Editing the Draft Begins

Now that I have completed my first novel, 24 Hours With Spencer Field (just a working title, for now), I have pulled it from the web and have begun rereading and editing the first (very rough) draft into something that will hopefully be much more readable. I have also passed copies of the manuscript on to two trusted individuals to screen the work for me, and hope to be receiving their input soon.

I already have a plot forming for the sequel, as well as another totally unrelated (and of a different genre) book. The creative muse that was fostered through National Novel Writing Month hasn't stopped flowing, and I want to take advantage of the momentum while it lasts.

I will soon be preparing 24 Hours for publication and reviewing self-publishing options, and am open to any suggestions or input.

Stay tuned to NaNoWriMo Joe for updates.

Book Review: The Voice by Bill Myers

I have enjoyed several of Bill Myers' books -- including Eli, The Wager, and others -- and have just finished a quick read of one of his latest (out in April 2008), The Voice.

Imagine if the very voice of God could be extracted from artifacts from Biblical times -- from rocks gathered where God is said to have spoken to Moses, or the river where Jesus was baptized by John -- and those words were made audible again through modern computer technology. What could we prove (or disprove) by recording the very Voice of God? What power might we find in the Voice of the Creator? By harnessing the Voice that spoke all things into being, might we also be able to harness the very power to create? Even to destroy? And what if that Voice -- that power -- fell into the wrong hands?

Myers explores many of these ideas in The Voice, as Muslims, Jews, and Christians all pursue the power to harness the Voice of God -- the very power of God -- each for their own selfish reasons. Would the Voice of God prove that Jesus Christ was the Son of God, but also God in the flesh? Would it prove that God did indeed speak to Moses? Or just the opposite? How would this affect three religions who worship the same God but have very different opinions of His Son?

The Voice started and ended as a very compelling read -- I read it cover to cover in my free time over just four days -- but there were times in the middle of the book when I felt that the story was on a fast train to nowhere. Though I enjoyed the book quite a bit, I had much higher expectations from the author of Eli and The Wager.

The Voice is not on par with those other two inspired and inspiring works, but that's like saying that a successful Space Shuttle launch isn't on par with landing on the moon. Though one is a significantly greater achievement, both are still remarkable in their own right.

Your comments?

Joe

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The Father of Our Country Proclaims Thanksgiving

Lest we forget, on this day of Thanksgiving, upon which principles the founding fathers established this great Republic, I urge you to reconsider the words of the Father of our Country, George Washington, in the original proclamation establishing Thanksgiving as a holiday. The full original text of that proclamation follows (italics mine).

Thanksgiving Proclamation

New York, 3 October 1789

By the President of the United States of America, a Proclamation.

Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor-- and whereas both Houses of Congress have by their joint Committee requested me to recommend to the People of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness.

Now therefore I do recommend and assign Thursday the 26th day of November next to be devoted by the People of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be-- That we may then all unite in rendering unto him our sincere and humble thanks--for his kind care and protection of the People of this Country previous to their becoming a Nation--for the signal and manifold mercies, and the favorable interpositions of his Providence which we experienced in the course and conclusion of the late war--for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty, which we have since enjoyed--for the peaceable and rational manner, in which we have been enabled to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national One now lately instituted--for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed; and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and in general for all the great and various favors which he hath been pleased to confer upon us.

and also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech him to pardon our national and other transgressions-- to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually--to render our national government a blessing to all the people, by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed--to protect and guide all Sovereigns and Nations (especially such as have shewn kindness unto us) and to bless them with good government, peace, and concord--To promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the encrease of science among them and us--and generally to grant unto all Mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as he alone knows to be best.

Given under my hand at the City of New York the third day of October in the year of our Lord 1789.

Go: Washington

And what does our current President have to say of Thanksgiving in his annual Thanksgiving Day proclamation?

A Proclamation by the President of the United States of America

Thanksgiving is a time for families and friends to gather together and express gratitude for all that we have been given, the freedoms we enjoy, and the loved ones who enrich our lives. We recognize that all of these blessings, and life itself, come not from the hand of man but from Almighty God.

