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Along with the creation of the state came the idea of the state providing assistance for the poor and needy, the elderly, and those unable to help themselves. Throughout history there have been various systems that have sometimes been successful and sometimes not. Most of the time families would take care of their own disabled and needy with the state providing some general assistance to the poor. As the world evolved into Western European feudalism models, the Roman Catholic Church assumed the responsibilities for caring for the poor. Through most of the second millennium the Church ran all of the institutions and services for the indigent and poor, such as hospitals and poor houses.

Have you ever imagined what Roman Emperors like Julius Caesar, Nero or Titus looked like. Perhaps you would also like to own something that may have been held by one of these historic men or someone living during their time.

If you are a collector with a low budget, particularly a coin collector then you should seriously consider taking up the hobby of Roman coin collecting.

There are a number of reasons why I prefer collecting Roman coins then other antiques including other ancient coins.

Over the last year, Unites State Government has passed several unprecedented spending bills. Unless you have been living under a rock, you have heard of the Stimulus Bills. Lawmakers told us that these bills were needed to save the economy. One look at the government’s spending report for Fiscal Year 2009 provides multiply examples of wasteful government spending.

$14.6 million for brown snake tree control. Over the last ten years, Representatives Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) and Representative Madeline Bordallo (D-Guam) have brought home $14.6 mllion in earmarks for brown snake tree control. In Fiscal Year 2009, they received $1.2 million alone. Are brown snakes such a problem that they are worth $14.6 million? $1.2 million is a great example of wasteful government spending, let alone $14.6 over ten years!

The CEO of JC Penny’s recently kicked off a new corporate lobbying effort, this time geared towards a retail bailout. With the financial sector receiving unprecedented handouts of taxpayer money, other industries are rushing to the trough to secure whatever scraps they can. One bit of wisdom I’ve picked up over the years is that you can decorate a pig’s snout with pretty lipstick, but it’s still just a pig.

Americans are facing some big problems caused from decades of living large. Specifically, America has long suffered from a disease called “borrow and spend.” The world has been subsidizing our unrealistic living standards for far too long. This present market disaster is reality’s way of catching up, of saying that we must stop borrowing, pay down some debt, and ultimately live within our means. Bottom line: The party is over!

Filipinos do not really have an exact equivalent for the word “team work.” The closes word we could find is the word “Bayanihan” However this unique Filipino word means more than team work. Bayanihan comes from the word bayan which means “nation, town or community.” Bayanihan could be defined to mean a “spirit of communal unity or effort to achieve a particular goal.”

It is said that the origin of the word found its meaning in the olden times. The tradition in Philippine towns is that members of the community help out families that move to a new place of residence. During these times, almost the whole community help out the new immigrants by literally carrying the house using bamboo poles and bringing the house to it’s new location.

SockPoliticians.com is still selling the limited edition Obama Monkey toy. Even with the economic downturn. the political sock monkey toys are still selling well. SockPoliticians.com sells The Obama Monkey Toy, which is a plush monkey toy wearing a tailored business suit with a lapel pin for Barack Obama. For McCain supporters you can buy The McCain Monkey in conservative business suit and an American Flag lapel pin.

The political campaign dolls have really created a stir which has landed SockPoliticians.com on all the major news networks and top blogging websites. For political campaign memorabilia enthusiasts buying both dolls is the ideal solution instead of trying to pick one over the other. Sock Politicians offers significant discounts if you purchase both political campaign monkey dolls at the same time.

While proponents of Prop 102 encourage every individual to uphold and honor their own beliefs in regards to this proposition, there seems to be much confusion associated with the intentions of Prop 102. With this in mind, it is recommended that every person develop their own opinion based on the actual facts before casting a vote in November.

The sole purpose of Prop 102 is to clearly define marriage as the union of one man and one woman. The proposition is not intended to deny benefits to persons or group. Over the past few months this has stirred up much confusion among many people, but it should be pointed out that by defining “marriage” as the union of one man and one woman, it does not inhibit any persons from living the way they choose. Furthermore, the purpose of Prop 102 is not to limit any individual’s benefits or rights, in fact the proposition has nothing to do with rights in any way.

The debate surrounding requests by some Muslims that police sniffer dogs wear rubber booties, to protect homes from the ‘ritually unclean’ canines, seems like a moot argument. As far as the Kennel Club, among others, knows these rubber booties do not interfere with the work of police dogs in any way. Therefore, any outcry of special treatment of Muslims mustn’t be rooted in practical fact but cultural insensitivity.

Britain is a liberal democratic country and a tenant of liberalism is cultural inclusion. Governments, even Gordon Brown’s government, rule by consent – that is, government can only be legitimate when the majority of people are willing given transfer some of their authority to it. This principal, of course, is not new; it was first elucidated by philosopher John Locke in the late 1600s. What can an old, dead, white man tell us about sniffer dogs and rubber booties? He wrote, in his magnum opus Two Treatise on Government that, “nobody doubts but an express Consent of any man, entering into any Society, makes him a perfect Member of that Society, a subject of that government.” Locke, the founder of liberal democracy, argued that immigrant give their express consent, the highest form of consent, to the existing government and social norms of their new country.

I recently read a question in a blog asking if it’s Al Gore stupid or Michael Moore stupid to believe in global warming. I wasn?t surprised at the question since global warming has become such a politically charged topic. I also wasn’t surprised at the language that was used. I find that it is very common for some Neigh Sayers to call the Believers names like stupid, ignorant, idiot, etc. and for some Believers to reciprocate in kind.

The political arena has turned this very real issue into nothing more than a battle cry and the term “global warming” puts many people into a tailspin. What’s really at stake is the health of our planet and our standard of living. It’s time we stop worrying about the political bickering, stop wasting our efforts and hard earned money and begin dealing with the real facts.

1. The League of Women Voters, www.lwv.org, is a nonpartisan organization, which provides nonpartisan voter education materials and information resources. Consider trying the above link as well as various state or local league websites for additional information. Primary information is posted, which you can also use as a reference for present candidate statements and positions.

2. Consider visiting the United States Senate site, which will give information on voting record as well as other resources regarding the senators. http://www.senate.gov/pagelayout/legislative/a_three_sections_with_teasers/votes.htm