Everyday the news is filled with one crime after another…with each report there are victims of those crimes. National Night Out is a campaign that declares a quiet and steady war against crime in communities all over the nation in the United States. Everyone knows someone who has been a victim of some kind of crime. It is always un-acceptable to have innocent people affected physically, emotionally or financially in a negative way, simply because another human being chooses to commit a crime.
The National Night Out campaign strives to bring a focus on the awareness of drug & crime prevention efforts, to strengthen the collective power of neighborhood watches and the role of police and community programs to build up anti-crime programs to protect local communities. It is high time that the criminal element recognize the fact that law abiding citizens are sick and tired of being held hostage to those who have little regard for the safety and well-being of others.
Tonight is the night that many communities will hold events to support efforts to be aware of neighborhood crimes, to report suspicious activities and to recognize the fact that individuals have the power to change negative behaviors that affect whole communities by being mor pro-active in their own local areas by helping to fight back through a partnership with law enforcement to take back the streets to make them safer for friends, neighbors and families. If you would like to find out more about National Night Out activities…check out their site here: http://www.nationalnightout.org/nno/
Tags: 2011, activities, August 2, awareness of crime prevention, communities, crime, law enforcement, National Night Out, neighborhood watches, reducing crime, victims of violence, violence
Posted in abuse, accountability, awareness, bullying, crime, culture, domestic violence, environment, family, Fear, friendship, Frustration, goals, murder, rape, Threats | No Comments »
I have to admit that I am shocked & incensed, but it would appear that California’s Governor Jerry Brown signed a very controversial bill into a law. This new law, now lets ILLEGAL immigrants attend California’s public colleges & universities with scholarships that are privately funded. It is being called the California Dream Act. Now I don’t know about you but, I think attending a college or a university, in America, should be a privilege reserved for U.S. born and legal immigrant residents of the United States.
My reasons for this are that while immigrants are welcomed and encouraged here in the U.S., as that’s the American way, doing it legally should be a no-brainer. Legal immigrants are basically temporary guests until such time as they go back to their original home or apply for a U.S. citizenship. While they are here, they have rules and regulations to follow. Just as citizens who are born here in American. Why should illegal immigrants who flaunt their disregard of the rules be rewarded for doing so; when many legal immigrants, who do things by the book, honor our system? That isn’t right to reward illegals by giving them a free ride when our own citizens don’t get that same level of benefits.
The thing is, not only will they get private scholarships to go to college…but, they have to have money to live on. How will they get food and money to pay for other necessities? So while they may get private scholarships to go to school…they must turn to the public to meet their other needs. Already the state of California is struggling financially to meet it’s obligations to those who live there; you know, people that legally have the right to live there. What about medical care? What if those illegal immigrants have children while they are here? Those children will be U.S. citizens…but, then the parents have the ability to try to petition the courts to try to stay here as well. Who picks up the tab in the meantime? We all know the answer to that…residents of the United States who pay their taxes are stuck picking up the tab to provide for them. It just isn’t right.
There are some individuals who think that by educating the illegals that it will help our country by causing them to pay taxes. Yeah right, first of all, illegals don’t want to be noticed by government agencies. They don’t want to be sent back to the countries that they came from. Truthfully, why would they? They can live here…find jobs that will pay them under the table, keep Uncle Sam’s portion for themselves, go to college…often have babies here in America for free, and send money back home where it is worth much more than it is here…and be doing quite well, all things considered.
I happen to think that it is outrageous that Governor Jerry Brown would slap Americans in the face by taking this action. It is what I call poor leadership that will have a negative impact on our nation. As the head politicians, he should be enforcing the laws of his country, not creating ways around the laws of the nation. This country is experiencing a time-bomb regarding our ceiling of debt that has the potential to paralyze our country financially; and, he dares to spread out the welcome mat to people that he feels we need to invest in. The illegal immigrants shouldn’t be America’s obligation financially.
What are your thoughts on this matter? Oh and before you jot down your opinion…just know that there is another bill being considered in the legislature for public scholarships to be extended to illegal immigrants in the United States as well. That would squarely place the brunt of the cost, of sending ILLEGAL immigrants, directly onto the American taxpayer who may or may not be able to afford to send their own family members to college. Is this fair? Tell me what you think!
