Sanity in Washington! Martha, get the gun!

God, this woman gives me shivers. I've never read about such a brilliant person, outside of fiction, in my life. Jesus, she should be President!

Elizabeth Warren is the only voice of sanity and reason in Washington today. No DCspeak, no doublethink or dancing around the issue, she puts it right down in plain fucking English. She met with the Financial Services Roundtable, a trade lobby representing banks like JPMorgan Chase and Bank of America, for a luncheon on Wednesday.

The first major speech since her appointment as Assistant to the President and Special Advisor to Treasury, she picks a hostile environment. Right out of the gate she leaps into the lion's den!

Firedoglake's David Dayen plays it out for us in a post today.

She offered a vision of an agency that would not only write new rules for the entire industry, but consolidate and even eliminate existing ones. But instead of an approach based on individual rules (though she vowed to prohibit unfair practices and increase disclosure to the consumer), Warren highlighted an approach based on principles, a vision for how financial services regulation should work. This principles-based approach is actually something the Financial Services Roundtable proposed back in 2007, though I doubt they envision it the same way as Warren.

Here’s how she described it. “Instead of creating a regulatory thicket of ‘thou shalt nots,’” she said, “and instead of using ever more complex disclosures that drive up costs for lenders and provide little help for consumers, let’s measure our success with simple questions. Your first principle is ‘Fair treatment for consumers.’ I’ll paraphrase your explanation of how to tell if that principle has been met: Can customers understand the product, figure out the costs and risks, and compare products in the marketplace? Regulators should be aiming toward the goals you laid out.”

Warren used the example of a credit card agreement. Customers, she said, “should be able to understand the deal, assess the costs and risks, and compare one card to another.” She valued short agreements with basic, easy-to-understand information contained therein, like the interest rate, the penalty terms and any reward offers, that could be read and comprehended in about four minutes.

Any person who can't see how great this lady is should be cast out on an ice floe.

So Mote It Be,
David A.

Barack Obama has been spooked

Our president is afraid. He's terrified of the Spooks. I'm not talking about haunted houses or grim apparitions that go bump in the night; I'm talking about spies.

Spooks, or undercover agents, are letting our president know in certain terms that their loyalty is dependent on his willingness to keep the lid on any investigation of misdeeds, torture, and unconstitutional activities of the Bush Administration. The intelligence agencies like the CIA, NSA, DIS, etc. are making it very clear that they want this whole investigation of the previous administration placed forever under the rug.

So, why is the president afraid of these goons? The people, by every poll and measure of popular sentiment is firmly behind bringing the rule of law back to Washington DC and prosecuting the people that took America into the dark places. Why is it taking so long to get a real investigation going over the crimes of the Bush Administration? Crimes were committed. We have convictions, we have evidence, we have perpetrators, why don't we have more trials?

When Obama took office, he faced a complex of Capital City brick walls. He was an outsider that was chosen by people who were more than a little pissed off at the conventional wisdom and the insular bubble of Washington DC. He came into power to make change, change that was a definitive threat to that bubble. One of his first tasks was to take on the mantle of law enforcer, seek out the people that took us to war on a pack of lies and who shredded the Constitution for their own nefarious needs. However, he got schooled as soon as he stepped into the Oval Office for the first time.

The Spooks came for him. They were probably waiting in the Oval Office as he walked in. They represented the entire intelligence community. They had but one message: Back off.

Obama's advisers were the first to cave. Obama couldn't govern without the cooperation of the intelligentsia, the Spooks. The last thing you want is to piss off the Spooks, you'll find your stay in the White House shorter than you thought. John Kennedy found that out.

The Blogs and the Independent media have been screaming for investigations of the Bush Cabal. We've been tearing our collective hair out trying to get Obama to commit to starting an investigation of the Bush Crimes. The evidence is out there. You would have to be a complete moron or a Republican to not see it. What is taking so long?

