficit/taxes conflicts. I was out of touch for a week and that neither helped clear my mind nor confuse any worse than it was had I been around. So, I'm just going to ramble a bit and take a stab at it.

There are a few basic premises the way I understand it (besides the whole idea that money is all imaginary anyway). First, it seems to me that the President can only spend what the Congress authorizes the executive branch to spend. In fact, I know that to be the case according to the Constitution (and the Anti-deficiency Act) from my work experience of 28 years. And it is a little odd that the Congress has authorized the Executive to spend money we don't have - in some cases actually obligated the expenditure of funds we don't have. And remember, the Congress is the People's Congress ALL the people as in "of, by and for." (Well, to the extent it doesn't belong to the corporate interests of America, but that's still the people's problem as corporations are a creation of government, i.e., the people's government - there I go again!). So we have no one to blame but ourselves. (I know, I know, that's tough to take coming from a fed employee, but give it a whirl in the noggin). It ain't as simple as undeserved welfare to queens driving pink Cadillacs (that came out all wrong, but it's late). It is cause by unfunded wars, borrowing against entitlements (too bad we didn't elect that guy with the "lock box" in 2000) and general economic and political irresponsibility including that from many of those now posturing with the tea party. And even a tea party majority in half of one branch of government can't dictate terms to the rest of us -of, by and for ALL.