"The Vote Heard Round The World" Will Be On The Stimulus Package

Senators, it is the moment of truth. Do you stand shoulder to shoulder like the early colonists who chose to do what was right for the nation, and its future generations, or do you fold under the pressure of those who would seek to do harm (whether intentional or ignorantly)? Americans, the world, and history is watching. You may not be feeling like the founding fathers who drafted the Constitution, yet you are standing in their place and filling their shoes. We are truely fortunate that their spirit and resolve never wavered...and we will be just as fortunate that you held your ground. Whether it was "the shot heard round the world" or "the vote heard round the world" they bear equal importance to the direction free Americans should follow. There are socialist in Congress who would rather see "pet" pork projects prevail than a smaller dollar stimulus package. It is treasonous! This is not a Republican or Democrat vote...it is a patriotic one. Please...do the right thing.

Note: Do not confuse a feeling of helplessness with one of hopelessness. One can be overturned.

May God bless America...and may America deserve it!

Zanne Booker 01-29-09

The Stimulus Package Would Be More Stimulating With A "Designated" Voucher System...And Tax Credits

The stimulus package would be more stimulating with a "designated" voucher system . It would be one way to stimulate the economy and allay fears that the stimulus money received would be banked (or used to pay off credit cards) rather than transfuse dollars into the ailing economy. All Americans would share in participation and control as recipients. Note: This should not be a total replacement for tax credits, but rather to be used in concert with tax credits and other “productive” stimulus measures. With regard to accountability, it would provide an easier paper trail to follow since no cash money is being doled out (or rerouted) via a third party business or organization. The government giveth…and as it is spent…"deducteth" away. I liken it to gift card usage...except it can only be utilized for items deemed to stimulate the economy. This would include any item or service of measurable outcome. An Ombudsman's Department would have to be established to investigate any complaints, divulge findings, and assist in prompt settlements. Well, that's my thought for the day. Kick the tires, walk around it, and ponder if you'd like to see the government give her a spin.

Note: Only swine would dine on pork presented in the stimulus package. Let's hope they choke on it!

May God bless America...and may America deserve it!

Zanne Booker 01-28-09

Don't Let The Only Thing Standing Between Guantanamo Detainees And Alcatraz Be Nancy Pelosi

Speaker Nancy Pelosi issued a statement on January 22, 2009 in response to President Obama's executive orders to close Guantanamo. It reads as follows:

"President Obama's executive orders closing the detention facility at Guantanamo, expanding the coverage of the interrogation practices permitted by the Army Field Manual, and initiating reviews of detention and interrogation policies will ensure that terrorist suspects held by the United States are treated in ways consistent with our laws and our values.
"The President's deliberate and responsible approach will make the American people safer by improving the quality of intelligence, and begin to restore the standing of the United States in the eyes of the world. By addressing these difficult issues quickly and directly, President Obama has served notice that he understands the concerns of military and intelligence professionals that past practices had hurt, rather than advanced, international efforts to combat terrorism."

This is just too delicious to pass up. Republicans who know all too well the major flaws in that penned order have come up with, at first glance, a seemingly mean spirited proposal...yet one with sound logic. Their suggestion is to send the detainees to Pelosi's San Francisco district...WELCOME TO ALCATRAZ! This is sheer genius for several reasons. (1) Take a tour online at the following website: www.AlcatrazHistory.com According to the web tour "From the mid 1930's until the mid 1960's, Alcatraz was America 's premier maximum-security prison, the final stop for the nation's most incorrigible inmates." The terrorists we choose not to release certainly fit that description. (2) Revisiting her earlier words,"initiating reviews of detention and interrogation policies will ensure that terrorist suspects held by the United States are treated in ways consistent with our laws and our values." I like it! Who better to keep vigil over the detainees than Nancy Pelosi and the liberals who so want to believe that they have all of the answers. (3.) Cha-ching! It is an isolated area which would require fewer taxpayer dollars to renovate than to build something from scratch. That is unless they are going to go for resort standard bedding and services. (4.) Bill Young (Republican Rep.) suggested that the unreleaseable prisoners could be "put up" in this former military installation/prison. It could once again have a dual function...military space and prison place. Evidently Senator Pelosi was not amused and couldn't find the words fast enough to say, "NO!" Well, I say,"Yes!" These are tough times and everyone is going to have to do their part...you know...not whine. Alcatraz is now a tourist attraction (your words, Ms. Pelosi). Surely national security takes precedence over your "interesting places to visit" catagory. House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) told NBC's "Meet the Press" that the location was "very secure". Look, we have 245 remaining detainees left at Guantanamo and in less than a year some of them are going to need a home due to President Obama implementing orders without a plan. If Pelosi thinks President Obama's plan was "brilliant" and "wise" let her house the terrorists in her home state...It'll only be for a year, right?

