Nine Translations of the Ashtavakra Gita

 

Nine Translations of the Ashtavakra Gita

& Other Ancient Writings

 

 

Historical Background of Ashtavakra Gita

 

Wikipedia: Ashtavakra Gita

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ashtavakra_Gita

 

 

Blogs of Nine Translations of the Ashtavakra Gita

 

The Heart of Awareness (Byrom)

http://theheartofawareness.blogspot.com/

 

Ashtavakra Gita (Marshall)

http://theashtavakra.blogspot.com/

 

Bitten by the Black Snake (Schoch)

http://bittenbytheblacksnake.blogspot.com/

 

A Duet of One (Balsekar)

http://aduetofone.blogspot.com/

 

Ashtavakra Gita (Richards)

http://anotherashtavakragita.blogspot.com/

 

Astavakra Samhita (Wood)

http://astavakrasamhita.blogspot.com/

 

Ashtavakra Gita (Shastri)

http://ashtravakrageeeta.blogspot.com/

 

Ashtavakra Gita (Saraswati)

https://ashtavakragitasaraswati.blogspot.com/

 

Ashtavakra Gita (Vedic Scriptures)

http://ashtravakrageeta.blogspot.com/

 

 

Ramana Maharshi Audio

  

Ashtavakra Gita: Sri Ramana Maharshi

www.sriramanamaharshi.org/resource_centre/audio/ashtavakra-gita/

  

  

Ashtavakra Gita: I Am Shiva

  

Ashtavakra Gita: I Am Shiva

https://ashtavakragitaiamshiva.blogspot.com/

  

  

PDF’s of Ashtavakra Gita: I Am Shiva

  

Ashtavakra Gita: I Am Shiva

https://thestillnessbeforetime.com/ashtavakragitaiamshiva.pdf

  

I Am Shiva Comparison Chart

https://thestillnessbeforetime.com/iamshivacomparisonchart.pdf

 

 

PDF’s of Nine Translations of the Ashtavakra Gita

 

The Heart of Awareness (Byrom)

http://www.thestillnessbeforetime.com/theheartofawarenessbyrom.pdf

 

Ashtavakra Gita (Marshall)

http://www.thestillnessbeforetime.com/ashtavakrafitamarshall.pdf

 

Bitten by the Black Snake (Schoch)

http://www.thestillnessbeforetime.com/bittenbytheblacksnakeschoch.pdf

 

Ashtavakra Gita (Richards)

http://www.thestillnessbeforetime.com/ashtavakragitarichards.pdf

 

A Duet of One (Balsekar)

http://www.thestillnessbeforetime.com/aduetofonebalsekar.pdf

 

Astavakra Samhita (Wood)

http://www.thestillnessbeforetime.com/astavakrasamhitawood.pdf

 

Ashtavakra Gita (Shastri)

http://www.thestillnessbeforetime.com/ashtavakragitashastri.pdf

 

Ashtavakra Gita (Vedic Scriptures) 

http://www.thestillnessbeforetime.com/ashtavakragitavedic.pdf

 

Ashtavakra Gita (Saraswati)

https://www.thestillnessbeforetime.com/ashtavakragitasaraswati.pdf

 

 

Translations of Other Ancient Writings

 

Ashtavakra Gita: I Am Shiva

http://ashtavakragitaiamshiva.blogspot.com/

 

Tao Te Ching: Verse One

http://taotechingverseone.blogspot.com/

 

Tao Te Ching (Marshall)

http://theperennialway-taoteching.blogspot.com/

 

Bhagavad Gita (Marshall)

https://bhagavadgitamarshall.blogspot.com/

 

Yoga Sutras (Marshall)

http://yogasutrasbypatanjali.blogspot.com/

 

Dhammapada (Marshall)

http://buddhasdhammapada.blogspot.com/

 

The Book of Ecclesiastes (Marshall)

https://21ecclesiastesmarshall.blogspot.com

 

Song of the Avadhut (Abhayananda)

http://songoftheavadhut.blogspot.com/

 

Avadhut Gita (Shastri)

http://avadhutgitabydattatreya.blogspot.com/

 

