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What I think is fascinating is watching all the media and politicians try to "define" and co-op the tea party. The tea parties are an enigma to them.

The paradigm has shifted. We know that, so it is amusing to watch the show.

Some of think that the tea party is a political party. (although there is one guy running under a "Tea Party Party" in Nevada which has been denounced by all of the Nevadan tea parties ... which seems to be a left-wing ploy to split the vote so that Reid will get back into power...)

Now they think it came from Perot? That's funny.

Well, they are wasting their time and energy on this subject by looking through their progressive glasses trying to put labels on us. After all, they love stereotypes to exploit and they do LOVE labels!

Americans are diverse and the issues that the tea party folks care about are many. I would go out on a limb and say that ALL of the issues get down to one thing --- The Declaration of Independence and Our Constitution. The documents our Founding Fathers created is what unites and defines us.

So I say to the politicians and the media...

Pick up a copy of the constitution and read it.

In fact, they can read it for FREE online here:
U.S. Constitution Online

If they would actually take off their rose-colored progressive 3D spectacles and read our founding documents (instead of the DailyKos and the Huffington Post), they would get a glimpse from where the Tea Party springs forth from!

From Abigail in reply to the conversation HERE at We Surround Rochester.

You've just gotta shake your head sometimes... how do we fight a system where they can dole out $3.4 BILLION for votes?? Either party, both have and both will again...

I think this fits in with Glenn talking about us being personally free of debt and able to handle anything, so that there will come a point where we can just elect the people who'll make the hard choices... the choices that'll financially kill anyone tied up with Federal this and that (Like I'm willing to vote for school cuts that would hurt the PR budget I'm paid under... bring it on).

Louise and company saying 'look at all the goodies I bring home to the district' has to be repulsive to enough voters, that the idea of earmarks and pork lose their power. I dunno. Seems a tough fight.

Here's my favorite part:

Pro-Life Democrats Who Switched Vote for Health Bill Request Billions in Earmarks
FOXNews.com
The 11 House Democrats led by Rep. Bart Stupak who dropped their opposition to health care reform mere hours before the final vote have requested $3.4 billion in earmarks -- and one watchdog group wants to know whether the money represents business as usual, or a political payoff.

From WeSurroundRochester member Mike K, in a posting battle with a 'Coffee Party' Progressive that joined the group to 'ask us to not get violent' and to remind us that " Our initial form of government was communism. Please review the Mayflower Compact. This is where we really started and without this communal living we would not have survived."

BTW: The answer to that ill-informed view is here:  "Why the Pilgrims Abandoned Communism"

So Mike the conversation went on a bit, and Mike had this to say:


Its simple Alice.

• You think that morals are a matter of law. We think that morals are a matter of life or death regardless of law.
• You think that individual rights are granted to you FROM government. We think we grant government certain powers and reserve individual rights for ourselves. Not only that, you also believe that certain groups should have extra rights or afforded extra protection. We think that they are all already protected as individuals...we are then branded racists, homophobes, partisan wing nuts and bigots. We thank you for the third label by the way, but id change it to "principled wing nuts" in the interest of precision.
• You think that property rights shouldn't exist. We do.
• You think that being provided healthcare is a human right. We think its a privilege we earn through hard work, where we exchange the fruits of our labor for the service of a doctor.
• You think that principles are a starting point for compromise. We think that principles are a point that you don't cross, PERIOD.
• You think the wants of the many outweigh the rights of the few. 
• You think that when we are attacked our first reaction should be foreign aid and/or UN sanctions to the aggressor. We think they should be declawed with tomahawk missiles and special forces teams.
• You think that the constitution is a living document. We think its an unbreakable social contract with very specific meaning that should be followed or fought for, peaceful at first violent if, and only if, you run out of options and your individual rights went the way of the Dodo. (And they haven't yet, we have stated this for a very long time day in and day out, so stop implying we are violent and get to the next fake issue.)
• You think man determines the climate based on political science. We think physical science needs to prove its case beyond a shadow of a doubt before we change fundamental and proper ways of living through law.
• You think the family is community property. We think the community should mind their own business.
• You think the government can solve all problems. We think that, more often than not, government IS the problem.
• You and your Coffee party think that principles are open to subjective interpretation and are roadblocks to compromise to get what you want. We think that principles are a matter of natural law and relate to human nature and furthermore they are not burdens but guideposts in how we live our lives.
• You and your party think that diversity and equality imposed by law are paramount over the content of a persons character. We don't, we think that a man should be judged by his deeds and his character, and laws don't stop others from making ignorant judgments on others but instead ostracize good and decent people breeding discord and inequality.
• You think that no man should fail. We think that failure is one step in a determined and moral mans path to success. 
• You think that corporations are ruining this country. We understand that without them we wouldn't be a country.
• You think that defying a president now, after we tolerated one that did things just as stupid is a sign of our "racism". We often did yell and scream that he was doing wrong, but we thought we were alone. We don't anymore and the color of a mans skin won't stop me and everyone else from finally doing whats right, I will not apologize for my timing.
• You think we should apologize to the rest of the world. We think the rest of the world should thank us for almost everything they have including the little freedom left to many of them.
• You think that the product of a mans labor is a matter of proper and equal distibution. We think that the product of a mans labor is his to do with as he wishes, up to and including charity or 72" flat screen plasma televisions.
• You think that schools ought to teach environmentalism, we think they should teach economics. You think they should teach social studies, we think they should teach civics. You think that schools should teach diversity, we think schools should teach history.
• You think our country is a democracy. We Know that it is (unofficially "was") a constitutional republic with independent states guaranteed Republican forms of government, guaranteed. 
• You obviously think that this country was created through coercion and social/economic engineering. We know that Capitalism (the only moral economic system) and individual initiative made this country the way it is, you should be happy, its allowed you and your kind to thrive as no other parasite has for many decades, the ride will soon be over though, the host can only take so much before it collapses. Nothing in nature is free, someone must pay in the end. 
• You think that equality is best imposed through laws. We think that equality is best expressed through the protection of the individual, the smallest minority on earth.