Note: Leading by example is easier to do when the task is a pleasant one.

May God bless America...and may America deserve it!

Zanne Booker 01-27-09

Gather The Nation's Top Economics Professors To Tutor Washington On Stimulus Package Scenarios

The stimulus package will work? The stimulus package won't work? It will work quickly? Slowly? Rather than flip a coin or let speculation run amuck, let's throw sound economic principles into the mix and invite leading economic gurus (from universities), who have thought and taught monetary enigmas for years, to Washington. We will have to have ones who do not have socialist or communist leanings otherwise the information obtained could be skewed...and we do not want to add anymore hidden agendas for congressional leaders to sift through. Although on the surface some nations view our dilemma as bordering "down-right" comical, it is to Americans a source of daily stress and embarrassment (on an international level). We entered these troublesome times due to the incompetence and greed of Wallstreet and Washington. Let's not continue to free fall into an economic abyss because our leaders are too busy (or proud) to get a little after-school tutoring. As a taxpayer...I am authorizing you to take some of the remaining $350 billion to pay for their services. Keep your receipts!

Note: If anyone learns anything that can change their mind in a positive way...they ought to keep learning.

May God bless America...and may America deserve it!

Zanne Booker 1-26-09

President Obama, The GOP Is Listening To Rush Limbaugh...And Your Constituents

President Obama is getting his first week's report card downgraded due to not playing well with others. Intimidation is not exactly a sign of leadership. Saying things like,"You can't just listen to Rush Limbaugh and get things done..." and "I won...I will trump you on that" to Republican members of Congress won't instill confidence in his proposals, however, a fear factor may be just what he is looking for. With the mess this nation's economy is in we need to listen to Limbaugh and anyone else who can offer sound logic...or reveal hidden agendas. The President needs to remember many Republicans also voted for him and got him elected. The GOP needs to listen to their constituents...which are also his constituents. A trillion dollars for a stimulus package, which has recently been disclosed to exclude "some" white males, is disturbing...and unconstitutional. When elected officials can not offer justifiable objections to Obama's proposals, like increasing benefits for low-income workers who do not even owe income taxes to the federal government, it is up to Congressional representatives, like Rep. Erich Cantor, to stand up against them. If President Obama wants the GOP to get on board then he had better come up with plans which are ethical, logical, and well developed. Additionally, he had better start representing all Americans equally...since he signed on for that job.

Note: America is not a race...it is a people bound together by a constitution which protects us from those who would try to distort or remove our freedoms. If anyone suffers we should all feel the pain. If anyone proves a foe (foreign or domestic) we should unite in our people's defense.

May God bless America...and may America deserve it!

Zanne Booker 01-24-09

Socialists In Congress Are Using Wealth Redistribution In The Stimulus Package...Excluding Some Whites

The Reverend Martin Luther King would be appalled if he were alive today. Not at the sea of white and black voters who have painstakingly tried to reverse the barriers of racism, in the United States, but in some of the leaders of the black community and congress who have tried to resurrect them. It is a new tool of manipulation ultimately designed to place a wedge between blacks and whites thus distracting us from their socialist goals. Yes, socialists are people of all races. Every ounce of Martin Luther King's zeal was aimed at one goal...unity. I would have been on the side of abolitionists if I had lived back in that time period. I never treated anyone with disrespect. I never passed up an opportunity to help someone regardless of the color of his/her skin. I never failed to pay my taxes. So, I should expect to receive assistance from a stimulus package clearly earmarked for American citizens just as African Americans should...and "white male construction workers". You might check out the website below and listen to what appears to be a carefully orchestrated dialogue between Rep. Charlie Rangel (D) and Dr. Robert Reich (Obama adviser). Their conversation is calling for "quotas" in an attempt to move quickly "mandated" policies of social engineering entwined with wealth redistribution. Have you noticed that everything lately is being presented with attention to speed? If we do things "quickly" we do not have time to think about better solutions...or ramifications. Socialists in congress are painting other members, who are "pondering" legislation (using good judgment and showing wisdom), as nearly UNAMERICAN. The "others" are in fact being good stewards of our freedoms and taxpayer dollars. This is no longer a case of Republicans against Democrats or one ethnic group against another. This is one of all Americans against socialism. If socialists can get us to fight amongst ourselves then they can work behind the scenes on their takeover. America can go from capitalism to socialism/communism in under four years... one Presidential term.