Tags: California, Education, finances, Governor Jerry Brown, illegal immigrants, Impact, leadership, legal immigrants, morale, politics, tax payers, U.S. citizens
Posted in accountability, attitude, authorities, awareness, behavior, charity, children, controversy, culture, economy, Education, emotions, family, finances, Frustration, government, health, help, Impact, Labor, leadership, learning, legal, medical, MONEY, news, observations, opinion, parenting, Patriotism, pregnancy, schools, support, taxes, Uncategorized | No Comments »
In America we take so many things for granted. If we get sick, we go to the pharmacy and pick up over the counter medication that can help us get well. Other times, we go to the doctor and get prescription medicine to help us get well from an infection or sickness. We are blessed. We have instant access to information to help keep ourselves well.
The best thing is that we have been taught that washing our hands well with soap can help to keep us healthy. We have access to soap and water on a regular basis. Not everyone is so lucky. What they don’t know and don’t have access to can harm them or kill them. Soap and water save lives and there is a Global Soap Project that you may not be aware of to get soap into the hands of people who are in need of it, to stay well. Continue Reading »
Tags: America, Atlanta, Center for Disease Control, charity, death, Derreck Kayongo, diseases, donation, dying, Georgia, giving, Global Soap Project, hand sanitation, hand washing, health, homeless people, homeless shelters, hotel chains, hotels, illnesses, poverty, refugee camps, saving lives, saving soap, sickness, soap, transmission of infections, Uganda, United States, wellness
Posted in accomplishments, advertising, awareness, charitable organizations, charity, children, comfort, commitment, communication, compassion, culture, danger, death, disease, donate, Education, elderly, environment, family, finances, food, giving, health, help, illness, Impact, inspiration, kids, leadership, life, medical, medicine, MONEY, news, observations, safety, sharing, sickness, teaching, travel, Twitter, Twitter, well-being | 5 Comments »
If you haven’t heard the news yet, it appears that NY Democratic representative Anthony Weiner is caught up in a social media scandal that has caused great controversy. In the beginning he said, that risque photos posted in the public time-line of his Twitter account was the work of a hacker. However, it has since been disclosed by Anthony Weiner that the photos were of himself and that he posted them to women that he “met” in his online relationships.
He’s stated that he has not met them in real life. His credibility is being called into question because of the lies he initially told regarding the scandal. His judgment is part of that controversy in regards to his career. Many people are wondering whether someone who would lie to his constituents, his family, his friends, and the media could do his job with honesty and integrity. Continue Reading »
Tags: addiction, Americans, Anthony Weiner, career, democrats, honesty, judgment, lawmaker, lies, name, Oscar, politics, relationships, republicans, reputation, respect, trust, wife
Posted in accountability, addiction, advertising, anger, awareness, behavior, career, communication, conduct, controversy, counseling, denial, family, government, job, law enforcement, leadership, life, media, news, observations, of connections, politics, power, publicity, relationships, respect, responsibility, trust, Uncategorized, well-being, wife | 1 Comment »
It is interesting to contemplate some of the facets of a man who was such a controversial figure in American culture. Jack Kevorkian was known at one time in the media as Dr. Death because of his involvement in assisting individuals with taking their lives…this was titled assisted suicide. Today, Jack Kevorkian died after a two week hospitalization for pneumonia. He is believed to have died from a blood clot but they will know more later. He struggled with the pneumonia and kidney complications during the hospitalization from media reports.
A lot has been said about Jack Kevorkian in the media over the years. For many years he used the media to get his message across to people around the world; he felt that people should be allowed to take their own lives. He allegedly thought physicians should be allowed to assist them by providing the means (medicine) to accomplish that goal. Many individuals (allegedly over 100 people) with chronic illness or disease, who were suffering, sought him out to help them end their lives. He was eventually convicted of murder by prosecutors and served approximately 8 years in prison; but, he was released early because of his own medical conditions.
His battle with public perceptions and the public’s moral and legal viewpoint, on his stance towards assisted suicide, opened up many conversations around the world. If nothing else, I do believe that the media attention helped people to examine their own beliefs about the idea of assisted suicide and the concept of whether people should have end of life choices when faced with chronic illnesses or diseases.
My own personal feelings aside, I can’t help but wonder as Jack was stripped of his medical license after being in prison for assisting suicides in the past; if he could have, would he have taken his own life at the end?
I mean, Jack’s life and career appeared to revolve around death and dying. He didn’t have access to his machine, that he invented to assist those who wanted to commit suicide, while he struggle with his illness in the hospital. Still, he has had health problems for years…which was part of the reason he was released early from prison.
One wonders, why didn’t he commit suicide himself during that time. Could it be that he realized the value in living even while chronically ill? Did he ever regret helping others to commit suicide? Publicly he remained defiant…but, when released from prison he agreed to no longer assist people with their suicides. Still, if he would have taken his own life…there is nothing that the legal system could have done to him after his death. He chose not to do that…and I am glad.
