Guidelines on Turning Fact into Fiction

For my fellow authors and writers seeking to incorporate real-life experiences into fictional novels and/or stories, I have started a multiple-part series on my Dariaanne blog. Today's post revolves around Water Signs' hero, Ken Lockheart.

Fact into Fiction: The Pitfalls and Positives

Over at my Dariaanne Wordpress blog, I am offering tips to my fellow writers on everything from self-publishing to the unusual evolution of my loosely autobiographical tale, Water Signs. Based on a back-and-forth email conversation with a friend, I was inspired to write today's latest update, chronicling copyright laws and respect for the real-life inspirations behind my characters.

Bottom line: Copyright laws only offer protection when authors comply with them. Therefore, I will NEVER divulge real-life identities. It's not a matter of "trust" but a matter of legal protection in a town where there's "six degrees of separation", particularly in the business community.

Tim Graney - Ron Paul's Worthy Opponent in Texas CD-14

For those of us fed up with the 9/11 Truther-Anarchist crowd and their blind devotion to a 20-year incumbent whose foreign policy outlook can be summed up by the simple phrase, "Blame America first," there is a wonderful alternative. Social, fiscal and national security conservative, and small businessman Tim Graney is challenging Ron Paul in the Republican Primary in Texas Congressional District 14. Please click here for my full interview with Tim, now posted on Parcbench. Join his Facebook page here.

As I've repeatedly pointed out, the kook fringe on the right is just as bad as the left -- actually, they are even more dangerous because many are avidly trying to usurp the Tea Party Movement to achieve their own ends. In most cases, this involves pushing for third-party candidates who have absolutely zero chance of winning, and whose candidacy would only serve to push the government even further to the left by splitting the vote on the right.

Moreover, when it comes to intelligent, respectful debate, let's just say the far-right is just as incapable as any troll I've encountered on the left. Just last night on Facebook, a Ron Paul supporter called me a CU&*^% because I have the audacity to believe that 9/11 was caused by radical Muslims, and not the US Government. By the way, this person was a female, and probably one of the only US Marines on the planet to buy into the Truther nonsense.

And if you attempt to explain that you are not simply a "blind sheep" but someone who vehemently disagreed with President Bush on a number of issues, yet still supported him in his efforts in Afghanistan and Iraq, you are derided as a "neo-con", their favorite pejorative for anyone who disagrees with them.

Forget about explaining the intertwined concepts of freedom and responsibility; these people want nothing to do with that. In their minds, liberty means doing anything you want, whenever you want, and to hell with how your actions affect other people. If they had their way, we'd all live in complete chaos, without the benefit of a criminal justice system, police force or military.

On that last point, these folks conveniently forget that the United States is the only country in the history of the world to use our force in the defense of freedom -- not to plunder land from other countries. Further, we are the only country whose outstanding military conducts humanitarian missions for the benefit of mankind, such as their efforts in Haiti immediately following the devastating earthquake.

And yet, some Ron Paul supporters had the audacity to accuse the United States of occupying Haiti!

If there's any difference in terms of foreign policy between left and far-right, I've yet to discern it based on countless interactions on Facebook and Parcbench. Just look at the comments following my piece on Palin's Tea Party Convention speech -- instead of engaging the arguments, they resort to the kind of petty, nasty name-calling that would make any Daily Kos commenter beam with pride.

But I'm a big girl, and I can take it. My larger concern is for our efforts in 2010 to rid Congress of socialists and communists who want to "remake" America. And Ron Paul's enthusiastic, bordering-on-paranoia followers pose a real obstacle to that worthy goal.

I don't know what part of "Death to America!" these people don't understand; or how they can reconcile the fact that freedom cannot exist without the protection of our men and women in uniform. We can reduce the size of government, uphold states' rights, slash taxes, drill for domestic oil and implement free-market health insurance reforms and meaningful immigration reform. That's all welcome and fantastic. However, none of it will do us any good if we don't remain vigilant against radical Islam for whom the left and the far-right are perpetual, useful idiots.

So be sure to choose your candidates carefully in the primaries. 9/11 Truthers may have a right to free speech and expression, but they have absolutely no place in government.

UPDATE: Via Newsbusters, National Geographic special debunks 9/11 conspiracy theories.

Don't Be Fooled GOP

Poll after poll confirms that the vast majority of Americans oppose Obamacare. Americans are a free people and instinctively know that Obamacare has nothing to do with health care, but is simply a big government takeover of one - sixth of the US economy. Could there be any further repudiation of Obamacare than the election of Scott Brown, in deep blue Massachusetts?

Remember the summer recess when ordinary, freedom - loving Americans appeared en masse at town hall meetings across the country and let their elected representatives have it about Obamacare. These largely Democratic legislators were clearly taken aback by the public reaction. They had never had anyone stand up to them before. Democrats in Washington are used to elected Republicans playing dead and rolling over, and capitulating to their every whim. What a shock to them when they discovered that the American people are a much more formidable opponent than the Republican Party.

