NOTICE!!!! ...notice the different shifters?

As you travel through this blog you will see pictures of different "shifters".

Why? Different paradigms require different types of shifting or change to maneuver through them. A BMW will have a different type of gear shift than a Hemi-Dodge Pickup or a Shelby Mustang.

The different shifters are symbolic of the fact that a person must be willing to make different types of "shifts" or "changes" to make daily progress in ones life. One "shift" will not work in our ever changing world. Allow the pictures of the gear shifts to remind you of the need to be open to numerous ways of changing your paradigms that make up who you are as a person.

Saturday, January 31, 2009

Moving from intentions to actions


"No one would remember the Good Samaritan if he only had good intentions. He had money as well." -
Margaret Thatcher

Leadership by Example

Should we really question what the financial institutions are doing when they are only following the example set for them by our country's leaders?
Please research the fact that the Democratic Leadership is screaming about extras such as Citi Bank's New Jet, the remodeling of offices at Merrill Lynch, etc. and yet Pelosi has her private jet to take her around the country and Obama has a decorator from the stars in Hollywood redecorating the White House and lets not forget the 140-150 million that was just spent on the innaugaration. We must have leadership by example in America .Is this why we need the stimulus? or is it part of the stimulus?

Thursday, January 29, 2009

A closer look at our current conditions

Everywhere You Look:
Big Government Spending
As President Obama settles into his new office, it is imperative that we encourage him and Congress to exercise prudence when attempting to rescue the economy. Massive deficit spending will only throw our country further into economic shambles, as the current stimulus and SCHIP bills do little more than increase our debt and healthcare costs. Consider the following issues with the "stimulus" bill:

1) The $825 billion bill would dump $10,520 of new debt per household into the laps of our children and grandchildren. The interest on this debt ($347 billion) will dump even more.

2) Under the stimulus, new groups of children and adults would be eligible for Medicaid, the welfare program for the poor. These expansions are on top of spending $89 billion to bailout out failing state Medicaid programs.

3) The current "stimulus" bill will be the largest spending bill ever enacted by Congress, making the New Deal look small, accounting for inflation.

4) President Obama anticipates that spending over $800 billion will create 3.7 million new jobs. That means each job will cost more than $200,000, which is roughly equivalent to 5 times what the average American worker earns!

5) The bill is full of wasteful spending, including $21 million on new sod for the National Mall in Washington, $600 million on cars for government bureaucrats, and $650 million for digital television converters.



Also in Congress this week is the SCHIP bill that would essentially allow states to cover children of any income level, and even some adults and immigrants. This bill and the Medicaid expansions found in the economic stimulus package are moving the country closer to the tipping point where government will control more health care spending than the private sector, giving individuals and families less freedom over their personal health care decisions.

Many commentators and politicians have rushed to compare our current economic situation with the epic struggles endured by Americans during the Great Depression. However, it is often forgotten that even members of FDR’s Cabinet admitted that the vast amount of federal spending that defined the New Deal was not the solution necessary for economic recovery. Real stimulation will come from the private sector, who can create wealth to restore our economy—not the government, who can only redistribute wealth by taxing and borrowing.

http://www.askheritage.org/Default.aspx?utm_source=HannityWebSite728x90&utm_medium=Banner&utm_content=AskHeritageCreative&utm_campaign=2009RadioCampaign

And people wonder why we need a new way of thinking

Unions and liberal activist groups are pressuring key Republican senators to get on board with the Obama administration's economic stimulus proposal, after every Republican in the House voted against the plan Wednesday.

MoveOn.org, along with the Service Employees International Union and other groups, announced Thursday they will run a set of ads in five states urging Republican senators up for election in two years to support the plan, which passed the House despite GOP opposition.

The ad feature clips of President Obama talking about how his plan will save or create at least 3 million jobs and get the economy back on track.

"Tell Senator ... to support the Obama plan for jobs, not the failed policies of the past," the announcer says.

The ad will target Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine; Olympia Snowe, R-Maine; Judd Gregg, R-N.H.; Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska and Charles Grassley, R-Iowa.

Adding to the pressure, committees in the House have released data breaking down funding in the stimulus package by state.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's office also put out a statement saying Republicans were voting against job creation and tax cuts.

Pelosi told reporters Republicans in Washington were out of touch with Republicans in their own districts.

"Republicans in the country support this legislation. ... Whatever the tactics of the Republicans in Washington is another thing," she said.

But Republican leaders say the stimulus does little to create jobs and did not incorporate their ideas despite pledges from Democrats of bipartisan cooperation.

taken from http://www.foxnews.com/politics/first100days/2009/01/29/activist-groups-pressure-republican-senators-stimulus/

Will anyone stop the chanting?

"We must get the stimulus plan passed as soon as possible" are words we are hearing chanted across Washington and the press over the past few weeks. With every announcement of a company laying off more employees the chant grows louder and more passionate. Who can dismiss over 80,000 people so far this week losing their job without wanting to find a solution? How can Pelosi, Reid and Obama stand with straight faces saying their stimulus plan is going to provide an answer to our economies problems when the bill originally had money for grass, condomns, STD education, the arts and many causes that might be "nice" but are not items that will provide jobs or a boost to the economy. The stimulus plan has turned out to be instead of something that will be provide CPR to a dieing economy a final death blow of pet projects. Every citizen needs to read what is attempting to be passed off as the answer to the problems of our economy without Political Party allegiances. Then common sense must prevail and individuals must speak out against the insanity of the chanting that this must be passed when only twelve cents on the dollar of the "stimulus" plan has anything to do with increasing jobs and providing a boost to the economy.

--

Where the Jobs are a new paradigm

Herman Trend Alert: Where the Jobs Are and Will Be January 28, 2009

Though the media in the United States is filled will news of layoffs, what is not being widely reported is some companies are still hiring---notably Whole Foods, Boston Consulting Group, PriceWaterhouseCoopers, Fuld and Company, Scotts LawnService, URS, and more. The company that made it to the top of Fortune's "100 Best Places to Work" list this year, NetApp, which sells innovative storage and data management solutions, is also hiring.

The other companies that are hiring are in a wide variety of fields. Convenience stores like 7-Eleven which is looking for employees in operations, accounting, information systems, merchandising, and marketing.

Do you love animals? Here is an employer for you. Banfield, the largest general veterinary practice treating pets in the world, is currently looking for veterinarians, pet nurses, office managers, and client service coordinators.

If you are job hunting, there are two sectors that stand out---insurance and healthcare. State Farm, HealthMarkets, and Farmers Insurance are all looking for employees. Farmers is particularly looking for bilingual associates, while State Farm seeks a wide range of candidates including people to work in claims, underwriting, and systems/information technology. HealthMarkets, a nationwide health insurance provider, is recruiting agents to sell to self-employed individuals and their families.

In the realm of healthcare, Gentiva Health Services, a provider of home care services, is looking for a range of highly skilled employees, including nurses, physical therapists, occupational therapists and other clinicians; as well as sales, management and administrative support professionals. Sutter Health, a group of doctors, not-for-profit hospitals, and other healthcare service providers, is also seeking a variety of people to provide bedside care, implement lifesaving technology, and take administrative positions.

Since we value our mobile phones more highly than our laptops. (See http://www.hermangroup.com/alert/archive_3-19-2008.html.), it will come as no shock that the sales of cell phones and PDAs (personal digital assistants) have not diminished significantly. Verizon and AT&T continue to hire sales people and store managers, especially those with language skills.

The only employers seeking unskilled workers right now are in the insurance and call center areas. Our forecast is highly skilled workers will continue to enjoy opportunities, no matter how high unemployment goes. Next week, we will cover the Green Job opportunities

Sunday, January 25, 2009

A New Paradigm is needed in our Press...

Below is a segment of an article that was written by the Associated Press, "Obama Breaks from Bush avoids divisiveness". I did not agree with much that Bush did in his last months but how can this be journalism? It shows bias from the start. Is now the press just a marketing tool for the new administration? I want Obama's Presidency to work but if there is no objectivity in the Press how will we know the truth about what is happening in our country? How will we be any different than Russia or China with state run media? Has the Associated Press become the same thing as the National Enquirer now?

Below is a segment of the article that I have referred to ...

Obama breaks from Bush, avoids divisiveness
President focuses on economy, world image and cleaning up government



updated 2:29 a.m. CT, Sun., Jan. 25, 2009
WASHINGTON - Barack Obama opened his presidency by breaking sharply from George W. Bush's unpopular administration, but he mostly avoided divisive partisan and ideological stands. He focused instead on fixing the economy, repairing a battered world image and cleaning up government.

"What an opportunity we have to change this country," the Democrat told his senior staff after his inauguration. "The American people are really counting on us now. Let's make sure we take advantage of it."

In the highly scripted first days of his administration, Obama overturned a slew of Bush policies with great fanfare. He largely avoided cultural issues; the exception was reversing one abortion-related policy, a predictable move done in a very low-profile way.

