The Mess of the '08 Election

The Mess of the '08 Election
To the tune of The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.


I’ll tell you a tale of political hell,
In the land of the Red, White and Purple
(It’s worth it to note, I learned as I wrote,
That nothing rhymes with the word purple.)

I’m here to regale you all with this tale,
Of a political process gone insane.
A two year ordeal, completely surreal,
Ignoring substance, choosing instead the inane.

It’s hard to believe that there was no reprieve,
After the mid-term election.
The very next day, the pundits did say,
It’s time to make your early selection.

The GOP field instantly appealed,
To family, to God and to country.
The money was spent, who knows where it went?
The voters did not seem that happy.

And then like a light, a glow in the night,
Could it be that we’re all saved by Fred?
Turns out it was talk, but not really the walk,
Another campaign sadly dead.

And what of the Dems? What’s happening with them?
No one’s really paying attention.
Until the word came, a change in the game,
This time there’ll be real boobs to mention.

Back to the Right, quite a surprising sight,
Maverick is the only one standing.
They all thought him gone but he staggered along,
His “it’s my turn” blows finally landing.

On the Left, not so clean, the fighting obscene,
History watched and it waited.
A woman’s right! Not another white!
It became a battle of the sex and race baited.

Hillary was close, but as we all now know,
Her campaign just couldn’t seal it.
To this day her fans, say behind their hands,
“Figures a black man would steal it.”

The Dems end up with, part man and part myth,
The party savior known as Obama.
A shock to us all. Let’s face it, y’all,
Even Dan Rather called him Osama.

Before he could clinch, more blows (mustn’t flinch),
The issue of race hits him dead-on.
A speech in the night, to both black and white,
A brash choice to face it head-on.

A breath of fresh air, such a radical, dare
He lead us all like a guidon?
Perhaps we once thought, but then we got,
The safe and expected Joe Biden.

To be a game changer, McCain picked a stranger.
A beauty who draws crowds and money.
She revved up the base because she gives good face,
And made SNL once again funny.

The spotlight shined hot and the media got
The sex scandal they had been seeking.
An unwed pregnant teen, a new face on the scene.
Behind the Family Values veil we went peeking.

Turns out she and Joe, are common, you know,
With families and problems and issues.
In their VP debate, neither was great,
And I think Joe was reaching for tissues.

And now towards the end, distracted again,
By plumbers and terrorists and vandals.
We follow like sheep, as the media keep
Us tuned in for today’s latest scandals.

Palin buys clothes. Obama lies, you know.
And we watch and we wait and we wonder.
If all of our eyes, are on this or that guy,
Who’s minding the coffers they plunder?

No matter, just do it. Vote and get through it.
It’s part of the process, it’s vital.
We’ve done it before, with passion and more,
When we last voted for American Idol.

So my tale ends here, though the end is unclear.
Will it be The Old Man or the Token?
If these are our choices, the best of our voices,
It’s clear that Democracy’s broken.


(Yep, for better or worse, the words are my originals, set to the Gordon Lightfoot tune.)

What it takes to get me interested in politics again.

I wish we could see more of these guys. These crack me up!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iRSmQqw65Pg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v5SWQJWm6Tg

What I like about the Marine Corps

The Marine Corps

*What I like about the Marine Corps:

I like the fact that if you are a self-declared enemy of America, that running into a Marine outfit in combat is your worst nightmare… and that your health record is about to get a lot thicker or be closed out entirely!

I like the fact that Marines are steadfast and consistent in everything they do…regardless if you agree with them or not.

I like the fact that Marines hold the term “politically correct” with nothing but pure disdain.

I like the fact that Marines stand tall and rigid in their actions, thoughts, and deeds when others bend with the direction of the wind and are as confused as a dog looking at a ceiling fan!

I like the fact that each and every Marine considers the honor and legacy of the Corps as his personal and sacred trust to protect and defend.

I like the fact that most civilians don’t have a clue what makes us tick! And that’s not a bad thing. Because if they did, it would probably scare the hell out of them!

I like the fact that others say they want to be like us, but don’t have what it takes in the “PAIN-GAIN-PRIDE” department to make it happen.

I like the fact that the Marines came into being in a bar, Tun Tavern, and that Marines still gather in pubs, bars and slop chutes to share sea stories and hot scoop!

I like the fact that Marines do not consider it a coincidence that there are 24 hours in a day and 24 beers in a case. Because Marines know there is a reason for everything that happens!