It is said that suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary situation. There are reports of people who have attempted suicide and somehow survived who report being glad that their attempt failed. Suicide leaves many victims…the survivors or loved ones of people who are successful at taking their own lives struggle with many issues.
Suicide prevention is important because people are in distress when they consider taking such an extreme action. Those stresses are intense…but often they are fleeting situations and if a person has an intervention that helps preserve their life than can go on and live a rewarding life (even if it is hindered by disease or illness). For those of us who have moral convictions about the idea of suicide, it is with sadness to hear of someone losing their life to suicide whether it is assisted or not. The subject is emotionally charged for most people…those who believe in the right to take their own life and those who believe it is wrong to do so.
Having lost a loved one myself, this week, after a long battle against a chronic disease; I can only imagine how much more complex the loss would have been, had that person chosen to take his own life. He suffered greatly, and yet he struggled to live; was he ever tempted to take his own life? I am sure there were moments when the pain became too much to bear…and yet, he fought for every moment he was allowed to have with his friends and family.
What are your thoughts on death and dying…Jack Kevorkian or assisted suicides? Our condolences to his friends and family at their loss.
Tags: controversy, death, dying, emotions, health, illness, Jack Kevorkian, life, sickness, suicide, Suicide prevention
Posted in behavior, cancer, career, celebrity, communication, conduct, controversy, crime, culture, death, emotions, family, grief, health, Heart, help, Impact, legacy, legal, life, medical, medicine, mental and physical health, murder, murder, news, observations, opinion, pain and misery, Passing Away, pharmacist, physician, religion, self doubt, sickness, spiritual, stress, suicidal, suicide, Suicide prevention, Uncategorized, values | 5 Comments »
Today was predicted to be Judgment Day by Harold Camping; a controversy even within those who believe in Judgment Day. Harold is an evangelist from California who says that God was returning today to judge the just and the unjust…those who would go to Heaven and those who would go to hell. Many have joked and many have mocked. It has gotten a lot of attention. The problem is that IF today is not the day (most Christians have dismissed it as THE day because scripture says no man knows the day or the hour…not even Jesus Christ…only God the Father knows); many people will continue to think of Judgment Day as merely the title of a movie or a theory of religious zealots.
The majority of Christians have stepped away from not only this prediction of day and time but those of others who have predicted Judgment day in the past. I have heard that Jesus is coming soon most of my life…however, soon is a matter of opinion. I DO believe that Jesus is the son of God and that he is returning for those who believe in him and those who are serving him on a daily basis…living their lives according to what the scriptures tell them to do to be Holy.
Already the news people are moving the story to the back of the page. The story mentions that are appearing now, are that the Rapture has not happened on the other side of Earth where it is already May 22, 2011.
You need to read the Bible if you are truly interested in the End Times. There are people who don’t know the signs to look for. Wars and rumors of wars, natural disasters, politcal unrest around the world…these things are happening. There are other signs as well. Our world is going to end and there will be a new Heaven and a new Earth…but you must read the Bible or consult with a Bible Believing counselor, pastor or advisor who knows about the subject. The Bible says be not fooled by those who claim peace…many will want to believe because the world is so troubled; but that is when the anti-Christ will appear and seem so able to handle things promising and doing things that people will be fooled by. Read the word and be informed.
It is no joke…one day..again…no one knows the day or the time…God is coming back for those who have confessed that Jesus is the Lord and Savior of all who believe. Are you ready? If you have sins in your life…or your life has areas that need dealing with and cleaning up…talk to God. Got problems that feel too big to handle, or a feeling of emptiness that just can’t get filled up with all the things that the world has to offer? Been abused, abandoned, hurt or been the one doing those things? God can fix it all, if you give him a chance. Get your heart right…open the doors of communication through prayer and tell God that you are ready for him to come into your heart and make it right.
Tags: anger, Anti-Christ, behavior, Believers, End of the World, Faith, Fear, Harold Camping, Judgment Day, mockery, natural disasters
Posted in abandonment, abuse, accountability, addictions, attitude, awareness, behavior, Celebration, church, conduct, controversy, counseling, culture, denial, disaster, emotions, expectations, failure, Faith | No Comments »
If you watch the news regularly you probably wonder whether human beings are loosing their compassionate human nature. In general, I like to believe that most people at their very core are loving, compassionate and nurturing; when they see someone in trouble they will reach out and help them to the best of their ability.
While that statement isn’t always true about every person…I believe that is the way that God created us. Since he created animals too and they give so many of us a daily dose of joy and a lift to our spirits I have often wondered if God gave them a bit of the same compassionate nature that he gave to us humans.