Every Thanksgiving, we remember the story of the Pilgrims who came to America in search of religious freedom and a better life. Having arrived in the New World, these early settlers gave thanks to the Author of Life for granting them safe passage to this abundant land and protecting them through a bitter winter. Our Nation's first President, George Washington, stated in the first Thanksgiving proclamation that "It is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor." While in the midst of the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln revived the tradition of proclaiming a day of thanksgiving, asking God to heal our wounds and restore our country.

Today, as we look back on the beginnings of our democracy, Americans recall that we live in a land of many blessings where every person has the right to live, work, and worship in freedom. Our Nation is especially thankful for the brave men and women of our Armed Forces who protect these rights while setting aside their own comfort and safety. Their courage keeps us free, their sacrifice makes us grateful, and their character makes us proud. Especially during the holidays, our whole country keeps them and their families in our thoughts and prayers.

Americans are also mindful of the need to share our gifts with others, and our Nation is moved to compassionate action. We pay tribute to all caring citizens who reach out a helping hand and serve a cause larger than themselves.

On this day, let us all give thanks to God who blessed our Nation's first days and who blesses us today. May He continue to guide and watch over our families and our country always.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim November 27, 2008, as a National Day of Thanksgiving. I encourage all Americans to gather together in their homes and places of worship with family, friends, and loved ones to strengthen the ties that bind us and give thanks for the freedoms and many blessings we enjoy.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-first day of November, in the year of our Lord two thousand eight, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-third.

GEORGE W. BUSH

Not much has changed -- nothing really -- except for the lack of gratitude to an Almighty God that many Americans have come to accept as a part of every day life. On this day of Thanksgiving, I am thankful to my God -- the One and only I AM -- Creator of all things and giver of Salvation through his Son Jesus Christ -- for the many wonderful blessings he has bestowed upon me and my family.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Your comments?

Joe

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Happy Thanksgiving!

Once again, we have reached my favorite holiday of the year: Thanksgiving.

Happy Thanksgiving!

This year, my family will be spending Thanksgiving with ... my family. That is to day, I and my wife and children will be spending Thanksgiving with my siblings, etc., rather than with my wife's parents and brother. The last time I spent Thanksgiving with my family was my mother's last Thanksgiving before she went home to be with the Lord.

I'm thankful for:

• the fact that I will one day see my mother and grandmother again when I go home to be with the Lord


• that I have a wonderful family to spend the holiday with


• that I live in a country where I have the freedom and a reason to celebrate the holiday

Here's a great tune to remember what Thanksgiving is really all about, courtesy of the Aaron Pelsue Band.


Direct video link.

Your comments?

Joe

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My New TomTom

Today, I got my brand new TomTom One, thanks to my beautiful wife. Cool! Seriously!

Just in time for the drive to Cincinnati for Thanksgiving (actually, Lebanon, Ohio) with my family. It's been a while since I've been to Lebanon, and it'll be cool to use the TomTom to get there.

And, just for the fun of it, I downloaded some map color schemes that match the Google Maps layout, and I downloaded Darth Vader's voice. Pretty cool!

Check back here soon for my review of the new TomTom One. I've had several people tell me that the TomTom was the best they had tried, and I'll finally be able to add my own opinion to that.


Your comments?

Joe

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#NaNoWriMo: Mission Accomplished!

With six days left in the month of November, I have completed the rough draft of my first novel, 24 Hours With Spencer Field, and have been officially declared a WINNER of this year's National Novel Writing Month challenge.

My novel came to me surprisingly smoothly. I thought I had an idea for the book, but scrapped that on October 31st and flew by the seat of my pants. My characters took over and the novel wrote itself.

I will be taking a couple of weeks away from the novel to clear my head and enjoy the holidays with family. Then, after Christmas, I'll dig back into the rough draft and do some rewrite work on it, hopefully soliciting some proof-readers and reviewers, and look into self-publishing and print-on-demand options.

Writing has been something I have enjoyed all of my life. I have written several short stories and many, many poems, and have always wanted to write a novel. It's something that I have always thought I was just too busy to be able to sit down and commit the time to. NaNoWriMo proved me wrong, and I now have my first novel (and a serious start on the plot for the sequel to it) to prove it.

I now have something new to be thankful this week on Thanksgiving!

Your comments?

