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Thankful (Current Mood: blessed)

Don't know where this came from but I liked it (it said Jay Leno, but I know it wasn't).... The other day I was reading Newsweek magazine and came across some Poll data I found rather hard to believe.  It must be true given the source, right? The Newsweek poll alleges that 67 percent of Americans are unhappy with  the direction the country is headed and 69 percent of the country is  unhappy with the performance of the President.  In essence 2/3 of the citizenry just ain't happy and want a change. So being the knuckle dragger I am, I started thinking, 'What are we so unhappy about?  A.. Is it that we have electricity and running water 24 hours a day,  7 Days a week?  B.. Is our unhappiness the result of having air conditioning in the summer and heating in the winter?  C.. Could it be that 95.4 percent of these unhappy folks have a job?  D.. Maybe it is the ability to walk  into a grocery store at any moment & see more food in moment that Darfur has seen in the last year?                                                                 E.. Maybe it is the ability to drive our cars and trucks from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean without having to present identification papers as we move  through each state?  F.. Or possibly the hundreds of clean and safe motels we would find along the way that can provide temporary shelter?  G.. I guess having thousands of restaurants with varying cuisine from  around the world is just not good enough either.  H. Or could it be that when we wreck our car, emergency workers show up and provide services to help all and even send a helicopter to take you  to the hospital.  I.. Perhaps you are one of the 70 percent of Americans who own a home.  J.. You may be upset with knowing that in the unfortunate case of a fire, a group of trained firefighters will appear in moments and use top notch equipment to extinguish the flames, thus saving you, your family, and your belongings.  K.. Or if, while at home watching one of your many flat screen TVs, a burglar or prowler intrudes, an officer equipped with a gun and a bullet-proof vest will come to defend you and your family against attack or loss.  L.. This all in the backdrop of a neighborhood free of bombs or militias raping and pillaging the residents.  Neighborhoods where  90% of teenagers own cell phones and computers.  M.. How about the complete religious, social and political freedoms we enjoy that are the envy of everyone in the world?  Maybe that is what has 67% of you folks unhappy.  Fact is, we are the largest group of ungrateful, spoiled brats the world has ever seen.  No wonder the world loves the U.S. , yet has a great disdain for its citizens.  They see us for what we are. The most blessed people in the world who do nothing but complain about what we don't have, and what we hate about the country instead of thanking the good Lord we live here.  I know, I know. What about the president who took us into war and has no plan to get us out?   The president who has a measly 31 percent approval rating? Is this the same president who guided the nation in the dark days after 9/11?   The president that cut taxes to bring an economy out of recession?   Could this be the same guy who has been called every name in the book for succeeding in keeping all the spoiled ungrateful brats safe from terrorist attacks?  The commander in chief of an all-volunteer army that is out there defending you and me?  Did you hear how bad the President is on the news or talk show? Did this news affect you so much, make you so unhappy you couldn't take a look around for yourself and see all the good things and be glad?   Think about it......are you upset at the President because he actually caused you personal pain OR is it because the 'Media' told you he was failing to kiss your sorry ungrateful behind every day.  Make no mistake about it.  The troops in Iraq and Afghanistan have volunteered to serve, and in many cases may have died for your freedom.  There is currently no draft in this country.  They didn't have to go. They are able to refuse to go and end up with either a ''general'' discharge, an 'other than honorable'' discharge or, worst case scenario, a ''dishonorable'' discharge after a few days in the brig.  So why then the flat-out discontentment in the minds of 69 percent of Americans?  Say what you want but I blame it on the media.   If it bleeds it leads and they specialize in bad news.  Everybody will watch a car crash with blood and guts.  How many will watch kids selling lemonade at the corner? The media knows this and media outlets are for-profit corporations.  They offer what sells, and when criticized, try to defend their  actions by 'justifying' them in one way or another. Just ask why they tried to allow a murderer like O.J. Simpson to write a book about how he didn't kill his wife, but if he did he would have done it this way......Insane!  Turn off the TV, burn Newsweek, and use the New York Times for the bottom of your bird cage.  Then start being grateful for all we have as country. There is exponentially more good than bad.  We  are among the most blessed people on Earth and should thank God several times a day, or at least be thankful and appreciative.'  

SLAVERY STILL EXISTS: Free the Slaves & Skip Starbucks

Free the Slaves & Skip Starbucks

Starbucks refuses to offer brewed Fair Trade Coffee. Free the Slaves and skip Starbucks!

Tully’s is the only coffee company that carries all Fair Trade coffee.

For a Tully’s near you:
http://www.tullys.com/storelocator/

BTW: I do not work for Tully’s. I am a consumer that cares about promoting social justice. I am no longer going to make Starbucks my meeting place!