Atma Bodha (Chinmayananda)

http://theatmabodha.blogspot.com/

 

The Essence of the Ribhu Gita (Ramamoorthy & Nome)

http://theribhugita.blogspot.com/

 

Yoga Vasishta Sara (Ramasramam)

http://yogavasishtasara.blogspot.com/

 

Crest-Jewel of Discrimination (Madhavananda)

http://crest-jewelofdiscrimination.blogspot.com/

 

Mandukya Upanishad & Mandukya Karika of Gaudapada (Panoli)

https://mandukyaupanishadpanoli.blogspot.com

 

Gaudapada: Advaita Vedanta’s First Philosopher (Jones)

https://advaitavedantasfirstphilosopher.blogspot.com/2020/02/on-tradition.html

 

 

Writings by Bart Marshall

 

Verses Regarding True Nature
https://versesregardingtruenaturemarshall.blogspot.com

 

One Hundred Two Haiku

https://onehundredtwohaikumarshall.blogspot.com

 

 

Translations of Ancient Writings by Bart Marshall

 

Ashtavakra Gita

http://theashtavakra.blogspot.com/

 

Tao Te Ching

http://theperennialway-taoteching.blogspot.com/

 

Bhagavad Gita

https://bhagavadgitamarshall.blogspot.com/

 

Yoga Sutras

http://yogasutrasbypatanjali.blogspot.com/

 

Dhammapada

http://buddhasdhammapada.blogspot.com/

 

The Book of Ecclesiastes

https://21ecclesiastesmarshall.blogspot.com

Buddha's Lists and Quotes


Buddha's Lists and Quotes



BUDDHA’S LISTS



Four Noble Truths

·      Existence is painful

·      Unhappiness is caused by selfish craving

·      Deliverance from pain is found through non-attachment

·      Eightfold Path

Eightfold Path

·      Right views

·      Right intention

·      Right speech

·      Right action

·      Right livelihood

·      Right effort

·      Right mindfulness

·      Right concentration

Practice wisdom, morality and meditation

The Five Hindrances

·      Sensuality

·      Ill-will

·      Lethargy

·      Worry

·      Indecision

Seven Factors of Enlightenment

·      Mindfulness

·      Investigation of existence

·      Persevering effort

·      Enkindle rapture

·      Maintain calm

·      Concentration on right values and things

·      Equanimity; good grace toward what life has in store

Ten Contemplations

·      Impermanence

·      Absence of a permanent self or soul

·      Profane nature of physical world

·      Danger or disadvantage

·      Abandonment

·      Detachment

·      Cessation

·      Distaste for external world

·      Impermanence of component things

·      Mindfulness of in-breathing and out-breathing


BUDDHA QUOTES

A dog is not considered a good dog because he is a good barker. A man is not considered a good man because he is a good talker.

A jug fills drop by drop.

All that we are is the result of what we have thought. If a man speaks or acts with an evil thought, pain follows him. If a man speaks or acts with a pure thought, happiness follows him, like a shadow that never leaves him.

All things appear and disappear because of the concurrence of causes and conditions. Nothing ever exists entirely alone; everything is in relation to everything else.

All wrong-doing arises because of mind. If mind is transformed can wrong-doing remain?

Ambition is like love, impatient both of delays and rivals.

An idea that is developed and put into action is more important than an idea that exists only as an idea.

An insincere and evil friend is more to be feared than a wild beast; a wild beast may wound your body, but an evil friend will wound your mind.

Believe nothing, no matter where you read it, or who said it, no matter if I have said it, unless it agrees with your own reason and your own common sense.

Better than a thousand hollow words, is one word that brings peace.

Chaos is inherent in all compounded things. Strive on with diligence.

Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment.

Do not overrate what you have received, nor envy others. He who envies others does not obtain peace of mind.

Ennui has made more gamblers than avarice, more drunkards than thirst, and perhaps as many suicides as despair.

Even death is not to be feared by one who has lived wisely.

Every human being is the author of his own health or disease.

Hatred does not cease by hatred, but only by love; this is the eternal rule.

