Electronic Writer

This is really a fantastic op-ed article about the checks and balances of our government. You should read it if you get the chance.

Article

After approximately 50-years, the world may finally see an end of the North/South Korean war. This is an extremely detailed article about the progression of the Denuclearization of North Korea, the unification of North/South Koreas, and the potential economic impact on the rest of the world.

Read the full article at OhMyNews International

U.S. senator: It’s time to ban Wikipedia in schools, libraries

Here’s the newest from Sen. Ted Stevens, the man who described the Internet as a series of tubes: It’s time for the federal government to ban access to Wikipedia, MySpace, and social networking sites from schools and libraries.

Read the whole article at Computer World

Interesting little article about Pat Robertson being “converted” (his own term) on the Global Warming Issue.

Perhpas the Religious Right might get behind the “Save the Earth” movement and not TRY to make armageddon happen any sooner.

To be honest with you, I have never really even listened to her music before, but she is getting my money.

Her latest album has a single, “Dear, Mr. President.” The link below is to the video. Our country was founded upon dissent and dissonance, and quite frankly, everyone is frightened enough to let it pass. There is not enough in our country right now–especially with the disintegration of our values right before our very eyes.

Pink’s is setting a great example right now–and, I am going to reward her financially for it . . . .

See for yourself

Wow! I was just sent the link to this . . . and, it is an honest and unexpected roast of our President. I don’t think that anyone knew that this was going to happen. There are three parts, so I suggest you please carve out some time and watch them all.

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

For All of Us / One America Committee Blog

The other day, while at the gym I was looking at the television while on the tread mill. I haven’t watched television for more than 5 years, so whenever I see it, I am instantly hypnotized and find myself staring at the technological marvel that consumes the soul (and time) of so many Americans.

This particular evening, the TV aired an interview with former Senator John Edwards from North Carolina during his reconstruction efforts in New Orleans. Once again, I enjoyed his discourse about politics (both good and bad), admired his self-made success, and mostly liked his integrity.

Every time I have seen John Edwards speak, or interact or do or say anything, I have had the impression that he has his own vision of America. It is similar to how I imagined the original founders saw our country: a place where goodness, hard work, and freedom reign supreme. He exudes the pride of someone who has done a good job at something. It is not the egotistical, “Yeah, I know I am good.” But, rather, it is the genuine “thank you” for your praise of something they have done.

When compared with some other politicians (this is not a partisan attack), he seems bright, fresh, and excited to be part of America. He seems thrilled, in fact, with living, his opportunities, his family, and with his country.

I hope what he has is infectious and spreads wildly to the other politicians who represent me their constituent.

Bolton Watch | TPMCafe

This really is a nice resource . . . .

What happened to the three tenets of Conservatives? And, for that matter, what is going on in the world? Do things seem crazy to anyone else besides me? I thought the Conservative mantra was Reduce Spending, Control Immigration, and Shrink Government. And, I thought that we have a Republican-conservatively-controlled government (as in all three branches).

From the looks of things, we have not accomplished a single one of those items. According to today’s NY Times, our Government has raised the level at which the American Government goes into DEFAULT 5 times since a certain someone has come into office.

Are the creditors calling the White House?

As for immigration: the borders are basically open. Big companies no longer have to even recognize that they exist. As individuals, we have to check every single transaction with Big Brother. But, if we were to simply send our money over the borders (and it would prove to be profitable for business), we could get that blessing easily.

While I love the idea of shrinking the government, it is absolutely impossible at this point. Our beauracracy has metastatized into Orwellian proportions. In fact, I am sure that the sheer size of it all would make Franz Kafka cringe in his grave.

And, they keep spending and spending and spending money that we don’t have . . . .

Our only recourse is to vote in every single election between here and change. Call your Senators, and Representatives. Ask tougher questions. Read the fine print. The sound bites from Fox are not giving you the information you need.