Saturday, January 24, 2009

What is the rush?

Today the Associated Press article, "Obama touts aid plan's impact on average Americans" shares what President Obama is doing to market his economic plan. It seems that he is using the paradigm that if one "states the same thing enough time maybe it will become true." Already last week both the Democrats and Republicans were told that much of this economic plan would not be effective to 2010 at the earliest. Yet Obama is saying that it is a must for it to be passed now! What is a couple of days for evaluation and discussion when the plan might not have any effect till late 2010 at the earliest? The marketing of this is almost like the new transition team of Obama, Pelosi and Reid are scared that to many questions will be asked if people have to much time to think about the plan! So let's rush it through before people have time to understand its full ramifications. What is even more scarey when the United States can not even afford this "stimulus" plan is that this article stated that the Obama regime is trying to decide if and when they should bring out their second stimulus plan! If they are already seeing the need for a second one maybe the first one might not be all it should be?

A Leader's Inner Circle

A Leader's Inner Circle
By Dr. John C. Maxwell
Months before President Obama took the oath of office he began assembling an inner circle of advisors. He and his transition team painstakingly pored over the qualifications of candidates to identify the strongest leaders for cabinet posts. In methodically vetting future leaders of his administration, President Obama demonstrated that he understands the law of the inner circle: A leader's potential is determined by those closest to him or her.

Past presidents have learned the hard way that failures of a leader's trusted advisors can bring disaster. During the Clinton administration, investigations into the conduct of five cabinet members eroded public perception of the President's judgment. The indictments and allegations gave ammunition to Clinton's foes and cast doubts on his character, especially after the Monica Lewinsky scandal came to light.

Likewise, President George W. Bush faced embarrassment when the man he appointed as head of FEMA, Michael D. Brown, failed to provide strong federal leadership in the aftermath Hurricane Katrina. Inexperienced in emergency management, Brown was overwhelmed by the crisis. During the height of the disaster, he fretted about finding a dogsitter and fussed about his attire. His unpreparedness and inaction left the Bush Administration vulnerable to scathing accusations of neglect and indifference.

Five questions to ask when forming your inner circle:
Do they display exemplary character in everything they do?

Deception eats away at a leadership team like cancer. Dishonesty on the part of one member of an inner circle can bring shame and disaster to all. Entire organizations have toppled from the misbehavior of one bad apple.

Do they bring complementary gifts to the table?

Imbalance within an inner circle can attune a leader's ear to only one side of an argument. When putting together an inner circle, prioritize diversity of personality and perspective. By doing so, you widen the range of your vision and the breadth of your influence.

Do they hold a strategic position and have influence within the organization?

Members of the inner circle must have the platform and influence to implement a leader's decisions. If they cannot be relied upon to execute a chosen strategy, then they shouldn't be entrusted with a spot on the leadership team. In addition, inviting uninfluential advisors into the inner circle disrupts the political balance of an organization. High performers suffer a motivational blow when they see a less deserving colleague granted special access to top leadership.

Do they add value to the organization and to the leader?

When considering someone for the inner circle, you should be able to articulate clearly the value they will bring. Ask yourself the following questions: What will they infuse into discussion? Where do they have expertise? What unique skills can they be counted on to bring to the table?

Do they positively impact other members of the inner circle?

If you've ever inhabited a house with a feuding husband and wife, then you can understand the need for leaders in close proximity to get along. Infighting saps energy and focus from a senior leader, forcing him or her to mediate conflicts with time that could be better spent elsewhere. Differences of opinion signal healthy debate, but personal animosities destroy a leadership team. Make sure members of your inner circle have the emotional intelligence to keep arguments from becoming too personal.

We've looked at the questions to consider when gathering a team of trusted advisors, I'd also like to offer thoughts on the two traps you can fall into when forming their inner circle.

Two common errors in constructing the inner circle:
Soliciting praise instead of candor.

Stacking an inner circle with flatters and "yes" men ranks among the lousiest decisions you can make as a leader. Doing so restricts your perspective, exposes you to blind spots, and leaves you on an island when do-or-die decisions must be made. When picking members of your inner circle, be sure they have the gumption to voice dissent. You'll rely on them to question your assumptions, to focus you on the mission, and to measure the integrity and worthiness of your ideas.

Driving away talent so that your power isn't threatened.

The wisdom of accumulating a talented inner circle may seem intuitive, but a rising star may threaten insecure leaders. Leaders should not be, and cannot be, the utmost authorities on all matters germane to the organization. Invariably, people have weaknesses. Wise leaders staff around their weaknesses, and welcome talent in areas where they lack strength.

Summary
Questions to Ask of Candidates for Your Inner Circle:

Do they display exemplary character in everything they do?
Do they bring complementary gifts to the table?
Do they hold a strategic position and have influence within the organization?
Do they add value to the organization and to the leader?
Do they positively impact other members of the inner circle?
Traps to Avoid when Staffing Your Inner Circle:

Soliciting praise instead of candor.
Driving away talent so that your power isn't threatened.
About
John C. Maxwell is an internationally recognized leadership expert, speaker, and author who has sold over 16 million books. His organizations have trained more than 2 million leaders worldwide. Dr. Maxwell is the founder of EQUIP and INJOY Stewardship Services. Every year he speaks to Fortune 500 companies, international government leaders, and audiences as diverse as the United States Military Academy at West Point, the National Football League, and ambassadors at the United Nations. A New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Business Week best-selling author, Maxwell was named the World's Top Leadership Guru by Leadershipgurus.net. He was also one of only 25 authors and artists named to Amazon.com's 10th Anniversary Hall of Fame. Three of his books, The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, Developing the Leader Within You, and The 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader have each sold over a million copies.

Printed from the GiANT Impact website (www.giantimpact.com).

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http://www.giantimpact.com/articles/read/article_a_leaders_inner_circle/

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Friday, January 23, 2009

GM fell behind Toyota in 2008



MSNBC.com


GM fell behind Toyota in 2008
U.S. carmaker loses sales crown to Asian rival after 77-year reign
msnbc.com news services
updated 10:50 a.m. CT, Wed., Jan. 21, 2009
NEW YORK - General Motors sold fewer cars globally than Toyota last year, as the Japanese automaker passed its Detroit rival for the first time, bringing to an end GM’s 77-year run as the world’s largest automaker.

GM, now struggling to restructure under a $13.4 billion U.S. government bailout, had held the title as the global auto industry leader for over seven decades and used the line in its marketing.

But for 2008, Detroit-based GM said its sales decreased to 8.35 million vehicles, pressured by tightening credit and a slowdown that began in the United States and spread to emerging markets where GM has been stronger.

Earlier this week, Toyota said its global sales for 2008 had slipped 4 percent to 8.97 million vehicles as it also battled a costly slowdown in key markets.

Both GM and Toyota downplayed the significance of the shift in market leadership.

“Share doesn’t always pay the bills,” Don Esmond, Toyota’s senior vice president for U.S. operations, said at an industry conference when asked about Toyota capturing the No. 1 spot.

GM’s sales analyst Mike DiGiovanni said 2009 was starting on a weak note in the U.S. market, the world’s single largest.

With sales to car rental agencies down sharply, the U.S. auto market could slip below 10 million units on an annualized basis for January, DiGiovanni said.

That would be down from 10.3 million units in December and less than the 10.5 million unit level that GM is targeting as the basis of its revised turnaround plan to be submitted to U.S. officials next month.

DiGiovanni said GM expected that fiscal stimulus expected from the United States, China and other governments would boost demand in the second half of the year.

“We feel we’ve weathered one hell of a storm, and we’re cautiously optimistic as we move into ’09 that we can stabilize and grow again,” he said.

GM and Toyota ended 2007 with a virtual tie.

GM sold 9.369 million vehicles, including those sold through SAIC-GM-Wuling, a commercial vehicle joint-venture in China in which the U.S. automaker has a minority stake.

Toyota sold 9.366 million vehicles for 2007.

GM Chief Executive Rick Wagoner had vowed to defend the company’s global sales leadership, saying the title was a point of pride for the automaker.

But with GM reliant on federal funding to avoid bankruptcy, GM Chief Operating Officer Fritz Henderson said late Tuesday that the automaker had been forced to focus on other measures of the success of its turnaround.

“I actually noticed that they passed us in market capitalization, profitability and cash flow long ago,” Henderson said of Toyota.

More on General Motors | automotive industry


The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.
URL: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28771215/



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Thursday, January 22, 2009

A New Era of Responsibility? from the Fox Forum

A New Era Of Responsibility? The Conundrum That Is Barack Obama

By Jon Kraushar
Communications Consultant


We’re only a few days into Barack Obama’s presidency and already the plans and people he is committing himself (and the country) to raise questions about the “new era of responsibility” he called for in his inaugural address.

How responsible is it for Obama to select Timothy Geithner as his treasury secretary — one of the architects of a fiasco of money mismanagement and unaccountable federal bailouts whose cost is ballooning toward one trillion dollars?