http://sweetness-light.com/archive/reich-no-white-male-construction-workers

Note: Short-term memory (historically) can have long term effects (tragically).

May God bless America...and may America deserve it!


Zanne Booker 01-23-09


Blog date 01-22-09 correction: Caroline Kennedy had an issue regarding her "nanny" and not her housekeeper.

Caroline Kennedy Did The Right Thing...Now It's Time For The Press To Follow Suit.

Whether or not Caroline Kennedy had a shot at Hillary Clinton's senate seat will never be known. In my blog postings, via Zimbio, I have one Wikizine entitled Do The Right Thing. Tonight Ms. Kennedy will be featured for doing just that. Prying reporters are dogging her every move now, trying to get the dirt on her possible tax, nanny, and marriage problems. Please, stop. She has lived her life in a protective bubble which was temporarily breached for some reason. Maybe it was pressure from her Uncle Ted, citing a Congress soon to face a shortage of Kennedy clan members. It could possibly have been her sense of patriotic duty that rose up like a phoenix and spurred her to action. Conjecturing further, it could have been a vow she made to her late brother. The guess work could go on-and-on-and-on...if we let it. Reporters can still choose to seek her tax information...evidently that isn't a "biggie", is it Timothy Geithner? They can drag her marriage through the tabloids...and hurt family members. There is the housekeeper thing...which I have yet to read about in full and do not plan to. I wish her well in her future undertakings. May the media leave the lady to her peaceful ways. America, Ms. Kennedy has tried and failed in a noble cause...attempting to make her country better. There is no shame in that.

Note: Millions hear the call to action...and then they press the snooze button.

May God bless America...and may America deserve it!

Zanne Booker 01-22-09

Washington Is Replacing Honesty Is The Best Policy With Transparency Is...

Almost everyone reading this article can recall hearing the old saying...HONESTY IS THE BEST POLICY. Now that we are hearing the necessity for "transparency" in Washington, it just might be replaced with...TRANSPARENCY IS THE BEST POLICY. After all, honesty requires a state of being upright, sincere, truthful, and free from deceit. Honesty dictates that prospective candidates graciously decline offered positions because of unworthiness. Transparency only requires that candidates tell people that they are substandard (not worthy) and that gives them a free pass (and a key to the executive washroom). Let's talk about one in particular...transparent Timothy Geithner (almost Treasury Secretary). Transparency gets him in and honesty keeps him out. He was straddling the fence of honesty when he declared, "I have paid what I owed" and apologized (to Congress). He failed to bring up what he did with the money he was given to pay his taxes...and did not...until then President-elect Obama came knocking at his door. According to Senator Charles Grassley of Iowa, "To some, he is not only the best choice, he is the only choice." Come on now, did anyone run the job in the classifieds? Okay, I'm teasing about that one, but surely there is some worthy professor sequestered in a business school or university qualified enough...and honest enough...to arouse Congressional interest. Let's keep looking!

Note: No one should be in a hurry to spend money unless it's a sure thing.


May God bless America...and may America deserve it!

