Many people talk about how they are going to "networking" events, but they really don't know how to network.  You shake their hand, hand the other person your card, and then take their card.  More often than not, many people don't even follow up. 

   I've been networking very hard as of late, because I enjoy it.  The reason I enjoy it is that I get to help solve problems.  Think about it, isn't that your job as a Realtor?  Your clients "problem" is that they want to buy or sell  a home.  Your problem is that you don't have enough clients referring you business, or a home to sell your client. 

  I started Agentspayingforward.com, because I didn't have enough clients referring me business.  The site is free to join, and is designed to foster charitable giving - and business through NETWORKING!

   Take a look at how easy it is to use this system to help charities, and also to help your business.  The additional benefit is that you have people working to provide you referrals.  Take a look at the steps below on how to use Agentspayingforward.com to grow your business.

 

1.  Join Agentspayingforward.com as an agent or charity – it’s free.

2.  If you are an agent, introduce yourself to your charity (hint, you might want to make a donation to prove you are more than just talk).  Tell your charity you will donate to them further if they provide referrals in your “niche” or industry.

3.  Tell your customers about what you are doing, but, more importantly, tell your customers about your charity.  Tell your clients to support your charity by supporting you and your efforts.  Tell your clients to join Agentspayingforward.com as well, so they can also support your charity – or their own since there are many great charities!

4.  Close a transaction (or transactions), and make a donation to your charity, and/or your customers charity (they might want help too and also become a referral source for you as well).  We don’t tell you how much to donate – we want to make sure you donate so we don’t tell you how much to donate either!

5.  Remind your charity that more referrals leads to more donations when you make your donation

6.  Repeat steps 3 -5.

7.  Repeat step 6

8,  Repeat step 7……

Get it?  You build a relationship with your favorite non-profit, school, or church, and, more importantly, you provide them with donations!  In return, they trust you enough to refer you business where they can: why wouldn’t they?  You are providing the charity donations as a result of those referrals: you truly become partners!

Contact me if you have any questions: I'm happy to help you help you and your charity.

 

Follow us on Twitter! @agentspayforwrd

 Many people have been affected by the ravages of cancer. I was speaking with a friend of mine, Danielle, and we were talking about how her Mom beat breast cancer. However, now her Aunt has breast cancer as well. Breast cancer is a pervsasive disease, and seems to be getting worse. I had the privilege of meeting with Gina Andrews, and Gina is a breast cancer survivor. What's most amazing is that Gina was diagnosed when she was 29 when the cancer was diagnosed! I often like to use the phrase: "fight or die".

 Gina just did that, but she went one step further. Gina started Sacramento Breast Cancer Resource Center, which is a non-profit designed to "foster hope and inspiration among women facing breast cancer". Please take a moment to read Gina's story below, and, if you are an agent looking for a non-profit to pay it forward to, please support Gina Andrews and the Sacramento Breast Cancer Resource Center. Gina turned a negative experience like breast cancer into a positive - the positive is called the Sacramento Breast cancer Resource Center:

   "Breast Cancer is not hereditary, racial, or age specific. It does not discriminate on any of these things. Before my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer I believed that Asian people were less at risk for it. Then when I was 29 I thought there was no way this lump is cancer, “I’m too young for cancer.” The first thing people ask me when I tell them I’m a breast cancer survivor is “ did someone in your family have it”…and then when I say yes my mom is a 12 year survivor “oh I see”, as if the reason why I got cancer is because it’s a family disease. There are many young women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer that have no family history. And though this is not an accurate description of the world, the young survivor support group I attend averages 10 attendees and 4 of those are Asian. The reality is that cancer is none of these myths. It is completely nondiscriminatory. It can and will attack anyone regardless of family history, age, or ethnicity.

