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August 06 Still Life????????In the beginning we are created by God, next, our parents shape us, and then we create ourselves. We create ourselves against the framework of our environment. We also create ourselves against the knowledge gained from our experiences. We chose what to take from those experiences to work on to develop our personalities. Then we interact with others using that personality. That personality helps us decide where we go and whom we associate with which then influences our choices. Therefore, those experiences make not only who we are but contribute to the situations we find ourselves in. Those situations determine our quality of life. How we react to those experiences, choices, and reactions defines whom and what we are; therefore, we choose who and what we become by every decision we make.
 Together We Can The Enigma June 13 Baker Bike Rally 2009Hot bikes, Hot biker chicks!!!! Who needs sunshine!!!! Check out the new Baker Bike Rally photos in my photo album. It was a rainy weekend but the Hells Canyon Motorcycle rally was a blast. I also made Pinnacle which is the honor society for non-traditional students at EOU. The pinning was today but it was way too early in the morning. They will send my pin and certificate by mail. I did go to my BMCC graduation tea though. It seemed weird because I actually got my diplomoa in March 2008 but that makes me a 2008-2009 graduate so off to tea I went. It was fun and I got to see Mrs E. and Mr. Randy so....last graduation celebration until I walk for EOU next year. Busy, busy but overall another great day in Eastern Oregon with a wonderful husband. Can't ask for anything more. It can be hard living with a university student sooo..... He deserved to get his picture taken with hot biker chicks in bikinis and leather chaps!!!! Eat your heart out AL!!!!! LOL.
 Tami September 04 Lee Iacocca Quote from new book. I can't wait to read the rest!Do you remember Lee Iacocca??? This is a wonderful piece of writing and thinking. Remember Lee Iacocca, the man who rescued Chrysler Corporation from it's death throes? He has a new book, and here are some excerpts. Lee Iacocca Says: ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 'Am I the only guy in this country who's fed up with what's happening? Where the hell is our outrage? We should be screaming bloody murder. We've got a gang of clueless bozos steering our ship of state right over a cliff, we've got corporate gangsters stealing us blind, and we can't even clean up after a hurricane much less build a hybrid car. But, instead of getting mad, everyone sits around and nods their heads when the politicians say, "Stay the course". Stay the course? You've got to be kidding. This is America , not the damned 'Titanic'. I'll give you a sound bite: 'Throw all the bums out!' You might think I'm getting senile, that I've gone off my rocker, and maybe I have. But someone has to speak up. I hardly recognize this country anymore.
The most famous business leaders are not the innovators but the guys in handcuffs. While we're fiddling in Iraq , the Middle East is burning and nobody seems to know what to do. And the press is waving 'pom-poms' instead of asking hard questions. That's not the promise of the America my parents and yours traveled across the ocean for. I've had enough. How about you? I'll go a step further. You can't call yourself a patriot if you're not outraged. This is a fight I'm ready and willing to have.The Biggest 'C' is Crisis! Leaders are made, not born. Leadership is forged in times of crisis. It's easy to sit there with your feet up on the desk and talk theory. Or send someone else's kids off to war when you've never seen a battlefield yourself. It's another thing to lead when your world comes tumbling down. On September 11, 2001, we needed a strong leader more than any other time in our history. We needed a steady hand to guide us out of the ashes. A Hell of a Mess. So here's where we stand. We're immersed in a bloody war with no plan for winning and no plan for leaving. We're running the biggest deficit in the history of the country. We're losing the manufacturing edge to Asia , while our once-great companies are getting slaughtered by health care costs. Gas prices are skyrocketing, and nobody in power has a coherent energy policy. Our schools are in trouble. Our borders are like sieves. The middle class is being squeezed every which way. These are times that cry out for leadership. But when you look around, you've got to ask:'Where have all the leaders gone?' Where are the curious, creative communicators? Where are the people of character, courage, conviction, omnipotence, and common sense? I may be a sucker for alliteration, but I think you get the point. Name me a leader who has a better idea for homeland security than making us take off our shoes in airports and throw away our shampoo? We've spent billions of dollars building a huge new bureaucracy, and all we know how to do is react to things that have already happened. Name me one leader who emerged from the crisis of Hurricane Katrina. Congress has yet to spend a single day evaluating the response to the hurricane, or demanding accountability for the decisions that were made in the crucial hours after the storm. Everyone's hunkering down, fingers crossed, hoping it doesn't happen again. Now, that's just crazy. Storms happen. Deal with it. Make a plan. Figure out what you're going to do the next time. Name me an industry leader who is thinking creatively about how we can restore our competitive edge in manufacturing. Who would have believed that there could ever be a time when 'The Big Three' referred to Japanese
