Election Madness!!

Things are so strange these days. The economy is wallowing in danger of collapse, our country is involved in two wars, and we are suffering from global warming, but we still are obsessed with Sarah Palin's wardrobe expenditures, who used to be an anarchist in the 60's, and the co-hosts who are arguing on The View. Wake-up People!!

Nothing is going to get better unless we are willing to put some effort into our problems and prioritize when finding the solutions. Aren't you as sick as I am on character assassinations between political candidates or playing the blame game with who is responsible for what fiasco in the government? How about if someone just anyone would tell me how they are planning on fixing our domestic issues, leading us to peace in my lifetime, and stopping poverty in the United States and than the world!!!

We know what went wrong in the last eight years, so let us figure out what is going right, work on that, and implement the changes we all want to see for the next four!

Until next time...

It's been a long time...

Okay, it's been so long since I have posted to my own blog that I could not remember my own password. Talk about bad!! I cannot believe the summer is over. I would like to say I accomplished a lot in the last four months, but it would be a complete lie. Sure some of the basics got covered and I did relax a bit, yet all my good intentions did not come to fruition. I am healthy and relatively happy. Things are okay, I'd say.

I love autumn though and it is nice to have evenings cooling off even when the days are hot. If the mosquito population would die off, I would be happy. There is nothing I dislike more than hearing the buzz and the slap of another onslaught of those pests.

I am also getting excited about the election countdown and looking forward in just 60days having a new president-elect staged and ready. Hey, George-parting is such sweet sorrow,NOT! Good riddance, and ciao, ciao for now! Heck yeah, we are ready for change! Bring it on!!

Later on personal preferences. Until next time...

So, what are you doing with your $600?

I know what my share of our $1500 will be going towards when it comes in the mail and it won't be a purchase. Nope, I will be trying to make ends meet. Yeah, I know the cash is suppose to buy some major item or two thar the household would not be able to otherwise see in this recession. Yes, it is finally called a recession!

Instead of buying all the things I have only dreamed of in the last few years, I will be putting my windfall toward the bills I barely cover each month. Since, my credit card bills and their monthly minimum payments doubled a few years ago as did my weekly gas cost, I will forgo the new carpeting I need for another year.

Quite frankly, getting $1200 per married couple and $300 per minor child doesn't even make an extra mortgage payment in my world. My little compact car will cost more than that to run this year. Especially, if a gallon of gas stays around $4.00.

Add to that total: the cost of health care, college tuition, interest rates on credit cards, insurance premiums, and even corn (using it as an additive in gasoline has increased the price at the supermarket) and I wonder how bad the economy can get before it gets better.

Thanks, President Bush for nothing and I mean nothing.

The Beginning of a New Day

My hibernation is over. Like a sleepy mama bear, I have shook off my winter's sleep and joined the living. Flu, colds, headaches, and middle-aged aches and pains be gone! As Ghandi liked to say, "Be the change you want to see in the world" or something like that. The point being, it starts with you (or me)whatever shoe fits.

I am sitting here at home having my first day off of my spring break. It happens to be Good Friday and the official first whole day of spring and I am watching a snow storm covering my budding daffodils. We are supposed to get about nine inches by Saturday. Isn't life an amazing experience?

Someone replied to my weather update of a major snowfall coming my way by laughing and saying, "Yeah, and they say we have global warming". Although, I dearly love this person I was aghast by this statement. Hellooooo! Spring snow storms happen a lot, but the extreme weather patterns we are experiencing are a sign of the times. We are hurting our planet big time and until we recognize this truth there will be far more to come. We can count on that!

The good news is that I do not have to be back at work until March 31st. The not-so-good news (I am learning not to state negatives)- I have no money to do anything with my free time. So, I am being forced to work on myself Spring is a time for new beginnings. I will keep you posted how that goes. Until next time...

More Than A Politician

Maybe What We Don’t Need is a POLITICIAN in the White House. On morning television a while back there was a segment that reported on a past president who continues to be a leader in this country and the world in a very unpolitical way. An interview conducted by Chris Cuomo on Good Morning America profiled, Jimmy Carter, the 39th President of the United States. He was hawking his latest book, and talking about his works of service since he left the office over 25 years ago.

This amazing man has dedicated his life to making a difference. Not a politician, as much as a statesman, Carter has worked tirelessly to help the poor, broker deals to manage peace in troubled countries, promote racial equality, and work on solutions for our complex environmental issues. A small part he was given a Nobel Peace Prize in 2002. He was asked if he would have altered his decision- not to invade Iran during the hostage crisis that dominated his last year or more in his presidency, which probably caused him his re-election.

Carter agreed his negotiations for the 52 Americans in a diplomatic dialogue versus militarily probably did cause him an early retirement, but he believed he did the right thing. Noting that he continued the process after his political defeat with all 52 people being released on his last day of office, they were all alive without having to take any innocent lives in the process. It was not a popular strategy at the time, but he stands behind it.

