From a fellow phone bank volunteer:
This evening I got a lovely 80 year old woman on the phone who was a Republican ..and we talked for a bit as I told her about the Democratic candidates I was calling about and she said she would be voting for all of them..and added Andrew Cuomo and Barack Obama (next time)..so I said, "If you are a registered Republican, why are you voting the entire Democratic ticket..and she said "I may be a Republican but I do have a brain!"
Gotta love her and love this work!
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Thursday, September 30, 2010
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
I'm Agitated
I'll be glad when the election is over. I am so agitated by the misinformation, lies and mean-spiritedness that is happening that I may have to turn off the TV and stop looking at Internet punditry until November 4th.
When I make calls to encourage DEMS to turn out to vote in November, I get all positive and hopeful again. They're fired up and ready to vote, which is great (and the exact OPPOSITE of what the news is saying) so I expect a good turnout and DEM victories in the areas where they're most needed.
I just want it to be over so I can get back to normalcy emotionally. Of course, if the GOP prognostications prevail, nothing will be normal or better... we'll end up back in the ditch in short order in all likelihood... and that will tick me off because it will mean that the people who voted for Obama in 2008 sat on their hands instead of voting again this year for his agenda and for the people in Congress who support it.
VP Biden, former President Clinton and Michelle Obama will be here in WA in October to rally the DEM voters to turn out (especially the first time voters from the 2008 election), so I expect WA will return Patty Murray, Adam Smith, Norm Dicks and other DEMS to their respective seats. I think this state will be fine as a result. I just worry about the rest of the country because we're all in this together...
I pray that the scales will fall from Fox viewers' eyes and that they'll decide to really look into what they're being fed by going to snopes.com or factcheck.org and separating the truth from the lies before they go to the polls this year. Fox viewers are not being well-served; they're being indoctrinated. They need to watch more than Fox to get a more-substantial view of reality. I watch all of the cable stations including C-Span. It's hard for me to watch Fox for very long because they're so obviously skewed to the GOP and to the far right... which is NOT where most Americans are... and when they start bashing Obama and DEMS it infuriates me because they twist facts, repeat gossip and lies, fund radical so-called "Christian fundamentalist" candidates, and foment completely unnecessary fear.
It's just awful. I fear for this country and its citizens; I really do. The rest of the world admires and likes Obama (except for our enemies). We're so blinded by punditry from the left and the right that we can't see what's real. The right is frightened because of Fox's lies about Obama; the left is frustrated because Obama hasn't done "enough" to address their pet issues.
News Bulletin to Both Sides: The guy isn't Superman. He never claimed to be; his most earnest supporters (including me) saddled him with that moniker and gave him that hill to climb. But he is making progress against enormous odds, lock-step opposition, and bald-faced lies that are being spread about him. In spite of it all, he's holding his head up, offering hope and a way forward.
He deserves our respect, our support, and our prayers. He ISN'T the enemy. He's who we put in place to carry the burden -- and he's carrying it well despite its enormous weight.
Congress needs visionaries to support him -- not naysayers who hobble him. I pray day and night that we'll give him the support he needs to hit this out of the ballpark for us. He sure is trying!
When I make calls to encourage DEMS to turn out to vote in November, I get all positive and hopeful again. They're fired up and ready to vote, which is great (and the exact OPPOSITE of what the news is saying) so I expect a good turnout and DEM victories in the areas where they're most needed.
I just want it to be over so I can get back to normalcy emotionally. Of course, if the GOP prognostications prevail, nothing will be normal or better... we'll end up back in the ditch in short order in all likelihood... and that will tick me off because it will mean that the people who voted for Obama in 2008 sat on their hands instead of voting again this year for his agenda and for the people in Congress who support it.
VP Biden, former President Clinton and Michelle Obama will be here in WA in October to rally the DEM voters to turn out (especially the first time voters from the 2008 election), so I expect WA will return Patty Murray, Adam Smith, Norm Dicks and other DEMS to their respective seats. I think this state will be fine as a result. I just worry about the rest of the country because we're all in this together...
I pray that the scales will fall from Fox viewers' eyes and that they'll decide to really look into what they're being fed by going to snopes.com or factcheck.org and separating the truth from the lies before they go to the polls this year. Fox viewers are not being well-served; they're being indoctrinated. They need to watch more than Fox to get a more-substantial view of reality. I watch all of the cable stations including C-Span. It's hard for me to watch Fox for very long because they're so obviously skewed to the GOP and to the far right... which is NOT where most Americans are... and when they start bashing Obama and DEMS it infuriates me because they twist facts, repeat gossip and lies, fund radical so-called "Christian fundamentalist" candidates, and foment completely unnecessary fear.
It's just awful. I fear for this country and its citizens; I really do. The rest of the world admires and likes Obama (except for our enemies). We're so blinded by punditry from the left and the right that we can't see what's real. The right is frightened because of Fox's lies about Obama; the left is frustrated because Obama hasn't done "enough" to address their pet issues.
News Bulletin to Both Sides: The guy isn't Superman. He never claimed to be; his most earnest supporters (including me) saddled him with that moniker and gave him that hill to climb. But he is making progress against enormous odds, lock-step opposition, and bald-faced lies that are being spread about him. In spite of it all, he's holding his head up, offering hope and a way forward.
He deserves our respect, our support, and our prayers. He ISN'T the enemy. He's who we put in place to carry the burden -- and he's carrying it well despite its enormous weight.
Congress needs visionaries to support him -- not naysayers who hobble him. I pray day and night that we'll give him the support he needs to hit this out of the ballpark for us. He sure is trying!
FABULOUS! GET FIRED UP, AMERICA!!!
http://www.barackobama.com/live/#volunteer
IT'S TIME TO MAKE IT HAPPEN -- AGAIN!!!
call.barackobama.com
IT'S TIME TO MAKE IT HAPPEN -- AGAIN!!!
call.barackobama.com
Monday, September 27, 2010
RELIEF FOR SMALL BUSINESSES!!! STARTING TODAY!
Starting today, millions of small business owners will be eligible for up to eight new tax cuts, and within weeks, thousands of businesses will finally have access to the credit they desperately need.