Have compassion for all beings, rich and poor alike; each has their suffering. Some suffer too much, others too little.

He is able who thinks he is able.

He who experiences the unity of life sees his own Self in all beings, and all beings in his own Self, and looks on everything with an impartial eye.

He who loves 50 people has 50 woes; he who loves no one has no woes.

Health is the greatest gift, contentment the greatest wealth, faithfulness the best relationship.

Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned.

However many holy words you read, however many you speak, what good will they do you if you do not act on upon them?

I do not believe in a fate that falls on men however they act; but I do believe in a fate that falls on them unless they act.

I never see what has been done; I only see what remains to be done.

In a controversy the instant we feel anger we have already ceased striving for the truth, and have begun striving for ourselves.

In the sky, there is no distinction of east and west; people create distinctions out of their own minds and then beleive them to be true.

It is a man's own mind, not his enemy or foe, that lures him to evil ways.

It is better to conquer yourself than to win a thousand battles. Then the victory is yours. It cannot be taken from you, not by angels or by demons, heaven or hell.

It is better to travel well than to arrive.

Just as a candle cannot burn without fire, men cannot live without a spiritual life.

Just as treasures are uncovered from the earth, so virtue appears from good deeds, and wisdom appears from a pure and peaceful mind. To walk safely through the maze of human life, one needs the light of wisdom and the guidance of virtue.

Let us rise up and be thankful, for if we didn't learn a lot today, at least we learned a little, and if we didn't learn a little, at least we didn't get sick, and if we got sick, at least we didn't die; so, let us all be thankful.

No one saves us but ourselves. No one can and no one may. We ourselves must walk the path.

On life's journey faith is nourishment, virtuous deeds are a shelter, wisdom is the light by day and right mindfulness is the protection by night. If a man lives a pure life, nothing can destroy him.

Peace comes from within. Do not seek it without.

Teach this triple truth to all: A generous heart, kind speech, and a life of service and compassion are the things which renew humanity.

The foot feels the foot when it feels the ground.

The mind is everything. What you think you become.

The only real failure in life is not to be true to the best one knows.

The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, nor to worry about the future, but to live the present moment wisely and earnestly.

The tongue like a sharp knife … kills without drawing blood.

The virtues, like the Muses, are always seen in groups. A good principle was never found solitary in any breast.

The way is not in the sky. The way is in the heart.

The whole secret of existence is to have no fear. Never fear what will become of you, depend on no one. Only the moment you reject all help are you freed.

The wise ones fashioned speech with their thought, sifting it as grain is sifted through a sieve.

There are only two mistakes one can make along the road to truth; not going all the way, and not starting.

There has to be evil so that good can prove its purity above it.

There is nothing more dreadful than the habit of doubt. Doubt separates people. It is a poison that disintegrates friendships and breaks up pleasant relations. It is a thorn that irritates and hurts; it is a sword that kills.

Those who are free of resentful thoughts surely find peace.

Thousands of candles can be lighted from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared.

Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth.

To be idle is a short road to death and to be diligent is a way of life; foolish people are idle, wise people are diligent.

To enjoy good health, to bring true happiness to one's family, to bring peace to all, one must first discipline and control one's own mind. If a man can control his mind he can find the way to Enlightenment, and all wisdom and virtue will naturally come to him.

To keep the body in good health is a duty... otherwise we shall not be able to keep our mind strong and clear.

To live a pure unselfish life, one must count nothing as one's own in the midst of abundance.

Unity can only be manifested by the Binary. Unity itself and the idea of Unity are already two.

Virtue is persecuted more by the wicked than it is loved by the good.

We are formed and molded by our thoughts. Those whose minds are shaped by selfless thoughts give joy when they speak or act. Joy follows them like a shadow that never leaves them.

We are shaped by our thoughts; we become what we think. When the mind is pure, joy follows like a shadow that never leaves.

We are what we think. All that we are arises with our thoughts. With our thoughts, we make the world.

What is the appropriate behavior for a man or a woman in the midst of this world, where each person is clinging to his piece of debris? What's the proper salutation between people as they pass each other in this flood?