Joe

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The Joe Show 90 - #NaNoWriMo Mix 4

Average Joe Radio
presents

The Joe Show
featuring
Average Joe American

Episode Ninety: NaNoWriMo Mix 4

Word count verification for National Novel Writing Month 2008 begins tomorrow. Are you ready yet? My NaNoWriMo project this year is ready, at just over 50,000 words. The novel is done, and I'm quite happy with it. Of course, after taking the month of Decmeber to clear my mind, I'll begin editing my rough draft into something a bit more presentable, then possibly looking at self-publishing and print-on-demand options.

You can check the novel out now by requesting access permission, then pointing your browser to NaNoWriMo Joe.

In the meantime, if you aren't done with your novel yet, here is the fourth and final installment of some great instrumental music that is perfect to write by.

tripsitter | wavestrumental | podsafe music network

robert rich | cave paintings | magnatune

rob costlow | not alone | magnatune

ehren starks | in love and miserable at 3am | magnatune

matt stevens | jubilee | podsafe music network

jeff wahl | her beauty | magnatune

jade leary | paul gauguin | magnatune

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The Democratic Primary Debates Relived

Just a quick observation:

Mister Obama's Cabinet is starting to look pretty familiar, and I don't mean that it looks like a third Bill Clinton administration. We've seen many of these people on stage together before, haven't we?

Barack Obama

Bill Richardson

Hillary Clinton

Let's see, what was that?

Oh, yes, I remember, it was the Primary Debates for the Democratic Primary.

If that's how it's done now, imagine what a John McCain Cabinet would have looked like:

Secretary of State Fred Thomspon

Secretary of the Treasury Mitt Romney

Secretary of Health and Human Services Mike Huckabee

National Security Advisor Rudy Giuliani

Secretary of Commerce Ron Paul 

(okay, maybe not that last one, but you get the idea)

What a powerhouse that would be!

Your comments?

Joe

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Supreme Court to Review Candidate Citizenship Arguments

This could prove to be of great significance:

Supremes to review citizenship arguments: "Supremes to review citizenship arguments
Case challenging candidacy set for 'conference' of justices
Posted: November 20, 2008
1:10 am Eastern

By Bob Unruh
© 2008 WorldNetDaily

A case that challenges President-elect Barack Obama's name on the 2008 election ballot citing questions over his citizenship has been scheduled for a 'conference' at the U.S. Supreme Court.

Conferences are private meetings of the justices at which they review cases and decide which ones to accept for formal review. This case is set for a conference Dec. 5, just 10 days before the Electoral College is scheduled to meet to make formal the election of Obama as the nation's next president.

The Supreme Court's website listed the date for the case brought by Leo C. Donofrio against Nina Wells, the secretary of state in New Jersey, over not only Obama's name on the 2008 election ballot but those of two others, Sen. John McCain and Roger Calero."

Read more at WorldNet Daily.

Your comments?

Joe

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Looking Toward 2012

Though at the end of this video, it says PAID FOR AND APPROVED BY MITCH DANIELS, is certainly isn't. It is, however, indicative of what many Hoosiers feel would be a good thing in 2012: Mitch Daniels for President.

Though Mitch has already said that he won't run for elected office again, with the positive change he has implemented in Indiana over the past four years, he would surely be a strong candidate for the GOP in 2012.


Direct video link.

Your comments?

Joe

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24 Hours With Spencer Field - #NaNoWriMo

Here is just a teaser of my 2008 novel for National Novel Writing Month, 24 Hours With Spencer Field. The book is going strong so far, at 60% of the 50,000 word goal at the time of this posting. The book will likely exceed the NaNo goal of 50,000 words. My next goal: 40,000 words by Wednesday evening.

You can follow my WriMo progress, as well as read the novel as it unfolds, by requesting access, then pointing your browser to NaNoWriMo Joe and subscribing.

Cosmos Court, Atlanta, Georgia

8:30 AM

The twenty-four hour deadline was half gone, and Spence felt that he hadn't made much progress. He thought he knew where to find the birth certificate of Santos Dominick Menge – expecting it to be at the Bureau of Vital Statistics on Skyland Drive, where he had left the watcher locked in the truck of his own car – but there was no guarantee when he got into the files at the Skyland office that he would find Menge's birth certificate. In fact, looking back on the course of events over the past twelve hours, Spence wasn't sure how he had come to the conclusion that Menge's certificate was at the Skyland office, in the first place. Relying mostly on his own instinct – which had served him quite well over the years – Spence had headed straight for the Skyland area on his search. He now could do nothing but hope that his instincts would prove correct. And get himself in gear, because he had just over twelve hours left.