Obama was still being independent when he choose Leon Panetta to head the CIA. Panetta was no Spook. He is a policy wonk, a government insider. He was an Obama man. The Spooks didn't take this too well. They wanted one of their own. They wanted a career man, a person who had a few CIA skeletons in his closet that could be used to keep him 'honest' or in line. They want the status quo.
Basically, they want Obama to keep his hands off the Agency.

Our intelligentsia, the Spooks, have spent the last eight years doing what they do best. They've been fulfilling every Spooks fantasy by interrogating Iraqi prisoners in less than legal ways. They've been listening in on private phone conversations by ordinary people regardless of the constitutionality. They've been making people disappear into foreign countries so that other agencies can have some interrogation fun. Eight years of good times. Seems a shame that it all has to end.

Enter the Obama Administration and Change We Can Believe In. They were waiting for him.

Ever since the inauguration, Obama has been slowly but steadily moving away from initiating any investigation of the Bush Crimes. He has been Spooked.

It's going to take a lot of pressure to get Obama to change his mind. He still uses that old standby "We need to look forward, not backward". He will risk setting himself against the Spooks, something that may be more powerful than popular sentiment.

My question to President Obama is simply: Just who is running this country, We, the People or the Spooks?

So Mote It Be,
David A.

Welcome to Spring!

time to brush out the den

The dark of the year is half over. The time for new growth and new beginnings is coming over the horizon. Spring is here.

Pagans call it Ostara. The time for getting the flocks out to the green fields, of turning out the bedding and the stables from the winter doldrums. It is the time when the lamb and the calf show their scrunchy noses to the world.

For us, the coming of Spring heralds in a great new chance to bring a welcome change to, not only the country, but our own lives. Each of us should be looking at ways to slough off the crap that's grown over our lives through the winter.

Clean your place. Open the windows, let Mom Nature do a bit of freshening to your personal atmosphere. If you live in the city and the air is gritty, go out to the woods a few more times to clear out the lungs.

Clean your bod. Stop eating all that crap. Stay AWAY from fucking McDonald's! That shit's like crack! Make your own food. Eat fresh! Hate vegetables? Learn to love them 'cause they'll keep you from becoming bug food before your time. Walk your fat ass around the block. Get the blood moving through those hardened arteries Ronald McDonald gave you. Play a pickup game of ball with kids younger than you (and hope like hell they know CPR!) You have many more muscles than the one you plop on the dinner table each night. Use 'em or lose 'em!

Clean your head. Stop watching TV! Really, stop the blank stare into the Oblivion that's network entertainment. That shit's as bad for you as a basket of Big Macs washed down with a dozen triple thick chocolate shakes. Give yourself 3 shows a week, or less. TIVO them if you can so you can watch them during slow times or just before bedtime. Use the time you used spend in front of the Idiot Box doing something that adds to your life, not sucking it dry. Try an online course. I recommend the Teaching Company. They have some classes (on sale, otherwise the price is too high) that are teh cool! Enrich your life by volunteering or mentoring. Walk the talk, get out of the fucking house and be the cool liberal we all think you are.

Clean your 'hood. Goes along with the last one. Get involved in your neighborhood. Get to know your neighbors for crying out loud! I lived next door to a couple for three years before I said a single word to them. When I lost my dog, I went over to give them a flyer and started talking. Next thing you know, I have a couple of great friends who are just as liberal as I am! They thought I was a drug dealer (the house I lived in had that reputation before I moved in) Imagine their surprize when they finally met me! I moved out of that house years ago but last month I got a birthday card. Let your neighbors know that you have their back when the shit starts to tumble. During a big storm, my roomie and I got the old chain saw out and cut up some trees up that had fallen across the road. Soon, we had the whole neighborhood out hauling pieces of tree trunk off the road. In no time the road was clear. The county road crew didn't show up for three days. Not everybody will be your bestest buddy but at least you'll know where they all come from; who's got your back and who's a dickhead.

