Rules for Radicals

'You can't consistently perform in a manner that is inconsistent with the way you see yourself' Zig Ziglar

What does Obama read?... 'The Post-American World' -- it's a Muslim's view.
Send this to those that think he walks of water and should be the next President of our Great Nation!

Obama's play book: Rules for Radicals.

Reference:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPUuaFXjx1s

From GOP, "This year, the Obama-Biden campaign broke their pledge to accept public financing during the general election. Now it turns out they padded their coffers with contributions from "mystery" donors that don't exist (as reported by Newsweek).

They will soon be trying to pad their totals at ballot boxes across the country with votes from voters that do not exist. From Ohio and Florida to Wisconsin and Nevada, there are reports of fraudulent voter registration forms being submitted by the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN), a liberal group that is dedicating its resources to electing the Obama-Biden Democrats.

What's worse is the Obama-Biden campaign has funneled more than $800,000 to ACORN for work on get-out-the-vote activities conducted by the left-leaning organization."

Rev. Wright: " God Damn America!" and such from the pulpit for over 20 years. Do you really think he wasn't listening? We all know his wife was because "I haven't been proud of this country until now..."
Ayres: Weatherman Underground bombings and killings, now more than a neighbor to Obama.

Obama vs McCain and Education

My thoughts are flowing on a very large topic today, so all I have is brevity, and not such good organization, but it is my Right2Rage ...

I am frustrated by the "education of our children" struggle in the government. We know what works, yet we fail to follow through. Everyone is not equal, not in families, schools, towns, cities, states and countries. There are very bright children who want to work with their hands, and our best tools and methodology comes from just such people. We need to stop pushing our children toward college, and offer trade schools and mentor programs instead, like apprenticeships. Electricians, plumbers, butchers, bookkeeping and many other trades were learned best by one-on-one mentoring. Sure, there needs to be basic understanding of the intellectual and functional tools needed to do the jobs successfully, and we do rely on technology for more and more, but not in everything.

We still need skilled ditch diggers for the jobs technology and large equipment are unable to do. Better ditch digging equipment comes from ditch diggers improving the methods and tools that advances our society. Ditch digging is honest work and currently, is done by Mexican workers, at least here in Arizona. Yet, I am certain that there are teens, who if put to work by their parents doing physical labor, would discover the value of a dollar, the value of hard work, the value of team effort, and the value of learning. I worked in a potato cellar in Idaho, painted walls for the local school district, and waited tables when I was in high school and college. Many of the values I now hold dear came from those experiences. I learned discipline and respect for my fellow workers while doing those jobs. And, there were so many more of them than me, I knew I needed to listen to instructions, ask questions, and work hard. That was how I earned my place on the team. My children are learning the same, and it is a struggle for me to place such bright children in the trenches, but how will they learn the value of basics otherwise?

Senator Obama has two daughters attending private schools, yet defends preservation of the public schools so they are not the dumping grounds for poor or ill mannered children. Senator McCain believes in the wisdom of parents and teachers coming together and resolving the education situation regionally. Senator McCain represents a state, Arizona, where the school systems have failed and the Arizona Department of Education along with our governors, have been experimenting with educational ideology for over ten years. My children are the result of such experimentation and are doing exceptionally well, and they are happy with life goals. They participated in Mesa Public Schools Eagleridge Homeschool Enrichment Program. The value of that program is easily seen in the success of the students who have gone on to high schools, colleges and careers. The classes were small, teachers accredited, supported by the Mesa Public School System, and student enriched. Children who misbehaved were not allowed to remain in the program, and parents understood that, so did the students. Rules and respectful behavior were as much socially guarded and demanded by the students as by any of the teachers.

I guess the issue I personally have is the seeming need we have for teachers to not stifle a students moral, yet we all learn from corrections. So what is wrong with some students failing, having to conform to socialized norms, and working for advancement? Really, one of the striking differences between private and public schools is the discipline factor, both parental and school culture.