The bill also includes key provisions the President has fought for since the beginning of this year:
-- Small businesses receive a tax write-off on the first $500,000 of new equipment investments;
-- More than a million eligible small businesses will be able to make key long-term investments that are subject to zero capital gains taxes;
-- Entrepreneurs who take a chance on a new idea can deduct the first $10,000 of start-up costs; and
-- The self-employed can deduct 100 percent of the cost of health insurance for themselves and their families from self-employment taxes.
The bill also includes key provisions the President has fought for since the beginning of this year:
-- Small businesses receive a tax write-off on the first $500,000 of new equipment investments;
-- More than a million eligible small businesses will be able to make key long-term investments that are subject to zero capital gains taxes;
-- Entrepreneurs who take a chance on a new idea can deduct the first $10,000 of start-up costs; and
-- The self-employed can deduct 100 percent of the cost of health insurance for themselves and their families from self-employment taxes.
GOP Tea Party Candidates On Display...
-- Sharron Angle, who wants to be the next senator from Nevada, has called for phasing out Social Security and Medicare -- and even wants to end maternity coverage.
-- Pat Toomey is running for Senate in Pennsylvania. He wants to de-regulate Big Oil and open up the Great Lakes for drilling.
-- Christine O'Donnell, who is vying for the same Senate seat VP Biden was honored to hold in Delaware as a Senator, is campaigning on repealing health care reform.
Get the picture? Vote DEM!!!
-- Pat Toomey is running for Senate in Pennsylvania. He wants to de-regulate Big Oil and open up the Great Lakes for drilling.
-- Christine O'Donnell, who is vying for the same Senate seat VP Biden was honored to hold in Delaware as a Senator, is campaigning on repealing health care reform.
Get the picture? Vote DEM!!!
From Higher Awareness... AMEN!
Value just being
"To do great work a man must be very idle as well as very industrious." -- Samuel Butler
Many of us have been taught to believe that we are valued for what we do, not just for who we are. ‘Doing’ is important, but to keep life in balance, we also need time to just ‘be.’
Henry David Thoreau expressed this so well in Walden Pond:
"There were times when I could not afford to sacrifice the bloom of the present moment to any work, whether of the head or hand.
"Sometimes, on a summer morning, I sat in my sunny doorway from sunrise till noon, rapt in a revery, amidst the pines and hickories and sumacs, in undisturbed solitude and stillness, while the birds sang around or flitted noiseless through the house, until by the sun falling in at my west window, or the noise of some traveller's wagon on the distant highway, I was reminded of the lapse of time.
"I grew in those seasons like corn in the night, and they were far better than any work of the hands would have been."
Step by step, progressively learn basic meditation methods to relax, concentrate, focus, reflect, contemplate and illuminate. Take our Learn to Meditate email series with new exercises weekly. For more information, click here.
"To do great work a man must be very idle as well as very industrious." -- Samuel Butler
Many of us have been taught to believe that we are valued for what we do, not just for who we are. ‘Doing’ is important, but to keep life in balance, we also need time to just ‘be.’
Henry David Thoreau expressed this so well in Walden Pond:
"There were times when I could not afford to sacrifice the bloom of the present moment to any work, whether of the head or hand.
"Sometimes, on a summer morning, I sat in my sunny doorway from sunrise till noon, rapt in a revery, amidst the pines and hickories and sumacs, in undisturbed solitude and stillness, while the birds sang around or flitted noiseless through the house, until by the sun falling in at my west window, or the noise of some traveller's wagon on the distant highway, I was reminded of the lapse of time.
"I grew in those seasons like corn in the night, and they were far better than any work of the hands would have been."
Step by step, progressively learn basic meditation methods to relax, concentrate, focus, reflect, contemplate and illuminate. Take our Learn to Meditate email series with new exercises weekly. For more information, click here.
Sunday, September 26, 2010
In 1910...
Here are some statistics for the Year 1910:
The average life expectancy for men was 47 years.
Fuel for cars was sold in drug stores only.
Only 14 percent of the homes had a bathtub.
Only 8 percent of the homes had a telephone.
There were only 8,000 cars and only 144 miles of paved roads.
The maximum speed limit in most cities was 10 mph.
The tallest structure in the world was the Eiffel Tower !
The average US wage in 1910 was 22 cents per hour.
The average US worker made between $200 and $400 per year.
A competent accountant could expect to earn $2000 per year,
A dentist $2,500 per year, a veterinarian between $1,500 and $4,000 per year, and a mechanical engineer about $5,000 per year.
More than 95 percent of all births took place at HOME.
Ninety percent of all Doctors had NO COLLEGE EDUCATION!
Instead, they attended so-called medical schools, many of which were condemned in the press AND the government as 'substandard.'
Sugar cost four cents a pound.
Eggs were fourteen cents a dozen.
Coffee was fifteen cents a pound.
Most women only washed their hair once a month, and used Borax or egg yolks for shampoo.
Canada passed a law that prohibited poor people from entering into their country for any reason.
The Five leading causes of death were:
1. Pneumonia and influenza
2. Tuberculosis
3. Diarrhea
4. Heart disease
5. Stroke
The American flag had 45 stars.
The population of Las Vegas, Nevada, was only 30!
Crossword puzzles, canned beer, and iced tea hadn't been invented yet.
There was no Mother's Day or Father's Day.
Two out of every 10 adults couldn't read or write and only 6 percent of all Americans had graduated from high school.
Marijuana, heroin, and morphine were all available over the counter at the local corner drugstores.
Back then pharmacists said, "'Heroin clears the complexion, gives buoyancy to the mind, regulates the stomach and bowels, and is, in fact, a perfect guardian of health" ( Shocking? )
Eighteen percent of households had at least one full-time servant or domestic help.
There were about 230 reported murders in the ENTIRE U.S.A. !
Try to imagine what it may be like in another 100 years.
IT STAGGERS THE MIND
Friday, September 24, 2010
VP Biden is Coming to Tacoma Ocober 8th! WOO HOO!
I'm excited! VP Joe Biden will be in Tacoma on Friday October 8th with Senator Patty Murray for a Get Out the Vote Rally at UW Tacoma. I plan to go and help out. I would LOVE to meet him.
