Ann-Marie's Blog

Christmas, BAH HUM BUG, It's HALLOWEEN!!!

Sat, 31 Oct 2009 22:12:12 -0500

So we are celebrating the bountiful harvest!!!

Each year, for the last 2 years, I have been chosen to be the Mascot for our Royal LePage Atlantic Kiosk. The Kiosk is located at the local mall here in Saint John, New Brunswick, and is located in the center aisle of the mall. At our Kiosk we have photos of existing homes for sales on moveable display cases that potential buyers and sellers love to go and flip them over. We also have a computer with a countertop so potential buyers or sellers can sit and discuss any details with the Realtor. Each year, very young kids and their parents come in around 5:00 p.m. till 8:00 p.m. and do their "Trick or Treating" from store vendor to store vendor... It's especially a busy place when the weather is probamatic; today being windy and rain showers.

This is a GREAT time and an effective marketing strategy for getting business cards out to potential sellers and buyer!!!

Last year I played Maleficent the "beautiful" witch from the Sleep Beauty story. This year I played "The Grinch" with a few modifications. My Grinch costume consisted of lime green tights with two pairs of socks; one with strips and the small ones with bells and finished off with elf slippers. (Had to stay comfortable!) The rest of the costume had the official Santa look with "The Grinch" written across the front, with lime green winter gloves and the official "Grinch" mask. Since the mask was warm to wear, when I had it off, I still looked like one of Santa's elves, so I could play two roles in one.

Going back to handing out business cards, this is the way I do it. I get two pieces of "Good candy" and one business card that I put in each Halloween bag. This way I feel like the possibility of getting future clients are higher, since most of the parents will check the candy, they will hopefully pull out the business card and give the candy to their kids, if they don't eat it themselves. LOL Getting the candy bags ready is time consuming, but I believe well worth it.

When I was ready to hand out the candy, it was FUN to see all of the kids & adult costumes and interact with the parents & their kids. The parents and their kids usually start out from one end and work the whole mall through. I usually stay on one side to give all the kids their treats. Today, I gave out 370 BAGS OF CANDY...

I highly recommend this to other Realtors, since it's wonderful to interact with the community on different levels, especially the "humane" and compassionate side of us. All Realtors should have fun with this day, it's a Great time to let loose and make connections with the community and at work.... especially if you've had a Halloween Barbecue at your office the day before!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN....

2009 Canada Home Sales 3rd Quarter Looks GOOD! says CREA

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 19:47:51 -0500

Canada's national resale housing activity climbed to the highest level of any third quarter on record. MLS systems of Canadian real estate boards totalled 135,182 units in the third quarter of 2009, according to statistics released by The Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA). This is the highest level of activity on record for the period from July to September. The number of transactions was up 18 per cent from the third quarter of last year, representing the biggest year-over-year increase since early 2002. Climbing to $327,736, the national MLS® residential average price rose 11 per cent from the same quarter last year.

This information can be found on the CREA Stats website, dated today, October 15th, 2009.

http://creastats.crea.ca/natl/

Do you believe the trend will continue up?

203 King St. East; Saint John NB E2L-1H2 - CANADA

Thu, 03 Sep 2009 08:07:08 -0500

Own a Piece of History, With this Brick 1883 Victorian Italianate Style Home In Uptown Saint John!

4 bedrooms, 1.5 baths. Year Built: 1883, Sq. Ft. 2500 $249,000 CDN

Live in this designed builder's home, that William N. Dewitt built for himself in 1883. in the early 1900's real estate Broker William Earl Anderson obtained the home. this fabulous architecturally designed victorian solid brick home, Italianate style with 2500sqft, walking distance for a professional family in the heart of uptown saint john. park the car and walk to irving corp offices and uptown jobs, schools, theatre, entertainment & fine city restaurants. enjoy living is a spacious victorian home with high ceilings, crown moldings, and beautiful stained glass window. other architectural elements include: irregular shaped roof-line cornice, corbel bands, sandstone sills & lintels, pressed brick, rectangular vertical sliding windows, two hexagonal bay windows, decorative entablature over the entrance with a star in the centre, large vertical transom windows above the door and a pair of wooden doors with glass panels. improvements; new private back deck w/garden, all new windows, skylights, ceramic tile & countertops, cement flooring in basement, security w/alarm system and wood stove. this price won't last!

Click HERE for more Details

Natural Highs: It Does Make You Feel Good, Especially #45.....

Wed, 15 Jul 2009 18:23:04 -0500

           1. Falling in love.
           2. Laughing so hard your face hurts.
           3. A hot shower.
           4. No lines at the supermarket.
           5. A special glance.
           6. Getting mail.
           7. Taking a drive on a pretty road.
           8. Hearing your favorite song on the radio.
           9. Lying in bed listening to the rain outside.
           10. Hot towels fresh out of the dryer.
           11. Chocolate milkshake (vanilla or strawberry).
           12. A bubble bath.
           13. Giggling.
           14. A good conversation.
           15 The beach
           16. Finding a 20 dollar bill in your coat from last winter.
           17. Laughing at yourself.
           18. Looking into their eyes and knowing they Love you
           19 Midnight phone calls that last for hours.
           20. Running through sprinklers.
           21. Laughing for absolutely no reason at all.
           22. Having someone tell you that you're beautiful.
           23. Laughing at an inside joke with FRIENDS
           25. Accidentally overhearing someone say something nice about you.
           26. Waking up and realizing you still have a few hours left to sleep.
           27. Your first kiss (either the very first or with a new partner).
           28. Making new friends or spending time with old ones.
           29. Playing with a new puppy or kitten.
           30. Having someone play with your hair.
           31. Sweet dreams.
           32. Hot chocolate.
           33. Road trips with friends.
           34. Swinging on swings.
           35. Making eye contact with a cute stranger.
           36. Making chocolate chip cookies.
           37. Having your friends send you homemade cookies.
           38 Holding hands with someone you care about.
           39 Running into an old friend and realizing that some things (good or bad)
                never change.
           40. Watching the expression on someone's face as they open a much desired
                  present from you.
           41. Watching the sunrise.
           42. Getting out of bed every morning and being grateful for another beautiful
                day.
           43. Knowing that somebody misses you.
           44. Getting a hug from someone you care about deeply.
           45. Knowing you've done the right thing, no matter what other people think!!! ;>))

FINALLY, Barack Obama Took the Oval Office, Now Our Country Will Change For the Better!!

Tue, 20 Jan 2009 13:53:50 -0600

I don't know about the rest of the you, but since Barack Obama was elected President on Nov 4th, it seems, that I've been waiting an ETERNITY, for him to take over the Oval Office. It seemed that from Nov 4th to Jan 20th, time stood still. Nothing really got down in the White House!