  According to the American Cancer Society, only about 5% to 10% of all cancers are the inherited type. And according to the National Cancer Institute one in every 229 women between the ages of 30 and 39 will be diagnosed with breast cancer within the next 10 years. My mother and I both had cancer. My mom was diagnosed at the age of 47 and I was diagnosed at the age of 29. Both of us were diagnosed at early ages but the cancers we had were completely different, and I tested negative for the BRCA, the only known cancer gene. These myths of breast cancer need to be changed. Because people believe they are not at high risk for breast cancer, they are disregarding the lumps they find in their breast. As a result of this disregard the disease can be found at a later and more deadly stage. 

 If you are an agent or a charity, please join Agentspayingforward.com. There are many great causes that I want to help, so please feel free to contact me at tomash@surewest.net. I'll be happy to include your information in this blog. We are a community, and we all need to work together to help great people do great work.  Agentspayingforward.com is a great way to network for both business, and for charity: join today - it's free  for both the agent and charity to join!

Follow us on Twitter! @agentspayforwrd Many people have been affected by the ravages of cancer. I was speaking with a friend of mine, Danielle, and we were talking about how her Mom beat breast cancer. However, now her Aunt has breast cancer as well. Breast cancer is a pervsasive disease, and seems to be getting worse. I had the privilege of meeting with Gina Andrews, and Gina is a breast cancer survivor. What's most amazing is that Gina was diagnosed when she was 29 when the cancer was diagnosed! I often like to use the phrase: "fight or die". Gina just did that, but she went one step further. Gina started Sacramento Breast Cancer Resource Center, which is a non-profit designed to "foster hope and inspiration among women facing breast cancer". Please take a moment to read Gina's story below, and, if you are an agent looking for a non-profit to pay it forward to, please support Gina Andrews and the Sacramento Breast Cancer Resource Center. Gina turned a negative experience like breast cancer into a positive - the positive is called the Sacramento Breast cancer Resource Center: Breast Cancer is not hereditary, racial, or age specific. It does not discriminate on any of these things. Before my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer I believed that Asian people were less at risk for it. Then when I was 29 I thought there was no way this lump is cancer, “I’m too young for cancer.” The first thing people ask me when I tell them I’m a breast cancer survivor is “ did someone in your family have it”…and then when I say yes my mom is a 12 year survivor “oh I see”, as if the reason why I got cancer is because it’s a family disease. There are many young women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer that have no family history. And though this is not an accurate description of the world, the young survivor support group I attend averages 10 attendees and 4 of those are Asian. The reality is that cancer is none of these myths. It is completely nondiscriminatory. It can and will attack anyone regardless of family history, age, or ethnicity. According to the American Cancer Society, only about 5% to 10% of all cancers are the inherited type. And according to the National Cancer Institute one in every 229 women between the ages of 30 and 39 will be diagnosed with breast cancer within the next 10 years. My mother and I both had cancer. My mom was diagnosed at the age of 47 and I was diagnosed at the age of 29. Both of us were diagnosed at early ages but the cancers we had were completely different, and I tested negative for the BRCA, the only known cancer gene. These myths of breast cancer need to be changed. Because people believe they are not at high risk for breast cancer, they are disregarding the lumps they find in their breast. As a result of this disregard the disease can be found at a later and more deadly stage. Gina's organization is having a fundraiser here in Sacramento tonight at 7:30 at the "Lounge on 20", click here for more info. If you are an agent or a charity, please join Agentspayingforward.com. There are many great causes that I want to help, so please feel free to contact me at tomash@surewest.net. I'll be happy to include your information in thsi blog. We are a community, and we all need to work together to help great people do great work

 I am a firm believer in giving, and I also am a firm believer in capitalism.  Agentspayingforward.com is designed to facilitate business for you as an agent, and also to help so many charities.  Below you will find the step by step instructions on how to join, and also to use Agentspayingforward to increase your business - by giving it away!  It's  a little long, but I think it's worth your time.

 

  

  New "Agent" goes to Agentspayingforward.com to join the Network.

 Click on "Agents: click here to join the network".  Agent is intentionally a very ambiguous term (representative might be a similar term).  You can be a: travel, real estate, loan, marketing, or any other kind of agent to join.  Just be some kind of agent!

