Paul Arden:

Posted on June 11, 2012 by Mandy Lender

“Your vision of where or who you want to be is the greatest asset you have . 

Without having a goal it’s difficult to score.”

Paul Arden (1940-2008) was the Excutive Creative Director at Saatchi & Saatchi.

http://visionofhabakkuk.com/special_copy.html

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ANARCHISTS’ FIRST TRY: CHICAGO SUMMITS NOTEBOOK (5)

Posted on May 17, 2012 by Mandy Lender

The anarchists tried and succeeded in being arrested this last Monday, May 14.   They wanted to protest against NATO and for social justice.  So they went to demonstrate inside Obama’s election campaign office.  Getting nowhere, they handed pamphlets to building employees…

Eight of them were arrested and charged with criminal trespassing…   All eight preferred to be taken to jail.

So what’s their accomplishment?

Demonstrating inside the jail house?

If you want to protest against president Obama effectively, go on the first Tuesday in November and vote for his opponent…   It’s a lot more effective than singing Kumbaya My Lord in the jail house…

In fact casting a ballot on election day is more democratic than trespassing private property…

 

 

© 2012 Mandy Lender

 

 

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KIMBERLY KUCH: GENDER DEFINED ROLES ARE SENSELESS

Posted on May 14, 2012 by Mandy Lender

Kimberly Kuch is our guest blogger today:

Gender defined roles are senseless.

Like it’s not more useful for a pretty girl to know how to work on a car in the middle of nowhere than if a man can. We try to lump the intricate variation of human personality into two zones, masculine and feminine.  Very black or white juvenile thinking. And while these stereotypes are useful to put things in a nutshell, like most are, we should be careful how we use them. And we should use them while prefacing that the stereotypes we use are only for brevity’s sake and not because we think they encompass the variables of reality.

Each and every one of you is a beautiful human being; you are beautiful because of all the slight and perhaps large differences.  You are beautiful because you could never fit into any one word blanket term stereotype anyone tries to push on you.

Get educated on self; and please, please for the sake of so many other people afraid to be themselves, be you.  Be loud about it, and drag everyone with you.

 

© 2012 Kimberly Kuch

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JULIE PAYTAS-LONG: MOTHER APPRECIATES HER FAMILY

Posted on May 13, 2012 by Mandy Lender

Julie Paytas-Long, a mother and grandmother, is the guest author of this Mother’s Day blog:

While everyone sleeps, I look through pictures, clay figurines, a bird house, a lamp, the list goes on… and all I can feel is pure gratefulness, appreciation, and respect for my children.

So long ago but like yesterday, that God’s mercy would count me worthy of such blessings???  That all His promises are true “…..they will return to Him” as I watch His blessings being poured over their lives…..I am humbled beyond words.

They are exceptional Mom’s, spouses, sisters, friends, daughters and sons themselves and I could not be more proud. Mothers Day is such a special time for me not for myself, but for me to say thank you to God and to Heather, Heidi, Serena, Sarah, and Scott Ross.  I am so very proud and honored to be your Mother. I truly believe I have the best family in the whole world!! I love you beyond breath~ ♥ ♥

— with Heather Vessely, Heidi Ellis, Serena Long, Sarah Long, Scott Ross.

(C) 2012 Julie Paytas-Long

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DEMONSTRATORS, ANARCHISTS AND NURSES: CHICAGO SUMMITS NOTEBOOK (4)

Posted on May 9, 2012 by Mandy Lender

 

On May 2, I opined here about the nature of the protesters and demonstrators attracted to the streets of Chicago during the (now aborted) G8 and NATO summits.  What a dazzling world-wide, media-covered opportunity for anyone who has something to say…

Among the groups that registered to demonstrate on Friday May 18 in the streets of Chicago are nurses – The National Nurses United.  The group describes itself on their website as registered nurses.  The nurses plan to come to Chicago to protest in the face of the G8 summit meeting against the inequities that ail the world.

The nurses united got a problem.  There is no longer a G8 summit in Chicago.

The G8 summit was moved elsewhere.  Even the president of Russia will not attend the G8 summit because he has more pressing things in Moscow than hang out in Camp David MD.  So this summit is reduced to a G7 summit.

But the National Nurses United members have no sick patients to take care of on a Friday.  They are left with their fringe political agenda that hangs dry in Chicago.   So they united up with a punk-rock guitarist, Tom Morello who seeks a platform to sell his albums…   This nurses’ partner to street demonstrations is quoted in the Chicago Tribune saying: “I have to have one or two sips of (Irish whiskey) before I step on a stage with Bruce”.

Was Morello referring to a special brand of medicinal alcohol?

So much for the nursing profession’s empowerment and pride.

 

© 2012 Mandy Lender MD

 

 

 

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Howard Crampton Jr: Self-Expression

Posted on May 7, 2012 by Mandy Lender

The following is a guest blog entry written and published by Howard Crampton Jr.

