Would your sitting Congressperson or senator vote for this? Would the next person you vote in, do it? Make them promise to before they get your vote. Within three days, most people in The United States of America could have this message. This is one idea that really should be passed around!
Congressional Reform Act of 2011
1. Term Limits.
12 years only, one of the possible options below.
A. Two Six-year Senate terms
B. Six Two-year House terms
C. One Six-year Senate term and three Two-Year House terms
2. No Tenure / No Pension.
A Congressman collects a salary while in office and receives no pay when they are out of office.
3. Congress (past, present & future) participates in Social Security.
All funds in the Congressional retirement fund move to the Social Security system immediately. All future funds flow into the Social Security system, and Congress participates with the American people.
4. Congress can purchase their own retirement plan, just as all Americans do.
5. Congress will no longer vote themselves a pay raise. Congressional pay will rise by the same amount military pay does.
6. Congress loses their current health care system and participates in the same health care system as the American people.
7. Congress must equally abide by all laws they impose on the American people (and if congress votes to send send Soldiers to war or they are voted in during a time of war they too must abide by the UCMJ as they are accountable like Soldiers are accountable.)*
8. All contracts with past and present Congressmen are void effective 1/1/12.
The American people did not make this contract with Congressmen. Congressmen made all these contracts for themselves.
Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, so ours should serve their term(s), then go home and back to work.
If each person contacts a minimum of twenty people then it will only take three days for most people (in the U.S. ) to receive the message. Maybe it is time. LET'S FIX AMERICA - STARTING WITH CONGRESS!
Here's a few more to ponder:
1. Once you're wet, it doesn't matter how much more you get rained on.
2. Pool filters do not like Jell-O.
3. VCR's do not eject 'PB & J' sandwiches even though TV commercials show they do.
4. Garbage bags do not make good parachutes.
5. Marbles in gas tanks make lots of noise when driving.
6. You probably DO NOT want to know what that odor is.
7. Always look in the oven before you turn it on; plastic toys do not like ovens.
8. The fire department in Austin, TX has a five-minute response time .
9. The spin cycle on the washing machine does not make earthworms dizzy.
10. It will, however, make cats dizzy.
11. Cats throw up twice their body weight when dizzy.
12. 80% of Women will pass this on to almost all of their friends, with or without kids.
13. 80% of Men who read this will try mixing the Clorox and brake fluid
It's been ages since I did one of these! Hope these bring a smile. :-)
1. A king size water bed holds enough water to fill a 2000 square foot house 4 inches deep.
2. If you spray hair spray on dust bunnies and run over them with roller blades, they can ignite.
3. A 3-year old boy's voice is louder than 200 adults in a crowded restaurant.
4. If you hook a dog leash over a ceiling fan, the motor is not strong enough to rotate a 42 pound boy wearing Batman underwear and a Superman cape. It is strong enough, however, if tied to a paint can, to spread paint on all four walls of a 20 x 20 foot room.
5. You should not throw baseballs up when the ceiling fan is on. When using a ceiling fan as a bat, you have to throw the ball up in the air a few times, before you get a hit. A ceiling fan can hit a baseball a long way.
6. The glass in windows (even double-pane) doesn't stop a baseball hit by a ceiling fan.
7. When you hear the toilet flush and the words 'uh oh', it's already too late.
8. Brake fluid mixed with Clorox makes smoke, and lots of it.
9. A six-year old boy can start a fire with a flint rock even though a 36-year old man says they can only do it in the movies.
10. Certain Legos will pass through the digestive tract of a four-year-old boy.
11. Playdoh and microwave should not be used in the same sentence.
12. Super glue is forever.
13. No matter how much Jell-O you put in a swimming pool you still can't walk on water.
There isn't really anything new that anyone can say about saving our planet. The words by Chief Seattle said it best:
I am a savage and do not understand any other way. I have seen a thousand rotting buffaloes on the prairie, left by the white man who shot them from a passing train. I am a savage and do not understand how the smoking iron horse can be made more important than the buffalo that we kill only to stay alive.
What is man without the beasts? If all the beasts were gone, man would die from a great loneliness of the spirit. For whatever happens to the beasts, soon happens to man. All things are connected. You must teach your children that the ground beneath their feet is the ashes of our grandfathers. So that they will respect the land, tell your children that the earth is rich with the lives of our kin. Teach your children that we have taught our children that the earth is our mother. Whatever befalls the earth befalls the sons of earth. If men spit upon the ground, they spit upon themselves.
This we know; the earth does not belong to man; man belongs to the earth. This we know. All things are connected like the blood which unites one family. All things are connected.
2. Nothing is worse than that moment during an argument when you realize you're wrong.
3. I totally take back all those times I didn't want to nap when I was younger.
4. There is great need for a sarcasm font.
5. How the hell are you supposed to fold a fitted sheet?
6. Was learning cursive really necessary?
7. Map Quest really needs to start their directions on # 5. I'm pretty sure I know how to get out of my neighborhood.
8. Obituaries would be a lot more interesting if they told you how the person died.
9. I can't remember the last time I wasn't at least kind of tired.
10. Bad decisions make good stories.
11. You never know when it will strike, but there comes a moment at work when you know that you just aren't going to do anything productive for the rest of the day.