See each Representative as they are bought off for their votes here at CodeRed

So it's here. The big vote. What can you do?

Understand the key issues:
• The only way this is 'deficit neutral' or 'cuts the deficit' is by taxes and fees. This bill does NOT cut any expenses magically.... just the normal Washington answer to raise taxes. Hey, if we pay more taxes, they say the defect will be lower... wow, great plan!

• You are NOT getting anything for free. You still pay for healthcare, and add increased taxes and fees on top for many.

• Taxes and fees start right away... any possible benefits start in... drum roll.... 2014!
Are you excited to pay more for the next 4 years in some hopes that Washington will not waste that money (Just like the Social Security money paid in that Washington has misused).
Think: 10 years of taxes to get 6 years of health care. IF they don't waste the money.

• 37 States are going to fight this. Idaho is the first to make it formal in a lawsuit (Info HERE). It's also totally outside of the Constitution for the Federal government to require all citizens to purchase something to live here. That's all nice, and gives us hope... BUT, the financial key here is that this whole plan just melts down if you start having states bail on it. How can they afford this program if even ten states nullify the bill and do not pay into the Federal plan?

• What is a takeover of College Loans doing in there?

• We're no longer sleeping. We see and discuss each buyoff of a Representative. We have the audio and video of where all the bodies are buried. Unlike any other time, these facts will have a huge impact on elections. Politicians are not very web-savvy as a group... they haven't gotten messages like NY 23 or Scott Brown election.

They will.

Discuss this on WeSurroundRochester HERE

Here's a good summary of what's going on with Rep. Louise Slaughter and company:

Under the "reconciliation" process that began yesterday afternoon, the
House is supposed to approve the Senate's Christmas Eve bill and then use
"sidecar" amendments to fix the things it doesn't like. Those amendments
would then go to the Senate under rules that would let Democrats pass them
while avoiding the ordinary 60-vote threshold for passing major
legislation. This alone is an abuse of traditional Senate process.

But Nancy Pelosi, fearing she does not have enough votes, commanded New
York Democrat Louise Slaughter, Chair of the House Rules Committee, to
insert what's known as a "self-executing rule," also known as a "hereby
rule." Under this procedural ruse, the House would then vote only once on
the reconciliation corrections, but not on the underlying Senate bill. If
those reconciliation corrections pass, the self-executing rule would say
that the Senate bill is presumptively approved by the House - even without a
formal up-or-down vote on the actual words of the Senate bill. This
two-votes-in-one gambit is a brazen affront to the plain language of the
Constitution, which is intended to require democratic accountability.
Article 1, Section 7 of the Constitution says that in order for a "Bill"
to "become a Law," it "shall have passed the House of Representatives and
the Senate."

If Congress can now decide that the House can vote for one bill and the
Senate can vote for another, and the final result can be some arbitrary
hybrid, then we have abandoned one of Madison's core checks and balances.
If you must resort to tricks like this to pass this unpopular bill, YOU
MUST VOTE NO!!!! 


Here is an article on FoxNews about this.


Thanks to Sil at CNY912 for sharing that!