I like our motto…SEMPER FIDELIS…and the fact that we don’t shed it when the going gets tough, the battlefield gets deadly, or when we hang up our uniform for the last time.

I like the fact that Marines take care of each other…in combat and time of peace.

I like the fact that Marines know the difference between “Chicken Salad” and “Chicken Shit” and aren’t afraid to call either for what it is!

I like the fact that the people of America hold Marines in the highest esteem and that they know that they can count on us to locate, close with, and destroy those who would harm them!

I like the fact that people think we are cocky….yet we know that we have confidence in everything we do and the fact that they don’t know the taste of that makes them look at us as if we are arrogant!

I like that fact that we know the taste of freedom and would give our very lives for it! And that it is a taste that the protected will never know!

I like the fact that Ronald Regan said…”Some people spend an entire lifetime wondering if they made a difference…Marines don’t have that problem!”

I like the fact that we are brothers to the end…and that no matter what happens in life we know we have one another’s “six”!

I like the fact that a couple of years ago an elected member of congress felt compelled to publicly accuse the Marine Corps of being “radical and extreme”. And, I also like the fact that our Commandant informed
that member of Congress that she was absolutely correct and that he
passed on his thanks for the compliment!

I like the fact that Marine leaders — of every rank — know that issuing every man and woman a black beret — or polka-dotted boxer shorts for that matter does absolutely nothing to promote morale, fighting spirit or combat effectiveness.

I like the fact that Marines are Marines first…regardless of age, race, creed, color, sex, and national origin or how long they served or what goals they achieve in life!

I like Marines…and I love the fact that I am able to be humbled to walk along the ranks of other Marines!

I like the fact that you always know where you stand with a Marine! With Marines, there is no middle ground or gray area. There are only missions, objectives, and facts.

*****************************************************************

If you aren’t a Marine the next best thing is to have a Marine for a friend.

Kermit the Frog and Christian Bale - Separated at Birth?

You tell me...

Four Essential Traits Of Good Friends

Posted By Hunter Nuttall

There's no denying that our friends have a tremendous impact
on our lives. Good friends make the good times even better, and the bad
times more bearable. We learn and grow by sharing our thoughts and
experiences with them. You could say that a life without friends is no
life at all.

And yet, our need for friendship also creates a big risk. By
befriending the wrong people, we invite chaos and confusion into our
lives, possibly derailing our personal growth. Remember that you need
to choose your friends carefully, allowing the good people into your
inner circle while keeping your distance from those who would be
harmful. Here are some important traits to look for in a good friend.



They’re generally positive.

While everyone has their ups and downs, a good friend will be
positive most of the time. You really don’t want a
“project,” someone who’s going to suck all the life
force out of you with their constant negativity. Friends should benefit
from being with each other, and let their positivity rub off on each
other.

Life is short, and you don’t have time to save everyone from
negativity while dragging yourself down in the process. And this goes
both ways. In order to be a good friend, you need to be positive as
well. Both of you should make the other feel better about themselves
and life in general.

They don’t try too hard to change you.

You can’t change people who don’t want to change. People
are different, and we have to just accept that. While we naturally want
to share our views and hobbies with other people, it doesn’t make
sense to force people to change. So don’t adamantly tell someone
that they have to be a vegetarian, or they have to eat meat, or they
have to read more books, or they have to stop reading books, or
anything else like that.

You can always invite people to try something new, but you
don’t want to try to control them. Be friends with someone
because of who they are now, not because of who you want them to be.

They give more than they take.

Do you ever get the feeling that someone only seems to be interested
in you when you’re throwing a party, or when they need someone to
help them move? That might be a sign that they take more than they
give. It’s just not healthy to become friends with someone
because you want to cash in on what they have to offer you, or vice
versa.

A friendship should be mutually beneficial, with each of you
offering help, support, and encouragement because you want to, without
having ulterior motives. Any fringe benefits like getting invited to
the best parties should be secondary to that.

They’re tolerant of your beliefs.

No one we meet is ever going to be exactly like us, and so
disagreements are bound to happen. This is perfectly normal, and it
makes life interesting. But if you happen to disagree on your deeply
held beliefs, for example religion and politics, that can potentially
be a problem.

Religious differences have caused many bitter arguments (not to
mention wars). Political differences have caused great rifts between
people who otherwise got along perfectly. But this doesn’t need
to happen. Good friends can accept that one is Catholic and the other
is an atheist, or that one is voting for McCain and the other is voting
for Obama. There may be some debates, sometimes even heated ones, but
at the end of the day, a good friend isn’t going to turn their
back on you because of your beliefs. (Well, at least non-fanatical
beliefs!)

