IN GOOD COMPANY...

During the Pres. press conference last week, I found myself in very good company. At the end of the questioning, Pres. Obama spoke to us all about persistence...I am a big fan of persistence. I have spent many years in school, and many think and actually say, that I must be really smart to have gotten a doctorate. My answer to them is always the same. I don't consider myself any smarter than the average person, but I am persistent as hell. Once I started the program, no way was I leaving there without that degree. By the way, I also found that a thick skin was essential by the time one gets to the doctorate level in school, but I can assure you, you can be a genius but if you don't have stick to it-ness(?), all the smarts in the world won't do you any good. If determination and persistence are not very, very strong characteristics of your personality, you may find the slow going and intense criticism difficult. Yet, don't ever put off anything you want to try for fear you don't have what it takes...IF you can be persistent, you will achieve your goal.

My spirits were raised after the press conference. Pres. Obama is a man of the people and he has learned in his life that getting thinks done means never letting up, never allowing ourselves to loose sight of the goals we have set for ourselves and our country.

ATTENTION PATRIOTS:

Another issue has surfaced. HR 875: A bill that would shut down organic farms and lots of small farmers. It will dictate that farmers will have to use specific pesticide-treated seeds manufactured by Mansanto(main backer of the bill). Calls must be made right away as this is on the fast track to be passed in the next week. For more complete info: http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?vill=h111-875 Call your reps and senators today! Thanks

JUST PLAIN ABSURD...

I watched as Pres. Obama was holding his news conference and once again, came away with a renewed sense of spirit...but it wasn't to last long. The very next day I was listening to xm radio and heard that someone at politico.com had written an article addressing the question: Is Pres. Obama Overexposed? Overexposed? My God, can this man do nothing right? Pres. Obama is a president of the people, his campaign was financed by the people, and he has promised to represent the average American, to be held accountable, and to be transparent. Now, how are all those things going to take place if he doesn't keep us well informed, if he doesn't make himself available on a regular basis, and if he doesn't visit directly with Americans? Well, personally, I think the author of this article was trying TOO hard to carve out a niche for herself as someone innovate, creative, or insightful, placing herself just a notch above all her colleagues who continue to write about boring issues like, the needs of this nation and its people.

I along with many others, esp. the talking heads, thought I knew more about how to run a campaign than Obama and his team. I second guessed him all along the way and it turns out that he had a winning plan and really didn't need my well-meaning advice.

I welcome his high profile. I like seeing competence at work. I am proud of our Pres. and I hope he once again ignores all the nay-sayers and continues to communicate directly with his fellow Americans.

As Pres. Obama introduces his budget proposal, this is a very important time to notify your senators and reps. asking for support for the budget, particularly energy, education, health care, and the environment. Based on what Reps. and the Blue Dog Democrats are saying, Pres. Obama will need the support of us all. Patriotism=communication.

PATRIOT-IN-ACTION...pt. 2

The following article appeared in a local paper in a small town in middle Tenn.:

To the Editor:
We the people...These words have always held a special meaning to me, as they do for most Americans. These words mean we have a voice in our government whether it is on a national or local level.
A few years ago when the new jail and justice center was in the planning stages, a large group of Smith County residents made their opinion known in the form of a petition with many signatures.
This petition stated we were aware that our county needed a new jail but not a justice center with new court rooms and office space, since the existing court house had already been renovated and treated for mold at the taxpayers expense. The petition asked that a jail be built for our needs and not bring more criminals from state institutions into our county. This petition was given to a county commissioner who presented it to the committee. The commissioners voted to build only the jail saving millions of dollars for the taxpayers. We felt our voices had been heard.
Since then, a new vote was taken. I was told it is not being called a justice center but the new jail will have court rooms, office space and house state inmates. I was also told this was in the paper...after the vote. An offer had previously been made for donation of land in the county area to build the jail but was rejected due to the expense of transporting prisoners from jail to the court house. Land was purchased on a cemetery site and the taxpayers were responsible for more money to relocate the graves.
Did any other taxpayer receive a call, a letter, see a notice asking for your opinion from your county commissioner? Are the Smith County patrol cards being driven after hours for personal use? Did any other taxpayer get to voice their opinion on funds spent on the superintendent of schools office building? Did the chairs in that building really cost $500.00 each? Who was held accountable for expenses when our teachers are forced to buy a lot of their own supplies and parents are asked to bring copy paper?
Our county has one of the highest wheel taxes in the state of Tennessee but we the people voted for that. We were heard.
This is a time of economic decline, unemployment and loss of homes, which will be felt in our county revenue. While I am aware that housing state inmates does generate revenue, is this what our county wants? When this "not a justice center" but a new "jail with court rooms, office space and state inmate housing" is finished, who will pay the bill and maintain the existing court house? We the people!