  Agent will be directed to a box that will request: username (you choose); password (you choose again).  Make sure to keep both pieces of information in case you want to change your listing.  You will then fill in your contact information where requested, and then you will be asked to provide a description of yourself, and I would also suggest a description of you chose to be your "pay it forward" recipient.  After all, you are their advocate.  You should tell why you chose them as the recipient of your donation.

 

If the charity is already included in the Agentspayingforward.com Network, you can go to the drop down box, and select them (you can select up to three in the drop down boxes).  The information will be saved for the "listing" you are creating.  If the charity is not already on the Network, go ask them.  After all, why wouldn't they want to be a recipient of your assistance?  The goal is to assist non-profits, schools, and churches.  However, there may be other charities that you may want to choose - it's up to you.  (We do reserve the right to remove charities and agents that are involved with activities that we may deem unfit for this site: they can choose another venue to donate to charity - which they should)

If the charity you want to support is not already included on the site, please ask them to join.  The charity will have steps similar to the steps the agent takes when they click on "Agents: click here to join the network.  Instead, the charity, will go to: "Charities: click here to join the network"

Tell your charity (and others involved with Agentspayingforward.com) to promote you and other "agents" to their database.  After all, the more business you do the more donations they receive.  You may also want to help with the promotion, and/or help in other endeavors that show you truly are "of service" to their mission (many charities are concerned that you may be "leveraging" their good name for your own - not their - personal gain)  In short you believe and prove in the concept of "paying it forward" - like the charity is already doing!

  Tell your clients that you are part of Agentspayingforward.com, and tell them that you would love their assistance in helping with your charity - or theirs.  If you are truly "of service", why wouldn't you want to help your client in their charitable endeavors (can we really have too much charity?).  I believe in the Law of Attraction, which states that people gravitate towards successful people.  Not being afraid to support your clients charity shows that you have faith in your clients, and will probably lead to more referrals for you!  More importantly, it will give you the ability to provide more charity to groups that desperately need help in today's tough economy. 

Once you have successfully joined Agentspayingforward (it really isn't that tough), Repeat steps 6 and 7as many times as possible (you could also include 5 if you are ambitious!).  I strongly believe that people will realize that you truly are of service through Agentspayingforward.  People don't want to be "sold".  People want to make sure that they have entrusted their well being with people of service: not self serving individuals.  In short, "the more you give the more you get". 

   To prove that paying it forward really works, I would like to offer an example.  I recently directed a donation to the Wounded Warrior Family Support Group at the request of a client that closed a loan with me.  If you are not familiar with the Wounded Warrior Program, I would encourage you to support either group.  The Family support group, and the Wounded Warrior Project.  Both, as you can probably tell from the writing have different "missions", but both do great things.  Should you choose to join Agentspayingforward, I would encourage you to consider either of these wonderful organizations. 

   When I contacted Wounded Warrior Family Support, I was able to speak with Kate Mccauley, one of the people who works at the organization, and told her I had a donation for her.  It turns out Kate is also a Realtor.  I explained the program to Kate, since Colonel Hackett, the founder of the Wounded Warrior Support Group, was (and is currently) serving in Iraq.  Kate was not familiar with Agentspayingforward, but after my poor attempts to explain the concept (which is why I'm trying to write the step by step instructions above), Kate got the idea. 

   Kate informed me that donations year over year in December, most likely because of the soft economy, were down substantially.  Kate indicated that they can use the money that I was so happy to be instrumental in directing towards their organization..  The most fun part of the story is that Kate, the Realtor, joined Agentspayingforward.com.  Kate also directed a loan to me.  The more you give the more you get!

   Please feel free to contact us at Agentspayingforward.com should you have any questions.  After what I have written here, doesn't it seem like a "no brainer"?  Come on: Let's change the world - one transaction at a time!   

 

A while back I wrote a post about Nick and Millie stasuc.  Nick and Millie were the ones who came from Romania around 25 or 30 years ago now.  They had bought a home in Lincoln, CA for $250,000 around 1986, and had put down $50,000 (back when $50,000 meant something).  I had done a loan with Great Western Savings for them, and the lender could not believe somebody could make $60,000 a year selling produce at Denios.  Nick and Millie just laughed when they spoke with the underwriter, and said how easy it was for them to make money here - it just takes work (something to think about).