I love President Barak Obama's comment: "We must pick ourselves up and dust ourselves off!" That statement alone gives our people the motivation to start over and begin a new cycle....

This country needed a president with a driven personality, who could bring our divided country back together in a cultural way and give our country and the world a sense of relief! That sense of relief was a given, due to his intellectual abilities to get things done!

Watching the historical 2 million people RECORD crowd in the Capital, you could see people coming together from all religious denominations, races, cultures and genders. People were talking to people next to them, without a worry in the world. It projected a sense of hope for the American people and the world watching history being made. Hopefully all the politicians in Capital Hill noticed that people are ready for a CHANGE!!

I hope the Senate and the House of Representatives work with Barack Obama and his team of experts to get our country's respect back into a positive light with the rest of the world. He will need all the help he can get and hopefully all the senators and representatives will leave partisan aside to get our country back on the right track....

Let's leave "old ways" behind and look to the future of our country's best interest!!!

Good Luck Barack!!!

Watch this short video (link below) on his Inauguration speech done today, January 20th, 2009!

"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=os8umBr8f9M"

;>)

Are YOU Asking These Questions to Your Local or Federal Officials??? If NOT, WHY NOT??????

Thu, 15 Jan 2009 20:19:35 -0600

When my daughter came home today and told me to look at this on YouTube I originally shrugged it off... Her English teacher showed the class at the end of the period and most of the students were amazed.

There is a very silent revolution going on. Are you aware of it? or is it passing you by??

Here's a site that really makes you think of the future of the shifting economies and education systems currently being done around the world. We as Americans, Canadians or Europeans need to think about how to keep an edge and remember there are countries that are starting to surpass our education system and our financial stabilities.

We need to answer some of these questions, so we stay "On Top" for our kid's sake, if not their kid's sake or our future grandchildren. Let's really ask our education system these questions, our federal politicians, our local politicians and make changes that are conducive to staying ahead of the global game.

"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMcfrLYDm2U"

With the U.S and now Canadian economy getting hit pretty hard, due to the "lack of insight" that our politicians didn't see coming, we as the citizens of these Great countries, need to pay attention to what's really going on throughout other countries and how they are becoming much more GLOBAL, then we are....

We need to make sure we aren't left behind.....

1) What do you think of this video?

2) What should we be doing?

3) What are you doing about it?

Chrysler Shuts Down 30 Plants Beginning This Friday, WHY??

Wed, 17 Dec 2008 16:30:33 -0600

Chrysler announced this evening, that due to the CREDIT CRUNCH, the 30 plants in North American (including Canada) will shut down for 30 days beginning December 19th. Yes, THIS FRIDAY, 6 days before Christmas!

Apparently, the CREDIT CRUNCH has caused them 20-25% of their losses. My question is what about the other 75-80% of the losses? What caused that???

What happened to the CREATIVE EDGE we once had? Where are those design engineers? Are their hands tied to their backs?

Is this a way to keep costs down for the company? What about the executives? What will the unions do? Most importantly, in my book, what will the families do for 30 days without any income coming in?

Does everybody out there really believe that the CREDIT CRUNCH would cause them to close 30 plants for 30 days?

What's your reasoning behind it? I would love to know what you think? From liberals, moderates and our conservative communities...

DETROIT !! Pay Attention, Give Us This Green Car Engine!!

Fri, 12 Dec 2008 11:17:11 -0600

With the OPEC indicating that they have started the ball rolling on reducing production of oil for the world market, I say challenge us!

Here's a link to a video on magnetic technology and how it would work as a car engine. My question is: WHERE WAS THE AMERICAN AUTO INDUSTRY, WHEN SOMEONE THOUGHT THIS OUT?

With all of our wonderful American & Canadian engineers who are extremely creative and highly skilled, Detroit executives should give them unlimited resources to create the next generations of Green engines and ultimately produce a solution to our energy draining cars and trucks.

I sometimes believe the auto industry was sleeping with the oil industry to keep our dependence on oil!! And here we are BAILING THE AMERICAN AUTO INDUSTRY OUT! Shouldn't the Oil Industry come to there rescue?

If we can have batteries in cars from other country's auto industry, why can't we have magnetism also???

What do you guys & gals think of this wonderful technology. What can we do to help this transition happen, so our dependence on oil just becomes a bad nightmare that will ultimately go away!

;>)

"http://www.metacafe.com/watch/456814/the_future_of_energy_is_here/"

Take ACCEPTANCE For Improvement of Our Condition...DONATE YOURSELF THIS HOLIDAY!

Thu, 11 Dec 2008 13:59:42 -0600

Lately, I have read many articles about Realtors and their Brokers complaining about how bad their listings are going and how the economy is getting worse. Well, since at this moment in time, if your hands are tied, make an effort and donate, either your time, your money or your service during these critical and unprecedented times.

With the holiday season around the corner, I honesty believe the best thing you can do for yourself (as a professional) and your family, is to donate your time, money or service to:

1) "Toys for Tots" program, or the also called "Marine Toys for Tots" foundation,

2) Deliver a turkey or other food items to the Salvation Army,

3) Donate blood at your local Blood Clinics,

4) Teach a child how to read,

5) Teach a child how to do math,

6) Volunteer at your local hospital,

7) Volunteer at a soup kitchen for the needy,

8) Volunteer to visit an elderly person without a family,

9) Donate money to a charity of your choice,

10) Volunteer with cancer patients in your local hospitals.

You may have have had a wonderful last few years prosporous, taking wonderful vacations, big toys for big boys and girls, etc. While many of your children's friends or their friends' friends have had hardly any toys, clothing or food.

My point is it's high time, we quit complaining and share what you can with other families during their financial crisis. Unfortunately, many of these families that need help are not just the poor and uneducated stereotypes from the past, but NOW include middle and upper class educated families that have fallen on hard times.

Yes, things are bad, but now is the time for people to come together and help each other. This is like a hurricane or tornado, except it's much more widespread! It's our duty as citizens of our countries (where ever you are on our Earth) to take care of the people who are less fortunate.

Ask yourself this question: "Do our kids or other family members really need more toys, clothes or gadgets ?" If the answer is NO, then do something different this year. Helping others, also shows the human aspects of us and most importantly & I believe the BEST thing for our children is to see the real gift of Christmas, GIVING & SHARING.... It helped both my 20 and 16 yr old daughters to understand the meaning of holiday giving and to learn to accept what we have as a family.