It's easy to poke fun at the Global Warming crowd who had been (for the most part) shouting that 'Global Warming = Less Snow'... as evidenced by this quote by activist Robert Kennedy HERE) now that we've had record cold temps and snowfall this year.

Of course, careful GW Skeptics always point out that one event, or even one year doesn't make a trend.

Now the GW party line is that the larger snow is of course exactly PROOF OF Global Warming.... warmer air, makes a greater uptake of water, makes more snow.... Let's think this one through.

Pretty much any weather of any kind = Global Warming if you get $$ to keep researching by saying that.

Same thing with the Hurricanes after Katrina.... they were Global Warming induced... the end is nigh. It's been pretty calm in years since, and historically we know hurricanes ebb and flow, but that sort of sane, balance view doesn't get you grants, or sell windmills.

OK, so the point.

IF Global Warming were causing more water uptake and more snow... and we have an undisputed DROP of global temps for the past 11 or so years, wouldn't the snowfall have PEAKED 11 YEARS AGO and have been falling ever since.

And just how much more snow would one expect from a .75 degree raise in global temperature over 100 years?

Enjoy the snow. Take your kids out and build a fort. Have a good snow-day off of school with them. Then come inside and warm up next to the carbon-based fuel of your choice and relax. It's gonna be all right.

Once upon a time I was invited to the White House for a private dinner with the President. I am a respected businessman, with a factory that produces memory chips for computers and portable electronics. There was some talk that my industry was being scrutinized by the administration, but I paid it no mind. I live in a free country. There's nothing that the government can do to me if I haven't broken any laws. My wealth was earned honestly and an invitation to dinner with an American President is an honor.

I checked my coat, was greeted by the Chief of Staff, and joined the President in a yellow dining room. We sat across from each other at a table draped in white linen. The Great Seal was embossed on the China . Uniformed staff served our dinner.

The meal was served and I was startled when my waiter suddenly reached out, plucked a dinner roll off my plate and began nibbling it as he walked back to the kitchen.

"Sorry about that," said the President. "Andrew is very hungry."

Being upset, I began: "I don't appreciate.. ......." but as I looked into the calm brown eyes across from me, I felt immediately guilty and petty. After all, it was just a dinner roll.
"Of course," I concluded and reached for my glass..

However, before I could take a hold of the glass another waiter took the glass away and swallowed the wine in a single gulp.

"And his brother, Eric, is very thirsty." said the President.

I didn't say anything. The President is testing my compassion, I thought.. I withheld my comments and decided to play along. I don't want to seem unkind..

My plate was whisked away before I had time to lift my fork.

And, the President said; "Eric's children are also quite hungry."

With a lurch, I crashed to the floor. My chair had been pulled out from under me.
I stood, brushing myself off angrily and watched as my chair was carried from the room.

"And their grandmother can't stand for long", said the President.

I excused myself, smiling outwardly, but inside feeling like a fool. Obviously I had been invited to the White House to be sport for some game. I reached for my coat to find it
too had been taken.

I turned back to the President as he said, "Their grandfather doesn't like the cold."

I wanted to shout, "that was my coat! " But again, I looked at the placid smiling face of my host and decided I was being a poor sport. I spread my hands helplessly and chuckled.

Then I felt my hip pocket and realized my wallet was gone. I excused myself and walked to a phone on an elegant side table. It wasn't long before I learned my credit cards had been maxed out, my bank accounts emptied, my retirement and equity portfolios had vanished and my wife had been thrown out of our home. Apparently, the waiters and their families were moving in.

The President hadn't moved or spoken as I learned all this, but finally I lowered the phone into its cradle and turned to face him.

"Andrew's whole family has made bad financial decisions. They haven't planned for retirement and they need a house.. They recently defaulted on a sub prime mortgage. I told them they could have your home. They need it more than you do."

My hands were shaking. I felt faint. I stumbled back to the table and knelt on the floor.

The President cheerfully cut his meat, ate his steak, and drank his wine. I lowered my eyes and stared at the small gray circles on the tablecloth that were water drops.

"By the way," he added, "I have just signed an executive order nationalizing your factories. I'm firing you as head of your business. I'll be operating the firm now for the benefit of all mankind. There's a whole bunch of Eric's and Andrews out there and they can't come to you for jobs groveling like beggars."

I looked up. The President dropped his spoon into the empty ramekin which had been his creme brulee. He drained the last drops of his wine. As the table was cleared the President leaned back in his chair and stared at me. I clung to the edge of the table as if it were a ledge and I were a man hanging over an abyss. I thought of the years behind me, of the life I had lived, the life I had earned with a lifetime of work, risk and struggle.

