The Dash

I was sent this poem in an e-mail, and was would like to share this poem with all of you. I found this poem to be inspirational, motivational, and perfect for self-reflection. Enjoy!

The Dash
copyright 1996 Linda Ellis



I read of a man who stood to speak
at the funeral of a friend.
He referred to the dates on her tombstone
from the beginning...to the end.

He noted that first came the date of her birth
and spoke of the following date with tears,
but he said what mattered most of all
was the dash between those years.

For that dash represents all the time
that she spent alive on earth...
and now only those who loved her
know what that little line is worth.

For it matters not, how much we own;
the cars....the house...the cash.
What matters is how we live and love
and how we spend our dash.

So think about this long and hard...
are there things you'd like to change?
For you never know how much time is left
that can still be rearranged.

If we could just slow down enough
to consider what's true and real,
and always try to understand
the way other people feel.

And be less quick to anger,
and show appreciation more
and love the people in our lives
like we've never loved before.

If we treat each other with respect,
and more often wear a smile...
remembering that this special dash
might only last a little while.

So, when your eulogy is being read
with your life's actions to rehash...
would you be proud of the things they
say about how you spend your dash?

McCain picks Palin

Are you as awe struck as me? Sarah who? John McCain's first test of his decision making abilities, did he hit the ball out of the park, or did he strike out?

I found some interesting facts on Palin. According to a MSNBC.com article (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25970882/), Palin is under investigation for having her ex-brother-in-law fired from his job as a state trooper. If Is this a continuation of the Bush/McCain policy of "my way or the highway"?

However, the most shocking part of the article comes from a direct quotation from Palin her self:

“until somebody answers for me what is it exactly that the VP does every day. I’m used to being very productive and working real hard in an administration. We want to make sure that that VP slot would be a fruitful type of position, especially for Alaskans and for the things that we’re trying to accomplish up here…".

Am I reading this correctly, did Palin just say she's not exactly sure what the vice president does? Only in America, and in the Republican party, is it possible for someone to be elected to a position when they have no idea of the role and responsibility of the position.

Another question raised by Palin's comment is when she says "for Alaskans and for things we are trying to accomplish here", does this mean us tax payers will be financing another "bridge to nowhere"?

With this election being the biggest election of our lifetime, does John McCain exhibit the sound judgment required for a president to lead? I think John McCain struck out with the first test of his decision making ability, and we can't afford to allow him to bat again in this close game.

Don't be fooled - Republicans spend more than Democrats!

While this campaign season the Republicans are using the same FUD (Fear Uncertainty Doubt) tactics of the past to scare you into voting for a Republican candidate, the facts show a much different story. Do you remember the good 'ol days of the 90's? At the end of President Clinton's 2nd term, our country had record low debt, and was only 15 years away from paying off the national debt http://money.cnn.com/1999/06/28/economy/clinton. We also had a $236 billion budget surplus in 2000 (http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2006-04-02-federal-spending_x.htm). However, under Republican leadership for the past 8 years (4 of which Republicans had TOTAL CONTROL of the Federal Government), we now face a national debt of $9,637,851,034,399. According to http://www.brillig.com/debt_clock, "The estimated population of the United States is 304,621,036 so each citizen's share of this debt is $31,638.76". My friend, we CANNOT AFFORD 4 more years of debt driven leadership.

While Republicans are hitting the air waves with the feel good "tax cut" pledge, ask yourself, this: with the Republicans in control the past 8 years, how much of a tax cut did I receive? According to a January 2007 CNNMoney.com article, "Households in the top 1 percent of earnings, which had an average income of $1.25 million, saw their tax rate drop to 19.6 percent in 2004 from 24.2 percent in 2000. which translated to an average tax cut of almost $58,000, the paper said, citing the budget office". While I personally have not noticed any difference from the Bush tax cut on my earnings, I do notice I spend a lot more money on gas and food now - thank you President Bush!

Now, we have a Republican candidate for President promising to change our current economic situation by extending the Bush tax cuts. Excuse me? If this is how tax cuts work, I don't want anymore. My friend, we need a President who will CHANGE the way of the past 8 years, and bring us back to the good 'ol days of the 1990's.