Here are a couple of links that you might want to view:

Toys for Tots: "http://www.toysfortots.org/"

Salvation Army - Canada: "http://www.salvationarmy.ca/"

Salvation Army - United States: "http://www.salvationarmyusa.org/usn/www_usn_2.nsf/vw-local/Home"

VIP - Volunteers for International Partnership: "http://www.partnershipvolunteers.org/"

Canadian Blood Services: "http://www.bloodservices.ca/"

American Red Cross: "http://www.redcross.org/"

Canadian Cancer Society: "http://www.cancer.ca/"

American Cancer Society: "http://www.cancer.org"

Hestia House - Saint John, NB: "http://saintjohn.cioc.ca/details.asp?RSN=632"

Let me know, WHAT YOU AND YOUR FAMILY CAN DO FOR OTHER UNFORTUNATE FAMILIES WITHIN NORTH AMERICA!!!

OMG!!! Went to See Former President William Jefferson (Bill) Clinton Speak in Moncton! WOW!!!

Wed, 26 Nov 2008 12:58:20 -0600

Today, my daughter and I took a 2-1/2 hour drive east from Saint John to Moncton, New Brunswick. We were both VERY EXCITED!!! We both took the time to go see our former U.S. President William Jefferson Clinton speak in Moncton. The former New Brunswick Premier Frank McKenna (now a hot shot for TD Financial Bank) introduced my former president to 6,000 people by the time the Moncton Coliseum was full.

He stated a few comments that I think are note worthy. He said, "The financial crisis proves we are living in an interdependent world." That the current U.S. administration should have taken steps on the mortgage crisis at least a year ago. That the signs were there that the housing industry was in trouble, due to deregulation of the banks. That the Hedge Funds were too much in the housing industry and many "short term sellers" were betting against many U.S. companies, so the 10% richer Americans were getting even richer. That consumers were losing confidence with the U.S. economy and were starting to not buy. He believes in a capitalism society, we shouldn't have bailed out Lehman Brothers, they should have been allowed to fall.

He said that he spoke to the Wal-Mart officials and when the banks started having problems in September & October, Wal-Mart saw the largest drop in consumer spending, except for one item; home safes. Wal-Mart saw a 30% increase in home safes!! Basically, Consumer confidence had hit an all time low. People were willing to buy their own safes, even though the banks had most of their money insured.

He thinks that O'Bama did the right thing by hiring Larry Summers. He believe, Larry Summers is the smartest man on the planet, because he understands the fundamental differences between the 1930's, 1980's & the current 2008 financial crisis.

He thinks that what should be done with the incoming O'Bama administration is: 1st, a stimulus program to liquify the economy. 2nd, a tax cut for the middle class. 3rd, a public works on the infrastructure investment of our towns, cities and states. With projects in building the better water facilities, modernizing the roads and the bridges. Also, he believes that we need a train system that can get us around more effectively throughout the states and he has been told that the electrical grid is in dire need of revamping, it's extremely outdated. He's an advocate for having all the people in the U.S. to have increased broadband internet access throughtout all of the rural areas, that still don't have access to the internet.

In Health Care, he believes we need an electronic medical care, or as he called it an "intelligenct medical system" similar to Canada's or Great Britains system. He indicated that we (as a U.S. country) spend $200 BILLION more just in Administrative pay, and we need to tackle this problem, which is crippling our health care system.

For the private sector, he says they need to think short & long-term goals. He says that the automobile industry is outdated on technology. We need either a different fuel or more economically efficient on the current fuel (gasoline) or a little of both. He gave an example on the new car coming out called the "VOLT" THAT WILL GET 40-50 miles per gallon. Most people in the U.S. don't travel that far and since the technology is new, the country or private sector could coordinate a response with $10,000 credit as an incentive to buy these cars between Canada & the U.S. He also indicated that since the auto industry is having problems, that Canada would be hit with job losses in the manufacturing sector. He gave a call to the private sector, and said that "they need to lead" to bring our fianancial crisis out of its hole.

He did joke a little and actually agreed with the current President Bush on one item only! Food Aid for other countries, he thought that Congress should have passed a bill to send the knowledge on "How to farm on your own soil and give them money based on that" instead of sending them food only. He believes that we have to give Food Aid to countries, by teaching them how to successfully grow their own food and that would begin the cycle for self dependency. The money sent would go to the seeding, and knowledge base given to the local farmers within that country. Self-discipline & self dependency within your own country is a wonderful thing to pass on to your own culture.

As a country, we need to shorten the period of distress with this financial crisis. He feels we will get out of it within a year or two and it depends on how quickly the next administration & Congress moves on it. He was strong on the fact that as leaders , if we put our heads together, we will get out of this crisis stronger than before!

On another front, he said that we (U.S. and Canada) need to do our personal civic duty to our own countries, by helping our own. That seems to feed on people who give their time, money or knowledge. On this, I (myself) think Canadians in general, usually give more than other countries. Many average Canadians give money, time and knowledge. I've seen the differences between the two countries.

He thinks that Democracy should go worldwide and that by helping other countries through global trade, orderly transitions into Democracy, improving environmental standards and improving wages worldwide we can all live peacefully in tranquil. We will have less Afghanistans if we help them survive financially, economically and with less turmoils as a country. We would make more friends and less enemies if we were willing to share our wealth instead of being greedy about it.

Frank McKenna did ask him a few questions at the end about Canada's concerns. One of them was that with the financial crisis, Canadians think that the U.S. will create job protectionism and that could hurt Canada. Mckenna went on the tell him that Canadians loved his policy and embraced Clinton's philosophy on balanced budgets, which he did during his presidency years. McKenna also asked him, why it takes so long for a new elected president to take the office over. Clinton explained that before the "Great Depression" in the 1930's the transition of a new president would take over in March of the next year, but due to the "Great Depression" the inaugural dates were moved to January. I never knew this before, so I had a little history education taught to me today. I believe this is Why I majored in Math & Science...

He ended the conversation with Afghanistan, which many Canadians are fighting in the forefronts there. Clinton said that the U.S. became distraughted by Iraq and forgot Afghanistan. That we are starting to shift our military policy more towards Afghanistan and less with Iraq. He believes that Petresis is a GREAT GENERAL and will help work to do this in the next administration.

In conclusion, my daughter and I were very enlightened and had a wonderful time. Ironically, it took me to move to Canada to see an actual president in person. The whole time in the U.S. I never had the opportunity to meet one in person. I left with his one comment on my mind on learning to fix this economic crisis; "Don't be like a cat, once they sit on a hot stove, they'll never sit on a cold stove." We need to learn from our financial mistakes and not be afraid to evolve to the next level by trying something new.

America's Heroes are the American People Who Had the Courage to Vote!!!

