You know, no matter what our complaints about the US, we only have ourselves to blame. I think we all know this in the back of our mind but since there is not a 12 step recovery program for poor citizenship, we need help taking responsibility for our (in)actions. I came across this... it helps!
lynn

545 People - by Charlie Reese

Politicians are the only people in the world who create problems and then
campaign against them.

Have you ever wondered why, if both the Democrats and the Republicans are
against deficits, we have deficits?

Have you ever wondered why, if all the politicians are against inflation and
high taxes, we have inflation and high taxes?

You and I don't propose a federal budget. The president does.

You and I don't have the Constitutional authority to vote on appropriations.
The House of Representatives does.

You and I don't write the tax code, Congress does.

You and I don't set fiscal policy, Congress does.

You and I don't control monetary policy, The Federal Reserve Bank does.

One hundred senators, 435 congressmen, one president and nine Supreme Court
justices - 545 human beings out of 300+ million - are directly, legally,
morally and individually responsible for the domestic problems that plague
this country.

I excluded the members of the Federal Reserve Board because that problem was
created by the Congress.

In 1913, Congress delegated its Constitutional duty to provide a sound
currency to a federally chartered but private central bank.

I excluded all the special interests and lobbyists for a sound reason. They
have no legal authority.

They have no ability to coerce a senator, a congressman or a president to do
one cotton-picking thing.

I don't care if they offer a politician $1 million dollars in cash. The
politician has the power to accept or reject it. No matter what the lobbyist
promises, it is the legislator's responsibility to determine how he votes.

Those 545 human beings spend much of their energy convincing you that what
they did is not their fault. They cooperate in this common con regardless of
party.

What separates a politician from a normal human being is an excessive amount
of gall.

No normal human being would have the gall of a Speaker, who stood up and
criticized the President for creating deficits.

The president can only propose a budget.

He cannot force the Congress to accept it.

The Constitution, which is the supreme law of the land, gives sole
responsibility to the House of Representatives for originating and approving
appropriations and taxes.

Who is the speaker of the House? She is the leader of the majority party.
She and fellow House members, not the president, can approve any budget they
want. If the president vetoes it, they can pass it over his veto if they
agree to.

It seems inconceivable to me that a nation of 300+ million cannot replace
545 people who stand convicted -- by present facts - of incompetence and
irresponsibility.

I can't think of a single domestic problem that is not traceable directly to
those 545 people.

When you fully grasp the plain truth that 545 people exercise the power of
the federal government, then it must follow that what exists is what they
want to exist.

If the tax code is unfair, it's because they want it unfair.

If the budget is in the red, it's because they want it in the red.

If the Marines are in IRAQ, it's because they want them in IRAQ.

If they do not receive social security but are on an elite retirement plan
not available to the people, it's because they want it that way.

There are no insoluble government problems.

Do not let these 545 people shift the blame to bureaucrats, whom they hire
and whose jobs they can abolish; to lobbyists, whose gifts and advice they
can reject; to regulators, to whom they give the power to regulate and from
whom they can take this power.

Above all, do not let them con you into the belief that there exists
disembodied mystical forces like 'the economy,' 'inflation' or 'politics'
that prevent them from doing what they take an oath to do.

Those 545 people and they alone, are responsible.

They and they alone, have the power.

They, and they alone, should be held accountable by the people who are their
bosses - provided the voters have the gumption to manage their own
employees.

<img src="conchocameras.com/imgs/ebay8080ad.gif" border="0" align=right>

I enjoyed this blog - 12feet.blogspot.com/

December contest -
myolympus.org/C/G/0712/

Olympus SIG photo contest - I like the reflections and low-light category
myolympus.org/C/G/0711/

Here is a little insight into the popularity of the Olympus C series cameras --
www.robgalbraith.com/bins/multi_page.asp?cid=7-6468-7844

I came to exchange some email with a friendly customer in Maryland. He mentioned a daughter who is in Egypt for an extended visit and linked me to a very interesting blog she has a going about the experience.

billandclaireabroad.blogspot.com/2007/10/im-back.html

If you're a Bangles fan, you'll get a kick out of the blog title. :)

The Olympus E-3 is out...
www.olympusamerica.com/e3/

interesting auction from eBay

cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=130144061675

Photographers may find these links interesting


www.digitalpreservation.gov/
www.stockartistsalliance.org/info/news/news.htm#manifesto
www.stockartistsalliance.org/

a good read for Oly lovers - www.wrotniak.net/photo/

Interesting article --
www.luminous-landscape.com/tutorials/understanding-series/understanding-usm.shtml

I wish I could have spent an afternoon with Hedy Lamarr. She is quoted as saying "Compromise and tolerance are magic words" Think how profound that is!

Someone has collected some of her quotes. I think they are interesting, maybe you will enjoy them too.

www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/h/hedy_lamarr.html

I like it when my customers have a web site. It's a chance to get to know them better without seeming nosey or having to ask a lot of questions. I'm a curious type so if the email address has what seems to be a personal domain name, you can count on me to add the 'www' and snoop! Here is one I found and enjoyed today:

www.jfrink.com/bio.html

Came upon a very interesting photo site today while googling for something else entirely. The site seems geared to the pro studio guys but I understood just enough of the lingo to find it both interesting and helpful. See what you think.. strobist.blogspot.com/

If you are a boomer like me, you always smile when someone brings up the past. I bought a camera from a fellow over in Houston today and since his email address looked like a web site, I surfed/snooped on over. It was a pleasent trip! Larry Fox, a New Yorker transplanted to Texas is a music buff along with an interest in photography. Have a look: larry-fox.com

I wish there was more time. One thing I would do with it is dig deeper at DPReview.com. It's just endless, and the forums are so informative!

I just noticed this feature today and was really impressed. With the constant change in camera models, it gets confusing trying to remember which ones came first. The folks at DPReview have laid it all out on a calendar - check it out!

www.dpreview.com/reviews/timeline.asp

I like George Bush. I Have to, he is clumsy with words like me plus we seem to share a sort of 'boy scout' attitude about life. We also share some downright bad traits!

Like impulsiveness! Except, when I don't think things through, it usually only costs me money or embarrassment. When he doesn't, it affects millions! A good case in point is the decision to close the Post Office yesterday. What a mess! Any day would have been better than the day after a weekend followed by a holiday. Saturdays are 'iffy' anyway in the postal world so closing the following Monday AND Tuesday amounts to four days of no mail service. It was just plain dumb!. (but it does prove out my theory that he and I are a lot alike LOL)

It has taken me six months to get around to doing this. At least I can say I started it in 2006 instead of 2007 (tomorrow). Because of my procrastination, I waited too late to say "Merry Christmas" so I will just wish everyone a very prosperous new year!

My customers from the first six months have been wonderful people. I've made many new friends and had a great time swaping cameras and stories with them. If the folks who drop by in 2007 are as nice, then I can look forward to a happy new year myself!