Happy New Year Tips from the Rod Williams School of Drunk Driving

Happy New Year!

It is that time of the year again will more people will be driving drunk than any other night of the year.   Unfortunately a lot of inexperienced amateur drunk drivers will on the road. A lot of people will have their judgment impaired and think they are perfectly capable of driving  but they will be drunk and the police will be out in force.

This  guide from the Rod Williams School of Drunk Driving is provided  to help you improve your drunk driving skills and enjoy the new year.


(1) Don't Drive drunk. Getting arrested for drunk driving is only one reason not to drive drunk.  The most important reason is you could kill yourself or someone else. Don’t do it. If you are lucky and don't kill someone or yourself, getting arrested for drunk driving could cost you your job, your election, your social standing, custody of your children, a lot of money, and maybe your marriage.

If you overindulge, there are alternatives to driving drunk. Take a taxi, get a hotel room, call a friend or family member and ask them to come get you. If at a friend's house and you have had too much to drink, stay the night. 

Use the peer-to-peer livery services like Lyft and Uber. These services are cheep, fast, and convenient. You page a ride using your phone. To do that you must first download an app. Don't wait until you're drunk to try to download the app. Here is a link to the Uber app.

(3) Use Sober Ride. Sober ride is a service of the Sheriff's office. They will drive you home and there is no reporting or penalty for using the service. This is the 32nd year the Sheriff's office has been offering this service. Those in the downtown area who need a sober ride should go to the pick-up location at Second Avenue and Church Street. Volunteers took more than 500 people home last year. Drivers will take people home or to a hotel but not to another party or bar, and serves Davidson County only. Operating hours are from 10 p.m. New Year’s Eve until 2 a.m. New Year’s Day and no reservations are accepted.
 
(3) Pick the designated driver before you start drinking.  If you are not going to rely on a commercial service such as a cab or Uber, and you know you are going to be drinking and you are going with other people then have a designated driver. I prefer being the designated drinker, but someone needs to be the designated driver.
 
Despite the above advice I know there will be times when a person will have had too much to drink and not think they are too drunk to drive but will have had a sufficient amount of adult beverage that they could register drunk even though they don’t think they are drunk.

I myself have probably driven many times when I would have registered drunk had I been stopped. I am not by any means advocating driving drunk, but if you are possibly driving impaired I am providing these below tips to help you increase your chances of getting home safely without getting arrested.





(3) Know that you don’t have to be “drunk” to register DUI. You do not have to be sloppy, falling down drunk to register as DUI. If you think you should not drive then by all means don’t. See the above. Often you will not know if you are drunk or not, so unless you know exactly how much you have had to drink and whether or not that would constitute drunk driving, then assume you are technically drunk. You do not have to appear intoxicated or have any of the symptoms that we think of as “drunk” to have a Blood Alcohol Content that legally makes you guilty of Driving Under the Influence. If you drink and you drive you have probably driven “drunk.”

(4) Track your consumption and don’t have “one for the road.” That is what often happens. If  for New Years you are having dinner with friends and you have a pre-dinner cocktail and wine with dinner and an after dinner liquore with coffee, and a champagne toast at midnight, you might register drunk. Try to keep your alcohol consumption to a level that falls below the BAC limit.


On occasion I like to go to Lower Broadway to listen to live music and party. If I have 8, 12-ounce beers in a four-hour period I should have a BAC of about .068, however if I have 9 beers in four hours that means I have a BAC of .085 and am legally drunk. “One for the road” could put me over the limit. Actually, I seldom have eight in a four hour period, but it has happened.

A female can drink less than a male and a slender person can drink less than a heavy person. For a 115 pound female, three glasses of wine in two hours is drunk. Don’t try to keep up with the other people in your party. Know your limit. Skip a round. Drink slower. Some people assume that wine is less inebriating than tequila shots. That is not so. A 12-ounce beer, 5 ounces of wine, or 1 ounces of 100 proof distilled spirits have the same impact on an individual's BAC level.

Here is a calculator that will give you guidance on how much alcohol you can consume and an estimate of BAC. Please be aware that this is only a guide. If you are drinking on an empty stomach, your BAC may be higher than indicated in the calculator.

(5)  Point your car in the direction of home.  Plan your trip. A good car should be able to find its way home, with a little help.  Avoid places where the police might see you. When I go to the honkytonk strip on lower Broadway to party, I never park on Broadway. I live on the south side of town, so I park a block or two south of Broadway on one of the one-way streets heading south. This means I do not have to circle a block and be concerned about traffic lights and stop signs. The less exposed one is to the police the less chance one has of getting caught. It is worth parking four or five blocks away to reduce your exposure.

(6) Be aware that you are impaired. If you didn’t keep track of how much you drank then assume you are may have had enough to register drunk and use your best drunk-driving skills. "Thinking" skills, like perceiving and evaluating risks, or processing information are not easily visible to outside observers, but they are the first skills to be adversely affected by alcohol. Be aware of this.

(7) Stop the Party. You are having a good time. You are joking and singing and laughing. You hate
to end the party, but if there is any chance that you are driving with an elevated BAC, then stop the party. Say, “OK folks, we need to straighten up. I need your help in getting us home.” Don’t sing or engage in distracting conversation. Turn off the radio. Don’t talk on the cell phone. Give driving your undivided attention. Don’t let anyone in the car have an open container. You may be perfectly capable of driving, but if a drunk passenger is yelling "Happy New Year" out the window, the police may stop the car and give you a drunk driving test. The moment you get in the car the party is over.

