Sha-na-na-na, Goodbye!

Politics- Oh, no! Bush is still working (read: messing things up). Please, Mr. President, step away from your desk. Sit. Don't move or talk until the moving men arrive to carry your chair (and you) out the door.
Luckily, I heard on the news last night that they have a "fix" for all of the last minute mischief Bush may create.

I heard that when Obama won, an impromptu crowd of about a 1,000 gathered outside the fence around the White House and sang the hockey song (I don't know the name) that goes: "Sha-na-na-na, sha-na-na-na, hey, heeey! Goodbye!" How rude! But I'll bet it felt good!

Green writer- As an anthropology enthusiast, I've worked as a docent at two major history museums. I miss them, but I'm just beginning to learn about the museums that are beginning to put their treasures online. How great is that?! There are so many benefits to this online archiving that I don't know where to start.
Just one: of course, you know, that museums rotate their exhibits, so we never see everything they have in one visit. But now, theoretically, I could click on a museum and see everything they have in, say, quilts or baskets. All without leaving my house. I'm going to call it pajama research!

eBooks- I'm slower than most to warm up to the new rush to eBooks, but, recently, I needed some information that wasn't carried in the local bookstores. I ordered the eBooks and got them so fast I didn't have time to walk to the kitchen to get coffee. Amazing. If you haven't tried an eBook yet, you should know the price is a lot less too. Who knows? Maybe I'll break down and order one of those Amazon Kindles. I'm holding back because Bezos is so proud of them (they retail for around $359.00). However, since my books will be on Kindle and Sony soon, I guess I should get with the new technology. Maybe I could give up chocolate for a month...

Quote du jour:

I have always imagined that paradise will be a kind of library. - Jorge Luis Borges (courtesy of Abe Books)

Visit my book site and read sample chapters of my books:

www.JanelleMerazHooper.com

For Thanksgiving, I've posted some fillers on the homepage

I'm recycling my old nuclear warheads.

Clip art courtesy of Microsoft

As far I'm concerned, that marshmallow is just right. But the kid doesn't seem to agree. We're heading into tough times. Please help the food banks if you can.

I'm trying to get back to my regular blog format, but it would be impossible to go all the way back. Our world has changed since Wall Street took a dive, so I'm going to add a new topic on politics that is yet to be named. Here's an idea: why don't I just call it politics?

Politics-I'm passing around a sign-up sheet so we can keep track of red and blue politicians. I'm watching Nancy Pelosi every Monday from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM. Who's got her after that? I'm not picking on Nancy--I want us to watch all of them!

Last year, I wrote a few lines at different times about how a writer could be green. Whatever I do will be small. I won't be buying a new car as mine is paid for, and I rarely drive it anyway. It's a 1999 model, and it just turned over 50,000 miles. But everyone can do something, and maybe a small idea will trigger a bigger idea by someone who leaves a bigger footprint than I do.

Green writer- Water bottles have been on everyone's mind. I've never used many, but will try to use none at all going forward. By using reusable storage containers, I'm really slowing down my consumption of plastic bags. We're carrying reusable grocery bags. I know. Ho-hum. I'll recycle my old nuclear warheads too. How's that?

On my bed table- Dreamers of the Day by Mary Doria Russell. I love this book. It's set in Egypt after World War I. A light romance, the story is built around the 1921 Cairo Peace Conference. Characters include Winston Churchill and Lawrence of Arabia.

On my TV-The Food Network. I think these shows are mainly entertainment for me because I watch them like some people read cookbooks. I'm also watchng a lot of The History Channel. History is a lot more interesting now, with my perspective, than it was in the eighth grade. Who knew?