E. has followed up on her phone calls with an excellent letter to her local paper. A true Patriot, E. is asking for some answers, alerting fellow citizens about important issues in the community, and presenting concerns in a very professional manner. The above letter would make an excellent model for anyone wanting to write a letter to their local paper.

Way to go E., I am guessing you have opened the eyes of your fellow citizens and we have not heard the last of this...

PATRIOT-IN-ACTION...

They say, all politics is local. So here you go:

In a small town in middle Tennessee it seems the county fathers were preparing to vote to build a new jail and justice center. Local citizens were not convinced a new justice center was necessary. So my friend and co-worker, E. became a patriot-in-action! She developed a petition to support the new jail, but not the justice center. She gathered pages of signatures that were presented to the County Commission showing the opposition for the justice center. The justice center was voted down, only a jail would be built.

Two years later, the justice center, known by new name, is back in the plans. Upon learning this, E picked up the phone, called her commissioner and the county mayor expressing(firmly but politely) her disappointment that the commissioners were ignoring the will of the people, to which the commissioner and mayor had no response. And at the moment, this is where things stand.

Every once-in-a-while, we meet folks who have acted very courageously and patriotically to protect citizens from their own elected officials. We are fortunate to have these pro-active folks in our communities. Without them, there would be no oversight, no one to try to keep the politicians honest, no one to speak for the "common folks".

E, you are a wonderful role model for women and young girls everywhere and an inspiration to all who love their community and country.

So Thank you E, Keep up the good work...make them look for a way out of the room when they see you coming! Keep them on their toes. Hold their feet to the fire!

In appreciation, "SO YOU THINK YOURSELF A PATRIOT?"is naming E. its very first PATRIOT-IN-ACTION. You make us all proud.

CONGRATULATIONS!!!

PORK + EARMARK=GIMMICK...

There once was a toothbrush salesman who wasn't having much luck selling his fine toothbrushes. Upon reporting this to his boss, he was told he must find himself a gimmick...one that would make folks want to buy his toothbrushes. After many attempts including offering free toothpaste, free floss, even a free shoe polishing, the salesman wasn't faring much better. He, being a good businessman, decided to supplement his toothbrush business with a candy stand....hmmmm, and it wasn't long before he had his first customer. Hungry, the customer purchased a candy bar, ripped it open and began eating, then violently spitting..."this tastes like sh**", he screamed...to which the salesman replied..."it is sh**, wanna buy a toothbrush?????

Who is better at serving up sh...oops...'gimmicks' than our folks in Washington? This ridiculous charade going on in Washington...Republicans irate regarding pork/earmarks...Democrats doing some of their own moaning and groaning regarding costs, is a gimmick that has been used against the American public long enough. A gimmick attempting to convince us that one side hates pork/earmarks and the other side is the guilty party, the big spenders. THEY ARE ALL BIG SPENDERS!

Republicans love to say FDR didn't end the depression with the New Deal, they claim it was actually WWII that ended Depression.. OK, for the sake of argument, let's say that's true...just exactly how would that have worked?...War is declared and people go to work building and selling
war weaponry...and by whom are these folks paid...hmmmmm...would it be from funds furnished by the government?...it would seem, even from this perspective that Republicans actually do believe in massive government spending. They just seem to prefer spending on death and destruction, rather than on Americans and our nation.

Did Obama break his pledge to do away with earmarks? Obama pledged to regulate, get under control, and get rid of abuse, not to do away with them. That was J. McCain's campaign pledge...except, of course, for his projects.

We have been mislead...both by the media and by both sides of Congress. They would have us believe they are not in favor of earmarks. They have served us up a dish of gimmick(feigned outrage) to avoid speaking the truth, when speaking the truth would server them better.
The truth is earmarks/pork is the way much of our hard earned money that we give to the government every year is returned back to us via projects funded by the Federal Government.

Who among us does not want all the tax revenues we can fairly obtain? Do we not expect our reps. to do what they can to return money to their constituents in the form of public projects, projects that serve the greater good? Yes, I think we all feel this is part of our expectations. We would not be very happy if everyone around us was receiving federal monies and our state was getting nothing.

We all agree there is wasteful spending and that it is time to revamp the system...all projects should be made public(an Obama pledge) and those abusing the system called to task publicly(an Obama pledge). Be aware, members of Congress (LGraham and DHoyers to mention a couple) have made it very clear that Congress decides on earmarks, not the Pres.