What we think, we become.

Whatever words we utter should be chosen with care for people will hear them and be influenced by them for good or ill.

When one has the feeling of dislike for evil, when one feels tranquil, one finds pleasure in listening to good teachings; when one has these feelings and appreciates them, one is free of fear.

Without health life is not life; it is only a state of langour and suffering - an image of death.

Work out your own salvation. Do not depend on others.

You can search throughout the entire universe for someone who is more deserving of your love and affection than you are yourself, and that person is not to be found anywhere. You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe deserve your love and affection.

You will not be punished for your anger, you will be punished by your anger.

You, yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection.


Your work is to discover your world and then with all your heart give yourself to it.

Modern Math


Modern Math



THIS IS A COPY OF THE NEW STATE MATH MATH TEST


NAME _______________________________

GANG/CREW NAME _______________________________ 


CRIB ______________________



1. Ramon has an AK-47 with a 30-round clip. He usually misses 6 of every 10 shots and he uses 13 rounds per drive-by shooting. How many drive-by shootings can Ramon hit before he reloads?

2. Leroy has 2 ounces of cocaine. If he sells an 8 ball to Antonio for $320 and 2 grams to Juan for $85 per gram, what be the street value of the rest of his shit?

3. Dwayne pimps 3 hos. If the price is $85 per trick, how many tricks per day must each ho turn to support Dwayne's $800 per day Crack habit?

4. Raul wants to cut the pound of cocaine he bought for $40,000 to make 20% profit. How many ounce bags will he need to make to gets the 20% upside?

5. Desmond get $2000 for a stolen BMW, $1500 for stealing a Corvette, and $1000 for a 4 x 4. If he steals 1 BMW, 2 Corvettes and 3 4x4's, how many more Corvettes must he steal to have 9000 bills?

6. Pedro got 6 years for murder. He also got $10,000 for the hit. If his common-law wife spends $100 of his hit money per month, how much money will be left when he gets out?

7. If an average can of spray paint covers 22 square feet and the average letter is 3 square feet, how many letters can be sprayed with three 8 oz. cans of spray paint with 20% paint left over?

8. Tyrone knocked up 4 girls in the gang. There be 20 girls in his gang. What be the percentage of bitches Tyrone knocked up?

9. LaShaunda is a lookout for the gang. LaShaunda also has a Boa Constrictor that eats 5 rats per week, and the cost be $5 per rat. If LaShaunda makes $700 a week as a lookout, how many weeks can she feed her snake with one week's income?

10. Marvin steals Juan's skateboard. As Marvin skates away at 15 mph, Juan loads his 357 Magnum piece. If it takes Juan 20 seconds to load his piece, how far away will Marvin be when he gets whacked?

The Indian Student


The Indian Student



It was the first day of a school in the USA, and a new Indian student named Chandrasekhar Subramaniam entered the fourth grade.

The teacher said, 'Let's begin by reviewing some American History."

Who said 'Give me Liberty, or give me Death'?

She saw a sea of blank faces, except for Chandrasekhar, who had his hand up: 'Patrick Henry, 1775' he said.

'Very good!'

Who said 'Government of the People, by the People, for the People, shall not perish from the Earth?'

Again, no response except from Chandrasekhar.

'Abraham Lincoln, 1863' said Chandrasekhar.

The teacher snapped at the class,

'Class, you should be ashamed. Chandrasekhar, who is new to our country, knows more about its history than you do.'

She heard a loud whisper: 'F*** the Indians,'

'Who said that?' she demanded.

Chandrasekhar put his hand up. 'General Custer, 1862.'

At that point, a student in the back said, 'I'm gonna puke.'

The teacher glares around and asks 'All right! Now, who said that?'

Again, Chandrasekhar says, 'George Bush to the Japanese Prime Minister, 1991.'

Now furious, another student yells, 'Oh yeah? Suck this!'

Chandrasekhar jumps out of his chair waving his hand and shouts to the teacher, 'Bill Clinton, to Monica Lewinsky, 1997!'