I tried to get to Cheney Stadium the last time he was here and couldn't get within a mile of the place, so I had to come home and watch it on C-SPAN.
I want to meet the VP of the US! Don't know that I will, but just being in the same room wirth him will be good enough... I gotta be sure my camera is working that day. Right now it isn't. I need a new battery, methinks!
How Ugly Will the Midterm Elections Be/ Only as Ugly as we Make Them!
Those who voted for Obama have not "abandoned" him or the DEMS that support him who are up for re-election this year on November 2nd. We understand about the lock-step opposition and how he has, in spite of it, managed to run more than 100 "wins" up the flag for the American people. We didn't vote him in with such fervor and joy only to cast him to the wolves during the next six years. We're not summer soldiers and Sunshine patriots. We're in this for the long haul.
I think the GOP and Tea Party are in for a rude awakening when, once again, DEMS, Independents and Republicans who voted for Obama vote AGAIN for his stalwarts in Congress during mid-terms. The leader of the free world is bringing us out of a very deep ditch that he had no part in digging.
The alternative -- not supporting his supporters in Congress -- is unthinkable. It's getting ugly on the other side. Ugly and scary.
It's time for us to step up to the plate during these midterms and vote again for what's right. It was right in 2008 and it's still right in 2010. Don't lose hope now. Hope and effort are what drive the train!!!
I think the GOP and Tea Party are in for a rude awakening when, once again, DEMS, Independents and Republicans who voted for Obama vote AGAIN for his stalwarts in Congress during mid-terms. The leader of the free world is bringing us out of a very deep ditch that he had no part in digging.
The alternative -- not supporting his supporters in Congress -- is unthinkable. It's getting ugly on the other side. Ugly and scary.
It's time for us to step up to the plate during these midterms and vote again for what's right. It was right in 2008 and it's still right in 2010. Don't lose hope now. Hope and effort are what drive the train!!!
From ChiHealth Innovations.
This is an important list for mobile phone users. The higher the SAR rating, the worse the phone is for your body.
Here is a list of some of the best and worst mobile phones regarding their SAR rates.
Top 5 Highest SAR Rate (High Absorption)
Sony Ericsson Satio 1.58
Sony Ericsson C901 1.57
Nokia E71 1.33
LG GD510 POP 1.29
HP IPAQVoice Messenger 1.27
Top 5 Lowest SAR Rate (Low Absorption)
Samsung Omnia II 0.168
LG New Parada 0.208
Nokia 6600 i 0.360
Samsung 0.354
HTC5740 0.390
See the Whole review, and find out your phone's rating by clicking on: http://www.chihealthinnovations.com/blog/
Use your mobile phone only as needed (as infrequently as possible). Even low-SAR rating mobile phones are still not great for you.
Limit the time you use your mobile phone (and all cordless home phones, too, by the way). ChiHealth Innovations advises kids not to use them at all except for emergencies. (Smaller brains and bodies: impact goes deeper.)
Here is a list of some of the best and worst mobile phones regarding their SAR rates.
Top 5 Highest SAR Rate (High Absorption)
Sony Ericsson Satio 1.58
Sony Ericsson C901 1.57
Nokia E71 1.33
LG GD510 POP 1.29
HP IPAQVoice Messenger 1.27
Top 5 Lowest SAR Rate (Low Absorption)
Samsung Omnia II 0.168
LG New Parada 0.208
Nokia 6600 i 0.360
Samsung 0.354
HTC5740 0.390
See the Whole review, and find out your phone's rating by clicking on: http://www.chihealthinnovations.com/blog/
Use your mobile phone only as needed (as infrequently as possible). Even low-SAR rating mobile phones are still not great for you.
Limit the time you use your mobile phone (and all cordless home phones, too, by the way). ChiHealth Innovations advises kids not to use them at all except for emergencies. (Smaller brains and bodies: impact goes deeper.)
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Divided We Fall...
These are the times that try men's souls: The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of his country; but he that stands by it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. -- Thomas Paine
I know tempers are hot and passionate ideologies are driving much of the vitriolic discourse that we hear and read almost everywhere we turn within our culture.
This is an important election. A vital election. It's no time for a single voter to sit on the sidelines, because your future will be decided on November 2nd for years to come.
Before you vote, make a list of all the scary things you've heard about Obama and the DEMS and about the GOP and its agenda. When you have the list in front of you, visit factcheck.org or snopes.com and go down the list, crossing out every one of the scary things you listed that gets debunked at those websites, then consider what's left.
Your "scary" list may look something like this:
DEMS:
Is Obama really an American? (The Birther fear.)
Is Obama really a Muslim? (The terrorist fear.)
Is Obama really a Socialist/Marxist? (The commie fear.)
Is Obama really a closet racist? (His father was from Africa. His mother and mother's grandparents , who raised him, were white.)
Have the Obama Administration's financial rescues (banking, auto, etc.) and policy signings been the primary source of the enormous deficit that your kids and grandkids will inherit?
Has Patty Murray really done what Dino Rossi has accused her of doing in his campaign ads?
Please Note: When it comes to Senate, Gubernatorial and other regional races, you may have to go to each candidate's website to read rebuttals, since factcheck.org and snopes.com may not cover local and regional politics.
GOP:
Do they really want to repeal the new Health Care Reform Bill?
Do they really want to outlaw abortion even in the case of rape and incest?
Do they have a real plan (that you can read, follow and agree with) about how to make things better for the average American?
I'm not telling you who to vote for, although if I were a master persuader and proud of it, I'd suggest that you vote for Patty Murray (if you're here in Washington State) and most DEMs nationwide, but I am asking you to vote not out of fear of the other party as expressed by political operatives (like Fox "News," Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck, and others) but out of rock-solid evidence.
I think if you'll do this, you'll quickly discover who has been lying, who has been initiating and then nurturing your fears, and who has unscrupulously tried, once again, to steal an upoming election (in all of the above deceitful ways).
Folks, please reconsider: the Grand Old Party that your mom and/or dad voted for NO LONGER EXISTS! It has been hijacked by people Lincoln, Reagan and others would abhor. What's happening now would send Reagan scurring back into the Democratic ranks.