Treasury Secretary-designate Timothy Geithner delivers his opening statement on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Jan. 21,2009, during his nomination hearing before the Senate Finance Committee. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

Obama wants to put Geithner, an admitted tax scofflaw, in charge of our tax system. How does this square with his inaugural pledge that, “…those of us who manage the public’s dollars will be held to account—to spend wisely, reform bad habits, and do our business in the light of day”?

In his inaugural address, Obama also said:

“The state of the economy calls for action, bold and swift, and we will act—not only to create new jobs, but to lay a new foundation for growth.”

Obama’s economic stimulation plan is being compared to President Roosevelt’s in the Depression. FDR, like Obama, maintained that government “make work” infrastructure projects would employ millions and grow the economy. However, in FDR’s time, the nation only revived with the “jolt” of World War II, which revved up manufacturing and employed people both in and out of the military.

Culture Wars

THE FIRST 100 DAYS:
There May Be a New President But the Culture Wars Are Far From Over

By Peter Roff
Conservative Commentator/Former Senior Political Writer, United Press International

Barack Obama’s election may have tamped down the so-called “culture war” that was a hallmark of the Bush presidency but it has not ended it.

Up to now, the pro-abortion rights lobby has carefully couched its activities in the language of personal choice. “The decision to have an abortion,” they say, “is a matter of personal conscience, between a woman and her doctor.”

A new federal rule promulgated by the Bush administration and set to go into effect on January 20 is, in essence, a guarantee for doctors and other health care workers that they shall not have to perform or participate in abortions if they have a personal moral or religious objection to the practice.

It a new wrinkle in America’s abortion debate, one of the cornerstones of the aforementioned “culture war.” Up to now, the pro-abortion rights lobby has carefully couched its activities in the language of personal choice. “The decision to have an abortion,” they say, “is a matter of personal conscience, between a woman and her doctor.”

The rule seeks to clarify, according to the Bush-era Department of Health and Human Services that “non- discrimination protections apply to institutional health care providers as well as to individual employees working for recipients of certain funds” from HHS. It also requires those receiving federal fund to certify their compliance with “provider conscience rights” and opens up a channel within the Department to receive complaints if the new rule is being violated.

At stake are millions of dollars in federal public health money that states and local governments who refuse to abide by the new rule could lose.

Last Thursday seven states — led by Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal, a Democrat — filed suit in a Hartford, Ct., court seeking to enjoin the rule from going into effect. The plaintiffs claim the new rule would supersede state laws guaranteeing a woman’s access to birth control, emergency contraception and abortion.

Setting aside the issue of being “for” or “against” abortion rights, the state’s lawsuit creates a new twist on the old “Your right to swing your hand wherever you want stops at the end of my nose” discussion. One can argue that forcing doctors and nurses to perform or participate in abortions over their personal moral or religious objections is an offense against the same “right of personal choice” under which abortion itself is justified.

Whether or not Blumenthal and the states he is acting for ultimately prevail, the lawsuit is a sure indication that the culture war will continue.

Monday, January 19, 2009

The Opacity of Hope




The Opacity of Hope


A President of great personal talents but public elusiveness

Barack Obama takes the oath of office today amid a sense of expectation and opportunity rare even for new Presidents. Partly this is due to his heritage and the historic nature of his triumph, partly to our current economic troubles, and partly to a nation looking for a fresh start after the difficulties of the Bush era. The paradox is that in order to succeed Mr. Obama will soon need to turn the opacity of his hope into clear and often difficult choices, some of which will upset his most passionate supporters.

APThe Illinois Democrat brings impressive talents to the White House -- not least the self-confidence that he can do the job. Though only four years out of the state Senate, he seems remarkably undaunted by the task and the moment. His rhetorical gifts are formidable, no small virtue in a job whose influence depends chiefly on the power to persuade. The President-elect's transition has also gone more smoothly than most, certainly in contrast to Bill Clinton's in 1993.
Mr. Obama is likewise equipped with a first-class temperament. He wore the pressures of an epic campaign as lightly as anyone since Ronald Reagan. While his opponents lurched amid this or that headline, the man from Hawaii via Harvard and Chicago never lost his cool. This equanimity will serve him well amid the crises to come, assuming his confidence doesn't slide into an arrogance that sometimes attends 70% Presidential job approval.
Yet for all of those personal virtues, there remains an elusiveness, an opacity, to Mr. Obama's political character. This is in contrast to Reagan, who was personally distant but publicly well defined. Mr. Obama won the primaries and then the White House with a campaign based on the gauzy promise of change more than on a clear agenda. He became a political Everyman into whom Democrats, independents and even many Republicans could pour their great expectations.
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This lack of definition has also marked his personnel choices. When given the chance to pick someone from one policy camp or another, Mr. Obama has typically chosen both: Free-trader Ron Kirk and protectionist Hilda Solis; command-and-control regulator Carol Browner and more market-oriented Cass Sunstein; Tim Geithner, who has voted to open the monetary floodgates, and Paul Volcker, who is worried about the dollar; Tom Daschle, who wants to nationalize all U.S. health care, and Peter Orszag, who believes current entitlements must be reformed.
Soon Mr. Obama will have to choose. That is especially true on the struggling economy, which is the main reason he won so handily. For 25 years from the moment the Reagan policy mix took hold in 1983, the U.S. has had a run of economic expansion marred only by two mild recessions. Younger Americans have grown accustomed to rising incomes and growing 401(k)s. Mr. Obama was elected on his promise to restore that middle-class prosperity. He can best serve the country, and his own Presidency, by focusing his political capital on policies that promote growth.
Yet over that same 25 years Mr. Obama's political coalition has amassed a wish-list of regulatory and redistributionist ideas that would undercut that effort. The global warming crowd wants a huge new carbon tax that would hit the South and Midwest especially hard. Big Labor wants to make union organizing easier, which would slow job creation. Speaker Nancy Pelosi is agitating to raise taxes immediately, even amid recession, to finance a spending spree we haven't seen since LBJ's Great Society. Part of Mr. Obama's success will depend on whether he says no to these liberal interests. If he does, he will make it easier for the economy's natural recuperative powers to work -- and he and his party will benefit.
Mr. Obama can also go a long way toward removing the bile from the debate over national security. For some on the left, the Bush era must be repudiated with prosecutions and a return to the pre-9/11 status quo. John Conyers and the New York Times want heads on pikes. Down this road lies wasted political capital for the new President, and risks for U.S. security.
Mr. Obama seems to recognize this, given his recent comments that he prefers to "look forward" rather than back; that Guantanamo may take his entire first term to close down; and that "Dick Cheney's advice was good" to assess Bush policies before leaping to undo them. Now that he is responsible for American security, Mr. Obama is in a position to validate the Bush programs that have kept us safe, perhaps with some political window dressing that mutes the opposition from the anti-antiterror left.
Mr. Obama is also uniquely placed to ask Americans of all races and incomes to show a greater sense of personal responsibility. His own rise to the White House is a walking affirmation of American opportunity. His reaching out to evangelical pastor Rick Warren, both in the campaign and for his Inaugural, is a shrewd and welcome sign that he wants to temper the social furies. Our particular hope is that he will also find a way to take on the teachers unions as the main obstacle to inner-city opportunity. He could revolutionize the school reform debate in an instant.
As a matter of political character, many of these questions hang on Mr. Obama's toughness. We know he is intelligent and clever. What we don't know is if he can make a difficult decision in the national interest that is unpopular, and then endure the consequences. Reagan showed his steel by staring down the Patco strike at home and Soviet scare-tactics against missile deployments abroad. Whatever his mistakes in Iraq, George W. Bush's "surge" was a lonely call that has proven to be right. As far as we know, Mr. Obama has had to make no such decision in his short public life.
The complicated nature of our world means that every modern Presidency is to some extent a leap into the unknown. Mr. Obama's meteoric rise makes him a bigger leap than most. We don't know if he is a genuine man of the left, or a more traditional pragmatist. The audacity of our hope is that as President he will use his considerable talents to return his party to the policies of growth, opportunity and the vigorous defense of U.S. interests that marked it the last time the country had such great expectations for a Democratic President -- under JFK.

New Era of Responsibility----not just my idea!


JANUARY 20, 2009, 12:47 A.M. ET


Obama to Call for a New Era of Responsibility


Huge Crowds Gather as First African-American President Takes Office; Aides Expect Steps on Iraq War, Bank Policy This Week




On the eve of his inauguration as the 44th president, Barack Obama visited Monday with children at a Washington school in observance of the National Day of Service Project.
WASHINGTON -- Americans poured into the nation's capital to celebrate the inauguration of their first black president. But with the U.S. in its worst economic crisis since the Depression and at war on two fronts, Barack Obama was expected to call on the country to embrace a new culture of responsibility when he takes office at noon.
The inaugural crowd Tuesday could reach two million people, one of the largest gatherings in Washington's history. Millions more will be watching across the U.S. and around the world, with outdoor video screens planned for public squares.
Mr. Obama will take the oath of office with his hand on the Bible that once belonged to the last president to hail from Illinois, Abraham Lincoln. The 44th president will stand opposite the Lincoln Memorial, two miles away, where 45 years ago, Martin Luther King Jr. called upon the nation to judge people by the content of their character, not the color of their skin. Mr. Obama spent Monday celebrating Dr. King's birthday as a day of service, while street vendors sold memorabilia juxtaposing the images of the two black leaders.
Little official business is expected Tuesday in Washington. The real work of the new president will begin Wednesday, Mr. Obama's first full day in office. Aides said one of the new president's first actions will be summoning his national security team to begin preparing for a 16-month withdrawal of combat forces from Iraq, one of the main promises of his two-year-long campaign for the presidency.