   I was greeted by this message from Active Rain (I"m deleting the person's contact info):

Hello there ! My name is Mike Nula and i am from Romania ! I have found on a google search your story about Nick and Millie Stasuc ! They are my godmother and my godfather and i would like to keep in touch with them ! I didn't saw them since year 1999 i think ! If you can help me with their adress to send them a Christmas letter or if you can send me their yahoo messenger id or their e-mail i would be very happy ... this is my e-mail adress : (deleted for security) , and this is my yahoo messenger id : (deleted for security)... if you still are in touch with them please give them my e-mail adress so they can contact me ! Thank you very much for your time and i wish you Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year !

 I have to admit, that I'm constantly amazed at technology.  This morning was one of those days that I was kind of dragging, but still got up early to go for a bike ride.  Anyway, before the bike ride, I got a cup of coffee at Starbucks and went to check messages.  I just started a new venture called ShortRefiServices.com (shameless plug) dealing with loan modifications, short refinances, and also networking with Realtors for Short Sales - please take a look and let me know what you think of the idea. 

Anyway, I was hoping to see some new messages when I saw the one from Mike.  It's a true testimony to the efficacy of the internet and Active Rain.  I have to admit, the message just changed my whole demeanor.  I went from dragging, to totally psyched that I could touch a life in Romania.  I wrote a note to my Mom, and she is going to bring the information over to Millie at Denios where she still works.  Pretty good way to start the day, and it gives you confidence that Active Rain can help you do business - and maybe even bring families back together (that's paying it forward too). 

  I'm really excited to announce that Agentspayingforward.com provided it's first donation last week to New Life Community Church in Fair Oaks, California (aboutnewlife.com).  Dwight and Christy Palmatier are Re Max agents in Fair Oaks, California (dwightpalmatier@cwo.com or (916) 879-4998).  Both are parishioners of New Life, and chose to "pay it forward" to the church.  Dwight and Christy were able to provide $600 for the church, and the donation will go towards a youth retreat coming up this month.  

 

   In the picture shown above, Dwight and Christy Palmatier, real estate agents with Re Max Real Estate in Fair Oaks, CA. present Jeff and Angela Pitnikoff from New Life Community church with a check for $600.  The donation is to be used by the church to help the church provide funds for a church youth group. 

   The whole premise of Agentspayingforward is that you are able to profit when you help others.  When New Life Church heard about the Palmatier's donation, their response was: "were going to refer them all the business we can, since they are helping us out: why wouldn't we?".  Half of the money that the Palmatier's donated came from a program that my company has called the "Sharing Advantage Program.  The program is part of Wells Fargo Mortgage's commitment to help the communities in which they do business.

    Simply put, Wells can provide a donation of up to $300 to a non-profit organization, school, or church when you close a loan with Wells Fargo Mortgage.  Since I work for Wells Fargo, I made sure that Dwight and Christy were able to give it to their charity: I hope that shows that I want to be a partner in their success. 

    I'm proud of the fact that I can give to the community, and I'm also proud of the fact that I can leave a legacy behind me.  I want as many people to join Agentspayingforward, so that they can do business with a purpose that transcends just making money: changing the world one transaction at a time!

   I hope that when I die people will say that Tom's actions showed that he truly was of service.  You don't have to do business with me or Wells Fargo, but certainly it's great if you do.  However, I hope you do business with the purpose of helping others out: you might be surprised what happens!

I saw this today in Drudge, and was struck by the fact that there isn't an uproar.  Read it, and you be the judge.  If you are in one of the coal states, good luck.

Please read update about the San Francisco Chronicle neglecting to mention Obama's willingness to bankrupt the coal industry at bottom of this blog.)