DEM-leaning folks: Read Tom Paine's quote again. If Obama and the DEMS haven't yet accomplished all you hoped they would, consider the lock-step opposition they've had to face. Yet despite it, they're moving the ball forward, inch by inch, yard by yard. It isn't easy, even when the entire country supports you.
Remember that 52% of the voting population supported Obama and his agenda for change. He inherited a train wreck. He's been clearing the tracks and has accomplished more than 100 wins for America. Unless you get to the polls on November 2nd (or make your desires officially known sooner via mail-in ballot) and vote for the people in Congress who support him and the Democratic agenda, you can be sure that forward progress will cease.
Listen to the Republicans. Listen to them carefully. There is no need for me, or anyone else, to try to scare you. They will.
What they're suggesting is horrendous, almost completely down the line. And they're afraid of, and kowtowing to, the Tea Party, which is a new version of the GOP but on steroids: old, predominantly white, prejudiced against people of color and alternative lifestyles. (If you want Big Government, look no further than the Grand Old Party. They'll get you squared away in no time.)
President Obama was elected fair and square, winning by a significant margin. It's time for the people who voted for him -- and for those who didn't -- to respect the nation's choice enough to follow the leader and stop the shenangians and untrue nonsense that are running rampant these days.
Vote your conscience. Vote for your family's ability to prosper.
If you, too, want any chance at all to live like a Republican, vote Democratic, and you may just get your chance at the American dream. Otherwise, game's over for everybody but the already-wealthy.
Damn. The truth hurts. But it also sets you free.
I know tempers are hot and passionate ideologies are driving much of the vitriolic discourse that we hear and read almost everywhere we turn within our culture.
This is an important election. A vital election. It's no time for a single voter to sit on the sidelines, because your future will be decided on November 2nd for years to come.
Before you vote, make a list of all the scary things you've heard about Obama and the DEMS and about the GOP and its agenda. When you have the list in front of you, visit factcheck.org or snopes.com and go down the list, crossing out every one of the scary things you listed that gets debunked at those websites, then consider what's left.
Your "scary" list may look something like this:
DEMS:
Is Obama really an American? (The Birther fear.)
Is Obama really a Muslim? (The terrorist fear.)
Is Obama really a Socialist/Marxist? (The commie fear.)
Is Obama really a closet racist? (His father was from Africa. His mother and mother's grandparents , who raised him, were white.)
Have the Obama Administration's financial rescues (banking, auto, etc.) and policy signings been the primary source of the enormous deficit that your kids and grandkids will inherit?
Has Patty Murray really done what Dino Rossi has accused her of doing in his campaign ads?
Please Note: When it comes to Senate, Gubernatorial and other regional races, you may have to go to each candidate's website to read rebuttals, since factcheck.org and snopes.com may not cover local and regional politics.
GOP:
Do they really want to repeal the new Health Care Reform Bill?
Do they really want to outlaw abortion even in the case of rape and incest?
Do they have a real plan (that you can read, follow and agree with) about how to make things better for the average American?
I'm not telling you who to vote for, although if I were a master persuader and proud of it, I'd suggest that you vote for Patty Murray (if you're here in Washington State) and most DEMs nationwide, but I am asking you to vote not out of fear of the other party as expressed by political operatives (like Fox "News," Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck, and others) but out of rock-solid evidence.
I think if you'll do this, you'll quickly discover who has been lying, who has been initiating and then nurturing your fears, and who has unscrupulously tried, once again, to steal an upoming election (in all of the above deceitful ways).
Folks, please reconsider: the Grand Old Party that your mom and/or dad voted for NO LONGER EXISTS! It has been hijacked by people Lincoln, Reagan and others would abhor. What's happening now would send Reagan scurring back into the Democratic ranks.
DEM-leaning folks: Read Tom Paine's quote again. If Obama and the DEMS haven't yet accomplished all you hoped they would, consider the lock-step opposition they've had to face. Yet despite it, they're moving the ball forward, inch by inch, yard by yard. It isn't easy, even when the entire country supports you.
Remember that 52% of the voting population supported Obama and his agenda for change. He inherited a train wreck. He's been clearing the tracks and has accomplished more than 100 wins for America. Unless you get to the polls on November 2nd (or make your desires officially known sooner via mail-in ballot) and vote for the people in Congress who support him and the Democratic agenda, you can be sure that forward progress will cease.
Listen to the Republicans. Listen to them carefully. There is no need for me, or anyone else, to try to scare you. They will.
What they're suggesting is horrendous, almost completely down the line. And they're afraid of, and kowtowing to, the Tea Party, which is a new version of the GOP but on steroids: old, predominantly white, prejudiced against people of color and alternative lifestyles. (If you want Big Government, look no further than the Grand Old Party. They'll get you squared away in no time.)
President Obama was elected fair and square, winning by a significant margin. It's time for the people who voted for him -- and for those who didn't -- to respect the nation's choice enough to follow the leader and stop the shenangians and untrue nonsense that are running rampant these days.
Vote your conscience. Vote for your family's ability to prosper.
If you, too, want any chance at all to live like a Republican, vote Democratic, and you may just get your chance at the American dream. Otherwise, game's over for everybody but the already-wealthy.
Damn. The truth hurts. But it also sets you free.
What Health Care Reform is Doing for Families Across America
Let's put names and faces on this issue...
http://co102w.col102.mail.live.com/default.aspx?wa=wsignin1.0
Wanna go back in the ditch and have all this taken away? Vote Republican/Tea Party. It'll happen. This is not a scare tactic. The GOP came out just today saying they'll repeal health care reform... not amend it... not improve it.... but REPEAL it.
Unless you're rich -- and even if you are rich -- by going backward to "the GOP days" you can go bankrupt if you get sick. Millions have.
The choice is clear this November.
http://co102w.col102.mail.live.com/default.aspx?wa=wsignin1.0
Wanna go back in the ditch and have all this taken away? Vote Republican/Tea Party. It'll happen. This is not a scare tactic. The GOP came out just today saying they'll repeal health care reform... not amend it... not improve it.... but REPEAL it.
