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!

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.

The Global Soap Project was started by Derreck Kayongo.  His father was a soap maker in Uganda.  When Derreck came to the United States, he was amazed to discover that hotels put fresh bars of soap in the hotel rooms every day; discarding the used soaps.  This began the idea of the Global Soap Project as Derreck knew the importance of having soap to help combat sickness and disease.  Just imagine the difference having plenty of soap and water would make in refugee camps.

It is costly to get soap, in many areas of the world, and poorer nations cannot afford the luxury of throwing away bars of soap that are barely used.  The Bible says to those whom much is given, much is expected in return; we have a responsibility to do what we can to help those that are less well off.   This is such a simple thing to do.

Derreck began to think of how to recycle the soap and distribute it to people in need.  He began to contact hotels about donating soaps to be recycled.  He has a website that encourages people to get involved in the donation, recycling and distribution of soap that has been cleaned, recycled and inspected for impurities.  This has the potential of helping to save and improve lives.

In America, we understand that it is important to use soap and water anytime we are handling food or drinks; or when working with people who are sick, after using the restroom, or changing diapers or bathing young children who have not been trained yet about sanitation.  The Centers for Disease Control has a wonderful article about hand washing and gives the particulars on how to do it properly to prevent the spread of diseases or illnesses. If people around the world could have access to the soap that is thrown away in landfills every year it could help millions of lives that die from contact with diseases and symptoms such as diarrhea.

This time of year families are traveling on vacations and day trips staying at hotels.  Why not spread the word at the hotels, about the Global Soap Project, that you are staying at or saving the soap that your family is given to use throughout your hotel stay.  The project is based in Atlanta, Georgia.  This is a worthwhile way of contributing to a betterment of the world.  If nothing else, think locally.

There are many homeless people that could use individual bars of soap to use.  Why not donate to a homeless shelter in your area?  This is such a great idea to bless others with the things that we take for granted, won’t you do what you can to help others less fortunate.  Won’t you help Derrick and others like him who have a goal to save lives by donating soap, money or your time?  Visit his site and see what you can do to lend some support, won’t you?

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.

Anthony says that he admitted to his wife of 11 months, before they got married, of his inappropriate online relationships that took place before his marriage; but it appears, that she was not aware of his recent interactions.  His wife, Huma Abedin works for Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.  Media reports say she is consulting with the Clintons about how to save Anthony’s job in the shadow of the scandal.

Questions abound in our world about the role that social media plays in the lives of everyday people and people who are famous, public figures, or people in roles of leadership.  How people conduct themselves online has a direct affect on their work, their reputations and in their relationships both online and off.

Whether Mr. Weiner is able to retain his position as a lawmaker will depend on what information is garnered through the ethics investigation that Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi has asked for.  If he has violated the rules of conduct or has used government resources in these circumstances…he could lose his standing among his fellow lawmakers not to mention other repercussions if any laws were broken.  His marital relationship has to be addressed as well; counseling would probably be advised for the best possible outcome, if they wish to heal the damage.  The pressure has to be tremendous as many people are calling for him to resign; which at this point, he has refused to do.  One would hope that in his quest to save his job, that he doesn’t sweep the issues under the rug that allowed him to make choices that were so potentially detrimental to his well-being.

It is human nature to try to avoid consequences when we screw up…however, the responsibility of a person in the position that he holds requires that he hold himself to a higher standard than most.  I am sure that he wishes he could go back and undo what he says he has done regarding posting those pictures and writing allegedly sexually charged exchanges with those women.  His actions supposedly goes back a few years…so this is not new behavior.  Yet, it was unchecked because he has continued to reach out through digital means & through the phone to women who are not his spouse to interact with racy exchanges.  It is said that these types of relationships can become addictive.  We know that they can be destructive.  It will take a lot of work to regain trust and respect of those people in his life that he had those things from, before this behavior came to light.

