From: DrHolly
To: ALL Posted:
Did you know that hysterectomies are among the most commonly performed surgeries in this country? For years, though, women?s health advocates have said that it?s performed too often. That is, it?s performed unnecessarily. A new study might bolster their claims: It shows that hysterectomy may significantly raise the risk of developing urinary incontinence.
Have you had, or has a doctor ever recommended that you have a hysterectomy? What led to your decision, one way or the other? And how do you feel about the notion of unnecessary hysterectomies in general? I?m interested to hear your thoughts.
From: Jill4p2003
I thought about it for a long time and decided to do it for health reasons. The largest one was 12 cm, and I had several smaller fibroids. A total of thirteen fibroids removed. Everyone I told was 100% supportive of my decision. My husband most of all.
From: Babe
A dr told me that I should have a hysterectomy because my ovarys were enlarged to 3.5, that I was unable to have children without first doing alot of different things and then there was no guarantee, I have poly-cystic and endometeosis. I have never had a regular menstrural cycle in my life. I choose not to have the hysterecomy. 2 years later I was pregnant and have a beautiful baby girl... She was born at 6 1/2 months and weighed 2.2lbs... Both of us like to have died, but the lord spared us and we both are alive and doing well. If I had of choost the hysterectomy I would not have my baby today... The only thing I did to get pregnant was to change my life to a less stressful one and I divorced my husband of 14 years and meet my husband now... We were together for 2 months and me thinking I never could gert pregnant we did not use any protection and now we have our miracle Tomi Jo... I am so thankful that I did not have the hysterectomy.... Sorry if the spelling is not completely correct. Debbie Nance
From: Candy2020
At this point and time of my life, if I could get a hysterectomy without serious side effects (hormonal fluctuations, incontinence, etc.), I'd do it in a heartbeat!!!! I've sufferecd with painful, heavy bleeding for about 20 years, and I thanked God for the inventor of Motrin. That medicine helped me for many years. I'd pop 3 tablets with a glass of milk, then I'd be set till 27-28 days later. All of a sudden, I turned 30 and my periods became irregular, extremely painful to the point of being incapacitated for 4 days a month, and the Motrin nearly stopped working. My doctor at that time recommended my trying oral contraceptives, but I couldn't use the pills because I have a family history of serious blood clotting. Now I'm 42 and it's truly amazing that I still have my job! I really should have been let go considering all the reproductive health issues I've had over the past 11 years (fibroid tumors and ovarian cysts now, ON TOP OF the extremely painful periods). You name the surgery, I've had it...the first ovarian cyst I developed (on my right ovary) was so painful that it lead to my appendix being removed because it was helping it to rupture. I've had 2 laparoscopies since that surgery to remove recurring cysts, and last year I ended up having an endometrial ablation because of my fibroid tumors. Now, I have ANOTHER ovarian cyst, again on my right ovary! HELP!!!!!
Hello Dr. Holly,
Once again, great topic!
I would only consider a hysterectomy as a last resort - in other words, if it were necessary to save my life. It amazes me how people tend to think of the uterus as an extraneous organ - especially after a woman has gone through menopause. The research you describe only reinforces my belief that people need to seriously consider the side effects of any procedure if it is elective.
From: elaine2010
Hi Dr Holly,my mom had a hysyerectomy for cancer,Id do it as a last resort.I read yesterday the it can lead to bladder problems later in life.My mom has them now too,I think it messed her up phycologically, like she feels less than a woman.We are glad to still have her around too.I think it depends on the person...
From: Bernadetta1
I had a hysterectomy 4 years ago after many years of treatment for anemia due to very heavy periods. Initially, I started with iron supplements which did not work, and later I was receiving iron injections once a month for 2 years. My doctor suggested that I take hormons, as well as other treatments, hysterectomy being one of them, and after closer examination of those treatments, I went with a hysterectomy. I was in my mid 40's and done having children. It was the best thing I did for myself. Within a month following my surgery, my anemia was gone. Going to the surgery my iron stores were at 1.9, one month after the surgery they were at 12. So...to summarize it, a hysterectomy might not be the answer for other women, but it was definetly for me. Glad I did it.
From: amariamom
I had a Laparoscopic Assisted Supracervical Hysterectomy w/ Bilat Salpingo-oophorectomy two months ago. I had a 14 wk sized uterus due to a fibroid; and also cysts in my ovaries. At 44 yrs old, I felt like my reproductive organs had "outlived their use"; they were starting to turn on me. It's the best decision I've ever made....no more periods (cramping, hemorrhaging, planning my life around, etc), no more PMS (woohoo!). I don't have to get up 2-3 times during the night to urinate, and the constant pressure is gone from my pelvis. I feel like I have my life back...I do have hot flashes and night sweats but I'll take them anytime compared to my "previous life". That being said, it is major surgery and there are potential risks and complications (like an intraoperative hemorrhage requiring transfusions); it's not a decision to be made lightly. I don't believe any surgery should be done if it's not necessary. I would make the same decision all over again (only I'd insist on an abdominal approach instead of the laparascopic--more control of a 14 wk sized uterus, therefore, less chance of hemorrhage)
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Saturday, October 29, 2011
Friday, October 28, 2011
Michael Moore Admits He's A One Percenter
After Lying About His Wealth on National TV, Michael Moore Admits He's A One Percenter
By Noel Sheppard | October 28, 2011 | 14:40
On Wednesday NewsBusters exposed Occupy Wall Street supporter Michael Moore for lying on national television about his wealth.
Clearly feeling the pressure to come clean, the schlockumentary filmmaker took to his blog Thursday to set the record straight - kind of:
Twenty-two years ago this coming Tuesday, I stood with a group of factory workers, students and the unemployed in the middle of the downtown of my birthplace, Flint, Michigan, to announce that the Hollywood studio, Warner Bros., had purchased the world rights to distribute my first movie, 'Roger & Me.' A reporter asked me, "How much did you sell it for?"
"Three million dollars!" I proudly exclaimed. A cheer went up from the union guys surrounding me. It was absolutely unheard of for one of us in the working class of Flint (or anywhere) to receive such a sum of money unless one of us had either robbed a bank or, by luck, won the Michigan lottery.
Moore went on to explain what he did with his jackpot:
1. I would first pay all my taxes. I told the guy who did my 1040 not to declare any deductions other than the mortgage and to pay the full federal, state and city tax rate. I proudly contributed nearly 1 million dollars for the privilege of being a citizen of this great country.
2. Of the remaining $2 million, I decided to divide it up the way I once heard the folksinger/activist Harry Chapin tell me how he lived: "One for me, one for the other guy." So I took half the money -- $1 million -- and established a foundation to give it all away.
3. The remaining million went like this: I paid off all my debts, paid off the debts of some friends and family members, bought my parents a new refrigerator, set up college funds for our nieces and nephews, helped rebuild a black church that had been burned down in Flint, gave out a thousand turkeys at Thanksgiving, bought filmmaking equipment to send to the Vietnamese (my own personal reparations for a country we had ravaged), annually bought 10,000 toys to give to Toys for Tots at Christmas, got myself a new American-made Honda, and took out a mortgage on an apartment above a Baby Gap in New York City.