Final thoughts

It’s great to be friendly, and to openly welcome new people
into your life. But don’t set the bar so low as to befriend
people who will do more harm than good. It’s OK to turn away from
people who want to be more like a parasite than a human being. Resolve
to be a good friend to others, and to expect the same in return.

Avoiding Negative Vibrations

Taking on the Energy of Others

There are times when you may find that being around certain individuals
or groups of people leaves you with feelings of discomfort. It may be
that spending time with a particular friend feels draining or that
dealing with a specific coworker exhausts you. Being around toxic or
angry people is also draining. And you may even find that being
surrounded by a crowd of people lowers your energy levels rather than
perks you up. This is not that unusual. Each of us radiates energy and
is capable of being influenced by the energy of other people. It is
important to learn how to shield yourself, so you don’t
unknowingly take on someone else’s energy. While some people know
how to instinctively protect themselves from being adversely affected
by energy, most of us need to discover and practice the technique that
works best.




There are a number of ways to avoid being affected by
people’s energy. Shielding is one preventative technique you can
use. Center yourself and envision being enveloped in a cocoon of loving
and protective light. This protective layer should allow you to
consciously regulate the energy around you. The intent to shield
oneself is all you need for this technique to work. You can even create
a trigger word to assist you in quickly creating a shield. Say this
word each time you create a new shield, until the word and the shield
become automatically associated in your mind. If you run into a person
whose energy you find draining, you may want to cleanse your own energy
field after your encounter. Sage, cold showers, singing, mineral water
baths, spending time in nature, and a simple break to recharge are all
ways to accomplish this.




While it is important to know how to shield yourself from energy, there
are those energies that you may not want to shut out. The energy of
laughter from a newborn baby, the feeling of joy radiating from someone
in love, and the frequency of calm emanating from an enlightened
teacher are just some of the energies coming from others that you may
want to have around you.

Who Caused the Economic Crisis?

MoveOn.org blames McCain advisers. He blames Obama and Democrats in Congress. Both are wrong.

A
MoveOn.org Political Action ad plays the partisan blame game with the
economic crisis, charging that John McCain’s friend and former
economic adviser Phil Gramm “stripped safeguards that would have
protected us.” The claim is bogus. Gramm’s legislation had
broad bipartisan support and was signed into law by President Clinton.
Moreover, the bill had nothing to do with causing the crisis, and
economists – not to mention President Clinton – praise it
for having softened the crisis.



A McCain-Palin ad, in turn, blames Democrats for the mess. The ad says
that the crisis “didn’t have to happen,” because
legislation McCain cosponsored would have tightened regulations on
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. But, the ad says, Obama "was notably
silent" while Democrats killed the bill. That’s oversimplified.
Republicans, who controlled the Senate at the time, did not bring the
bill forward for a vote. And it’s unclear how much the
legislation would have helped, as McCain signed on just two months
before the housing bubble popped.



In fact, there’s ample blame to go around. Experts have cited
everyone from home buyers to Wall Street, mortgage brokers to Alan
Greenspan.

Analysis

As
Congress wrestled with a $700 billion rescue for Wall Street's
financial crisis, partisans on both sides got busy – pointing
fingers. MoveOn.org Political Action on Sept. 25 released
a 60-second TV ad called "My Friends’ Mess," blaming Sen. John
McCain and Republican allies who supported banking deregulation. The
McCain-Palin campaign released its own 30-second TV spot Sept. 30,
saying "Obama was notably silent" while Democrats blocked reforms
leaving taxpayers "on the hook for billions." Both ads were to run
nationally.



And both ads are far wide of the mark.

Blame the Republicans!

The MoveOn.org Political Action ad blames a banking deregulation bill
sponsored by former Sen. Phil Gramm, a friend and one-time adviser to
McCain's campaign. It claims the bill "stripped safeguards that would
have protected us."



That claim is bunk. When we contacted MoveOn.org spokesman Trevor
Fitzgibbons to ask just what "safeguards" the ad was talking about, he
came up with not one single example. The only support offered for the
ad's claim is one line in one newspaper article that reported the bill
"is now being blamed" for the crisis, without saying who is doing the
blaming or on what grounds.

