I would like to share a few disturbing items I've run across, and pose a question.

First:

Shades of Great Depression on Wall Street

2008/07/01

WHEN Wall Street slumped on Thursday, in response to the oil price surging above 140 a barrel and renewed fears about the banking system, the alarm bells rang more loudly than usual.

Barring a miraculous recovery, the Dow Jones industrial average is heading for its worst June since 1930, when it plunged by almost 18 percent. ...

After the crash of October 1929, the stock market continued to slide through the winter... Then shares lurched low in June 1930, signaling deep problems for the economy and the stock market.

America entered a depression and the stock market went into a deep freeze that lasted a quarter of a century, taking until 1954 to get back to its pre-crash high. Are there any parallels with today? [...]

Maybe a simple coincidence, but eerie nonetheless.

I am writing this diary because 1) someone came in with something fresh for me to drink (ha - made a minute for that) and I missed the "live blog jump" and was rather miffed when I realized that I was talking to myself - Doh! and 2) I got sumpin' to say about Ron Paul.

Over there on the teevee a pundit is saying "Huckabee" is "most human", the "guy", etc. after this debate, on CNN.

I still like Ron Paul among the herd; he is the only one whose very face doesn't look like a lying damned crook.  His countenance, whatever he is saying, projects "This is what I believe".  "I am a real person."  I see sincerity, in that face.

Of ALL the nominees, I sincerely hope he gets the nomination, because he supports 1) BRINGING THE TROOPS HOME from this "invasion of their lands which is why they're pissed at us in the first place" (paraphrased) and spending that money domestically and 2) he has the most honest mug on that stage.  

I can only hope most Repubs have this same... "sense" about them.  Yeah, yeah... we'll see.

I'm from RURAL GA.  And I saw MANY (D) Taylor for Gov. signs in people's yards.  I haven't seen ONE for (R) Perdue.

Remember, GA was the Beta-test for automated voting systems in 2002, when we "elected" the first (R) Gov. since the civil war.  Go figure....

And the (D) Sec. of State who burdened us with these Diebold machines ran against Taylor for Gov. in the primary.  When she lost, she never ENDORSED her party's victor - a good man, with no reason NOT to endorse.

She's of the damned Zell Miller - Joe Lieberman ilk.  

The GA races seem to be "persona non grata" around here, but since my first diary just happened (really) to be about the GA Heritage bunch http://www.georgiaheritagecoalition.org/... , I thought I'd give the latest.

They're linking to Southern Party of GA's endorsement http://spofga.org/...
of (D) Lt. Gov. Mark Taylor for Governor, and black, female (D) Denise Majette, for State School Super.

Southern Party says "Denise Majette has indicated her willingness to provide the same respect for Southern Heritage as any other Heritage in our school systems and opened the door for our input into that process. ... She has been frank and honest in her communications with us and that is more than can be said for Kathy Cox."  (Not to be confused with outgoing SoS Cathy "Diebold" Cox, who lost the (D-Gov.) primary to Mark Taylor then didn't ENDORSE him!)

Here's wiki on Ms. Majette:  http://en.wikipedia.org/...

Final gubernatorial debate details below the fold...

I hope Kossacks will find encouragement herein, and be pleasantly surprised.  

This is my first diary.  I didn't plan it to be my first, but I had time, and two items rather "came together" that I want to share.  The first is an overview of Georgia Heritage Council (GHC), and the second is an email that's going around GA now, "How to Hack a GA Voting Machine!", which also references a Kos diary.  

In reading the e-mail, I thought of GHC, since "Let Us Vote" is their mantra.  I was introduced to their site about three years ago, and check them every few months to see what's shakin'.  I'm never disappointed.  Since we're in the thick of election season, it turned out to be especially entertaining, and useful.

(Please allow me to expound...)