Unless you're rich -- and even if you are rich -- by going backward to "the GOP days" you can go bankrupt if you get sick. Millions have.
The choice is clear this November.
Monday, September 20, 2010
I Met Senator Patty Murray Today!
Sen. Patty Murray, D-WA and Kris Smith Sept 20, 2010
Photo by Nikki Bizzarri Regional Field Director People for Patty Murray
WOO HOO! I drove to downtown Tacoma this morning to phone bank for Senator Patty Murray and other DEMS. Usually I make calls from my home phone but I got a tip from an Organizing For America regional manager that Senator Murray would be stopping by Tacoma to thank her supporters/helpers, so I got dressed up and went down. (I also emailed about ten other stalwarts and gave them the same heads up I had received; three of them showed up, too... any who didn't have to be at work this morning...)
Rep. Norm Dicks was there, too, so I got to thank them both for their service to the nation and to Washington State.
My first words to Senator Murray were, "Thank you for all you do. It has to be a real pain these days in Washington D.C." She smiled and said, "But it's important." I said, "Yes, I know it is. I just don't know how you can take it sometimes these past few years." I was referring to the lock-step opposition of formerly sane and approachable GOP members. I'm sure she knew exactly what I was referring to.
I quickly told her I'd like to give her a small gift if it was anything she would truly like, and told her that DeForest Kelley was my mentor in real life and that I wrote a book about him that I would like to give to her.
At the mention of De's name -- I didn't even have to identify him as a TREK star -- her eyes lit up a little, I assumed with fondness (I wonder if she ever met him or if she was a fan) and she said, "Oh, yes, I would like a copy!" So I told her I would inscribe it to her (I had brought a copy along in case she said yes), which I did as she met and thanked other volunteers. Inside the book I thanked her for her service to the state and country and then signed it "Live Long and Prosper (Jer. 29:11 New Vulcan Translation.) I think she'll get a kick out of that when she gets around to opening the book...
The picture that Nikki Bizzarri took turned out GREAT. She says it's mine to do with as I wish, so here it is! I'll also put it on my Facebook page...
Let's get out the vote and get Senator Patty Murray back to Washington D.C. She has an impressive record and is willing to put up with the bad to achieve the good -- which makes her a saint in my book.
I planted a Patty Murray sign out front when I got home...
From HIGHER AWARENESS
Reawaken your curiosity
"What a distressing contrast there is between the radiant intelligence of the child and the feeble mentality of the average adult." -- Sigmund Freud
Why is this so?
Young children possess what Zen calls ‘beginner’s mind.’ They are awed and fascinated with the wonder of the world, open to discovering and experiencing new things. Anything is possible. Life is a great adventure.
For almost all of us, the systems that ‘educate’ us to be adults stifle our natural joy and curiosity. We lose touch with our innate appreciation of life. We forget how to dream.
The blessing is that with attention, patience and love, we can reawaken our sense of wonder. We can again dance with life.
"The mind WILL be free, or it will be dead."
-- Grace Llewellyn
"What a distressing contrast there is between the radiant intelligence of the child and the feeble mentality of the average adult." -- Sigmund Freud
Why is this so?
Young children possess what Zen calls ‘beginner’s mind.’ They are awed and fascinated with the wonder of the world, open to discovering and experiencing new things. Anything is possible. Life is a great adventure.
For almost all of us, the systems that ‘educate’ us to be adults stifle our natural joy and curiosity. We lose touch with our innate appreciation of life. We forget how to dream.
The blessing is that with attention, patience and love, we can reawaken our sense of wonder. We can again dance with life.
"The mind WILL be free, or it will be dead."
-- Grace Llewellyn
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Destined to Reign is a Masterpiece!
I've watched Joseph Price preach a time of two on TBN, and recently saw him interviewed by Matt Crouch and his wife. Decided to splurge and get his newest book, Destined to Reign. Sure am glad I did! If you buy only one spiritual book beyond your trusty (I hope not dusty) Holy Bible, buy this one!
In clear, concise, very understandable words, Joseph Prince truly defines, reveals and extols the perfect grace and shalom of Jesus. I've read a truckload of books on Christ and the Christian faith, but have never read one that is more rewarding or understandable.
I plan to give several copies to Christian friends who remain driven by their never-sufficient personal efforts to "earn" the approval of God through good works and obeying the Ten Commandments as best they can. (No one yet has obeyed them all except Jesus. That's because they were never meant to be "obeyed," only recognized as God's perfect will for our behavior as His image-bearers. We're flawed beings; nobody's perfect. That's why we needed a Savior!)
There is no need to knock ourselves out. Jesus handled every detail. If you read this book, you will feel freer and far more blessed than you ever have before because you'll fully understand what happened at Calvary.
It wasn't just about getting you safely inside the pearly gates. It was about loosing you here on earth to reign as a fully-fledged, completely-acquitted, divinely-equipped child of God so you can work at what you love doing, bless others and acknowledge God in all your ways!
Lose the guilt. You exist under grace, not under law. Be free! Free others! Buy them this book.
Read it first, though!
In clear, concise, very understandable words, Joseph Prince truly defines, reveals and extols the perfect grace and shalom of Jesus. I've read a truckload of books on Christ and the Christian faith, but have never read one that is more rewarding or understandable.
I plan to give several copies to Christian friends who remain driven by their never-sufficient personal efforts to "earn" the approval of God through good works and obeying the Ten Commandments as best they can. (No one yet has obeyed them all except Jesus. That's because they were never meant to be "obeyed," only recognized as God's perfect will for our behavior as His image-bearers. We're flawed beings; nobody's perfect. That's why we needed a Savior!)
There is no need to knock ourselves out. Jesus handled every detail. If you read this book, you will feel freer and far more blessed than you ever have before because you'll fully understand what happened at Calvary.
It wasn't just about getting you safely inside the pearly gates. It was about loosing you here on earth to reign as a fully-fledged, completely-acquitted, divinely-equipped child of God so you can work at what you love doing, bless others and acknowledge God in all your ways!
Lose the guilt. You exist under grace, not under law. Be free! Free others! Buy them this book.
