Wednesday, November 30, 2011

America the beautiful


America the beautiful,
or so you used to be.
Land of the Pilgrims' pride;
I'm glad they'll never see.

Babies piled in dumpsters,
Abortion on demand,
Oh, sweet land of liberty;
your house is on the sand.

Our children wander aimlessly
poisoned by cocaine
choosing to indulge their lusts,
when G-d has said abstain

From sea to shining sea,
our Nation turns away
From the teaching of G-d's love
and a need to always pray

We've kept G-d in our
temples, how callous we have grown.
When earth is but His footstool,
and Heaven is His throne.

We've voted in a government
that's rotting at the core,
Appointing Godless Judges;
who throw reason out the door,


Too soft to place a killer
in a well deserved tomb,
But brave enough to kill a baby
before he leaves the womb.

You think that G-d's not
angry, that our land's a moral slum?
How much longer will He wait
before His judgment comes?

How are we to face our G-d,
from Whom we cannot hide?
What then is left for us to do,
but stem this evil tide?

If we who are His children,
will humbly turn and pray;
Seek His holy face
and mend our evil way:

Then G-d will hear from Heaven;
and forgive us of our sins,
He'll heal our sickly land
and those who live within.

But, America the Beautiful,
If you don't - then you will see,
A sad but Holy G-d
withdraw His hand from Thee.

~~Judge Roy Moore~~


This says it all. May we all forward this message for America to wake up and realize what we need to do to keep OUR America the Beautiful.

Monday, November 28, 2011

An Obituary - Interesting and sadly rather true

An Obituary - Interesting and sadly rather true
Today we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend, Common Sense, who has been with us for many years. No one knows for sure how old he was, since his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape. He will be remembered as having cultivated such valuable lessons as:
- Knowing when to come in out of the rain;
- Why the early bird gets the worm;
- Life isn't always fair;
- and Maybe it was my fault.

Common Sense
lived by simple, sound financial policies (don't spend more than you can earn) and reliable strategies (adults, not children, are in charge).

His health began to deteriorate rapidly when well-intentioned but overbearing regulations were set in place. Reports of a 6-year-old boy charged with sexual harassment for kissing a classmate; teens suspended from schoo l for using mouthwash after lunch; and a teacher fired for reprimanding an unruly student, only worsened his condition.

Common Sense
lost ground when parents attacked teachers for doing the job that they themselves had failed to do in disciplining their unruly children.

It declined even further when schools were required to get parental consent to administer sun lotion or an aspirin to a student; but could not inform parents when a student became pregnant and wanted to have an abortion.

Common Sense
lost the will to live as the churches became businesses; and criminals received better treatment than their victims.
Common Sense
took a beating when you couldn't defend yourself from a burglar in your own home and the burglar could sue you for assault.
Common Sense
finally gave up the will to live, after a woman failed to realize that a steaming cup of coffee was hot. She spilled a little in her lap, and was promptly awarded a huge settlement.

Common Sense
was preceded in death, by his parents, Truth and Trust, by his wife, Discretion, by his daughter, Responsibility, and by his son, Reason.
He is survived by his 4 stepbrothers
;
I Know My Rights
I Want It Now
Someone Else Is To Blame
I'm A Victim

Not many attended his funeral because so few realized he was gone. If you still remember him, pass this on. If not, join the majority and do nothing.
 