Each generation has had MIA parents. The church, school, neighborhood and employment have been the safety net for kids, so where are these now? As First Lady Hillary Clinton said, "It takes a village to raise a child." I think many of the village aspects are still here, alive and well, just the news reports the aberrant rather than the norm, so we are all afraid. Fear and feeling hopeless and defensiveness is what is bringing us all down. We have put too many restrictions on our teachers, and not enough on our students. I look at my children, their friends and those in the neighborhood and I just don't see the kids in the news. I don't see the news reporting norms and information for awareness. I guess it sells papers and advertising, so that is what we will continue to call "news." Though I would much rather read about the children who are succeeding, and how they are succeeding.

Kenneth M. Freeman Passed

Our family friend, Kenneth M. Freeman, the western and portrait artist passed away Thursday, May 29, 2008 at 4:11 a.m. His wife, Bonnie A. Adams-Freeman, Bonnie's older son David, and my son Reed Hamel were by his side. I understand he passed peacefully with a slight smile on his lips. Ken had been fighting cancer for the passed couple of years, but a Staff infection is what took him.

Our family is grieving with this loss, and I am raging over the seemingly needless loss of my friend, and grandfather figure for my children.

I hate grief!

A very dear friend appears to be close, days even, to moving into the light, so to speak. I find myself reviewing Kubler-Ross grief steps in my head. I guess I am stuck in anger, while I work through the other stages at the same time. I am so sad over the potential loss of my friend, though the anger helps me keep moving.

I feel the need to remain aware of my underlying anger to stay vigilant for my children, who are also loosing a very dear friend, more like a family member. And then there is the potential widow, also a valued friend. Shoot, I introduced them. "You will love him," I said to her. "You will love her," I said to him, and they did. So much in love and so well suited for each other, the children of both were very upset over the union. One daughter, his last family member living, has been unpredictably manipulative and covertly hurtful. She has just not been a calming supportive person in his life, quite the opposite. She is ready to pounce on my friend's loving spouse. So, some of my anger will be available to help the spouse as needed.

I have seen the worst behavior among family members when someone is expected to pass. I am relying on my anger and experience to aid in supporting my friend's spouse, starting now.

Anger is a useful and exhausting emotion. Anger helps me stay in motion and moving ahead while others are stuck in their grief. I get things done while others are not able. Then, after the crisis is over, I allow myself to experience the pain of grief. I understand grief, I've done it enough times and helped others through it. Somehow it feels familiar, but I still hate it!

Our Leaders Should ...

Our potential leaders should have a handbook, a primmer for being a leader, look no further than Lee Iacocca's new book "Where Have All The Leaders Gone?" It is an easy read and to the point. It is common sense for any one who wants to have their own business, do business, or be a leader.

In this time of presidential nominations, I would strongly suggest everyone who is of voting age, should be required to read this book. In clear, concise terms, Mr. Iacocca evaluates the presidency of George W. Bush. I agree with the evaluation, and I see clearly what I have not been able to put in words. I am actually embarrassed to have had these feelings, and not been able to get past the distractions to see what has been right in front of my eyes. All I know is that we are n0t better off now than we were 7 years ago! Though, I will admit that GW Bush has given comedians ample material to keep audiences in side-splitting laughter. Sad, but true.

After reading "Where Have All The Leaders Gone?" I am looking at the candidates more clearly with identifiable parameters. Thank you Mr. Iaccoca.

LEE IACOCCA's book

Where Have All the Leaders Gone? by Lee Iaccoca is a book that provides a clear voice of how I have been feeling, yet have been afraid of speaking. I don't want to be tagged as a terrorist, and in these times, with Bush's over riding of Habeas corpus, a 54 year old, white, wife and mother of two, seventh generation British American living in Arizona could be taken in the night and held without due process for as long as deemed necessary by officials. Wait, this doesn't sound like The United States of America!!! Thanks to our current president, and the weak-kneed Congress, Senate, and House leaders that are letting Bush do what ever he wants, our basic rights are being ignored.