4. What remained went into a simple, low-interest savings account. I made the decision that I would never buy a share of stock (I didn't understand the casino known as the New York Stock Exchange and I did not believe in investing in a system I did not agree with).
It really is something when a man lies to cover up his lies.
After all, in 2005, Peter Schweizer in his book "Do As I Say (Not As I Do): Profiles in Liberal Hypocrisy" included a copy of Moore's schedule D from one of his tax filings showing that the schlockumentarian at one point owned almost 2,000 shares of Boeing, nearly 1,000 shares of Sonoco, more than 4,000 shares of Best Foods, more than 3,000 shares of Eli Lilly, more than 8,000 shares of Bank One, and more than 2,000 shares of Halliburton.
As Schweizer told MSNBC's Joe Scarborough on November 3, 2005:
PETER SCHWEIZER: Well, Michael Moore has said at least half-a-dozen times, I don`t own a single share of stock, because he considers investing in the stock market to be dirty money.
Well, I guess he is technically correct. He doesn`t own a single share of stock. He owns tens of thousands of shares of stock. And what is interesting is, is looking at the portfolio.
Michael Moore, yes, the same Michael Moore, owns shares in defense contractors like Boeing. He owns...
(CROSSTALK)
JOE SCARBOROUGH: No. Well, hold -- hold on. No way. You are telling me...
SCHWEIZER: Yes.
SCARBOROUGH: ... that Mr. "Fahrenheit 9/11" profits off of the war, because Boeing profits off the war, that he despises?
SCHWEIZER: Yes, that`s exactly right. He owns shares in Honeywell.
And, believe it or not, Joe -- it`s on the back cover of the book -- he, in recent years, has owned shares in Halliburton, the Darth Vader of corporate America.
SCARBOROUGH: OK. Hold on. I got to stop you, Peter...
(LAUGHTER)
SCARBOROUGH: ... because this guy said that he doesn`t invest on Wall Street. Are you telling me that he just is just lying to us?
SCHWEIZER: It`s a flat, bald-faced lie. When he says that he doesn`t own shares, I pulled IRS forms from a tax shelter of his. And he has hundreds of thousands of dollars on the stock market.
Right now, for example, he is preparing a film on pharmaceutical companies, attacking the health care industry. In recent years, he has owned shares in Tenet Healthcare, which runs HMOs, Pfizer, and Eli Lilly. He is a complete hypocrite on this front.
SCARBOROUGH: And we have got to go to a break, and I want to talk to you on the other side.
But, just before we go to the break, are you telling me again that Michael Moore has owned stock in Halliburton?
SCHWEIZER: Yes. That`s what his IRS forms -- and he signed his own IRS forms.
Story Continues Below Ad ↓
So Moore's own IRS forms show that one of his tax shelters owns thousands of shares of stock.
But that's not what he wrote Thursday: "I made the decision that I would never buy a share of stock (I didn't understand the casino known as the New York Stock Exchange and I did not believe in investing in a system I did not agree with)."
As such, he's lying again.
Also of note, Moore discussed the $3 million he made from Roger and Me, but he didn't say a word about earnings from subsequent films.
As our friends at Celebrity Net Worth note:
Fahrenheit 911 raked in $230 million in theaters and another $3 million in DVD sales. After the theaters take their traditional 50% cut, that leaves roughly $130 million. Take away marketing, production and distribution expenses and Moore is conservatively left with $80 million. Moore was able to secure a deal from Miramax which guaranteed him 27% of his film’s net revenues, or roughly $21.6 million. Michael also was entitled to 50% of the profits of Sicko which are estimated to be $17 million.
Moore didn't discuss any of this in his piece Thursday, nor did he mention his current net worth is $50 million.
I guess he's not interested in telling the whole truth yet.
About the Author
Noel Sheppard is the Associate Editor of NewsBusters. Click here to follow Noel Sheppard on Twitter.
Wall Street protests
By Noel Sheppard | October 28, 2011 | 14:40
On Wednesday NewsBusters exposed Occupy Wall Street supporter Michael Moore for lying on national television about his wealth.
Clearly feeling the pressure to come clean, the schlockumentary filmmaker took to his blog Thursday to set the record straight - kind of:
Twenty-two years ago this coming Tuesday, I stood with a group of factory workers, students and the unemployed in the middle of the downtown of my birthplace, Flint, Michigan, to announce that the Hollywood studio, Warner Bros., had purchased the world rights to distribute my first movie, 'Roger & Me.' A reporter asked me, "How much did you sell it for?"
"Three million dollars!" I proudly exclaimed. A cheer went up from the union guys surrounding me. It was absolutely unheard of for one of us in the working class of Flint (or anywhere) to receive such a sum of money unless one of us had either robbed a bank or, by luck, won the Michigan lottery.
Moore went on to explain what he did with his jackpot:
1. I would first pay all my taxes. I told the guy who did my 1040 not to declare any deductions other than the mortgage and to pay the full federal, state and city tax rate. I proudly contributed nearly 1 million dollars for the privilege of being a citizen of this great country.
2. Of the remaining $2 million, I decided to divide it up the way I once heard the folksinger/activist Harry Chapin tell me how he lived: "One for me, one for the other guy." So I took half the money -- $1 million -- and established a foundation to give it all away.
3. The remaining million went like this: I paid off all my debts, paid off the debts of some friends and family members, bought my parents a new refrigerator, set up college funds for our nieces and nephews, helped rebuild a black church that had been burned down in Flint, gave out a thousand turkeys at Thanksgiving, bought filmmaking equipment to send to the Vietnamese (my own personal reparations for a country we had ravaged), annually bought 10,000 toys to give to Toys for Tots at Christmas, got myself a new American-made Honda, and took out a mortgage on an apartment above a Baby Gap in New York City.
4. What remained went into a simple, low-interest savings account. I made the decision that I would never buy a share of stock (I didn't understand the casino known as the New York Stock Exchange and I did not believe in investing in a system I did not agree with).
It really is something when a man lies to cover up his lies.
After all, in 2005, Peter Schweizer in his book "Do As I Say (Not As I Do): Profiles in Liberal Hypocrisy" included a copy of Moore's schedule D from one of his tax filings showing that the schlockumentarian at one point owned almost 2,000 shares of Boeing, nearly 1,000 shares of Sonoco, more than 4,000 shares of Best Foods, more than 3,000 shares of Eli Lilly, more than 8,000 shares of Bank One, and more than 2,000 shares of Halliburton.
As Schweizer told MSNBC's Joe Scarborough on November 3, 2005:
PETER SCHWEIZER: Well, Michael Moore has said at least half-a-dozen times, I don`t own a single share of stock, because he considers investing in the stock market to be dirty money.