Friday, November 25, 2011

Leadership and Respect


Respect – You Have To Earn It 
Are you respected as a leader? We all desire to be respected. However, not all leaders have the respect of those they lead. Once respect is lost, it is very difficult and in many cases impossible, to regain it. Leaders must have the respect of those they lead to be able to accomplish the mission.
In August, at the Monthly Leadership Seminar, I taught a lesson entitled “Respect – You Have to Earn It”. Click here for the outline. We examined five qualities that help a leader gain respect.
1. Success: Past, Present & Future
• Having track record – past success helps a leader. At the least it buys them a little time.
• Past success is helpful but people want leaders who are competent, leaders they have confidence in because they are leading well today.
• Leaders who communicate future possibilities along with a strategy to achieve them also gain respect.
2. Character/Integrity
• Gain respect by demonstrating integrity. Keep commitments, honesty, ethics, and trustworthiness.
• Treat others, regardless of position, with dignity and respect.
3. Courage
• Leaders gain respect by making the hard calls. Do what is right and best and you will gain respect. Likely there will be times when you aren’t liked by all, but you will be respected.
4. Respect For Others
• The “Golden Rule” really is golden. Establish a culture of respect, dignity and professionalism.
I came across your blog when reading Chris Stephen’s blog. Your posts are spot on and very helpful. I especially liked this post. I’ve heard the question asked is it better to be loved as a leader or feared as a leader. I don’t like either of those options. I think it’s best to be respected. Thanks for outlining what that means.
Scott
• Be respectful of those who disagree with you.
5. Effective Communication
• Communicate your vision for “what could be” in your organization or team.
• Listen. Really listen.
• Respect important messages often.
What other ways can a leader earn respect?

A carrot, an egg, and a cup of coffee...

 
A carrot, an egg, and a cup of coffee... 
 
You will never look at a cup of coffee the same way again.--                 
 
A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her.
She did not knowhow she was going to make it and wanted to give up
She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed as one problem was solved, a new one arose.   
Her mother took her to the kitchen.
She filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire.
Soon the pots came to boil. In the first she placed carrots,
in the second she placed eggs,
and in the last she placed ground coffee beans. She let them sit and boil;
without saying A word. in  about twenty minutes she turned off the burners..
She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl.
She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl.
Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl.
Turning to her daughter, she asked, "Tell me what you see."  "Carrots,eggs, and coffee," she replied. 
Her mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft.
The mother then asked the daughter to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell,she observed the hard-boiled egg.  
Finally, the mother asked the daughter to sip the coffee. The daughter smiled, as she tasted its rich aroma the daughter then asked, "What does it mean, mother?"  
Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity: boiling water.
Each reacted differently.
The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting. However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak.
The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior, but after sitting through the boiling water, its insides became hardened.
The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water, they had changed the water.             "Which are you?" she asked her daughter. "When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?  
Think of this: Which am I? Am I the carrot that seems strong, but with pain and adversity do I wilt and become soft and lose my strength? 
Am I the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the heat? Did I have a fluid spirit, but after a death, a breakup, a financial hardship or some other trial, have I become hardened and stiff? Does my shell look the same, but on the inside am I bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and hardened heart?  
Or am I like the coffee bean? The bean actually changes the hot water, the very circumstance that brings the pain. When the water gets hot, it releases the fragrance and flavor. If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and change the situation around you. When the hour is the darkest and trials are their greatest, do you elevate yourself to another level? How do you handle adversity? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?             May you have enough happiness to make you sweet, enough trials to make you strong, enough sorrow to keep you human and enough hope to make you happy. 
The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the most of everything that comes along their way. The brightest future will always be based on a forgotten past; you can't go forward in life until you let go of your past failures and heartaches. 
When you were born, you were crying and everyone around you was smiling.
Live your life so at the end, you're the one who is smiling and everyone around you is crying. 
You might want to send this message to those people who mean something to you (I JUST DID); to those who have touched your life in one way or another; to those who make you smile when you really need it; to those who make you see the brighter side of things when you are really down; to those whose friendship you appreciate; to those who are so meaningful in your life.  If you don't (re)send it, you will just miss out on the opportunity to brighten someone's day with this message!           May we all be COFFEE!!!!!!!!
-- Thank you

At a time when our president and other politicians tend to apologize for our country's prior actions

At a time when our president and other politicians tend to  apologize for our country's prior actions, here's a refresher on how some of our former patriots handled negative comments about our country.
These are good
 
JFK'S
Secretary of State, Dean Rusk, was in  France   in the early 60's when
DeGaulle decided to pull out of NATO.  DeGaulle said he wanted all US   
military out of France as soon as possible.

Rusk responded,
"Does that include those who are buried here?"
 
DeGaulle
did not respond.

You
could have heard a pin drop.
 
When in  England   ,

at a fairly large conference, Colin Powell was asked by the
Archbishop of Canterbury   if our plans for   Iraq   were just an example of
'empire building' by George Bush.
 