Sure is alot of noise being made over what amounts to 2% of the entire budget.

Patriots, know what earmarks your Congress representatives have put into the bill. Are you pleased?...let them know. Not pleased? Let them know.

March 8th is International Women's day. I would like to join with http://www.thevoicesofthem.blogspot.com in their fight against female genital mutilation(fgm) in countries around the world. This mutilation is usually done to girls between the ages of three and six by the women of their family.Using pieces of glass, razor blades, or filthy knives, these mutilations are performed with no anesthetic. A pack of mud and herbs are placed on the wound and the girls are held in isolation till they heal. Muslims insist women must undergo this mutilation to remain faithful to Islam, even though it is not mention in the Koran. In Britian today, its estimated that at least 66.000 women and girls have been mutilated. More that 100 million women and girls are estimated to have had FGM. Please visit the above site and sign the petition to stop these mutilations.

Visit, sign, and stay abreast of events, etc. surrounding this issue. We must not sit by quietly while others suffer...Patriotism reaches beyond borders!

WAR...

WINTER SUNSET

Such skies came to worry me

On the eve of great battles:

Clouds soaked in blood of the dying day

That made the horses restless,

So the soothsayers were summoned

But kept their mouths shut

About the meaning of it

Even when shown the naked sword.

The gloomy heavens made gloomier

By the shadow play of unknown tribes.

And their heroes on the run.

The white church tower of the First Congregational

Clutching its bird-shaped weather vane

Against it all, but the village deserted.

Not a soul in sight. The people indoors

Afraid to get up and turn on the lights.

Some young farm woman, dress unbuttoned,

A small child on her knees,

Its head turning away from her full breast...

Eyes full of the sky's terror and luster.

~Charles Simic

From: "The Book of Gods and Devils"

BAIT AND SWITCH...AGAIN...

There is just simply NO REST FOR THE WEARY. Let us not forget, not for one minute, the agenda of the bush crime family. While we are all having a great time watching the republican party implode, marveling at their fear of their own creation...right wing radio, and puzzling over their absolutely genius picks for their party leaders, war criminal Karl Rove and bushie worshipers are traveling the media circuit rewriting history. Patriots simply cannot allow this to happen.

Masters of the Bait and Switch, the republicans have minions and water-carriers out there stirring up dust...hiding what is really going on. Karl Rove, w's brain, is a criminal, but yet he is hired by Fox news ( that's not so surprising since most of their staff suffer from some sort of mental crisis) and Newsweek as a consultant. This was a disturbing discovery since I have been a reader of Newsweek for 30 years . I cancelled my subscription, expressing my dismay that a periodical I held in such high esteem would stoop so low as to hire a criminal...a man who commits crimes against people all around the world, a man who ignores subpoenas, a man who put an innocent man in prison and had him held there as a political enemy. And, as yet, goes untouched.

Join Patriots around the world and visit the site below...if you believe w's gang should be held accountable, then sign the petition.

http://www.avaaz.org/en/end_the_war_on_terror/?cl=189521705&v=2913

A PARTY DIVIDED AND ITS NOT MINE FOR A CHANGE...

I have to admit, watching the Republican Party disintegrate does bring me some comfort. As a mental health professional I stand by the notion that a tad bit of revenge is good for everyone every once-in-a-while! And I am going to enjoy it. Polls show Republicans have dropped four points in popularity while Democrats are up seventeen points. It does my heart good to see Americans finally rejecting the Politics of Deception from the right wing, particularly since they have made it clear they intend to stick to the same philosophy, same remedies and plans that has gotten us into this horrible mess we are in at present.

It does my heart good to watch the Republican party turn to the "noise makers" on right wing radio for their leadership. They even had a talk jockey as their keynote speaker at their conference. A Republican apologist (didn't catch her name) said on TV last week that some Republicans wanted to vote for the budget but they were afraid of right wing radio! Let me repeat that...Republicans are now afraid of right wing radio...the very same monster that was created by republicans has now turned on its creator. THE MONSTER IS DEVOURING ITS OWN AND IT IS DELIGHTFUL TO WATCH!!!! There is just so much "poetic justice" in this little event...its called karma...what you put out there, folks, will come right back at you...so I say, you go Republicans, hang in there with those talk jockeys 'cause heaven knows their greatest interest is the welfare of their wallets...oops, I mean of their country. Of course...

For all you true Patriots out there...did you call your representatives and thank them for voting for our Pres.'s recovery package and express your hope they will continue to support him? I didn't have a very busy day, I only had to make one Thank you call. Let them hear from you when you are happy with them as well as when you aren't! Make those calls!