Why was I punished? How had I allowed it to be taken? What game had I played and lost? I looked across the table and noticed with some surprise that there was no game board between us.

What had I done wrong?

As if answering the unspoken thought, the President suddenly cocked his head, locked his empty eyes to mine and bared his million dollar smile chuckling wryly as he folded his hand and saying;

"You should have stopped me at the dinner roll," he said.


WAKE UP AMERICA !!!

One American's response to Speaker Pelosi's charge that the citizens at the Town Halls and Tea Parties are "not really a grass-roots movement. It's AstroTurf by some of the wealthiest people in America to keep the focus on tax cuts for the rich instead of for the great middle class." In plain terms, who we are and who we are not.

Opinion: A Grassroots View of the Tea Party Roy Nix

Special to AOL News (Feb. 21) -- Ever since the first Tea Party protest happened just over a year ago, the movement and its participants have endured any number of insults -- they're extremists, racists, etc. My favorite, though, was House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who dismissed the entire phenomenon last year by saying that "it's not really a grass-roots movement. It's AstroTurf by some of the wealthiest people in America to keep the focus on tax cuts for the rich instead of for the great middle class."

I haven't participated in any Tea Party events, but I am sympathetic to their cause. And if I had the opportunity to respond to Pelosi, here's what I would say:

Madam Speaker, it isn't the Tea Party that's AstroTurf, but both political parties in Washington.

Think about it. Unlike the Democrat and the Republican parties -- which listen to the chattering class inside the Beltway to determine what the people supposedly want -- the Tea Party movement is made up of real American citizens in real American neighborhoods with real American lives. They don't eat, drink and sleep politics 24/7/365 as you do. They actually do know what they want.

The Tea Party movement consists of those poor dumb bastards who get up every morning and go to a real American job to earn real American money to pay their real American bills and raise their real American kids. They pay taxes that you waste on things they neither desire nor need. They worship each week and take their kids to school and to soccer, football, baseball, dancing lessons or wherever their kids need to go.

They are white, black, brown and yellow, and they get along fine as long as you are not stirring them up to get their vote.

They don't dream of power, and they don't dream of telling their neighbors how to worship, how to spend their money, what kind of car to buy, what kind of food to eat and how to save the environment. They expect their neighbors to decide all of those things for their own families.

They don't want big government, they don't want socialistic policies and they don't want to spend more money for things they don't need. They don't see Washington as Robin Hood, robbing the rich to help the poor, but as the Sheriff of Nottingham -- taking their tax money and giving it to big business while we starve.

They don't want to have to march in the streets, and they don't want to be "activists" in politics because they have lives to live.

They don't hate immigrants, but they don't like lawbreakers who come here illegally. They don't mind helping people, but they are out of money and want to help those closest to home first until their bills are paid off.

These real Americans vote for politicians who promise to let them live this way. But then they wake up to find that these same politicians ignore them once the election is over. And then they're told how stupid or uninformed they are when they tell their representatives how they should vote.

These lawmakers have forgotten what "representative" means, and they end up in Washington doing what their party tells them to do, rather than what their constituents tell them to do. That's the real AstroTurf. And that's what's motivating so many who've joined the Tea Party movement.

The Tea Party is sending a genuine grass-roots message to both Democrats and Republicans. And they'd better listen up and learn fast.

Roy Nix is a golf professional and club fitting professional in Columbus, Ga.

You can follow this discussion from John and Donna A. at WeSurroundRochester.com

If you missed Glenn's CPAC speech last night, you missed classic Glenn presented to the masses. No, he didn't cry... though at the very end he was either channeling Rudolph or fighting back tears. (I didn't last that long. I'm so proud of that man... so sue me.) Easily the most talked about aspect in the blogosphere was his rendition of the Statue of Liberty poem, "The New Colossus" delivered as it should be. (If you only have 3 minutes, scroll to the last video to see it.)

See the speech, in 6 - 9 minute chunks, on the message board HERE.

Thanks to Paul for finding and posting this on WSRochester... titled 'My New Hero', he loves the way that NJ's new governor is focusing on changing his state's fiscal problems.

What if we heard this kind of solid action being discussed in NY, not just a trial baloon, wishy-washy 'Were gonna freeze some thing maybe' talk??!

Check out the video of Governor Chris Christy on CNBC (click 'read more' if you don't see it):




Discuss this on WeSurroundRochester HERE.