Often you will hear stories of an animal that comforted or rescued someone who was hurt, lost, in danger, or suffering with a disease or illness. I really enjoy hearing those stories. Sometimes you will see animals do some amazing things; that’s why when I watched this video, which I first saw on the news, I had to post it here. Then I went to Youtube to get the link. The situation that unfolds, in the video, is that a group of elephants are drinking at the waters edge and a young one falls into the water. The compassion and teamwork that the adult elephants put to use is very inspiring to me. I hope you enjoy this elephant video rescue .
I love how the adult elephants size up the situation, are compassionate towards the young one who was in danger; and, use teamwork to rescue the baby elephant. It just proves to me that animals are smart and have big hearts towards one another…I think that is amazing. God designed every part of our world in an impressive and fascinating way. Compassionate behavior should be encouraged in both the human world and in the animal kingdom. How can we be more compassionate and encouraging in our lives? Leave your thoughts after watching the video to let me know you visited, if you please.
Tags: animal behavior, animal kingdom, animals, baby elephant, baby elephant rescue, behavior, compassion, danger, emotions, Faith, God, heat, hero, human nature, inspiration, joy, rescue video, You Tube video
Posted in Amazing, animals, attitude, baby, behavior, compassion, culture, danger, disease, emergency, emotions, encouragement, Faith, Heart, hero, inspiration, joy, life, nature, news, observations, protect, sickness, spiritual, you tube video | No Comments »
Wow, that is a mouthful for the title of this blog post…but, it is what it says it is. The National Association of Letter Carriers have committed themselves once again to their annual food drive. They do this to help combat hunger. In the last two years in the United States, more than 50 million people have found themselves living in homes that don’t have enough food. This is outrageous, we can all do something to help. No one should go hungry in a country that supplies other nations with food from our surplus produce that farmers work so hard to grow.
You may say, I am only one person…what can i do? You can support the National Association of Letter Carriers help stamp out hunger by leaving a bag at your mail box, on Saturday May 14, 2011, with non-perishable food items. That is only 2 days from now. Make sure that the items you are donating are not out of date or in danger of expiring any time soon. Don’t have a lot to give; give what you can. If you are blessed enough to have the means to give…give generously; we all have a responsibility to share our blessings with others.
Support businesses and organizations that sponsor the annual Stamp Out Hunger food drive. This is an amazing grass roots program that blesses your local food banks. All the food collected by your local mail carrier stays in your local area. The people you help may be your own friends, family or neighbors. With the economy being so challenging in recent years more people are affected by not having enough to eat. The numbers of children in homes without enough food is rising. The elderly are having a harder time making ends meet. Young wage earners are finding themselves without steady income to support their families sufficiently. Natural disasters have hurt many families and those people still need to eat. Churches can’t do it all…they need our help to provide food for those who are struggling with hunger! Won’t you help?
Would you like to learn more? Visit their website here: Stamp Out Hunger and if you happen to have a Facebook account or a Twitter account…then Like them or Follow them to lend your support. Spread the work online and off. Tell others about the food drive…encourage others to donate.
Remember to thank your mail carrier. They are dedicated to helping people stamp out hunger in your community. Do you know someone who has had to use food from a food pantry or food bank? Tell them about my friend Connie who heads up a website that teaches people how to eat healthier with the food that they bring into their homes through SNAP, food pantries, commodities, and farmer’s markets. She does this in a way to help people stretch their budgets and to encourage the people who visit her website to form a community to share tips and ideas with one another. Her site isn’t just for food stamp users…but for anyone on a tight budget who wants and needs to eat well. Food Stamp Cooking Club
Tags: 2011, businesses, charity, children, commitment, donate, elderly, farmers, food, food banks, food pantries, giving, help, hunger, kids, letter carriers, mail box, May 14, National Association of Letter Carriers, Postal Service, Stamp Out Hunger, United States, wage earners
Posted in advertising, attitude, awareness, Blogging, Business, charity, commitment, compassion, cooking tips, culture, donate, economy, elderly, encouragement, family, farming, food, friendship, giving, help, hunger, kids, meals, micro media (social networking), news, observations, online traffic, poverty, publicity, responsibility, service, sharing, support, Twitter | No Comments »
Mother’s Day is one of those holidays that is bittersweet for many people. All women aren’t mothers. Some individuals don’t have mothers that they remember fondly or as a mother that deserves kudos for the life she has lived. There are birth mothers, foster mothers, adoptive mothers and mother- like figures. Some of those mothers are great mothers and natural at nurturing and some mothers have issues like addictions, or emotional problems…
That being said…even those mother’s have done something to be remembered for, and that is for bringing their children into the world. At the most basic level…giving life is something to honor; since not every woman who discovers she is pregnant makes the choice to give birth to her child. If you had a mother who only functioned at a bare minimum, then I hope you had another woman who filled a mother- like role in your life, encouraging, teaching, praising and loving you; someone to step in and protect you. Acknowledge that person on mother’s day and don’t let the negative emotions in regards to whether a birth mother was mother of the year or not; choose to celebrate love.
