FSP News - July 2007

Chalk up PorcFest 2007 as another successful FSP event! With over 450 registered attendees, a nearly 50% increase over last year, the freedom message is ringing loud and clear! Thank you to everyone who traveled both near and far to attend, and to the dozens of PorcFest volunteers who worked hard all year to pull it off, especially our PorcFest Coordinator, Rich Goldman. This year we made a lot of changes, from moving to Gunstock to adding activism workshops and organizing tours around the state. The FSP and PorcFest are building solid momentum and we plan to continue the trend in 2008! Wrap-ups, media and post-PorcFest info below:

PorcFest Feedback Survey - We have placed the PorcFest 2007 Feedback Survey online. Please fill it out if you attended. The survey is crucial to improving PorcFest and shouldn't take more than 10 minutes to complete. If anonymity is important to you, be sure to "log out" of the FSP webpage in the left column before taking the survey. Thank you!

FSP Design Winner - First 1000 signer, Christa Siering won the PorcFest design competition. See her winning design above. If you have design skills and want to help out and/or compete next year, please join the FSP's Yahoo Art Group.

PorcFest T-Shirts - We have about 50 PorcFest shirts left. If you'd like one, they're available on the FSP Merchandise page for $15 (S&H included). Help spread the word and support PorcFest with this cool shirt.

PorcFest Cookoff Winners - The Liberty Ladies' Cookoff was a huge success! Thank you to all the cooks and participants. The food was prepared, seconds were obtained and votes tabulated - this year's winners are:

• 1st Place - Joy Sandoz's Gumbo
• 2nd Place - Edi Swearingen's Hotshot Brownies
• 3rd Place - Tina and Seamus O' Scalaithe's Cold Sesame Noodle (tie)
  
• 3rd Place - Steve Deeds' Porc Pulled Pork (tie)
  

PorcFest Photos - If you have photos from PorcFest that you'd like to share, the FSP website has a PorcFest 2007 Photo Gallery for viewing and uploading images. You must have an FSP account to upload however. Current members must login to upload photos. To create an account as a new Participant and signer of the Statement of Intent, please go here. If you'd like to create an account as a new Friend of the FSP, go here. Once logged in, you will be able to add pictures and perform other actions by means of the "album actions" drop-down menu located at the bottom of the page. Alternatively, if you email your photos to richgoldman@gmail.com, he will upload them for you.

First 1000 group photo at PorcFest

While not all of the First 1000 participants at PorcFest made it out for the above photo, we counted about 70 present for the group shot, plus about six dogs (no cats - we couldn't herd 'em up in time).

PorcFest Testimonials - We are looking for PorcFest testimonials to use in future promotional material. If you had a great and/or memorable time at PorcFest and would like to share your sentiments and experiences, especially to those who may be hesitant or unsure about whether it would be worth their time and money to attend, please email Rich Goldman with your name, current state of residence, and your statement(s) about PorcFest or any of its sub-events (e.g. bus tours, bonfires, workshops, etc.). Don't worry about writing something "perfect", all we ask if that you're authentic.

Free State member Brian Wright, author of New Pilgrim Chronicles and perennial diarist and panegyrist of the Free State Project and movement, provides his man-on-the-dirt-path narrative of the fourth Porcupine Festival at Gunstock Resort. "I found this Porcfest, though lacking the star power of its predecessors, to be the most productive in terms of socializing, or at least discussing, the need to take the organization to the next level. I'm extremely optimistic for the future."

PorcFest 2008 - If you are interested in helping out in any way with PorcFest 2008, please join the Yahoo Group. No experience is needed. See you next year!

Free State Match - Join us in The Great Donkaphant Hunt of 2007 - A great hunt is afoot! Be sure to arm yourself appropriately for this most dangerous of seasons. Don the Helm of Lucidity to keep your head clear while the candidates attempt pour an endless stream of banality into your brain. Be ready with the Crystalline Shovel to keep your path clear of equine excrement and pachyderm poop. Don't leave home without your Wallet of Peril to keep out the grasping hands of political operatives. And last, but not least, go forth with the Shootin' Vest of Alacrity to keep your spirits high in the dark times ahead. - Phil Denisch

Action of the Month - Get your groovies at the movies! (Just don't ask me why that rhymes) There are many good movies out there that show one aspect or another of people trying to live freer lives, fight the system, etc. Although few are 'pure', there are still many worth watching. But how to make the FSP and New Hampshire connection? You could mention that "Serenity", "V for Vendetta", and "The Fountainhead" have all been shown during previous PorcFests. You could point out that quite a few political movies and TV shows feature New Hampshire as a critical state during elections; "Dave" and [choke] "West Wing" come to mind. For a more intimate look at New Hampshire, you could go with the old classics: "Our Town" or "The Devil and Daniel Webster". Remembering, of course, that all movies can only be a weak reflection of life. But they can inspire thought, action, and new ideas. So whether it's "Hotel New Hampshire", "1984", "Rabbit-Proof Fence", "Silk Stockings", "The Castle", "Fahrenheit 451", "The Americanization of Emily", or "Monty Python and the Holy Grail", I'm sure you'll be able to find a way to make the New Hampshire and FSP connection to Liberty in Our Lifetime to all. - Phil Denisch