12. Can we all just agree to ignore whatever comes after Blue Ray? I don't want to have to restart my collection ... again.
13. I'm always slightly terrified when I exit out of Word and it asks me if I want to save any changes to my ten-page technical report that I swear I did not make any changes to.
14. I keep some people's phone numbers in my phone just so I know not to answer when they call.
15. I think the freezer deserves a light as well.
16. I disagree with Kay Jewelers. I would bet on any given Friday or Saturday night more kisses begin with Miller Lite than Kay.
17. I wish Google Maps had an "Avoid Ghetto" routing option.
18. I have a hard time deciphering the fine line between boredom and hunger.
19. How many times is it appropriate to say "What?" before you just nod and smile because you still didn't hear or understand a word they said?
20. I love the sense of camaraderie when an entire line of cars team up to prevent a jerk from cutting in at the front. Stay strong, brothers and sisters!
21. Shirts get dirty. Underwear gets dirty. Pants? Pants never get dirty, and you can wear them forever.
22. Sometimes I'll look down at my watch three consecutive times and still not know what time it is.
23. Even under ideal conditions people have trouble locating their car keys in a pocket, finding their cell phone, and Pinning the Tail on the Donkey - but I'd bet everyone can find and push the snooze button from 3 feet away, in about 1.7 seconds, eyes closed, first time, every time.
24. The first testicular guard, the "Cup," was used in Hockey in 1874 and the first helmet was used in 1974. That means it only took 100 years for men to realize that their brain is also important. Ladies.....Quit Laughing.
Heal the past, live the present, dream the future.
1. What color is your toothbrush?
Green and white.
2. Name one person who made you smile today:
Ian
3. What were you doing at 8 am this morning:
I was settling down to go to sleep.
4. What were you doing 45 minutes ago?
I was working at the window.
5. Favorite Candy Bars?
Ghirardelli dark chocolate and caramel
6. Have you ever been to a strip club?
No.
7. What is the last thing you said aloud?
"I think she needs some happy pills..."
8. What is your favorite ice cream flavor?
Coffee!!!!
9. What was the last thing you had to drink?
A chai smoothie, now water.
10. Do you like your wallet?
My wallet matches the purse I rarely use.
11. What was the last thing you ate?
A chai smoothie.
12. Have you bought any new clothing items this week?
No.
13. The last sporting event you watched?
Does my daughter's gymnastics meet count?
14. What is your favorite flavor of popcorn?
Kettle Corn.
15. Who is the last person you sent a text message to and what did it say?
Ian - "I'll look" (about cooking for dinner)
16. Ever go camping?
Yes!
17. Do you take vitamins daily?
Not right now - ran out.
18. Do you go to church every Sunday?
No
19. Do you have a tan?
HA! Very funny!
20. Do you prefer Chinese food over pizza?
It depends on how often my kids want to have pizza, fortunately they like Chinese food too!
21. Do you drink your soda with a straw?
I only drink "pop" when I drink a Red Bull to stay awake.
22. What did your last text message say that someone sent you?
It was a tweet about a lunar event this evening.
23. What are you doing tomorrow?
Working.
25. Look to your left, what do you see?
Lori!
26. What color is your watch?
It's brown and gold, but I never wear it.
27. What do you think of when you hear Australia?
Koalas!!!
28. What is your birthstone?
Sapphire
29. Do you go in at a fast food place or just hit the drive thru?
Drive thru - but I've been doing a little better about avoiding it entirely (except for McD's coffee)
30. What is your favorite number?
13 or 5
31. Who's the last person you talked to on the phone?
Patrick
32. Any plans today?
Sleep, get to the gym before work tomorrow night.
33. How many states have you lived in?
1
34. Biggest annoyance right now?
Stupid inmates.
35. Last song listened to?
"From the Inside" Linkin Park
36. Can you say the alphabet backwards?
Yes, but very slowly...
37. Do you have a maid service clean your house?
I wish!!
38. Favorite pair of shoes you wear all the time?
I love my Birkenstocks, it's that hidden hippie in me!
39. Are you jealous of anyone?
No.
40. Is anyone jealous of you?
I'm not sure...
41. Do you love anyone?
Yes.
42. Do any of your friends have children?
Oh yes, a lot of them!
43. What do you usually do during the day?
Sleep!!
44. Do you hate anyone that you know right now?
Uhhh, no.
45. Do you use the word 'hello' daily?
Pretty much.
46. What color is your car?
Blue
47. Do you like cats?
Definitely
48. Are you thinking about someone right now?
No
49. Have you ever been to Six Flags?
Yes, but I liked it better when it was just Elitch Gardens.