On Warrior (my laptop)- I've been rewriting Bears in Hibiscus and have spent over 18 hours writing a short story that no one will ever be interested in, I fear. But I love it. It's called Old Joe and His Yellow Cadillac. My readers have come to expect humor from me, and this tale is sad. I got the idea from when I saw an old man working on one of those old, Eldorado Cadillacs like Elvis used to drive. The rest of the story I made up.

quote du jour:

"Americans drink deeply from wells we did not dig." Cory Booker, mayor of Newark New Jersey (Bill Maher show), speaking about all the great patriots who have gone before us.

I've posted Thanksgiving shorts on my website:

http://www.janellemerazhooper.com/

You'll also find sample chapters of my books there!

No time to edit! get out your red pen!

My work here is done.

*And Beyond! courtesy of Walt Disney

I think my work here is done. Frankly, it didn't go as well as I'd hoped. My goal was to open logical, thoughtful conversation between our left and right. What I got from the right was far from what I'd hoped for. And the emails I got, most of them, were sent to my personal email box. I guess few were willing to express their thoughts worldwide. But it's time to move on and get back to my normal literary blog. I've missed it!

One last thought: Barack Obama has given us a great gift before he has served a day in office. No, I don't mean the history he's made by being our first black president. That too. But what I'm referring to is how he and his staff has shown us how to use the Internet for good. Our good. Do you feel empowered? I do. Do you feel stronger? We are!

I did community work for years because I felt I had some control in my neighborhood. National and world matters, I thought, were out of my control. Not anymore! Change has truly come!

With my little mouse, I can reach all the way over to D. C. and smack them if I want to.
And so can you. Never forget it. Thank you, Obama.

God bless and keep our new president and his family. God bless and keep The United States of America.

www.JanelleMerazHooper.com

Read samples of my books!

Barack Obama

"Change has come to America." President-elect Barack Obama

Obama wins!

Woo-hoo!

I am speechless.

Janelle

The whos are back!

I voted by mail this year, but I went to the polls with my husband, and he only had a five minute wait. I feel for all of the people who are in long lines, but to be a part of history--whichever way the vote goes--makes the wait worth it. They must think so too, or they wouldn't be there.

I heard on MSNBC that Danny DeVito was running up and down the lines at a polling place in Florida, keeping the voters entertained so they wouldn't give up and go home. I'd like to see that!

There were a lot of reasons NOT to vote for McCain, but most Americans were too polite to vocalize the biggest: McCain's window of opportunity came and went years ago. He's too old, too sick, too addled to lead our nation, especially in this time of crisis.

When I say this, I'm standing behind one of his big Country First signs. We need young, intellectual, steady leadership, and we needed it yesterday. Don't send me any emails on this; if you disagree, start your own blog!

This election isn't in the bag; a lot can happen in the next few hours. Call your friends. Make sure they've voted. I sent out a slew of emails yesterday reminding people to vote, and got a zillion reminders myself in return.

We've been Whos too long. We are here! We are here! We are here! (Dr. Seuss)

Vote, America! Vote!

Quote du jour:

"Close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades." Rachel Maddow, The Rachel Maddow Show, MSNBC

McCain and his weird attachments

What is this fixation McCain has with losers? All day yesterday, all he talked about was Joe the Plumber and, today, he's been running negative ads on Reverend Wright over and over. Then, of course, there's the Alaskan Snow Dummy he picked up on that dating service on TV. Add Joe Lieberman, The First Dude, and The Ice Woman who stands behind him all he time. He's looking very strange.

And all day he's been saying, "The Mack is back!" What does that mean? has he taken a job at McDonald's?

And why do I get the feeling that things are going to get very nasty if Palin doesn't get her way?

Toot

11-03-08- Thank you, Toot. Good job!
Barack Obama's grandmother, whose nickname was Toot, passed away today at 86.

I used to toy with the idea of setting up a website titled, Go, Mom! where I'd recognize exemplary acts by moms to protect and support their children. But the idea outgrew its name when I began to add fathers, grandparents, and other heros and heroines to the list. I moved on to other ideas. But if I had such a website today, Barack's grandmother would be at the top of my list.

The extreme right has taken over the Republican Party

Vote, America, vote!

