Join LPNH & Free Talk Live at this Weekend’s NH Cannabis Freedom Festival 2017!

by | Aug 24, 2017 | 14 comments

You’re invited to join the Libertarian Party of NH and Free Talk Live from this year’s NH Cannabis Freedom Festival at Rogers Campground. Last year Darryl and I conducted a bitcoin outreach booth at then-named Hempfest. This time, we’re focusing on the LPNH, which recently achieved ballot status in NH equal to the republicans and democrats. With the next state elections just one year away, now’s the time to make people aware of the LPNH.

LPNH chairman Darryl W Perry and I will be offering people the World's Smallest Political Quiz.

LPNH chairman Darryl W Perry and I will be offering people the World’s Smallest Political Quiz.

We’ll be conducting an “Operation Politically Homeless” outreach booth, where passersby will be offered a 10-question quiz and once it’s scored, they can put a sticker up on the big poster of a chart representing a wider political spectrum than what the quiz-taker may have envisioned. The “Nolan Chart”, named after the founder of the national libertarian party, exposes the viewer to the idea that political beliefs are more diverse than just left-middle-right. The chart adds a Y (up-down) axis based on the spectrum of libertarian-centrist-authoritarian. This can be an eye-opener for many who take the quiz, thinking they are one thing, but finding out they are something else entirely.

I”m a longtime advocate of the OPH booth form of outreach. As someone who has performed countless hours of this outreach, I can heartily endorse it. I’m looking forward to connecting NH Cannabis Freedom Festival attendees this weekend with the ideas of liberty, peace, and cryptocurrency. Darryl and I will be in the vendor area doing outreach and recording episodes of Free Talk Live all weekend.

If you love live music and cannabis, the New Hampshire Cannabis Freedom Festival is the place to be. Bands will be playing here at Rogers Campground every day-to-night all the way through the end of Sunday. Last year it was awesome! In fact, check out the feature-length documentary about it here. Tickets including day passes are available at entry to the park. See you there!

Bitcoin Feature Story Hits Front Page of Keene Sentinel!

by | Jul 29, 2017 | 7 comments

Bitcoin Hits Front Page, Above-the-Fold, Twice!

Front Page, Above-the-Fold, Twice!

What’s that? You say Bitcoin has not been the front page feature story your local newspaper where you live? You must not live in Keene, New Hampshire – the capitol of real-life business acceptance of the world’s first cryptocurrency!

About one month ago, the Monadnock Shopper News featured Bitcoin and the regional businesses that accept it on their front page, above-the-fold! Not to be outdone, the Keene Sentinel’s business section had a massive article in today’s paper that was not only the front page feature but was also promoted above-the-fold in the headline of the front page of the century-plus old newspaper. You can read it online here at the Keene Sentinel’s site. (Here’s a PDF of the piece.)

Reporter Paul Cuno-Booth did a thorough job interviewing various owners of the local bitcoin-accepting businesses about their reasons for backing the amazing decentralized currency, including Monadnock Makerspace founder Johnny Bolster, area computer tech Michael Gordon, Bob Maibusch of Pine Springs Golf Course, Ken Urbanski of Kirby’s Q, and Steve Wilder of Wilder Automotive. Cuno-Booth also focuses on the Shire Free Church’s media outreach along with our local meetup group for Bitcoiners and other cryptocurrency users and newbies, the Monadnock Decentralized Currency Network.

Keene Bitcoin Network Meetup at Rick's Ice Cream

Monadnock Decentralized Currency Network Meetup at Rick’s Ice Cream

As we have reported here at Free Keene, according to CoinMap, Keene is the number one city in the world for bitcoin-accepting businesses per capita. Obviously not all businesses have the same results, of course. Though the golf course has yet to have a customer with bitcoin, Wilder Auto reports approximately a dozen customers regularly using bitcoin. Bolster, who also is the creator of the Portal Map, reported that he was able to sell ads to some new customers on his yearly map of area businesses, because he is accepting bitcoin as payment! That’s money that otherwise would have been left on the table had Bolster decided against accepting the cryptocurrency. (more…)

The Power of Cop Blocking With Large Numbers of People

by | Jun 6, 2017 | 10 comments

Large Group Copblocks DUI Checkpoint in Manchester, NH

Large Group Copblocks DUI Checkpoint in Manchester, NH

As one of the original copblockers (badge #5), I’ve been in the streets a lot over the years. I’ve helped save people from harassment by the police on countless occasions, informed thousands of young people about their rights, and have been arrested several times.

There’s no doubt that a couple of dedicated copblockers can make an impact out there. I’ve seen that happen. However, have you ever hit the streets with a dozen people on your side?

I’d bet you haven’t. We just don’t have enough people in most places to accomplish numbers like that. Police accountability activism in the streets is a risky place to be, so its hard to find people who are willing to go out, even among vocal supporters.

I have had the pleasure of being out with large groups and let me tell you, it’s a game changer, especially in New Hampshire, where there aren’t a whole lot of police in most towns. Even in its biggest city of over 100,000 people, Manchester, the police DUI checkpoints have basically been shut down by groups of up to a few dozen people. The DUI checkpoint activists come out every time the police do a checkpoint and the activists bring reflective signs, cameras, two-way radios, and set up at strategic locations to alert drivers to the existence of the checkpoint and encourage them to turn away. At a recent such event, there was a relatively small turnout of only about a dozen people and they reported 90% success at getting cars who were going to turn into the checkpoint road to turn away from it instead! There was one arrest at the event, as a couple visiting Keene copblockers ventured away from the group to target the checkpoint directly with their cameras. Activist Christopher Waid was threatened and arrested as he crossed the street into the median. You can check out video of that here. What would have happened if there were a dozen people backing Chris up instead of just one? (more…)

State Rep Dick Marple Returns to Court, Schools Judge on Jurisdiction, Corporate Government, & More

by | Jan 15, 2017 | 36 comments

Judge M. Kristin Spath

Judge M. Kristin Spath of Concord District Court

Just a few weeks after his last appearance in Concord district court, state representative Dick Marple returned Friday afternoon for a nearly 40-minute hearing where he explains his views on why the court does not have jurisdiction over him, among other things.

Marple was arrested as he was campaigning for re-election at the polls in Hooksett, on a “failure to appear” charge relating to a charge for driving while his license is suspended. Marple believes he is not subject to the motor vehicle regulations, as they only apply to automobiles used for commercial purposes. He has citations to back his case (click for PDF of his legal brief filed with the court), but so does the state’s prosecutor.

It’s one of the most interesting cases in recent memory because for a long time we’ve heard all manner of similar claims to what Marple is saying, but virtually none of the courtroom theorists like him have any evidence they’ve actually tried their theories. (Longtime readers of Free Keene may recall I was arrested in Keene district court for “contempt” a decade ago for trying some unusual legal theories out.) At his last appearance, in front of a full courtroom of average court victims, Marple got away with things for which most people would be arrested for “contempt”. Friday, he once again refused to cross the bar, and raised his voice with judge M. Kristin Spath multiple times. However, this time the court scheduled the hearing for 3pm on a Friday when no one else would be around to see it. Thankfully, liberty activists had been given a heads-up the night before, so a small crew headed up from Keene to witness and record the hearing:


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