Joined April 2009
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In a culture war, be a conscientious objector.
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Avens O'Brien retweeted
NEW STUDY: Advanced @Alzheimer’s Patient Regained Speech, Memory, and Bladder Control After a Single Psilocybin Dose An 80-year-old woman with advanced Alzheimer’s — who had barely spoken for years — experienced rapid and sustained improvement after taking 5g of psilocybin mushrooms. thefocalpoints.com/p/new-stu…
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PERFECT timing for this. Ten years ago today! Marc Feldman! I'm that be what you want to be Libertarian. That you look good on TV Libertarian That Muslim Libertarian, that Jew Libertarian That Christian, atheist, Hindu Libertarian. That Rothbard Libertarian That Jefferson Libertarian That you know I'm not messin' Libertarian That LGBTQ Libertarian, no sex Libertarian That MLK Jr. Malcolm X Libertarian. That revolutionary honor hall Ron Paul Libertarian. That Richard Winger - Bill Redpath ballot access Libertarian That Darryl W. Perry no apologies anarchist Libertarian That Gary Johnson New Mexico success LIbertarian. That Austin Petersen freedom ninja in your face Libertarian That John McAfee world-class bad-ass Libertarian That no pain no gain get those petitions signed in the rain Libertarian. That sorry I'm not sorry Libertarian That can't stand the infringements and abuses Libertarian THAT RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW, NO EXCUSES LIBERTARIAN. I'm that Libertarian!
Oh you’re that kind of libertarian. 🥱
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Now I'll be offline for the next 12 hours, so have a great night everybody. ⚖️
BREAKING: NEW JUDICIAL COMMITTEE APPOINTEES ANOUNCED FOR @LPNational A message to our fellow Libertarians, from your newly elected Judicial Committee. We’d like to again thank the delegates at the 2026 Libertarian National Convention for their trust and votes electing us to the Judicial Committee this year. We had quite a decision to make for filling the other five positions, and we received a lot of solicited and unsolicited advice. Thank you all sincerely for your input. The last time something like this happened was in 2016. Three members of the Judicial Committee were elected at the 2016 Convention and had to appoint the other four members. They chose from people who did not run that year, considering the pool of those who failed to receive over 50% of votes to be insufficiently qualified by the bylaws. In support of maintaining this standard is the fact that the assembled delegates in 2026 voted down motions to approve the next 5 highest vote recipients in the list. First off, thank you to the other 15 people who stepped up to run this year. We would have been pleased to serve with a great many of you. The primary qualifications/criteria for determining our pool of candidates was as such: - A Party member for at least 4 years (per Bylaws Article 8, Section 1) - Does not currently serve on the LNC (per Bylaws Article 8, Section 1) - Not in the JC nomination list for this year (per 2016 precedent & failed motions from the floor) - Has been elected with >50% of the delegate votes at any national convention in the past, for any position (LNC, JC, POTUS/VPOTUS) In attempting to determine the will of the delegates, we noted that something we had in common is our long-term activism within the party, and used that as a criteria as well. We then tried to choose from people who have not been notable lightning rods of controversy over the past decade or so. Our list of <strike>victims</strike> appointees is as follows: Mr. Patrick Dixon Former LPTexas Chair, Served on the LNC for 2 terms, recipient of the 2014 Thomas Jefferson Leadership Award, Served on Investigatory Committee re: 2021 LPNH matter Ms. Mary Gingell Former LNC Chair 1991-1993, Former LNC Vice Chair 1983-1985, 1989-1991), Former LP California Chair 1981-1983 Mr. Sam Goldstein Former LNC At-Large, former Chair LPIN, Former Convention Oversight Committee Dr. Chuck Moulton Former LNC Vice Chair, Former LPPA Chair, Former LPVA Chair, Former Judicial Committee Chair (2016-2018), Creator of the Moulton Maneuver Mr. Geoffrey Neale Former LNC Chair 2002-2004 & 2012-2014, Former LPTexas Chair, Recipient of the 2022 Hall of Liberty Award Each of these individuals have multiple decades of experience in Libertarian activism just like we do, have shown solid understanding of our Party, its Operations and our Bylaws, are rules oriented and fair, and have come to different but reasonable conclusions on a number of issues over their many years in our party. We'd just like to personally & publicly thank them and also apologize to them for subjecting them to this. It's our honor to serve with them, and serve the Party. Thank you, @avensobrien & Ken Moellman
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Avens O'Brien retweeted
Replying to @LearnToToad
Neither of us (or anyone else) has a right to prevent the pornographer from selling or sharing consensually adult produced pornographic media to adults on property we do not personally own. A market of voluntary exchange for benefit is not "imposition". It's capitalism.