50. How did you get your worst scar?
3 C-sections.
Here's an interesting blog post about the Conservative movement in this country. The person writing it is more liberal than I, but he makes some good points.
http://theamericanscene.com/2010/04/08/who-closed-the-conservative-mind
My oldest son and his friend AJ have been having a hard time with bullies at school lately. After talking to his mom last night I realized that Patrick has been having it easy. This boy has been hit on the bus, glasses and toys broken, and the parents of the boy responsible refusing to take responsibility for his actions. There have been harsh teasing, ridicule, and vicious rumors spread at school. Fortunately, the kids' school takes a very strict rule on teasing and bullying, but the fact that these kids even think of some of these things, much less act on them has been really bothering me. I found these little lessons yesterday, so I thought I'd share them.
Four lessons about the way we treat people.
1 - First Important Lesson - Cleaning Lady.
During my second month of college, our professor gave us a pop quiz. I was a conscientious student and had breezed through the questions until I read the last one:
"What is the first name of the woman who cleans the school?"
Surely this was some kind of joke. I had seen the Cleaning woman several times. She was tall, dark-haired and in her 50's, but how would I know her name? I handed in my paper, leaving the last question Blank. Just before class ended, one student asked if the last question would count toward our quiz grade.
"Absolutely, " said the professor... "In your careers, You will meet many people. All are significant. They deserve your attention and care, even if all you do Is smile and say "hello.."
I've never forgotten that lesson.. I also learned her name was Dorothy.
2 - Second Important Lesson - Always remember those who serve.
In the days when an ice cream sundae cost much less, A 10-year-old boy entered a hotel coffee shop and sat at a table. A waitress put a glass of water in front of him.
"How much is an ice cream sundae?" he asked.
"Fifty cents," replied the waitress.
The little boy pulled his hand out of his pocket and studied the coins in it.
"Well, how much is a plain dish of ice cream?" he inquired.
By now more people were waiting for a table and the Waitress was growing impatient..
"Thirty-five cents," she brusquely replied.
The little boy again counted his coins.
"I'll have the plain ice cream," he said.
The waitress brought the ice cream, put the bill on the table and walked away. The boy finished the ice cream, paid the cashier and left. When the waitress came back, she began to cry as she wiped down the table. There, placed neatly beside the empty dish, Were two nickels and five pennies. You see, he couldn't have the sundae, because he had to have enough left to leave her a tip.
3 - Third Important Lesson. - The obstacle in our path.
In ancient times, a King had a boulder placed on a Roadway. Then he hid himself and watched to see if anyone would remove the huge rock. Some of the King's' wealthiest merchants and courtiers came by and simply walked around it.. Many loudly blamed the King for not keeping the roads clear, but none did anything about getting the stone out of the way.
Then a peasant came along carrying a load of Vegetables. Upon approaching the boulder, the peasant laid down his burden and tried to move the stone to the side of the road. After much pushing and straining, he finally succeeded.. After the peasant picked up his load of vegetables, he noticed a purse lying in the road where the boulder had been. The purse contained many gold coins and a note from the King indicating that the gold was for the person who removed the boulder from the roadway. The peasant learned what many of us never understand!
Every obstacle presents an opportunity to improve our condition.
4- Fourth Important Lesson - Giving When it Counts...
Many years ago, when I worked as a volunteer at a hospital, I got to know a little girl named Liz who was suffering from a rare & serious disease. Her only chance of recovery appeared to be a blood transfusion from her 5-year old brother, who had miraculously survived the same disease and had developed the antibodies needed to combat the illness. The doctor explained the situation to her little brother, and asked the little boy if he would be willing to give his blood to his sister...
I saw him hesitate for only a moment before taking a deep breath and saying, "Yes I'll do it if it will save her." As the transfusion progressed, he lay in bed next to his sister and smiled, as we all did, seeing the color returning to her cheek. Then his face grew pale and his smile faded..
He looked up at the doctor and asked with a trembling voice, "Will I start to die right away".
Being young, the little boy had misunderstood the doctor; he thought he was going to have to give his sister all of his blood in order to save her.
These are all anecdotal little stories, but they have a great message. It especially bears repeating now, when there is so much pain in the world and people are so busy spewing hatred at or about others. We, as a people have forgotten how to treat others, when we should be setting a positive example for our children.
I found these tips on a Yahoo article. They're easy little things that a person can do to help lessen those everyday little stresses that may build up.
1. Go to bed thirty minutes earlier than usual and get up twenty minutes earlier.
2. Before you go to sleep, prepare for the morning.
3. Don't wear tight clothes or uncomfortable shoes.
4. Make a list.
5. Listen to a favorite song.
6. Keep a little extra cash and stamps in the house.
7. Be polite and be fair.
8. Laugh out loud.
9. Have a good book to read.
10. Exercise!
11. Throw something away (I sometimes have a hard time with this one).
12. Don't say mean things about other people.
13. Pay attention to someone else.
I came across this from an email that was sent to me. Canada has an interesting idea, I wonder if it has made an impact on wildlife/car accidents?
*The bottom two pictures are courtesy of Parks Canada.