Which brings me to the upcoming Presidential summit on health care scheduled for later this month. While I disagree vehemently with the President on virtually every issue, he is very intelligent and an extremely skilled politician. No doubt he has learned from the set backs he suffered in New Jersey, Virginia, and Massachusetts. The health care summit could be a stroke of genius on his part, if the GOP allows it to be. Remember the Trojan horse? The President clearly wants to make it look like Republicans are simply the party of no,and are just playing politics.

However, it is Mr. Obama who is playing politics here and there is a way that the GOP can expose his trickery. Republicans must continually emphasize that the summit is a sham because the President won't scrap the House and Senate bills and start from scratch. Remind people about the evils of socialized medicine. Talk rationing and death panels. The GOP has to keep reminding the public that they are willing to start anew at ground zero and work in a bipartisan manner to help improve what is clearly the best health care delivery system in the world. Steal a line from Bill Clinton, "mend it, don't end it."

In advance of the summit Republicans must reduce their plan to writing in simple form, and insist that all of the issues on the table in their plan be up for discussion. Then they have to put their plan out on the Internet. Most importantly Republicans must not back down. If the President, won't agree to these conditions, the GOP should refuse to appear. The same public which has stopped Obamacare dead in its tracks to this point, is solidly with the Republicans on this one. If the President insists on ramming one of the current bills down our collective throats despite the fact that the vast majority of Americans don't want it, then let the Democrats own it.

All you have to do GOP is show a little gumption and "strategery" this month, the American people will take care of the rest come November.

Palin, Paulnuts and the Tea Party Movement

If you are so inclined, head on over to Parcbench for my latest post on Governor Palin's excellent Tea Party Convention speech, which in typical fashion, has attracted all of the 9/11 truther trolls. Did you know that Sarah Palin is "bloodthirsty" simply for demanding that enemy combatants be treated as such? Or that she's single-handedly "driven a stake" through "Ron Paul's" Tea Party Movement? I know it to be true because the Paulnuts tell me so.

As I've been repeatedly pointing out, the far-right poses just as big of a threat to the successful take-back of Congress in 2010 as liberals -- actually, I submit they are even more dangerous. While promoting the concepts of limited government, individual liberty and low taxes, they inexplicably fail to acknowledge that none of that amounts to a hill of beans if radical Islam gets it way with the west. I don't know why these people refuse to face the reality of a rabid ideology wrapped up in a cloak of religion that demands total allegiance to Allah, subjugates women and infidels, and salivates over the imposition of Sharia Law worldwide.

If there's any conspiracy going on, surely it's Global Jihad. How many successful attacks, nearly successful attacks, beheadings, honor killings and screeds of "Death to America"! is it gonna take?

Ironically, Debra Media, candidate for governor in Texas, has finally been "outed" by Glenn Beck as a 9/11 Truther today. Having been familiar with Medina, and being Facebook friends with those well-acquainted with her, it comes as no surprise. But now at least the rest of the country is on to her loony trutherism, thanks to her own bumbling of a perfectly reasonable question.

Finally, I am hosting Diane Student on The Liberty Belle Hour tonight at 7 p.m. And as with last week, I am prepared for the troll calls, which will most certainly arise with the publication of my latest Parcbench article.

Bring it on!

And Happy Birthday, Governor Palin! God bless you!

Whither Al Gore?

This past Friday the Philadelphia area got hit with the second biggest blizzard in recorded history when 28.5 inches of snow blanketed the Delaware Valley on Friday and Saturday. The biggest snow storm in Philadelphia history occurred in January 1996 when 30.7 inches of snow fell. The third biggest storm in our history occurred just six weeks ago in December, 2009, a few weeks before Christmas. At that time we got with 23.2 inches of snow.

Let's see, the second and third biggest snow falls in our history occurred within two months of each, and another large snow storm may be on its way this week. Curious isn't it, that the biggest snow fall occurred during the Clinton Administration while the second and third biggest occurred during the Obama Administration. Can you say global warming, Al? Compare this with the recent email controversy, whereby the global warming hoax was fully exposed, and you have the perpetration of one of the biggest frauds since Orson Welles announced that Martians were invading.

What is even more infuriating is that Al Gore has become a multi - millionaire selling this snake oil. Hey Al, the gig is up. It's almost Lent. Why not be a man and confess publicly that this whole global warming thing is a farce. Also, if you really want to make amends Al and do something for the planet, why don't you take a couple million dollars of your ill gotten gains and donate it to the suffering people of Haiti.

Sarah Palin's Fabulous Speech at the Tea Party Convention

On the eve of Super Bowl Sunday, Palin delivered a knockout speech to the Tea Party Convention in Nashville. Enjoy!