We need strong, learned leaders to get us out of the mess we are in. I don't think any of the people running can do what needs to be done alone, yet each of the potential leaders speak of what they will do first, no one is speaking of infrastructure. We need good internal structure and that includes education and the economy.

Gas and Our Life Style

I read where President Bush visited the Saudis, met with the leaders, and tried to get them to produce more oil from their resources. Is he daft??? Oil is a finite resource, though abundant. And, does he really think having more oil will make our dollar buy more of it? A dollar which is worth less (not worthless, yet) does not have the same buying power, so the same dollar will buy less. I wonder how many of the presidential candidates really get the relationship between the dollar being worth less, and cost of items costing more "dollars" and all of us caught in the middle, being squeezed by a collapsing economy?

For example, have you come to the end of the gas money and it is only the middle of the month? I have, and I have been very careful how I use the car. Something else has to give for me to buy fuel. I see many more folks walking, riding bikes, and standing at the bus stops lately. It may come to that for members of our family. The more I think if it, we are spoiled by access at a whim to our car, though I don't feel spoiled. I want to be able to drive to the library, grocery store, or do my errands.

Come to think of it, my dollar isn't buying as much as I budgeted for the month in other areas. I have a list of variable items: gas, groceries, medications, school, entertainment, and all of them are costing more than last year at this time, yet there is no additional money coming into the household. In fact, there is more money needing to go out than we have coming in! Ouch!!! And then there is retirement to save for, because Social Security was never meant to be the sole retirement, only in addition to our own savings. College funding??? It may have to be up to the children how they get into and through college.

I think we have to take matters into our own hands, and make painful changes just to get through these times, which may last forever. For example, our grocery list used to include the following: bread, milk, eggs, lettuce, tomato, carrot, mayonnaise, mustard, ketchup, salt, pepper, sugar, flour, canned tuna, ground meat and roasting chicken. These items lasted us the week, and there were no extras, except for special occasions. The dogs ate table scrapes and kibble from a bag we bought in the grocery store, and we let our cats out-of-doors and gave them half a can of cat food each evening. We had no mice or rats, and we called the exterminator when bugs overwhelmed our ways of dealing with the insects. We didn't have to purchase water to drink, or pay to have our water softened. We cleaned our own home, bathrooms, sweep, dust, vacuum and drapes down for dry cleaning each Spring. We mowed our own lawns, weeded the areas needing it, washed our own cars, and planed for the one vacation we might be able to have each summer.

I think our family's path into the "good life - spending what we make," happened with the birth of our children. We wanted to give them the best, and our once really frugal nature was replaced with diapers, formula, doctor visits, trips into the city for special camps and after school programs. Our sensibilities changed and we viewed once extras as necessities, and off we went. Spending everything we made, using our credit cards when we WANTED something that we didn't have the cash for. Now our children are mid and late teens, and need to know first hand how to live a frugal life. So, this Summer, I canceled the lawn care, house keeping, and trips here and there. The children are just beginning the Summer free of one level of supports and extras. Lets see how we do. I hope all of us can emotionally frame the changes in a positive light, and meet the demands with tenacity and imagination. I think our country is generally in a downward trend that may last the rest of our lives, and our children's lives. So, when I hear teens say they want to do something to be rich and able to retire at age 30, I get a little sick to my stomach thinking about the dissatisfaction in their future.

Hillary Clinton

Hillary Clinton is the only person running for nomination that we really know anything about! We know so much about the Clinton family, we can almost guess the color of their underwear. Senator Obama is such an untried unknown individual who is likened to men in our past who were shot! Senator McCain is old, having had cancer a couple of times, with all those angry war wounds. What is a person to do?