car companies? How did this happen, and more important, what are we going to do about it? Name me a government leader who can articulate a plan for paying down the debit , or solving the energy crisis, or managing the health care problem. The silence is deafening. But these are the crises that are eating away at our country and milking the middle class dry. I have news for the gang in Congress. We didn't elect you to sit on your asses and do nothing and remain silent while our democracy is being hijacked and our greatness is being replaced with mediocrity. What is everybody so afraid of? Why don't you guys show some spine for a change? Had Enough? Hey , I'm not trying to be the voice of gloom and doom here. I'm trying to light a fire. I'm speaking out because I have hope I believe in America. In my lifetime I've had the privilege of living through some of America's greatest moments. I've also experienced some of our worst crises: the 'Great Depression', 'World War II', the 'Korean War', the 'Kennedy Assassination', the 'Vietnam War', the 1970s oil crisis, and the struggles of recent years culminating with 9/11. If I've learned one thing, it's this: 'You don't get anywhere by standing on the sidelines waiting for somebody else to take action. Whether it's building a better car or building a better future for our children, we all have a role to play. That's the challenge I'm raising in this book. It's a call to 'Action' for people who, like me, believe in America It's not too late, but it's getting pretty close. So let's shake off the crap and go to work. Let's tell 'em all we've had 'enough. Make a real contribution by sending this to everyone you know and care about......our future is at stake! If you agree with Mr. Iacocca, pass this message on. If you don't, throw it away and hope a good fairy will come along and make everything OK. July 26 Let's FlyJust thankful for another beautiful day in Oregon. PET scan came back clean, so it is official I am cancer free. Now, it is not just a 50/50 chance of beating it, I have a 60 percent chance of a permanent cure.
Sorry, I have not been on. The day I went to get my PET scan taken the lady who drives me and I got road raged by some jerk and I had to go to ER. Can't hardly type but I am SO HAPPY I just had to tell somebody. I might have some health limitations both from before the cancer with the MS, Osteoarthritis, and Degenerative disk and some treatment side effects but I am going to be back to the way I was before they gave me that nasty terminal word.
And now I know just how strong I am!!!! Watch out world, cause here I come! Change is afoot, can't you smell it in the air. Let's fly! I'll find a way to keep up, even with my cane!!!!
Together We Can!
Tami July 22 Getting DiversifiedMy Aunt just sent me the cutest song lyrics to a song called "Down on the Farm" by a couple called Lewis and Lewis and I just laughed (it's on You Tube). That made me feel a little guilty. It also kind of made me miss the South a little. Those of you who have never lived there will just have to take my word for it. There is nothing quite like walking down the streets of a tiny Arkansas town with all of your biases in place laughing at the (fill in the ethnic or person who is different) along with everybody else knowing that you fit right in. It made me ponder what I have been learning about diversification and if it was worth blogging about.
I have spent the last few years going and getting myself diversified and I think I have just started to learn a few things. I know I ain't supposed to run around saying the words n*****r and q***r. I don't suppose I wouldv'e anyway, it just ain't polite and I have always know your color or sexual preference was not the be all and end all of who you are. And to be honest, it ain't much fun when they punch you in the nose for it. I never really cared what color they were or who they slept with anyway. And, I really haven't found many that do. We did not care if they were black, white, red, or yellow and tattooed. We did not care if it was guy on guy, girl on girl or whatever else they could think up. What we were really laughing at was not what they were or who they had done but at thier differences from us which made them seem unusual in our eyes. And we were using the laughter to make ourselves feel better about who we were because at least we were not like them. After all, they were different.