Read it first, though!
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Remembering September 11, 2001
1
In some ways it seems like only yesterday; in others, it seems a lifetime ago.
On September 10th, 2001 I was looking forward to the imminent release of DeForest Kelley: A Harvest of Memories. I had just completed the foreword (the last part of the book, oddly enough) and sent the complete manuscript to the publisher for finalization and printing.
Terry Lee Rioux was staying with me while she traveled across L.A. interviewing people for her then-in-process bio of De, FROM SAWDUST TO STARDUST. The view out the window was bright, warm and beautiful.
We awoke September 11th to a ringing telephone. One of Terry's contacts (her agent, I believe) was calling to ask if she had the TV set on. No, Terry said. "Turn it on" she was told.
We did.
And from that moment on, my world stopped. I saw two airliners crashing repeatedly into the North and South towers, saw one of the towers going down and, not long after, live, the other. It seemed a scene out of a disaster movie, but it was real. People were dead and dying, some of them jumping out of the Trade Center upper floors to escape the heat of the burning buildings. I saw one praying as he fell. This was real. I was flabbergasted, completely undone, aghast... mouth open, tears streaming down my face.
I watched, hour after hour. Warner Bros. shut down for days and then re-opened with new, Israel-like security meaures in place. The next time I went in to work there, getting inside the gates took a lot longer because studio guards were placing mirrors beneath each vehicle to be sure none carried explosives and looking into trunks and interiors, too.
I organized a candlelight vigil at the condo where I lived. That evening, many veterans and immigrants, including a Muslim woman with her head covered, came to share in solidarity for the gaping wound we were all experiencing. Another Arab world immigrant was in tears. She told me, "We came to America to find peace and rest from all this. It has followed us here."
Suddenly I realized how lucky we were that this kind of thing hadn't happened in our daily lives before. Too many other countries deal with the aftermath of terrorism every single day.
I am grateful that we have not had another attack like this one -- that those responsible for masterminding 9/11have been backed into caves and are hobbled by the vast outpouring of international military and intelligence support that America has received. Something we're doing is working... at least for now.
I know we won't be out of the woods until non-prejudicial (e.g. beyond nationalism and tribalism) education and tolerance becomes universal, until people realize we share a planet with a diverse population which is largely in much greater need than we are.
Uncivilized (uneducated) people do uncivilized things. Desperate people do desperate things. Hateful people do hateful things.
But there are more of us than there are of them. If that weren't the case, the cause would have been lost generations ago.
It's our job to help, love and encourage the ignorant, desperate and hateful and let them know that their methods of communicating displeasure are counter-productive and will only create more pain for them. And we have to truly listen and respond appropriately to their needs as well as to their methods.. the way we do with our still-under-construction youngest children (as yet uncivilized).
I don't know all the answers. I just know that we need to be willing to listen twice as much as we talk. If we'll just do that much, we're bound to learn a lot about how to proceed.
Right now, it seems few are listening. Most are shaking fists. On both sides.
As Dr Phil would say: "How's that workin'?"
It's time to grow up. We still don't have a civilization. What we have is a poorly-contained brawl.
We can do better.
In some ways it seems like only yesterday; in others, it seems a lifetime ago.
On September 10th, 2001 I was looking forward to the imminent release of DeForest Kelley: A Harvest of Memories. I had just completed the foreword (the last part of the book, oddly enough) and sent the complete manuscript to the publisher for finalization and printing.
Terry Lee Rioux was staying with me while she traveled across L.A. interviewing people for her then-in-process bio of De, FROM SAWDUST TO STARDUST. The view out the window was bright, warm and beautiful.
We awoke September 11th to a ringing telephone. One of Terry's contacts (her agent, I believe) was calling to ask if she had the TV set on. No, Terry said. "Turn it on" she was told.
We did.
And from that moment on, my world stopped. I saw two airliners crashing repeatedly into the North and South towers, saw one of the towers going down and, not long after, live, the other. It seemed a scene out of a disaster movie, but it was real. People were dead and dying, some of them jumping out of the Trade Center upper floors to escape the heat of the burning buildings. I saw one praying as he fell. This was real. I was flabbergasted, completely undone, aghast... mouth open, tears streaming down my face.
I watched, hour after hour. Warner Bros. shut down for days and then re-opened with new, Israel-like security meaures in place. The next time I went in to work there, getting inside the gates took a lot longer because studio guards were placing mirrors beneath each vehicle to be sure none carried explosives and looking into trunks and interiors, too.
I organized a candlelight vigil at the condo where I lived. That evening, many veterans and immigrants, including a Muslim woman with her head covered, came to share in solidarity for the gaping wound we were all experiencing. Another Arab world immigrant was in tears. She told me, "We came to America to find peace and rest from all this. It has followed us here."
Suddenly I realized how lucky we were that this kind of thing hadn't happened in our daily lives before. Too many other countries deal with the aftermath of terrorism every single day.
I am grateful that we have not had another attack like this one -- that those responsible for masterminding 9/11have been backed into caves and are hobbled by the vast outpouring of international military and intelligence support that America has received. Something we're doing is working... at least for now.
I know we won't be out of the woods until non-prejudicial (e.g. beyond nationalism and tribalism) education and tolerance becomes universal, until people realize we share a planet with a diverse population which is largely in much greater need than we are.
Uncivilized (uneducated) people do uncivilized things. Desperate people do desperate things. Hateful people do hateful things.
But there are more of us than there are of them. If that weren't the case, the cause would have been lost generations ago.
It's our job to help, love and encourage the ignorant, desperate and hateful and let them know that their methods of communicating displeasure are counter-productive and will only create more pain for them. And we have to truly listen and respond appropriately to their needs as well as to their methods.. the way we do with our still-under-construction youngest children (as yet uncivilized).
I don't know all the answers. I just know that we need to be willing to listen twice as much as we talk. If we'll just do that much, we're bound to learn a lot about how to proceed.
Right now, it seems few are listening. Most are shaking fists. On both sides.
As Dr Phil would say: "How's that workin'?"
It's time to grow up. We still don't have a civilization. What we have is a poorly-contained brawl.