Imagine if John McCain had whispered somewhere that he was willing to bankrupt a major industry? Would this declaration not immediately be front page news? Well, Barack Obama actually flat out told the San Francisco Chronicle (SF Gate) that he was willing to see the coal industry go bankrupt in a January 17, 2008 interview. The result? Nothing. This audio interview has been hidden from the public...until now. Here is the transcript of Obama's statement about bankrupting the coal industry (emphasis mine):

 Let me sort of describe my overall policy.

What I've said is that we would put a cap and trade system in place that is as aggressive, if not more aggressive, than anybody else's out there.

I was the first to call for a 100% auction on the cap and trade system, which means that every unit of carbon or greenhouse gases emitted would be charged to the polluter. That will create a market in which whatever technologies are out there that are being presented, whatever power plants that are being built, that they would have to meet the rigors of that market and the ratcheted down caps that are being placed, imposed every year.

So if somebody wants to build a coal-powered plant, they can; it's just that it will bankrupt them because they're going to be charged a huge sum for all that greenhouse gas that's being emitted.

That will also generate billions of dollars that we can invest in solar, wind, biodiesel and other alternative energy approaches.

The only thing I've said with respect to coal, I haven't been some coal booster. What I have said is that for us to take coal off the table as a (sic) ideological matter as opposed to saying if technology allows us to use coal in a clean way, we should pursue it.

So if somebody wants to build a coal-powered plant, they can.

It's just that it will bankrupt them.

 Amazing that this statement by Obama about bankrupting the coal industry has been kept under wraps until this time. 

UPDATE: NewsBusters' Tom Blumer has found out that the San Francisco Chronicle story published on January 18 based upon this January 17 interview did not include any mention of Obama's willingness to bankrupt the coal industry which you can hear on the audio. You can read the story here when you scroll down to the "In His Own Words" section. Way to cover up for The One, SF Chronicle!

-P.J. Gladnick is a freelance writer and creator of the DUmmie FUnnies blog.

  

   Like many people, I've been following the election.  I can't recall so many people involved in the election, and, of course, everybody is saying this is "the most important election in my lifetime".  I know I sound cynical, but I'm old enough to have heard that before.   For many years election turn outs have been less than 50%, so I think the passion is a good thing.  Passion helps motivate us, and helps us get nostalgic for what we used to dream about when we were younger. 

    When I was younger, I had any number of dreams.  I dreamed that one day I would be a photographer, and take all kinds of great pictures.  Another time I dreamed that I would be a luxury car dealer, since, like many young boys, I thought cars were pretty cool.  As time went on though, the dreams turned to other things.  The dreams turned into doing well in school (that never really panned out!), and then getting together with some of the "hot chicks" (that never really panned out either!). 

    Many people are following the election, and saying that "our prayers have been answered", or "it's a dream come true".  I can't get there.  It's not that I don't support a candidate, I did.  It's also not that I don't believe one candidate is better than the other: I do.  However, I refuse to believe that my destiny is going to be impacted by the election of one or many candidates: I don't believe that.  My dreams may have changed, but they have never changed to the point that I dreamed that one politician is going to live my dream: I am.  No politician is going to manifest my dream: I am. 

    My destiny, and the destiny of all American's have been tied to the individual effort of each of us.  Collectively America has accomplished many great things, but all of those great things were the result of somebody's individual efforts.  Whether it be the man who decided I'm going to take the perilous journey to try and strike gold out west, or to the man who said I'm going to fly to the moon.  Those dreams were made by the individuals that lived them: not a government that mandated them. 

    For two politicians right now, one of them is going to achieve a dream: to be President of the United States.  If it's Barack Obama, he will have achieved one or many of his dreams, and God Bless America for letting that happen.  If John Mccain is elected, God Bless him for what he sacrificed to get here.  God Bless America for, in effect, paying him back for the sacrifice he (and so many others) made.  Either way, two men have been able to achieve the "American Dream". 

    Here's where I have a challenge with either of these two men, and many politicians: they are trying to impose their dreams upon on a whole lot of us Americans.  I never voted for any President, so that he could make me dependant on the government.  I voted for a leader of the government.  I never voted for somebody who told me how much I could achieve, I voted for somebody who would protect the system that allowed me to achieve whatever I was capable of achieving. 