Zanne Booker 01-21-09

I'm Not Going To Rain On Obama's Parade...Today

Congratulations is in order to our new President of the United States, Barack H. Obama, and his family. This is the most wonderful day of a President's life because he is merely starting his journey and, as of yet, not veered off course. WE THE PEOPLE are prayerful, hopeful, and watchful as he wakes each morning with the agenda of the day. If he truly seeks to serve all of his people "equally" he will recall his words in the Inauguaral Speech and not choose to give them a double meaning, giving the more favorable one to a chosen few. In his speech he said,"We understand that greatness is never a given. It must be earned..." I quite agree. Let's hope he spurs the youth of America (black, white, red, and yellow) to want to work toward success instead of having to be cajoled into learning. Let President Obama commit to memory his words, "it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things...who have carried us up the long, rugged path towards prosperity and freedom." Let these words resonate when he calls for tax moves which will hurt small business owners working toward the American dream. When he is ferreting through the list of atrocities of Wallstreet, may he remember "those of us who manage the public's dollars will be held to account - to spend wisely, reform bad habits, and do our business in the light of day - because only then can we restore the vital trust between a people and their government." May he make them realize their deplorable acts have made America more vulnerable than any treasonous spy. Make him aware that showing contempt for "the worst" doesn't mean embracing the "second worst" as better. "Recall that earlier generations faced down fascism and communism not just with missiles and tanks, but with sturdy alliances and enduring convictions." By Karl Marx's own admission we realize that socialism is just a stepping stone to communism. President Obama, I wish you the best and will remain optimistic until indicators move me into another frame of mind. Enjoy the best day of your life...while you are flawless.

Note: "Pencil in" everything on your calendar. Priorities can shift with your conscience.

May God bless America...and may America deserve it!

Zanne Booker 01-20-09

Congress Needs Constituent Input To Properly Output!

It is so easy for Americans to sit back and criticize members of the House and Senate. We shake our heads and wonder "What are they thinking?" when they move “wrongly” to the right or the left of an issue, that we feel should have been a no-brainer. WE THE PEOPLE need to remember that they were sent to Washington to represent their constituents (us). If we do not tell them what we want, frequently and in large numbers, the old saying THE SQUEAKY WHEEL GETS THE GREASE comes into play. Keep in mind that the “squeaker” is not usually the majority or necessarily operating in the category of “DO THE RIGHT THING”. We need to become pen pals with our representatives to give them clear guidelines as to what we want, ultimatums should they not listen (e.g. they will lose our vote and financial support), and courage. Yes, courage. They are far from home and facing a sea of congressional peers and lobbyists who use tactics ranging from intimidation to “rosey-picture" painting...and they can and do veer off course. Correspondence from constituents is like a letter from home. It lifts their spirits, keeps them “in touch”, and restores focus. If one writes a congressman or congresswoman today, one will find he/she can only send emails to their designated representatives. This is mainly because they want to "zero in" on the people they personally serve. Congressional representatives are not mind readers. If we do not provide them with frequent input…and they are left to their own devices...we could be looking at garbage in/garbage out legislative decisions. Haven’t we seen enough of that? Below I have posted a website to assist you in contacting your Congressional Representatives. It is Herman Cain’s website and it provides information everyone should be aware of (good and bad) coming out of Washington. America…let’s get writing!

Note: The price of freedom was loss of lives; the loss of freedom could be lack of initiative.

Congressional representatives can be found at the website below: http://www.hermancain.com/contact.asp

May God bless America…and may America deserve it!

Zanne Booker 01-18-09

Is Don't Ask, Don't Tell To Become Oh, Well?...Or Is It Just Another Diversion?

It is getting harder and harder to choose which shell the ball is under during this political makeover game. Americans are being attacked on multiple fronts with bad or disturbing news from Washington and Wallstreet. At times, it is difficult to decipher just who's playing who. There is nothing more distracting than a good controversy, in this case gays in the military, to provide a smokescreen for touchy issues like the pending Secretary of Treasury choice Timothy Geithner's tax problems. This screen possibly has a smoke cloud big enough to cover several other "Oh, My Goodness" moments...if we let it. President-elect Obama has straddled the fence for years, even saying he "generally" (a very safe stance) opposed the Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy during an interview with a gay magazine. The gay community realizes it could take months before any kind of agreement could be made between military leaders and lawmakers so, be aware of it, do what is necessary e.g., write your congressmen/congresswomen, and stay on top of the issues which matter most to you. WE THE PEOPLE will have to wean ourselves off of the video games, Blackberries, and other distractions of the world and read about political issues for ourselves, rather than let the information (politicians want us to know about) be spoon-fed to us via biased and questionable media sources. If you can use Google then Google your congressional representatives and voice your opinion. Obama used the internet to run his campaign effectively and it is time conservatives learned to use it "tactically" as well. Pick a nice unbalanced website, like FOX News, and get with the real reality...America's future!