(8) Check the checklist. Have a mental checklist. You don’t want to get stopped because you failed to use your turn signal. I was once stopped by the police on lower Broadway and forced to take a Breathalyzer. I knew I had only had two beers in a two-hour period so I was not concerned. The reason they stopped me is that I had not tuned on my headlights as I pulled out into the street. The downtown area is well lit and this was just an oversight. The police are looking for excuses to stop you; don’t give them one. Seat belts? Check. Adjust the mirror? Check. Turn off the radio? Check. Turn on the headlights? Check.

(9) Concentrate; pay attention. Be aware of your driving. Don’t relax. Keep both hands on the wheel. Don’t be distracted. Don't answer the phone. If you feel you must answer the phone, safely pull off the road. Don't even engage in conversation.  Make sure you do not weave. Are you staying within the lines? Drive just below the speed limit. Don’t tailgate. Pay attention to the car in front of you. If they put on their brakes, notice it. If you are approaching an intersection with a traffic light, pay close attention. Plan that traffic light stop. Don’t run a yellow light.

(10) Use your co-pilot. Ask the person in the passengers seat to help you drive. Ask them to tell you if you weave or tailgate or go too fast. Make them pay attention to your driving.

(11) If you get stopped. Unless you are certain that you have had less than the number of drinks it would take to raise your BAC level to the .08 level, then common wisdom holds that it is a good idea to refuse the breathalyzer test. It generally is more difficult to convict a driver of drunk driving if no chemical tests are taken.

 (12) Use your influence to get the charge thrown out. Be a State Representative or other person with important friends who can get a judge to throw out the charge based on lack of probable cause for making the stop. Despite the police seeing you drive with wheels over the lane line and observing the smell of alcohol, slurred speech, and inability to walk straight and a despite the arresting officer saying you were "absolutely hammered," the judge may rule the arresting officer did not have probable cause for making the stop. (link)

This is an additional tip suggested by a student of the Rod Williams School of Drunk Driving.

(13) If you are seeing double, close one eye. 
 
I have never been arrested for drunk driving but I admit I have been guilty of it. I guess I have been lucky. As a young adult I was more often guilty of it than I have been as an older adult. Nevertheless, from time to time, I still have probably technically met the blood alcohol level for being drunk.

Stay safe. Don't drive drunk. Drive careful. Happy New Year.

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Get state out of the marriage business altogether, proposes State Rep. Rick Womick

 In the past I have often disagreed with some of the positions taken by Representative Rick Womick. Now however, I think Womick has come up with an idea that has merit and that is that the State should simply stop issuing marriage license. There is nothing that I am aware of that requires the state to issue marriage license.  The Supreme Court has said the State can not refuse to issue a marriage license to two people of the same sex.  However, what would happen it the State did not issue any marriage license?

People could still go to the local court house and have their marriage recorded, just as they can have a prenuptual agreement, a will, or a mortgage lien recorded. By recording something, the State bears no responsibility for its accuracy.  If Donald Duck and Micky Mouse want to have a marriage license recorded, the recording authority is simply recording the data, not validating it. It three people want to record a "marriage" that does not in and of itself make it legal or condoned by the State. If people want to get married and not bother recording the marriage, that would be fine too; they would still be married. I like what Womick is saying.  Unless I hear a persuasive agreement as to why this is not a good idea, I am for it.

I am not one who believes in the discredited theory of nullification. However, not cooperating with the Federal government is not the same as defying the Federal government. The U. S. Constitution does not even mention marriage.  Surely there is no way the Federal government could force a state to issue marriage license if the state decided to get out of the business of  doing so.

Womick wants return of common-law marriage

Rick Womick

Nashville Post,  December 28, 2015 by Geert De Lombaerde -   Citing the current "legal climate" — i.e., the Haslam administration's refusal to challenge the Supreme Court's marriage equality ruling — Rep. Rick Womick wants the state to stop issuing marriage licenses altogether and go back to being a common-law state on marriage.

Womick seeks end of marriage licenses 

Daily New Journal, by Scott Broden- ...  "The state Constitution says that marriage is between one man and one woman, and my personal belief is that God says that marriage is between one man and one woman," said Womick, a Republican who resides in Rutherford County's Rockvale community southwest of Murfreesboro. .... Womick said during a Tuesday phone interview that Tennessee should revert back to being a common-law state on marriage and stop issuing licenses for couples to wed."That would take the state out of the marriage business altogether,".... "If the Supreme Court will not allow us as a sovereign state to issue marriage licenses as we have decided, then we won’t issue them at all," Womick said. "If (the deciding five members of the Supreme Court) want to play this game, we are not going to abide by what they said.

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25 Surprising Facts About Religious Rights in Public Schools

From time to time we hear anecdotal stories of the public school systems prohibiting students from expressing their Christian faith. Certainly it does happen, but if challenged, the public schools system often backs down. Also, schools systems often try to purge schools of any recognition of the dominant Christian culture in which we live by doing such things as changing "Christmas break" to "winter break."  Because of a separation of  church and state, school boards do not have to pretend that the school break that happens at the end of the year is not a "Christmas" break.

One reason secularist and politically correct bullies often win is because Christians are so damn meek and mild. Christians do have rights. If you don't stand up for your rights however, you will lose them.