Apparently, it was the right resolution for the situation in retrospect. If you have lived long enough to remember when Jimmy Carter became President and the subsequent jabs at his moral character (his lust in his heart comment) or strength and lack of it when dealing with the Middle East conflicts (yes, it was an issue back then too-only the players slightly change), you have seen one administration after another fumble with any one the same circumstances that Carter did. Yet, not one of them has done better at it. Carter appears to be a good man, maybe not a good politician. Being a little too honest, a little more independent, and maybe just a bit more intelligent than some of his predecessors or successors, he has become the very model of what a true statesman seems to be. His lack of support from fellow Democrats over the years is still a bone of contention with him and he noted that in his interview.

According to Merriam-Webster, a statesman is a wise and skilled person involved in fixing the policies and conducting the affairs of government. A politician is just an individual engaged in government and politics. A very essential difference, don’t you think? Carter’s credentials speak for themselves. Maybe, just may be during the next election we should step back, peruse the candidates, and research just who is running for the highest office in the land. Is it for the power it affords, the prize itself, or is the ultimate candidate from either party bringing some real ammunition for making this country the best it can be?

Jimmy Carter was also congratulated on having been married for 61 years. Jokingly Carter added that it has been happily to the same woman. Diplomacy definitely remains one of his strong suits.
Until next time...

2008-Going to be Great!

At least that is what I keep telling myself. Besides focusing on the Now in my life that I mentioned in my last blog, I am looking at my attitude. Although I see myself as a positive person, I do tend to limit my wants at least in my head. No more, I am going to think big and go for the gusto in this Part II of life. Why not? The more good things I attract the more I will be able to share. So, think about that when you set your goals this year. The Sky is the Limit!!!

Certainly that is what the political candidates are doing as the primary season has finally begun. Pull out all the stops and hope for the best. I have to say I am already sick of all the posturing, spinning their versions of what America needs and how they propose to do it better than anyone of the other candidates.

I say Republican, Democrat, or Independent-whoever can deliver on a promise to end the war, concentrate on our poor, our economic problems, our racial strife, and the education of our children has my vote! Who is up for that challenge? Until next time...

Be Here Now- My new Mantra

When I was just a young teen many, many moons ago, I remember running across a book called,BE HERE NOW, by Ram Dass. Being young and very impressionable, I ingested every word, without necessarily understanding exactly what he was into- psychedelically speaking.

You see, Ram Dass was Dr. Richard Alpert in his earlier life. A scholar, professor, and very upwardly mobile educator in the academic community coming from an influential Jewish East Coast family. He had the beauty, brains, and money that put him at the top of his game in the 60's. His name was connected with Harvard, Stanford,and UC-Berkley just to name a few. He seemed to have it all.

He began a friendship and eventually a working relationship with Timothy Leary when they began to experiment and research with LSD(via the psilocybin mushroom) much to the chagrin of contemporary moralists. Of course, at the time he seemed very cool to the youth of the day trying to navigate the changing mores, like me.

If that was his only claim to fame, I would not be writing about him in this blog. Nope, the downfall of Dr. Alpert(in the minds of some)was only the beginning of his story. After making a trip to India, Ram Dass became an enlightened teacher of a different sort. Studying and subsequently practicing ancient philosophies, he returned to share his own take on the meaning of life. Hence, the birth of Baba Ram Dass (meaning Servant of God).

For the next four decades, Dass has become a spiritual teacher who has influenced many of our modern-day thinkers. A stroke about 10 years ago may have weakened the voice, yet it has not dimmed the light that shines around him.

So, while reading one of my gazillion books on becoming a meaningful person from the inside- out, I revisited his initial study of living in the present. Taking away some of the "Age of Aquarius" prose of the time that may prejudice some readers, he is as we said back then, Right On!

We spend way too much time worrying and planning for the future or blaming our troubles on the past. We rush through our daily lives in a blur of activity that has nothing to do with what is really important. Wouldn't it be nice if we just lived in the moment? Trusting that our lives will enfold the way they are supposed to without constant manipulation from us or others.

Think of a world where we stopped to enjoy our family or loved ones, the classes we are taking or teaching, the jobs that we have chosen to make a living at each day, or even the notion that we can improve our lives and those around us right now- today. Jumping off the fast track and taking time to smell those proverbial flowers we all heard about.

That is my take on it. I am not hankering to go to India and study with a guru, but I do think I am going to practice some of their teachings. My Christian upbringing is not really different from what these ancient wise ones were saying anyway.

If you peel away the self-righteous leanings of current religious affiliations, it seems like God is saying the same thing to all of us. The approach may be different, but I believe we are here to learn valuable lessons to share with the next generation using whatever version we are told.

Live in Peace, be tolerant of the differences while honoring the spirit that connects us all, and most importantly live in the present. That is all we really have, you know!
Namaste...Until next time.