Wed, 05 Nov 2008 18:03:01 -0600

It doesn't matter who you voted for, it's important that you voted, therefore; anyone who voted yesterday for either candidate to me and many others is an AMERICAN HERO!!! When you think of how so many people from various parts of the country, for one day, came together to vote for the next president and who came from various races, cultures, sexual preferences, ages, demographics, economic status and education levels. It's phenomenal that so many people 64% turnout rate of the American public came to vote, by standing on long lines for hours, some had to wait in the rain to vote their candidates in. 8 Million more people voted this year compared to 2004. WOW! WOW! WOW!

These are REAL AMERICANS WHO LOVE THEIR COUNTRY.... I'm extremely PROUD of every American who took the time to VOTE. Please give youself a GIANT PAT on your back, because you understood the meaning of DEMOCRACY and took it to the next level. Too many people had become complacent on voting and feeling that their vote doesn't count.

In the U.S. equivalent, here in Canada; the public votes for the local MP (U.S. equivalent of House of Reps) and the party with the most MPs select their party leader, who becomes the Prime Minister of Canada (U.S. President equivalent). Here, Canadians don't have a direct vote for their Prime Minister, they just select their party members. This frustrates most Canadian voters, because they have no power on who is selected for their Prime Minister. In contrast, only 59.1% of eligible Canadians voted, which was 3% lower than last time.

So the next time you have a problem with the Electoral College in the U.S., remember that some countries, even modern countries, can't choose their country's Head of Office.

THANK YOU FOR VOTING AND TAKING YOUR VOTING RIGHTS SERIOUSLY....

;>)

10 Character Traits That Make Barack Obama a Candidate For the 2008 Presidential Election a Winner

Sun, 02 Nov 2008 19:57:17 -0600

We've all heard great public speakers in our lifetime. My favorite public speakers I've had the pleasure of hearing was when I was younger. The two that stand out for me the most are: John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King.

The U.S. election is beginning in less than 28 hours (here in Atlantic Time Zone - Halifax time) from now and I believe that whoever is elected, of the two presidential candidates, Barack Obama is a much better persuasive public speaker.

The first time I ever heard of Barack Obama was during the 2004 Democratic Convention for John Kerry. He stood right out of the crowd. Then and now, Barack Obama has 10 character traits taht puts him in the category of being one of the great public speakers.

1) TEMPO. Have you ever noticed that Barack even when flustered, seems to keep an upbeat and fluid tempo? U.S. voters respond to his ability to "keep the conversation" moving.

2) EYE CONTACT. When Senator Obama speaks, he looks at the whole audience. His eyes are constantly scanning and he wants everyone in the audience to know that he is speaking personally, to them.

3) VOICE INFLECTION. Barack Obama alters his pitch in his voice - up and down - depending on the sincerity of the problem or jovial account of the joke.

4) DEMEANOR. There is a "swagger" or a confidence that exudes from his veins. Not everyone has to agree with what he says, but they do have to respect it. His demeanor plays a major role in that understanding.

5) BODY LANGUAGE. When that finger gets pointing, the audience understands the importance of that particular issue.

6) PAUSES. Barack lets what was just stated to "sink in" to the audience. He pauses when necessary to give the focal statement exact power.

7) VISUAL IMAGERY. Senator Obama paints a picture for the crowd. He tells detailed stories. He allows the listener to get involved.

8) PREPARATION. Okay, okay, your speeches would probably be much different if you had a teleprompter in front of you as well. However, Barack is intelligent enough to have done his homework before he hits his target audience.

9) KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE. If you've followed Barack Obama's campaign, you know that he distinguishes greatly his speaking style depending upon whom he's talking to. He'll change his tempo and style if he's speaking with a crowd in Iowa as compared to one in Miami.

10) CONFIDENCE. You can't coach confidence. Barack has it! Whether that confidence rubs the wrong way to some, is yet to be determined.

In conclusion, GREAT Presidential Candidates have had the following character traits; tempo, eye contact, voice inflection, demeanor, body language, pauses, visual imagery, preparation, knowing your audience and finally confidence.

This I believe will give him all the votes from the U.S. countryside and all the needed electoral votes to election him to be our next U.S. President!!

Don't forget to VOTE on Tuesday!!!

WHY I would go to see BILL CLINTON speak in Moncton, New Brunswick, CANADA??

Wed, 29 Oct 2008 16:31:41 -0500

This is one person I always wanted to meet and now I have that opportunity!!!

Former President William Jefferson Clinton is coming to Moncton, New Brunswick, CANADA. He will be speaking to mostly Canadian citizens (even a few former American citizens like myself) about the World Economy. He speech is titled: "Focus on Global Economy". Currently, 75% of the tickets are already sold and will probably be sold by November 25th, when he does his speech at the Moncton Coliseum Complex in Moncton, New Brunswick.

I believe that Clinton is very, very knowledgeable about world economics. In 1968, he originally received his undergraduate degree in International Affairs, at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. During his freshman & sophomore years at Georgetown, he was elected Student President. During his junior & senior years he worked as an intern for Senator J. William Fulbright, the Arkansas Democrat who chaired the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations.

From there, he won a Rhodes Scholar Scholarhip to Oxford University in England. As a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford, he studied Government. He then went to Yale University Law School and graduated in 1973.

After graduating from Yale, he joined the faculty of the University of Arkansas School of Law, where he taught until 1976.

Being the Governor of Arkansas and becoming the U.S. President for 8 economically productive years. When he left the presidency, he also had other accomplishments that are listed here:

1) In 2004, he wrote his autobiography called, "My Life".

2) In 2005, after the devastating tsunami in the Indian Ocean that destroyed several countries, he was appointed by the United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan, to serve as a Special Envoy for Relief Efforts.

3) In 2007, he wrote "Giving: How Each of Us Can Change the World". Where he encouraged readers to become involved in various worthy causes.

Even though, he might have had some questionable "moral issues", I believe he will be a DYNAMIC SPEAKER when he speaks in Moncton on November 25th, from 12:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.

Come join us and get enlightened from his speech!!! My older daughter & myself will be there...

If you want to receive tickets to the event, you can log on:

www.powerwithin.com

What Charitable Foundations Do You Belong To???

Thu, 23 Oct 2008 18:23:24 -0500

I work for a wonderful company that has REALTORS who contribute to a worthwhile foundation that helps many women & children!

Royal LePage Atlantic has REALTORS that are dedicated to the Royal LePage Shelter Foundation. The Shelter Foundation is the largest public foundation in Canada that are dedicated exclusively to ending violence against women and children. Royal LePage pays the costs of administration so that 100% of all money and effort goes towards helping local shelters and supporting violence-prevention programs in the New Brunswick area of Saint John, Rothesey, Sussex, Shediac and Moncton in New Brunswick, Canada.

