1. Bill Kauffman, author of Ain’t My America: The Long, Noble History of Anti-War Conservatism and Middle-American Anti-Imperialism, which is worth a read in itself, provides a very solid review of Ron Paul’s excellent piece of 21st Century political analysis The Revolution: A Manifesto.

2. In a turn of events that is at the same time somewhat funny, interesting and weird, the Vatican has come out and said that it is alright for Catholics to believe in extraterrestrials. Considering that these folks persecuted Galileo for illustrating that the earth revolved around the sun, it is very interesting that the church is now expressing that it is fine for its parishioners to believe in aliens. Times, they-are-a-changing. Thanks to my buddy Josh Adragna for the heads up.

3. In a day and age of rampant numbers fudging, if not outright fraud, on the part of numerous social-political-economic agents, it is not too surprising that there are growing questions related to the accuracy of the London Interbank Offered Rate (”LIBOR”), which is used as a benchmark for millions of global credit transactions. Given the growing volume of questions, there are now growing calls for an analysis of the real rates banks offer each other for short term credit. Mish analyzes.

4. What a shocker, Karl Rove is refusing to testify to Congress under oath. Hopefully a subpoena is next so we can see what type of rhetorical mumbo jumbo these clowns can throw at the American people this time to try to slime out of their responsibility as citizens to face proper tribunals. What do you think would happen if you or I decided to say “No thanks” to a request to show up in front of Congress or any other court for that matter? Guns, contempt, jail time? The Bush Administration and their total flaunting of the U.S. Constitution, the Rule of Law, and the checks and balances of our system of governance, has been a TOTAL disaster for America and the American people. The Neoconservative/Fascist branch of political activity in America needs to go down as a short-lived and acknowledged as fearful/brain-dead period of American history. Time to wake up and act people. The future of America rests in YOUR hands. Do you want honor, rule of just law, respect, reason and righteousness, or continued subversion of all principle, fear, bullying, contempt for our founding documents, lies and bloodshed? The choice is yours as an individual, but I definitely know where I stand.

5. Even as the equity markets continue on a two month climb out of the pits of fear related to awareness of the trash credit situation in the U.S. and globally, foreclosure filings here in the U.S. continue to rocket higher. Due to ridiculously easy and unjustifiable credit during the boom, and the related fall out that always accompanies such poorly conceived activity, many who over-leveraged at the wrong time are turning in the keys. As of the end of April, more than 243,300 properties were in some stage of foreclosure. Foreclosure filings jumped 65% on a year-over-year basis and 4% compared to a comparatively brutal March.

6. Downsize DC is calling for a much-needed analysis of the waste in spending on the Iraq War. One thing as a society that we must not allow to take place if we are to be a sensible and just people, is for war profiteers and crooked politicians and bureaucrats to take our hard earned tax money in an unaccountable fashion in relation to already very painful times of war. This sort of fraud and waste is beyond egregious and must not be tolerated. Please stand up for yourself, your country, your neighbors , family and friends, and the future you will leave to your children. This is one small step.

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