We have the whole world in our hands

Senator Tom Cotton (R) ARK. Commits Treason, but no one cares

Washington (CNN)Forty-seven Senate Republicans may have broken the law this week. But no one's losing any sleep over it. Pundits and legal scholars are raising questions over whether Sen. Tom Cotton and the 46 Senate Republicans violated the Logan Act when they penned a letter to Iran's leaders on Monday, undercutting President Barack Obama's efforts to negotiate a nuclear agreement with those same leaders. The law, passed in 1799, forbids any U.S. citizen -- acting without official U.S. authority -- from influencing "disputes or controversies" involving the U.S. and a foreign government. But a quick look at the law's track record isn't exactly shudder-inducing: 216 years on the books have resulted in just one indictment and zero prosecutions. That's not to say that the Logan Act has been long forgotten. Rather, it seems to pop up every time members of Congress and prominent private citizens get involved on the world stage and are perceived as influencing foreign policy or managing U.S. relations with foreign leaders. And the latest example came this week after Cotton and his colleagues published an open letter to Iran's top officials, warning that "we will consider any agreement regarding your nuclear weapons program that is not approved by the Congress as nothing more than an executive agreement between President Obama and Ayatollah Khomenei." Now the only questions are: did the GOP senators write the letter "with intent to influence the measures or conduct of any foreign government...in relation to any dispute or controversies" with the U.S., as the law states, and were they acting "without authority of the United States"? The first part of the question is pretty clear: the Republican senators are definitely trying to influence the negotiations to keep the Obama administration from reaching an agreement lawmakers are already calling a bad deal. "This letter is about stopping Iran from getting a nuclear deal," Cotton said Tuesday on CNN. "One way that we make sure that we get a better deal is that we stand strong." Cotton is frank about his intentions, but he certainly doesn't think he broke the law, nor do the other signatories like Sen. John McCain, who said he didn't think the Logan Act applied. But then again, those accused of violating the Act don't often think they are -- either that, or they're pretty confident federal prosecutors won't draw. President Ronald Reagan accused Rev. Jesse Jackson in 1984 of violating the Logan Act when Jackson traveled to Moscow to press the Soviets for the release of a political prisoner. And in 1987, House Speaker Jim Wright led his own diplomatic foray on Nicaragua, when he clashed with the Reagan administration over the U.S.'s policy toward Nicaragua and met personally with the president of the Nicaragua's Sandinista government. READ: Obama, Iranian official slam GOP letter on deal Most recently, then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was accused in 2007 of violating the Logan Act when she traveled to Syria to meet with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, clashing with the Bush administration's policy. And House Speaker John Boehner's decision to invite Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to directly rebuke Obama's foreign policy in a joint address to Congress also drew fire on the Logan front. But those accusations never gained enough steam (or perhaps legal standing) to turn into judicial inquiries. It's a familiar refrain, said Steve Vladeck, a constitutional law professor at American University. "Every time a member of Congress does something in the foreign policy sphere that's at odds with the president, someone trots out the Logan Act," Vladeck said. And he doesn't believe the Logan Act would hold up in court if, say, the Justice Department decided to indict Cotton -- a move everyone agrees is practically and politically completely untenable. The Justice Department on Tuesday declined to comment on the Logan Act, but a federal law enforcement official said there's no interest in pursuing anything along these lines. "This is a political issue, not a legal issue," the official told CNN. Vladeck said it could be argued that the letter's signatories do wield official U.S. authority and are federal officers in their capacity as U.S. senators. But even if they don't, Vladeck said a Logan Act prosecution would fall apart because of subsequent free federal free speech cases that have taken a dim view of attempts to criminalize speech. Peter Spiro, a constitutional law professor at Temple University, took the opposing track, arguing that the Republican letter is a case "that fits pretty neatly with the elements of a Logan Act violation." "These guys are freelancing," Spiro said. "For these purposes I don't see them as private individuals except that because they are members of Congress it actually has greater potential to interfere with the successful undertaking of negotiations. It actually cuts the other way." Spiro agreed with Vladeck that there's no chance the senators would face prosecution, and said it's becoming less and less likely the law will ever be used again. Part of that is because interactions between lawmakers, officials and private citizens with foreign officials have become increasingly common since the Logan Act's 1799 inception. Remember the law's lone indictment? It happened in 1803.