News, photos and background on key players and issues in the Obama administration's first 100 days from the WSJ and across the Web.
The Inauguration
The Economy
Advisers
Foreign Affairs
Personal Life
COMPLETE COVERAGE of Inauguration Day
That's just one of the new policies symbolizing the change to come as Washington shifts from eight years of Republican rule under George W. Bush. Within days, Mr. Obama also is expected to issue executive orders to begin closing the prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, one of the most controversial symbols of the Bush administration's war on terror; reversing Mr. Bush's restrictions on federal funding for embryonic stem-cell research, and restoring funding for family-planning programs overseas.
On the economic front, Mr. Obama's administration is likely to soon issue new regulations forcing recipients of Wall Street bailout funds to be more transparent with the money, an aide said. The most-ailing financial institutions won't be forced to lend immediately, but healthier banks will be under pressure to move money from their vaults into the economy. "Transparency is going to make a big difference," the aide said.
The inauguration caps a weekend of events and pageantry, and officials predict as many as two million people will seek a spot on the National Mall. The inauguration will join Washington's biggest events, ranking with Dr. King's 1963 March on Washington, Lyndon Johnson's 1965 inauguration, and protests against the Vietnam War in the late 1960s.
Jumbotron screens were in place along the grassy lawn. Attendees, many of whom arrived by bus from around the country, were advised to dress for temperatures forecast near freezing.
Stuck in Traffic
The National Mall was already crowded Monday afternoon, with buses stuck in traffic and tourists taking photos. Visitors made their way through a maze of crowd-control barriers and past dozens of sellers hawking wrist bands, T-shirts and a Spider-Man comic featuring Mr. Obama on the cover.
"If you are black in America right now, that's all the inspiration you need -- a black president!" said David Reed, 39 years old, an African-American from Lexington, Ky., who was selling the comics.
View Full ImageAssociated Press
Paul Locke of Richmond, Va., was among those selling Obama-themed Merchandise -- he had inauguration pins for $5 -- Monday in Washington.

Britt Loudd of Charlotte, N.C., said that as a precinct organizer she made more than 2,200 calls for the campaign. Her three children, who joined her in Washington, also volunteered. "There was no choice," said Mrs. Loudd. "We had to be here."
Mr. Obama on Monday spoke the message he will deliver at his swearing-in: The time has come for a new culture of public service, as well as a new national unity after years of bitter partisan political division.
Pitching In
"Given the crisis that we're in and the hardships that so many people are going through, we can't allow any idle hands," Mr. Obama said, taking a break from painting a dormitory at Sasha Bruce House, a shelter for homeless teens. "Everybody's got to be involved. Everybody's going to have to pitch in, and I think the American people are ready for that."
Mr. Obama will begin his inaugural day with coffee at the White House with Mr. Bush. The swearing-in will be followed by a luncheon at the Capitol and a parade featuring high-school marching bands, drill teams and floats. The evening will conclude with 10 official inaugural balls and countless unofficial parties.
At the swearing-in ceremony, seated behind Mr. Obama, will be his chosen cabinet, including Hillary Rodham Clinton, expected to be confirmed as secretary of state later Tuesday. Also behind him will be his defeated election opponent, Arizona Republican Sen. John McCain.
Chief Justice John Roberts will administer the oath of office to Mr. Obama following the swearing in of his vice president, Joe Biden, by Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens.
President Bush will be there, too, departing immediately after the ceremony on a Marine chopper en route to Texas, where he will begin the next chapter of his life as an ex-president.
Before Mr. Obama speaks, the evangelical Rev. Rick Warren will deliver the invocation, a choice that infuriated gay-rights activists but signaled the new president's interest in reaching out to Americans who are not part of his political base.
Throughout his campaign, Mr. Obama stressed that a nation that should have been rallied to service after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, instead drifted to complacency and consumerism. One of his first political promises was a $3.5 billion-a-year service plan to expand the AmeriCorps program established by President Bill Clinton by 250,000 slots, double the size of the Peace Corps by 2011, expand the Foreign Service, and create an Energy Corps to conduct renewable-energy and environmental-cleanup projects.
During appearances on Monday, Mr. Obama returned to the themes of unity and self-reliance.
"I am making a commitment to you as the next president, that we are going to make government work," he told volunteers at Coolidge High. "But I can't do it by myself. Michelle can't do it by herself. Government can only do so much....If we're waiting for someone else to do something, it never gets done."—T.W. Farnam contributed to this article.
Write to Laura Meckler at laura.meckler@wsj.com and Jonathan Weisman at jonathan.weisman@wsj.com

Example of someone who became involved to start a new PARADIGM



January 19, 2009 - 07:38 PM
"My Unforeseen Political Journey"
by Lori Jungling, Iowa Coordinator
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I was born and raised on a dairy farm outside of a small town of about 700 people in a conservative party of Iowa. It was there that I was raised to rely on God, family, friends, and community (in that order) to get you through life. I was taught I was responsible for my own actions and that strong traditional values is what makes a community and society strong. I am now 38-years-old and a latecomer to the political process. I live in the state with First in the Nation status but couldn't even tell you up until last year when or what the caucus was. I usually just showed up to vote in the general election. That all changed in the fall of 2007 when my husband said, "You have got to check out this Mike Huckabee guy."
Supporting Governor Huckabee led me to my first political donation, my first political rally, my first caucus, and my first time volunteering to do phone calls for a candidate. I believed that the ideas and values he was fighting for was what the Republican party was all about and what America needed. When his campaign ended, I knew deep down that it was just the beginning of the movement. Too many people recognized that the message of Mike Huckabee transcended any election cycle.
After the primary season ended, me and six other Iowans who met on Huck's Army got together to form The Iowa Brigade in hopes of fighting for these same conservative issues at the local level and supporting like-minded candidates. I am thankful for these passionate and dedicated individuals because together we have collaborated on an Iowa blog that has been rated as one of the top political blogs in Iowa. (Just so you know, last year at this time I didn't even know how to copy and paste. So, if any of you doubt that you can't get the new technology down of blogging, facebook, and twitter, put your fears aside because it is amazing what you can accomplish if you have the passion.) I really think that we are making a difference in Iowa politics.
I am excited about being a regional coordinator for the National Volunteer Team and working with other Iowans in furthering the cause that we started fighting for in the Mike Huckabee campaign and continue to do with Huck PAC. Supporting the issues of life, family, limited government, tax reform, and 2nd amendment rights while striving for what America needs and not what politicians want is what this battle is all about and I invite you to join me at http://www.huckpacvolunteer.com/.

A shift in Paradigm is needed for truth in Politics and a stop to cover up or "spin"