Spence pulled the car from the curb and taxied slowly down Cosmos Court toward the house at the end of the cul de sac – the house that promised to restore communications with the Handler; the house that had once belonged to Martino Agg; the house where ...

...the first person to stumble out of the van was a child, barely twelve years old, by Spence's best guess. A little girl with blonde hair pulled back into pig tails on either side of her head. Wearing a pink dress and a white sweater, the little girl stumbled out of the van, falling hard to the ground.

Spence sat bolt upright, the anger and desperation boiling in his veins. Fear for the little girl that now lie on the ground beneath the doors of the van. Fear of what she had been through. Fear of what she might go through once they locked her away inside that house of sin. Even greater fear of what might happen when she was finally taken out of that house and shipped off to some far away land, to become someone's property.

A young woman jumped out of the van behind the little girl, nudged her in the side with her foot – not quite a kick, but then for a fragile little girl such as this, a not quite kick could prove quite painful – and dragged her by the arm trying to pull her to her feet.

“Don't damage the goods,” said a male voice from within the van. “You stupid nit! She's worth nothing if we deliver her bruised and broken!”

“You worry about yourself, you hear?” the young woman called back. “I'll take care of this little thing.”

Three more children came tumbling out of the back of the van: a boy and two girls. All similar in size and age to the first, and all just as disoriented and out of touch with what was happening to them, and what was very likely to happen to them in the days and weeks that lie ahead. All of them seemed to have spent some time in tears.

Desperately concerned for what might happen to the four children if they were taken into the house, Spence began to make his move. Grabbing his Weatherby Threat Response Rifle and his Smith and Wesson Compact nine millimeter handgun, Spence slipped out a side door, keeping the children in his sight and, more importantly, the man and woman who had escorted them on their ride to the house that would become their hell if Spence didn't intervene.

Quickly scanning the street for signs of Martino or his thugs, Spence crossed quickly and silently in attack posture, ready to come up firing at the first indication he had been spotted. As the children were slowly escorted – pushed, dragged, or by other means – toward the front of the house, Spence darted along the tree line in front of the Agg hideout and took a position beside the van, away from the house and out of sight of the kids and their escorts.

Pausing only briefly to catch his breath, Spence wished for backup to help him extract the kids after eliminating their escorts. He was about to violate everything he had been taught by the Agency. He was about to scrap the entire mission, abandon the assignment of seizing drug evidence and eliminating Agg and his thugs, even abandon the hope of rescuing any children that might already be in the house, just to save those four young souls. His blood was boiling, and he had to take action.

Spence stepped silently from behind the van, raised the rifle to his shoulder, and sighted on the one he perceived to be the greater threat: the man.

Your comments?

Joe

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The Joe Show 89 - #NaNoWriMo Mix 3

Average Joe Radio
presents

The Joe Show
featuring
Average Joe American

Episode Eighty-Nine: NaNoWriMo Mix 3

Wow! November is half over, and NaNoWriMo participants should be halfway through their novels by now. That's 25,000 words. My goal this evening is to break the 30,000 word mark, which will be an easy task, thanks to two productive writing sprints earlier today.

The novel, 24 Hours With Spencer Field, is coming along quite well. In fact, I have already thought of the sequel to the book, including the title (which I won't reveal yet here). You can follow my WriMo progress, as well as read the novel as it unfolds, by requesting access, then pointing your browser to NaNoWriMo Joe and subscribing.

Today's WriMo mix includes the following:

rob costlow | reflections | magnatune

ehren starks | the tale of room 620 | magnatune

swivel neck jones | arlos auto parts and salvation | magnatune

jeff wahl | going to the circus | magnatune

solar cycle | ray of life | magnatune

mountain mirrors | your dirge | magnatune

robert rich | parallel horizons | magnatune

matt stevens | burning bandstands | podsafe music network

jade leary | we were eternal | magnatune

tripsitter | outro | podsafe music network

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What It's All About

Direct video link.

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Joe

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Cult of Personality

I cannot understand how this could possibly be good for America. From Wikipedia:

A cult of personality or personality cult arises when a country's leader uses mass media to create a heroic public image through unquestioning flattery and praise. Cults of personality are often found in dictatorships.