Sakura - Japan

Sweet

true

The Winter Palace by Night

Empathy

This is something my Grandmother read about and instilled in me at a young age. It is something I always try to do. 

Stop

Thought

I do believe in Faerie's

My Best Friend

I was so proud of Laura for all she did to get the Scott Brothers to come to Nacogdoches. It did so much for the town, but that is the type of people she comes from. 

What helps

Whats good for the goose is good for the gander

Civil Marriage is only right, or the Constitution of the U.S. is hypocritical. You cant have states recognizing a man and women living together for a certain period of time as being married according to "Common Law" and afford them certain rights and privileges  because of that label and not recognize two men or two women living together in the same light. You cant have one without the other. If you are not going to allow civil unions for Gay People, then you MUST abolish Common Law Marriage in all 50 states, and dissolve all of the Common Law marriages in existence. Other wise the Government is discriminating against a minority of its citizens.

Christmas 2009

Wealth

Lion in Winter "WHat ever shall we do with Mother?"

Magic

"Look for Magic in everything!"

Celebrate

Fierce

Humour or humor

Humour or humor is the tendency of particular cognitive experiences to provoke laughter and provide amusement. The term derives from the humoral medicine of the ancient Greeks, which taught that the balance of fluids in the human body, known as humours (Latin: humor, "body fluid"), controlled human health and emotion. People of all ages and cultures respond to humour. Most people are able to experience humour—i.e., to be amused, to smile or laugh at something funny—and thus are considered to have a sense of humour. The hypothetical person lacking a sense of humour would likely find the behaviour induced by humour to be inexplicable, strange, or even irrational. Though ultimately decided by personal taste, the extent to which a person finds something humorous depends on a host of variables, including geographical location, culture, maturity, level of education, intelligence and context. For example, young children may favour slapstick such as Punch and Judy puppet shows or cartoons such as Tom and Jerry, whose purely physical nature makes it more accessible to them. By contrast, more sophisticated forms of humour such as satire require an understanding of its social meaning and context, and thus tend to appeal to more mature audiences.

George Bush on Jesus

Jesus

"We all have our own way of seeing Jesus. Don't Judge!"

Peace

"It takes a World to make Peace one person alone cant do it."~Chris McLaughlin

Perception

"To See a World..." (Fragments from "Auguries of Innocence") by: William Blake

To see a World in a Grain of Sand And a Heaven in a Wild Flower, Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand And Eternity in an hour. A Robin Redbreast in a Cage Shudders Hell thro’ all its regions. Puts all Heaven in a Rage. A dove house fill’d with doves and pigeons A Horse misus’d upon the Road A Dog starv’d at his Master’s Gate Predicts the ruin of the State. Calls to Heaven for Human blood. Shall never pass the Polar Bar. Each outcry of the hunted Hare A fiber from the Brain does tear. He who shall train the Horse to War Poison gets from Slander’s tongue. The Beggar’s Dog and Widow’s Cat, Feed them and thou wilt grow fat. The Gnat that sings his Summer song It is right it should be so; The poison of the Snake and Newt Is the sweat of Envy’s Foot. A truth that’s told with bad intent Beats all the Lies you can invent. Some to Misery are Born. Man was made for Joy and Woe; And when this we rightly know Thro’ the World we safely go. Every Night and every Morn Every Morn and every Night Some are Born to Endless Night. Some are Born to sweet delight. Some are Born to sweet delight,

Mikhail Baryshnikov

Mikhail Nikolayevich Baryshnikov (born 27 January 1948), nicknamed "Misha" (Russian diminutive of the name "Mikhail"), is a Russian-American dancer, choreographer, and actor born in the Soviet Union, often cited alongside Vaslav Nijinsky and Rudolf Nureyev as one of the greatest ballet dancers in history. After a promising start in the Kirov Ballet in Leningrad, he defected to Canada in 1974 for more opportunities in western dance. After freelancing with many companies, he joined the New York City Ballet as a principal dancer to learn George Balanchine's style of movement. He then danced with the American Ballet Theatre, where he later became artistic director. Baryshnikov has spearheaded many of his own artistic projects and has been associated in particular with promoting modern dance, premiering dozens of new works, including many of his own. His success as a dramatic actor on stage, cinema and television has helped him become probably the most widely recognized contemporary ballet dancer. In 1977, he received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor and a Golden Globe nomination for his work as "Yuri Kopeikine" in the film The Turning Point. He also had a significant role in the last season of the television series Sex and the City.