This letter to the editor (below) was in the paper this morning. The author either has a misinformed view or is outright being nasty for a reason. That reason is some people would much rather belittle an organization or a group of people to achieve an ends. The author doesn't mention one principle or fact that supports his statements. I know i plan on responding with a letter to the editor that pulls apart the authors statement. I suggest that if you have some time to do the same. I have noticed that the D&C has been somewhat fair with its representative views in the letters to the editor section. They are pragmatic. If they feel that the majority of readers are are conservative or libertarian, they will begin to print more conservative / libertarian letters. In the last 3 months they have printed 2 of the 3 letters that i sent in.
Matt T

Why I appreciate Tea Party activism
Last week, Tennessee gave welcome to hundreds of Tea Party activists, and an army of media reporters. We all love this Fox News, grass-roots organization of conservative, white Americans, because nothing supports social progress better than putting a face on its antithesis. Tea Party members are understandably angry and confused that their way of life is becoming uncomfortable. They long for a more uninformed time in America, when the world was only as complex as your immediate neighborhood; as far as you need or want to know. Adults call that time childhood. We all miss it. So let's appreciate the tea partiers for what they do in spite of their vague intentions, and hope that half-term Gov. Sarah Palin continues sharing her simple, folksy wisdom with Facebook comments and incoherent interviews. It's exactly what we need.

—JOHN CLARE
ROCHESTER

Most of us have pondered what event(s) would trigger the 'Great Depression II' but few know just how many ways we're vulnerable. The Wall Street Journal covers the topic in clear and disturbing terms. The article could be used as a checklist to discover where one might concentrate on strengthening their own personal circumstances. After reading the article, follow the discussion HERE at www.WeSurroundRochester.com

Wall Street Journal / Market Watch

by Paul B. Farrell

Commentary: Which trigger will ignite the Great Depression II?

Excerpt from full article here

Poll: 20 economic weapons of mass destruction triggering ticking Global Debt Time Bomb
1. Federal Budget Deficit Bomb. The Bush/Cheney wars pushed America deep into a debt hole. Federal debt limit was just raised almost 100% with Obama's 2010 budget, to $14.3 trillion vs. $7.8 trillion in 2005. The Congressional Budget Office predicts future deficits around 4% through 2020. Get it? America's debt at 84% of GDP will soon pass that toxic 90% trigger point.

2. U.S. Foreign Trade Bomb. Monthly deficits actually dropped from $50 billion per month to roughly $35 billion. But the total continues climbing as $400 billion is added each year. Foreigners now own $2.5 trillion of America, with China holding over $1.3 trillion in Treasury debt.

3. Weakening U.S. Dollar as Foreign Reserve Currency Bomb. Fear China and other currencies will replace dollar as main foreign reserves. The dollar's fallen: The main index measuring dollar strength has gone from 120 at the Clinton-to-Bush handoff to below 80 today.

4. Cheap Money Bomb: Credit Ratings Down, Rates Up. Economists at S&P, Fitch and Moody's were totally co-conspirators of Fat Cat Bankers, misleading investors before meltdown: Soon, debt up, ratings down, interest rates soar.

5. Global Real Estate Bomb. Dubai Tower, new "world's tallest building" is empty. BusinessWeek warns that China's housing collapse could be worse than America's. Plus the U.S. commercial real estate bubble is now $1.7 trillion, a "ticking time bomb" bloating 25% of bank balance sheets.

6. Peak Oil and the Population Bomb. China and India each need 500 new cities. The United Nations estimates world population exploding 50% from 6 billion to 9 billion by 2050: Three billion more humans demanding more automobiles, exhausting more resources to feed their version of the gas-guzzling "America Dream."

7. Social Security Bomb. We have no choice; eventually we must either cut benefits or raise taxes. Politicians hate both, so they'll do nothing. Delays worsen solutions. Without action, by 2035 Social Security and Medicare benefits will eat up the entire federal budget other than defense.

8. Medicare: A Nuclear Bomb. Going broke faster than Social Security. Prescription drug benefit added an unfunded $8.1 trillion. In 5 years estimates rose from about $35 trillion to over $60 trillion now.

9. Health-care Insurance Bomb. Burden increasingly shifted to employees. Costs rising faster than inflation. Recent Obamacare plan would have cost $90 billion annually, paid to Big Pharma and insurers.

10. State and Local Government Budget Bombs. Deficits of $110 billion in 2010, $178 billion in 2011on top of more that $450 billion in underfunded state and municipal employee pension funds.

11. Underfunded Corporate Pensions Bomb. From $60 billion surplus in 2007 to $409 billion deficit in 2009. And a whopping 92% of the pension plans of companies are now underfunded. Defaults are guaranteed by taxpayers.

12. Consumer Debt Bomb. Americans are still living beyond their means. Even with a downturn, consumer debt rose from about $2.3 to $2.5 trillion. Fat Cat Bankers love it -- yes love making matters worse by gouging cardholders and mortgagees, blocking help in foreclosures and bankruptcies.