Biden tries to shush wife after state-VP slip


By NEDRA PICKLER, Associated Press Writer Nedra Pickler, Associated Press Writer 36 mins ago
WASHINGTON – Joe Biden's wife said Monday that he had his pick of being Barack Obama's running mate or the secretary of state nomination that eventually went to Hillary Rodham Clinton, a slip that the vice president-elect immediately tried to shush.
Jill Biden's comment came during an appearance with her husband on "The Oprah Winfrey Show," taped at Washington's Kennedy Center on the eve of the inauguration.
"Joe had the choice to be secretary of state or vice president," she said. Her husband turned to his wife with his finger to his lips and a "Shhhh!" that sent the audience into laughter. "OK, he did," Jill Biden said in her defense.
The vice president-elect blushed, grimaced and gave his wife a hug while the audience continued to erupt in laughter. "That's right," he finally said to his wife. "Go ahead."
Mrs. Biden said she told him vice president would be better for the family.
"If you're secretary of state, you'll be away, we'll never see you, you know," she said. "I'll see you at a state dinner once in a while."
After the exchange aired on television three hours later, Biden spokeswoman Elizabeth Alexander denied Jill Biden's account in a statement e-mailed to reporters.
"To be clear, President-elect Obama offered Vice President-elect Biden one job only — to be his running mate," the statement said. "And the vice president-elect was thrilled to accept the offer."
While the statement denies that Obama ever offered Biden the secretary of state job, it doesn't rule out that the two discussed the possibility. Obama's transition office did not respond to questions about their private discussions.
Clinton's spokesman declined to comment about the suggestion that she was the second choice.
Obama made no reference to the comments Monday night, when he praised the Bidens at a dinner honoring his running mate at Washington's Union Station. Obama invited the two on stage, where he kissed Jill Biden's cheek and hugged her husband.
On Winfrey's program, Joe Biden said he didn't immediately take the vice presidential offer since he wasn't sure it was the best place for him to serve. But Biden, who ran against Obama in the Democratic primary race, said he agreed after getting some assurances from Obama about his role.
"This is a partnership," Biden said. "He's president of the United States, but as I said to him when he asked me, I said, `Barack, don't ask me unless the reason you're asking me is you're asking me for my judgment. I get to be the last guy in the room when you make every important decision. You're president. Any decision you make, I will back.'
"He said he wanted to have a confidant and somebody who wouldn't be a yes man. He's pretty sure about that last part," Biden said with a laugh.
Alexander's statement said, "Like anyone who followed the presidential campaign this summer, Dr. Jill Biden knew there was a chance that President-elect Obama might ask her husband to serve in some capacity and that, given his background, the positions of vice president and secretary of state were possibilities. Dr. Biden's point to Oprah today was that being vice president would be a better fit for their family because they would get to see him more and get to participate in serving more."
The Bidens made a surprise appearance on Winfrey's show. The celebrity-filled show also included the premiere of "America's Song," performed by Faith Hill, Seal, Bono, Mary J. Blige, Will.i.am and David Foster in honor of the occasion and available for free download on Winfrey's Web site for 24 hours.
Winfrey also interviewed movie star couple Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher about how Obama has inspired them to pledge to help end slave labor around the world and encourage other people to make a pledge to improve their communities. Other celebrities, including Scarlett Johansson, Justin Timberlake and Forest Whitaker appeared by videotape to talk about what Obama's election means to them.
Winfrey, who made her first ever presidential endorsement for Obama, heralded the significance of the moment particularly coming the day after Martin Luther King Jr. holiday.
"I feel like I am better because of his being elected," Winfrey said. "And I think that the country is going to be better. I feel like it is a beautiful thing, and we all start to see ourselves differently, the possibility."
___
On the Net:
http://www.oprah.com
Copyright © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2009 Yahoo! Inc. All rights reserved.

An example of action to influence paradigms

Below is a letter that I wrote to The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary President and Author Dr. Al Mohler. I wrote it as a way of seeking to get people that do have a platform in the media and writing as well as responsible for training our future leaders for swimming up stream against the "anything goes" and lack of critical thinking about what is happening in our world that is accompanying the changing of the guard with this new Administration...please read this and consider what you could do that might influence intelligent conservatism and not "gotcha" conservatism...below is the letter and consider what your thoughts are as we enter this time in our country...___________________________________________

Today on Glen Beck's new show on Fox he had Joel Olsteen. Yes I think his speaking and teaching is spiritual pablum and most times plagiarism passed off as original material. If you get the video you will see that one of the top religous individuals of our time if you consider ratings, size of church and dollars made through book sells had the intelligence and depth of Caroline Kennedy. He could not answer with any depth basic softball questions that Glenn Beck asked. My question is to you as a Seminary President are the current and future students of Southern able to think critically and analytically to the point of answering basic questions with depth and clarity? We have cried against critical exegesis yet I feel one of the things that it has led to is being afraid of critically understanding and depth of thought. It is what I feel has hurt conservatives is the lack of intelligent conservativism. Yes, you display that but are we producing leaders of tomorrow that can think with depth and clarity. Joel Olsteen had someone "in his corner" so if he could not answer with substantial depth Glenn Beck's questions how can his followers be challenged to know what they believe and why? This time in our history demands clarity of thought and individuals to be able to speak out not as one that is intentionally devisive but one that can speak with confidence and facts. One of his answers bordered on Universalism and different religions worshipping all the same God. Maybe Mr. Olsteen was nervous and we can give him the benefit of the doubt or maybe he is part of the product of our times where everyone and no one does anything wrong. If nothing is wrong why is one way better than another? Follow his thinking to a logical conclusion! Or are we afraid to think any more? Is it wrong to ask questions?I am afraid we are at a time much like the children's book "The Emperor's New Clothes". We all see the problems and know these new ideas for these times are suppose to be the best like the Emperor's New Clothes but no one is willing to say anything about them...what if no one speaks up like the child did in the story? Where will this leave us as a country and a world? Please use your platform to speak out on these issues...
Richard Reynolds M.Div.,M.Ed.,Ed.S.Southern Class of 1987

Are all paradigms good or do some go in the wrong direction?

State exams now count towards high school grades for many Missouri students
By
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
Thursday, Jan. 15 2009
It's a dirty little high school secret.For as much as state and federal officials rely on standardized test scores to rate and compare high school quality, they know the exam results are flawed.The reality is that students — particularly those in high school — have known for years that a bad score on a state standardized exam may mean a lot to a principal or teacher, but little to them. So it was tempting for some students not to care too much about how they performed, or to even resort to random bubble-filling.But that's all changing this year.For the first time in Missouri, high school students could see their grade take a hit in certain subjects if they disregard state standardized exams.Under the new system, state exams, now called end-of-course exams, will be part of semester finals for many classes. And the state highly encourages districts to make exams count for at least 10 percent but no more than 25 percent of a student's final class grade.State education officials and St. Louis area school administrators applaud the move as a way to invest students in a state school assessment."There was a value attached to it," said Ron Helms, principal of Lindbergh High School, where students recently took their first end-of-course exams. "The kids didn't look at it as a state assessment alone. They saw it as a part of their final exam."The test also makes it easier for teachers to see exactly what students learned in the course. If a particular teacher or school gets especially good results, others can learn why — though schools shouldn't use the scores to evaluate teachers, says Ann Jarrett, teaching and learning director with the Missouri National Education Association. But some educators say the approach has drawbacks, including scheduling state exams to conform with a district's calendar. Because it could take a week or so to get results, schools have to schedule exam times earlier in order to tally final grades — especially important for graduating seniors or students who might have to enroll in summer school. And while educators agree it's good to test kids on what the state wants them to learn, there's some danger in focusing too much on that goal. A biology teacher, for example, may have less flexibility to personalize her instruction, because she has to administer an exam given to every other biology student in the state. "There is that pitfall of 'I'm only going to teach to this level of the test' rather than 'let's make this a rigorous course,'" said Sara Torres, a supervisory director with the Science Teachers of Missouri. But overall, said Torres, teachers generally think the new tests are a move in the right direction.The Missouri State Board of Education approved the new rules in February 2007, and gave the go-ahead to develop exams for Algebra I, English II and biology. Exams for at least seven other classes are being developed to use next school year and beyond. The changes do not affect testing in elementary or middle school grades.The new high school exams replace the Missouri Assessment Program tests given to sophomores for math and juniors for science and communication arts. Aside from concerns about students not taking tests seriously, critics say the old system didn't test students at the right time, sometimes months after they had covered a topic.Illinois has tried a different approach to making high school exams more meaningful for students. The Prairie State Achievement Exam is built around the ACT college entrance exam. Students who take the exam also receive an ACT score, giving them a motive to perform well. All Missouri public high schools will experience the change by spring. Some are getting the first taste now, because certain courses are structured to end after the fall semester. About 70 of the state's 524 school districts have given their first end-of-course exams this semester. Brentwood High School students took the exams this week. On Wednesday morning, teacher Kelly Javier cheerfully distributed pencils, rulers and even peppermints to her honors Algebra I students before handing out their end-of-course exam. Students knew it would count for 20 percent of their final grade."You always ask me, 'Can I have a drink? Can I go to the bathroom?'" she said. "You better do that. You better hustle. I need all of you and your brain cells before you start."Afterward, students said they found the test challenging but not too tough, and some said the wording was different than what they're used to.Chris Reichert, 15, said that while he took the old MAP exam seriously, it was hard to study for it because nobody knew exactly what would be on it and it covered a huge range of topics. "This is a lot better because it will tell how much we learned in class," he said.Nationwide, more states are turning toward end-of-course exams or exit exams, says the Center on Education Policy. While it's a challenge for some districts to fit so many separate exams into their schedule, many expect the exams to improve accountability and give students immediate feedback on what they have learned."There's a great attraction to these exams, because they seem to be like capstones," said Jack Jennings, founder of the Center on Education Policy, a nonprofit group that researches education issues. And educators hope the exams will result in higher scores."In the end, that should result in better, cleaner data about what is the quality of instruction at the high school," said Michael Muenks, coordinator of curriculum and assessment for the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. "We expect that we should see higher numbers of kids being proficient. It should be fascinating to watch."vhahn@post-dispatch.com 314-340-8228
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New Paradigms a Must for Changing Society