Now, with almost mob hysteria, someone said 'You little shit. If you say anything else, I'll kill you.'

Chandrasekhar frantically yells at the top of his voice, 'Michael Jackson to the child witnesses testifying against him, 2004.'

The teacher fainted.

And as the class gathered around the teacher on the floor, someone said, 'Oh shit, we're f***ed!'

And Chandrasekhar said quietly, "I think it was George Bush, Iraq, 2007.'

Why the Peaceful Majority is Irrelevant


Why the Peaceful Majority is Irrelevant


by Paul E. Marek


All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing ~ Edmund Burke



I used to know a man whose family was German aristocracy prior to World War Two. They owned a number of large industries and estates. I asked him how many German people were true Nazis, and the answer he gave has stuck with me and guided my attitude toward fanaticism ever since.


“Very few people were true Nazis,” he said, “but, many enjoyed the return of German pride, and many more were too busy to care. I was one of those who just thought the Nazis were a bunch of fools. So, the majority just sat back and let it all happen. Then, before we knew it, they owned us, and we had lost control, and the end of the world had come. My family lost everything. I ended up in a concentration camp and the Allies destroyed my factories.”

We are told again and again by “experts” and “talking heads” that Islam is the religion of peace, and that the vast majority of Muslims just want to live in peace. Although this unquantified assertion may be true, it is entirely irrelevant. It is meaningless fluff, meant to make us feel better, and meant to somehow diminish the specter of fanatics rampaging across the globe in the name of Islam.

The fact is, that the fanatics rule Islam at this moment in history. It is the fanatics who march. It is the fanatics who wage any one of 50 shooting wars worldwide. It is the fanatics who systematically slaughter Christian or tribal groups throughout Africa and are gradually taking over the entire continent in an Islamic wave. It is the fanatics who bomb, behead, murder, or honor kill. It is the fanatics who take over mosque after mosque. It is the fanatics who zealously spread the stoning and hanging of rape victims and homosexuals. The hard quantifiable fact is, that the “peaceful majority” is the “silent majority” and it is cowed and extraneous.

Communist Russia was comprised of Russians who just wanted to live in peace, yet the Russian Communists were responsible for the murder of about 20 million people. The peaceful majority were irrelevant. China’s huge population was peaceful as well, but Chinese Communists managed to kill a staggering 70 million people. The average Japanese individual prior to World War 2 was not a war-mongering sadist. Yet, Japan murdered and slaughtered its way across South East Asia in an orgy of killing that included the systematic killing of 12 million Chinese civilians; most killed by sword, shovel, and bayonet. And, who can forget Rwanda, which collapsed into butchery? Could it not be said that the majority of Rwandans were “peace-loving”.

History lessons are often incredibly simple and blunt, yet for all our powers of reason, we often miss the most basic and uncomplicated of points. Peace-loving Muslims have been made irrelevant by the fanatics. Peace-loving Muslims have been made irrelevant by their silence. Peace-loving Muslims will become our enemy if they don’t speak up, because like my friend from Germany, they will awake one day and find that the fanatics own them, and the end of their world will have begun. Peace-loving Germans, Japanese, Chinese, Russians, Rwandans, Bosnians, Afghans, Iraqis, Palestinians, Somalis, Nigerians, Algerians, and many others have died because the peaceful majority did not speak up until it was too late. As for us who watch it all unfold, we must pay attention to the only group that counts; the fanatics who threaten our way of life.


-----


Paul E. Marek is a second-generation Canadian, whose grandparents fled Czechoslovakia just prior to the Nazi takeover. He wrote the following article in February of 2006.

How to Give a Cat a Pill


How to Give a Cat a Pill



1. Pick up cat and cradle it in the crook of your left arm as if holding a baby. Position right forefinger and thumb on either side of cat's mouth and gently apply pressure to cheeks while holding pill in right hand. As cat opens mouth, pop pill into mouth. Allow cat to close mouth and swallow.

2. Retrieve pill from floor and cat from behind sofa. Cradle cat in left arm and repeat process.

3. Retrieve cat from bedroom, and throw soggy pill away.

4. Take new pill from foil wrap, cradle cat in left arm, holding rear paws tightly with left hand. Force jaws open and push pill to back of mouth with right forefinger. Hold mouth shut for a count of ten.