A cult of personality is similar to general hero worship, except that it is created specifically for political leaders. However, the term may be applied by analogy to refer to adulation of religious or non-political leaders.

Generally, personality cults are most common in regimes with totalitarian systems of government, that seek to radically alter or transform society according to revolutionary new ideas. Often, a single leader becomes associated with this revolutionary transformation, and comes to be treated as a benevolent "guide" for the nation, without whom the transformation to a better future cannot occur. This has been generally the justification for personality cults that arose in totalitarian societies of the 20th century, such as those of Joseph Stalin and Adolf Hitler.

The criticism of personality cults often focuses on the regimes of Stalin, Hitler, Mao, Ceauşescu, Kim Il-sung, and Kim Jong-Il. During the peak of their regimes, these leaders were presented as god-like and infallible. Their portraits were hung in homes and public buildings, with artists and poets legally required to produce only works that glorified the leader. Other leaders with such cults include Eva Peron of Argentina and her husband Juan.






Now watch the original, by Living Colour.

Your comments?

Joe

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When America Is Not America Anymore

"Written for my four year old granddaughter who may not grow up to know the America our forefathers envisioned. America's sovereignty is being threatened and citizens rights are in jeopardy. " --Scott Wesley Brown


Direct Video Link.

Your comments?

Joe

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A Quick Note About SOAP

To those of you who are regular readers of the Daily SOAP, please be patient. I have been putting a great deal of focus lately (which means most of my free time) into my National Novel Writing Month project. I'm trying to write a 50,000+ word novel during the thirty days of November. This is my second year attempting this, and I have already surpassed last year's word count. I have a good feeling about the progress of this year's work.

So bear with me for the next couple of weeks. The Daily SOAP won't be quite so daily throughout the month of November, but I promise it will be back to a regular schedule soon. Please stay subscribed.

Send feedback to Joe by email, or by calling 317-644-6129.

Your comments?

Joe

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Veteran's Day -- Remember

Tomorrow is Veteran's Day. Take a moment and thank a Veteran today for fighting for the way of life you enjoy.

8th of November
By Big & Rich

Direct video link.

Your comments?

Joe

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SCOTUS Tells Obama To Produce Birth Certificate | The Right Perspective

SCOTUS Tells Obama To Produce Birth Certificate | The Right Perspective: "Lawyer Philip Berg’s lawsuit questioning Barack Obama’s “natural born” status has entered a do-or-die phase after the Supreme Court has ordered the president-elect to produce his birth certificate by December 1st.

Berg, who appealed his case of America’s highest court, was told by Justice David Souter’s Clerk that his petition for an injunction to stay the November 4th election was denied. The Clerk also required the defendants (Obama, the DNC, and FEC) to respond to the Writ of Certiorari by December 1. At that time, Obama must present an authentic birth certificate to the Court, which has been sealed by Hawaii governor Linda Lingle. Berg will get to respond afterwards.

Failure to do that will surely inspire the skepticism of the Justices in Obama, who are not used to being defied. The Court will have to decide what to do about a president-elect who refuses to prove his natural-born citizenship."

My question is this: should Mr. Obama fail to produce the birth certificate as required, what will the Supreme Court do? Will they invalidate the election results? Will they disqualify Mr. Obama, or invalidate his candidacy? Would those moves elevate Joe Biden to the position of President-elect? Or will the highest eligible vote getter (John McCain) be declared the winner?

This could get very interesting.

The Joe Show 88 - #NaNoWriMo Mix 2

Average Joe Radio
presents

The Joe Show
featuring
Average Joe American

Episode Eighty-Eight:

It's National Novel Writing Month, and here is my second installment of music to write by. Last night I passed my total for the entire month of last year with 12,659 words. My novel is coming along very well with a story that I believe shows promise. You can follow my WriMo progress, as well as read the novel as it unfolds, by requesting access, then pointing your browser to NaNoWriMo Joe and subscribing.

Today's WriMo mix includes the following:

liveloop | interaction | podsafe music network

brad senne | into the moon | magnatune

rob costlow | meant to be | magnatune

ehren starks | sunset in pensacola | magnatune

jeff wahl | tristan and isolde | magnatune

john williams | old man rocking chair | magnatune

robert rich | points between | magnatune

mountain mirrors | praying mantis | magnatune

mike rayburn | iron ring | ioda promonet

jeff wahl | linus and lucy | magnatune

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What Is Up With This???