Well, I guess he is technically correct. He doesn`t own a single share of stock. He owns tens of thousands of shares of stock. And what is interesting is, is looking at the portfolio.
Michael Moore, yes, the same Michael Moore, owns shares in defense contractors like Boeing. He owns...
(CROSSTALK)
JOE SCARBOROUGH: No. Well, hold -- hold on. No way. You are telling me...
SCHWEIZER: Yes.
SCARBOROUGH: ... that Mr. "Fahrenheit 9/11" profits off of the war, because Boeing profits off the war, that he despises?
SCHWEIZER: Yes, that`s exactly right. He owns shares in Honeywell.
And, believe it or not, Joe -- it`s on the back cover of the book -- he, in recent years, has owned shares in Halliburton, the Darth Vader of corporate America.
SCARBOROUGH: OK. Hold on. I got to stop you, Peter...
(LAUGHTER)
SCARBOROUGH: ... because this guy said that he doesn`t invest on Wall Street. Are you telling me that he just is just lying to us?
SCHWEIZER: It`s a flat, bald-faced lie. When he says that he doesn`t own shares, I pulled IRS forms from a tax shelter of his. And he has hundreds of thousands of dollars on the stock market.
Right now, for example, he is preparing a film on pharmaceutical companies, attacking the health care industry. In recent years, he has owned shares in Tenet Healthcare, which runs HMOs, Pfizer, and Eli Lilly. He is a complete hypocrite on this front.
SCARBOROUGH: And we have got to go to a break, and I want to talk to you on the other side.
But, just before we go to the break, are you telling me again that Michael Moore has owned stock in Halliburton?
SCHWEIZER: Yes. That`s what his IRS forms -- and he signed his own IRS forms.
Story Continues Below Ad ↓
So Moore's own IRS forms show that one of his tax shelters owns thousands of shares of stock.
But that's not what he wrote Thursday: "I made the decision that I would never buy a share of stock (I didn't understand the casino known as the New York Stock Exchange and I did not believe in investing in a system I did not agree with)."
As such, he's lying again.
Also of note, Moore discussed the $3 million he made from Roger and Me, but he didn't say a word about earnings from subsequent films.
As our friends at Celebrity Net Worth note:
Fahrenheit 911 raked in $230 million in theaters and another $3 million in DVD sales. After the theaters take their traditional 50% cut, that leaves roughly $130 million. Take away marketing, production and distribution expenses and Moore is conservatively left with $80 million. Moore was able to secure a deal from Miramax which guaranteed him 27% of his film’s net revenues, or roughly $21.6 million. Michael also was entitled to 50% of the profits of Sicko which are estimated to be $17 million.
Moore didn't discuss any of this in his piece Thursday, nor did he mention his current net worth is $50 million.
I guess he's not interested in telling the whole truth yet.
About the Author
Noel Sheppard is the Associate Editor of NewsBusters. Click here to follow Noel Sheppard on Twitter.
Wall Street protests
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Here The Frailest Leaves Of Me
by Walt Whitman
HERE the frailest leaves of me, and yet my strongest-lasting:
Here I shade and hide my thoughts--I myself do not expose them,
And yet they expose me more than all my other
HERE the frailest leaves of me, and yet my strongest-lasting:
Here I shade and hide my thoughts--I myself do not expose them,
And yet they expose me more than all my other
A Doctor's Request
by Starvngpoet
He said to get undressed.
I did as I was told.
He said to stand before him,
to stand high upon my toes.
I wasn't sure if this was part of the exam.
For the nature of my visit was just a cold.
I didn't know what to do,
as fear took control.
With his fingers deep inside of me,
he said to breathe.
But fear had me bound.
I told my family,
what he did to me.
They said I was lying,
said I led him on.
For he is a great man
and could do no wrong.
But God knows the truth
I guess my life isn't much use,
For I am the keeper of his abuse.
He said to get undressed.
I did as I was told.
He said to stand before him,
to stand high upon my toes.
I wasn't sure if this was part of the exam.
For the nature of my visit was just a cold.
I didn't know what to do,
as fear took control.
With his fingers deep inside of me,
he said to breathe.
But fear had me bound.
I told my family,
what he did to me.
They said I was lying,
said I led him on.
For he is a great man
and could do no wrong.
But God knows the truth
I guess my life isn't much use,
For I am the keeper of his abuse.
Happy Birthday To Me
Today is my birthday.
Thank you for giving me life.
Thank you for giving me away.
Thank you for letting her have me.
For without your love
I know how to hate.
Thank you for giving me life.
Thank you for giving me away.
Thank you for letting her have me.
For without your love
I know how to hate.
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Do You Believe In Miracles?
Please support Martina and her family during this time and pray for a successful recovery.
Thank you
http://www.curesearchwalk.org/faf/donorReg/donorPledge.asp?ievent=993563&lis=1&kntae993563=5F5039BE49A24FF7B1B963DA14B4631E&supId=0&team=4882031&cj=
Thank you
http://www.curesearchwalk.org/faf/donorReg/donorPledge.asp?ievent=993563&lis=1&kntae993563=5F5039BE49A24FF7B1B963DA14B4631E&supId=0&team=4882031&cj=
Yes We Can
For the first time in our nation's history, Congress has passed comprehensive health care reform. America waited a hundred years and fought for decades to reach this moment. Tonight, thanks to you, we are finally here.
Consider the staggering scope of what you have just accomplished:
Because of you, every American will finally be guaranteed high quality, affordable health care coverage.
Every American will be covered under the toughest patient protections in history. Arbitrary premium hikes, insurance cancellations, and discrimination against pre-existing conditions will now be gone forever.
And we'll finally start reducing the cost of care -- creating millions of jobs, preventing families and businesses from plunging into bankruptcy, and removing over a trillion dollars of debt from the backs of our children.
But the victory that matters most tonight goes beyond the laws and far past the numbers.
It is the peace of mind enjoyed by every American, no longer one injury or illness away from catastrophe.
It is the workers and entrepreneurs who are now freed to pursue their slice of the American dream without fear of losing coverage or facing a crippling bill.
And it is the immeasurable joy of families in every part of this great nation, living happier, healthier lives together because they can finally receive the vital care they need.
This is what change looks like.
My gratitude tonight is profound. I am thankful for those in past generations whose heroic efforts brought this great goal within reach for our times. I am thankful for the members of Congress whose months of effort and brave votes made it possible to take this final step. But most of all, I am thankful for you.
This day is not the end of this journey. Much hard work remains, and we have a solemn responsibility to do it right. But we can face that work together with the confidence of those who have moved mountains.
Our journey began three years ago, driven by a shared belief that fundamental change is indeed still possible. We have worked hard together every day since to deliver on that belief.
We have shared moments of tremendous hope, and we've faced setbacks and doubt. We have all been forced to ask if our politics had simply become too polarized and too short-sighted to meet the pressing challenges of our time. This struggle became a test of whether the American people could still rally together when the cause was right -- and actually create the change we believe in.