The whole situation goes beyond Democrat/Republican politics…because it doesn’t matter what a person’s political stance…this issue is a human issue.  I hope it doesn’t get turned into that kind of a discussion…because outside of his particular offense… both political parties struggle with individuals who have made serious mistakes in their behavior regarding sexual boundaries and values.  Immoral behavior is immoral behavior…no matter what party you belong to; in my opinion.

In any case, Anthony Weiner will have to show true remorse and take steps to correct the mind-set that allowed him to place himself in such a position as to lose ground as a lawmaker, and as a new husband.  In America we do believe in second chances and the opportunity to turn your life around…whether he will deserve that opportunity to go back and restore his reputation will depend on what they find out from the investigation, how he handles that information; and, whether he reforms how he conducts himself in the future.

Trust, dependability, integrity, honesty = a person’s reputation…the value of those attributes are immeasurable.  A person’s name and reputation is important.  There were so many plays on Anthony Weiner’s name in the last few days in the news headlines…but, truthfully, all that kept running through my mind was a little advertising commercial jingle that Oscar Mayer had on television, years ago, as I grew up.

IF I remember right, it goes like this.  “oh I wish I was an Oscar Mayer wiener, that is what I truly want to be; cause, If I was an Oscar Mayer wiener, everyone would be in love with me”.   Right about now, I would imagine that Anthony Weiner wishes his first name was Oscar, so that he too could have the love and support of all the American people, much like the kind of relationship the company Oscar Mayer has been able to forge over the years with the public.  Then again, to the best of my knowledge, that company has never been involved in any kind of scandalous behavior…

What is your opinion on the situation with Anthony Weiner…should he remain in office?

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.

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.

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

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

The thing is, death is permanent.  Suicide is a false solution to their problem.   Problems, even problems that seem overwhelming and beyond a person’s ability to see past it…problems come and go.  Life is full of them…big, small, and in-between problems.   There is hope…but they may need help in seeing it and believing in getting beyond what is troubling them.   However, if a person’s coping skills are influenced by depression, abuse, post traumatic stress, neglect or drug/alcohol abuse then, they may mistakenly think that suicide is a way out.

There is no way around it…destruction is close at hand when a person is to the point of thinking about suicide IF they do not seek professional help to deal with whatever is driving them to this point.  Sometimes, an individual is beyond seeking help on their own power; and a family member, friend or acquaintance is forced to intervene by contacting either a health care professional, a member of clergy or spiritual adviser, or the police in some cases to force a person to seek help.  This is not easy and the laws regarding forcing someone to seek help are different in each state.

It is a hard decision to even consider stepping in.  Most of us don’t want to be put in the position of interfering in another person’s personal life.   In fact, most people will err on the side of caution and allow desperate situations to go on too long.  Out of respect for that person’s privacy we might tip toe around the subject hoping not to offend.  I say it is better to possibly offend a person than to lose them to suicide; if you are wrong and they are not suicidal, you can always let them know that you cared enough about them to risk their upset, rather than risk losing them to suicide.

Still, I bring all of this up because recently it seems that there have been a rash of suicides.  Some of them made the news, some of them were in local communities and some of them affected people that I know.  It makes me sad because there is always a high cost when a person takes their own life; it isn’t only the person who dies who suffers either.

Suicide can affect anyone.  Shock is the most obvious reaction when someone takes their life.  The people who knew them will often say…I had no idea that they were thinking about it.  Suicide can be in the mind of your parent, child, spouse, clergy/spiritual leader, teacher, friend, an isolated elder, neighbor, a member of our military personnel…or, just about anyone who is living or breathing.  Just so you know, it doesn’t matter how much money they have, where they live or who they know…suicide can be lurking in the mind of a person who is having a difficult time in their life.

You see, friends, acquaintances, and loved ones of people who commit suicide suffer terribly in their grief.  They chase their thoughts round in round about what they missed, how they could have helped, what could have been done differently, why they still live when the person who died is gone.  Some even need counseling to deal with their emotions for a very long time.  Many even get to the point where they, too, struggle with finding joy in life because they feel guilty for having moments of joy, laughter, successes or celebrations.