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Nothing you stated is in conflict with what I said. You seem to think when I refer to "voting not to impose their personal preferences on anyone else" that I'm referring to imposing one's personal choices in private property & market exchange, when it is *clear* by my statement referring to *voting* & the context of the thread, that I am referring to the imposition of government (or anyone else) on said private property & market (ie aggression). Neither of us (or anyone else) has a right to prevent the pornographer from selling or sharing consensually adult produced pornographic media to adults on property we do not own. Neither of us (or anyone else) has a right to prevent the pastor from leading groups in worship & consensual religious activities (for free or for any form of exchange) on property we do not own. Within libertarianism it is quite possible that neither the pornographer nor the pastor would be welcome on *my* private property, or that only one would be welcome on *yours*. Neither of us would be able to determine that for the other. Libertarianism is where *no one has a right to aggress upon someone else's property* - whether that property is the product or fruit of one's labor or one's own body, both implicit in a philosophy of *self ownership* (which is the core of a legal philosophy regarding private property & contracts). Libertarianism simply acknowledges that we get to make that decision for our own property only, and that nobody has a right to prevent either of us from contracting the services of (or engaging with in any consensual capacity) either the pastor or the pornographer.
Respectfully, this is a distinctly left-wing version of libertarianism. Libertarianism is a legal theory of property rights and contract. It allows for the creation of exclusively white and conservative Christian areas just as much as it allows for pornography and hard drugs.
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Avens O'Brien retweeted
This is the beauty of the Libertarian party. A pastor and a pornographer can sit side by side and vote to not impose their personal preferences on anyone else.
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Avens O'Brien retweeted
Replying to @RepNancyMace
Stop threatening the President's friends.
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My mother Domi O'Brien was recently diagnosed with stage 2 breast cancer. The good news is, it appears to be isolated to the breasts & hasn't spread to the lymph nodes, and surgery should completely remove all of it. She goes in for surgery on Thursday (tomorrow). She has an excellent team of doctors, but it is a scary thing to be facing. My older brothers are of course at her side for this. I will be heading to New Hampshire in a couple of weeks to assist however I can in her recovery (somewhere around June 9-16, I have not bought plane tickets yet). This will definitely be a family focused trip, but I hope to see some friends while I'm in town. I may be an atheist, but my mother is a proud Celtic pagan & polytheist, and I'm sure she'd appreciate every prayer, vibe, magic, wishes, energy, candles and any other form of directed good will from spirit or deity you wish to muster to her health and recovery. May the doctors succeed at banishing every last bit of cancer from her body. 💕 Thank you for your good wishes... & fuck cancer.
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Wheeled back in for some bleeding complications in recovery so we're waiting again. Thank you for your continued good wishes.
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Caught the bleeding vessel and now she's awake and in recovery! :)
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Avens O'Brien retweeted
Replying to @AP4Liberty
"dress more professionally at convention, like the Republicans do!"
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For future delegations to @LPNational Conventions - yes, usually the convention floor is freezing (2026 was honestly the only exception in 7 national conventions I've experienced), and there's always at least one Point of Privilege from the floor about it. I highly recommend an enterprising & entrepreneurial delegate (or staff) make Libertarian-themed snuggies or sweaters for delegates to purchase (or rent!) for the event. Every problem is an opportunity in disguise. (No, I won't be doing it, I have far too many logistics each convention).