Tonight, thanks to your mighty efforts, the answer is indisputable: Yes we can.
Thank you,
President Barack Obama
Consider the staggering scope of what you have just accomplished:
Because of you, every American will finally be guaranteed high quality, affordable health care coverage.
Every American will be covered under the toughest patient protections in history. Arbitrary premium hikes, insurance cancellations, and discrimination against pre-existing conditions will now be gone forever.
And we'll finally start reducing the cost of care -- creating millions of jobs, preventing families and businesses from plunging into bankruptcy, and removing over a trillion dollars of debt from the backs of our children.
But the victory that matters most tonight goes beyond the laws and far past the numbers.
It is the peace of mind enjoyed by every American, no longer one injury or illness away from catastrophe.
It is the workers and entrepreneurs who are now freed to pursue their slice of the American dream without fear of losing coverage or facing a crippling bill.
And it is the immeasurable joy of families in every part of this great nation, living happier, healthier lives together because they can finally receive the vital care they need.
This is what change looks like.
My gratitude tonight is profound. I am thankful for those in past generations whose heroic efforts brought this great goal within reach for our times. I am thankful for the members of Congress whose months of effort and brave votes made it possible to take this final step. But most of all, I am thankful for you.
This day is not the end of this journey. Much hard work remains, and we have a solemn responsibility to do it right. But we can face that work together with the confidence of those who have moved mountains.
Our journey began three years ago, driven by a shared belief that fundamental change is indeed still possible. We have worked hard together every day since to deliver on that belief.
We have shared moments of tremendous hope, and we've faced setbacks and doubt. We have all been forced to ask if our politics had simply become too polarized and too short-sighted to meet the pressing challenges of our time. This struggle became a test of whether the American people could still rally together when the cause was right -- and actually create the change we believe in.
Tonight, thanks to your mighty efforts, the answer is indisputable: Yes we can.
Thank you,
President Barack Obama
What Happens Next
Since the House of Representatives voted to pass health reform legislation on Sunday night, the legislative process and its political impact have been the focus of all the newspapers and cable TV pundits.
Outside of DC, however, many Americans are trying to cut through the chatter and get to the substance of reform with a simple question: "What does health insurance reform actually mean for me?" To help, we've put together some of the key benefits from health insurance reform.
Let's start with how health insurance reform will expand and strengthen coverage:
This year, children with pre-existing conditions can no longer be denied health insurance coverage. Once the new health insurance exchanges begin in the coming years, pre-existing condition discrimination will become a thing of the past for everyone.
This year, health care plans will allow young people to remain on their parents' insurance policy up until their 26th birthday.
This year, insurance companies will be banned from dropping people from coverage when they get sick, and they will be banned from implementing lifetime caps on coverage. This year, restrictive annual limits on coverage will be banned for certain plans. Under health insurance reform, Americans will be ensured access to the care they need.
This year, adults who are uninsured because of pre-existing conditions will have access to affordable insurance through a temporary subsidized high-risk pool.
In the next fiscal year, the bill increases funding for community health centers, so they can treat nearly double the number of patients over the next five years.
This year, we'll also establish an independent commission to advise on how best to build the health care workforce and increase the number of nurses, doctors and other professionals to meet our country's needs. Going forward, we will provide $1.5 billion in funding to support the next generation of doctors, nurses and other primary care practitioners -- on top of a $500 million investment from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
Health insurance reform will also curb some of the worst insurance industry practices and strengthen consumer protections:
This year, this bill creates a new, independent appeals process that ensures consumers in new private plans have access to an effective process to appeal decisions made by their insurer.
This year, discrimination based on salary will be outlawed. New group health plans will be prohibited from establishing any eligibility rules for health care coverage that discriminate in favor of higher-wage employees.
Beginning this fiscal year, this bill provides funding to states to help establish offices of health insurance consumer assistance in order to help individuals in the process of filing complaints or appeals against insurance companies.
Starting January 1, 2011, insurers in the individual and small group market will be required to spend 80 percent of their premium dollars on medical services. Insurers in the large group market will be required to spend 85 percent of their premium dollars on medical services. Any insurers who don't meet those thresholds will be required to provide rebates to their policyholders.
Starting in 2011, this bill helps states require insurance companies to submit justification for requested premium increases. Any company with excessive or unjustified premium increases may not be able to participate in the new health insurance exchanges.
Reform immediately begins to lower health care costs for American families and small businesses:
This year, small businesses that choose to offer coverage will begin to receive tax credits of up to 35 percent of premiums to help make employee coverage more affordable.
This year, new private plans will be required to provide free preventive care: no co-payments and no deductibles for preventive services. And beginning January 1, 2011, Medicare will do the same.
This year, this bill will provide help for early retirees by creating a temporary re-insurance program to help offset the costs of expensive premiums for employers and retirees age 55-64.
This year, this bill starts to close the Medicare Part D 'donut hole' by providing a $250 rebate to Medicare beneficiaries who hit the gap in prescription drug coverage. And beginning in 2011, the bill institutes a 50% discount on prescription drugs in the 'donut hole.'
Thank you,
Nancy-Ann DeParle
Director, White House Office of Health Reform
Outside of DC, however, many Americans are trying to cut through the chatter and get to the substance of reform with a simple question: "What does health insurance reform actually mean for me?" To help, we've put together some of the key benefits from health insurance reform.
Let's start with how health insurance reform will expand and strengthen coverage:
This year, children with pre-existing conditions can no longer be denied health insurance coverage. Once the new health insurance exchanges begin in the coming years, pre-existing condition discrimination will become a thing of the past for everyone.
This year, health care plans will allow young people to remain on their parents' insurance policy up until their 26th birthday.
This year, insurance companies will be banned from dropping people from coverage when they get sick, and they will be banned from implementing lifetime caps on coverage. This year, restrictive annual limits on coverage will be banned for certain plans. Under health insurance reform, Americans will be ensured access to the care they need.
This year, adults who are uninsured because of pre-existing conditions will have access to affordable insurance through a temporary subsidized high-risk pool.
In the next fiscal year, the bill increases funding for community health centers, so they can treat nearly double the number of patients over the next five years.
This year, we'll also establish an independent commission to advise on how best to build the health care workforce and increase the number of nurses, doctors and other professionals to meet our country's needs. Going forward, we will provide $1.5 billion in funding to support the next generation of doctors, nurses and other primary care practitioners -- on top of a $500 million investment from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
Health insurance reform will also curb some of the worst insurance industry practices and strengthen consumer protections:
This year, this bill creates a new, independent appeals process that ensures consumers in new private plans have access to an effective process to appeal decisions made by their insurer.
This year, discrimination based on salary will be outlawed. New group health plans will be prohibited from establishing any eligibility rules for health care coverage that discriminate in favor of higher-wage employees.
Beginning this fiscal year, this bill provides funding to states to help establish offices of health insurance consumer assistance in order to help individuals in the process of filing complaints or appeals against insurance companies.