Grow your own! Monkeyfister has the goods on this but I'm still going to put it out one more time. Everyone can grow something, even legally. I live in a small apartment now, with a deck that gets about three to four hours of filtered sunlight from the east. I have three boxes, about 8 square feet of space, to grow my veggies. I'm doing a couple of tomatoes, some herbs and a couple of other veggies that don't need direct sun. I don't think I can get any peppers to grow - damn! I love to grow hot peppers! Regardless, I'm going to get something to grow. If you haven't got the room, find a p-patch that nearby. Got a friend that has space but not the will to do a garden? Strike a deal with them. You help with the funds and the care, they give up a portion of the yard. You split the crop when harvest time comes.

There's a lot of shit going down in the world today. As responsible citizens, it's our duty to do whatever we can to shore up the crumbling foundation of America. Over two decades of Republican bullshit has trashed this nation like a hurricane. Those bastards had a twenty year corporate orgy in our house and left it fucked up and falling apart. Now they're complaining that the roof leaks. Fuck them!

This shit is ours to fix. It needs to be done and done right. No fucking Republican will be around for the recovery but mark my words, they'll be around to take credit for it. That won't happen if we do our part and take stock in it. By being part of the 'boots on the ground' gives you a front row seat to who cares about America and who could give a shit.

So Mote It Be,
David A.

'Tis the Season...

Spring is just burgeoning, the last of the snows are falling away and the bright colors of the early blooms peek out from the winter ground. Thoughts of new growth, of seeds and soil replace the dreary seclusion of the dark cold turn of the year.

The ramblings of everyday life are pushed back as the vibrant green of Spring takes it first steps onto the wasteland of winter's keep. My mind wanders away from the ravaged topics that flood the paper and the TV box and meanders into the colorful pages of possibility, of what could be. The garden, small as it is, will be grand as a forest and as fruitful as an orchard.

Time to grow.

There was a time, not that long ago when I would be preparing to usher in the bright of the year with pomp and ceremony, Mystic pagan rituals, gatherings of high priestesses and druid mages to welcome the Gods and Goddesses to our world once again. Those days are not gone but set aside to allow the immediate, the mundane world to traipse in and foul the air and spoil the ground. There will be a time for magick. Soon.

Labrys, at Walk of the Fallen, has a wonderfully magickal post on a pleasant Heathen morning. It gave me pause to reconsider something that I have neglected for far too long.

I am Pagan. I walk within Gaia's influence, seek knowledge from Her wards and treasure troves. The politics of the last eight years have given rise to the mundane, the mendacity of humanity and its never ending quest to send itself spiraling into history. At first, I fought back as a Pagan, with the tools that I acquired through years of study and meditation. This was not enough. I had to fight the Beast within its own lair, on its home soil.

As a consequence, I fell away from my faith. I walked with the devil and now can only see what the devil has left for me. Until the spring...

Allow me this moment to pull back a bit to a time when I stood in circle and called the corners of the wind. When friends and family would gather and bring forth magick that hadn't been seen in hundreds of years. When the Universe itself would heed our call and cast out the fear and ignorance that had been given life by desperate men playing childish games. A time when fable met fact and the fabric of Nature would conform to our humble request.

Magick rules the Universe. It is the brick and mortar of Creation and the Will of the Gods. It isn't reserved for priests or pastors, mages or wizards; it is reserved for all of us. We use it to bring Life to our life, to set the stage for the next great advance, to herald in a new Age. Magick is the stuff of Dreams.

My Christian friends will not agree and that's how it should be. There should always be dissent, challenges to the status quo. Even something as natural as Pagan Magick should be spurned by the bulk of humanity. Most people have neither the heart nor the soul to chase a Dragon into its lair, but only there is the treasure.

Throughout history, the difficult road kept most of humankind within sight of their own house. We did not tempt fate, did not venture into places we could not run from. Yet in every generation were born those who could not be held captive by ignorance. To them, the horizon was just the first stepping stone, the prize was on the other side of the mountain, just beyond the edge of the world. We see these men and women as pioneers but when they lived, they were outcasts, malcontents who could not be bound by deserts and oceans. They tasted the Magick and wanted more. The established order imprisoned them, burned them, locked them away in lofty towers of stone and fear. Still they came and still they ventured into the unknown. Against the armies of God, they touched the whole world with their magick.