5. Retrieve pill from goldfish bowl and cat from top of wardrobe. Call spouse from garden.

6. Kneel on floor with cat wedged firmly between knees, hold front and rear paws. Ignore low growls emitted by cat. Get spouse to hold head firmly with one hand while forcing wooden ruler into mouth. Drop pill down ruler and rub cat's throat vigorously.

7. Retrieve cat from curtain rail, get another pill from foil wrap. Make note to buy new ruler and repair curtains. Carefully sweep shattered figurines and vases from hearth and set to one side for gluing later.

8. Wrap cat in large towel and get spouse to lie on cat with head just visible from below armpit. Put pill in end of drinking straw, force mouth open with pencil and blow down drinking straw.

9. Check label to make sure pill not harmful to humans, drink 1 beer to take taste away. Apply Band-Aid to spouse's forearm and remove blood from carpet with cold water and soap.

10. Retrieve cat from neighbor's shed. Get another pill. Open another beer. Place cat in cupboard, and close door onto neck, to leave head showing. Force mouth open with dessert spoon. Flick pill down throat with elastic band.

11. Fetch screwdriver from garage and put cupboard door back on hinges. Drink beer. Fetch bottle of scotch. Pour shot, drink. Apply cold compress to cheek and check records for date of last tetanus shot. Apply whiskey compress to cheek to disinfect. Toss back another shot. Throw Tee shirt away and fetch new one from bedroom.

12. Call fire department to retrieve the damn cat from across the road. Apologize to neighbor who crashed into fence while swerving to avoid cat. Take last pill from foil wrap.

13. Tie the little bastard's front paws to rear paws with garden twine and bind tightly to leg of dining table, find heavy-duty pruning gloves from shed. Push pill into mouth followed by large piece of filet steak. Be rough about it. Hold head vertically and pour 2 pints of water down throat to wash pill down.

14. Consume remainder of scotch. Get spouse to drive you to the emergency room, sit quietly while doctor stitches fingers and forearm and removes pill remnants from right eye. Call furniture shop on way home to order new table.

15. Arrange for RSPCA to collect mutant cat from hell and call local pet shop to see if they have any hamsters.

-----

How to Give a Dog a Pill

1. Wrap it in bacon.

2. Toss it in the air.

Amusing Quotes from Ronald Reagan


Amusing Quotes from Ronald Reagan



Here's my strategy on the Cold War: We win, they lose.

The most terrifying words in the English language are: I'm from the government and I'm here to help.

The trouble with our liberal friends is not that they're ignorant; it's just that they know so much that isn't so.

Of the four wars in my lifetime, none came about because the U.S. was too strong.

I have wondered at times about what the Ten Commandments would have looked like if Moses had run them through the U.S. Congress.

The taxpayer: That's someone who works for the federal government but doesn't have to take the civil service examination.

Government is like a baby: An alimentary canal with a big appetite at one end and no sense of responsibility at the other.

The nearest thing to eternal life we will ever see on this earth is a government program.

'It has been said that politics is the second oldest profession. I have learned that it bears a striking resemblance to the first.

Government's view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it.

Politics is not a bad profession. If you succeed, there are many rewards; if you disgrace yourself, you can always write a book.

No arsenal, or no weapon in the arsenals of the world, is as formidable as the will and moral courage of free men and women.

If we ever forget that we're one nation under God, then we will be a nation gone under.

Taxation With Representation


Taxation With Representation



Tax his land,
Tax his bed,
Tax the table
At which he's fed.

Tax his tractor,
Tax his mule,
Teach him taxes
Are the rule.

Tax his work,
Tax his pay,
He works for peanuts
Anyway!

Tax his cow,
Tax his goat,
Tax his pants,
Tax his coat.

Tax his ties,
Tax his shirt,
Tax his work,
Tax his dirt.

Tax his tobacco,
Tax his drink,
Tax him if he
Tries to think.

