A ghostly goodie

By William R. Toler

Being Halloween and all, I decided to bring an old post back to life, since it’s been burried for a while. Enjoy.
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Paranormal Paranoia

My belief in the paranormal and unexplained goes back to early childhood.

I’ve always been interested in ghosts, UFOs, cryptids and the like.

Through the years I’ve had brief experiences that strengthen my views, but nothing like the following account from April 2007:

There are some people who don’t believe in the paranormal.

Then there are those who do believe.

Then…there are those who experience it.

My wife, Heather*, and I fall into the last category.

Certificates sealed on Barry’s birth

By William R. Toler 

The controversial birth certificate of Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama was officially sealed by Hawaii’s governor, according to World Net Daily.

Gov. Linda Lingle (R-Hawaii) denied a written request last week from WND reporter Jerome Corsi and ordered the Department of Health not to release the document to the media under any circumstances.

Patience pays off for Gn’R fans

By William R. Toler

Estranged Guns n’ Roses fans who have been thirsty for a new album will get more than one quench filled next month.

Soft drink giant Dr Pepper will make good on its offer to give everyone in America, barring two former gunners, a free 20 oz. beverage, following the announcement of the Nov. 23 release date of the long-awaited “Chinese Democracy.”

What was Biden saying?

By William R. Toler

Just what did Sen. Joe Biden, Democratic vice presidential nominee, mean by his statements this weekend?

The major networks and other mass media outlets are just quoting the first part of Biden’s remarks:

“Mark my words…It will not be six months before the world tests Barack Obama like they did John Kennedy…Watch, we’re gonna have an international crisis, a generated crisis, to test the mettle of this guy.”

Rock the vote, watch your wallet

By Corey Friedman

Whatever the outcome of next month’s presidential elections, one result is certain: Poll workers, candidates and commentators will bemoan voter turnout.

If poll numbers don’t take another vertiginous plunge, they’ll simply be stagnant. And even if more people vote this year than in the 2004 presidential race, election officials still would say it’s not enough.

Voting is our most underappreciated democratic right, and it’s one that more of us should exercise more often.

But forget for a moment this year’s showdown between Barack Obama and John McCain. Forget how we go about picking our senators and representatives, our commissioners and councilmen, our judges and sheriffs.

In some form or another, every American votes every day. You can’t avoid it.

Accused sex offender sees more charges

By William R. Toler

An accused sex offender finds himself behind bars, again.

Bobby Gene Elks,41, of Washington, was arrested around midnight Saturday and charged with first-degree forcible rape, according to Washington Police.  Elks was held in the Beaufort County Detention Center on a $15,000 secured bond pending his first appearance in court Monday morning. A hearing is scheduled for Oct. 30.

Elks was arrested in July and is currently facing seven counts of felony statutory rape and five counts of felony indecent liberties with a minor. Those charges stem from a 2007 investigation regarding allegations of conduct in 1992, according to police.

Parents just say “NO” to flu shot

By William R. Toler

Hundreds of parents in the Garden State protested profusely Thursday over a New Jersey requirement that all children be adminstered the flu vaccine before being enrolled in preschool or day care centers.

The parents and other activists rallied outside the Statehouse and contened that the decision should be left to parents, not the state, according to the Hartford Courant.

“This is not an anti-vaccine rally — it’s a freedom of choice rally,” organizer Louise Habakus told the Courant. “This one-size-fits-all approach is really very anti-American.”

Boxes of freedom

By Richard C. Evey

THE JURY BOX: The jury box is the guarantee of a fair trial, the Sixth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. There could be up to 12 people on that jury to decide your fate in a criminal or civil case.

Too often, the justice system tries to convince you that you should let a judge decide your fate rather than a jury. A jury trial would be very expensive. But judges are biased. They are politically connected and they know where their paycheck comes from. Judges will often rule on the side of the district attorney and law enforcement because they are all on the same side.

Too often, a jury will render a decision and the judge thinks it is wrong and throws out the jury’s decision to rule on the case himself. Is this legal? No.

Weapons of mass distraction

By William R. Toler

With the current global economic crisis and the heated, upcoming presidential election, one may wonder: is one a distraction for the other, or are they both distractions for something more sinister?

Once we’ve forgotten how the U.S. Congress and Wall Street have flushed the economy down the tubes because a McCain supporter called Obama a terrorist, our attention is again diverted back to the doom and gloom of the economic enigma.

Banking institutions in both the U.S. and around the world are succumbing to nationalization by their governments and foreign acquisitions.

Second Amendment wins again

By William R. Toler

The city of New Orleans agreed to return hundreds of guns to their owners following the settelement of a law suit brought forth by the National Rifle Association according to the Times-Picayune.

Gunowners had their firearms confiscated by police and National Guard soldiers following Hurricane Katrina without a warrant or probable cause, the paper reported.