For two thousand years we've been told that only God can be a god. But we are of the same star stuff as any deity, there is no reason why we can't dabble in godhood once in a while. Being a god isn't throwing thunderbolts at your enemies, it's giving your enemies reason to throw them at each other. It isn't bringing a dead lover back to life, it's breathing life into the legacy of that person so all may see the joy of their time on Earth. This is godhood.

The snows of February are dwindling and the blooms of March are breaking ground beneath. We cringe from the cold and the dark of winter and may not notice the dawn of Spring. But the dark of winter is receding and the time has come to climb out of the shadows, shake off the cold and with shovel, soil, and seed, break ground for new growth.

The darkness is as deep and cold as it has ever been, for some there seems no respite, no sign that the light is returning. Despair and anguish have taken root. Perhaps, as a service to one's family and friends, we can help these people with their garden. The first seeds will be the seeds of hope.

So Mote It Be,
Shaman David Aquarius
of Clan Avalon

Sometimes you have to step away

Got a bit of bad news the other day. Wasn't sure how to put this in words without sounding all maudlin and weird. But here it is... one of the good guys is hanging up the keyboard.

Now, I could have gone on his site and left a nice message to him saying how we'll all miss his counsel and all that. That's a given. His words were much larger than mine on subjects I only met in passing. He brought me to bear on things as diverse as peak oil, sustainable gardening and hunting for subsistence. But no, I have to put this here 'cause it's more than a mere comment. It's a statement of honor.

My long time buddy, Monkeyfister is calling it done. He will still be hammering out at Blah3, thankfully but his site has gone on permanent hiatus.

He's got his reasons and has let us in on a few of them. He's mentioned frustration and exasperation with the liberal blogosphere, how sometimes he feels like he's screaming at the wind.

Well, my answer is simply no. The wind may still be blowing but there are quite a few of us who brave it to hear what he has to say. Many times, we get insulated in our quest for substantial effect on this world. We feel that what we do or say doesn't make the waves it should. We get so wrapped up in our work and our words that we fail to see the subtle, quiet waves that we make that erode the shore and change the course of the river. His voice especially. His is a wisdom that comes around only a few times and, unfortunately, can get buried in the din of the nonsense and bullshit of every day life. That's too bad because we need people like Monkeyfister more now than ever.

For years, I floated this blog along like an old penny. Never getting rid of it but not using it to its full potential. I would write a post, knowing that no one would be reading it merely to satisfy my ego. Shortly after the election, I decided to write a bit more. MF happened to click on my link from a comment I had left at his place and he arrived at this humble place in the woods. His words of encouragement were a tonic for me, gave me the confidence to continue to add to and expand on the posts here. For that I will always be grateful.

Monkeyfister has his reasons for doing what he's doing and I'm allowing him the space to accomplish what he needs to do. If he needs my help and I can give it, it's all his. No judgments from me, just thanks for being there when it was needed.

We all have demons that follow us around, hellbent on disrupting everything we work our hardest for. MF is no different in that than I or any of a million other bloggers. He is the best person to deal with those demons, not anyone else. My job, if he needs it, is to be supportive and honest.

Here's to you, shipmate.

So Mote It Be,
David A.

Pain sucks

Had to stay home yesterday. I don't take many days off from work. There was a day when I could go years without missing a day. Not anymore. Seems the years are catching up to us. (and grabbing us from behind, kicking the shit out of us and taking our money)

I have some grief with circulation in my legs. Not to get too graphic but I have to go to the vascular clinic every week to have my legs wrapped up. Not a pleasant experience.

The pain was off the chart yesterday so I stayed home to writhe on the floor, crying like a toddler with a toothache as opposed to doing it at work. I couldn't sit still long enough to post anything or concentrate on the next part of my series on cannabis.