Now; I suppose one of the things I should say that I learned at this point was how we should embrace that difference, celebrate that difference, and then tell others how great it is to accept diversity. Sorry, not what I took away from it. I started to evaluated the diversity/acceptance movement and it made me wonder, did we really accept thier difference? Or is it something we turned to our own purpose again? After all, instead of laughing at them for it to make ourselves feel better about our insecurities we just use a more polite way of making ourselves feel better about ourselves. Nobody is out saying accept them for what they are, ignore thier differences and treat them the same as you would any other person . Politely, if you are polite and like a jerk, if you are a jerk. That would seem to me to be equality. I suppose, it would be easier to understand if the political correctness applied to all. But, I haven't heard many say "Hey a*****le, quit acting like a jerk when it is just some white guy walking down the street with long hair and some idiot yells "Hey hippy, get a job."
Then, just when I was wondering if what I was picking up from my evaluation was right a professed liberal friend wearing a celebrate diversity T-shirt asked me if I knew someone who could use a little side work then insisted when I suggested my hubby stated "You can't let your husband apply because he has long hair and these good ol boys don't accept that kind of thing and we must work within thier paradigm." Nothing about changing thier mind and absolutely zip about acceptance. Blew the whole diversification thing she had been preaching right out of the water.
So, what I ended up learning from it was that what they are really saying is "I am better than you because look, I can even accept the people who are not as good as I am because they are different." What is the difference between them and us hicks who were down south in the 80's laughing at the gay kid? I believe what they are really saying is accept me for what I am because I am a good person for accepting them. And what we were saying was accept me for what I am because we are both not like him. Both ways are usually; although, not always a means of making us feel better about who and what we are and a way to gain acceptance. Well I have a better idea!
Maybe, everybody should just be taught that if they accept themselves for who and what they are, fixing what they don't like about themselves including thier unacceptance of others differences and spend less time in everybody else's personal business then world would sort itself out. July 05 WorkingOh my, I forget sometimes how much work there is in making your own food. I am so exhausted. And I still have the rest of the summer veggies to put in over the next few days. But, I feel soooo blessed!!!! I am out of my wheelchair. I have an Associates degree. I am on well on my way to the next one. And my wonderful husband who is also my favorite tech found me a new photo software program I can play with just as soon as I get the chance. I will be examining a watershed project in our area over the next few days to learn how that works and may become politically active on one of those commitees eventually so want to know how the work. My friend who is driving also used to play in the SCA so we have been working on projects for the mechant booth just in case we actually do make an event sometimes soon. Of course, I have been working for about ten years on projects just in case. So, I guess I could open up shop even without the extra stock but the more different things that are handmade and period the better right? In other words busy, busy, busy. Next doctor's appt on the 17th. July 01 Two Party SystemIf you vote Democrat or Republican in the coming election you have voted to allow the U.S. government to continue, in some form, the way it always has pandering to corporate interests, failing to back a universal flat tax that would equalize the burden of running the country among all, and refusing to call for the slashing of the bloated budget. And they won’t even contemplate the repeal of NAFTA and the Taft-Hartley Act, which cripples the ability of American companies to compete in the open market. They are not seeking solutions to imported fossil fuels as an energy resource in any meaningful way which would limit the ability of oil rich countries to manipulate us. These are all issues the voters have repeatedly made their will clear on. Yet the current two party system has refused to address these issues. Is this really the kind of representation you want? Or do you just belive that is the only option available to you? We the people can write in any American we choose to in the blanks for president and vice president. I plan to fill my blanks with the names of Sean Hannity and Dave Ramsey? Care to join me? Viva la revolution!!! June 27 InspirationI think most people have a problem understanding inspiration. Somehow, the idea that you must be or do something great to be an inspiration to someone got popular. But not only is that is not always the case, it is not the usual way of inspiration. Usually we are inspired by normal everyday people doing normal everyday things under stress or difficulty not extraordinary people doing extraordinary things. Think about it. How many times have you looked at something someone does and said how inspiring it was? Was it really that extraordinary? Did they lift a car? Donate an amazing amount of money to your favorite charity? Leap tall buildings in a single bound? Or was it because they made an extra effort to be nice under very trying circumstances, maybe you saw a poor person give when you knew they needed every dime. Maybe a young person made an extra effort to understand or help someone when they would rather be doing something else? I submit that what is inspiring about something is not the grandness of the gesture but the extra effort that was put into it when you know deep down you probably would not have made that extra effort yourself. How long has it been since someone looked at you and said you inspired them? How long has it been since you put that extra little bit into whatever it was you were doing that made someone say "WOW, what an inspiration!" How much more often would you make that extra effort if you knew someone who watching or listening REALLY needed to be inspired? You knew deep down that they were just not going to make it without something or someone inspirational to cling to. Now, look around you. Even if you are only looking in the mirror there is someone there who needs that kind of inspiration. Sooooo....Start inspiring!!!