Gambling may have played a role in Riverview Superintendent Henry Williams' theft
By
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
Friday, Jan. 16 2009
To completely understand why a former school superintendent siphoned more than $100,000 from a struggling north St. Louis County district, prosecutors say, you must also understand his gambling.Henry P. Williams liked the slots.Williams gambled the day he signed his first employment contract with the district. He gambled before or after school board meetings. He often gambled 20 days or more per month. In fact, over the five years he led Riverview Gardens School District, Williams gambled more than 900 days — nearly 190 days a year — and lost as much as $176,000, according to court records just made public. All the while, the 8,000-student district was falling into economic and academic failure.Williams, 67, was driven out of the district almost two years ago after being accused of funneling more than $100,000 in school money into a personal life insurance fund, understating his income and double-dipping on district travel reimbursement. He pleaded no contest in September to two counts of felony theft and three counts of tax fraud.Early this month, Williams was sentenced in St. Louis County court to 30 days in jail and ordered to pay $102,724.87 in restitution to the district.He would not discuss his gambling publicly, and rejected multiple interview requests. But court documents made public after Williams' sentencing reveal what prosecutors believe, in part, motivated his thievery. They describe a man who repeatedly tapped into his district-funded life insurance policies, and gambled away similar amounts at the casinos — almost entirely on slot machines."He stole from the kids to support a habit. That's not right," Riverview Gardens School Board treasurer Selena Melton said. "At least we're getting some of the money back. That gives me some satisfaction." PUZZLING FINANCESSt. Louis County prosecutors subpoenaed district records in early 2006, following police tips, and soon realized that Williams was stealing district funds.But what prosecutors didn't immediately know was why he wanted the money.As superintendent of Riverview, Williams made $135,000 his first year and $160,000 his last.His contract also stipulated extras: a life insurance policy, $3,000 toward other insurance, a car allowance, mileage, 50 vacation and sick days, and $15,000 to $25,000 each year for his tax-sheltered annuity.It was Williams' management of that annuity benefit that raised suspicions.He asked district workers to send the checks not to a tax-sheltered annuity, but to his whole life insurance policies at The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America. And, as soon as the district had deposited the money, Williams was borrowing against those policies, investigators said. He asked the district to pay the policy premiums, plus the interest on the loans. By the end of 2005, he had $180,000 in outstanding loans against his Guardian policies, according to court records.Where was that money going? One place, investigators discovered, could have been to cover back taxes. According to liens filed with the county, Williams still owes nearly $250,000 in federal taxes. None show they've been paid off, and one, for $24,915, was just filed in November.Then, on a tip, the prosecutor's office also checked to see if Williams was spending money at local casinos.'7 STARS CLUB'The court records begin with a printout from the Ameristar Casino in St. Charles.In January 2002, just a few months before Williams started as superintendent in Riverview Gardens, casino records subpoenaed by prosecutors show he gambled 21 of 31 days. In February, he gambled 27 of 28 days.He began work that fall, and continued gambling. In 2003, records show Williams began frequenting a second casino, Harrah's St. Louis, just downriver in Maryland Heights. His yearly visits increased a bit.In 2005, Riverview Gardens was in tumult: Williams declared teacher morale at its lowest. More than 700 students marched on the district office after a popular principal was fired. Parents, fearing financial mismanagement, demanded a state audit. Graduation rates, attendance and test scores all dipped.That year, Williams visited either Ameristar or Harrah's more than 220 days, or nearly two-thirds of the year. There is little in the documents to suggest Williams was spending school hours at the casinos. Indeed, some school officials now say he was a present administrator who worked a full week.Still, successful school districts often have leaders who work far more than 40-hour weeks, said William Rebore, chair of the educational leadership department at St. Louis University. "A great deal of information has to flow through the superintendent and the superintendent's desk," Rebore said. "Superintendents who are unsuccessful are those who do not spend sufficient time on the job."By November 2006, the last month of records held by the court, Williams had visited Ameristar and Harrah's more than 930 times over five years, lost $42,529 in total at Ameristar and $133,704 at Harrah's, and spent in excess of 1,100 hours at Harrah's slot machines alone.That means, on average, he lost $122 every hour he gambled at Harrah's. It is possible, industry insiders say, those totals could have been inflated by "free" money the casinos sent to Williams as incentives. However, they say, it's unlikely incentives would have represented a large chunk of the losses.Representatives from the casinos wouldn't clarify the documents or discuss generalities.But there are other hints as to Williams' spending. The court records show he played high-dollar slots with $2,500, $5,000 or even $10,000 payouts, in rooms that now have signs warning gamblers: "This area is reserved for high limit guests only."The records also show that Williams earned thousands of dollars in freebies, far beyond those won by recreational gamblers. He got hotel rooms, cash back, and meals at virtually every eatery at Harrah's. But even more so, Williams' account at Harrah's was specially marked. It was tagged "7 Stars Club" — the rewards tier reserved only for elite gamblers, those who played at least $500,000 on slots in one year. THE ENDThe Riverview board removed Williams from office in March 2007, after state and Post-Dispatch investigations revealed many transgressions: District money directed to his daughter, girlfriend and her family. Thousands of school dollars spent on his office art, cash advances, theater tickets and trips — to London, South Africa, and many U.S. cities. Worse, Williams left the district in ruins. Riverview savings had dipped from $12 million to less than $2 million, and academics had sunk to the point that the district met just three of 14 state accreditation standards. Most district leaders say that they are moving on, and declined to discuss Williams and his legacy. But Riverview employees report seeing Williams at the casinos since he left the district.One said she saw him a few months after he was fired, in what she called the "high-rollers'" room.Another said she saw him at the slots, with a woman.And district custodian Roy Mullen said he saw Williams this winter. "I was just looking for some of my friends," Mullen said. "I come around the corner and say, 'Holy cow!' I can't believe who I see sitting there."It was on the weekend, Mullen said, just before Williams was set to be sentenced. dhunn@post-dispatch.com 314-340-8411
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How can a pessimist create a new paradigm?


Are You An Optimist or a Pessimist?
by Margaret Paul, Ph.D.

"I am an optimist. It does not seem too much use being anything else." - Winston Churchill
When you notice your thoughts, which kind of thoughts predominate? Do you find yourself often thinking pessimistic thoughts such as:
* I'll never get where I want to go. I'm a loser.* I'm not smart enough to achieve what I want to achieve.* God is there for others but not for me.* I'm going to end up losing what I have.* The world is very unsafe so I have to always be vigilant.* Why reach out to others? No one really likes me.* Why put forth effort? There is no point since I don't have the talent or ability to success.* Some people just have good luck, but I don't.* Things are going too well. I just know that something bad is going to happen.* Life is too much for me to handle.* I'm going to end up alone.* Life for me will always be a disaster.* There is no point in eating well or exercising - my genetics are against me.* I'm not emotionally or physically healthy, and this is just the way it is. There is nothing I can do about it.* I don't deserve to be happy.* I don't deserve to be loved.
And so on...
Or, do you find yourself often thinking optimistic thoughts such as:
* If I work hard enough and stay focused, I will get where I want to go.* My intelligence and abilities increase with learning.* No one ever succeeds without a lot of effort, and I can put in as much effort as anyone who has ever succeeded.* If I stay tuned into and trust my own inner knowing, I can feel safe.* I am a good and kind person so of course people like me.* It is not luck that causes people to succeed, but belief in themselves.* When bad things happen, these are opportunities for learning and growth.* Life's challenges present me with incredible learning opportunities.* When I am ready for partnership, someone will show up.* Regardless of how physically or emotionally unhealthy my parents were, I can make choices that result in physical and emotional health.* Everyone deserves to be happy, including me.* Everyone deserves to be loved, and everyone is loved by God.
YOU GET TO CHOOSE!
Do you realize that you have free will, which means that you get to choose how you want to think? You get to choose whether you want to be an optimist or a pessimist, and which one you choose determines your feelings and actions.
When you look at the pessimist list, can you see that thinking these kinds of thoughts create depression, procrastination, and continued failure? Can you see when you look at the optimist list how thinking these thoughts create motivation, loving action, and ultimate success in work and life?
YOU ARE NOT A VICTIM!
Instead of seeing yourself as a victim of circumstances, of your past, of your parents, of events or of luck, why not start to monitor your thoughts and consciously change them from negative to positive? You will likely discover that changing your thoughts changes your feelings and actions, as well as outcomes.
You have everything to gain and nothing to lose by experimenting with changing your thoughts!
Filed under: Attitude , Beliefs , Choices , Motivation , Self-Awareness
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About Margaret Paul, Ph.D.
Margaret Paul, Ph.D. is a best-selling author of 8 books and co-creator of the powerful Inner Bonding® healing process. Are you are ready to heal your pain and discover your joy? Learn Inner Bonding now! Click here for a FREE Inner Bonding Course, and visit our website at http://www.innerbonding.com/ for more articles and help.

Ralp Waldo Emerson

"If one has to submit, it is wasteful not to do so with the best grace possible."
- Ralph WaldoEmerson

Changing the mind to change paradigms...