Starting January 1, 2011, insurers in the individual and small group market will be required to spend 80 percent of their premium dollars on medical services. Insurers in the large group market will be required to spend 85 percent of their premium dollars on medical services. Any insurers who don't meet those thresholds will be required to provide rebates to their policyholders.
Starting in 2011, this bill helps states require insurance companies to submit justification for requested premium increases. Any company with excessive or unjustified premium increases may not be able to participate in the new health insurance exchanges.
Reform immediately begins to lower health care costs for American families and small businesses:
This year, small businesses that choose to offer coverage will begin to receive tax credits of up to 35 percent of premiums to help make employee coverage more affordable.
This year, new private plans will be required to provide free preventive care: no co-payments and no deductibles for preventive services. And beginning January 1, 2011, Medicare will do the same.
This year, this bill will provide help for early retirees by creating a temporary re-insurance program to help offset the costs of expensive premiums for employers and retirees age 55-64.
This year, this bill starts to close the Medicare Part D 'donut hole' by providing a $250 rebate to Medicare beneficiaries who hit the gap in prescription drug coverage. And beginning in 2011, the bill institutes a 50% discount on prescription drugs in the 'donut hole.'
Thank you,
Nancy-Ann DeParle
Director, White House Office of Health Reform
Publishing Scams
By Patricia L. Fry
Imagine that you are an author. You've just received a shipment of your first published book from your printer or POD publisher. You admire your book, hold it, fondle it and do your best to keep from dancing around the room. Some of you do dance around the room—I did. I even broke out a bottle of champagne.
You head for the nearest mega-bookstore to experience the thrill of seeing your books shelved there next to America's bestsellers. You search and you search, but your book is nowhere to be found. As any savvy marketer would do, you approach the store manager.
"I'm sorry," he says. "We don't carry self-published or digitally published books." WHAT? That's certainly not what your fee-based POD publisher told you. In fact, as you recall, your POD publishing representatives claimed that your book would be sold in all major bookstores throughout the nation.
Think about it, is that really what she said? Or did she say, "We will make your book available to all major bookstores throughout the nation?" Translated, this means, "If a bookstore manager comes to us looking for a book of this type, we will be sure to tell him about yours."
I meet numerous disillusioned and disappointed authors each year at conferences, book festivals and online. They are shocked to learn that bookstores will not carry their books and they don't know where to turn for sales. It might surprise you to know that even some of the small and medium-sized publishing houses do not have access to bookstores as an outlet for their authors' books.
My advice to these authors is, "If the entrance to the bookstore is closed, go through the backdoor." I tell them, in essence, "Instead of whining and griping, expend your energies making your book irresistible to booksellers." How? Promote. Promote. Promote. When customers come in droves requesting your book, bookstores will stock it.
Demonstrate to the powers-that-be at Barnes and Noble and Borders that your book can attract hundreds or thousands of customers and they may well decide to carry it. Here are some ideas:
Make Your Book More Salable
A man came to me once with his self-published book and asked, "Why won't bookstores carry my book?" At first glance, I could tell him several reasons. The book did not have an International Standard Book Number (ISBN) or a bar code. He had not filled out the Advance Book Information form (ABI) thus his book was not listed in Books In Print (the main directory through which booksellers order books). And the book had a comb binding. Bookstore owners and librarians are reluctant to stock comb bound and saddle stitched (stapled) books.
This man had also made another universal mistake. He wrote the book as a first step. I tell my clients, readers and audiences to always write a book proposal first. If you compile a complete, honest and thorough book proposal before ever putting pen to paper or fingers to keyboard, you will produce a more salable book.
A book proposal is a business plan for your book and, whether you want to believe it or not, your book is a product. Learn more about writing a book proposal by reading, How to Write a Successful Book Proposal in 8 Days or Less (Matilija Press, 2005).
Announce Your Book To The World
Have you heard the phrase, build it and they will come? Well, this concept worked in the movie, but it is the wrong approach to selling books. The author's motto or mantra should be: promote, promote, promote.
Whether you've landed a big fish in the publishing industry or you decide to jump in and swim with the sharks, it is up to you—the author—to promote your book. No one will buy your wonderful book if they don't know about it. No one will know about it unless you tell them. And with so many books being published today and readership dwindling, competition is an obstacle that most hopeful authors fail to consider.
This is not to say that selling books is impossible. On the contrary, it just takes creativity, time, energy and the willingness to step outside your comfort zone. A key to selling books is letting people know the book exists.
How does one get the word out? Send press releases to newspapers, newsletters and magazines. Announce your book, request a book review, offer to write an article and/or make yourself available for an interview.
Research newspapers through www.newspaperlinks.com, www.newspapers.com or www.onlinenewspapers.com. Locate columns related to your book topic: cooking, pets, education, fashion, crafts, business, seniors, finance or home and garden, for example. If you've written a novel or historical account set in a particular region, contact newspapers in that geographic area.
Locate appropriate magazines to contact through Writer's Market, writersmarket.com or woodenhorsepub.com.
Gale's Directory of Publications lists newsletters whose editors are hungry for new about books such as yours.
Make news by doing something noteworthy. Start a charity related to your topic, head up an unusual project and involve hundreds of people or attempt a difficult fete and challenge others to participate. Create stories worth reporting and then send press releases to appropriate media.
Newspaper stories, articles and interviews sell books. If you can get even just one newspaper in each state to run a story about you or to review your book, you could conceivably attract thousands of customers. If your book is listed in Books in Print, every bookstore everywhere can order it for their customers who request it.
Talk It Up
Let word of mouth drive sales. That is, your words coming from your mouth. Don't wait for others to start talking about your book. You create the buzz.
Talk about your book everywhere you go. Carry a copy of your book in your purse or briefcase and a carton in your trunk.
Arrange speaking engagements. Go out and talk to civic group members, at conferences related to the subject of your book and at writing/publishing conferences. Appropriate venues for your talks might include libraries, schools, churches, synagogues, senior centers, specialty stores and/or businesses for example. If you have a book on ADHD, you might get gigs at medical conventions and PTA meetings. Schedule talks about your Civil War novel at Daughters of the American Revolution and historical society meetings as well as museums. Promote your book on business management through presentations at corporations, businesses conventions and so forth.
Carry Your Message Far and Wide
Arrange book signings and presentations throughout the U.S. Coordinate these with your visit to family in Colorado, your vacation on the east coast and your spouse's business meeting to the northwest. Independent bookstores are usually open to book signings. If you can't get into a bookstore, solicit specialty stores related to your book, coffee houses or other venues.
Before arriving for the event, arrange for a spot on a local talk radio or TV show. Alert at least one bookstore in this city to the fact that you are coming and that you will be promoting your book through radio station XYZ, for example. Knowing this, they will most likely take some of your books on consignment.
Be sure to get newspaper publicity for your presentation. Send press releases to all local newspapers at least 2 ½ weeks prior to your visit and follow up with phone calls.