The following list of "25 Surprising Facts about Religious Rights in Public Schools" is copied from an email I received from Tennessee Eagle Forum. Eagle Forum got if from Liberty Institute. To view the 33-page book that contains this list and other information about religious liberty in public schools see the  Religious Liberty Protections Kit for Students and Teachers.

1. Students and educators do have First Amendment religious rights inside public schools.

2. Students can speak about their faith even when teachers must be neutral.

3. Schools cannot treat religious activity differently than other activity.

4. Students can pray during lunch, recess, or other designated free time.

5. Students can pray silently during a school's moment of silence.

6. Students can read the Bible or other religious materials at school.

7. Students can share their faith with fellow students.

8. Schools can acknowledge religion.

9. Students can pray, either individually or as a group, at school athletic competitions, student assemblies, or other extracurricular activities when school officials are not involved.

10. In many cases, a school district can allow student- led prayer before an athletic competition (such as a football game), a student assembly, or other extracurricular event as part of the school program.

11. Students can pray at graduation ceremonies or include religious content in their speeches.

12. A public school can refer to "Christmas" and have a "Christmas party" if the intent is not to advance Christianity.

13. A public school can display Christmas decorations if the intent is to teach and not part of a religious exercise.

14. A public school can include religious Christmas music, art, or drama in a school play or performance if it is used to teach history or cultural heritage and not advance a particular religion.

15. Students can give out Christmas gifts with religious messages at school parties.

16. Students can incorporate their faith or religion in classroom and homework assignments under normal and appropriate circumstances.

17. A public school district cannot be hostile toward religious beliefs.

18. Teachers and other public school employees can discuss religion with students under many conditions.

19. Teachers and other public school employees can discuss religion with other teachers or other school employees.

 20. A public school or a teacher cannot limit religious speech by students unless they limit other speech.

21. Students can have a religious club at their school.

22. Religious student groups can meet on campus whenever other non-curricular clubs can meet.

23. Religious clubs can use the same school resources available to non-religious clubs (e.g., school facilities, bulletin boards, public address system) to promote or facilitate club events.

24. In most states, teachers or other public school employees may attend a religious student group's meetings in a supervisory role.

25. Members of religious student clubs can distribute flyers about meetings and events just like non-religious clubs.

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Veterans are actually underrepresented among the homeless.

An article in The Tennessean on December 22 reported on the status of the homeless in Nashville. Among the things reported in the piece was some demographic information telling us who the homeless are. Among homeless adults in Nashville, 11 percent are severely mentally ill, 29 percent are employed, 19 percent are victims of domestic violence, 12 percent are veterans, and 7 percent are HIV positive.

Thirteen percent of the US population are veterans so veterans are under represented among the homeless. Veterans are not underrepresented by much and statistics are not static and they are often  approximations with a margin of error, but veterans are certainly not over represented among the homeless.

I find this interesting because there seems to be a narrative and I think many people believe, most or at least a lot of the homeless are veterans. Part of this is caused by the homeless who as part of their panhandling appeal hold up signs that say, "U.S Veteran, Please Help," or something similar. There is no way to know if the person claiming to be a veteran is really a veteran, but it creates an impression.  Also, those raising money to help solve the problem of homelessness choose sympathetic representations of the homeless to help the effort.  People are more likely to contribute to help down and out veterans or children than they are crack-addicted whores.

I don't know that this narrative that says many of the homeless are veterans is carried out with a political agenda or not.  If it is to promote a political agenda, I am not sure what that agenda is. Also,

I don't know how many people believe it but I have heard people casually say things that leads me to believe that they believe a large number of the homeless are veterans. They believe that somehow as a nation we have failed our veterans.  On Facebook, people will post photos of homeless veterans with a statement such as, "as long as we have homeless veterans we should not admit any refugees," as if somehow their was a relationship between the two issues. They will also use homeless veterans as an excuse for not dealing with other issues as if homeless veterans ought to be of higher priority than any other issue.

I actually think our country does a pretty good job caring for veterans.  If they serve as little as 20 years they retire and get a very nice military pension. While serving, military personnel earn pretty good money now and should have some savings when they leave the military even it they do not make military service a career. Also veterans get benefits such as the G.I. bill to go to college and preferential mortgage terms through the VA. Wounded, or veterans who may have health issues resulting from agent orange or other toxic exposures or possibly suffer from post traumatic stress syndrome, often get pensions and the VA provides free medical care to veterans with a service connected disability.  I know there have been some problems with VA health care in some places, but I have a relative who is cared for at the Nashville VA hospital and has nothing but praise for his level of care. I have also heard others give good reports about local Veterans Hospital health care.

When thinking about veterans, anyone who served honorable in the armed forces is due respect. We should keep in mind however that being a veteran does not mean the veteran saw action in time of war. I would bet most veterans never served in a war. Some veterans had cushy jobs in interesting places and their service was no more stressful than going to the office every day and it may have only lasted two years.  I have nothing but respect for real warriors, but even among those who may have served in a war zone, more people performed support services than engaged in killing the enemy.  The Marine taking and holding territory was the exception, not the rule. 