13. Personal Savings Bomb. Before the 2008 meltdown savings rate dropped from about 10% in the early 1980s to below zero. Now it's increasing, slowing retail recovery. Today, government's the big "unsaver."

14. War and Military Defense Deficits. Costs of Iraq and Afghanistan wars -- $200+ billion annually, $3 trillion minimum, with massive long-term costs for veteran medical care, equipment renewal, recruitment.

15. Homeland Insecurity Bomb. Security at airports, seaports, borders, vulnerable chemical plants all increase budgets.

16. Fed/Treasury Bailout Bombs. Tax credits, loans, cash and purchase of toxic assets from Wall Street banks estimated at $23.7 trillion as new debt was shifted from too-big-to-fail Fat-Cat banks to taxpayers.

17. Insatiable Washington Lobbyists Bombs. Paulson, Goldman, Geithner, Morgan and Wall Street banks, through their lobbyists and former employees working inside now have absolute power over government spending. Democracy and voters are now irrelevant in America's new corporate-socialism.

18. Shadow Banking: The Derivatives Bomb. Wall Street wants no regulation of this $670 trillion, high-risk, out-of-control casino that's highly leveraged versus the $50 trillion total GDP of all nations. We forget that derivatives almost destroyed global economies in 2008-09, finally will by 2012.

19. Dysfunctional Two-Party Political Bomb. Polarized partisanship increasing: Every day both parties show zero interest in cooperating for the public good. Instead they fight viciously, resisting everything and anything proposed by opponents. Only goal: Score political points, make the other side look bad.

20. The Coming Populous Rebellion Bombs. Nobody trusts anyone in authority. For good reason. So immediate gratification, short-term betting and a lack of long-term perspective wins for individual investors, consumers and taxpayers as well as Washington, Wall Street and Corporate America CEOs. Today: "Doing what's right for the common good and country" is just empty political rhetoric.

Forbes. The Economist. Davos-World Economic Forum. Bloomberg BusinessWeek. All one voice, one loud, lonely chorus echoing that famous Beatles tune: "Head in a cloud ... The fool on the hill, sees the sun going down ... a thousand voices talking perfectly loud. But nobody ever hears him, or the sound he appears to make ... And the eyes in his head, see the world spinning 'round ...ooh, round and round and round."

Historians and behavioral economists tell us most investors are blind optimists. Investors cannot see bubbles from inside their bubble. Nor Fat Cat Bankers from inside their mega-bonus-bubble. Nor politicians from inside the beltway bubble.

Why? The optimist's brain filters out bad news. They know their dreams of prosperity will come true. Then, when they finally do see that the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel is an oncoming train, it's always too late.
I will say it again, gently: A new meltdown is coming. The Great Depression II is coming, soon. And yet, I know your mental filters are working, blocking warnings of a bomb. I can even hear you calling me "the fool on the hill who sees the sun going down, the world spinning round" ... sees you kissing your retirement goodbye

This practical 5 step guide to writing effective letters to the editor is offered by member Sue S. A well-written letter is an effective way to get our message out to the the larger community.

WRITING A LETTER TO THE EDITOR:

Step 1

Decide why you are writing a letter to the editor. Letters to the editor serve a specific purpose. Sometimes they are to correct a previously published error. More often they are to express an opinion about an issue recently in the news. Sometimes they debate an opinion letter previously published by the publication.

Keep a copy of news articles or previous letters to the editor you are responding to handy while you are writing your letter. You will want to refer to them for accuracy if you quote anything previously published to be certain it is an exact quote. Research any facts or statistics you plan to use to support your opinion or argument. The more factual your letter, the stronger it will be in making your point and possibly even convincing others that you are correct.

Step 2

Write yourself some notes to follow as a guideline for your letter. List all the important points you want to make in your letter. Jot down the appropriate facts or statistics you will use to support each point next to the appropriate item.

Step 3

Focus your letter on an issue, not a person or business. Express your opinion about that issue, making reference to relevant people or businesses only as needed to clarify the issue specifically or to avoid reader confusion about what you are saying.

Step 4

Begin your letter by clearly stating your opinion and to what you are responding. Use subsequent paragraphs to make individual points that support the opinion you expressed in paragraph one. Incorporate facts that demonstrate your opinion is well founded, accurate and logical

Maintain a professional tone throughout your letter. You want to come across to readers as a reasonable, articulate individual with a valid opinion and solid facts to back up that opinion so that they will agree with you. You do not want to be perceived as radical, liberal, crazy, foolish, inconsiderate, unintelligent or uninformed or any of dozens of other labels that might be applied to a writer who rambles, uses his letter as a personal attack or vendetta, or otherwise writes a letter to achieve his own personal agenda.

