Image from istockphoto.com by Alan Crosthwaite copyright 2007 Confession: During each U.S. congressional showdown it feels as if we the people, the masses are simply collateral damage in the wake of the warring parties' legislative destruction. The politicians who refer most often to the U.S. Constitution act in ways that undermine its intent to avoid tyranny, oligarchy, and plutocracy. Today's 21st-century United States doesn't feel like a democracy. BATAF: Politicians will ultimately make the wisest decisions for the country because doing so is in their own best interests.

Confession: During my childhood, rainy days meant reading randomly chosen articles from the World Book and Encyclopaedia Britannica sets that my parents had bought for me. Having them so easily accessible made me feel as if everything worth knowing was within my reach. BATAF: Physical books are obsolete.