Royal LePage REALTORS across Canada have raised more than $7 million since 1999 to help over 30,000 women and children each year.

This Friday, October 24th, 2008 at the Royal York Hotel in Toronto, Royal LePage is having an evening of "The Royal Treatment" at the Shelter Foundation's annual fundraising gala! It's being hosted by CHFI's Erin Davis and featurning a performance by Destino.

For more information, email: shelterfoundation@royallepage.ca

Also, you can donate by cheque, payable to Royal Lepage Shelter Foundation and mail it to the following address:

Royal LePage Shelter Foundation

39 Wynford Drive

Don Mills, ON M3C 3K5

(877) 775-4545

Here's a LIST OF BOOKS that Sarah Palin POSSIBLY WANTED TO BAN!!!

Sat, 11 Oct 2008 09:38:46 -0500

In 1996, about 12 years ago in Wasilla, after Sarah Palin became the mayor of that town, she approached the local librarian & asked her what she thought of Palin requesting some books to be banned. The librarian defended her position for "freedom of choice", whereby Palin tried to get her fired. The librarian won her stay, but resigned in 1999, due to political pressure.

As a former school teacher & adult ed educator; this is my problem with Sarah Palin, if she's willing to ban many of the books that many of us read in middle school, high school, university years and into adulthood. I believe people should be able to read a variety of books of their choice and to come up with their own conclusions of whether to read similar or non-similar books. Many of these books, create critical thinking skills for all levels of learning. If Palin was to become our next VP, ask yourself this question: What would be next for our civil liberties?? I believe Bush already did away with many of those already. Do we need more of our civil rights taken away from us?

Are these any books you have read in your lifetime???? What do you think???

Here is the list of books Palin tried to have banned. There are some discripancies with some of the books due to the dates published.

A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle
Annie on My Mind by Nancy Garden
As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner
Blubber by Judy Blume
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
Canterbury Tales by Chaucer
Carrie by Stephen King
Catch-22 by Joseph Heller
Christine by Stephen King
Confessions by Jean-Jacques Rousseau
Cujo by Stephen King
Curses, Hexes, and Spells by Daniel Cohen
Daddy’s Roommate by Michael Willhoite
Day No Pigs Would Die by Robert Peck
Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller
Decameron by Boccaccio
East of Eden by John Steinbeck
Fallen Angels by Walter Myers
Fanny Hill (Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure) by John Cleland
Flowers For Algernon by Daniel Keyes
Forever by Judy Blume
Grendel by John Champlin Gardner
Halloween ABC by Eve Merriam
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter and the Prizoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling
Have to Go by Robert Munsch
Heather Has Two Mommies by Leslea Newman
How to Eat Fried Worms by Thomas Rockwell
Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
Impressions edited by Jack Booth
In the Night Kitchen by Maurice Sendak

It’s Okay if You Don’t Love Me by Norma Klein

James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl

Lady Chatterley’s Lover by D.H. Lawrence

Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman

Little Red Riding Hood by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm
Lord of the Flies by William Golding
Love is One of the Choices by Norma Klein
Lysistrata by Aristophanes
More Scary Stories in the Dark by Alvin Schwartz
My Brother Sam Is Dead by James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier
My House by Nikki Giovanni
My Friend Flicka by Mary O’Hara
Night Chills by Dean Koontz
Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
On My Honor by Marion Dane Bauer

One Day in The Life of Ivan Denisovich by Alexander Solzhenitsyn

One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey

One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

Ordinary People by Judith Guest
Our Bodies, Ourselves by Boston Women’s Health Collective
Prince of Tides by Pat Conroy
Revolting Rhymes by Roald Dahl
Scary Stories 3: More Tales to Chill Your Bones by Alvin Schwartz
Scary Stories in the Dark by Alvin Schwartz
Separate Peace by John Knowles
Silas Marner by George Eliot
Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.
Tarzan of the Apes by Edgar Rice Burroughs
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
The Bastard by John Jakes
The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier
The Color Purple by Alice Walker
The Devil’s Alternative by Frederick Forsyth
The Figure in the Shadows by John Bellairs
The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
The Great Gilly Hopkins by Katherine Paterson
The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
The Headless Cupid by Zilpha Snyder
The Learning Tree by Gordon Parks
The Living Bible by William C. Bower

The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare
The New Teenage Body Book by Kathy McCoy and Charles Wibbelsman
The Pigman by Paul Zindel
The Seduction of Peter S. by Lawrence Sanders
The Shining by Stephen King
The Witches by Roald Dahl
The Witches of Worm by Zilpha Snyder
Then Again, Maybe I Won’t by Judy Blume
To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare
Webster’s Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary by the Merriam-Webster Editorial Staff
Witches, Pumpkins, and Grinning Ghosts: The Story of the Halloween Symbols by Edna Barth

Our Sea Port Had Both The Queen Mary 2 vs. Norwegian Dream Cruise Ships

Fri, 03 Oct 2008 18:30:19 -0500

On Wednesday, Oct 1st, 2008, we had both the Queen Mary 2 and the Norwegian Dream at our Saint John, New Brunswick port. We had approximately 5,000 more people in our city in less then a day. In the spring to fall months, we have cruise ships in port every week. The temperature within the Bay of Fundy doesn't exceed 55 degrees Fahrenheit.

Here are the differences between the two cruise ships:

Queen Mary 2 vs. Norwegian Dream

Gross Tons: 151,400 vs. 50,760

Builder: Chantiers de L'Antique vs. Chantiers de L'Antique (France)

Original Cost: 550 million (Euros) vs. 240 million ( Euros)

Entered Service: Jan. 2004 vs. Dec. 1992 (stretched 1998)

Registry: Great Britain vs. The Bahamas

Length: 1,131.9 ft / 345.03 m vs. 754 ft / 229.8 m

Beam: 134.5 ft / 41 m vs. 93.5 ft /28.5 m

Draft: 32.6 ft / 9.95 m vs. 22.3 ft / 6.8 m

Passenger Decks: 17 vs. 10

Total Crew: 1,254 vs. 700

Passengers: 3,090 vs. 2,156

Pass. Space Ratio: 57.2 vs. 29.3

Crew-Pass. Ratio: 2.0 vs. 2.5

Cruising Speed: 25 knots vs. 21 knots

Queen Mary 2 - FACTS

The ONLY Canyon Ranch SpaClub at sea

The World's 1st Planetarium at sea

The largest library at sea

The longest jogging track at sea

The largest wine collection at sea

A cultural academy by the University of Oxford, with 7 classrooms and an auditorium

A Pillow Concierge offers a choice of up to 9 different types of pillows

Some royal suites have private elevators

Classic hallmarks include sweeping staircases & a grand ballroom, domed salons

Staff has renowned "White Star Service"

Norwegian Dream - FACTS

Freestyle Cruising concept

Increased entertainment & dining options

Guest can do anything or nothing at all

New LifeStyle Program

More art auctions

Health & Wellness Programs

Cooking demonstrations

In 1998, was stretched an additional 130 ft midsection

LET'S HIRE A BLUE RIBBON PANEL to Get Us Out of Our Financial Crisis!!