I would have voted for John Edwards, but he needed to be home with his wife and family. He has the best balance of foreign, domestic, legal and economic understanding of anyone who ran, and he was a decent American. He and his family would have improved our international recognition and respect.

In his absence, Hillary Clinton is the next best person for the job, in my opinion. We all know the Clinton family. They have been investigated, audited, criticised, spied on, followed and in the public eye for over 2 decades, and all their frailties are well known. Senator Clinton has the experience to handle the press, pressure of office, people around her behaving badly, foreign affairs, military awareness, domestic and international economic awareness, and still stay focused on "we the people." The Clintons are well known and well liked in foreign communities. They can restore our reputation and honor internationally, and do so quickly.

Think of the Obamas in the White House, well, only the Senator. Michell Obama said she planned to continue working in the Chicago area and keep the daughters in their current school. So, we will have a "single" man in the White House, representing our country? Dignitaries will be so impressed when the president's wife doesn't even show up to support her husband? And, I believed Michell Obama was being honest when she said she had not been "proud" of the United States, especially after experiencing their reverend, you know Rev. Wright and his message of African Theologies. Twenty years of hearing that kind of preaching would have to have had some effect on the Obama perceptions. Senator Obama chose to criticize his white grandmother, and what she might say, why not the other way around? Then when Senator Obama would not place his hand over his heart (everyone else was) and would not wear the U.S. flag pin, I had to wonder what was wrong with him, and his understanding of the basic ways in which United States citizens express respect and love of country. I think Senator Obama and his wife could learn a decade of diplomacy, raise their girls, and learn and how mainstream America works, then he might be a good president.

John McCain and his wife Cindy have some problems, too. Senator McCain has a short temper and some angry war wounds that cause him to live in the past, not so much in the future, or even the present. He has a clear understanding of what it is to be an American, and to love his country. His wife, Cindy McCain, is a powerful and successful business woman, she is a very classy lady and honors her husband by being by his side. Cindy McCain would bring a culture and atmosphere to the White House and the presidency that we haven't experienced since Jackie Kennedy. I only wish she had not experienced drug dependency and the behaviors that go along with the condition. The only problem is that John McCain is old, out of touch with economics of his own state of Arizona, the country and the world. He has had cancer two times and then there are all of those emotional war wounds.

I have come to the conclusion that if Senator Obama is the Democratic nominee, Senator McCain will have my vote. The only way this would not come to pass, is if Senator Clinton is VP on the ticket. In this relationship, when Obama is killed, a responsible party will be there to pick up the staff.

Gas and Food Price Crisis

I know, I know, everyone is paying through the nose, as they say, for the gas to do necessary tasks which require driving. My 15 year old daughter must get to school, and my 17 year old son needs to do the same. My husband needs to get to work and I need to do the driving to maintain the household. I have stopped driving to meetings, either clients meet me at my home, or we communicate through e-mail or by telephone. Luckily, all of my business associations are also long-standing relationships. Even though we work to consolidate our trips, we spent over $250 last month for gasoline. Last year, during the month of April last year, we spent over $100 less!!! That extra $100 came out of money needed to pay the bills and a few extras. Our income did not increase to compensate for that $100, did yours? This month, there are no extras. Our household has gone into a necessary crisis to save money. Here in Arizona, summer is our expensive utility use time, cooling our home and cars against the 100+ degree 100+ days of the summer. OUCH!!!