I have two observations about this picture. First, what is up with this podium sign? The Office of the President Elect? You're kidding me, right? I don't recall ever seeing a President-Elect of the United States of America with a podium sign meant to make him look Presidential. But what else can we expect of someone who had his own Presidential-style seal made to be used during the campaign?

My second observation: The President-Elect of what? If he were to have such a Presidential looking podium sign, shouldn't it include the phrase of the United States of America? Why would the Country be completely left out of the equation? Is it that the United States of America is nothing more to Mr. Obama than a tool to achieve the power he so desperately desires? I fear that Mr. Obama is going to be a self-centered, narcissistic (redundancy intended) individual who expects the country to serve him rather than him serving the country.

Oh, and one more observation: notice how the word PRESIDENT is in a larger font than the word ELECT? Kind of the way OBAMA was bigger than BIDEN on all those campaign signs. Why? Because Mr. Obama clearly puts himself first, above all things.

None of this should surprise us, really. After all, Mr. Obama had to remind himself in his first press conference today that the United States only has one President at a time, and right now, that man is George W. Bush.

This man is forcing me to break my moratorium on political writing during the rest of November, as I promised on Wednesday. I really should be working on my NaNoWriMo project.

Your comments?

Joe

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Ask Mitch McConnell to Accept Lieberman Into GOP Caucus

Independent Senator Joe Lieberman from Connecticut has been a faithful supporter of John McCain throughout the Presidential campaign, because he put the needs of his Country over partisan politics. Senate Majority Leader (and Democrat) Harry Reid, angered by Senator Lieberman's support of John McCain, has threatened to throw Lieberman out of the Democrat caucus and strip him of his committee chairmanships.

Senator Lieberman is in talks with Senate Minority Leader (and Republican) Mitch McConnell about joining the Republican caucus in the Senate. This would reduce the lead the Democrats have in the Senate, as well as reward Senator Lieberman for standing up for his country in support of John McCain.

Call, write, or email (or better yet, do all three) Senator McConnell and ask him to accept Senator Lieberman into the Republican caucus!

Find a sample letter below the contact information.

Contact by Email
To send your comments to me via electronic mail, please fill out my online contact form.

Contact Offices
To contact me directly, please select the appropriate office below.

Washington Office
361-A Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
Phone: (202) 224-2541
Fax: (202) 224-2499

Senator McConnell:

I am a registered Republican in the state of YOUR STATE HERE who supported John McCain for President. I am concerned with the results of the Presidential election, and am writing you to ask you to please stand up to the Democratic domination in Washington immediately by accepting Senator Joe Lieberman into the GOP Caucus.

Senator Lieberman has been a loyal supporter of John McCain, putting the needs of his country ahead of the desires of his party. When Senator Lieberman appeared at campaign stops around the country with John McCain, thousands of other Republicans cheered him on as a great American who serves his country first.

Senator Reid is now threatening to eject Senator Lieberman from the Democratic caucus. This is the GOP's opportunity to reduce the liberal leadership in Washington by one and to reward a great American who had shown fierce loyalty to our candidate for President.

Please embrace Senator Lieberman as a member of the Republican caucus!

Thank you for your humble service to this country.

A fellow American,

YOUR NAME HERE
--

"Enlightened statesmen will not always be at the helm." -- James Madison

Posted by email from Average Joe American (posterous)

Thank You, John McCain!

The 2008 Presidential election is behind us, but the repercussions of the vote are yet to begin. Whether you supported Barack Obama, John McCain, or one of the many third party candidates (or no one at all -- and shame on you if that's the case), we all have to live with the repercussions of this week's election.

I am an Army Veteran from the first Gulf War era, and have always had an interest in politics. Senator John McCain made a political junkie out of me. For the first time in my life I found myself blogging daily in support of John McCain and exposing the liberal and socialist leanings, the lies, and the complete lack of experience of his opponent. For the first time in my life, I found myself volunteering to make phone calls for a political candidate. I made calls from the Indiana Republican Party Headquarters in Indianapolis, from the Marion County Victory Center, and even from my own home office on election day.