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Xander: A watched customer never buys. Anya: They would if they were patriotic. Xander (to Willow): Okay, I'm going in. (Then to Anya) Patriotic? Anya: Yes. I've recently come to realize there's more to me than just being human. I'm also an American. Giles: Yes, I suppose you are, in a matter of speaking. You were born here — your mortal self. Anya: Well, that's right, foreigner. So I've been reading a lot about the good ol' us of a, embracing the extraordinarily precious ideology that's helped to shape and define it. Willow: Democracy? Anya: Capitalism. A free market dependent on the profitable exchange of goods for currency. A system of symbiotic beauty apparently lost on these old people. Look at 'em — perusing the shelves, undressing the merchandise with their eyeballs. All ogle, no cash. It's not just annoying, it's un-American. #buffyseason5
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One of the most powerful things I learned to do when dealing with certain people was to recognize when they weren't actually competition. This happens in politics, in business, and in love. The moment I can look at another human being, especially one that seems to be determined to be awful to me, and decide "this person is not my competition, I won't dignify them with my reactions" the faster I stop giving a shit what they think or say and the faster I am just happy and proving what I already know - to be the best, you gotta keep moving forward. If you spend too much time looking back to see who might be catching up, you'll let them catch you. Or you'll run into a tree. 😉 (Originally posted this on Facebook May 26, 2015, still relevant.)
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Avens O'Brien retweeted
There is nothing hypocritical about @LPNational wanting to have and enforce standards of any kind. Libertarians should understand that there is a difference between what the state does under a threat of violence, and what a private organization does under threat of "you can't be part of our organization anymore." And I think they do understand that largely. On the question of what sorts of standards an organization like the LP should establish and enforce, I can only speak for myself if I were in the position to run it. I'm not affiliated with the LP in any way, nor do I wish to be, but if it were up to me, this is what standards I would strive for: 1) The Party should be open and welcoming to anyone who wishes to learn about what liberty looks like. This means it shouldn't marginalize or be hateful towards individual person or group of people. The only thing it should actively hate is the state. 2) The Party should understand that with a lot of individuals comes a lot of ideas. Some of these will clash, and that is okay. The ultimate litmus test should rest on if the idea is voluntary or coercive. Some incompatible ideas can both be voluntary. Members should have those differences. 3) Members should conduct themselves professionally while serving in any representative capacity of the Party, whether that be on social media under a Party affiliate, or during official business. Perception is reality, and optics matter if the organization is to be taken seriously. Debates and discussions should be encouraged, but respectful. 4) Members should support one another. No one will ever agree 100%, but if the focus is on the true enemy (the state), then it should be easy to recognize that even those ideas with which one may disagree, again if voluntary, are better than the status quo. I really don't think there is too much more I can add. This seems pretty simple to me, and I think just adopting this would make the LP a much better organization.
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I love the Conventions for @LPNational because I get to meet so many people I otherwise only interact with online. Many of us have differences of our preferences within the Party (and sometimes those become heated online), but then we turn out to get along socially. One example of someone I enjoyed meeting for the first time socially was @AustinShiloh1 , who played me some @aperfectcircle on his ukulele. Wherever we fall on party opinions, we can vibe on music, and I appreciate that. There are others in the Party I enjoy hanging out with personally but am opposed to some of their factional or ideological preferences within our spectrum of opinion and I actually really value that. It can be good to break bread, have a drink, and remind us that we're just people. 💕 Nice to meet you Austin!
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I'm disappointed we didn't get thru business.
Avens O'Brien had planned to move for an additional round of voting after other business had been done. A motion was made in the middle of other business by more impatient delegates and ruled out of order. This means her motion will be dilatory.
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Avens O'Brien retweeted
I only regret not going to the LNC after hearing @avensobrien announce she was carrying around hundreds of free samples of psychedelics. That's the kind of friend you need.
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