Edward Bulwer-Lytton quote: THE PEN IS MIGHTIER THAN THE SWORD.
One could only wonder what he would say about the internet.

Note: Most Americans are naive and think that because we are not shooting at each other it means we are not at war. Wake up!

May God bless America...and may America deserve it!

Zanne Booker 01-14-09

With Obama's Job Plan Out...Will It Pan Out?

I am confused about the "Job Plan" offered by President-elect Obama. The preliminary proposal eludes to the stimulus plan adding (or saving) three to four million jobs by the end of 2010. The job market is currently reflecting just under three million less workers this year than last. Cursory calculations suggest that the numbers are growing and that Obama's stimulus plan will narrowly bring America back to the starting line of 2008. The growth in the working-age population was not included in this evaluation. The jobs plan would, by all appearances, not keep pace with population growth. The Romer-Bernstein report has a three-tiered evaluation system to "guesstimate" the impact the plan will have on the creation and salvaging of jobs.

According to Mark Lieberman (senior economist for the FOX Business Network)
"That leaves though the impact on the real economy. While the recession has largely been consumer driven, the types of jobs created by the stimulus plan -- as estimated by Romer and Bernstein -- don’t automatically correct that.
According to their analysis, about 1.1 million of the 3.7 million jobs resulting from the proposal will come in two sectors: retail and leisure-and-hospitality -- the two lowest-paying sectors in the economy, with average weekly earnings of $19,948 (retail) $14,122 (leisure and hospitality). And that isn’t exactly the stuff recoveries are made of." So, I guess I will have to side with the Republicans and Democrats in Congress who are finally starting to "get it". If the numbers don't add up...the plan won't work. President-elect Obama doesn't have to have all of the answers by the swearing in date. He just has to have the right ones when it comes time to implement his decisions.

Note: Determination in haste can lead to fraud and waste.

May God bless America...and may America deserve it.

Zanne Booker 01-13-09

Lloyds TSB Pays $350M To End Investigation...One Which Substantiates Betraying The U.S.

WE THE PEOPLE can forget about the Congressional pursuit of any "Bailout Billions" to the journey's end. They are having difficulty finishing the job when it comes to foreign businesses which are clearly engaged in "criminal conduct" against the United States! Yep, we have a confession...followed by an agreement to forfeit the ill-gotten gain in return for the investi-gation's termination. The treachery took place in a period between 1995 and 2007. It was even going on after 9-11! The bank boasts the following on its website:

Bank of the Year 4 years running
The UK’s safest bank
Rated Aaa by Moody’s, the highest rating given to any UK high street bank
Most trusted bank for the last 8 years

According to Assistant Attorney General Matthew Friedrich, "For more than 12 years, Lloyds facilitated the anonymous movement of hundreds of millions of dollars from US-sanctioned nations through our financial system." Lloyds removed customer names, bank names, and addresses in order for wire transfers to pass "undetected" through US banks (which had filters in place based on the removed data). The bank forged records so "clients" in Iran, Libya and Sudan could conduct business via US institutions. And conduct they did...to the tune of more than $350m. It is the policy of the US to prohibit countries, businesses, or individuals from accessing our banking system when there is a conflict based on foreign policy or national security. The tentative (probably done-deal) agreement would have Lloyds TSB forfeiting half of the money to the US and half to New York County in return for the Justice Department's recommendation that charges be dismissed in a two year time period. I guess the price of betrayal is close to $350m then...if we are dumb enough to accept it.

Note: If we can't put a price on freedom then we can't put a price on betrayal. Let the charges stand!

May God bless America...and may America deserve it!

Zanne Booker 01-12-09

Taxpayers Could Become The Permanent Hosts Of Congressional Parasites!