Rote Writing with a Twist
by Carrie Fleharty

Do you remember way back when you were in elementary school, the big pencils, Big Chief Tablet ®, crayons, with a very strict teacher? When you were caught talking too much or throwing paper and that strict teacher made you write 100 times: "I will not talk in class" or "will not throw spit wads." Do you remember? Did you understand then what he/she was attempting to do? Because now that I understand to some degree; I am using that method to help me attract the desires of my heart. In other words I'm twisting that punishment into working for me to learn the Law of Attraction.
That very strict teacher was helping to change your thoughts. After all thought precedes form, and our thoughts do control our lives. The teacher was using that rote writing punishment to retrain your brain. Teachers who used that method were trying to use repetition to help you to change your bad habits. Let's look at this closer. What if the teacher would have you write "I will pay attention in class" or "I will allow myself and others to learn." Would that have been a little different? I'm sure that you were pretty tired of writing all of those 100 sentences, because I know I was.
The other day, I was trying to figure out what I'm not doing, or what is blocking me from receiving the desires of my heart. I refuse to go to that part of myself that says: "this doesn?t work. What do you think you're trying to do?" It's just a hoax. I believe, and I believe, but nothing is happening." When we go to this part of ourselves we are creating more negativity, and more unwanted feelings. I keep visualizing, and I keep imagining having what I want, but nothing's coming to me. (Well, not totally, I don't know what's going on cosmically.) I do understand that I have an attachment issue, and that's another article for later.
While I was pondering my dilemma, the thought came to me to write with positive words my desires and wants much like those of that were given to me by that strict elementary school teacher. Instead of writing down "I will not talk in class," I would write such things as: "I am worthy. I will receive the desires of my heart. I enjoy receiving money freely. I enjoy giving money away freely to those in need." I began to have an inkling of understanding that like attracts like, and there cannot be any doubt whatsoever!
These sentences would be me setting forth my attractions in a new way, but a way that I can transform my thought waves. I would use the repetition to help me learn to attract what I truly want, and let go of what I don?t want. Over time I will be reprogrammed to actually believe that I deserve my own precious desires.
I took my journal out, and began to write. I wrote statements such as these:* I believe* I know Truth* I believe in the truth* The Law of Attraction works* I am deserving of my desires* I am loved.* I trust* I believe in Miracles* I believe that I can receive Miracles* Thinking makes it so* My desires manifest before me.* I feel ecstatic as I see my desires manifest in front of me.
Those simple statements written down time after time will help a person who is struggling with the notion that the Law of Attraction does not work. Many people say that the movie "The Secret" is a hoax. Believe me, I can easily go there, and by going there I will receive nothing except more negativity. I have experienced that easily. I need and must reprogram myself. This idea is working for me. I no longer have that nagging sensation in me that would say: "Ha you don't deserve anything. Who are you to expect your desires? It's never happened before, why should it now?"
I have written these statements above many times, and I've been doing this now for about one week. What's really bizarre or funny, is that each day, I look forward to oopening my journal and writing those new thoughts down. I want to change my thoughts. My thoughts formed from my childhood past keep me from dreaming and believing in my desires. That my dear friends must change; for I am deserving.
Hats off to those strict elementary school teachers for making me write those horrible sentence writings. I now can use that same idea in a more positive twist to my benefit. I am creating a new and wonderful person who believes in the Law of Attraction and knows that "Thoughts Control Our Lives." Those thoughts need to bring into manifestation wants, desires and dreams. Dream and write dear folks, dream and write, for our thoughts create form.
Filed under: Abundance , Beliefs , Change , Habits , Law of Attraction
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About Carrie Fleharty
Carrie Fleharty by day is a mild mannered school librarian, but at night she's become a successful author. She is now a practicing Personal Life Coach. She enjoys helping people become successful in any endeavor that they feel is important to them. She enjoys and embraces change and sees it as a way to improve herself. She intends to keep improving her life, and keeps challenging herself to become a better person. She thoroughly enjoys expressing herself through the written word. And has written two books "Changes and Shifts: a Personal Journey" and "A Poet's Mind and Soul."
Her soul ignites through spiritual fire. She understands that the right spark can take a person to new meanings and new beginnings through a deeper sense of self. She is a seeker; she seeks Truth, the Devine, Spirituality, and Love. She believes that a spark will flame up to spread Truth. This Truth will be made known to all who seek.
After all "Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure." A Return to Love: Reflections on a Course in Miracles by Marianne Williamson. Sometimes all it takes is a helping hand. I will be that helping hand in either personal, spiritual, health and wellness or being a mentor.

Sunday, January 18, 2009

Time


"It's not the hours you put in, but what you put into the hours, that counts." -

E. James Rohn

Another Selection from John Piper's blog with ideas that could be used for any leader and not just Pastors

6 Reasons Pastors Should BlogMarch 31, 2008 By: Abraham Piper Category: Commentary
In this article I want to convince as many pastors as possible to sit down and start a blog today. If I can’t convince them, then I want to convince churchgoers to hound their pastor until he does.
OK, all that’s overstatement, perhaps. You can still be a good pastor and not blog.
However, here’s why I think it would be good for you and your congregation if you did.
Pastors should blog…
1. …to write.
If you’re a pastor, you probably already know the value writing has for thinking. Through writing, you delve into new ideas and new insights. If you strive to write well, you will at the same time be striving to think well.
Then when you share new ideas and new insights, readers can come along with you wherever your good writing and good thinking bring you.
There is no better way to simply and quickly share your writing than by maintaining a blog. And if you’re serious about your blog, it will help you not only in your thinking, but in your discipline as well, as people begin to regularly expect quality insight from you.
2. …to teach.
Most pastors I’ve run into love to talk. Many of them laugh at themselves about how long-winded they’re sometimes tempted to be.
Enter Blog.
Here is where a pastor has an outlet for whatever he didn’t get to say on Sunday. Your blog is where you can pass on that perfect analogy you only just thought of; that hilarious yet meaningful story you couldn’t connect to your text no matter how hard you tried; that last point you skipped over even though you needed it to complete your 8-point acrostic sermon that almost spelled HUMILITY.
And more than just a catch-all for sermon spill-over, a blog is a perfect place for those 30-second nuggets of truth that come in your devotions or while you’re reading the newspaper. You may never write a full-fledged article about these brief insights or preach a whole sermon, but via your blog, your people can still learn from them just like you did.
3. …to recommend.
With every counseling session or after-service conversation, a pastor is recommending something. Sometimes it’s a book or a charity. Maybe it’s a bed-and-breakfast for that couple he can tell really needs to get away. And sometimes it’s simply Jesus.
With a blog, you can recommend something to hundreds of people instead of just a few. Some recommendations may be specific to certain people, but that seems like it would be rare. It’s more likely to be the case that if one man asks you whether you know of any good help for a pornography addiction, then dozens of other men out there also need to know, but aren’t asking.
Blog it.
Recommendation, however, is more than pointing people to helpful things. It’s a tone of voice, an overall aura that good blogs cultivate.
Blogs are not generally good places to be didactic. Rather, they’re ideal for suggesting and commending. I’ve learned, after I write, to go back and cut those lines that sound like commands or even overbearing suggestions, no matter how right they may be. Because if it’s true for my audience, it’s true for me, so why not word it in such a way that I’m the weak one, rather than them?
People want to know that their pastor knows he is an ordinary, imperfect human being. They want to know that you’re recommending things that have helped you in your own weakness. If you say, “When I struggled with weight-loss, I did such-and-such,” it will come across very differently than if you say, “Do such-and-such if you’re over-weight…”
If you use your blog to encourage people through suggesting and commending everything from local restaurants to Jesus Christ, it will complement the biblical authority that you rightly assume when you stand behind the pulpit.
4. …to interact.
There are a lot of ways for a pastor to keep his finger on the pulse of his people. A blog is by no means necessary in this regard. However, it does add a helpful new way to stay abreast of people’s opinions and questions.
Who knows what sermon series might arise after a pastor hears some surprising feedback about one of his 30-second-nuggets-of-truth?
5. …to develop an eye for what is meaningful.
For good or ill, most committed bloggers live with the constant question in their mind: Is this bloggable? This could become a neurosis, but I’ll put a positive spin on it: It nurtures a habit of looking for insight and wisdom and value in every situation, no matter how mundane.
If you live life looking for what is worthwhile in every little thing, you will see more of what God has to teach you. And the more he teaches you, the more you can teach others. As you begin to be inspired and to collect ideas, you will find that the new things you’ve seen and learned enrich far more of your life than just your blog.
6. …to be known.
This is where I see the greatest advantage for blogging pastors.
Your people hear you teach a lot; it’s probably the main way that most of them know you. You preach on Sundays, teach on Wednesdays, give messages at weddings, funerals, youth events, retreats, etc.
This is good—it’s your job. But it’s not all you are. Not that you need to be told this, but you are far more than your ideas. Ideas are a crucial part of your identity, but still just a part.
You’re a husband and a father. You’re some people’s friend and other people’s enemy. Maybe you love the Nittany Lions. Maybe you hate fruity salad. Maybe you struggle to pray. Maybe listening to the kids’ choir last weekend was—to your surprise—the most moving worship experience you’ve ever had.
These are the things that make you the man that leads your church. They’re the windows into your personality that perhaps stay shuttered when you’re teaching the Bible. Sometimes your people need to look in—not all the way in, and not into every room—but your people need some access to you as a person. A blog is one way to help them.
You can’t be everybody’s friend, and keeping a blog is not a way of pretending that you can. It’s simply a way for your people to know you as a human being, even if you can’t know them back. This is valuable, not because you’re so extraordinary, but because leadership is more than the words you say. If you practice the kind of holiness that your people expect of you, then your life itself opened before them is good leadership—even when you fail.
Conclusion
For most of you, anything you post online will only be a small piece in the grand scheme of your pastoral leadership. But if you can maintain a blog that is both compelling and personal, it can be an important small piece.
It will give you access to your people’s minds and hearts in a unique way by giving them a chance to know you as a well-rounded person. You will no longer be only a preacher and a teacher, but also a guy who had a hard time putting together a swing-set for his kids last weekend. People will open up for you as you open up like this for them. Letting people catch an honest glimpse of your life will add authenticity to your teaching and depth to your ministry,
* * *