Steps we are taking to lessen the spending in our household.
1. We enrolled in the energy saving plan through our utility.
2. We turned our cooling units temperature to 82 degrees. Last season the settings were at 78 degrees.
3. We are grocery shopping closer to home, and using our less expensive farmer's market year around stores.
4. We make lists not only of items to be purchased, but the route to take and other chores to do on the way. Planning is the new chore.
5. We are trying to make a game out of conserving and planning. Though, I must say, I feel like the children, this is getting old. At first they tried to complain out of the game plan, facing final exams, this was not the time to institute one more thing. So, we talked out our frustrations and entertained alternatives. They didn't like the alternatives which included saving electricity by turning off computers, TV, radio, lights at night, video games, turning up the air conditioning to 88 degrees, and our usual Summer vacation. Only one of us will be traveling this Summer, and that is related to education.
6. We are drinking water, not sodas, juices, coffees, teas, mixed drinks and smoothies. We aren't even making these, except when we find the fruit on sale to make juices. We are not purchasing bottles of water, instead using larger volume purified, actually distilled water.
7. We are trying to compact our trash to fit in just one trash container, instead of two. It means removing our compost items for compost, rolling our trash tighter so more fits in the container, and paying more attention to the recycle labels.
8. We planted a small garden for lettuce, tomatoes, peppers and a few other things. The set up was sort of expensive, but the growing will be nearly cost-free for this season and more to come.
9. We just aren't buying things, instead, we are making it on what we have. Even if we have some cash left over at the end of the month, it goes into savings. We never know if the price of gas and food will increase next month again, and we will need the extra from this month for next month.
10. We will begin to use the library more this Summer, instead of Borders Books or Barns and Noble.
11. We will do more walking and bike riding than last year this time. Later in the season, bike riding will be too dangerous due to the heat.

What are you and your family doing to conserve your money? You don't have to be living in poverty to save at this time of hardship. What are you doing to save yourself?

Mother One

Health Insurance

This morning reports of John McCain's health insurance reform ideas were all over the news. The idea of an open market seems capitalistic, and fitting for a democratic nation, at first glance. Open market on the professions, human condition careers and their supports. What a novel idea, I would like to explore that concept a little bit further. Lets examine the idea from the perspective of the insurance company, health care providers, and the patient using the who, what, when, where, how and why format.

Health Care Insurance Companies:
Who: Insurance companies present and those to be formed dealing with health care payment.
What: Health insurance will take money from members and purchase the care responses based on the member's level of membership.
When: This could take years to implement.
Where: United States, nation wide, not regionally.
Why: Uninsured patients are draining our medical cookie jar. Uninsured patients include people in the country illegally.
How: U.S. Government would give employer's health insurance payments directly to the health insurance company designated by the patient. Employers would no longer be the health insurance provider for employees. Patients would be independent consumers mining available health insurance providers for the most protection for the dollar. This would put pressure on the insurance companies to keep costs of memberships low.

Health Care Providers:
Who: Facility owners, facility supporters and direct care providers such as doctors, nurses, dentists, psychiatrists and others.
What: Dollars would come from Health Care Insurance Companies instead of the many money streams currently in place, including the Federal Government. Facilities would be directly beholden to the insurance companies.
When: This could take years to develop a system and put it in place.
Where: All of the United States as one.
Why: To standardize the quality and quantity of care and payment for that care as a patient driven and insurance company centered model.
How: This is a good question. How would the providers and the support system function under the patient driven model?

The Patient:
Who: The patient would decide on the insurance plan right for him/her and the family. Insurance companies, which would still strive to realize the maximum profit possible, would probably structure a multiple level care program approach.
What: The patient would decided on the plan based on their need and ability to pay for the extras. I would imagine the tiered membership would begin with the basics for check-ups and proactive items paid for, but radical procedures would not be paid for under the plans, without additional payment. Insurance companies have the data to study which ailments are common and which are uncommon and would structure a membership accordingly.
When: This is any one's guess.
Where: Everyone, no matter the geography or environment, would have a certain number of dollars to spend from the U.S. Government for health care insurance. I wonder how long a rural clinic and hospital would remain open and operational if there were not the people around who would maintain the facility. Would this lead to dis entitlement? Something to ponder.
Why: People, under this system, would drive the market. A market driven health insurance system partially or totally paid for by the government's direct pay of premiums to the insurance company. Did I get this right?
How: People would be able to decide which health insurance company would receive their health insurance dollars. Employers would no longer take part in the health welfare of employees, that responsibility would fall to the employee. For example, a farmer, who never did work for an employer, who never received government subsidy for employee health care, is going to be responsible for providing his/her own health care. How is this a change for those who are the bravest of our workforce? Are we going to expect the patient to know actuarally what they can expect to need care for? Are we going to expect the patient to know the language well enough to know what they are purchasing is what they will need?