Tax his cigars,
Tax his beers,
If he cries
Tax his tears.

Tax his car,
Tax his gas,
Find other ways
To tax his ass.

Tax all he has
Then let him know
That you won't be done
Till he has no dough.

When he screams and hollers,
Then tax him more,
Tax him till
He's good and sore.

Then tax his coffin,
Tax his grave,
Tax the sod in
Which he's laid.

Put these words upon his tomb,
'Taxes drove me to my doom...'

When he's gone,
Do not relax,
It's time to apply
The inheritance tax.

-----

Accounts Receivable Tax
Building Permit Tax
CDL license Tax
Cigarette Tax
Corporate Income Tax
Dog License Tax
Excise Taxes
Federal Income Tax
Federal Unemployment Tax (FUTA)
Fishing License Tax
Food License Tax
Fuel Permit Tax
Gasoline Tax (42 cents per gallon)
Gross Receipts Tax
Hunting License Tax
Inheritance Tax
Inventory Tax
IRS Interest Charges IRS Penalties (tax on top of tax)
Liquor Tax
Luxury Taxes
Marriage License Tax
Medicare Tax
Personal Property Tax
Privilege Tax
Property Tax
Real Estate Tax
Service Charge Tax
Social Security Tax
Road Usage Tax
Sales Tax
Recreational Vehicle Tax
School Tax
State Income Tax
State Unemployment Tax (SUTA)
Telephone Federal Excise Tax
Telephone Federal Universal Service Fee Tax
Telephone Federal, State and Local Surcharge Taxes
Telephone Minimum Usage Surcharge Tax
Telephone Recurring and Non-recurring Charges Tax
Telephone State and Local Tax
Telephone Usage
Charge Tax
Use Tax
Utility Taxes
Vehicle License Registration Tax
Vehicle Sales Tax
Watercraft Registration Tax
Well Permit Tax
Workers Compensation Tax

-----

Not one of these taxes existed 100 years ago, and our nation was the most prosperous in the world.

We had absolutely no national debt, had the largest middle class in the world, and Mom stayed home to raise the kids

What the blazes happened?

Why I Carry a Gun


Why I Carry a Gun



The Gun Is Civilization


by Maj. L. Caudill USMC (Ret)


Human beings only have two ways to deal with one another: reason and force. If you want me to do something for you, you must choose either convincing me via argument, or compelling me under threat of force. Every human interaction falls into one of those two categories, without exception – reason or force, that's it.


In a truly moral and civilized society, people exclusively interact through persuasion. Force has no place as a valid method of social interaction, and the only thing that removes force from the menu is the personal firearm, as paradoxical as that may sound to some.


When I carry a gun, you cannot deal with me by force. You must employ reason and try to persuade me, because I have a way to negate your threat or employment of force.


The gun is the only personal weapon that puts a 100-pound woman on equal footing with a 220-pound mugger, a 75-year-old retiree on equal footing with a 19-year-old gang-banger, and a single guy on equal footing with a carload of drunk guys wielding baseball bats. The gun removes the disparity in physical strength, size, or numbers between a potential attacker and his intended target.


There are plenty who consider guns to be the source of bad force equations. These are the people who think that we'd be more civilized if all guns were removed from society. However, a firearm makes it easier for an armed mugger to do his job if the mugger's potential victims are mostly disarmed – either by choice or by legislative fiat. It has no validity when most of a mugger's potential marks are armed.


People who argue for the banning of arms ask for automatic rule by the young, the strong, and the many – the exact opposite of a civilized society. A mugger, even an armed society, can only make a successful living where the state has granted him a force monopoly.


Then there's the argument that the gun makes confrontations lethal that would otherwise result only in injury. This argument is a fallacy in logic. Without a firearm, confrontations are won by the physically superior inflicting overwhelming injury on the lesser.


People who think that fists, bats, sticks, or stones don't constitute lethal force, are those who watch too much TV. On television, people take beatings and come out with a bloody lip at worst. The fact that the gun makes lethal force easier, works solely in favor of the weaker defender, not the stronger attacker. If both are armed, the field is level.