I became a political junkie for John McCain because he has been the only true American hero to run for the office of President in my lifetime (I'm a huge fan of Ronald Reagan, but he wasn't the kind of hero that John McCain is). John McCain endured things in Vietnam that very few Americans have ever had to endure. John McCain has given his country a lifetime of service, with never a complaint.

John McCain made me a political junkie because he gave me something to believe in for the future of America (I should say that I believe in twenty years time history will consider George W. Bush to have been one of our better Presidents) at a time when most people claim to have lost faith in our government.

John McCain made me a political junkie because he has always had the courage to stand up for his convictions, regardless of popular opinion, often to the possible detriment of his political career. He has stood up to Democrats, he has stood up to Republicans, and he has never allowed political expediency or political correctness to determine what course of action he should take on any issue. He has been his own man, and he has been America's man.

John McCain made me such a political junkie that for the first time in my life I found myself and my family standing for five hours on an airport tarmac waiting for a political candidate to arrive and repeat the same talking points that had been played out on TV for the past week. And it was an incredible campaign rally, with a throng of devoted supporters cheering for their candidate -- devoted supporters who have a passion for their country and knew that their candidate was the best man to lead the country they love.

The election is now over, and I believe dark days may lie ahead. I have no confidence that our next President can execute the duties of his office efficiently and effectively. And I have already seen the comments of many bloggers -- those even who were writing pro-McCain posts during the election -- attack this American hero, blaming him for losing the election, for making stupid choices, for not attacking his opponent strongly enough.

I am embarrassed and ashamed for the conduct of those who would so quickly turn their back on this candidate, this great American who has never turned his back on them. This American hero who has suffered great pains and inconvenience for the country that he loves deserves much better than the type of treatment I have heard today from some of his so-called supporters.

Barack Obama did not win this election. Barack Obama's supporters won this election. Organizations like ACORN and MoveOn.org won this election through their get out the vote efforts -- whether legitimate or fraudulent. The mainstream media won this election through their lopsided coverage of the issues, their willingness to overlook the sins of their chosen candidate while raking the reputations of John McCain and his running mate over the coals. Barack Obama did not win this election.

John McCain did not lose this election. John McCain fought an incredible fight, never resting, never backing down from the liberal attack dogs of the Obama campaign and the mainstream media. John McCain did not lose this election. The Republican party lost this election. Those who failed to support John McCain lost this election. Those who chose to support him only with their vote lost this election. Those who found themselves too busy to make phone calls, knock on doors, talk to their friends and families about the issues and the candidates, and even too busy to get out and vote -- those are the people who lost this election. Evangelical Christians on the national scene who came out in force in 2004 to defend President Bush against John Kerry but failed to do the same for John McCain when the threat of the socialist agenda of Barack Obama was so much greater than any perceived threat from John Kerry -- Evangelicals like Dr. James Dobson of Focus on the Family and Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council -- they lost this election. John McCain did not lose this election.

The repercussions of this election could ripple for decades. The Republican Party must act now to bring a balance of power back to America. We can no longer sit back and wait for things to happen while liberals make more noise than us, support their candidates more publicly than us, and sweep the elections while we stand in the wings. We as a party must organize, mobilize, and vocalize if we are to have any hope of returning this country to the course our founding fathers intended. It could take decades for us to reverse the damage likely to be caused by the liberal government that will be ruling in Washington come January. We cannot sit back and do nothing any longer.

Thank You, John McCain! Thank You for your lifetime of courageous service in the face of diversity! Thank You for your willingness to go up against the liberal marketing machine of Barack Obama when no one else had the stamina to do so! Thank You for making me a political junkie, for mobilizing me, and for vocalizing me in support of a candidate that I truly believed in (and still believe in)!

Looking forward to 2010, we must prepare now to retake control of Congress, and set our sights on the White House in 2012. For now, I will be taking a brief break from politics. For the remainder of November, I will not be making frequent posts of a political nature here. I hope to pour my energy and efforts into my National Novel Writing Month project.

But I'll be watching, and I'll be back, and I hope I can count on you to vocalize with me against the liberal social agenda that threatens to run this great country down a course that it may require decades to return from.

Your comments?

Joe

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"Father, into your hands I commit my spirit."

Luke 23:46 [NIV]

I put my faith and my wellbeing into the hands of God.

Send feedback to Joe by email, or by calling 317-644-6129.

Your comments?