Visit other bookstores while in the area to see if you can place books with them. If you have managed good coverage for your talk and good publicity for your book, they will probably agree to stock your books.
Produce an interesting, informative, entertaining newsletter. Use it to promote your book, of course, while also giving your readers something of value. How many times have you been told that you must give in order to receive? It's true in book promotion, too. Ask potential customers to request your book directly from bookstores in their areas. As your subscriber list grows, so will your book sales.
Solicit the Indies—Independent Bookstores, That is
You might be surprised to know that there are still hundreds of independent bookstores around. What is an independent bookstore? It's independently operated. The owner does not have to answer to a big conglomerate. Show an indie owner that you can bring in customers and he or she will carry your book. Be willing to leave your books on consignment and the deal becomes even more attractive to a bookseller.
Approach booksellers in person. Visit those within your community, throughout your county and then up and down your state. Travel to nearby states for access to more independent bookstores. And always stop in to show off your book to booksellers whenever you're traveling.
Follow up in two ways—by doing your part to initiate sales in these areas and by checking back frequently with the store manager to monitor sales and payment.
Learn How to Play With the Big Boys
Land a traditional royalty publisher who has access to bookstore shelf space and your book will, most likely, be sold through mega-bookstores. How can you get a big publisher to give you the time of day? Make an impression.
There is one thing that impresses most publishers and that is a big bottom line. Show a publisher the money, honey, and he is likely to give you a whirl. Make sales, any kind of sales. Sell books over the Internet, go door-to-door, set up a stand on a hot day and give free lemonade with each book purchase, have friends living throughout the U.S. act as sales reps in their areas, buy billboard space in New York City for a month. Sell enough books and generate a following and a publisher will become interested in your project.
Here are two publishing industry truths:
Having your book in Barnes and Noble and/or Borders does not guarantee that your books will sell well. Not even! Many of the books that make it into a bookstore have a very short shelf life. Just look at the competition in these mega-bookstores. Books that aren't selling well, are removed from the system within a matter of months.
Many authors become successful without ever stepping foot in a mega-bookstore. They sell books through specialty stores and Amazon.com. They do back-of-the-room sales. They sell corporations on purchasing their books as premiums (to give away to customers, for example). Other lucrative customers might include libraries and school districts. Some authors market their books quite successfully through their professional-grade Web sites.
Some of you have already found out that authorship is not for wimps. While you may have been in your element while writing your book, promotion is something foreign and even frustrating. Use the points in this article to put things in a more reasonable perspective. Follow the suggestions here and, with or without the bookstores, you will succeed in this business.
Imagine that you are an author. You've just received a shipment of your first published book from your printer or POD publisher. You admire your book, hold it, fondle it and do your best to keep from dancing around the room. Some of you do dance around the room—I did. I even broke out a bottle of champagne.
You head for the nearest mega-bookstore to experience the thrill of seeing your books shelved there next to America's bestsellers. You search and you search, but your book is nowhere to be found. As any savvy marketer would do, you approach the store manager.
"I'm sorry," he says. "We don't carry self-published or digitally published books." WHAT? That's certainly not what your fee-based POD publisher told you. In fact, as you recall, your POD publishing representatives claimed that your book would be sold in all major bookstores throughout the nation.
Think about it, is that really what she said? Or did she say, "We will make your book available to all major bookstores throughout the nation?" Translated, this means, "If a bookstore manager comes to us looking for a book of this type, we will be sure to tell him about yours."
I meet numerous disillusioned and disappointed authors each year at conferences, book festivals and online. They are shocked to learn that bookstores will not carry their books and they don't know where to turn for sales. It might surprise you to know that even some of the small and medium-sized publishing houses do not have access to bookstores as an outlet for their authors' books.
My advice to these authors is, "If the entrance to the bookstore is closed, go through the backdoor." I tell them, in essence, "Instead of whining and griping, expend your energies making your book irresistible to booksellers." How? Promote. Promote. Promote. When customers come in droves requesting your book, bookstores will stock it.
Demonstrate to the powers-that-be at Barnes and Noble and Borders that your book can attract hundreds or thousands of customers and they may well decide to carry it. Here are some ideas:
Make Your Book More Salable
A man came to me once with his self-published book and asked, "Why won't bookstores carry my book?" At first glance, I could tell him several reasons. The book did not have an International Standard Book Number (ISBN) or a bar code. He had not filled out the Advance Book Information form (ABI) thus his book was not listed in Books In Print (the main directory through which booksellers order books). And the book had a comb binding. Bookstore owners and librarians are reluctant to stock comb bound and saddle stitched (stapled) books.
This man had also made another universal mistake. He wrote the book as a first step. I tell my clients, readers and audiences to always write a book proposal first. If you compile a complete, honest and thorough book proposal before ever putting pen to paper or fingers to keyboard, you will produce a more salable book.
A book proposal is a business plan for your book and, whether you want to believe it or not, your book is a product. Learn more about writing a book proposal by reading, How to Write a Successful Book Proposal in 8 Days or Less (Matilija Press, 2005).
Announce Your Book To The World
Have you heard the phrase, build it and they will come? Well, this concept worked in the movie, but it is the wrong approach to selling books. The author's motto or mantra should be: promote, promote, promote.
Whether you've landed a big fish in the publishing industry or you decide to jump in and swim with the sharks, it is up to you—the author—to promote your book. No one will buy your wonderful book if they don't know about it. No one will know about it unless you tell them. And with so many books being published today and readership dwindling, competition is an obstacle that most hopeful authors fail to consider.
This is not to say that selling books is impossible. On the contrary, it just takes creativity, time, energy and the willingness to step outside your comfort zone. A key to selling books is letting people know the book exists.
How does one get the word out? Send press releases to newspapers, newsletters and magazines. Announce your book, request a book review, offer to write an article and/or make yourself available for an interview.
Research newspapers through www.newspaperlinks.com, www.newspapers.com or www.onlinenewspapers.com. Locate columns related to your book topic: cooking, pets, education, fashion, crafts, business, seniors, finance or home and garden, for example. If you've written a novel or historical account set in a particular region, contact newspapers in that geographic area.
Locate appropriate magazines to contact through Writer's Market, writersmarket.com or woodenhorsepub.com.
Gale's Directory of Publications lists newsletters whose editors are hungry for new about books such as yours.
Make news by doing something noteworthy. Start a charity related to your topic, head up an unusual project and involve hundreds of people or attempt a difficult fete and challenge others to participate. Create stories worth reporting and then send press releases to appropriate media.
Newspaper stories, articles and interviews sell books. If you can get even just one newspaper in each state to run a story about you or to review your book, you could conceivably attract thousands of customers. If your book is listed in Books in Print, every bookstore everywhere can order it for their customers who request it.
Talk It Up
Let word of mouth drive sales. That is, your words coming from your mouth. Don't wait for others to start talking about your book. You create the buzz.