For more info about Starbucks Practices: http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vd3d3Lmdsb2JhbGV4Y2hhbmdlLm9yZy9jYW1wYWlnbnMvZmFpcnRyYWRlL2NvZmZlZS9TdGFyYnVja3NGbHllci5wZGY=

UNCHAIN LA: A Night to End Modern-Day Slavery

Polaris Project Los Angeles is hosting "Unchain LA: A Night To End Modern-Day Slavery," a cocktail fundraiser to enhance the range of outreach and supportive services for survivors of sex and labor trafficking in Los Angeles.

An evening of art, music, complimentary food and beverages, this event will be the official launch of Unchain LA, a series of awareness and fundraising events to educate and engage the public about human trafficking in Los Angeles.

Thursday, September 6
6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
M.J. Higgins Fine Art & Furnishings
244 S. Main Street
Los Angeles
Tickets are $30 and are available at the door
RSVP to LA@polarisproject.org or (213) 388-2514

Human trafficking is the second largest – and fastest growing – criminal industry in the world, tied with arms dealing. Every year, 17,500 people are trafficked into the United States and over 200,000 U.S. children are at high risk for being trafficked within the United States. Los Angeles is a prime destination and transit point for victims of trafficking.

The isolation and fear that often characterize trafficking situations prevent victims from coming forward and seeking help, resulting in inadequate levels of victim identification. Unchain LA: "A Night to End Modern-Day Slavery" will help educate the public about human trafficking, the need for identifying victims in Los Angeles, and ways to support victim identification efforts.

Founded in 2002, Polaris Project is a Washington DC-based non-profit organization with offices throughout the U.S. and in Japan. Polaris Project takes a comprehensive approach to combating trafficking, combining direct intervention, client services, grassroots mobilization and policy advocacy.

Polaris Project Los Angeles was established in February 2006 and is a part of the Los Angeles Metropolitan Task Force on Human Trafficking and the Los Angeles City Southern Regional Unity Coalition on Human Trafficking. More information about Polaris Project can be found at http://www.polarisproject.org/.

AmeriCorps Success Story

My time in Orange County AmeriCorps Alliance was quite a challenge. One of the most disheartening experiences of the term was the way that the students interacted with one another. There were constant put downs. As a Character Educator, I felt it was due to a lack on my part that the students treated each other the way they did.

I really wanted students to become aware of their actions, so I implemented a "star of the week" and "star of the month" program. If a student modeled good behavior I would try to recognize that by giving them a star, but they weren't handed out like candy. Some students expected stars every time they did something they were already supposed to do. I tired to give them out for random acts of extra good behavior that I could tell were not coming from expecting a reward. They would put their name on the star, and it went into a jar. At the end of the week we would choose a "star of the week" from the jar. We did the same thing for star of the month.
There was one boy in my character club who never received a star. He was one of my favorite students, but he too often retaliated when being the target of ridicule by other students. One day, I decided to challenge him. I asked him why he thought so many other students had gotten a star, yet he hadn't. His response was that I liked the other students better. I told him that that wasn't the case and that I really wanted to give him a star, but he had not earned one yet. I presented him with a challenge: if he could get a star within two weeks I would give him a reward. He said that he would like a candy bar if he got a star.

Normally, he got picked on everyday. And everyday I have to reprimand him for fighting back or resorting to name calling back. The very day after I made my deal with him, he was called a name by one of the other students while he was waiting to use the computer. His immediate reaction, however, was different than normal: right away he turned to me and said, "Hey, she called me [an inappropriate name]." Then I pulled him aside, and he asked why he was in trouble. I told him, "hold on," and went to the desk. "You're not in trouble," I said. Then I handed him a star. He started to walk away a bit confused, but he was going to take what he could get because he had never gotten one before. "Do you know why you got that?" I asked. "NO!" he said emphatically. "Because you didn't call her a name back or hit her," I said. "Oh," he said plainly. I waited a moment. "Don't I owe you something?" "Huh?" he questioned. "I thought I owed you a candy bar because you got a star?" I reminded him. "Oh, yeah! You do," he said as a large grin came over his face.

The next day I wasn't at the center, but the other AmeriCorps member called me and said that he came up to her bragging that he had gotten a star the day before. We both thought it was really cute and we were both SO proud. I finally felt like I had made a difference.

Please Support Me in the 2007 Relay for Life

More than 1.3 million new cancer cases are expected to be diagnosed in the United States this year. Those are staggering statistics, but there is hope. That is why I am, once again, very excited to announce my participation in the American Cancer Society's Relay For Life event on June 23th-24th in Fullerton.

Thank you to everyone who helped me exceed my fundraising goal last year. You have inspired me to participate this year as a Team Captain for my company's team, the Grape AEPs, and raise my personal goal to $300.

I will be participating in this event in remembrance of both grandfathers that I lost to cancer and for my two aunts who are in remission.

If you can donate $10, $20, $50, or anything you can, it would mean so much and would be a great contribution to our goal!

Relay For Life is an overnight event that brings our community together to help support the American Cancer Society and its lifesaving mission to eliminate cancer as a major health problem. The Society works hard every day to prevent cancer and save lives by supporting groundbreaking research, affecting public policies that protect us from cancer, and educating people on how to prevent or detect cancer early. The Society helps people with cancer right here in our own community. And our efforts at Relay For Life can help the American Cancer Society to keep working toward a cancer-free future.

