Posted on 05/27/2005 5:14:52 PM PDT by The Spirit Of Allegiance
"I do my share daily. My leftist employees, of which there are many, do choose to tolerate my comments on a daily basis."
Hey, if you're not pushing them beyond their definition of 'tolerance' to the point that they convert to Conservatism--or totally crack (cue Howard Dean scream) -- YOU'RE NOT DOING ENOUGH! < grin >
Thanks! Trying to earn my stripes here.
Keep up the good work!
Thanks. Appreciate the support. Spread the word, share the truth,
...never, never, NEVER give up! -- Churchill
There thats better,
Those bozo Republicans called me and asked for money Friday night I told them until they get McCain in line and grow Frist a backbone then they get no more of my money.(she said she'd pass it on)Yeah Right!
Welcome to the front lines, fellow soldier for truth and justice!
(you'll note I did NOT use the term 'comrade') ...
Nonetheless, Slick really pushed it through, back during the 1990s.
I appreciate your fire. It takes all kinds to keep that fire going. It takes a Rush. It takes a Savage. It takes a Hannity, a Mike Reagan, A JIMROB, it takes an Alamo-Girl/backhoe/Mia T/kattracks/Spiff/MeekOneGop/, it takes a man to rally the Swiftboat Vets, it takes a Newsmax/WorldNetDaily/Novak/Drudge/EmpireJournal, it takes a Shlaffly/Coulter/Ruddy, and it takes people like you and Doug from Upland, who keep circling Hellery and drawing in new forces, such as Peter Paul. Without us keeping networked, if we vanished and were forgotten tomorrow, Bush and the GOP would have no mandate. Just as bad, the GOP would drift more toward the left.
We are winning. Like you said, this is a marathon. It takes determination. But it is more like a Great Garden in the Sky. Shooting stars are less important than the constant lights that stay on, that nurture new stars, that hone themselves to greater brightness, and that help bring new lights to the sky. Part of that nurturing is helping others have fun, to learn how to enjoy political discussion, and to lure people in through laughter, as well as outrage. Both are critical.
Most importantly, we need to keep our own life force strong, as each individual. Personal health, our own souls, our own personal financial state. I'm learning that the hard way. I may not be around much longer. I may have to leave within the next few weeks or months. God willing, it may be only for a few years. But my own light seems to be dimming in a couple, personal ways. This happened to me once before, which halted a strong, political movement. Some never forgave me back then, but I had no choice.
I'm glad I did what I did while I could. I hope the seeds I planted here will help keep this Garden in the Sky growing. My children are not physical. They are here, the skulls full of mush whom I have helped along through the internet. It's been an honor fighting at your side. Frankly, I haven't a clue how many children I actually have, but how could a physical parent be any more proud of his children than I am? [And my political parents are beyond counting as well.] God willing, I'll be dropping bye now and then for the next few weeks at the very least.
FRegards....
A local radio station, in conjunction with a local fitness center, conducted a (first annual) weight-loss contest to benefit the Make-a-Wish Foundation in which area companies were to field a team of ten employees who would garner sponsors (both corporate and personal) who would commit themselves to paying to their sponsoree either a flat amount or an amount per pound lost.
All money collected was designated to benefit, through the Make-a-Wish Foundation, a local seven-year-old boy, who is suffering from Batten disease -- a fatal, inherited disorder of the nervous system that begins in childhood, and whose early symptoms include seizures, vision loss, and behavioral changes. The symptoms gradually worsen and the child eventually becomes blind, bedridden and demented, and generally succumbs to the disease in his late teens. The funds collected by all teams were to be pooled to grant this stricken boy’s wish: to send him and his family to Disney world and to swim with the dolphins at Discovery Cove in Orlando. Any excess funds were designated to be used solely to fulfill wishes of other local children enrolled in Make-a-Wish. Also, each member of the winning corporate team would be awarded a year’s membership at the local fitness center.
Each ten-member team was to submit an essay describing why they believe their team should be chosen to participate in the contest. The twelve teams that were chosen would then, through a combination of exercise and safe diet, attempt to lose the most total weight, while also attempting to collect the most sponsor money.
At the end of the five weeks, all twelve teams would then compete in a series of athletic events including: (1) ice hockey goal shooting, (2) planking (lying on the stomach and placing the forearms on the floor under the chest, then raising the entire body into a pushup position, holding the body in a straight line for as long as possible), (3) basketball foul shooting, (4) soccer goal shooting, (5) tossing a medicine ball for distance and (6) a 10K team relay race.
Our daughter was the captain of her company’s team – several of the team members did not necessarily need to lose weight but wanted to compete anyway. They all worked very hard to obtain sponsors (many even going door-to-door), held a bake sale to raise funds, applied to the corporate charitable donations department for a corporate sponsorship, and sent e-mails to all company executives, asking for sponsorship or donations from them as well.