 

The bill in question is the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act,
which was passed in 1999 and repealed portions of the Glass-Steagall
Act, a piece of legislation from the era of the Great Depression that
imposed a number of regulations on financial institutions. It's true
that Gramm authored the act, but what became law was a widely accepted
bipartisan compromise. The measure passed the House 362 - 57, with 155 Democrats voting for the bill. The Senate passed the bill by a vote of 90 - 8.
Among the Democrats voting for the bill: Obama's running mate, Joe
Biden. The bill was signed into law by President Clinton, a Democrat.
If this bill really had "stripped the safeguards that would have
protected us," then both parties share the blame, not just "John
McCain's friend."



The truth is, however, the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act had little if
anything to do with the current crisis. In fact, economists on both
sides of the political spectrum have suggested that the act has
probably made the crisis less severe than it might otherwise have been.



Last year the liberal writer Robert Kuttner, in a piece in The American Prospect, argued
that "this old-fashioned panic is a child of deregulation." But even he
didn't lay the blame primarily on Gramm-Leach-Bliley. Instead, he
described "serial bouts of financial deregulation" going back to the
1970s. And he laid blame on policies of the Federal Reserve Board under
Alan Greenspan, saying "the Fed has become the chief enabler of a
dangerously speculative economy."



What Gramm-Leach-Bliley did was to allow commercial banks to get into investment banking. Commercial
banks are the type that accept deposits and make loans such as
mortgages; investment banks accept money for investment into stocks and
commodities. In 1998, regulators had allowed
Citicorp, a commercial bank, to acquire Traveler's Group, an insurance
company that was partly involved in investment banking, to form
Citigroup. That was seen as a signal that Glass-Steagall was a dead
letter as a practical matter, and Gramm-Leach-Bliley made its repeal
formal. But it had little to do with mortgages.



Actually, deregulated banks were not the major
culprits in the current debacle. Bank of America, Citigroup, Wells
Fargo and J.P. Morgan Chase have weathered the financial crisis in
reasonably good shape, while Bear Stearns collapsed and Lehman Brothers
has entered bankruptcy, to name but two of the investment banks which
had remained independent despite the repeal of Glass-Steagall.



Observers as diverse as former Clinton Treasury official and current Berkeley economist Brad DeLong and George Mason University's Tyler Cowen, a libertarian, have praised Gramm-Leach-Bliley has having softened the crisis. The deregulation allowed Bank of America and J.P. Morgan Chase to acquire Merrill Lynch and Bear Stearns. And Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley have now converted themselves into unified banks to better ride out the storm. That idea is also endorsed by former President Clinton himself, who, in an interview with Maria Bartiromo published in the Sept. 24 issue of Business Week, said he had no regrets about signing the repeal of Glass-Steagall:

Bill Clinton (Sept. 24):
Indeed, one of the things that has helped stabilize the current
situation as much as it has is the purchase of Merrill Lynch by Bank of
America
, which was much smoother than it would have been if I hadn't
signed that bill. ...You
know, Phil Gramm and I disagreed on a lot of things, but he can't
possibly be wrong about everything. On the Glass-Steagall thing, like I
said, if you could demonstrate to me that it was a mistake, I'd be glad
to look at the evidence. But I can't blame [the Republicans]. This
wasn't something they forced me into.

No, Blame the Democrats!

The McCain-Palin campaign
fired back with an ad laying blame on Democrats and Obama. Titled
"Rein," it highlights McCain's 2006 attempt to "rein in Fannie and
Freddie." The ad accurately quotes the Washington Post as
saying "Washington failed to rein in" the two government-sponsored
entities, the Federal National Mortgage Association ("Fannie Mae") and
the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation ("Freddie Mac"), both of
which ran into trouble by underwriting too many risky home mortgages to
buyers who have been unable to repay them. The ad then blames Democrats
for blocking McCain's reforms. As evidence, it even offers a snippet of
an interview in which former President Clinton agrees that "the
responsibility that the Democrats have" might lie in resisting his own
efforts to "tighten up a little on Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac." We're
then told that the crisis "didn't have to happen."



It's true that key Democrats opposed the Federal Housing Enterprise Regulatory Reform Act of 2005,
which would have established a single, independent regulatory body with
jurisdiction over Fannie and Freddie – a move that the
Government Accountability Office had recommended in a 2004 report. Current House Banking Committee chairman Rep. Barney Frank of Massachusetts opposed legislation to reorganize oversight
in 2000 (when Clinton was still president), 2003 and 2004, saying of
the 2000 legislation that concern about Fannie and Freddie was
"overblown." Just last summer, Senate Banking Committee chairman Chris
Dodd called a Bush proposal for an independent agency to regulate the two entities "ill-advised."