We can do better.
Thursday, September 9, 2010
A delicious new way to support The Roar Foundation!
Local, family-owned Newhall Coffee Roasting Company has developed an exclusive "Roar Blend" just for us!
A whopping 40% of the sale price from each bag will be donated to The Roar Foundation's Shambala Preserve!
Roar Blend features the top 1% of quality beans, is micro-roasted by hand and ships to you fresh within 24 hours of roasting. Coffee does not get any fresher or more yummy than this! And if that wasn't enough, every bag features one of Bill Dow's awesome color photos of our stunning boy, Zeus Lion.
You're going to purchase coffee anyway, so why not get the very best and help The Roar Foundation at the same time?
Roar Blend makes a great hostess or birthday gift and would make an excellent stocking stuffer too!
The 12 oz Roar Blend is now available for only $10 -- PLUS, you can support the Roar Foundation with your purchase of any other coffee blends featured on the Shambala page! Visit www.newhallcoffeeforacause.com/shambala to order yours today!
Feel free to forward this email to your friends and family. Thank you for your continued support of The Wild Ones.
Local, family-owned Newhall Coffee Roasting Company has developed an exclusive "Roar Blend" just for us!
A whopping 40% of the sale price from each bag will be donated to The Roar Foundation's Shambala Preserve!
Roar Blend features the top 1% of quality beans, is micro-roasted by hand and ships to you fresh within 24 hours of roasting. Coffee does not get any fresher or more yummy than this! And if that wasn't enough, every bag features one of Bill Dow's awesome color photos of our stunning boy, Zeus Lion.
You're going to purchase coffee anyway, so why not get the very best and help The Roar Foundation at the same time?
Roar Blend makes a great hostess or birthday gift and would make an excellent stocking stuffer too!
The 12 oz Roar Blend is now available for only $10 -- PLUS, you can support the Roar Foundation with your purchase of any other coffee blends featured on the Shambala page! Visit www.newhallcoffeeforacause.com/shambala to order yours today!
Feel free to forward this email to your friends and family. Thank you for your continued support of The Wild Ones.
FUNNY!!! ENJOY!!!
Life's truths....
1. I think part of a best friend's job should be to immediately
clear your computer history if you die.
2. Nothing sucks more than that moment during an argument when you
realize you're wrong.
3. I totally take back all those times I didn't want to nap when I
was younger.
4. There is great need for a sarcasm font.
5. How the hell are you supposed to fold a fitted sheet?
6. Was learning cursive really necessary?
7. Map Quest really needs to start their directions on # 5. I'm
pretty sure I know how to get out of my neighborhood.
8. Obituaries would be a lot more interesting if they told you how
the person died.
9. I can't remember the last time I wasn't at least kind of tired.
10. Bad decisions make good stories.
11. You never know when it will strike, but there comes a moment at
work when you know that you just aren't going to do anything productive for
the rest of the day.
12. Can we all just agree to ignore whatever comes after Blue Ray? I
don't want to have to restart my collection...again.
13. I'm always slightly terrified when I exit out of Word and it
asks me if I want to save any changes to my ten-page technical report that I
swear I did not make any changes to.
14. I keep some people's phone numbers in my phone just so I know
not to answer when they call.
15. I think the freezer deserves a light as well.
16. I disagree with Kay Jewelers. I would bet on any given Friday or
Saturday night more kisses begin with Miller Lite than Kay.
17. I wish Google Maps had an "Avoid Ghetto" routing option.
18. I have a hard time deciphering the fine line between boredom and
hunger.
19. How many times is it appropriate to say "What?" before you just
nod and smile because you still didn't hear or understand a word they said?
20. I love the sense of camaraderie when an entire line of cars team
up to prevent a jerk from cutting in at the front. Stay strong, brothers and
sisters!
21. Shirts get dirty. Underwear gets dirty. Pants? Pants never get
dirty, and you can wear them forever.
22. Sometimes I'll look down at my watch 3 consecutive times and
still not know what time it is.
23. Even under ideal conditions people have trouble locating their
car keys in a pocket, finding their cell phone, and Pinning the Tail on the
Donkey - but I'd bet everyone can find and push the snooze button from 3
feet away, in about 1.7 seconds, eyes closed, first time, every time!
24. The first testicular guard, the "Cup," was used in Hockey in
1874 and the first helmet was used in 1974. That means it only took 100
years for men to realize that their brain is also important.
1. I think part of a best friend's job should be to immediately
clear your computer history if you die.
2. Nothing sucks more than that moment during an argument when you
realize you're wrong.
3. I totally take back all those times I didn't want to nap when I
was younger.
4. There is great need for a sarcasm font.
5. How the hell are you supposed to fold a fitted sheet?
6. Was learning cursive really necessary?
7. Map Quest really needs to start their directions on # 5. I'm
pretty sure I know how to get out of my neighborhood.
8. Obituaries would be a lot more interesting if they told you how
the person died.
9. I can't remember the last time I wasn't at least kind of tired.
10. Bad decisions make good stories.
11. You never know when it will strike, but there comes a moment at
work when you know that you just aren't going to do anything productive for
the rest of the day.
12. Can we all just agree to ignore whatever comes after Blue Ray? I
don't want to have to restart my collection...again.
13. I'm always slightly terrified when I exit out of Word and it
asks me if I want to save any changes to my ten-page technical report that I
swear I did not make any changes to.
14. I keep some people's phone numbers in my phone just so I know
not to answer when they call.
15. I think the freezer deserves a light as well.
16. I disagree with Kay Jewelers. I would bet on any given Friday or
Saturday night more kisses begin with Miller Lite than Kay.
17. I wish Google Maps had an "Avoid Ghetto" routing option.
18. I have a hard time deciphering the fine line between boredom and
hunger.
19. How many times is it appropriate to say "What?" before you just
nod and smile because you still didn't hear or understand a word they said?
20. I love the sense of camaraderie when an entire line of cars team
up to prevent a jerk from cutting in at the front. Stay strong, brothers and
sisters!
21. Shirts get dirty. Underwear gets dirty. Pants? Pants never get
dirty, and you can wear them forever.