Which brings me to my next point. After talking to my primary care provider (those are doctors, right?) I can get a prescription for medical marijuana. WTF?

You mean, after years of stalking about back alleys, going to some stranger's apartment that reeks of strawberry incense and beer, whose walls are plastered with Judas Priest posters and Mexican blankets; dudes that look like Cheech and Chong's alien love child and pay exorbitant prices for shit that's still wet...now, I can go to a place and buy some Bhab legally without fear of Johnny Law coming down my driveway with a warrant to turn my life inside out?

Good god, Martha, am I in Heaven?

Not quite. Now, the reality...

I can get medical marijuana but only if it comes from a recognized source. The law is kinda iffy about getting it from 'other than official' sources. That said, there are no official sources. There are cannabis clubs but they are miles away and I can't drive too much any more.

I haven't been a customer of the ghanj in a long time. This is new territory for me. The other impediment is my employer. You see, in the liberal world I live in, if the state says its OK for me to smoke pot for my pain, then my employer will just go along with it.

Yeah... right.

I work for a large international corporation that has every new employee pee in a cup upon hiring. They frown on people coming to work with the munchies and smelling like bong water. Regardless of what the State of Washington said about my ability to use cannabis for medical purposes, federally I would still be breaking the law. And that law would be the one my employer would follow.

Simply put, if I use my prescription and start smoking pot; I look for another job.

This is the conundrum of medical marijuana. As long as the federal government has cannabis listed as Schedule 1, meaning there is NO medical benefit from the drug, there will always be a solid legal foundation for anyone fired or dismissed for using it.

So, I have my prescription but can't use it. I am in pain and can't find relief short of nasty opiates and pain killers that would make me dependant or worse. (Visions of Rush Limpballs come to mind - 'shudder')

Today, I'm not so bad. We'll take it day to day and hope for the best. In the meantime, I'll keep pounding the hammer on changing the laws to allow folks like me to, not only get the medicine they need, but get the legal right to do so without fear of reprisal.

Addendum: Heartfelt thanks to Grandpa Eddie and Liberality for their words of support. I'm not one to put my aches and pains on the Toobs for all to see, but I felt that a point needed to be made about the shortcomings of the medical marijuana laws.

I'm not as bad as some folks who really need this law changed and its for them that I do this work. I was a recreational user for years and would be again if circumstances were different. I feel that makes my marijuana needs secondary to those of folks who really need the herb for relief.

Addendum 2: Thanks One Fly, you bring up a point I neglected to make very clear. I am old school in that you show up to work at the best you can be. If you're too sick to work, stay home. I hope I didn't give the impression I would be quaffing the ghanj while working... no, no, and fuck no. But One Fly made a point in that even if I'm completely sober while at work, I still would test positive on the Whiz Quiz. For whatever reason my employer wanted to request a test, I would fail due to prescribed use even if only at home. On a federal level, being only a state prescribed drug doesn't offer any protection against dismissal. If I were hurt at work through no fault of my own and I were tested for pot, I could be denied benefits due through employer-based workman's comp.

So Mote It Be,
David A.

State of the Union Speech... kinda...almost

Last night, while I toiled in the proverbial coal mine, Pres. Obama delivered his State of the Union speech that wasn't really a State of the Union speech 'cause it's February and he hasn't been president for a whole year yet and the tradition says it's in January.... aw, fuck it! He gave a damn good speech!

President Obama laid it out raw and made America stand up and take notice. He didn't mince words, he was as specific as he could be in this arena. He spoke to America like adults. We haven't had that kind of respect from a sitting president since The Big Dog left in 2000.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Now, about the Republican response...

What the fuck was that? Did I just see what I thought I saw? Booby Jindal, governor of Louisiana, just came on my monitor and puked all over my desk. What a fucking moron. Even the zipper strokers at Fox News saw this speech as the train wreck it was.

I'm with Rachel Maddow here. "Wha?"

Then this boob gets to the line about wasting money on volcano monitoring. Whoa, folks. Stop the bus! This shit is getting close to home here. My thoughts to Gov. Booby.