But
saying that Democrats killed the 2005 bill "while Mr. Obama was notably
silent"  oversimplifies things considerably. The bill made it out
of committee in the Senate but was never brought up for consideration.
At that time, Republicans had a majority in the Senate and controlled
the agenda. Democrats never got the chance to vote against it or to
mount a filibuster to block it.



By the time McCain signed
on to the legislation, it was too late to prevent the crisis anyway.
McCain added his name on May 25, 2006, when the housing bubble had
already nearly peaked. Standard & Poor's Case-Schiller Home Price Index,
which measures residential housing prices in 20 metropolitan regions
and then constructs a composite index for the entire United States,
shows that housing prices began falling in July 2006, barely two months
later.

The Real Deal

So who is
to blame? There's plenty of blame to go around, and it doesn't fasten
only on one party or even mainly on what Washington did or didn't do.
As The Economist magazine noted recently,
the problem is one of "layered irresponsibility ...
with hard-working homeowners and billionaire villains each
playing a role." Here's a partial list of those alleged to be at fault:

• The Federal Reserve, which slashed interest rates after the dot-com bubble burst, making credit cheap.
  
  
  
  


• Home buyers, who took advantage of easy credit to bid up the prices of homes excessively.
  
  
  
  


• Congress, which continues to support a mortgage tax deduction that gives consumers a tax incentive to buy more expensive houses.
  
  
  
  


• Real estate agents, most of whom work for the sellers rather than the buyers and who earned higher commissions from selling more expensive homes.
  
  
  
  


• The Clinton administration, which pushed for less stringent credit and downpayment requirements for working- and middle-class families.
  
  
  
  


• Mortgage brokers,
  who offered less-credit-worthy home buyers subprime, adjustable rate
  loans with low initial payments, but exploding interest rates.
  
  
  
  


• Former Federal Reserve chairman Alan Greenspan, who in 2004, near the peak of the housing bubble, encouraged Americans to take out adjustable rate mortgages.
  
  
  
  


• Wall Street firms,
  who paid too little attention to the quality of the risky loans that
  they bundled into Mortgage Backed Securities (MBS), and issued bonds
  using those securities as collateral.
  
  
  
  


• The Bush administration, which failed to provide needed government oversight of the increasingly dicey mortgage-backed securities market.
  
  
  
  


• An obscu
  re accounting rule
  called mark-to-market, which can have the paradoxical result of making
  assets be worth less on paper than they are in reality during times of
  panic.
  
  
  
  


• Collective delusion,
  or a belief on the part of all parties that home prices would keep
  rising forever, no matter how high or how fast they had already gone
  up.
  
  

The
U.S. economy is enormously complicated. Screwing it up takes a great
deal of cooperation. Claiming that a single piece of legislation was
responsible for (or could have averted) is just political
grandstanding. We have no advice to offer on how best to solve the
financial crisis. But these sorts of partisan caricatures can only make
the task more difficult.



–by Joe Miller and Brooks Jackson

Sources

Benston, George J. The Separation of Commercial and Investment Banking: The Glass-Steagall Act Revisited and Reconsidered. Oxford University Press, 1990.



Tabarrok, Alexander. "The Separation of Commercial and Investment Banking: The Morgans vs. The Rockefellers." The Quarterly Journal of Austrian Economics 1:1 (1998), pp. 1 - 18.



Kuttner, Robert. "The Bubble Economy." The American Prospect, 24 September 2007.



"The Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act of 1999." U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs. Accessed 29 September 2008.



Bartiromo, Maria. "Bill Clinton on the Banking Crisis, McCain and Hillary." Business Week, 24 September 2008.



Standard and Poor's. "Case-Schiller Home Price History." Accessed 30 September 2008.



"Understanding the Tax Reform Debate: Background, Criteria and Questions." Government Accountability Office. September 2005.



Bianco, Katalina M. "The Subprime Lending Crisis: Causes and Effects of the Mortgage Meltdown." CCH. Accessed 29 September 2008.

Enjoying a Snail’s Pace

Doing Things Slowly

Life can often feel like it’s zipping by in fast forward. We feel
obliged to accelerate our own speed along with it, until our
productivity turns into frenzied accomplishment. We find ourselves
cramming as much activity as possible into the shortest periods of
time. We disregard our natural rhythms because it seems we have to just
to keep up. In truth, rushing never gets you anywhere but on to the
next activity or goal.