I have some nagging questions. Will this lead to health care providers cow towing to insurance companies? Will such a system curtail research? Will this system turn insurance companies loose to know and manage everything? How will this help those who have no money to pay for insurance or are geographically or functionally distant from services?

Lawyers in the White House

The e-mail that prompted the formation of this blog was titled "This is not a Lawyer Joke" The e-mail began with: This article was in the "American Thinker"17 March 2008, The Lawyers' Party By Bruce Walker.
"The Democratic Party has become the Lawyers' Party. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton are lawyers. Bill Clinton and Michelle Obama are lawyers. John Edwards, the other former Democrat candidate for president, is a lawyer and so is his wife Elizabeth. Every Democrat nominee since 1984 went to law school (although Gore did not graduate.) Every Democrat vice presidential nominee since 1976, except for Lloyd Benson, went to law school. Look at the Democrat Party in Congress: the Majority Leader in each house is a lawyer."

The e-mail goes on to say the Republican Party has no lawyer among the upper leaders, so who should we trust? Walker also mentions the founding fathers were not lawyers. No, they were visionaries, thinkers, and philosophers, while lawyers at that time were practitioners. Today, many of our thinkers and philosophers have gone to law school to learn the rules, not having to learn them on the job as they seek to provide legal protection for citizens under the law. Who would you rather have defending your rights under the law, a Texas oil and cattle rancher? We know how things turn out after 7 years of not having a legally trained mind where it counts.

What are people thinking when they say "Lord save us from educated people!" There are 3 professions, though some would count 5. Medicine safeguards our physical well being; the Clergy safeguard our spiritual well being; and Lawyers safeguard our rights as citizens. (Arguably, Prostitution and Engineering provide sexual and community supports, and if you count these, there are 5 professions.) Each of the first 3 require advanced training by some of the most intelligent among us, unless you count the lay ministries out there. Would you really want an untrained person as your surgeon? Then what makes people think we should have untrained folks as our leaders.

I think many Americans don't like educated people! Education must really frighten members of the masses for this kind of hatred and fear to be so prevalent. Is this why we are dumbing down our education systems, to make the fearful feel better? This is my real gripe, this is what really pushes my buttons! Dumbing down lets China leap ahead in the space race, Korea build our cars, and Japan build our electronics. We are in debt to China!!! We are loosing it folks, when we give way to fear and allow fear to rule us!

We need to provide incentives for intelligent students to strive to be the best, not feel afraid for being smart. We are creating the most intelligent gang leaders because we are so afraid to spend time and money on our brightest minds. All people are not created intellectually or physically equal, and we need to be okay with that. Perhaps we should regain our grip on reality by looking at successful school systems in Europe, stop throwing money at a system that isn't working, encourage and reward those who are the brightest to shoot for the Moon, and not worry so much if someone gets their feelings hurt in the process. If we don't shape up, we will be unable to catch up or even play the game in international circles. Education is power, and we are rapidly loosing both.

Now you know my beef, what about you?

Mother One

What is Right2Rage?

Hello Fellow Bloggers,

Is there something that is bugging you? Write about it!!! Mental health professionals claim writing your thoughts down is often the path to healing. Exactly why I am writing now.

A very dear and respected friend sent an e-mail to me the other day, that made me so angry, writing a response to the e-mail took me several hours. While I was writing my response, another friend called. I explained my distress, and off the top of his head, he said "Right to Rage" you could help others with just such a blog. So, here I am, up in the wee hours of the night, starting this exchange.

Come and Rage with me, we have the Right!
Mother One taking a stand!