The US national debt clock (http://www.brillig.com/debt_clock/faq.html)provides some interesting analysis of how we got into this mess. Just see the question and answers below.

Q: When did the Debt pass the $8 trillion mark?

A: On October 18th 2005, the Outstanding Public Debt rose to $8,003,897,406,911.24 -- the first time it had risen above $8 trillion.

Q: When did the Debt pass the $7 trillion mark?

A: On January 15th 2004, the Outstanding Public Debt jumped $13 billion to $7,001,852,607,623.35. This was the first time in history the U.S. National Debt surpassed the $7 trillion mark and came less than two years after the Debt first passed $6 trillion.

As a comparison, the National Debt took over six years to rise from $5 trillion to $6 trillion.

Enough with the extreme Republican agenda, and leading our country in the wrong direction, into debt. I urge you to stand up for yourself and America by voting for a Democratic leadership this election. While the Republican slogan of "tax and spend" makes for great sound bites, the facts show Republicans are the true spenders and builders of debt. My friend, don't be fooled by political slogans this election, vote the facts.

The conclusion:

Under Democratic leadership we've enjoyed a budget surplus, rising wages, 22.4 Million New Jobs Created, 92 Percent -- 20.6 Million -- of the New Jobs Have Been Created in the Private Sector, the Unemployment Rate Was 3.9 Percent in October -- Nearly the Lowest in Three Decades, Inflation – Lowest Since the 1960s (http://clinton4.nara.gov/textonly/WH/new/html/Fri_Nov_3_134817_2000.html)

How does the above economy compare with the economy under Republican leadership? According to a Fox news report, "Under Bush, the economy produced 3.7 million new jobs", and the report goes onto say, "When Clinton was in the White House, the economy generated 17.6 million jobs" According to a New York Times article, "The unemployment rate rose to 6.1 percent in May, its highest level in nine years, the Labor Department reported today, as the worst jobs slump since the early 1980's continued to spread across the economy". (http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9507E1DD1739F934A35755C0A9659C8B63) (http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,242424,00.html).

What does candidate McCain say about our current economic conditions? According to AFLCIO.org, "John McCain said it in his own words: He just doesn’t understand the economy". However, when pressed for his opinion of our current economy, John McCain responded, "I still believe the fundamentals of our economy are strong". (http://thinkprogress.org/2008/08/20/mccain-econ-strong/). Personally, I think McCain's answer of not understanding the economy is more accurate.

More facts for you to digest.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_debt_by_U.S._presidential_terms

http://articles.latimes.com/2008/feb/05/nation/na-budget5

New Obama video

I just was sent a link to this new Obama video. Inspiring. Check it out at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oVi4rUzf-0Q

Time Management

I just finished watching the Randy Pausch Time Management Lecture, and what a great lecture it is. For those who may not know, Randy passed away July 25, 2008 after a battle with Pancreatic cancer. Randy gave this lecture earlier this year, knowing his time was limited, and therefore has instant credibility of knowing how to manage time.

If you enjoy the Time Management video, you may also enjoy Randy's Last Lecture video.

Enjoy!

Pheasant hunting in Minnesota

According to an article published in the St. Cloud Times, last year was the best year for pheasant hunting in Minnesota since 1964! I wish I would have taken more time to go pheasant hunting last year. According to the article, 655,000 rooster were shot in 2007. Does this mean 2008 will not be as productive?

You can read the full article here - it's a quick read.

Gas Saving Tips

Concerned about high gas prices? No, don't join the "put Exxon out of business" campaign, I think Exxon appreciates all the free publicity from chain-mail. Instead, read this money saving article by lifehacker. You may be surprised to know that according to the article, using your air conditioner makes little if any difference on your fuel efficiency! I also found the online gas trackers like GasBuddy.com, and GasPriceWatch.com interesting.

Just encase you feel you're beings squeezed at the pump, I included a reader's comment from the lifehacker article belo. See, we don't have it so bad.

• digitalgravy at 04:24 AM on 06/10/08 *

  hah! $4 a gallon?! it cost me 116.9p (£1.17) a litre! that's £5.31 / gallon which works out at $10.39 a gallon!! You guys over the pond have it easy!!
  grrr!