Slowing down allows you to not only savor your experiences, but also it
allows you to fully focus your attention and energy on the task at
hand. Moving at a slower place lets you get things done more
efficiently, while rushing diminishes the quality of your work and your
relationships. Slowing down also lets you be more mindful, deliberate,
and fully present. When we slow down, we are giving ourselves the
opportunity to reacquaint ourselves to our natural rhythms. We let go
of the “fast forward” stress, and allow our bodies to
remain centered and grounded. Slowing down is inherent to fully
savoring anything in life. Rushing to take a bath can feel like an
uncomfortable dunk in hot water, while taking a slow hot bath can be
luxuriant and relaxing. A student cramming for a test will often feel
tired and unsure, whereas someone who really absorbs the information
will be more confident and relaxed. Cooking, eating, reading, and
writing can become pleasurable when done slowly. ! Slowing down lets
you become more absorbed in whatever it is you are doing. The food you
eat tastes better, and the stories you read become more alive.




Slowing down allows you to disconnect from the frenzied pace buzzing
around you so you can begin moving at your own pace. The moments we
choose to live in fast forward motion then become a conscious choice
rather than an involuntary action. Learning to slow down in our
fast-moving world can take practice, but if you slow down long enough
to try it, you may surprise yourself with how natural and organic
living at this pace can be.

About this economic crisis and bailout

I wrote this today and emailed it to my Senators and my Congresswoman.

I do not support this bail out and I am looking to you to be my voice in Congress.

One, this transfers far too much power to the Sec of the Treasury. How on earth is the answer to the financial crisis to vest more power and authority in the hands of the same people who allowed this mess to happen?

Two, this is not a bailout for the taxpayers. This is a huge burden for us to bear while those who caused this mess continue to reap the massive profits.

Vote against this bailout. There must not be a blank check for failed policies, bad business decisions, and an absence of proper oversight and regulation.

Recognizing Our Own Abundance

Planting The Seeds Of Generosity

The most difficult time to be generous is when we ourselves are feeling
poor. While some of us have experienced actually being in the red
financially, there are those of us who would feel broke even if we had
a million dollars in the bank. Either way, as the old adage goes, it is
always in giving that we receive. Meaning that when we are living in a
state of lack, the very gesture we may least want to give is the very
act that could help us create the abundance that we seek. One way to
practice generosity is to give energy where it is needed. Giving money
to a cause or person in need is one way to give energy. Giving
attention, love, or a smile to another person are other acts of giving
that we can offer. After all, there are people all over the world that
are hungry for love.




Sometimes when we practice generosity, we practice it conditionally. We
might be expecting to “receive back” from the person to
whom we gave. We might even become angry or resentful if that person
doesn’t reciprocate. However, trust in the natural flow of
energy, and you will find yourself practicing generosity with no
strings attached. This is the purest form of giving. Remember that what
you send out will always come back you. Selflessly help a friend in
need without expecting them to return the same favor in the same way,
and know that you, too, will receive that support from the universe
when you need it. Besides, while giving conditionally creates stress
(because we are waiting with an invisible balance sheet to receive our
due), giving unconditionally creates and generates abundance. We give
freely, because we trust that there is always an unlimited supply.




Being aware of how much we are always supported by the universe is one
of the keys to abundance and generosity. Consciously remember the times
you’ve received support from expected and unexpected sources.
Remember anyone who has helped you when you’ve needed it most,
and bless all situations that come into your life for the lessons and
gifts they bring you. Remember that all things given and received
emanate from generosity. Giving is an act of gratitude. Plant the seeds
of generosity through your acts of giving, and you will grow the fruits
of abundance for yourself and those around you.

Hidden Treasure

Finding Another Vantage Point

The ocean can look very different, depending on whether you are
standing at the shore, soaring above in a plane, or swimming beneath
its waves. Likewise, a mountain can look very different relative to
where you are standing. Each living thing sees the world from its
unique vantage point. While from your window you may be seeing what
looks like a huge shrub, a bird in its nest is getting an intimate view
of that tree’s leafy interior. Meanwhile, a beetle sees only a
massive and never-ending tree trunk. Yet all three of you are looking
at the same tree.




Just as a shadow that is concealed from one point of view is easily
seen from another, it is possible to miss a fantastic view. That is,
unless you are willing to see what’s in front of you through
different eyes. Seeing the world from another perspective, whether
spatially or mentally, can introduce you to all sorts of hidden
treasures. The root of the discovery process often lies in finding
another way of looking at the world. The common human reaction to
insects is one example. Spinning its web in a dark corner, a spider may
seem drab, frightening, and mysterious. But seen up close weaving
silver snowflakes between the branches of a tree, they can look like
colored jewels.