Julius Caesar

Gaius Julius Caesar (July 100 – 15 March 44 BC) was a Roman general, statesman, Consul, and notable author of Latin prose. He played a critical role in the events that led to the demise of the Roman Republic and the rise of the Roman Empire. In 60 BC, Caesar, Crassus, and Pompey formed a political alliance that was to dominate Roman politics for several years. Their attempts to amass power through populist tactics were opposed by the conservative ruling class within the Roman Senate, among them Cato the Younger with the frequent support of Cicero. Caesar's victories in the Gallic Wars, completed by 51 BC, extended Rome's territory to the English Channel and the Rhine. Caesar became the first Roman general to cross both when he built a bridge across the Rhine and conducted the first invasion of Britain. These achievements granted him unmatched military power and threatened to eclipse the standing of Pompey, who had realigned himself with the Senate after the death of Crassus in 53 BC. With the Gallic Wars concluded, the Senate ordered Caesar to step down from his military command and return to Rome. Caesar refused the order, and instead marked his defiance in 49 BC by crossing the Rubicon with a legion, leaving his province and illegally entering Roman Italy under arms. Civil war resulted, and Caesar's victory in the war would put him in an unrivaled position of power and influence. After assuming control of government, Caesar began a programme of social and governmental reforms, including the creation of the Julian calendar. He centralised the bureaucracy of the Republic and was eventually proclaimed "dictator in perpetuity", giving him additional authority. But the underlying political conflicts had not been resolved, and on the Ides of March (15 March) 44 BC, Caesar was assassinated by a group of rebellious senators led by Marcus Junius Brutus. A new series of civil wars broke out, and the constitutional government of the Republic was never fully restored. Caesar's adopted heir Octavius, later known as Augustus, rose to sole power after defeating his opponents in the civil war. Octavius set about solidifying his power, and the era of the Roman Empire began. Much of Caesar's life is known from his own accounts of his military campaigns, and from other contemporary sources, mainly the letters and speeches of Cicero and the historical writings of Sallust. The later biographies of Caesar by Suetonius and Plutarch are also major sources. Caesar is considered by many to be one of the greatest military commanders in history.

Dr. Seuss

"I grew up loving Dr. Suess Books only to find out that he was my Great Uncles roommate at Dartmouth. The World is a small place." 

Theodor Seuss Geisel (March 2, 1904 – September 24, 1991) was an American writer and cartoonist. He was most widely known for his children's books, which he wrote and illustrated under the pseudonym Dr. Seuss (/suːs/).He had used the pen name Dr. Theophrastus Seuss in college and later used Theo LeSieg and Rosetta Stone. Geisel published 46 children's books, often characterized by imaginative characters, rhyme, and frequent use of anapestic meter. His most-celebrated books include the bestselling Green Eggs and Ham, The Cat in the Hat, The Lorax, One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish, The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins, Fox in Socks, The King's Stilts, Hop on Pop, Thidwick the Big-Hearted Moose, Horton Hatches the Egg, Horton Hears a Who!, and How the Grinch Stole Christmas!. His works have spawned numerous adaptations, including 11 television specials, four feature films, a Broadway musical and four television series. He won the Lewis Carroll Shelf Award in 1958 for Horton Hatches the Egg and again in 1961 for And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street. Geisel also worked as an illustrator for advertising campaigns, most notably for Flit and Standard Oil, and as a political cartoonist for PM, a New York City newspaper. During World War II, he worked in an animation department of the United States Army, where he wrote Design for Death, a film that later won the 1947 Academy Award for Documentary Feature. He was a perfectionist in his work and would sometimes spend up to a year on a book. It was not uncommon for him to throw out 95% of his material until he settled on a theme for his book. For a writer he was unusual in that he preferred to be paid only after he finished his work rather than in advance. Geisel's birthday, March 2, has been adopted as the annual date for National Read Across America Day, an initiative on reading created by the National Education Association.

Dance

"If it makes you Happy. Do it,,,,,"

Rainbows

Bentley

The World

"The World is so Wonderful, and yet we take it for granted."

Crazy

Falling

"How I felt after my Mother Died."

Is Chivalry Dead?

Fleeting Love

Never Forget

The Power of God

Is she there?

Love, Peace, and Happiness

The Eye of God