Joe

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My Predictions for the Next Four Years

Should Barack Obama fulfill four years as President of the United States, I believe we're going to see some interesting and some very troubling things throughout his Presidency. These are my predictions:

• Republicans will regain control of the Senate in a huge landslide in 2010. The Democratic majority in the House of Representatives will narrow so much (in 2010) as to make it an insignificant majority.
  
• Barack Obama will make several token appointments (or offers of appointments) to Republicans and/or Independents in an attempt to cross party lines (thinking of the 2012 re-election campaign). Most (if not all) of those bi-partisan appointments will resign before the midterm elections.
• Barack Obama will speak about making amendments to the Constitution early in his Presidency. Congress might even concur and support prior to midterms, but the states will not vote to ratify.
• Barack Obama's first budget proposal will include federal funding for stem cell research, federal funding to help unwed mothers pay for abortion procedures, federal funding to schools for sex education programs and contraception programs (he'll describe it as a program intended to reduce teen pregnancy) as well as contraception programs for low income women.
• Obama's tax cut plan for the middle class will be lost among tax increases to fund increased spending and his plan to increase taxes on the wealthy to provide credits to the poor. The middle class will never see a tax cut under an Obama Presidency.
• We will find ourselves in an energy crisis similar to the Carter years, as Obama will refuse to drill offshore, will tax coal companies into near oblivion, and the country's reliance upon foreign oil will become crippling.
• America will return to an Affirmative Action state, with preferential employment for blacks and hispanics mandated and enforced through tax credits and penalties. Whites will begin to become the oppressed class.
• Obama will push legislation providing even more protection to the credit unworthy than the Community Reinvestment Act. This plan will include protection for credit card borrowers, added mortgage protection for struggling homeowners, and socialized medicine. If acted upon before the midterm election, the bill will see several rewrites in both houses of Congress and the final version will include protection from credit card debt, mortgage debt, and medical debt, but will fall short of instituting socialized medicine.
• Early in an Obama administration, Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg will announce her resignation. With a Democrat controlled Congress, Obama will nominate an extreme liberal to replace her on the bench, and Congress will confirm her nomination (yes, a woman, and likely a black or hispanic woman) quickly. Justice John Paul Stevens will either die or fall seriously ill and be forced to retire from the bench, resulting in a second speedily confirmed Obama liberal to the bench. The repercussions will be felt for decades.
• The now liberal government will attempt to prosecute President Bush and Vice President Cheney for war crimes.
• As more states enact legislation legalizing gay marriage, the Supreme Court will refuse to hear suits to ban it, resulting in gay marriage sweeping the nation on the state level. I would expect to see additional vacancies to the Supreme Court result in more liberal appointments and further Court action to legalize gay marriage on a national level.
• Private schools and home schooling will suffer greatly under the weight of mandated sex education, to include mandated education that homosexuality is normal and okay. Home schoolers will go underground and faith based private schools will be forced to comply or be shut down. Public education will become over-crowded due to the lack of private schools and home schooling issues, resulting in poor education across the country.
• Obama will attempt to fulfill his campaign promise on the Iraq war and will attempt to withdraw troops within 17 months. The progress of redeployment will be halted as terrorist elements will stage a dual attack on American troops in Iraq and on American soil. Obama will be forced to return redeployed troops to the region to restabilize Iraq and the middle east, and will order National Guard units to deploy on American soil in response to the attacks here. Martial Law will be all but officially declared in the new ground zero.
• I do have a prediction about Obama's promise to meet without preconditions with leaders of Iran, North Korea, etc., but I think it prudent to exclude that prediction from this article for now.

I could go on and on, but it will only begin to sound more spectacular. I think we will see much more than we can even imagine at this point in American history. Most importantly, after the Republicans resume some parity (and possibly control) in Congress, we will see a Republican President returned to the White House in 2012. Much of the damage caused by an Obama administration will take several decades to reverse as a liberal Supreme Court will continue to legislate their liberal agenda from the bench.

It will be at least a generation before we see one party control of the Executive and Legislative branches again.

God Bless America (please). We are going to need it!

Don't believe me? Bookmark this page and check my accuracy over the next four years.

Your comments?

Joe

podsafe music network | ioda promonet | magnatune | airplay direct
ariel publicity | kennedy resource development | populuxe records | indie heaven
miles high productions | iris distribution | chavis records | after hours music