Thu, 25 Sep 2008 16:21:18 -0500

Timing is everything! Since, we supposeably are having a Financial Crisis. The "Recovery Plan" should have a CEO & Board of Directors leading the bailout.

My selecion of the CEO is William Jefferson Clinton! His Board of Directors should include; Alan Greenspan, Lee Iaccocca, Bill Gates & Warren Buffet.

If we are in a Financial Crisis, then we should have leaders who understand Economics and have lived through successful recoveries.

We need to run our country like a business with accountability, or we will be "Out of Business" as a country!

;>)

OK - Let's Have the Debate with PALIN & O'BAMA in Mississippi

Thu, 25 Sep 2008 12:17:07 -0500

The first of 3 Presidential Debates will be held tomorrow evening and yet McCain seems to come across as a man that can only do one thing at a time. We've already had 8 years of a President who can't think "Outside the Box". To be a President, you have to MULTI-TASK and not let one thing overcome another.

I think in the absence of Presidential candidate Senator McCain, then Governor Sarah Palin should sit in for the debate and debate Senator Barack O'Bama. I think that McCain is trying to get out of the debate, because he can't handle debating and can only handle talking off the teleprop, or speaking to a small selected group of people. Let's STOP protecting both of the Republican candidates, let's hear McCain & Palin speak! If the Republican party is saying she is ready to be Commander-in-Chief should something happen to McCain, then let's have them prove it to us. Otherwise, we deserve what we get...

Kirby Is The SMART Cat of Our Bunch

Wed, 17 Sep 2008 08:03:18 -0500

We have a few cats in our house! The one I'm going to speak about is Kirby, who is my 16-1/2 year old daughter, Caitlin's cat.

We were living in Saint Joseph, Michigan, 9 years ago, when Caitlin was in 3rd grade and she was 7-1/2 years old. My spouse and I were looking on the web and educating ourselves on all of the pedigree cats available. The 3 cats that we found intriguing was; an Egyptian Mau, Abyssians and Ocicats. We were looking & reading up on all of cat's temperaments and we found that Ocicats were smart and could learn to "fetch" like dogs. Also, they were created from a combination of Abyssians, Siamese and American Short-Hairs cats. They had the smarts of Abyssians & Siamese and the domestication of American Short Hairs. So we narrowed it down to obtaining an Ocicat! We looked online for all the breeders of Ocicats and found one outside of Detroit, Michigan who bred Ocicats. This breeder no longer is breeding, but he was AWESOME!!!! When we took the 4 hour drive from Saint Joseph, Michigan (southwestern Michigan) to Detroit, Michigan (northeastern Michigan) we were amazed on how this breeder played with all of the kittens and adults cats, which made all of them playful. I believe he got "emotionally" attached to all of his cats and kittens.

We let our 7-1/2 year old daughter loose to locate the kitten that she found loveable. My daughter aimed for the only kitten with the "stuffed nose", who looked like he had "allergies". He was a larger male kitten, that was called a "dark chocolate spotted Ocicat", who was very playful, considering he had a fully stuffed nose. We tried to persuade our daughter to look at another cat, but she was fully engulfed with this cat. We stayed there for two hours and watched her interact with the kitten and kitten with her.

After the two hours, my spouse and I discussed the options and decided to let the kitten come home with Caitlin. As we were going back to Saint Joseph, Michigan, we asked our daughter, who then was playing her GameBoy in the car (if not 24/7) to think of a name for her new kitten. She looked at the cat and said I think I'll call him "Kirby". We asked her "Why?" and she said it reminded her of the "fat pink Nintendo character Kirby who emplodded" in the game.

Both my spouse and I looked at each other and laughed. We tried to talk her out of the name, but it started to stick, because of his "attitude". Initially, we put the kitten in with our daughter in her bedroom for a week, to bond to Caitlin. The food, cat litter and water were all in the room and Caitlin stayed in there and played with the kitten most of the day. Our daughter took total responsibility of the kitten. My spouse and I both tried to stay away, since we wanted the kitten to bond to Caitlin, and not us.

After a week, Kirby came out to the rest of the house, and we found his "wild side". He would go into "Turbo Mode" at random, probably from his ancestery; Abyssian and Siamese background. We also thought, maybe Caitlin "overstimulated" the cat. LOL. You know, when most people are getting their homes "child proof", we had to get our home "cat proof". This meant getting all of the fine china, glassware, anything "breakable" out of the way of the "Wild Thing". We also invested in a "water bottle" to deactivate the kitten from his "wild side".

Of all of our cats, this cat hugs people when he's picked up, especially when he's cold, since he is a short-haired cat. He "fetches" toys, balls, anything fuzzy" and brings it back to the person who threw it and sits in a way ready to bounce on the item thrown again. He's the BEST CAT we have and is the LEADER of the pack. He tends to keep the other cats in line.

To get you ready for the Christmas holidays, here's a picture of our Kirby in the Christmas tree. Yes, he does this every year! ENJOY!!!

Do you have any "crazy wild" cats running around your home? Tell me about your cat or cats.... ;>)

Mortgage Rates in Canada Are On The Way UP & END of 100% Financing!!!

Sat, 13 Sep 2008 14:18:22 -0500

Canadian Mortgage Rates for September 12th, 2008

6 Mth 1 Yr 2 Yrs 3 Yrs 5 Yrs 7 Yrs 10 Yrs

Bank of Montreal       6.21      6.65         6.70       6.70        6.85       7.30      7.65
Centum Mortgage     4.25       4.70         5.25       5.35        5.34       5.80      5.90
CIBC                           6.74       6.65         6.70       6.70        6.85       7.30      7.65

National Bank            6.30      6.30         6.30        6.35        6.85       7.25      7.45
Royal Bank                 6.35      6.35         6.35        6.35        6.85       7.30      7.95
Scotia Bank                6.35      6.35         6.55        6.69        6.85       7.30      7.95
TD Canada Trust        6.20     6.65   6.70        6.70        6.85       7.30      7.65

On October 15th, 2008, is when 100% mortgage financing and 40 year amortizations is over! For the most part anyway, they'll still be available on non-government backed mortgages. As a reminder, when the insurers cap their loan-to-value ratios at 95% in October, high-ratio borrowers will still be able to tack on insurance premiums to their mortgages.