I favor any charity that is reaching out to help homeless veterans.  There may be among those some who could qualify for a disability pension is they had an advocate. Some my be suffering from undiagnosed PTSD. We should help them.  We should not assume however that being a veteran is the cause of a veterans homelessness. Bad things may have happened to them or they may have made poor choices or became alcoholics or drug addicts and that may have had nothing to do with being a veteran. Just because someone was once a veteran it does not mean the government should protect and support them the rest of their lives. I suspect that of the 12 percent of the homeless who are veterans, they would be homeless anyway even if they were not veterans.

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A Merry Christmas Cartoon Book

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Merry Christmas

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Obama wants to ruin another holiday. Visit "Your Republican Uncle" to see how the libs are being prepped to do it. See the talking points.

President Obama seems to be determined to not let families even have one day of Goodwill, Peace on Earth. You remember pajama boy from 2013 and how he was used to prepare liberal young adults to argue with their parents about Obamacare? This Thanksgiving the Obama regime prepped Obamanistas to make arguments for more gun control. Now, the Dems have put up a website to prep Obamanistas with arguments to any of  a number of things a conservative relative could say. The web site is called,"Your Republican Uncle."

Suppose while sitting around after Christmas gifts are exchanged, talking and catching up, someone says something about voting and the Republican uncle says,"You had to show ID to buy this beer, why shouldn’t you have to show ID to vote?"  The Obamanista is programmed to say, "Only .00000013% of votes cast from 2002-2005 resulted in convictions or guilty pleas for voter fraud, so what problem are voter ID laws supposed to be fixing, exactly? All they do is make it harder for people of color*, women, younger voters, and seniors to vote. That’s un-American." 

The site has prepared responses for numerous things a conservative relative might say.  If you are going to be with your smart-ass Democrat nephew tomorrow you may want to know what he is going to be prepared to say in advance of him saying it.  The site gives the liberal answer to anything that remotely touches on politics, everything from climate change, to Jeb Bush, gay rights, immigrants and refugees, Donald Trump, Marco Rubio, Ted Cruz, and more.

My suggestion is enjoy time with family but monitor your comments. Don't talk about anything important. Don't even talk about the weather. Don't have conversations. For one day stifle yourself. Don't give the little meathead an opening. You don't want Christmas to end with hurt feelings and people going home mad. If he baits you, don't take the bait.  Just smile and nod a lot. Talk football or ask him how he likes his job, but don't relax. Don't let your guard down. Think about everything you say before you say it. If however, it is unavoidable and you cannot avoid saying something that gives him an opening, be prepared for it. If you go to this site, you will know what he is going to say before he says it and you can have your counter arguments prepared. 

On the other hand you might just say, "Oh, I read that on 'Your Republican Uncle' and that is an interesting take on the topic, but maybe we better talk about something else. Excuse me, I need a refill."

*Note: If he says "people of color," in normal conversation, you all probably cannot really talk about anything anyway.  Don't even try. Also if he can know that the conviction rate for voter fraud  down to the eight decimal point he is a computer and not a real person.

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After wasting $70M in TN public funds, switchgrass biofuel project to shut down

DuPont closing Vonore biorefinery 

The Daily Times, By Melissa Erickson - By the end of the year, DuPont will close its biorefinery in Vonore, a facility that was built as a partnership with the state of Tennessee as part of a $70 million initiative to research and develop a biofuel industry in East Tennessee.....The state of Tennessee partnered in the biorefinery by approving the $70.5 million investment over a five-year period in 2007. That money was directed to the University of Tennessee Research Foundation, which created Genera Energy LLC to partner with DuPont Danisco Cellulosic Ethanol in establishing the biorefinery and recruit area farmers to grow switchgrass on contract for bioenergy production.

The program was started under Governor Phil Bredesen but had continued support under Governor Haslam and bi-partisan funding support from the State legislature.

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Judge dismisses challenge to TN voter id law

The Tennessean, 12-22-2015 - A federal judge in Nashville has dismissed a legal challenge to Tennessee's ban on the use of student ID cards as voter identification, according to court records. (link)

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Marsha Blackburn's response to President Obama's "leadership" on addressing radical Islamic extremism

From Marsha Blackburn:



In the aftermath of the attacks carried out by radical Islamic extremists that killed and wounded hundreds in Paris, President Barack Obama stood before the world to issue America's response. But instead of taking a hardline stand against violent acts of terrorism, the President timidly and absurdly claimed that the upcoming summit on "climate change" would be a strong "rebuke" to international terrorists.

Then came the savage San Bernardino attack where 14 people were killed and 21 injured by two radical Islamic terrorists – and it took Barack Obama four days to respond and admit what most Americans already knew – it was a terrorist attack. The President was more interested in taking a cynically opportune shot at Americans' Second Amendment rights than he was about the evil ideology behind the attack!

Unfortunately for the American people, their fearful leader is in denial about the threat terrorism poses to our country. That's why I'm contacting you today – I need you to partner with me to wake up the White House. Will you take a moment to watch my response to President Obama's "leadership" on addressing radical Islamic extremism?
Americans want to see leadership that will communicate the message that we are going to find these terrorists, we're going to destroy them and we're going to destroy their networks. But that is not what the president has been saying. He's too focused on pushing his globalist agenda of bringing thousands of Muslim refugees to the U.S. and crippling our economy with radical environmentalist overreach.

President Barack Obama needs to be reminded that his most important duty as Commander-in-Chief is to protect and look after the best interests of the American people above all else. Will you help me make it clear to President Obama that he must prioritize our safety and prosperity by watching my response to the recent attacks and then add your name if you agree, today?