Talk about your book everywhere you go. Carry a copy of your book in your purse or briefcase and a carton in your trunk.
Arrange speaking engagements. Go out and talk to civic group members, at conferences related to the subject of your book and at writing/publishing conferences. Appropriate venues for your talks might include libraries, schools, churches, synagogues, senior centers, specialty stores and/or businesses for example. If you have a book on ADHD, you might get gigs at medical conventions and PTA meetings. Schedule talks about your Civil War novel at Daughters of the American Revolution and historical society meetings as well as museums. Promote your book on business management through presentations at corporations, businesses conventions and so forth.
Carry Your Message Far and Wide
Arrange book signings and presentations throughout the U.S. Coordinate these with your visit to family in Colorado, your vacation on the east coast and your spouse's business meeting to the northwest. Independent bookstores are usually open to book signings. If you can't get into a bookstore, solicit specialty stores related to your book, coffee houses or other venues.
Before arriving for the event, arrange for a spot on a local talk radio or TV show. Alert at least one bookstore in this city to the fact that you are coming and that you will be promoting your book through radio station XYZ, for example. Knowing this, they will most likely take some of your books on consignment.
Be sure to get newspaper publicity for your presentation. Send press releases to all local newspapers at least 2 ½ weeks prior to your visit and follow up with phone calls.
Visit other bookstores while in the area to see if you can place books with them. If you have managed good coverage for your talk and good publicity for your book, they will probably agree to stock your books.
Produce an interesting, informative, entertaining newsletter. Use it to promote your book, of course, while also giving your readers something of value. How many times have you been told that you must give in order to receive? It's true in book promotion, too. Ask potential customers to request your book directly from bookstores in their areas. As your subscriber list grows, so will your book sales.
Solicit the Indies—Independent Bookstores, That is
You might be surprised to know that there are still hundreds of independent bookstores around. What is an independent bookstore? It's independently operated. The owner does not have to answer to a big conglomerate. Show an indie owner that you can bring in customers and he or she will carry your book. Be willing to leave your books on consignment and the deal becomes even more attractive to a bookseller.
Approach booksellers in person. Visit those within your community, throughout your county and then up and down your state. Travel to nearby states for access to more independent bookstores. And always stop in to show off your book to booksellers whenever you're traveling.
Follow up in two ways—by doing your part to initiate sales in these areas and by checking back frequently with the store manager to monitor sales and payment.
Learn How to Play With the Big Boys
Land a traditional royalty publisher who has access to bookstore shelf space and your book will, most likely, be sold through mega-bookstores. How can you get a big publisher to give you the time of day? Make an impression.
There is one thing that impresses most publishers and that is a big bottom line. Show a publisher the money, honey, and he is likely to give you a whirl. Make sales, any kind of sales. Sell books over the Internet, go door-to-door, set up a stand on a hot day and give free lemonade with each book purchase, have friends living throughout the U.S. act as sales reps in their areas, buy billboard space in New York City for a month. Sell enough books and generate a following and a publisher will become interested in your project.
Here are two publishing industry truths:
Having your book in Barnes and Noble and/or Borders does not guarantee that your books will sell well. Not even! Many of the books that make it into a bookstore have a very short shelf life. Just look at the competition in these mega-bookstores. Books that aren't selling well, are removed from the system within a matter of months.
Many authors become successful without ever stepping foot in a mega-bookstore. They sell books through specialty stores and Amazon.com. They do back-of-the-room sales. They sell corporations on purchasing their books as premiums (to give away to customers, for example). Other lucrative customers might include libraries and school districts. Some authors market their books quite successfully through their professional-grade Web sites.
Some of you have already found out that authorship is not for wimps. While you may have been in your element while writing your book, promotion is something foreign and even frustrating. Use the points in this article to put things in a more reasonable perspective. Follow the suggestions here and, with or without the bookstores, you will succeed in this business.
Healthcare Reform
Dear Mr. President Obama:
Once again, I find myself writing another letter for those of us who desperately need you. I am an American citizen who took a chance on your promise for better health care for all Americans but find myself wondering if I made the right decision. I am a believer that I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. We are in perilous times in this country and we need you to bring us through the storm. I have come to believe that your constituents are not there to help you but hinder you from the fulfillment of the promises you made to the American people.
I see so much turmoil within the Democratic Party that I no longer see commitment to those who elected them into office i.e. we the American people.
We voted the Congress and senators on the Democratic side for a purpose. To help those of us who cannot help ourselves.
So many poor Americans are being thrown into a pile of decay because those who are better off could not care less about their hardship.
I sometimes question America and our faith in God. I am puzzled by our lack of Christianity toward our fellow man. Our compassion and our ability to do as God have told us to do.
Are we not to care for one another including the poor who seem to leave a bad taste in well to do and Republicans' mouth?
Republicans love to talk about religion and God but do not live by His message. They share no compassion for those who are not among the wealthiest 1% of the country and are in control of multinational corporations. Now, your own party is abandoning you. Don't let politics keep you from doing what the people elected you to do. The majority of Americans still want healthcare reform.
My main issue to you in this letter is the same message as before: healthcare for all Americans.
While politics prevails over common sense, citizens without healthcare remain uninsured and are dying.
It is up to you Mr. President to do everything within your power to secure the health of the uninsured. I voted for you because you seem to believe in the dream of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton that All Americans should have a right to healthcare.
This country seems to have money available for every crisis in other countries but our own.
This is an epidemic and we will continue to close doors to hospitals that dedicate their skills and service to the uninsured in this country.
It is high time to stop the insurance companies and the politicians who reap the reward to deny change to the high cost of health care.
Why Are We Afraid To Believe in His Word?
Isa. 58:7~ I want you to share your food with the hungry and bring right into your own homes those who are helpless, poor, and destitute. Clothe those who are cold, and do not hide from relatives who need your help.
Isa. 58:8 ~"If you do these things, God will shed his own glorious light upon you. He will heal you; your godliness will lead you forward, goodness will be a shield before you, and the glory of the Lord will protect you from behind.
Isa. 58:9~ Then, when you call, the Lord will answer. 'Yes, I am here,' he will quickly reply. All you need to do is to stop oppressing the weak and stop making false accusations and spreading vicious rumors!
Isa. 58:10~ "Feed the hungry! Help those in trouble! Then your light will shine out from the darkness, and the darkness around you shall be as bright as day.
Isa. 58:11~ And the Lord will guide you continually, satisfy you with all good things, and keep you healthy too; and you will be like a well-watered garden, like an ever-flowing spring.
http://youtu.be/ht_W5_Ogh0U
Once again, I find myself writing another letter for those of us who desperately need you. I am an American citizen who took a chance on your promise for better health care for all Americans but find myself wondering if I made the right decision. I am a believer that I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. We are in perilous times in this country and we need you to bring us through the storm. I have come to believe that your constituents are not there to help you but hinder you from the fulfillment of the promises you made to the American people.