Sometimes, there are experiences in life that from your vantage point
may seem confusing, alarming, or worrisome. Or there may be events that
look insignificant from where you are standing right now. Try seeing
them from another point of view. Bury your face in the grass and look
at the world from a bug’s vantage point. Explore your home as if
you were a small child. Take a ride in a small aircraft and experience
the world from a bird’s eye view. Just as kneeling down sometimes
helps you see more closely when you are looking for lost treasure, so
can standing back help you appreciate the broader picture of what you
are looking at. In doing so, you’ll experience very different
worlds.

Ninja Cat comes closer without moving

Get Over It

"Get Over It"


I turn on the tube and what do I see

A whole lotta people cryin' "Don't blame me"

They point their crooked little fingers at everybody else

Spend all their time feelin' sorry for themselves

Victim of this, victim of that

Your momma's too thin; your daddy's too fat



Get over it

Get over it

All this whinin' and cryin' and pitchin' a fit

Get over it, get over it



You say you haven't been the same since you had your little crash

But you might feel better if I gave you some cash

The more I think about it, Old Billy was right

Let's kill all the lawyers, kill 'em tonight

You don't want to work, you want to live like a king

But the big, bad world doesn't owe you a thing



Get over it

Get over it

If you don't want to play, then you might as well split

Get over it, Get over it



It's like going to confession every time I hear you speak

You're makin' the most of your losin' streak

Some call it sick, but I call it weak



You drag it around like a ball and chain

You wallow in the guilt; you wallow in the pain

You wave it like a flag, you wear it like a crown

Got your mind in the gutter, bringin' everybody down

Complain about the present and blame it on the past

I'd like to find your inner child and kick its little ass



Get over it

Get over it

All this bitchin' and moanin' and pitchin' a fit

Get over it, get over it



Get over it

Get over it

It's gotta stop sometime, so why don't you quit

Get over it, get over it


(Courtesy of the Eagles)

Ten Ways to Make Someone Smile

There’s nothing better than knowing you’ve made someone happy – especially if you can do so in some simple, thoughtful way. Here’s ten easy ways to make someone smile today: I guarantee you’ll be smiling too!

I’ll start with the most straightforward and work up to ideas which need a little bit more planning.

1. Write a note to say “thank you”

This is such a simple thing to do, but can mean so much. Write a note today to say “thank you” to someone who has helped you or done something for you. It could be to a parent, a child, a colleague, a friend, or even the helpful assistant in your local store.

Bonus points: Post or hand-deliver your note – don’t just send it by email.

2. Set a fun screensaver or desktop on their computer

If you’re in an office, why not switch a colleague’s screensaver for something fun while they’re away from their desk?

Or at home, sneak into your partner or parent’s office to set up a new desktop background for them. Make it something that you know will raise a laugh.

Bonus points: Find a screensaver or desktop picture from their favorite [1] TV show or movie.

3. Buy them their favorite candy

Even once we’re adults, candy can still make us smile. If someone’s a bit down, buy them their favorite candy – you could give it to them with your “thank you” note. It needn’t be anything expensive: a well chosen chocolate bar might be just the thing.

Bonus points: Find out their favorite candy from their childhood, and buy that. (I’m very fond of [2] Kinder Surprise…)

4. Send them an unexpected card

One step up from sending a thank you note is sending a card. A “congratulations” on a job well done or on a big life change (such as graduation) will always raise a smile. You might have to be a bit creative, but there’s always some special occasion to offer an excuse to send a card.

Bonus points: Hand-make the card. Don’t worry if you’re not great at craft; just keep the design simple – if possible, making it personal to the recipient.

5. Do their chores

There’s nothing nicer than coming home to find that someone else has cleaned the kitchen and vacuumed! Roll up your sleeves and get stuck in with the chores: this goes down especially well with partners and parents.

Bonus points: Do a chore which you know they hate – cleaning the oven, perhaps, or ironing.

6. Make their favorite breakfast

Breakfast is an often-neglected meal – yet there are so many tasty options. One morning, get up early and prepare breakfast for one of your family or housemates. This could be as simple as nipping out to the bakery for some really nice pastries.

Bonus points: Set the table and get everyone to eat together, or lay out a special tray for the breakfast person!

7. Wrap up a surprise present

Receiving birthday gifts is always fun – but it’s more of a surprise to get a present on an ordinary day. Buy a book, DVD, card game or other small gift that you know the recipient will love, and wrap it up for them.

Bonus points: Try making this into a game that you play on a regular basis, perhaps each surprising the other with a small gift once a month.