Step 5

Keep your letter short and to the point. Use only as many paragraphs as required to clearly express and support your opinion. When you've achieved that goal, your letter should be complete. Check your notes to be sure you've included all of your relevant points and supporting facts.

Close with thanks to the editor, a short summary of your opinion or thanks to others who may be the subject of your opinion letter. Type or print your name a few lines below the close of your letter. Include your address, telephone number, email and other applicable contact information below your name.

Proofread your letter for accuracy, typos, spelling errors or other mistakes. Make any necessary changes before finalizing your letter. Make a copy of the letter for your records.

The full discussion is HERE at WeSurroundRochester.com

I think we should flag info like this as very powerful to sway the 'average voter' in November.

Jared at 912.US posted this CBS investigation into how much money Washington spend on going to the failed global warming talks in Copenhagen.

Full info HERE and a great, short read.

Here's a key part:

Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., is a key climate change player. He went to Copenhagen last year. Last week, we asked him about the $2,200-a-day bill for room and food.

"I can't believe that," Rep. Waxman said. "I can't believe it, but I don't know."

But his name is in black and white in the expense reports. The group expense report was filed by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. She wouldn't talk about it when our producer tried to ask.

Pelosi's office did offer an explanation for the high room charges. Those who stayed just two nights were charged a six-night minimum at the five-star Marriott. One staffer said, they strongly objected to no avail. You may ask how they'll negotiate a climate treaty, if they can't get a better deal on hotel rooms.

Total hotel, meeting rooms and "a couple" of $1,000-a-night hospitality suites topped $400,000.

Flights weren't cheap, either. Fifty-nine House and Senate staff flew commercial during the Copenhagen rush. They paid government rates -- $5-10,000 each -- totaling $408,064. Add three military jets -- $168,351 just for flight time -- and the bill tops $1.1 million dollars -- not including all the Obama administration officials who attended: well over 60.

In fairness, many attendees told us they did a lot of hard work, and the laid groundwork for a future global treaty.

"I was there because I thought it was important for me to be there," Rep. Waxman said. "I didn't look at it as a pleasure trip."

Man, this is frankly the shot heard round the world for 2010... from MA again. Short clip from the debate for who'll now legitimately claim the Senate seat (Remember they twice changed how a replacement Senator was chosen to suit the big political parties). In such a short statement, sums up the old thinking about political reps and the new 'Liberty' mindset. 




Discuss this HERE on WeSurroundRochester.com

We'll be talking about taking better photos and video at this month's meeting (Tomorrow, Saturday 1/9/10 at 4pm)... and here's a very quick example of getting the photos out of your camera and onto the web easily, via a blog (like the WSRDistilled one here!) and the Flickr photo sharing site.

The whole point of our talk wasn't to start a 'photo club'... but for everyone to realize that each of us will be in situations this year that could provide amazing, powerful, photos. We will be documenting history, and by moving those photos off our your computer and onto the 'net at public sharing sites, and by taking better photos, you'll be impacting thousands of people, not just a few friends. You know for yourself the power of some of the images you have seen from 912Project events around the country and the DC912 March. Now it's your turn to add to that with your great photo moments.

Here are the photos I took as examples during my photo talk... these are NOT beautiful photos (Since I was doing the talk, I didn't want to drag my big camera to the meeting)... the point is how easily the photos were shared.



You saw me take the photos, they went straight up to Flickr wirelessly from the camera via the restaurant's WiFi Hot Spot.

I went to one of the photo adjusting sites I told you about (Picnik.com) and adjusted some simple things on the shots like making the color warmer, red eye fix on one shot (you're welcome Valerie!), and the like.... and then just grabbed the 'embed' code from Flickr's slide show and there it is all done... about 15 minutes of my time... and all pretty much free.


Here's what I said about what we can do to better use the photos and video we take... If I get a sec, I'll record the presentation and put it up on YouTube as well.

Facebook.com:
• Connecting with friends
• Meeting like-minded folks
• Advocate Groups like 10th Am Ctr.
• Letting friends see what you believe in
• Showing that ‘We Surround Them’... there are more of us 'normal folks, conservatives' than anyone guesses

Twitter.com:
• Instant News (Twitter was *the only* source of info during Glenn Beck's talk at 'The Villiages'
• Short is very sweet
• Broadcast to everyone
• Receive from your chosen sources

Flickr.com:
• Photo Sharing
• Little for free, inexpensive for unlimited (you have to pay some for unlimited photos monthly)
• Getting Photos OUT is great... so use the photos you put on Flickr very easily in a slide show on a Blog...Like you are seeing right here!