1 more day!

From a conversation over the weekend:
"...no, I won't be voting Republican this time--for the first time ever, I'll be voting Democrat. The Republican party isn't the party I grew up with. Their focus is no longer business. Now, the extreme right has taken over. It is no longer the same party. It may never change back in my lifetime." DH (DH is in his middle sixties)

www.JanelleMerazHooper.com

Tick-Tick-Tick...

Tick-Tick-Tick

36 hours

Vote, ya'll!

McCain has been on TV this morning, repeating the same old stuff. He's a Maverick, Sarah Palin is a true reformer, yada-yada-yada. Nothing about unifying our country, just more division. I lost all tolerance for him when he came up with those Country First signs, and then preceded to lie his way from one side of our nation to another. He is NOT what this country needs, and he knows it, so who is he putting first? John McCain. It's all about John.

I've been so focused on Obama getting elected that I forgot all about Bush's Goodbye party. I hope someone is busy working on it. For locations, I suggest Iraq, The World Trade Building site in New York City, Guantamino Bay, Abu Graib, or New Orleans, Halliburton Corporate headquarters, Blackwater's home office...I hope he gets a trophy for the Worst President in American History. He's earned it; I'd gladly chip in.

Please forward this blog to your friends, and remind them to vote!

Janelle Meraz Hooper is an author. Read samples of her books on:

www.JanelleMerazHooper.com

All of John McCain's horses are dead!

3 more days!

I've been looking over all of McCain's propaganda, and I've noticed that he's beating a lot of dead horses:
1. Abortion rights: Like it or not, this is an issue that will be decided in state and federal courts.
Abortion issues don't really have a place in this campaign. Even if the Republicans managed to install Supreme Court Justices who lean toward the Conservative Right, I've read that history shows they don't always vote the way they're expected to. Abortion is a problem we're going to have to work out step by step. there's no use spinning our wheels over a problem that won't be decided on November 4th.

2. The war in Iraq: John McCain has a lot of bravado about winning in Iraq. He'd better be quick. From what I've read, the Iraqis want us out of their country by January first.

3. Terrorists: The terrorists the McCain people keep yapping about have also been funded by John McCain on different projects to the tune of hundreds of thousands of dollars. In this case, there isn't even a dead horse. It's just Republican hysteria being broadcasted because they don't want to address the real issues.

If you're still undecided, I hope you'll ask yourself:
1. Which candidate has shown the best judgement? Even Republicans have questioned McCain's judgement for picking Palin (and more).
2. Which candidate has shown the best leadership? With McCain's total lack of leadership, this may be the dirtiest, most untruthful election in Republican history. This is not the man to bring us together.
3. Which candidate has shown the most intellect? McCain has been all over the place, like a chicken being chased by a space ship.
4. Which candidate has surrounded himself with the best, most qualified people? McCain, like Bush, has consistently picked old croonies to advise him. The same good-ole-boys who got us into our mess in the first place!

These next 4 years are going to be critical for the survival of our country. We've got a lot of work to do. Let's start out with the best, strongest, most intelligent, and healthy team we can.

Obama/Biden in 2008!

Please forward this blog to your friends...

(Janelle Meraz Hooper is an author. Information about her books can be found on: www.JanelleMerazHooper.com)

Sent by email: Alec Baldwin was talking about the Spice Girls (a musical group), and commented that Sarah Palin was Bible Spice. So, does that make McCain Old Spice, I asked?

"Fasten your seatbelts..."

4 more days!

I had a request to post the link for that hateful video, but I won't do it for two reasons:
1. It would just spread more hate.
2. I think it may even be illegal. We have laws against spreading racial hatred...and doesn't sending something over the Internet count as crossing state lines?

I don't know why I'm worried--I've already voted. Let them send me to The Big House.