He answered by saying,

"Over the years, the United States has sent many of
its fine young men and women into great peril to fight for freedom 
beyond our borders.  The only amount of land we have ever asked for 
in return is enough to bury those that did not 
return."

You
could have heard a pin drop.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
There was a conference in France

where a number of international engineers
were taking part, including French and American.  During a break, 
one of the French engineers came back into the room saying, "Have you 
heard the latest dumb stunt Bush has done? He has sent an aircraft 
carrier to  Indonesia   to help the tsunami victims.  What does he
intend to do, bomb them?"
 
A Boeing engineer

stood up and replied quietly:  "Our carriers have three
hospitals on board that can treat several hundred people; they are 
nuclear powered and can supply emergency  electrical power to 
shore facilities; they have three  cafeterias with the capacity to 
feed 3,000 people three meals a day, they can produce several thousand 
gallons of fresh water from sea water each day, and they carry half a 
dozen helicopters for use in transporting victims and injured to and 
from their flight deck.  We have eleven such ships;

how many does France have?"
You
could have heard a pin drop.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
A  U.S. Navy Admiral

was attending a naval conference that included
Admirals from the U.S., English, Canadian, Australian and French 
Navies  At a cocktail reception, he found himself standing with a large 
group of officers that included personnel from most of those countries. 
Everyone was chatting away in English as they sipped their drinks but a 
French admiral suddenly complained that, whereas Europeans learn many 
languages, Americans learn only English. He then asked, "Why is it that 
we always have to speak English in these conferences rather than 
speaking French?"
 
Without hesitating,

the American Admiral replied, "Maybe it's because the
Brit's, Canadians, Aussie's and Americans arranged it so you wouldn't 
have to speak German."

You
could have heard a pin drop.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
AND
THIS STORY FITS RIGHT IN WITH THE ABOVE...
 
Robert Whiting,

an elderly gentleman of 83, arrived in Paris by plane.
At French Customs, he took a few minutes to locate his passport
in his carry on.
 
"You
have been to France before, monsieur?" the customs officer asked
sarcastically.
 
Mr. Whiting

admitted that he had been to France  
previously.
 
"Then
you should know enough to have your passport ready."
 
The American said,

"The last time I was here, I didn't have to show it."
 
"Impossible..
Americans always have to show their passports on arrival in  France !"
 
The American senior

gave the Frenchman a long hard look.  Then he
quietly explained, ''Well, when I came ashore at  Omaha  Beach   on D-Day in 
1944 to help liberate this country, I couldn't find a single Frenchmen 
to show a passport to."

You
could have heard a pin drop.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If
you are proud to be an American, pass this on! If not, delete it.

I am proud to be of this land, AMERICA

Do we need an ethical bailout to go along with the financial one?


Do we need an ethical bailout to go along with the financial one?

Let us discuss the need for honesty and integrity as the basic principle of leadership. Defines quality leadership as a process beyond technical competence. Successful leaders continually demonstrate honesty and integrity as an essential element of their professional fabric; a lack of commitment to the principle renders all other skills meaningless. Depicts honesty and integrity as essential elements of human behavior that promote and support quality relationships. Defines honesty and integrity in the context of building trust and maintaining credibility. Provides a sound philosophy that increases the probability for long-term success and professional fulfillment.
The matter raised ”legitimate and genuine concerns”, adding: ”My concern ... is that without integrity and legitimacy and honesty, and then Government cannot function. This must now be settled, otherwise it saps at the very heart of what is the highest office – and the highest office-holder.”
Is honesty for suckers?
— A worldwide recession sets in when it turns out that a vast subprime mortgage system was built on a foundation of fraud.
— Government officials are convicted of fraud and misappropriation of funds and backdoor deals.
— Cheating is rampant in high schools and colleges.

— And in sports? The same deal. Doping scandals, cheating, chemical and otherwise, pervades football, baseball and other sports.
— Wall Street is being manipulated by corporate America bilking investors out of billions of dollars.

If so many people are cheating, how can honest people play by the rules and not be at a disadvantage — in school, at work, in sports, in business?
Do we need an ethical bailout to go along with the financial one?
Are you a chump if you play by the rules?

Compiled by: YJ Draiman for Mayor of LA