I’ve been blessed and I want to take a moment to celebrate love. A few years ago, we were told that my mother had an enlarged heart. This was traumatic as my mother was/is one of those women who loved and encouraged her children as we grew up. She continues to do this. Now her medical condition has been treated with medication and close monitoring; we are grateful for that. However, it got me to thinking about mothers who love deeply. Continue Reading »
Tags: abandonment, caring, Celebration, encouragement, enlarged heart, friendship, inspiration, loss, love, mixed emotions, mom, Mother's Day, mothers, neglect, pregnancy, relationships, role modeling
Posted in abandonment, abortion, abuse, addictions, adoption, anger, anti-abortion, attitude, aunt, baby, behavior, birth, Celebration, children, compassion, culture, depression, disappointments, Education, emotions, encouragement, enjoyment, excitement, family, foster parenting, friendship, grandparents, happiness, Heart, help, illness, joy, kids, leadership, learning, life, loneliness, loss, love, Luck, Models, mom, mother, Mother's Day, observations, opinion, pain and misery, parenting, Passing Away, pregnancy, pregnancy, protect, relationships, Remembering, respect, sadness, safety, self esteem, spiritual, unhappiness | No Comments »
If you are a person who looks to use and purchase products that help to promote the idea of organic farming practices and the idea of sustainability; then I would like to introduce you to Peppermint Jim and his products.
I first met Peppermint Jim back a couple of years ago in person in Michigan. He’s had an impact in Michigan where he helped to save his family’s heritage mint farm from foreclosure. He did this through hard work, and with the help of loyal customers. Jim believes in using organic farming practices that help build up the soil and protect it from poor farming practices that harm the earth with dangerous chemicals and destructive, or careless techniques that don’t look beyond the season’s current harvest.
I have to say that I was impressed with the man’s knowledge not only of those issues; but also, the intensive passion he shares for mint farming and for supporting struggling independent producers who are trying to make a living in a very competitive world. He’s done this by not compromising his faith or his belief in doing things in such a way as to honor God’s creation. He does his best to educate others and to provide products that promote health and well-being for the consumer as well as the environment.
In fact, Jim supports Southern Arizona Green Chamber of Commerce and Mrs. Greens World Care to encourage green practices in communities and businesses. The Tucson Arizona community is familiar with this way of thinking and it is a great place to connect with like- minded people.
In the May edition of Guideposts magazine you will find an article on Peppermint Jim and the story of his legacy from the role that his family’s heritage mint farm played in his professional growth; to the place that he is in now and, the direction that his experiences are leading him to, in the future. Don’t miss it…get the May 2011 edition of Guidepost’s magazine to learn more about Peppermint Jim and his life partner, wife Lilian and the role that their mint based business will play in the forward thinking communities who are wise to a greener and more sustainable world.
Jim has taken his knowledge, passion and purpose to Arizona and is introducing community members and loyal customers to his new line of products. His commitment to sustainability is contagious and he educates others to this way of farming. He is an encouragement to other farmers and independent producers of consumer goods; to do what they know is right and to have an opportunity to provide a living for themselves by bringing products to the marketplace that envelope all that they believe in.
You can see Peppermint Jim’s line of pure mint oils, body care products, farming tools, his handmade candies and goodies as well as his soil rejuvenator which feeds plants from seedling to bloom/harvest. You can find out more about what’s good for you and your family at Peppermint Jim
Tags: Arizona, body care products, Business, farmers, farming tools, green living, Guidepost magazine, handmade candies, mint, mint oil producers, Mrs. Green's World Care, organic farmers, Peppermint Jim, Southern Arizona Green Chamber of Commerce, sustainable products, Tucson
Posted in advertising, attitude, awareness, Business, career, commitment, competition, culture, Dreams, earth day, ecology, economy, Education, encouragement, environment, Faith, farming, finances, food, future, gardening, Green, health, help, herbs, ideas, Impact, inspiration, internetmarketing, leadership, learning, legacy, loyalty, making money, marketing, miracles, nature, news, observations, online traffic, Passion, publicity, publicity, purpose, seasons, shopping, spiritual, storms, success, support, teaching, Toxic, Twitter, vegetables, water shortage, weather, work | 4 Comments »
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