8. Make a mini photo album

Collect some photographs of friends and family, and put them into a mini photo album. You could either try making your own from card and ribbon, or use an online service such as [3] PhotoBox to upload photographs and get a mini album printed.

Bonus points: Dig out some old childhood photos (you might have to use a scanner if you’re making the album online).

9. Give them a day off

If you know someone with children, offer to take the kids off their hands for a day. It can be really hard for busy parents to get a break to rest and recharge – and if you pick some fun things to do, you’ll have a great day too! (Theme parks, kid-friendly museums, ice-cream shops and leisure centers are all good options.)

Bonus points: Combine this with theater tickets or another “activity” gift that the recipient can enjoy without the children around.

10. Put together a book of their achievements

This requires quite a bit of planning and preparing, but it could become a treasured gift. Get a nice scrapbook and fill it with photos, newspaper clippings, graduation programs and anything else you can find that relates to special moments and days in the recipient’s life.

Bonus points: This makes a great 21^st birthday gift, with a page for each year from 1 to 21 (my mum made one for me which included things like my first postcard home from camp).

Hat tip and thank you: Written by Ali, a writer and website creator (www.aliventures.com).

Canes for Disabled Veterans & Active Duty Personnel

Something as amazing as this deserves to be shouted from the rooftops.

Brad Gramberg is a close personal friend of mine, and he is crafting handmade wooden canes for Vets and Active Duty types who need them. They are made and shipped free of charge.

If you or anyone you know is need of a cane, please feel free to contact Brad at bradbearg@sbcglobal.net. Note: the subject line should read "Canes", or he may not read the message.

He said that orders have dropped off recently, and he couldn't believe
it was because of a lack of need, but more a lack of information
getting out. He has fliers at Walter Reed, and several other hospitals,
but most of his contacts are with the Army. He asked me to publish this
to the Navy and Marine Corps, if I could.

*Hat tip to my Marine Corps brother, Jon Crask, for sharing this with me.

This is real. These canes are free. And Brad Gramberg is proof that one person can truly make a difference in this world.


Comments or questions? Send them to me at sandiegojohn@gmail.com.

You can also forward this link: http://sites.google.com/site/canesforvets/

What I'm Listening To Now...

Falling By The Wayside

by People in Planes

It's OK
To be safe
Cos I'm on top
Of my game

But I'm losing control
Falling by the wayside

Dive right in
Take a drink
Enter it
Try and win
Make sure you call
Before you leave

Keep on top
Of the game

I'm losing control
Falling by the wayside

It's OK
To be safe

People In Planes - "Falling By The Wayside" Official Video

Ok... I laughed.

I just read Governor Sarah Palin described as Caribou Barbie.

Yep. I laughed.

Regeneration Tour 2008

Regeneration Tour 2008

Human League, Belinda Carlisle, ABC and Naked Eyes



Naked Eyes' set list
Always Something There To Remind Me
Voices In My Head
When The Lights Go Out
What (In the Name of Love)
Fortune and Fame
Promises, Promises

ABC's set list
The Very First Time
Poison Arrow
How to Be a Millionaire
Tears Are Not Enough
Ride
Be Near Me
When Smokey Sings
The Look of Love

Belinda Carlisle's set list
Leave a Light On
Vacation
I Get Weak
Circle in the Sand
Mad About You
Our Lips Are Sealed
Heaven Is a Place on Earth

The Human League's set list
Mirror Man
Tell Me When
Heart Like a Wheel
Seconds
The Lebanon
Human
Don’t You Want Me
Together in Electric Dreams

Gay & Lesbian Times - Letter To The Editor

Last week, the Gay and Lesbian Times ran this editorial:

Silent march creates a roar by Dykes on Bikes

So I wrote a Letter to the Editor... and they printed it.

Dear Editor:

I disagree with the decision to move the Dykes on Bikes. My friends felt the same, and we are not shallow people. We appreciate the message of remembering those who are not with us and we agree it is important. But ask yourself this. Why doesn’t Shelby die in the beginning of Steel Magnolias and let the rest play out in flashbacks? Because we need to be drawn in as viewers, to laugh and cheer and enjoy and commit to the movie and the characters.

That is how I feel about the parade. The Dykes on Bikes grab my attention and get me cheering and shouting. Later, when I am hooked, I stand and cry with happiness as PFLAG and the Veterans march by. I am along for the ride, the ups and the downs.In my opinion, Pride screwed up by starting with such a somber message.

John Hulsey

Cool, huh?

"You are now legally married."