David I could use your insight on Tuesday night. I wish you were here, although I don't see much of a party in my future. I'm frazzled, and focused on seeing Obama doing something to get us back on track. I'm going to buy your book, but I can't handle it right now. Too much stress!

Also, I'm not dumb. I can see the future. It's going to be rough. Not only are we going to have to cinch in our belts and learn to live on less, but The Republicans are already plotting to destroy Obama politically.

On top of all that, I go back to my comments over a year ago: we can no longer trust our government to take care of business. We're going to have to ride them everyday. I'm thinking maybe we can make a schedule and take turns.

We have to learn to live with the shame of Bush, restore this country's integrity, get green, and do more than our share to help the needy in the world. I figure we have a big, big debt to pay. Oh, and somewhere in there, we have to work so we can take care of our families.

We are so broke I don't see how we're going to fix our infrastructure, provide health care, and put everyone back to work. Everything sounds so easy during campaign time, and too many people are still heavily into denial about our position. This is no time to be worrying about lipstick on pigs!

In short, whoever wins is going to need a lot of help. Hopefully, we'll start off with a strong leader (Obama)--that will help. But he and Congress can't do it all.

Quote du jour: "Fasten your seatbelts. It's going to be a bumpy ride." (All About Eve)Joseph Leo Mankiewicz (spoken by Bette Davis)

Please forward this blog to your friends.

I write books too! Read sample chapters:

www.JanelleMerazHooper.com

I'm done with Republicans.

5 more days!

I'm done with Republicans. I know I said that for the first time months ago, but I mean it this time. The world will have to run out of chocolate before I ever vote for another Republican.

Why? Because too many of them are mean, nasty people who send me the most outrageous hate emails. That's bad enough but, yesterday, someone sent me a video that was so racist I couldn't force myself to watch the whole thing. Zipping off a hateful email takes a lot of hate, prejudice, and stupidity. But what if the people take the time to write a script, cast, film, edit, produce and distribute hate? How deep is that hate? How racist? How sick? How unpatriotic? How careless? How just plain stupid is that?!

Last week I complained about the lack of intellect in the Conservatives' materials. Then, I was puzzled by all of the editorials and emails in the "pigs with lipstick" category.

There's nothing puzzling about the meaning of this latest wave of propaganda from the far right. Their intent is impossible to misunderstand. They don't deserve to live in this country.

Folks, this stuff is just plain dangerous. And it should be criminal.

Please forward this little blog to your friends. Time is short!

I write books too! Read sample chapters:

www.JanelleMerazHooper.com

Barbara West

7 more days!

Barbara West, the newscaster from a television station in Orlando, Florida, is non-repentant and smug about her interview questions to Joe Biden yesterday. I guess it's easy to feel comfortable without your integrity when you're already wading in a GOP cesspool, and everyone in it stinks as much as you do. I tried to watch the whole interview on the Internet, but I started to gag and had to bail out. I assume the whole interview was there--I'll never know!

Wiser intellects than she have already said that what Obama wants to do is not Marxist, yet I keep getting emails about Marxism and communism. I guess it's all they've got. That and that email about Obama not having a birth certificate. Mercy!

As long as she stays at the tv station she's at now, I guess she'll be okay, but I don't think any reputable broadcast station would hire her.

If you've been reading this blog and enjoy it, please forward it to a few friends. It's my little gift to Obama and our country. It ain't much, but it's all I've got!

I write books too! Read sample chapters:

www.JanelleMerazHooper.com

8 Days! Vote!

8 Days?!

Can that be right? Hopefully, you're registered to vote. If not, please check and see if it's not too late.

My emails were close to 2,000 so, over the weekend, I had to delete most of them. I had kept all of the hate emails, lie-emails, and impending doom emails in case I needed them for this blog. As I looked at them, I was struck by one common denominator: the lack of intellect. People sent me the weirdest stuff! And they must have believed it because they copied everyone between me and Abe Lincoln. I would send people pieces written by constitutional experts, newspaper editors from our largest newspapers, excerpts from learned professors, etc. And what did I get back? Long emails about pigs with pink lips! Gimmee a break!