Oyez, oyez, oyez, come forward and be... Fleeced. Voluntarily that is. We have a great selection in the FSP store, from hats and shirts to stickers and magnets, just about anything a good lover of liberty needs (except of course, that switch that makes all politicians honest and all judges wise). We have a new magnet design, courtesy of Steve Cobb, perfect for putting up at work. There are some PorcFest 2007 shirts left, even in the 3X size (hurry, only 3 of those). The new batch of shiny, pewter keychains are in, and there are still some of those adorable, stuffed porcupine hand and finger puppets. The Ultimate Discs are a great idea, what with it being summertime and all. So heed the call: Oyez! Oyez! Oyez! All persons having business before the Honorable, the Supreme Store of the Free State Project, are admonished to draw near and give their money, for the Store is now open. God save the Free State Project and all Honorable Porcs! - Phil Denisch

The FSP and New Hampshire got a mention in the July 4th edition of Chron.com, online news by the Houston Chronicle. Where you can find affordable places to retire.

Free Talk Live added another radio station affiliate to its lineup. KSCO AM 1180 serves listeners in the San Francisco, San Jose and Santa Cruz area. The FSP continues to advertise and sponsor FTL as it spreads the message of freedom throughout the country. Free Talk Live again took the #1 spot in the June voting for top podcast in the world, even beating out the Harry Potter podcast. Listen online.

In New Hampshire

NO REAL ID in New Hampshire! Following the 24-0 vote of the New Hampshire Senate in May, Governor Lynch signed into law legislation prohibiting state agencies from complying with the federal REAL ID act. The NH House passed the bill 268-8 in April. From NH House Bill 685: "The general court finds that the public policy established by Congress in the Real ID Act of 2005, Public Law 109-13, is contrary and repugnant to Articles 1 through 10 of the New Hampshire constitution as well as Amendments 4 though 10 of the Constitution for the United States of America. Therefore, the state of New Hampshire shall not participate in any driver’s license program pursuant to the Real ID Act of 2005 or in any national identification card system that may follow therefrom."

The 2007 Liberty Rating of the NH House and Senate was released by the New Hampshire Liberty Alliance. "The Liberty Rating is based on pro-liberty and anti-liberty votes and their impact on the state of New Hampshire. Bills have been carefully selected for inclusion which clearly demonstrate the level of respect our elected representatives show for our individual rights and liberties."

Also just released, the 2007 New Hampshire Liberty Index - an independent evaluation of the voting records of the New Hampshire state legislature. "It reflects roll-call (recorded) votes from the state house and senate on legislation that, if passed, would increase or decrease the liberty of people in New Hampshire."

The Coalition of NH Taxpayers held their 9th Annual Taxpayer Reunion Picnic on July 7th. The successful event featured a presidential straw poll and Ron Paul easily won with 65% of the vote.

Free State Blogs this month gets you inside the Free State of New Hampshire. Please visit Free State Blogs online. Entries this month include the following topics.

• Ron Paul wins straw poll at 9th Annual CNHT Picnic
• Free Keene Festival
• Free Minds TV PorcFest 2007 Special Parts 1 and 2
• all along the watchtower
• Free Minds TV Episode 26, 27, 28
• DOJ: Ed Brown supporters will be "rounded up"
• Inside the New Hampshire State House
• tarot
• random acts of YouTube
• WKBK's Al Kulas spends an hour with Free Keene's Ian
• Liberty Ratings
• Liberty Activist of the Year

The Keene Free Press won "Best Underground Newspaper", an award given by The New Hampshire Magazine. It was an Editor's Pick in its Best of NH 2007 competition - "There’s still a touch of the radical and irrational in its pages, and founder Russell Kanning learned well from old-school street theatre and passive resistance tactics."

The July 2007 print edition of the Keene Free Press is now available online in pdf format. The Keene Free Press is the free online and print news and opinion publication covering Keene and Cheshire County, New Hampshire.

The NH Underground Calendar lists liberty-oriented New Hampshire events. The NH Liberty Calendar also tracks NH events. Check the calendars before a visit or a move - you are welcome to attend NH events!

FSP News circulation: 11,810. Back issues are available. Got FSP news? Please submit content by the 12th of the month, Thank you to all advertisers and contributors.

FSP Participants - have you moved to New Hampshire? Please contact FSP Participant Services with address updates!

Are you ready to join the FSP, move to New Hampshire and work with us towards Liberty in Our Lifetime? Join here!

Participants: 7,788
Participants in NH: 475
as of July 15, 2007

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