Speaking as someone who probably has about a pound and a half of Mt. St. Helens finest ash still in his lungs from THREE eruptions in 1980, I can unequivocally say: Fuck You, Bobby Jindal and the gilded horse you rode in on!

So, you don't think volcano monitoring is important.

Tell that to the people of Orting, WA who stage volcano drills every year in case Mt. Rainier decides to blow. Then, saunter out to the Tacoma tideflats where the dirt you'd be standing on came from within the mountain just a few thousand years ago.

That's called lahar, Gov. It's a pyroclastic mudslide that sweeps over an area at breakneck speeds (100mph) and can be as hot as 500°F. Let them eat mud, eh Gov?

If a repeat of the last lahar were to happen now, there would be at least 500,000 to a million people at risk of being parboiled in volcanic soup. Unless they are warned.

So, Governor Jindal of Louisiana, home of New Orleans and the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, take a long hard look at our president and see what real leadership is. Then, take both hands, reach around and grab hold of your worthless ass and haul it the fuck out of the way. You and your GOP cohorts are nothing but potholes on the road to recovery.

Portions of this post first appeared as a comment at Hoffmania. Gotta love the Hoff!

So Mote It Be,
David A.

Legacy, My Ass

We have a lot on our plate right now. The Economic Stimulus package is getting its day in the spotlight because we have to get it in place right NOW. But there will come a time in the next few weeks when a nagging question will need to be answered.

What will happen to the criminals that just left office? We know they're criminals because they've admitted their crimes on network TV. I believe they are actually proud of their larceny and torture. Just watch to what Darth Cheney had to say on it.

Well, I have something to say too. But I'm going to let a friend of mine tell it. Sadly, he's no longer with us. But Jim, if you're watching from above, this one's for you.
(video compiled by jizman71)



Jim Hinde, Seattle Busker extraordinaire.

Rest In Peace, good sir.

So Mote It Be,
David A.

A Tonic

In November, we won a battle. It had been a long time since we had one of those. But the war rages on. We have the upper hand for now, but the fight isn't over.

Our enemies were not defeated. They only suffered a set back. They will do as we did in 2000 and 2004, step back and regroup. But we can look back at their successes in 2000 and 2004 and see how they came to lose what seemed for a long time, an insurmountable lead.

The country is in a tailspin and we need someone who can pull us out of it in a big freaking hurry. We need a political equivalent of Captain Sullenberger to take the stick and bring us in safely.

We the people, on the other hand, need to take care of our own houses. We can't sit in the La-Z-Boy at home crying over our lost wages, tuning into Lost or Desperate Housewives, while our lives swirl down the shitter. We have to do our part to salvage the legacy our parents and grandparents left for us.

Here are a few of the things we can do:

1. Turn off the TV - Jesus Fucking Christ, this idiot box will be the death of us all. It is only a single form of entertainment, not a replacement for using your brain. If you 're hooked and still need that boob tube fix, here's what you do. Pick your five favorite shows and watch them, TIVO them or whatever. Pick a good time, like 7:30 on Mondays, Wednesday, and Thursday. Watch no more than an hour at a time. Only an hour, two if it's a movie. Make two of your five shows educational (No, Fox News does not qualify) Something from Discovery or the History Channel. If you can't find 5 shows, make it 3 or 2 but not more than five. Be strong, there are other things to do.

2. Do Something Creative - Hobbies, home projects, gardening, anything that involves working with your brain and your hands. For example, I do leather work and I like to garden. When the season is upon us, I will start a small container box garden on the deck of my apartment. The challenge will be to select the right plants for the conditions. Just cruise through my links and you'll find a few folks who'll be more than willing to give you a head start. Here, here, and here for starters. Ask and you will receive. As for leather work, I have to fix the sewing machine so that one is on hiatus. Hand sewing leather bags is hard on the digits. Let me know in the comments what hobbies or activities interest you with links.

