Internecine Warfare or "Checks and Balances? What Ails Our System?

What ails our system is simple: personalities and vanities uber
alles, desperate hunger for attention at the expense of average
Americans without the same bully pulpit, etc. Many politicians
really don't care about you, America, so do select your
legislators CAREFULLY. The communities, lives, homes
and even bank accounts you save just might be your own.

What anyone CAN see is internecine warfare in Congress,
little actual work progressing, pitched battles, political
loyalties paraded in time-wasting style, while roads and bridges
continue to crumble, elderly Americans' Social Security
checks and our brave military's salaries are threatened, on and
on. [Is it really true that only $30 billion remains in our treasury?
The United States' tragically laughable lack of funds disqualifies
 us as the last remaining super power...no such nation exists.]

Meanwhile, they posture, they rant, they obfuscate, and
yes, even lie, just to make an impression and get re-elected.
Somehow, the reasoned, moderate democrats and republicans
are shunted aside, as shouting always wins the yellow
journalism ( "yellow" is doubly pejoratively meant here)
coverage so prevalent now.

Peace, reason, concern and principle--that's what I
hunger for. Internecine warfare in Congress will hurt
all of us in the end, even its fiercest practitioners.

Ted Cruz: "the Little Engine That Could" Pulls--a Stunt

...But it puts him front and center in the media. Is that
all that counts, Ted? If even some of your Republican
Senate and House colleagues in DC are distancing
themselves from you now, won't you just please sit
down and shut up? Do you want to stay stuck in the
U.S. Senate, known not fondly as "that wack job",
becoming marginalized, losing committee assignments,
etc.? But being re-elected by ignorant extremists from
Texas, your true constituent base, almost guarantees
you'll hang on  there. Hell, Texas' senior Senator Cornyn
has disparaged this tactic of yours.  

Apparently your "talk-a-thon" won't work as you'd
hoped. It's not officially termed a "filibuster", as
Senate business will go on. "Obamacare", or the ACA,
will remain the law of our land until Mr. Obama
leaves office, and likely beyond that. The Senate
majority has already planned to strip out the ACA
from an upcoming bill vote, so...?

So, greedy for the limelight, you already accomplished
that. But you've marginalized yourself  in the process,
with republicans in DC calling your current actions
a stunt, and your public, unfortunate use of "stand your
ground" in your own political context.

Keep it up, Ted. Until recently, most of us didn't
know who you are; but  moderates of both parties
now know, and have you in their sights. Successful
publicity stunts today, loss of respect today and
tomorrow.

P.S.: Say, Ted, why not use your laptop to read
to your kids, rather than take valuable U.S. Senate
and TV time?

Save Your House! It's Easier to Steal Your Home Than Your Car: "Sovereign Citizen" Movement's Fraudulent Liens

Property Crime Alert! Research "sovereign citizens" if you aren't
already aware of them. Dr. Mark Pitcavage and the Anti-
Defamation League explain how these occasionally virulently
violent "paper terrorists" can steal your home with forged,
realistic-looking documents, "deed heisting", etc. This is a
dangerous, demented criminal movement, spawned by U.S.
survivalist, anti-government fringe groups. They reject the
legitimacy of all duly constituted authority, have stolen judges'
homes via fraudulent liens and other "financial instruments".

**************************************************
Check your property deed for ANY activity YOU haven't
taken. Do this through your local county recorder of  deeds
office; some recorders' offices have free fraud alerts which
go to your pc, smart phone, et al....sign up for them!

**************************************************

You have to be very vigilant, as some county recorder of
deeds offices are legally prohibited from officially verifying
some of these forged documents submitted by the sovereigns
and other criminals using the same techniques...

The home you save may be your own.

Senator Lindsey Graham HAS No Cachet (Or Sense, Either)

...and he'd better stay out of Syria while I administer a little
spelling,  vocabulary and pronunciation lesson:

(1) If you say "cachet" (pronounced cashay), you mean
something or someone has earned prestige, admiration,
distinction. P.S.: it's French, like every word in American
English meant to impress but often does not;

(2) If you use "cache" (pronounced cash), you mean
a store of something, often hidden or put by, like a large
amount of weapons. [No doubt Lindsey meant to say item (2)
but blundered by saying "cachet".];

(3) If you say "cash" and your context immediately
refers to money, everyone will know what you mean,
even including Mr. Graham.

It is NOT weak to save blood and treasure, ours
and theirs. Perhaps "prudent" is a concept quite beyond
loquacious Lindsey. It IS weak to attempt to make
political points on the backs of our military and any
Syrians while you risk no danger of any sort yourself,
Senator Graham.