The person who has died does not know this.  They no longer are capable of seeing how their death affects people who are left behind.   Even people in their community who barely knew them.  You see, we all have an impact in this life whether you realize how many lives you touch or not…every life has value.

People struggle in life…we can help those at risk of suicide by trying to be aware of what they are going through.  Most of us are not qualified to help someone through severe depression or feelings of ending it all by committing suicide…but, we can all be more aware of the signs of when someone is in trouble.  We can urge someone to seek medical/emotional/spiritual professional help.  We can be encouragers, listeners and friends.  Get the phone numbers and addresses of counselors, organizations and mental health care providers in your area.  In an emergency, call 911 if you feel someone is in danger.  You might not only save their life…but you might save an innocent bystander as well.

There was a tragic story yesterday of a woman who was involved in an alleged domestic situation where there was great emotional turmoil.  Her Aunt called the authorities after the woman called a family member and said they would all have to forgive her because she was about to do something crazy.  Her children’s father was allegedly cheating on her.  This distraught New York woman, allegedly put her four children into her vehicle and drove two minutes from her home off of a ramp into some water…killing herself and three of her children.  Her fourth child, a ten year old, managed to roll down a window and by a miracle got out of the vehicle alive.  Her very young children never had a chance.  It sounds like law enforcement was there within 17 minutes…but, it only took her two to drive into the water.   What horrible consequences to a temporary situation.

In her apparent desperation, this was her solution to the problem of a cheating spouse.  It made sense to her at the time.  To those of us outside of her situation; we can see how desperate and out of control she had to be to endanger not only herself, but her children’s life.  Whether he really was cheating or not, it doesn’t matter (well it does…but, that is between him and God); but, her belief that he was cheating triggered her suicidal and homicidal response.  This is a tragedy all the way around.

There are survivors…not only the ten year old child who will struggle to have a normal life since he survived and his siblings did not…but there are other relatives, the spouse, the neighbors, the children’s school mates, church members, community members and so on.  This kind of thing leaves a big scar.

I want to share with you information about awareness and the prevention of suicide by printing a link to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline Organization.

We live in a time of great stress.  We have wars going on, natural disasters, man-made disasters, terrorism, accidents, financial losses and domestic violence…you get the idea.  Update:  Last night the news shared even more devastating news about the New York mom who drove into the Hudson River with her children in the car.  It seems that after she drove in she realized what she had done was a mistake.  Her 10 year old child said, She kept saying “I made a mistake, I made a mistake”.  This is so sad…but it does illustrate my earlier point…the person in distress doesn’t really want to die or in this case cause others to die…they just want the pain to end.

So, how does someone who has a great product go about letting it be known that they have a great product and get people to buy without all of that ugly over the top hypey advertising.  How does an honest marketer revolt and let others see what they are doing online to make money in an honest and ethical way?  They do it by being genuine…they do it by being real; by creating great products your customers can use, and raising the standards of their own conduct and raising the standards of what their potential customers can expect.

This is what the Real Guys are doing…but their product is only available for the next few days until March 31, 2011.  Watch this and see if there isn’t a part of this message about what they are trying to do with their product and the way that they are getting the word out about how they do business.  They have a great product that teaches targeted traffic methods and list building and includes a private label rights aspect as well.

This video series helps teach people who are looking to make money online at home the best way to do it…and it includes a product that they themselves can market.  It is a product that provides great content and allows them to market online with every confidence that they are providing real value to their customers. They have over-delivered a quality product with which everyday real people can make money in an honest and ethical way.  The people behind the Real Guys are well known internet marketers who themselves have a strong and loyal group of customers who have great things to say about how each of them conducts their online businesses.  Check it out the program here:  Real Guys

*Just so you know…this article includes an affiliate link…and should you purchase anything from the Real Guys I would be compensated.  However, that doesn’t mean that this isn’t a great product…because it is a great product…but it is only available for a few more days.