I believe that the mortgage rate trends will continue going up for the next few months, due to the U.S. Mortgage Crisis, until they are stabilized.

1) What are your thoughts on these rates?

2) Where do you see these trends going?

Canadian Mortgage Rates - Effective Sept. 5th, 2008

Mon, 08 Sep 2008 21:11:38 -0500

Here's are the Canadian Mortgage Rates, effective Sept. 5th, 2008 from the major banks & mortgage companies in Canada.

6 mth 1 year 2 years 3 years 5 years 7 years 10 years

CENTRUM 4.25% 4.70% 5.25% 5.35% 5.44% 5.80% 5.90%

CIBC 6.74% 6.65% 6.70% 6.70% 6.85% 7.30% 7.65%

Bk of Montreal 6.21% 6.65% 6.70% 6.70% 6.85% 7.30% 7.65%

Royal Bank 6.35% 6.35% 6.35% 6.35% 6.85% 7.30% 7.45%

Scotia Bank 6.35% 6.35% 6.55% 6.69% 6.85% 7.30% 7.95%

Nat’l Bank 6.30% 6.30% 6.30% 6.35% 6.85% 7.25% 7.45%

TD Canada 6.20% 6.65% 6.70% 6.70% 6.85% 7.30% 7.65%

What Economic Policy?? & WE WANT ANOTHER ONE???

Thu, 04 Sep 2008 12:54:56 -0500

Since you are so fired up about how the Republicans have done so well, here's an article from way back in 2004 from the Progressive Policy Institute (PPI) (compared to current deteriorating economic conditions) that might give you some perspective to why some of us are not voting for Republicans again.... After all, McCain did say on National TV that he didn't know too much about economics and we want him to be President of our country???

If you would like to read the article in its entirety then go to:

http://www.ppionline.org/ppi_ci.cfm?knlgAreaID=107&subsecID=295&contentID=252964

PPI October 18, 2004, Bush vs. Clinton: An Economic Performance Index

By Robert D. Atkinson and Julie Hutto

According to public opinion polls, most Americans feel the U.S. economy has been moving in the wrong direction. Indeed, an analysis of several important economic indicators shows they're right. In apples-to-apples comparisons of annualized data, these indicators of the country's economic well-being show mostly negative change during President George W. Bush's administration, compared to mostly positive change during President Bill Clinton's administration. Presidents obviously do not control everything that happens on their watch. But it is fair -- and entirely appropriate -- to judge how they play the economic hands they are dealt. Bush's economic policies have diverged dramatically from Clinton's, and PPI believes the disparities in economic outcomes under each administration are attributable at least in part to those policy choices.

This chart compares economic performance under the two administrations on a number of especially important fronts:

Methodology

This index provides a broad view of the economy over the last 12 years by focusing on: (1) things that effect people's everyday lives, such as health insurance and homeownership; (2) measures of economic outcomes and performance, rather than inputs or intermediate variables like inflation rates; (3) percentage changes, rather than total changes in such things as the number of jobs or the dollar value of per capita gross domestic product (GDP); and (4) average annual changes -- to account for the fact that Clinton was in office for eight years, and Bush has been in office for three and a half.1

For the most part, the numbers in the chart correspond to the annual compounded rates of progress for each indicator.2 The indicators have also been inverted in some cases, so that positive scores represent moves in the right direction, and negative scores represent moves in the wrong direction. For example, poverty declined by an average of 2.29 percent in the Clinton years (a move in the right direction), and it grew by 4.33 percent annually in the Bush years (a move in the wrong direction). To make the decline a positive number and the growth a negative number, we have changed the indicator to poverty reduction. Thus, Clinton's score is plus 2.29 percent, and Bush's is minus 4.33 percent.3

What the Indicators Mean:

Our Fiscal Future

The national debt is the net amount of debt held by the federal government ($3.9 trillion in 2003).5 It increased under both administrations (in today's dollars). But under Clinton the debt rose more slowly and GDP rose faster than under Bush. The result is that the ratio of debt to GDP went down an average of 3.89 percent per year during the Clinton years, but has gone up an average of 0.94 percent per year during the Bush years.

The trade deficit increased during both administrations. It increased by 0.52 percent of GDP per year under Clinton and by 0.37 percent per year under Bush.7 This is one of two indicators where economic performance under Bush appears to be better than it was during the Clinton administration. But underneath that data is a less flattering story for the Bush years. The trade deficit grew at the rate it did under Clinton for two main reasons: because the first Bush Administration's recession had cut imports to an artificially low level, and because the economy was expanding rapidly. People were confident, so they were buying a lot of imported goods. Businesses were growing, too, so U.S. factories were importing materials to manufacture their products. Throughout this period, export growth was very strong. In the Bush years, the trade deficit has been a product of a different, and less healthy dynamic: U.S. exports have dipped dramatically relative to imports.

One of the most important measures of economic well-being is the number of people with jobs. The number of jobs in the economy increased 2.38 percent per year under Clinton, but it has decreased 0.17 percent per year under Bush.9 While it's clear that the economic downturn in 2001 was not Bush's fault, the sluggishness of the recovery is unprecedented in the period since the federal government began issuing detailed employment reports in the 1940s. There have been 1.7 million jobs created since September 2003, which may sound like a lot, but that number falls short of the 1.8 million jobs that must be created per year just to match population growth, and it falls far below the 3.7 million jobs that the administration predicted would be created when the president signed his 2003 tax cut into law.10 This slow job growth is largely attributable to both the failure of the administration's fiscal policies (which targeted tax cuts to stimulate savings rather than spending) and the failure of its trade policies (which have done a poor job of opening foreign markets to spur export growth, and have not created the conditions for an orderly decline in the value of the dollar, which would have helped ease the trade imbalance).

The change in the number of jobs does not provide a complete picture of employment in the U.S. economy. Not only did the Clinton years produce many more jobs than the Bush years have, but they also produced more full-time jobs compared to part-time jobs. This is an important indicator because in an economic slowdown many displaced and new workers resort to part-time work as a second-choice option. Granted, some people might prefer part-time work because they have children or attend school. But, overall, a decrease in the ratio of full-time to part-time jobs implies that a greater share of workers have less stable work with fewer benefits. The ratio of full-time to part-time work rose under Clinton by 0.11 percent per year, but it has decreased at an annual rate of 1.67 percent since the beginning of 2001. In fact, the ratio of full-time to part-time jobs has not only reversed direction, but as of September 2004 it has fallen below what it was before Clinton took office.