3. Get Serious - No shit here. This isn't tin hat conspiracy theory bullshit. Plan for the worst. My friend, Monkeyfister, has lots of ideas and suggestions for becoming self sufficient. The best advise is to get involved in activities that will sustain you and your family through rough weather if it comes right down to it. Stockpile non-perishable food, medicine, drinkable water, simple appliances that do not need external power. If you are qualified and responsible, you may want a firearm. Protecting your family is the idea here if the bottom falls out of the country's political structure. This also works as a hedge against natural disasters. Growing your own food will be a godsend in this case.

4. Get Active - Don't sit on your fucking hands! Let your worthless leaders know how you feel. Call them on the phone. Write them a letter. If you send an email, back it up with a snail mail. Get your neighbors involved too. Join a Meet-up in your area. Connect with people in your city that feel as passionate about this shit as you do. Hold our congress critters' feet to the fire on the Stimulus Bill and any add-ons that come later. The crap that went on the last eight years would not have happened if people had paid attention. Don't rely on the traditional media for your news. Get it from other sources. Compare the stories. Search the Web. Be informed.


There are other things to do. If I missed an important one, let me know and I'll add it to the list. The reality of it is simply that We, the People, need to get off our lazy asses and start being Americans again. My ancestors didn't stop working in the woods to watch Oprah, they didn't whine and snivel about hangnails and boo-boos so they could stay home from work. Shit, most of our ancestors didn't even have weekends. They certainly didn't have vacations. They worked until they died so that their kids could go to school and live a life that was better than theirs. Are we made of the same stuff? Can we be as strong and dedicated as our great grandparents were?

The Boomers are an 'entitlement' generation. They feel that success is their by reason of entitlement. They need not work for it, it must be given up by the previous generation. The work ethic suffered a great injustice. Luckily, it wasn't killed outright. There are those who never really got out of the hole financially. They still worked the farms, in the factories or in the woods hard as before. They never got the good government grants or the great retirement plans. They had to work just as hard as their fore bearers did. Many of us come from those folks.

So there it is. Deal with it. Right now, the Republican Party is doing everything in its power to derail the Stimulus Package for no other reason than it gives Obama a win. They'll trash the country just to keep Obama from being proven right. That borders on treason. And not to be undone, our intrepid Media is following the Repubs every word like a bunch of lovesick teenagers.

Don't get me started on that...

So Mote It Be,
David A.

Hope Upon the Raging Sea

As I watched President Obama take the oath and give his speech, I was struck by a wave of relief. Words came to me to express this feeling.

I call it "Navigating the Sea of Change"

The Darkness has broken; the return to the Light has begun. The denizens of the night, the shade and the shadow, have retreated to friendlier caves and crannies.

Evil subsides for now.

Yet they won’t be far; they always nip at our heels and are just out of sight waiting to return to prominence. The forces of greed and secrets abhor the Light, cannot stand the sharp, fresh air of the great wide open. It pains them to breath it, to walk through it, to live in it. They have their allies, minions who seek their favors that walk amongst us. They too will hide from us but in plain sight.

President Obama has a great burden to carry and we must help him. This burden cannot be shouldered by one man, but by all. We are in this with him. The ship of state has many oars and traverses a raging sea. One man cannot navigate these waters alone. There’s an oar with my name on it and if I won’t row, who will? Who will take up the responsibility of bringing this country back if I shy away? Who will show courage if I back down?

The forces of greed and secrets hide in plain sight. They draw their will from our fear, our uncertainty. If we lack the courage to bring this country back, they will take our fear and draw America further into oblivion.

To cure a disease, you must starve it. To cure America from its malaise, you must starve the blight that infests it. Fear is its sustenance, its nourishment. Responding to this affliction with the courage of conviction and virtue that President Obama asks of us will change this raging sea into calm waters.

The journey ahead is long and arduous and we have only just left the dock. My turn at the oars is nigh and I am ready and able to grasp hold and pull with all my strength. My president has demonstrated great strength and confidence, now I must show him mine.

So Mote It Be,
David A.