Ironically, then: Mr. Graham has no cachet, or
sense, either.

Larry Summers Won't Head the Fed

Great news starts off a new work week, today, Monday,
September 16th, 2013: Larry Summers "reluctantly"
withdraws his name from consideration as the next
Federal Reserve Chief.  Mr. Obama, rumor hath it,
was strongly inclined to appoint Mr. Summers, but
after spirited "let's harry Larry" objections from women's
and other deemed liberal groups, Summers saw the
writing on the wall and chose to step away, not out of
patriotism, methinks, but rather, regard for self. 
He's held many high-level posts, dating back to the
Clinton era, made many missteps too, such as stating
his opinion on women's ineptitude in science and
math while at Harvard, and being too pro-big bank,
i.e., at least somewhat anti financial reform.

Perhaps Janet Yellen can supply the expertise
missing in the good ol' boy network if she succeeds
Ben Bernanke.  In any event, Larry Summers won't
head the Fed. --Smiles all around!

Chicago Power: Olive Branches or Going Out on a Limb? Emanuel; Lewis; Apology for Burge

Did you denizens of Chicagoland see the scrawls hastily written
by Mayor Emanuel to Chicago Public Schools union head
Karen Lewis on TV? I did; it was embarrassing in its casual
manner, from the salutation, simply "Karen", to the note paper
used, not anything more formal  than personal lists or  post-its.
So while Rahmster Monster may well be a canny legal
negotiator/business broker (his attorney fees and deals attest
to that), being businesslike in other areas seems beyond
him. Still, his brief words of commiseration  packed a
punch.

Meanwhile,  he has also apologized for former Police
Commander Jon Burge's long dark stain of official torture
on Chicago, as more past confessions obtained under duress
are tossed out, victims are released and compensated.
He is the first Chicago mayor in 40 years to express such
sorrow on behalf of the city...

Two olive branches offered in less than one week were
from Chicago's mayor, one from CPS' Lewis, hers in calmly
looking forward to a meeting.

Am I going out on a limb to feel filled with hope for local
detente? Or are the powers that be? We'll all stay tuned,
of course.
 

What a Waste! Nuclear Reactors: Decommissioned/Defunct/Destroyed or Online

About 400 nuclear reactors are online around our planet; others
are defunct, destroyed or decommissioned. (There's no space or
time here to describe in detail all the sunken nuclear-powered
submarines adding to the terrible tonnage of long-lived toxic
waste.) Japan is still struggling after its triple tragedy
(earthquakes, tsunami, Fukushima fubar), yet certain officials
are trying to restart offline reactors elsewhere in the country.
They are meeting stiff resistance from many there. I pray their
active, public resolve persists.

Some very good news has lifted gloom in the anti-nuclear
community lately: more reactors shutting down, more license
extensions denied to dangerously aged/aging reactors, the
"nuclear renaissance" recently stalled in the southern U.S.,
Germany's dramatic, deadline-driven divesting of nuclear
power, and more.

The thousands of tons of nuclear's dangerous drek remain,
however; HOSS, hardened onsite storage, being the best
(and only) way to temporarily corral this junk without
transporting it around and inviting home-grown terror theft.
Yucca Mountain is STILL not a geologically stable
repository for such tonnage, toxic for thousands of years.
(I'm still looking for the original geologist who signed off
on its safety/suitability report for the DOE decades ago.)
There are quake faultlines under and near the mountain--
how was that not deemed significant?

Fukushima fubar should become the anti-nuclear
movement's new anthem, even while we work
toward mitigating all possible dangers. What a
waste if we don't succeed.

2016: The Next Dynamic Duo, Alan Grayson and Elizabeth Warren

I began to fantasize about (D) FL House Rep. Alan Grayson
as president in 2016 the moment he publicly broke ranks with
our president regarding taking military action in Syria. The web
was equally quick, and early, with a greater than greek chorus
whose enthusiastic sentiments I share...they added a fillip of fine
feminine quality in the person of Elizabeth Warren, one of two
excellent senators to DC from MA.

For many of us, THERE is the dream team worthy, willing
and able to lead us in chaotic times. These two seem intelligent,
independent and serious enough to become the next president
and vice president of the United States. Both Grayson and
Warren have shown sustained commitment to principle, not
a quality firmly possessed by all politicians. Every era cries
out for just such character.

Here's to the next dynamic duo in 2016: may they be
Grayson and Warren.