    The leaders of today are taking away our dreams, and replacing them with their dreams.  I believe in the good intentions of either man, but I don't believe their prescriptions are what are best for the citizens of this country.  Collectively we have become so reliant on our "leaders" that we have sacrificed our dreams.  People are so afraid that the government won't rescue them, that they become paralyzed.  The government has to "stimulate" the economy with money, so that people will spend again.  Never mind that our government is adding debt to the future generations, so that they can stimulate the economy now.  It's not fair to the future generations, and it only avoids confronting a problem that eventually will have to be confronted - by generations that may or may not yet exist. 

    Are we so selfish that we are willing to "screw" future generations of children, so that we don't have to make sacrifices today? Are we willing to give up our dreams of success, and become reliant on a government that has mismanaged Vietnam, Iraq, social security, medicare, Katrina, etc., and, in the process, forego those feelings of success when we achieve our dreams?  Remember that first escrow closing, and the feeling that your hard work led to a commission?  Remember the satisfaction of achieving that dream? 

    I have virtually no faith in the leadership of today, and I'm not sure how that is going to change.  You have leaders who claim to say they are going to look out for us, but are all too often turning a blind eye against people who are lobbying them.  Whether it be the likes of a Ted Stephens or a Christopher Dodd (one a republican and one a democrat), our leaders will tell us that they will take care of us.   Both men were bribed, and the pork continued to flow.   We follow these fools, and our dreams continue to fade away.  Democrat or Republican, we are being betrayed by humans who are all too often proving their human frailties, but at the expense of all of us: it sure as hell isn't them since much of the crud is swept under the rug. 

    There is much that is right with America, but there is much that is wrong.  People are using the government for their own selfish interests, and taking away the ability of future generations to achieve their dreams.  I don't know what it will ultimately take to realize that our dreams are what our government should be fighting to save, not theirs.  I'm confident that America will once again flourish, but I'm quite confident that the answers to America's problems are not being offered by our current leaders - either side of the aisle. 

 

   I want leaders who will fight to make this a country that a place where every individual has the ability to achieve what he wants: not what he is allowed by the government.  Find me the leader who believes that an individual should be free to achieve without interference of the government or somebody who "knows better" what is best for that individual.   Should you find that leader, clone him or her: because we need a whole lot more than that.  After all, it's our dreams: not theirs. 

  

  

  I received this email this morning, and was once again reminded how generous we are as a country.  We have soldiers who fight and die for this country, and people who appreciate it so much that they give of themselves to thank them.  Here's a chance to put the election aside for a moment, and celebrate what we Americans do so well: we give over and over again. 

      There are some good people among us.


            The Sack Lunches


            I put my carry-on in the luggage compartment and sat down in
my assigned seat.  It was going to be a long flight. 'I'm glad
I have a good book to read Perhaps I will get a short nap,' I
thought.

            Just before take-off, a line of soldiers came down the aisle
and filled all the vacant seats, totally surrounding me.  I
decided to start a conversation.  'Where are you headed?' I
asked the soldier seated nearest to me.

            'Chicago - to Great Lakes Base. We'll be there for two weeks
for special training, and then we're being deployed to Iraq'

            After flying for about an hour, an announcement was made that
sack lu nches were available for five dollars.  It would be
several hours before we reached Chicago, and I quickly decided
a lunch would help pass the time.

            As I reached for my wallet, I overheard soldier ask his buddy
if he planned to buy lunch.  'No, that seems like a lot of
money for just a sack lunch.  Probably wouldn't be worth five
bucks.  I'll wait till we get to Chicago '

            His friend agreed.

            I looked around at the other soldiers.  None were buying
lunch.  I walked to the back of the plane and handed the
flight attendant a fifty dollar bill.  'Take a lunch to all
those soldiers.'  She grabbed my arms and squeezed tightly.
Her eyes wet with tears, she thanked me.  'My son was a
soldier in Iraq ; it's almost like you are doing it for him.'