Until tomarrow remember "Together We Can"
Tami October Suprise Albert Einstein said,”The significant problems we face cannot be solved at the same level of thinking we were at when we created them.” Isn’t that what we are continually doing with our political system today? Most people cannot even conceive of a presidency not sanctioned by one of the two major parties currently involved in the coronation of the next King of the US. After all, if you are not a Democrat or a Republican what are you? If you are not a liberal or a conservative what are you? What if you are a person that really wants change and not just smoke blown up your butt about the changes they want to make but never can get accomplished for some reason or another. Well, I have a novel idea. Why not start with making a change yourself. Vote for someone not on the ticket. Place your check mark where it can really make a difference. I mean jeeze, you could suck it up and put your mark next to the name that you belive would make changes if it were possible or you can make that change possible by where you place your vote. Don’t wait for an October surprise, be the October surprise. Vote for Sean Hannity and Dave Ramsey. June 16 Graduation CeremoniesOMG, well guys we did it!!!! Sorry to those I did the photos for as it took me longer than I thought it would to load them because I was soooo exausted. I hope you all took it easier than I did, although I know Matt is still toiling away just like me because even though we are supposed to be done it is just not in our natures. It was really cool to graduate as so suprising to find out who my truly important friends were. You all know we have them. They are the ones I felt like I should make an effort to stay in touch with. After finals, I felt like I should reevaluate things. It is so hard and stressful trying to do everything that sometimes you just have to choose who and what you not only think is important but those that you actually want to deal with. And yes, those you think can and actually will acomplish something. Because after all nobody wants to spend their whole lives hanging out with people going no where. I mean, after all the phrase it is all about who you know and who you blow got started for a reason and I happily quit blowing anybody but the hubby years ago. Anyway, some of the people I choose and why really suprised me. I choose very different people than I would have when I started this journey. One of my best friends you will see in the photos I just uploaded to the BMCC Graduation Album is Ulee Yanok. She is my prerequiste elder. As a Native American, I require one for reasons I won't go into her. I can't believe I chose a liberal. Not only that I am sooo glad I did. Another one of the biggest suprises was how happy I was to be lining up with Matt. Those of us who went to class together know sometimes we were know to butt heads over issues. As a matter of fact the speech teacher had to call us down a couple of times in class. We just seemed to clash at times. Then I started psychology a class and he was in it. I learned he had insight. It was tough to admit he had a point at times, probably because I have taken so many cultural communication classes that I am often appear wishy, washy by trying to take in everyones point of view and Matt is very hardcore about sticking by what he belives in. I finally had to admit to myself I respect that in him. Next, I got stuck in math class. I was terrified. I really wanted that Degree of science when I get done with the four year but the math might just be more than I could take. He stepped up and became my math tutor. Not only was he good, he was encouraging. I passed with flying colors. Well, you guys know me the next thing I decided to get myself into was Spanish 103 without taking 101 or 102!!! I was starting to woory so I went to see about a tutor. Matt had a new baby and was working nights at school and still offered to step up. I ended up not needing it but it showed his compassionate nature. I saw him with his family at graduation and finally had to admit I felt like he was my friend. And I was kind of happy about it. So even though I was hoping my girlfriends would be in my line I ended up being real glad I had a friend to hang out with backstage so to speak. And I hope he felt the same. I have many more photos to start uploading from Eastern Oregon University's graduation (sorry Wendy, I will get them up ASAP) and I have updates on the Bike Rally Album to do because I went to the Baker City Bike Rally (again, sorry guys, I will get them up ASAP so you can all download them and I really meant it when I said how much it means for you to bring then and Thanks again Sheri for letting me pet Rocky. He was one of the hottest bikes there!) Anyway I will blog more about my graduation tomarrow because I am so sleepy until then remember "Together we Can!!!!!"