 I'm determined to continue standing up in Congress to demand accountability from leadership in Washington, DC - from Capitol Hill to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, but I sure could use your support. After watch my video and add your name, can I also count on you to make a generous contribution of $25, $50, $75, $100 or even more to my 2016 campaign preparations as well?

Thank you – please respond today!
Sincerely, Marsha Blackburn
Congressman Marsha Blackburn

P.S.  Barack Obama only has one year left to improve on his abysmal record – let's urge him to begin now! Watch my response and add your name to the fight if you agree today!

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Cruz Christmas Classics

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Santa Needs Prices

Leave it to Robert P. Murphy to explain why Santa Claus needs prices. Murphy, the author of Choice: Cooperation, Enterprise, and Human Action--a book that makes Ludwig von Mises's masterwork in economics and social philosophy accessible to general readers--has a gift for illustrating important economic principles with clever examples. In his latest piece for The Freeman, Murphy tells us why Santa, as hardworking and conscientious a worker as any that ever lived, would do an even better job of delivering toys to all the world's good girls and boys if he were to use market prices to help guide his decision-making. READ MORE

Santa Needs Prices, by Robert P. Murphy (The Freeman, 12/15/15)

Robert P. Murphy

A superficial observer might argue that Santa Claus has no relevance to economics, because in Santa’s world, there is no scarcity. But Santa, though magical, is not omnipotent. He faces constraints.

First, Santa only delivers tangible, conventional presents to boys and girls. If someone wrote him a letter asking for world peace, cold fusion, or a resolution of the Riemann hypothesis, I don’t think Santa could deliver. Santa is a nice guy, and he surely recognizes that, say, perpetual nutrition for the world’s poor is more important than giving Jimmy in Boise a new toy train. So we must conclude that Santa is only capable of creating and delivering specific material items to the lucky recipients on Christmas Eve.

How does Santa decide what orders to give his elves to fill that bag? ....Santa knows that if he wanted to give Susie one more doll, then at least one other kid on Earth would have had to get a different mix of toys. .....will make one child happier only by making at least one other child less happy.


My Comment: The above is reposted from The Freeman. Robert P. Murphy is a Research Fellow at the Independent Institute and Research Assistant Professor with the Free Market Institute at Texas Tech University. Robert P. Murphy is a Nashvillian and is an occasional attendee at the monthly Liberty on the Rocks gatherings and I have had the pleasure of meeting him. Unfortunately even grown up liberals still believe in Santa Claus and that all wants can be satisfied by the magic of government spending and there are no constrains or limits if we all just believe. It does not make you a scourge to accept reality. The market can deliver more goodies to more people than the magic of good intentions. 

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Col. Allen West to be March First Tuesday guest speaker.

Col. Allen West

From Tim Skow:

1ST TUESDAY Members for 2016 ..... and friends.

The FIRST of what we expect to be a stellar 2016 line up of speakers is now confirmed ! 1ST TUESDAY is proud to announce a true American patriot, Col. ALLEN WEST will be our special guest speaker for MONDAY, March 7th. With a decorated military career and time as a Member of Congress, few can match the insights and understanding of the complexities facing America like Col.
West !

ALL seating is now on RESERVE ... and available to pre-purchase by 2016 Members. Its suggested 2016 Members secure seating ASAP for it will be sold to 2016 MEMBERS on a 1st come/1st serve basis. Those wishing to become 2016 Members can do so by visiting the 1ST TUESDAY website [www.1sttuesdaynashville.com] and click on " JOIN US" to pay your $25 annual 2016 dues.

Don't forget to pre-pay for your seats for March 7th as well ! As many know, Col. West now leads to National Center for Policy Analysis. [NCPA.org] A pre-event with Col. West is in the works from 10:30-11:30. Details to follow. MORE NEWS SOON... for our January 2016 1ST TUESDAY event...and more!

Till then, MERRY CHRISTMAS to you & your families. HAPPY NEW YEAR to all !

Tim Skow
Host of 1ST TUESDAY

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Ted Cruz Rally, Nashville, Tuesday, Dec. 22nd at 1:30PM

URGENT NOTICE - Sign up TODAY or at the door - Ted Cruz will be in Nashville for a Rally THIS Tues Dec 22 at 1:30PM. Sign up at the door or online at TedCruzNashville.com - Join US! and Together we can elect a principled conservative who will fight to restore the Republic!
Rocketown, 601 4th Avenue South, Nashville, TN 37203

Note: I am posting this as a public service. This does not constitute an endorsement. Rod

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Noshville Deli Is Closing in Part Because of Obamacare

But when Loventhal learned he would be faced with the added expense of providing his more than 50

employees with health insurance come Jan. 1—he estimated it would cost between $70,000 and $100,000 annually—Loventhal decided to close Noshville’s doors before the provision of Obamacare overseeing businesses, the employer mandate, goes fully into effect.
 
“It’s an onerous bill, and for a small business, it’s a lot of time [to comply],” he said. “I’ve been studying this for three years, and I really couldn’t come up with a good answer, and I feel sorry for closing this business.”
 
A ‘Healthy Dose of Reality’

Under Obamacare’s employer mandate, businesses with more than 50 employees working more than 30 hours per week will be required to provide health insurance to its workers.

On Jan. 1, 2015, the employer mandate went into effect for businesses with more than 100 employees, and on Jan. 1, 2016, those rules will apply for those with more than 50 employees. (link)

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Should we bomb Agrabah?