It's time for Congress to stop singing their praises and start showing their works! It is so easy for Washington leaders to tell Americans (the Mainstreet variety) the right thing to do, but when it comes to practicing what they preach, well, that is quite another story. Vice President-elect Joe Biden emphasized that there would be no "pet projects" included in the stimulus bill that Obama will sign shortly after taking office. According to Biden, "It's important for the American taxpayer to know that...this is not going to be politics as usual...there will be no earmarks in this economic recovery plan." And this is my favorite part... "Every dollar will be watched to be sure it's used in an effective manner. We'll spend what we need to turn this economy around and no more. The American taxpayer deserves to know that his or her tax dollars are going be used wisely. And the American worker needs to know that help is actually on the way," Biden reiterated. Question 1: Has Congress learned to use anything in an effective manner? It is kind of like giving a toddler the latest laptop with internet capabilities. He trashes the computer, tangles the wires, and ends up playing with the box. If we do not have knowledgeable people in place (with integrity) we are going to end up asking the exact same questions and getting the same vague answers we got after the "Billions Bailout". Question 2: Who will decide when the economy will be "turned around" and what will be the benchmarks? I think they had better understand that turning an ailing economy in the right direction, with clear indicators of recovery, should be a sign to let nature take its course. We could feasibly see recovery manipulated to keep us in a constant state of fluctuation (and spending). If WE THE PEOPLE do not get this right then...Taxpayers could become the permanent hosts of Congressional parasites!

Note: Socialism is the belief that "one size fits all"...Democracy allows us to adjust the seams when something doesn't fit.

May God bless America...and may America deserve it!

Zanne Booker 01-10-09

Burris Rides Again!

With no quid pro quo tainting his appointment, via the still standing governor of Illinois Rod Blagojevich, Roland Burris is slowly wearing down fears of his inevitable Senate seat appointment. If you know that the term quid pro quo is Latin and means 'something for something' and that it is the concept of getting something in return for giving something...then I am sorry to have wasted your valuable reading time. Back to Roland! Mr. Burris entered the Illinois State Capitol today to testify before the Illinois House Impeachment Committee and said under oath, "I came before this committee stating that there was nothing .... legal, personal, or political exchanged for my appointment to this seat". President-elect Obama said that he knew him, liked him, and would happily work with him (if seated). Former President Jimmy Carter all but anointed his head with oil, calling him with words of support. Senate leaders remain under pressure to get the Burris business resolved pdq since it is stealing attention away from Congress' consideration of a $1 trillion (plus) stimulus bill. ASIDE: Now that we have been throwing the word billion around for a few months, we are now ready to choke on the new word of choice...trillion! We may just have needed the Burris distraction to give congress time to let the word, and its ramifications, sink in. This exorbitantly high dollar stimulus package may be a Bernie Madoff shmooze tactic. America got the shaft to the tune of...well, I lost count at $800 billion. No one has gotten an adequate paper trail report yet. Now, are we ready to turn them loose with a trillion? Couldn't we accomplish much with a give-and-take approach? We could give some stimulus money and take some tax breaks. Remember America...the money is taxpayer generated! Back to Burris. An Illinois secretary of state signature or a Senate vote could slide Burris into his seat. I applaud the secretary of state for sticking to his convictions. I believe it is the only thing which saved him from political persecution. Oh well, Burris will be riding high in the senate soon...and hopefully making wise decisions.

Note: Wisdom evades the greedy.

May God bless America...and may America deserve it!

Zanne Booker 01-08-09

They Don't Make Them Like They Used To...But They Could Again

In the now tainted halls of the U.S. Congress are images of some of the greatest lawgivers throughout history. The honored include persons such as Thomas Jefferson, Moses, and Suleyman. Suleyman the Lawgiver lived from 1494-1566 and, as a muslim, was required to follow (and lead) in accordance with Islamic law...therefore he granted freedom of worship to other religious groups/communities, particularly to Christians and Jews. His law code called for penalties for various types of criminal acts and for bureaucratic and financial corruption. He sought to reduce bribes, did not permit imprisonment without a trial, and rejected promotions that were not based on merit. He also introduced the idea of a balanced budget for governments.
I suggest the U.S. Congress take a walking tour of these hallowed halls to gain inspiration and, perhaps, question their own integrity. Many Americans feel like they don't make politicians like they used to, however, miracles happen.

Note: Every intentionally bad or greed driven decision a politician makes is a betrayal of trust...and an act of treason.

May God bless America...and may America deserve it.