I’ve done a lot of stupid things in the past, but I’ve had a lot of fun. I live such a good life because I have no regrets as to what I’ve experienced.

I have been hurt, and have hurt others. I have forgiven, and been forgiven.

Life is about self-expression, so go out there and be yourself and be conscious of not taking away from someone else’s experience. If you do, forgive yourself and apologize.

Say “Yes!” to Life. Say “Yes!” to Self-Expression. Say “Yes!” to Experience. When you fall down, pick yourself back up and brush yourself and go out there and do it again.

You are as much a leader as you are a follower. No one person is better or more important than anyone else. See yourself in others, and be open so as others can see themselves in you.

Put yourself out there and have fun along the journey. Life is not short, it’s Forever! But our experience as being human is limited only in this dimension, and you’ll have another opportunity, and another, and another…

What will you do today to express your Best self?

Howard Crampton, Jr.

Inspirator/Spiritual Mind Practitioner

(C) 2012 Howard Crampton Jr.

www.howardcramptonjr.com

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PROTESTS OR ANARCHY? CHICAGO NATO SUMMIT NOTEBOOK (3)

Posted on May 2, 2012 by Mandy Lender

PROTESTS OR ANARCHY?

There is a fine line separating street protests from street anarchy.

The would be protesters in Chicago, May 19-21, 2012, are in search of a cause.  During a press conference in Chicago on April 30, a would-be protester who cannot retire from his Vietnam era experience shouted at the Chicago NATO Host Committee director:

“Why are you bringing war criminals like Madeleine Albright and Condoleezza Rice to Chicago?  Why are we losing our human rights”?

The shouting professor – lives in his past.  He did not have the sense to cite a future or current, “threatening” event worthy of his planned protest.  Both former Secretaries, Albright and Rice, are respectable public figures.  They endure criticisms originated by their work in public service.  But they saw accomplishments too during their term in office.  One can disagree with them, however protesting today against Madeleine Albright who served as Secretary of State during 1997-2001, serves only one purpose – promoting the sales of her newly published book: “Prague Winter”.

The coalition against NATO/G8 in Chicago lost steam when the G8 meeting was taken away from it…

Hopefully this coalition will not turn into anarchists looking for a cause of protest.

© 2012 Mandy Lender

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CHICAGO NATO SUMMIT NOTEBOOK (2)

Posted on April 29, 2012 by Mandy Lender

Image

Airlines and air travel remain the last frontier.  Last frontier like in the wild, wild west.

On 1-22-12, I bought an early bird roundtrip ticket on United from MBS to ORD, in anticipation of the third weekend in May, for the summits in Chicago.  Sure enough the airfare was twice more expensive for this long weekend than the prevailing fares in January for other travel dates.  No matter that at the time I was the only passanger on the flights…

Now we are informed that O’Hare airport will idle an undisclosed number of runways for the arrivals and departures of VIP planes.  Think of it – NATO consists of 28 member countries.  Lots of VIPs coming and going with entourages and their press corps…

How about spreading the pain of incnvenient air-travel to Midway airport by utilizing its runways more intensively?  Regional flights can be diverted temporarily to MDW.

Where are the federal and local aviation and transportation planners?

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DAVID SEEFELD: CHANGE YOUR THOUGHTS – CHANGE YOUR WORLD

Posted on April 28, 2012 by Mandy Lender

I invited my friend, David Seefeld to write this guest blog.

Every thought you have makes up some segment of the world you see.  It is with your thoughts then, that we must work, if your perception of the world is to be changed.

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CHICAGO NATO SUMMIT NOTEBOOK

Posted on April 22, 2012 by Mandy Lender

 

Despite the historical rough and immoral reputation that Chicago has (two past state governors are currently in prison…) it is a nice and relatively tame town.  Since the Democratic convention in August 1968, Chicago hasn’t witnessed major street turmoil.  Well, to be historically correct the last street disorders were in celebration of the Chicago Bears’ super bowl championship, January 26, 1986.   Even as it was a night to remember the January cold weather kept the revelers in check.

The upcoming NATO summit (weekend of May 19-21) in Chicago is a different story.  For starters, the weather is good in Chicago in May.  The Millennium Park and Grant Park are in full bloom.

With 28 heads of state (or their next in line to power), NATO summits attract media coverage from all over the world.  Crowds of thousands of protesters find these high profile meetings an attractive venue for “peaceful demonstrations”.

Currently, a protesters’ march is planned for Sunday, May 20, from the Petrillo Band Shell in Grant Park past Library Tower on State Street towards McCormick Place, where the NATO meeting will take place.

According to Fox News, residents living in the 17-floor Library Tower building at 520 South State Street were warned in a letter from their condo management recommending that “all residents find places to stay during the conference from May 18 through May 21.”

Who plans on going there?  Being there?

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