Tornado Aftermath

It’s the small parts . . .

Had to call AT&T on Friday for an account change, which took more than 30 minutes and was accompanied by many apologies. Long delays caused by numerous calls from tornado-stricken cities and towns – when you no longer have a house, you no longer need your home phone account. One of those things you don’t think about – how can you, when you see all that devastation? But, surely, it’s those small details that grab you and make your heart pour out its empathy to those much less fortunate than you.

How To Fix Congress: Pass the 28th Amendment!

I am not a fan of term limits (much prefer an educated electorate, who will "send the bums home" regularly), but there is enough good stuff in an e-mail I received from a friend this morning that it's worth my readers' attention. So, here goes:

The 26th amendment (granting the right to vote for 18 year-olds) took only 3 months & 8 days to be ratified! Why? Simple! The people demanded it. That was in 1971...before computers, before e-mail, before cell phones, etc.

Of the 27 amendments to the Constitution, seven (7) took 1 year or less to become the law of the land...all because of public pressure.

I'm asking each addressee to forward this email to a minimum of twenty people on their address list; in turn ask each of those to do likewise.

In three days, most people in The United States of America will have the message. This is one idea that really should be passed around.

Congressional Reform Act of 2011 --


1. Term Limits. 12 years only, one of the possible options below..

A. Two Six-year Senate terms
B. Six Two-year House terms
C. One Six-year Senate term and three Two-Year House terms


2. No Tenure / No Pension. A Congressman collects a salary while in office and receives no pay when they are out of office.


3. Congress (past, present & future) participates in Social Security.


All funds in the Congressional retirement fund move to the Social Security system immediately. All future funds flow into the Social Security system, and Congress participates with the American people.


4. Congress can purchase their own retirement plan, just as all Americans do.


5. Congress will no longer vote themselves a pay raise. Congressional pay will rise by the lower of CPI or 3%.

6. Congress loses their current health care system and participates in the same health care system as the American people.


7. Congress must equally abide by all laws they impose on the American people.


8. All contracts with past and present Congressmen are void effective 10-1-11


The American people did not make this contract with Congressmen. Congressmen made all these contracts for themselves.


Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, so ours should serve their term(s), then go home and back to work.


If each person contacts a minimum of twenty people then it will only take three days for most people (in the U.S. ) to receive the message. Maybe it is time..

Who writes for you?

If you don't write for yourself, let's talk about how I can do this for you.

Business people, whether they are corporate executives or international entrepreneurs, like to make a good impression. Who doesn't? They are well-dressed and impeccably groomed, drive nice cars and live in lovely houses with manicured lawns.

Then they've got to write a letter or a proposal, or update their bio, and they don't know where to begin. So, an admin or intern is recruited to do the job. Does that make sense? Not, if you want to maintain that carefully created image!

As a writer, I enjoy working with professionals who are interested in addressing their audiences in clear and concise messages executed in pristine language – without verbosity, clichés, industry jargon or hype AND WITH proper grammar, spelling and punctuation, with syntax that dances across the page and a story that catches the imagination and propels the reader to action. 

Does this appeal to you? If it does, we should talk!