I want to invite you to show your support in the ongoing fight against cancer by joining us for this year's event. PLEASE CHECK OUT MY WEBSITE BY CLICKLING THE LINK BELOW for more information, including details on the inspirational Survivors' Lap and the moving Luminaria Ceremony. We hope to see you there! If you can't join us, will you please visit the site and make a donation to support our efforts? Either way, you will make a real difference in the lives of people facing cancer – and in the lives of the people who love them. Thank you!

ALSO, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO EMAIL ME WITH ANY QUESTIONS OR TO JUST WISH ME LUCK IN MY EFFORTS!

For state fundraising notices and the American Cancer Society's Privacy Policy, please paste this link into your browser: http://www.cancer.org/docroot/SU/su_0.asp

Don't be a dumb forwarder: The REAL Ben Stein on Christmas

So I rarely open forwards—I mean rarely! But today this one intrigued me because the subject was: CBS News—Ben Stein Comments.

I love and admire Ben Stein. He is so brilliant. I so miss his "Mondays at Morton's". So I couldn't resist the temptation despite the threat of a virus that has caught me more than once before. Plus, I wanted to see if what people are forwarding is accurate. I read this quote that was supposedly from Albert Einstein about God on someone's MySpace. I read it and knew it was completely untrue. Albert Einstein was agnostic. I really, really hate when people misquote people. I hate it even more that people just take it at face value, and then re-quote it! I like to admire intelligent people for what they said or have done, not for what they haven't!

So I read the email and by the end I knew that it was not Ben Stein, because it said:

In light of the many jokes we send to one another for a laugh, this is a little different: This is not intended to be a joke; it's not funny, it's intended to get youthinking. Billy Graham's daughter was interviewed on the Early Show and Jane Clayson asked her "How could God let something like this Happen?" (regarding Katrina) Anne Graham gave an extremely profound and insightful response. She said, "I believe God is deeply saddened by this, just as we are, but for years we've been telling God to get out of our schools, to get out of our government and to get out of our lives. And being the gentleman He is, Ibelieve He has calmly backed out. How can we expect God to give us His blessing and His protection if we demand He leave us alone?"

And then went on more about God and morality and religion. It was just not in his style to talk about God in the way this email did, he does talk about God, but not like that. Plus, I don't really recall him speaking of Billy Graham. I bet Billy Graham started this. However, the email had an interesting point, some of which I agree with and some of which I think is complete and udder hog-wash hypocritical "chrisitian" banter (christian with a little "c," because I consider myself Christian and there are definitely others who call themselves that but whom I am enraged to be associated with). So that you can know the truth and let anyone who sends you anything under the guise of Mr. Stein, I googled it and found the real one (in true Ben Style):

Herewith at this happy time of year, a few confessions from my beating heart:I have no freaking clue who Nick and Jessica are. I see them on the cover of People and Us constantly when I am buying my dog biscuits and kitty litter. I often ask the checkers at the grocery stores. They never know who Nick and Jessica are either. Who are they? Will it change my life if I know who they are and why they have broken up? Why are they so important? I don't know who Lindsay Lohan is, either, and I do not care at all about Tom Cruise's wife.Am I going to be called before a Senate committee and asked if I am a subversive? Maybe, but I just have no clue who Nick and Jessica are. Is this what it means to be no longer young. It's not so bad.Next confession: I am a Jew, and every single one of my ancestors was Jewish. And it does not bother me even a little bit when people call those beautiful lit up, bejeweled trees Christmas trees. I don't feel threatened. I don't feel discriminated against. That's what they are: Christmas trees. It doesn't bother me a bit when people say, "Merry Christmas" to me. I don't think they are slighting me or getting ready to put me in a ghetto. In fact, I kind of like it. It shows that we are all brothers and sisters celebrating this happy time of year. It doesn't bother me at all that there is a manger scene on display at a key intersection near my beach house in Malibu. If people want a creche, it's just as fine with me as is the Menorah a few hundred yards away. I don't like getting pushed around for being a Jew and I don't think Christians like getting pushed around for being Christians. I think people who believe in God are sick and tired of getting pushed around, period. I have no idea where the concept came from that America is an explicitly atheist country. I can't find it in the Constitution and I don't like it being shoved down my throat. Or maybe I can put it another way: where did the idea come from that we should worship Nick and Jessica and we aren't allowed to worship God as we understand Him? I guess that's a sign that I'm getting old, too. But there are a lot of us who are wondering where Nick and Jessica came from and where the America we knew went to.

…ahhh Benny-ya gotta love him! (Even though I still care about Nick and Jessica) For more great writings of Ben Stein visit (HIS webpage): http://www.benstein.com/stein2.html
Merry Christmas Everyone!!!! ..hmm they need to get little Christmas trees that I can put in here. -->>> <-supposed to be a Christmas tree!