I favor a strong American foreign policy.  I reject the position of many Democrats and Libertarians who think America should disengage from the world. Isolationism and disarmament will invite war. I think we need to modernize our military to be able to deter Russian aggression in eastern Europe, to counter Chinese expansion in the South China Sea and to be prepared to counter a nuclear armed North Korea and Iran.  Weakness invites aggression. Our land based missiles are old, our Air Force is still flying B-52's which have been in service for more than 60 years and our Navy is the smallest it has been since 1940. The world is a dangerous place and we have a vital interest in deterring expansion of anti-democratic countries and in maintaining world stability.

While favoring a strong military and American leadership in the world however, I reject the foreign policy position of George W. Bush and many Republicans which got labeled "neo-con."  I don't think we can impose democracy on countries not ready for democracy.  I actually think the world would be a better place if Saddam Hussein was still dictator of Baghdad and Moammar Kadafi still ruled Libya. If we had not destabilized the Mid-east, there might not be an ISIS threat. While we should not be propping up corrupt dictators except in rare circumstances, neither should be be engaged in toppling them except in rare circumstances. I am not so idealistic or naive to think that all people of the world yearn to be free and democracy will follow if only dictatorships are overthrown.

When and how to use American power is not always an easy thing to know.  I do not think the answer to every foreign policy challenge is to drop bombs. In a recent poll, 30% of Republican primary voters said they would support the U. S. bombing  of Agrubah and 13% opposed and the rest were undecided. Donald Trump's supporters favored bombing Agrabah by 41% to only 9% of his supporters who would oppose bombing Agrubah.   Among Democrats, 19% favored bombing  Agrabah and 36% opposed. This is a troubling statistic. (link)

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How Tennessee Senators and Representatives voted on the Omnibus spending bill.

Congress passed the Omnibus spending bill today by a vote in the House of  316 to 115 and five not voting. The Democrats voted in favor of the bill 166 to 18 opposed.  Republicans also voted in favor of the bill, 150 voting in favor and 95 voting in opposition. (link)

In the Senate it passed by a vote of  65 in favor and 22 opposed. Among Democrats, 37 voted in favor and six opposed. Among Republicans, 27 voted in favor, 26 voted in opposition and Senator Marco Rubio missed this important vote. (link)

The bill would fund the federal government for the remainder of fiscal year 2016 (through September 30, 2016).

In the Senate, both Lamar Alexander and Bob Corker voted in favor of the bill, disappointing this voter.  Below is the vote in the House of Representatives of Tennessee representatives.

Nay	R	Roe, Phil	TN 1st
Nay	R	Duncan, John	TN 2nd
Yea	R	Fleischmann, Chuck	TN 3rd
Nay	R	DesJarlais, Scott	TN 4th
Yea	D	Cooper, Jim	TN 5th
Nay	R	Black, Diane	TN 6th
Nay	R	Blackburn, Marsha	TN 7th
No Vote	R	Fincher, Stephen	TN 8th
Yea	D	Cohen, Steve	TN 9th

For a list of how all member of the House and Senate voted, follow the above links.

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Marsha Blackburn: Why I voted NO on the omnibus spending bill.

Marsha Blackburn

From This Week in Washington by Representative Marsha Blackburn - Today the House passed the second major piece of legislation and that is the omnibus spending bill. So many of you contacted me to ask about the omnibus spending bill. Here is a link for you to view the bill yourself. Also, I want to provide you a brief summary and explain why I voted NO on the omnibus. 

We did achieve some conservative wins in the bill. We were able to block the IRS from harassing individuals who give to political organizations. We were able to roll back the EPA spending to 2008 levels and their employee rolls to 1989 levels. We were also able to include full funding for our men and women in uniform. Those are big conservative wins and the Speaker deserves both credit and our thanks. 

Unfortunately, it is disappointing that we have no language which freezes the Syrian refugee program, the President’s lawless amnesty, Planned Parenthood funding, Net Neutrality or contributions to the Green Climate Fund. The omnibus also breaks the budget caps from the 2011 Budget Control Act. I am very concerned about the security of this country and the American people. Recently, DHS Secretary Johnson admitted that ISIS could “exploit” our refugee program to conduct attacks here at home, something I and my colleagues have been saying for weeks. We must do everything in our power to eliminate terrorist threats – which is why I will not give President Obama a blank check for his resettlement agenda. Due to these issues, I could not support the bill, but I do thank Speaker Ryan for the manner in which he addressed the issues and worked to include the conservative policy riders.

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The Paris Accord climate change Christmas celebration special deal on carbon off-sets

I guess by now everyone know the Paris Climate Agreement passed and it is really a big deal. That is what everyone is telling us. Here is a sample:

 "Why the Paris Climate Agreement Is a Big, Big Deal" William R.L. Anderegg -- The Week, December 14, 2015
 "The Climate Deal Is President Obama's Biggest Accomplishment" Jonathan Chait -- The New York Magazine, December 14, 2015
"COP21: Paris climate deal is 'best chance to save planet'" -- BBC News, December 13, 2015

Here is what came out of the accord, as I understand it. Leaders from 196 countries approved the first global agreement to limit greenhouse-gas emissions in history.  Parties to the conference agreed on pursuing long-term efforts to limit global average temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. They again endorsed the principle that all nations have a responsibility for reducing green house gases but that the major responsibility lies with developed nations to drastically cut their carbon emissions and to provide aid to developing economies to help them reduce their carbon emissions and adapt to climate change.