22. Sometimes I'll look down at my watch 3 consecutive times and
still not know what time it is.
23. Even under ideal conditions people have trouble locating their
car keys in a pocket, finding their cell phone, and Pinning the Tail on the
Donkey - but I'd bet everyone can find and push the snooze button from 3
feet away, in about 1.7 seconds, eyes closed, first time, every time!
24. The first testicular guard, the "Cup," was used in Hockey in
1874 and the first helmet was used in 1974. That means it only took 100
years for men to realize that their brain is also important.
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Goat Walk W/Out Leashes
Today I took Laverne and Shirley on a walk in the neighborhood without leashes attached. They didn't get more than 30 feet away from me at any time, even when they were cavorting. How cool is that?
They're herd animals and I'm their "Mom" -- at least for now. We'll see how long that lasts!
They're herd animals and I'm their "Mom" -- at least for now. We'll see how long that lasts!
Monday, September 6, 2010
If It's Labor Day -- It's MDA Day!
I don't know how many of you know this about me, but one of my earliest heartthrobs (at age 12 or so) was comedian Jerry Lewis. I felt a lot like the characters Jerry portrayed in those days -- inept, misunderstood, clumsy in so many ways, but with a heart of gold if only I knew how to express it.
Because of my affinity with Jerry, I became one of the Muscular Dystrophy Association's Junior Chairmen as a teenager of 13 or 14. I served in that capacity every summer (placing and collecting donation canisters in my home town of Cle Elum and writing articles for the local papers) until my folks and I started traveling the country building and remodeling restaurants in 1971 or so.
I've been donating to and supporting MDA ever since. Just a few years ago I was an Activity Director at Kings Manor and met a wonderful woman named Barbara Sisson, who was diagnosed not long after with ALS ("Lou Gehrig's Disease"). I followed her from Kings Manor to Hospice, visiting with and reading to her until the end of her life. One of the last things we shared was an MDA Labor Day Telethon. She donated some money, knowing she wouldn't live long enough to become a beneficiary of the eventual cure... It was a sad day when I lost the first "Jerry's Kid" I ever knew in person up to that point. Barbara was a blessing to this earth. I miss her still...
My ritual every Labor Day is to sit in front of the television set to enjoy the enormous talent that Jerry enlists and to listen to the stories of families affected by neuromuscular diseases. I love watching the donation board light up and ascend into the millions of dollars as the day progresses.
Jerry Lewis is 84 and wants to live long enough to see a cure for these dreaded diseases, most of which affect children and shorten their lives. I saw him once live on stage in Vegas and he was brilliant. I asked him for a hug and he embarrassed the hell out of me by pretending to scratch at his crotch and joking, "No, ma'am. That's how I got crabs last time." I've forgiven him for that... and for a lot of other crude remarks he has made and terrible things he has done (none of them to me, but to others) in his time because, when all is said and done, his heart is in the right place: he wants those kids walking, running, swimming and dancing before he dies.
This morning I made my pledge and spoke with a new member of the MDA team in Tacoma. Her name is Julia. I told her I'm a copywriter and, briefly, of my history with MDA. She asked me if I would like to volunteer locally. I told her I would love to use my writing talents and skills to advance the MDA cause. She said she will get in touch with me soon and, if she doesn't, I should call her in a week or so. I'll do that.
I implore those of you who read this blog to donate whatever you can to MDA at mda.org. Before I die, I, too, gotta get this done.
The cure is close. The doctors are optimistic and hopeful. They just need the money to fund the clinical trials and get what they have out to human patients as quickly as possible.
Right now I have four perfectly healthy nieces. All that can change tomorrow; God forbid. Many families have found that out. Let's help make sure that this scourge doesn't last another generation...
Because of my affinity with Jerry, I became one of the Muscular Dystrophy Association's Junior Chairmen as a teenager of 13 or 14. I served in that capacity every summer (placing and collecting donation canisters in my home town of Cle Elum and writing articles for the local papers) until my folks and I started traveling the country building and remodeling restaurants in 1971 or so.
I've been donating to and supporting MDA ever since. Just a few years ago I was an Activity Director at Kings Manor and met a wonderful woman named Barbara Sisson, who was diagnosed not long after with ALS ("Lou Gehrig's Disease"). I followed her from Kings Manor to Hospice, visiting with and reading to her until the end of her life. One of the last things we shared was an MDA Labor Day Telethon. She donated some money, knowing she wouldn't live long enough to become a beneficiary of the eventual cure... It was a sad day when I lost the first "Jerry's Kid" I ever knew in person up to that point. Barbara was a blessing to this earth. I miss her still...
My ritual every Labor Day is to sit in front of the television set to enjoy the enormous talent that Jerry enlists and to listen to the stories of families affected by neuromuscular diseases. I love watching the donation board light up and ascend into the millions of dollars as the day progresses.
Jerry Lewis is 84 and wants to live long enough to see a cure for these dreaded diseases, most of which affect children and shorten their lives. I saw him once live on stage in Vegas and he was brilliant. I asked him for a hug and he embarrassed the hell out of me by pretending to scratch at his crotch and joking, "No, ma'am. That's how I got crabs last time." I've forgiven him for that... and for a lot of other crude remarks he has made and terrible things he has done (none of them to me, but to others) in his time because, when all is said and done, his heart is in the right place: he wants those kids walking, running, swimming and dancing before he dies.
This morning I made my pledge and spoke with a new member of the MDA team in Tacoma. Her name is Julia. I told her I'm a copywriter and, briefly, of my history with MDA. She asked me if I would like to volunteer locally. I told her I would love to use my writing talents and skills to advance the MDA cause. She said she will get in touch with me soon and, if she doesn't, I should call her in a week or so. I'll do that.
I implore those of you who read this blog to donate whatever you can to MDA at mda.org. Before I die, I, too, gotta get this done.
The cure is close. The doctors are optimistic and hopeful. They just need the money to fund the clinical trials and get what they have out to human patients as quickly as possible.
Right now I have four perfectly healthy nieces. All that can change tomorrow; God forbid. Many families have found that out. Let's help make sure that this scourge doesn't last another generation...
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