Zanne Booker 01-07-09

How To Keep Up With America's Three-Ring Circus

Today it is so important for Americans to learn the fine art of mental-multitasking. Our nation has become a three-ring circus with vital information being doled out daily (and simultaneously) in a wild and confusing manner. We are going to have to step back and look at the "mess" much like we would if we were going to clean out a disorganized child's room. The unimportant things are tossed and the "like items" are consolidated and prioritized. Most politicians would rather we just let them take care of things...as usual...and not bother ourselves with the nasty business of the economy, the political dramas (continually unfolding), or the President-elect's top official picks. How has that been working for us so far? I know (and they know) that we had rather be talking on the phone or playing tennis (I'm a racquetball person myself) but we are going to have to grow up, listen up, store up, before our only choice is to shut up! Now, the best way to approach this journey toward enlightenment is to simply begin. If you can not store and retain huge amounts of data...know you are not alone. Use a computer (or a tablet) and just write down the political players, their affiliations, and your views on their views. Do not write paragraphs. Feel free to use a form of short hand or "fragmented" sentences. You do not have to follow everything in the news...prioritize. If you are not a reader then turn off one or two soaps or sports programs and turn on the news. If you have been out of touch for a while then I will inform you that not all media sources are unbiased. Even Democrats have been seeking information from FOX News. From time-to-time go outside of the country, via the internet, to see what other nations (who like us) are saying about our dramas. The BBC is an interesting source. Google it! We have got to stay on top of things or run the risk of ending up on the bottom. If you won't do it for yourself then do it for your children. Our lack of Washington and Wallstreet stewardship has already put a financial burden on our children and grandchildren. Let's not add to the mix the loss of even one of their Constitutional freedoms!

Note: When we get comfortable...we are most vulnerable.

May God bless America...and may America deserve it!

Zanne Booker 01-06-09

"So Help Me God"...An Inauguration Irony

The words "so help me God" will be uttered, once again, at the Presidential inauguration. Even though a minority group will protest the phrase the courts will "overlook" the usage. It is ironic that the reason for the allowance will be due to the diminished meaning of the word, God. It is used in buildings, on currency, and...sadly...in vain. Some will try to "straddle the fence". I will never forget Bill Clinton's "pregnant pause" between the words me and God...or the lame excuse afterwards. I am quite sure THE GOOD LORD would druther have his name utilized in a revered manner than one of diminished capacity.

Note: If we don't stand up for what is right...then we will stand down for what is wrong.

May God bless America...and may America deserve it!

Zanne Booker 01-05-09

Bailout Money Creates A Corporate Food Chain

Is there no end to the beggars for billions? Now Frank Nicastro (representative of Connecticut's 79th assembly district) is asking to save the local newspaper, The Bristol Press. The paper is in danger of folding due to millions of dollars...yes, of debt. "The media is a vitally important part of America," Nicastro said. Since this is a local paper, which covers news that larger papers as well as television and radio stations seem to overlook, Nicastro feels they are "entitled" to part of the bailout billions...which was earmarked for financial institutions.

Let's visit some definitions, shall we? Use them as you see fit.
bailout: a rescue from financial distress
handout: a portion of food, clothing, or money given to or as if to a beggar
cop out: an idiom meaning to avoid taking responsibility for an action or to avoid fulfilling a duty.

Former Miami Herald Editor, Tom Fiedler, who is now dean of Boston University's College of Communication, said, "I truly believe that no democracy can remain healthy without an equally healthy press...Thus it is in democracy's interest to support the press in the same sense that the human being doesn't hesitate to take medicine when his or her health is threatened." To this I say...Physician, heal thyself! The media has been "operating" in a bias-mode for years. To Mr. Fiedler and Representative Nicastro I will offer some advice. Utilize the internet! Publish your paper online to those who have an interest in the local news. You can still charge for services and get revenue from advertisers and readers. Isn't that where we are heading anyway? Additionally, the environmentalists will love you. This bailout money has created a corporate food chain based on the best sales pitch! I hope President-elect Obama is ready for some change...that is about how much money America will have left if we don't stop this madness.

Note: Tightrope walking without a net leaves only gravity to catch one's fall.

May God bless America...and may America deserve it!

Zanne Booker 01-02-09