Stop doing what you have been doing, and from here on out, only do things that can fix what is wrong. Apathy isn’t going to help anyone.

On September 12th of 2001, I put a small American flag in the back window of my car. Tiny letters spelled out “United We Stand”–a sentiment that had resonances in nearly all reaches of our country.

My tiny display of patriotism was easily overshadowed. Ladders were used to climb into dusty attics, and flags were pulled from their boxes, unrolled, and placed into holders mounted upon walls of houses. Stickers of all shapes and sizes were given away to be stuck on bumpers and windows of cars of all shapes and sizes. Larger flags were flown on the outside of cars–attached by suction cups, or latches that hooked onto window edges. The most dramatic displays were seen on 4-wheel drive vehicles. Huge, life-sized cloth flags lashed somewhere to the cab and flying proudly for everyone to see. Humongous moving testaments to patriotism.

American patriotism was everywhere. It was thick in the very air of our nation. For the first time in years, I had hope for us. My nearly chronic melancholy had set in years ago. Americans were apathetic. We were happy when 30% of our population turned up to vote. Numbers that conjured grade school charts with two columns. One column listed the priviledges of Democracy. The opposing column recorded the responsibilities of Democracy. Voting had been listed as a responsibility–not a priviledge. It was hailed as the cornerstone of Democracy, and yet nearly 70% of us weren’t paying attention that day. Or, perhaps they heard the lesson just fine, and didn’t care.

When I looked around on the day after our tragedy, things genuinely seemed different. Everyone had a flag on their car. There were flags on homes. People were crying, and angry, and everyone wanted to see what they could do. People were scared. Everyone seemed to feel something. Apathy had apparently vanished altogether.

I was hopeful that we, as a nation, would participate again in the discussion about our country. I was hopeful that we would sit around and discuss politics–rather than avoiding that topic and talking about sports, instead. I was hopeful that we would talk about the issues–a behavior that our forefathers envisioned for us. I was hopeful that information would be disbursed to the public, and that the public would take it, discuss, and choose. The flurry of activity was impressive. For the first time in years, our country was brimming with questions–instead of answers.

As the months trudged forward, things started to change. The 4×4 trucks left their flags up day and night. Those flags got wet in the rain, and froze through the nights. The edges became frayed from flapping continuously in the wind–and, they never were replaced, or hemmed, or repaired. The suction cup flags lost their suction, and fell off the cars on freeways, and city streets, and parking lots. Those bumper stickers faded from the sunlight, and some were removed altogether.

What an accurate and terrible symbol those outward displays have become. The patriotism that had been jolted awake, has been lulled back into complacency. It is as if America hit the snooze button on the Patriotism clock and drifted back into some dream.

We still need those feelings of anger, sadness, grief and confusion. Take a look around us. Nothing has been resolved since that tragedy. We have only witnessed wave after wave of finger pointing and in our fervor, we have given our trust at the expense of our constitution and our freedoms.

We still need more questions coming from America. Without all of the information, it is generally NOT recommended to make brash statements, and yet we conitnue. We make edicts and deliver speeches and send signals to other Americans as well as the rest of the world. We are standing high upon our own rickety soap box, reading from the speech we wrote years ago, and quite frankly, even we are not buying it.

And, we need more flags. They don’t have to be ostentatious. They don’t have to be bigger than the flags on other cars, or the flag on your neighbor’s house. But, we need you to put your flag up.

We need you to sew our flag when it is torn. We need you to not let our flag touch the ground. We need you to fold it and store at night–and when it rains. But, most of all, we need that flag to mean something about America. It is a symbol of America and what it means to be from the United States of America–not a piece of cloth.

Our flag is the signature of our work as a nation of freedom-loving people who value human life, protect human rights, and believe that all people are created equal. And, right now, we are using it to sign some pretty bad documents that do not represent me or my values.

Fly our flag. Defend our freedoms. Participate in our country. And, demand more of our politicians and fellow Americans because you will be held accountable for everything that we do.