The gun is the only weapon that is as lethal in the hands of an octogenarian as it is in the hands of a weightlifter. It simply would not work as well as a force equalizer if it wasn't both lethal and easily employable.


When I carry a gun, I don't do so because I am looking for a fight. I carry it because I'm looking to be left alone. The gun at my side means that I cannot be forced, only persuaded. I don't carry it because I'm afraid. Rather, it enables me to remain unafraid. It doesn't limit the actions of those who would interact with me through reason, only the actions of those who would do so by force. It removes force from the equation … And that's why carrying a gun is a civilized act.



I Don't Carry a Gun ...


I don't carry a gun to kill people...

I carry a gun to keep from being killed.


I don't carry a gun to scare people.

I carry a gun because sometimes this world can be a scary place.


I don't carry a gun because I'm paranoid.

I carry a gun because there are real threats in the world.


I don't carry a gun because I'm evil.

I carry a gun because I have lived long enough to see the evil in the world.


I don't carry a gun because I hate the government.

I carry a gun because I understand the limitations of government.


I don't carry a gun because I'm angry.

I carry a gun so that I don't have to spend the rest of my life hating myself for failing to be prepared.


I don't carry a gun because I want to shoot someone.

I carry a gun because I want to die at a ripe old age in my bed, and not on a sidewalk somewhere tomorrow afternoon.


I don't carry a gun because I'm a cowboy.

I carry a gun because, when I die and go to heaven, I want to be a cowboy.


I don't carry a gun to make me feel like a man.

I carry a gun because men know how to take care of themselves and the ones they love.


I don't carry a gun because I feel inadequate.

I carry a gun because unarmed and facing three armed thugs, I am inadequate.


I don't carry a gun because I love it.

I carry a gun because I love life and the people who make it meaningful to me.



Police Protection


Police Protection is an oxymoron. Free citizens must protect themselves.


Police do not protect you from crime, they usually just investigate the crime after it happens and then call someone in to clean up the mess.



A Little Gun History


In 1929, the Soviet Union established gun control. From 1929 to 1953, about 20 million dissidents, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.


In 1911, Turkey established gun control. From 1915 to 1917, 1.5 million Armenians, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.


Germany established gun control in 1938 and from 1939 to 1945, a total of 13 million Jews and others who were unable to defend themselves were rounded up and exterminated.


China established gun control in 1935. From 1948 to 1952, 20 million political dissidents, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated


Guatemala established gun control in 1964. From 1964 to 1981, 100,000 Mayan Indians, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.


Uganda established gun control in 1970.. From 1971 to 1979, 300,000 Christians, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.


Cambodia established gun control in 1956. From 1975 to 1977, one million educated people, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.


Defenseless people rounded up and exterminated in the 20th Century because of gun control: 56 million.



Another Set of Thoughts


The purpose of fighting is to win.


The sword is more important than the shield, and skill is more important than either... The final weapon is the brain. All else is supplemental.


1. Don't pick a fight with an old man. If he is too old to fight, he'll just kill you.


2. If you find yourself in a fair fight, your tactics suck.


3. I carry a gun because a cop is too heavy.


4. When seconds count, the cops are just minutes away.


5. A reporter did a human-interest piece on the Texas Rangers. The reporter recognized the Colt Model 1911 the Ranger was carrying and asked him 'Why do you carry a 45?' The Ranger responded, 'Because they don't make a 46.'


6. The old sheriff was attending an awards dinner when a lady commented on his wearing his sidearm. 'Sheriff, I see you have your pistol. Are you expecting trouble?' 'No Ma'am. If I were expecting trouble, I would have brought my shotgun.'


7. Beware the man who only carries one gun ... He probably knows how to use it.


And one more ...


I was once asked by a lady visiting if I had a gun in the house. I said I did. She said, "Well I certainly hope it isn't loaded."


To which I said, "Of course it is loaded. It can't work without bullets."


She then asked, "Are you that afraid of someone evil coming into your house?"


My reply was, "No not at all. I am not afraid of the house catching fire, either, but I have fire extinguishers around, and they are all loaded too."