I guess this is a big deal simply because the leaders of these countries agreed to the concept. But that is about all it amounts to.  It is as if they shook hand and agreed to do this. There is no mandatory binding component of The Paris Accord. There is no penalty if you don't meet the target. The popping of champagne corks and dancing in the newsrooms and orgasmic exuberance seems a little over the top for what was accomplished. I must be missing something.  The leaders don't make the rules in any countries except dictatorships and then when they are overthrown, their dictates are overthrown with them.

The Paris Accord is not a treaty.  A treaty requires the approval of two-thirds of the Senate  to become American law and to be a binding agreement with another country.  The Paris Accord is not being presented to the Senate as a treaty. Also, with America having an $18 Trillion dollar national debt and to simply pay the interest on the debt is taking a greater and greater share of every tax dollar collected, I don't think giving foreign aid to developing countries to build solar energy plants and windmills is going to make the cut. Simply because we can't afford it anymore, America may have to stop being the World's policeman and the World's Santa Claus. I think even liberals would prefer to repair highways and build bridges in America, increase funding for student loans, and increase funding for Obamacare rather than build windmills in Bangladesh. 

Probably some of what we are now giving as part of foreign aid and humanitarian aid will be redirected as aid for reducing global warming. We will just call it something different.  I seriously doubt we are going to honor the aid to developing countries component of The Paris Accord. Anyway, even if we do really increase our aid to developing countries to fight global warming, does anyone really think it will go for the intended purpose? A lot of aid now given to fight hunger or for economic development ends up in the hands of the friends of the oligarchs or in Swiss bank accounts. These third world countries are not suddenly going to stop acting like third world countries just because the aid is earmarked for fighting global warming. 

If you have an environmentalist friend or relative who is ecstatic about The Paris Accord, I have the perfect Christmas gift suggestion for them.  Don't bust their bubble over The Paris Accord.  In fact, further extend their jubilation by showing them that their has been a revolution in thinking about saving the planet.  Give them the gift of buying a portion of their carbon footprint.  What better gift for an avid environmentalist than letting them live guilt-free during the holidays. If they drive home for the holidays, they can drive home guilt-free knowing that you paid for their carbon offset! 

Buy your Carbon Off-Sets Here!

The Paris Accord Christmas Special

Live Guilt Free, Get Your Certificate Suitable For Framing.
Show your friends how responsible you are.
Makes great Gifts!

$5.50 per Ton, this week only !

For only $5.50, I will give you a certificate saying that you have my permission to spew one ton of carbon into the air and not have a dirty conscience.

Projects funded by purchase of offsets, include the following:

• Preservation of the tree in my front yard

• Forgoing auto trips from Nashville to Knoxville. I can forgo up to 3 trips a day.

• For $42,000 worth of offsets, I will trade my low gas-mileage car for a high mileage hybrid.

Purchase our “Green Elephant Special”: 2 tons of carbon off-set for only $9.50.

If you purchase before midnight Christmas Eve, you will get The Paris Accord Christmas special price of only $3.50 per ton! 



  Disgruntled Republican Enterprises also has a bridge in Brooklyn for sale. Also we have clients in Nigeria who are looking for Americans who will help them dispose of millions of dollars by putting the funds in their checking account. Disgruntled Republican Ministries also has miracle prayer cloths for sale. We accept cash, checks, money orders, paypal and forever postage stamps.

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Conservative Tennesseans Announce Formation of Voter Education Non-Profit

Press release, NASHVILLE, December 17, 2015 – Today, conservative Tennesseans from across the state announced the formation of Tennesseans for Conservative Action (TCA), a voter education non-profit formed to advocate conservative principles and policy and empower fellow conservatives across Tennessee.

“We formed Tennesseans for Conservative Action because we saw a need to highlight positive, conservative policies and educate Tennesseans on implementing these policies on the state and local level,” said Mark Braden, President of the Tennesseans for Conservative Action. “We believe Tennessee conservatives must work together to inform, educate and empower the public of the proven conservative principles that, when applied in governing, serve the best interests of the individual, the culture of freedom and the government of all people.”

Tennesseans for Conservative Action is a 501(c)4 voter education non-profit organization focused on advocating the following conservative principles:

• Cutting Spending And Debt  
• Creating a Simpler Tax System 
• Giving Parents a Choice in Education
• Local Control of Our Schools 
• Ensuring Freedom in the Workplace 

The group's advisory board currently consists of 19 members, but Braden says they have an aggressive growth plan.
Tennesseans for Conservative Action Statewide Advisory Board

• Amanda Angel of Bledsoe County 
• Emily Beaty of Bradley County 
• Mark Braden of Davidson County 
• Jay Bush of Madison County 
• Mark Cochran of McMinn County 
• Steve Gill of Williamson County 
• Gregory Gleaves of Williamson County 
• Patrick Hampton of Hamilton County 
• Michael Hensley of Grainger County 
• Ty Jones of Hardin County 
• Peggy Lambert of Blount County
• Jennifer Little of Grainger County 
• Susan Mills of Blount County 
• Brett Purgason of Greene County 
• Jason Rich of Wayne County
• William Slater of Sumner County 
• Robin Smith of Hamilton County 
• Julie West of Williamson County 
• Jessica Whitmill of Hamblen County 

For those that want to learn more or join TCA, they may visit the organization's website- TennesseansforConservativeAction.com.