            Picking up ten sacks, she headed up the aisle to where the
soldiers were seated.  She stopped at my seat and asked,
'Which do you like best - beef or chicken?'

            'Chicken,' I replied, wondering why she asked.  She turned and
went to the front of plane, returning a mi nute later with a
dinner plate from first class.  'This is your thanks.'

            After we finished eating, I went again to the back of the
plane, heading for the rest room.  A man stopped me.  'I saw
what you did.  I want to be part of it.  Here, take this.'  He
handed me twenty-five dollars.

            Soon after I returned to my seat, I saw the Flight Captain
coming down the aisle, looking at the aisle numbers as he
walked, I hoped he was not looking for me, but noticed he was
looking at the numbers only on my side of the plane.  When he
got to my row he stopped, smiled, held out his hand, an said,
'I want to shake your hand.'

            Quickly unfastening my seatbelt I stood and took the Captain's
hand.  With a booming voice he said, 'I was a soldier and I
was a military pilot.  Once, someone bought me a lunch.  It
was an act of kindness I never forgot.'  I was embarrassed
when applause was heard from all of the passengers.

            Later I walked to the front of the plane so I could stretch my
legs.  A man who was seated about six rows in front of me
reached out his hand, wanting to shake mine.  He left another
twenty-five dollars in my palm.

            When we landed in Chicago I gathered my belongings and started
to deplane.  Waiting just inside the airplane door was a man
who stopped me, put something in my shirt pocket, turned, and
walked away without saying a word.  Another twenty-five
dollars!

            Upon entering the terminal, I saw the soldiers gathering for
their trip to the base.  I walked over to them and handed them
seventy-five dollars.  'It will take you some time to reach
the base. It will be about time for a sandwich.  God Bless
You.'

            Ten young men left that flight feeling the love and respect of
their fellow travelers.  As I walked briskly to my car, I
whispered a prayer for their safe return.  These soldiers were
giving their all for our country.  I could only give them a
couple of meals.

            It seemed so little...

            A veteran is someone who, at one point in his life,
            wrote a blank check made payable to 'The United States of
            America'
            for an amount of  'up to and including my life.'
            That is Honor, and there are way too many people
            in this country who no longer understand it.'

 

 

   I was cleaning out my inbox this afternoon (aka procrastinating), and came across a publication called the Patriot Post.  Many have stated that Barack Obama is a great communicator, and he certainly reads a speech well.  Notwithstanding the speaking skills, many people don't support Obama.  I don't support Obama for a number of reasons, and they all relate to the policies that he espouses: I think they are bad for the country on a number of levels.   Mccain nor Obama is the best that America has to offer, but I would submit that Obama is the worst of the two choices. 

   However, I came across a quote from the latest Great Communicator: Ronald Reagan (Winston Churchill and FDR would certainly qualify as great communicators as well).  I know a lot of people don't like President Reagan, but some do not even know his history.  However, friend and adversaries all respected him for who he was.  President Reagan reminded me of my Grandfather.  Both men could disagree with you, and still be civil with you at the same time: they had no enemies only people who disagreed.   Anyway, the quote is enclosed below.  And as you'll see, the quote is the essence of what I think we as a nation should strive for: the world collectively progressing upwards:

"The major issue of this campaign is the direct political, personal and moral responsibility of Democratic Party leadership... for this unprecedented calamity which has befallen us. They tell us they have done the most that humanly could be done. They say that the United States has had its day in the sun; that our nation has passed its zenith. They expect you to tell your children that the American people no longer have the will to cope with their problems; that the future will be one of sacrifice and few opportunities. My fellow citizens, I utterly reject that view. The American people, the most generous on earth, who created the highest standard of living, are not going to accept the notion that we can only make a better world for others by moving backwards ourselves. Those who believe we can have no business leading the nation. I will not stand by and watch this great country destroy itself under mediocre leadership that drifts from one crisis to the next, eroding our national will and purpose. We have come together here because the American people deserve better from those to whom they entrust our nation's highest offices, and we stand united in our resolve to do something about it." -Ronald Reagan