I actually went in search of the opposite view on my own, and found the same junk. And I'm still waiting for that October surprise the Republicans threatened to reveal. The GOP is famous for last minute dirty tricks--watch for them.

Note to robo-callers: You can take my name off your list--I've already voted.

If you've been enjoying my blog for Obama, please forward it to your friends.

I write books too! Read sample chapters:

www.JanelleMerazHooper.com

Obama and his plane

11 more days

Is it just me? Am I the only one who doesn't want a politician--any politician--on my plane? Flying is hard enough nowadays. The last thing I want is some secret service agent frisking me every time I get up to go to the restroom. And I'm old. I get up a lot.

I know there are other, more logical reasons for Obama to fly his own plane. I'm just saying...

Let's focus instead on his grandmother. I hope that poor woman lives long enough to see her grandson become president. She deserves that much and more. Glass ceilings aside, good mothering and grandmothering is the most important thing we do for our country. On Inauguration Night, I plan to raise a toast to Obama's grandmother and say, "Look what you did! Good job!"

If you've been enjoying this blog for Obama, please forward the link to your friends. Time is short--eleven days to go--please help me do my part for a great leader. Our country sorely needs one!

I write books too! Read sample chapters on:

www.JanelleMerazHooper.com

In October: Wanda the Witch stories

Sarah Palin's wardrobe

What?! Have we solved all of our economic and foreign policy problems and, now, we’re ready to move onto Sarah Palin’s wardrobe?

This is the one area where I have some sympathy for The Alaskan Snow Dummy. Who of us would have a wardrobe to fulfill her appearance requirements with The Old Gray Goose at the last minute?

And as for the huge amount of money she spent, I think we have to factor in the reality that mid-market department stores don’t do alterations, much less last-minute alterations. Besides, bargain-shopping is very time-consuming. And time is something Sarah Palin doesn’t have because she’s so busy prepping for all of those television interviews she does (tee-hee).

So, let’s give Sarah a pass on her wardrobe. Dressing to go out in public isn’t easy. Even when I have to dress for a book-signing at the local library, I end up with a pile of clothes three feet high on my bed. (Does this sweatshirt make my butt look big?)

Read my books! they're much better!

www.JanelleMerazHooper.com

(new Halloween stories on the homepage)

Are we being blackmailed by McCain?

Why does McCain keep saying he knows were Bin Laden is, and he knows how to catch him? If he really knows, why doesn't he just tell us? If he isn't elected, will he keep it a secret?
Or, maybe Palin saw him when she was looking at Russia out her back door...

Of course, one of my earlier theories was that we don't want to catch him, for fear he'll spill too many beans about what we've been up to...that man knows a lot about how we operated in Afghanistan.

Myself, I'd like to hear what the man has to say. I'd believe him before I believed Bush.

"Ain't ya got no shame?"

Well, if John McCain's lips are moving, he's lying. I don't know how much more I can stand. When I was a kid in Oklahoma, my grandmother used to shake a finger at us and ask, "Ain't ya got no shame?" She would have her hands full with McCain. The Gray Goose and his Alaskan Snow Dummy have made history.

Quote du jour:
On Sarah Palin: "There's less of her than meets the eye." Martin Sheen

Read sample chapters of my books:

www.JanelleMerazHooper.com

I've also posted two humorous Halloween fillers on my homepage

fifteen little old ladies

It said on the news yesterday that about 15 little old ladies beat up some young men in their 20s yesterday at a Palin rally. They were chanting and holding up Obama signs and were rewarded with a black eye and other injuries. Now, that's just wrong. Violence is never the answer, and we cannot condone it.

But, if the young men were mine, I'd have to ask, "What were you thinking?" and I'd advise, "Next time, stand across the street!"

visit my book site:

www.JanelleMerazHooper.com

read samples of my novels in large print