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Town hall forum on Islam in Textbooks draws standing room only

Lawmakers Attend Town Hall Meeting On Islam In Textbooks 

News Channel 5, FRANKLIN, Tenn. - Dozens of people including several lawmakers gathered at a town hall meeting in Williamson County to discuss religion in school. The meeting focused on educating the community and discussing concerns surrounding the teaching of Islam in Tennessee textbooks.(link)

Town hall forum on Islam in schools held in Brentwood 

by Sky Arnald, Fox 17, Brentwood - A packed crowd gathered in Brentwood Wednesday night for a town hall forum on Islam in Schools.

Many in the crowd are concerned about a 7th grade textbook many students are using in Tennessee.
"The book becomes a paper tyrant," said speaker Bill Warner.

Opponents say the textbook is in 40 school districts and its writers have ties to radical Islam.
"There is something seriously wrong with who's writing our textbooks," said speaker Cathy Hinners.
Susan Curlee was among the parents in the crowd.

Curlee is a school board member in Williamson county... (link) 

If you want to hear a podcast of the complete meeting, 

follow this link: Super Talk 99.7 WTN Podcasts

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Corker Says Visa Waivers a Bigger Risk Than Refugees

BOB CORKER

by Sam Stockard, Memphis Daily News - U.S. Sen. Bob Corker says he believes the nation needs to stop admitting Syrian refugees until security problems are solved, but the nation’s “bigger risk” in letting terrorists slip into the country lies with the nation’s Visa Waiver Program.

 “In the European Union, part of the strength of the European Union … from their perspective was people’s freedom of movement,” Corker says shortly before speaking at Middle Tennessee State University’s December graduation. “So you have somebody in Belgium who’s just been in Syria and has been radicalized, comes back and, boom, they’ve got a visa waiver to come right into the U.S. You understand, that’s a problem.”

The U.S. House recently passed bipartisan legislation designed to restrict travel by citizens of Iraq, Syria, Iran and Sudan to America without screening. It also limits travel by Americans who’ve been to those countries in the last five years. Adopted in 1986, the Visa Waiver Program allows nationals from 38 countries to visit the United States for up to 90 days without getting a visa.  (link)

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Liberty on the Rocks - Tennessee, Thursday, December 17, 2015 5:30 PM

Liberty on the Rocks - Tennessee Thursday, December 17, 2015, 5:30 PM,  Mafiaoza's 2400 12th Ave S, Nashville, TN 37204. This is a fun event to argue and converse and network with other right-of-center conspirators.  Despite it being the libertarian strain of right-of-center folks who dominate these gathering, there are enough of us "normal" conservatives in attendance to provide a little balance. There is no pledge, and no prayer, no speaker and no program; just good food, drinking beer, and good conversation. I have been attending for several years now and have always enjoyed them. This event will also be the, " Don't let the door hit you in the ass on the way out!" good-bye for that contrarian trouble-maker Matt Collins.  RSVP.
Don't let the 5:30 start time concern you. Arrive whenever you can. It starts dwindling down about 9PM, but some times last longer. 

The Collins is crawling back into the swamp hole from which he came (no, not Memphis), the phallic shaped peninsular called Florida!

If you want to tell him goodbye, or just tell him off, be sure to come out and let him know you're glad he is gone. This will be your last chance before he devolves back into Florida Man.

See you there!

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What happended at the 12-15-2015 council meeting? Not much. Fairgrounds gun show bill deferred

At 28 minutes long this is one of the shortest of council meetings I have ever watched. Nothing of importance happens. There is no controversy and everything passes or is deferred. The only thing of interest, which I thought may generate some debate, was the resolution asking the Fair board to reconsider their decision to end gun shows at the Fair ground. That resolution is deferred two meetings. Since Metro legal told the Fair board to allow the gun shows scheduled for January, this resolution can still be acted on if this issue is not resolved by then.

The only thing that makes this Council meeting worth watching is that the attractive Council member, Speaker Pro temp Karen Johnson conducts the last half of the meeting. 

To get your own copy of the agenda, agenda analysis and my commentary on the agenda follow this link. This is The Tennessean's report on the meeting: Council holds off on fairgrounds gun show debate.

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Budget and Finance Committee meeting of 12/14/15

The most important work of the Council does not take place on the Council floor but in committee and the most important of those committees is the Budget and Finance Committee.

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Trump GOP Debate Watch Party - Jonathan's Grille

You are invited to the Donald J. Trump for President Debate Watching Party on Tuesday December 15, 2015 at 6:00 PM at Jonathan's Restaurant in Green Hills. We will assemble in the front Community room of the restaurant. Please RSVP using EventBrite. Seats are limited. 3508 Green Hills Village Dr (Green Hills Mall, off Hillsboro Rd. near Theater) Nashville, TN 37215.

My Comment: This is the only debate watch party of which I am aware.

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Essay Contest: Win up to $5,000

Dear Rod,

Each year we invite undergraduate students to participate in the ISI essay contest for a chance to explore timeless questions and to win up to $5,000. This year we're exploring the question: What is conservatism?

If you know a student who would like to participate, would you share this email with him or her?  

 Get the details and register for this contest here. The deadline for essay submissions is March 14!

Let me know if you have any questions! 

Best,

Stephen Herreid
Regional Director

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