Recommendation for ideas--JOHN PIPER

How Barack Obama Will Make Christ a Minister of CondemnationJanuary 17, 2009 By: John Piper Category: Commentary
At Barack Obama’s request, tomorrow in the Lincoln Memorial, Gene Robinson, the first openly non-celibate homosexual bishop in the Episcopal Church, will deliver the invocation for the inauguration kick-off.
This is tragic not mainly because Obama is willing to hold up the legitimacy of homosexual intercourse, but because he is willing to get behind the church endorsement of sexual intercourse between men.
It is one thing to say: Two men may legally have sex. It is another to say: The Christian church acted acceptably in blessing Robinson’s sex with men.
The implications of this are serious.
It means that Barack Obama is willing, not just to tolerate, but to feature a person and a viewpoint that makes the church a minister of damnation. Again, the tragedy here is not that many people in public life hold views (like atheism) that lead to damnation, but that Obama is making the church the minister of damnation.
The apostle Paul says,
Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves , nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God. (1 Corinthians 6:9-11)
What is Paul saying about things like adultery, greed, stealing, and homosexual practice? As J. I. Packer puts it, “They are ways of sin that, if not repented of and forsaken, will keep people out of God’s kingdom of salvation.” (Christianity Today, January 2003, p. 48).
In other words, to bless people in these sins, instead of offering them forgiveness and deliverance from them, is to minister damnation to them, not salvation.
The gospel, with its forgiveness and deliverance from homosexual practice, offers salvation. Gene Robinson, with his blessing and approval of homosexual practice, offers damnation. And he does it in the name of Christ.
It is as though Obama sought out a church which blessed stealing and adultery, and then chose its most well-known thief and adulterer, and asked him to pray.
One more time: The issue here is not that presidents may need to tolerate things they don’t approve of. The issue is this: In linking the Christian ministry to the approval of homosexual activity, Christ is made a minister of condemnation.

Seeing Potential is the key for a new Paradigm

Jul 14, 2008
Potential, Vision, and Commitment

from Steve Farrar - Articles by Steve Farrar
In the late 1800’s, a distinguished member of the British Parliament traveled to Scotland to give a speech. On the way, his carriage became hopelessly mired in the thick mud of a rural road. A young Scottish farm boy suddenly appeared on the scene with a team of large draft horses. He quickly had the carriage out of its dilemma and ready to resume the journey.
The gentleman insisted on paying the young man, but the lad refused. He was simply being a good neighbor. The English lawmaker was immediately taken with the young man and his attitude. “Are you sure I can’t pay you for your time and effort?” the gentleman asked.
“Thank you, sir, but it was the least that I could do. It was a privilege to help such an important person as yourself.” The boy replied. “What do you want to be when you grow up?” asked the man. “I’d like to be a doctor, but I doubt that will happen since my family does not have the money for such an education.”
“Then I will help you become a doctor,” said the politician.
Nearly fifty years later, another famous English statesman lay dangerously close to death due to pneumonia. Winston Churchill had become ill while attending a wartime conference, and England desperately needed his leadership as Hitler threatened to destroy their nation. Churchill miraculously recovered because his physician gave him an injection of a new wonder drug called penicillin. Penicillin had recently been discovered by the brilliant medical doctor, Alexander Fleming.
Alexander Fleming was the young boy who had pulled the stalled carriage from the mud. And the man who promised to return the favor by sending him to medical school was Winston Churchill’s father, Sir Randolph Churchill.
Randolph Churchill saw what no one else had seen in the face of that young Scottish farm boy. He saw potential. And his commitment to helping that young man reach his potential saved the life of his own son nearly half a century later. And by saving the life of Winston Churchill, indeed, he may have saved all of England.
—Steve Farrar

Thursday, January 15, 2009

Another idea from www.tompeters.com

PRAISE BE!
The management of high performing creative-types is certainly on the agenda for many of my clients. Who else can we rely on to come up with the next breakthrough idea in our organisations, but our high performing "talent"? But, as Lucy Kellaway in London's Financial Times recently wrote, there is an important balance to be struck in dealing with such folks.
There is something almost mystical about real talent, whether it be artistic, scientific, sporting, or creative, but as Lucy points out in her article, adulation and excessive appreciation alone can result in the creation of a monster. We end up with someone who feels able to make excessive demands, without any resulting requirement for performance improvement!
The article made me think about the delicate balance that my singing teacher manages to pull off. She typically manages to leave me with the feeling that I am making progress, and sounding good, but that there is another level to which I should be aspiring. So I am generally left feeling energised and excited, but certainly not complacent. I think that many sporting regimes manage to pull off this approach through the persistent measurement of personal best performance.
What is it about our relationship with our talented professionals in our work organisations that can get in the way of pointing out where (even they!) can improve?
What is your best experience of being encouraged to stretch and develop your talent when there was no obvious need to do so?
Madeleine McGrath posted this on 01/24/08. Comments (18)

Another Good Idea from Tom Peters.com


dispatches from the new world of work
A Mission Statement Must, Circa 2009

Gerson Barbosa posted a Comment yesterday that included the following: "The mission statement of Johns Hopkins includes 'cultivate their capacity for life-long learning, to foster independent and original research, and to bring the benefits of discovery to the world.'"
It got me thinking. In our rapidly gyrating world (see the two Posts immediately above), learning-for-life is no longer an option. This is true of you at 6 or 26 or 46, and of me at 66 and my great pal Warren Bennis in his 80s. Moreover, explicit focus on "life-long learning" for everyone on board may be the most sustainable advantage an organization of any flavor can have.
Hence, I strongly suggest that "A commitment by all of us to accelerated lifelong learning," or some such be made a formal part of your mission statement. It deserves to be right up there with the likes of superior quality and profitability.
Tom Peters posted this on 01/14/09.

Shifting the thinking about our schools....

orlandosentinel.com/services/newspaper/printedition/tuesday/localandstate/orl-dropout1309jan13,0,5712907.story


OrlandoSentinel.com
How to keep kids in school?
Christine Armario
The Associated Press
January 13, 2009
CLEARWATER

Mary Jane Henry and her husband are college-educated professionals. She worked for years as a caseworker specializing in children with psychological disorders. He is a computer programmer.Despite their backgrounds and attentiveness to their children, two of their boys dropped out of high school, she said."He was always there, interacting with teachers, interacting with principals," Henry recalls of her husband. "All of those things were in place, and none of it motivated them to stay there."On Monday, Henry and her sons attended the statewide Dropout Prevention Summit hosted by the Florida Department of Education. For two days, parents, students, administrators and advocates will work together to brainstorm ideas to solve a dilemma families are facing nationwide: how to keep a child in school.Across the state, 2.6 percent of high-school students dropped out during the 2007-08 school year, according the state Department of Education. In many places, that figure is significantly higher.The impact is far-reaching: High-school graduates in Florida are twice as likely to be employed as those who don't finish school. Dropouts will likely earn less than their peers and are more likely to be incarcerated or need public assistance, according to figures from the Department of Education presented at the conference.At a time when Florida schools are facing the prospect of even deeper budget cuts, the need to combine resources with community leaders is paramount, several of the participants said."Students and their concerns don't go away because budgets decline," said Kimberly Davis, director of dropout prevention for the Education Department. "We have to still keep working and keep moving forward, but we've got to make sure that we're doing it efficiently."Florida often ranks low in national rankings of high-school graduation. The Quality Counts report released last week ranked the state 44th in the nation, with a graduation rate of 60.8 percent.State education officials say the graduation rate in the 2007-08 school year was actually 75.4 percent. Among other things, Florida includes students who earn general educational development diplomas, which are not counted by many national rankings.For three years, education leaders in Florida have been gathering for workshops on dropout prevention. But this is the first year that students, parents and business and community leaders have come together to develop an action plan, Davis said.
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