Each of Mandy’s ten members obtained significant personal sponsorships from family, friends, neighbors, and co-workers, but they were told by the charitable contributions department of the (large international) corporation that the corporation had already reached its annual giving quota so could not help. Of the e-mails that were sent to the many corporate executives, only one responded at all, with a twenty-dollar donation.
Note: this team composed of ten corporate employees would be competing under the corporate name and, if successful in winning, would be publicized over the radio station, and in local newspapers, as ‘the Corporation X team’ … and yet corporate sponsorship turned out to be miniscule, at best.
Among the other teams competing, there were those who had received thousands of dollars in corporate/executive money (Wal-Mart, in particular), so Mandy’s team entered at a distinct disadvantage, but still managed to accumulate a very respectable monetary sponsorship through individual donations from friends, family and co-workers, and through their own fundraising endeavors.
Today marked the end of the five-week competition. This morning, when the total weight loss and total sponsorship monies were announced, Mandy’s team appeared to be about average (quite an accomplishment, when you consider that support from the company itself was virtually non-existent). The monies collected, the total team weight loss, and the results of the six athletic events would be combined to determine the winning team.
When this morning’s events began, Mandy’s team was determined, to a person, to go all out in this effort that depended solely on their own abilities and determination – not on any outside influences or corporate/executive financial largesse (or lack thereof).
With the six events behind them, all 120 entrants were simply lying around on the indoor soccer field, physically drained, and recuperating from the rigors of the morning. Then came the moment of truth, as the top five teams were announced. Mandy’s team was hoping to at least know the satisfaction of placing somewhere in those five, but, as the winning corporate team names were announced, their hopes dimmed significantly the closer the announcer came to divulging the actual winner.
When the winning team was announced, along with the uplifting commentary, ‘Today’s winning team overwhelmingly won this day’s critical events and showed a spirit that absolutely earned them the championship – let’s hear it for [Mandy’s team]!’ … ten 20-to-40-year-olds erupted into unrestrained euphoria – screaming, hugging, and jumping up and down like teenagers ranked the dark horse underdogs who had just won some state sports championship.
They all know that their accomplishment wasn’t earth-shaking. One unfortunate little boy and his family will appreciate the efforts of the 120 people and the sponsors who took part, but no one outside of a fifty-mile radius of this area will ever know it even occurred … nor should they. Yet it is the hundreds of seemingly insignificant sacrifices or symbolic ‘victories’ that occur every day in this country that, despite these troubling times, help us to feel as though we still have at least the ability to affect some difference, to the degree that we are willing to strive to do so … in our own backyards … communally committed with others of like mind and purpose. I see it in our churches, in our charity and civic organizations, and simply in individuals banding together with a shared, worthwhile goal.
It is the sense of 'neighborhood', the local cultivating of our own garden (a la Voltaire), or the sweeping in front of our own door (a la the English proverb) … in combination with the powerful hand of Providence .. that has always made this country unquely prosperous, and uniquely good.
~ joanie
Thanks for the heartening story, Joanie.
Tell Mandy I’ll be sending you a late donation for her sponsor list.
Note: this team composed of ten corporate employees would be competing under the corporate name and, if successful in winning, would be publicized over the radio station, and in local newspapers, as ‘the Corporation X team’ … and yet corporate sponsorship turned out to be miniscule, at best.
What a great story Joanie. The moral? "Corporate donations? We don't need no stinkin' corporate donations!" :-)
Not to defend the corporate type's lack of participation, but as you probably know, they are constantly bombarded with requests for donations for worthy causes. It's almost like they can't honor them all so they don't honor any of 'em.
FGS
A touching story, my friend. Thanks for sharing it with us, and congratulations to your daughter and her team!
Somehow I think the current tagline I'm sporting kinda goes along with what you're saying. ;-)
Something tells me Mandy is a lot like her mother- a leader and an inspiration.
Good rant!
It is the sense of 'neighborhood', the local cultivating of our own garden (a la Voltaire), or the sweeping in front of our own door (a la the English proverb) … in combination with the powerful hand of Providence .. that has always made this country unquely prosperous, and uniquely good.
Very nice Joanie. Please congratulate Mandy for me too.
From what I see too many people who call themselves conservatives are spending all their political capital opposing our leaders (Bush, Rove & Mehlman) on the issues of immigration and trade.
If you want to help strengthen the Republican Party's ability to get conservative appointees and legislation through Congress the best thing you can do is oppose RINO obstructionists like McCain and Tancredo.
thanks for the ping and your uplifting post, Joanie!
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