The economic well-being of American workers is determined not only by whether they have jobs -- ideally full-time jobs with benefits -- but also by how well their jobs pay. This indicator is a weighted index based on the change in the number of jobs in different income quintiles under Clinton and Bush.13 A positive value represents job growth biased toward higher paying jobs, which reflects an upwardly mobile economy. A negative value represents job growth biased toward lower-paying jobs, which reflects a more downwardly mobile economy. The score of 4.70 during the Clinton administration means that the economy produced significantly more jobs in high-wage quintiles than in the low-wage quintiles. In contrast, the score of -1.0 during the Bush administration substantiates reports that new jobs created under Bush have generally paid worse than the jobs that have been lost. For example, from 2000 to 2003, the economy added 540,820 jobs in the lowest-wage quintile. Meanwhile, 451,440 jobs were lost in the middle quintile and 357,900 jobs were lost in the two highest quintiles.14

Since most working Americans with health insurance get it through work, changes in the share of Americans who have health insurance is another indication of the quality of jobs in the economy. Under the Clinton administration, the share of Americans covered by health insurance went up 0.12 percent annually. Under Bush, there has been a 0.55 percent yearly decrease. Even more striking is that 5 million more Americans were without health insurance in 2003 than in 2000 and 3.8 million fewer Americans had employment-based health insurance.16

Productivity measures the amount of economic output that each hour of work produces. It is an important indicator of economic performance because high rates of productivity traditionally correlate with strong growth in living standards. The most accurate measure of productivity covers non-farm businesses. During the Clinton administration non-farm business productivity grew 1.83 percent per year. During the Bush administration, it grew by an average of 3.76 percent per year. This is one of the only bright spots in a period of otherwise lackluster economic performance, and it is a measure that suggests hope for the economy in the coming years. But it is important to note that the late 1990s saw both productivity growth and job growth, producing a double benefit for the economy. During the Bush years, productivity has grown while jobs have not. Whether the nation can maintain the robust levels of productivity growth we have enjoyed since 1996 depends in large part on whether we put in place the right policies, including investments in research and development, and the skills of the workforce; promotion of the digital economy, including high-speed broadband deployment; and fiscal discipline to keep interest rates low.18

Simply comparing the annual growth of GDP under each administration would be misleading, because the population continues to grow. Per capita GDP -- in other words, how much output there is each year relative to the total population -- is a more accurate measure. While per capita GDP rose 2.42 percent under Clinton, it has risen just 1.62 percent per year during the Bush presidency. In large part, this is because fewer people are working.

Median household income is the best measure of American families' well-being because it shows the true economic mid-point of the population. By definition, half of all households make more than the median, and half make less. (Average household income figures are bad measures of overall well-being, because a small percentage of very rich families can skew the picture, making everyone appear to be richer than they are.) Median household income has fallen an average of 1.15 percent per year under Bush. It rose an average of 1.65 percent per year under Clinton.

Poverty statistics are telling indicators of the country's economic health. The number of Americans below the poverty line fell 2.29 percent annually in the Clinton years, but has since gone up 4.33 percent annually in the Bush years.

No economic indicator can embody the American dream in quite the same way as homeownership. Indeed, one of the successes that President Bush frequently points to under his watch is the increase in homeownership. But while the home ownership rate has increased 0.37 percent per year during the Bush administration, that is a slowdown compared to the average increases of 1.94 percent during the Clinton administration.

It's one thing to vote on the "Party Line", but it's another to put our country into the ground, where we can't dig ourselves out of the mess we are currently in.

VOTE SMART! ;>)

Found My Daughter's "To Do List" - Humor

Mon, 01 Sep 2008 16:45:32 -0500

Was cleaning out some drawers and I found my younger daughter's "To Do List", which I believe is 2-3 years old, so that would have put her at 13-14 years old, being she is now 16-1/2 years old and tomorrow beginning her Grade 12 school year.

I read this outloud and couldn't believe the imagination my teenager has:

Caitlin's To Do List

1) Change all the clocks.

2) Laugh ever hour on the hour.

3) Defy the 2nd Law of Thermodynamics.

4) Name all the trees on your block.

5) Tell someone: "Yes, but the ink never dries if your pen is filled with "lard".

6) "Fix" the books.

7) Follow someone around all day, taking notes on their activities and not being seen.

8) Create a treasure map.

9) Start a Sing-A-Long at random.

10) Put confetti in the air vents.

11) Call a friend & say, "You're won a lifetime supply of salamanders".

12) Fill the bathtub with saltwater and pretend it's the ocean.

13) Change my name everytime someone remembers it.

14) Replace all nouns in a story with colors & read it outloud.

15) Open every door, cabinet, closet & drawer in your house. Wait for someone to come over and pretend to not notice.

16) Freeze something at random and replace it.

17) Use the same word repeatedly throughout the day.

18) Don't use a mirror.

19) Send a message in a bottle via a helium balloon.

20) Wear 2 different shoes.

Now, keep in mind, she took the SAT's when she was just 16 years old, last December, she scored 1990 on her SAT's. Had the privilege to attend the National Scholars Leadership Conference in Washington D.C. this July 2008 for 2 weeks. She's extremely bright and very different, to say the least. After attending the Law & Advocacy program at this conference, she wants to be a Patent Lawyer. She wants her 1st degree in Engineering and than wants to attend Law School. I'm already in the "Poor House" thinking about the cost. LOL

;>)

Go Get'em Gators, Go!!!

Sat, 30 Aug 2008 21:55:52 -0500

Welcome to the new NCAA football season!

If you are an NCAA football season, it doesn't matter if summer is ending or public school is beginning soon. All that matters is FOOTBALL SEASON IS HERE....

In this family, I married into a GATOR FAMILY, who lived 32 miles away from Gainesville, Florida where the home of University of Florida Gators in Ocala, Florida.

Today, we went on a motorcycle ride into Maine and a few islands in Maine and New Brunswick, from 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Either way, when we got home, the first thing my "better half" did was find an internet site that had the game recorded, and of course, I jumped on ActiveRain Network. LOL

The final game today between the University of Hawaii and the University of Florida, with a score of 10 to 56, it was a blowout for Florida.

GO GATORS!!!

Are there any other NCAA football fans out there??

Bill Clinton's ABSOLUTELY PERFECT saying about POWER during the Democratic National Convention.....

Wed, 27 Aug 2008 20:27:17 -0500

This is what former President Bill Clinton said tonight at the Democratic National Convention.

"People have always been impressed by the power of our example, than the example of our power!"

What a WONDERFUL AND ABSOLUTELY PERFECT SAYING ABOUT HOW WE SHOULD USE POWER..... Has anyone whispered this into Bush's or any other Republican's ear?

Give me your comments on this......

WOW!!! ;>)