Tami
Changing the World one day at a time. May 26 Sean Hannity for presidentSean Hannity is an American radio/television host, author, and conservative political commentator. He first gained national recognition as co-host of Fox News Channel's Hannity & Colmes. In addition to that show, he currently hosts the radio show, The Sean Hannity Show, as well as another show on Fox News Channel; Hannity's America. He is also the author of two New York Times best selling books. Hannity's radio and television shows draw praise from conservative politicians: "He has a great personality, and the tone counts for a lot," said Texas Sen. John Cornyn. "He's willing to ask questions and challenge the assumptions that many in the mainstream news media are not." He also has been vocally critical of and has drawn criticism from progressive and liberal groups such as Media Matters for America. He believes we should. Hannity's Top 10 Items for Victory are I think those 10 points are exactly right! What I disagree with Sean on is our politician’s ability and determination to enact these changes so I propose we draft the man who we think can and will do it. Sean Hannity!!!!!! Write him in as president. Write in Dave Ramsey for vice president then tell them to man up and take the job or quit complaining. April 06 New Additions to the SiteWell, all in all it has been a productive day. I got my homework in on time for my new BA321 class at the university and have finished half of my Spanish 103 vocabulary. What in the heck was I thinking taking 103 wihout doing 101 and 102 first? But if I do well I get to go into second year Spanish with two extra electives for fun stuff like Trigonometry. Now I really sound crazy huh? Anyway, I added a translator to my space for those of you in other countries. Try it and let me know how it works. It should translate my page into the language you choose. I also added a new guestbook and a chat robot named Jodi. Come by and say hello to her. Have a conversation, but please be respectful. She learns from you and I would prefer her to learn nice things. It is time for dinner now and I have to keep my immune system up to beat this cancer so I will run for now and fix dinner. I will work more on the site in a few days. For now, may all of you be blessed with good health, happy homes and the ability to make all your dreams come true. March 22 Better day todayWell, I figured out a few things about doing the friends thing on the web. You don't just accept everyone and you don't push all the invite buttons on spaces home. Silly me, I thought it was friends of friends asking about being friends etc.... This one does not quite work the way the others do. So new rule to remember. I will check out the page before I do the friend thing. Should have done that first. Like my hubby said it is just like inviting people into other things so I will be more careful. My apologies while I sort through the friends list. Once I get that settled I will begin this blog in earnest. Until then it will just be a place to put notes and today's happenings. I got my books for my classes at the university that start after spring break. I am also busy studying spanish since I signed up to start at level 3. March 21 Chock full of nutsMan, what a day! I just started getting friends, it snowballed and I am already fed up. I have had everything from wierdos in countries try to get money out of me by selling me state secrets to perverts trying to get me to turn on my web cam. Women trying to sell me Avon, tupperware and some kind of baby toys. What the hell. I was even contacted by a bi-sexual 14 year old girl wanting to talk about stuff I didn't even learn til after 30. I joined this community as a way to win friends and influence people toward good. So far, all I have learned besides the fact that a couple of people are actually really nice and some cool guestbook stuff(Thanks Guys, if only you knew how much that cheered me up) was the internet is just as darn scary as as the real world if not more. Some fool from turkey just would not quit. I really just thought to share my portion of the world with others and learn about people from other places. Maybe even find some students like myself who were interested in exchanging tips, ideas and misery with the university process during financial aid screw ups and finals week terrors. I thought there might be other writers working on poetry or books that might be interested in discussing such things. I thought craft people who do such things as leather work and jewelry or woodworking might want to network. Instead I feel like I walked into a swinger's club wearing a t-shirt that says managomy or death. Where are all the people who are interested in something besides rubbing up against the nearest tree hanging out these days? I want to go there and have an intelligent conversation. I may take messenger completely off my computer and become anti-social again. March 19 Last class to graduate finished 25 minutes agoYea, Woo hoo!!! Yipeee!!! Last final in last class to fulfill college requirements. I finished 25 min ago. I got a B. I will be graduating with distinction (aprox. a 3.85 GPA) in June having earned my Associate of the Arts. I have been taking extra classes each semester at the University and now I only lack about 10 classes there. I am signed up for full time there starting March 31, but two weeks off and finishing my first degree that truly counts towards my Master's instead of just a truckload of technical school stuff that didn't take me where I thought it would really feels great! I am the first person in my family to accomplish the feat. Feels good but damn I am sleepy! |
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