YouTube.com:
• Universal... Everyone looks there (works on all computers and the iPhone)
• Multiple ways to upload (from their web site, from programs on your computer)
• Quality isn’t the best, but improving... use the HQ button when viewing videos that have it
• Sharing, embedding very easy (you can copy the 'embed' code and past it into many web sites, like this one!)


More geeky extra stuff:

Slide Show Creation:

Slide.com

Animoto.com

One True Media

Better Quality than YouTube:
Vimeo.com

Live events:
Stickam.com (we have an account and can actually stream live video events to the 'net)

A few last thoughts:

Editing:
Photoshop Elements $50 ad all you'll ever need... iPhoto comes free on every Mac and is great

Picasa (Google)

Picnik.com

Start with good material
a $40 camera better than a phone cam usually... use Ron's tips to take better photos to start with

Look at good photos, videos, web sites

National class stuff can be seen  HERE on Flickr and always changing

You can even search for terms like 912Project on Flickr and see what other groups are posting... like  HERE as a slideshow






Another example with nicer photos:
Photos from our Global Warming Education Event... which included the movie premier of the documentary 'Not Evil, Just Wrong' and a talk by Meteorologist (and Global Warming sceptic) Kevin Williams.

(editing note... title changed to be more accurate... the *bomber* wasn't in Gitmo, just the bombing planners)


This is totally ridiculous. WE are letting these murderers go and then when their plots fail reading them their rights. We had 'em and let 'em go. THIS HAS TO STOP!


Two al Qaeda Leaders Behind Northwest Flight 253 Terror Plot Were Released by U.S.
Former Guantanamo Prisoners Believed Behind Northwest Airlines Bomb Plot; Sent to Saudi Arabia in 2007


From ABCNews.com




By BRIAN ROSS, JOSEPH RHEE and REHAB EL-BURI
Dec. 28, 2009 —

Two of the four leaders allegedly behind the al Qaeda plot to blow up a Northwest Airlines passenger jet over Detroit were released by the U.S. from the Guantanamo prison in November, 2007, according to American officials and Department of Defense documents. Al Qaeda claimed responsibility for the Northwest bombing in a Monday statement that vowed more attacks on Americans.

American officials agreed to send the two terrorists from Guantanamo to Saudi Arabia where they entered into an "art therapy rehabilitation program" and were set free, according to U.S. and Saudi officials.

Guantanamo prisoner #333, Muhamad Attik al-Harbi, and prisoner #372, Said Ali Shari, were sent to Saudi Arabia on Nov. 9, 2007, according to the Defense Department log of detainees who were released from American custody. Al-Harbi has since changed his name to Muhamad al-Awfi.

Both Saudi nationals have since emerged in leadership roles in Yemen, according to U.S. officials and the men's own statements on al Qaeda propaganda tapes.

Both of the former Guantanamo detainees are described as military commanders and appear on a January, 2009 video along with the man described as the top leader of al Qaeda in Yemen, Abu Basir Naser al-Wahishi, formerly Osama bin Laden's personal secretary.

In its Monday statement claiming responsibility for the Northwest bombing, Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula called bombing suspect Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab a "hero" and a "martyr" and lauded him for beating U.S. intelligence.

The two-page written claim included a photo of Abdulmutallab and boasted of Al Qaeda's success in designing "advanced explosive packages" that can pass through airport screening undetected.

The statement also asks for attacks upon Americans in the Arabian peninsula, and promises further attacks on the American people.

Abdulmutallab: Northwest Airlines Bomb Suspect

The suspected bomber, 23-year-old Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, told FBI agents he was trained for his Christmas Day mission in Yemen by top leaders of al Qaeda who provided him with the explosive materials.

"The so-called rehabilitation programs are a joke," a U.S. diplomat said in describing the Saudi efforts with released Guantanamo detainees.

Saudi officials concede its program has had its "failures" but insist that, overall, the effort has helped return potential terrorists to a meaningful life.

One program gives the former detainees paints and crayons as part of the rehabilitation regimen.

A similar rehabilitation program in Yemen was stopped because so many of the detainees quickly joined with al Qaeda or its affiliates, the official said.

The increased role of al Qaeda in Yemen, which joined with the Saudi al Qaeda unit, has underscored the problem of how to best handle the repatriation of detainees at Guantanamo.

Copyright © 2009 ABC News Internet Ventures


Thanks to Paul for posting this... discuss it HERE on WeSurroundRochester.com