I see so much turmoil within the Democratic Party that I no longer see commitment to those who elected them into office i.e. we the American people.
We voted the Congress and senators on the Democratic side for a purpose. To help those of us who cannot help ourselves.
So many poor Americans are being thrown into a pile of decay because those who are better off could not care less about their hardship.
I sometimes question America and our faith in God. I am puzzled by our lack of Christianity toward our fellow man. Our compassion and our ability to do as God have told us to do.
Are we not to care for one another including the poor who seem to leave a bad taste in well to do and Republicans' mouth?
Republicans love to talk about religion and God but do not live by His message. They share no compassion for those who are not among the wealthiest 1% of the country and are in control of multinational corporations. Now, your own party is abandoning you. Don't let politics keep you from doing what the people elected you to do. The majority of Americans still want healthcare reform.
My main issue to you in this letter is the same message as before: healthcare for all Americans.
While politics prevails over common sense, citizens without healthcare remain uninsured and are dying.
It is up to you Mr. President to do everything within your power to secure the health of the uninsured. I voted for you because you seem to believe in the dream of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton that All Americans should have a right to healthcare.
This country seems to have money available for every crisis in other countries but our own.
This is an epidemic and we will continue to close doors to hospitals that dedicate their skills and service to the uninsured in this country.
It is high time to stop the insurance companies and the politicians who reap the reward to deny change to the high cost of health care.
Why Are We Afraid To Believe in His Word?
Isa. 58:7~ I want you to share your food with the hungry and bring right into your own homes those who are helpless, poor, and destitute. Clothe those who are cold, and do not hide from relatives who need your help.
Isa. 58:8 ~"If you do these things, God will shed his own glorious light upon you. He will heal you; your godliness will lead you forward, goodness will be a shield before you, and the glory of the Lord will protect you from behind.
Isa. 58:9~ Then, when you call, the Lord will answer. 'Yes, I am here,' he will quickly reply. All you need to do is to stop oppressing the weak and stop making false accusations and spreading vicious rumors!
Isa. 58:10~ "Feed the hungry! Help those in trouble! Then your light will shine out from the darkness, and the darkness around you shall be as bright as day.
Isa. 58:11~ And the Lord will guide you continually, satisfy you with all good things, and keep you healthy too; and you will be like a well-watered garden, like an ever-flowing spring.
http://youtu.be/ht_W5_Ogh0U
Allergy
Running nose, itchy eyes
A constant cough from pollen outside.
Benadryl is the cure for a while.
I'm still captive from my garden,
lined with beds of roses, mums and daisies.
The display of colors are my pride and joy.
That are admired from outside my door.
A constant cough from pollen outside.
Benadryl is the cure for a while.
I'm still captive from my garden,
lined with beds of roses, mums and daisies.
That are admired from outside my door.
Humanity
What qualities do we possess?
To show the world our best,
Allow thy work to speak for itself.
Let your light so shine before men,
that they may see your good works .
Love thy neighbor as thyself.
Pray for our enemies.
Respect all; fear none!
To show the world our best,
Allow thy work to speak for itself.
Let your light so shine before men,
that they may see your good works .
Love thy neighbor as thyself.
Pray for our enemies.
Respect all; fear none!
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Trusrtworthy
She's the one who saved my life.
The one he said would be his wife.
She cared for me when his wife was ill.
A life time of service she has fulfilled.
She helped her best friend through thick and thin.
Hoping to win the husband in the end.
He made that promise to her you see
To marry her and make us a family.
Her best friend passed as years went by.
Now, a secret they share will be revealed
I sit and listen as she explain to me.
The lies of a romance that involves three.
As she conclude her story,
She begins to weep.
I feel anger and sadness
by their lies of deceit.
But I promised to forgive them
For it will never change,
the love that
I have for all involved.
The one he said would be his wife.
She cared for me when his wife was ill.
A life time of service she has fulfilled.
She helped her best friend through thick and thin.
Hoping to win the husband in the end.
He made that promise to her you see
To marry her and make us a family.
Her best friend passed as years went by.
Now, a secret they share will be revealed
I sit and listen as she explain to me.
The lies of a romance that involves three.
As she conclude her story,
She begins to weep.
I feel anger and sadness
by their lies of deceit.
But I promised to forgive them
For it will never change,
the love that
I have for all involved.
Sight
I see light underneath the door.
I hear sounds of whispers.
As I open the door,
I see movement.
She is frowning as she looks at him.
I am afraid for
Her sounds are of pain.
His sounds are of anger.
She tells him no.
He whispers shhhhhhh.
I see her tears as she looks my way.
Oh God,
It is me.
I hear sounds of whispers.
As I open the door,
I see movement.
She is frowning as she looks at him.
I am afraid for
Her sounds are of pain.
His sounds are of anger.
She tells him no.
He whispers shhhhhhh.
I see her tears as she looks my way.
Oh God,
It is me.
Amore
I found love.
Happily in Love,
Together in love.
Miserable without love,
For love complete me.
This I know to be true about love.
For a woman without it,
Is like a wilted flower without sun.
Happily in Love,
Together in love.
Miserable without love,
For love complete me.
This I know to be true about love.
For a woman without it,
Is like a wilted flower without sun.
For The Sake Of Love
I see her sitting in the next isle over watching me.
She whispers something i can't understand.
Winking and pointing,
Her smile fades as
She walks pass without a care.
What was I thinking
My Mother doesn't love me.
She whispers something i can't understand.
Winking and pointing,
Her smile fades as
She walks pass without a care.
What was I thinking
My Mother doesn't love me.
Reflection
I remember the good old days living countryside.
Our family was meager but we had each other’s back.
We lived on the farm with our animals and pets.
It is childhood memories, I will never forget.
My sister’s and I loved to play hide and go seek,
With snowball the dog.
For he was the sprinter and,
could outrace us all.
But it was Ann the cat who was most dear to me.
For we use to run and play by the old pecan tree.
We’d often run through the garden of our home grown food.
And dash back to our house to chase the bats upstairs in the roof.
We had Tony the cow, who loved to moo,
And nanny the goat who browsed as she ate her brush,
Life was so simple and care free.
I will never forget the old house down by the lake.
Our family was meager but we had each other’s back.
We lived on the farm with our animals and pets.
It is childhood memories, I will never forget.
My sister’s and I loved to play hide and go seek,
With snowball the dog.
For he was the sprinter and,
could outrace us all.
But it was Ann the cat who was most dear to me.
For we use to run and play by the old pecan tree.
We’d often run through the garden of our home grown food.
And dash back to our house to chase the bats upstairs in the roof.
We had Tony the cow, who loved to moo,
And nanny the goat who browsed as she ate her brush,
Life was so simple and care free.
I will never forget the old house down by the lake.
Father
I am here.
Tell me what to do.
Let me help,
to make things right for you.
Tell me your thoughts.
I do not like to see you sad.
It's breaking my heart.
Let's take a walk.
It seem to lift your spirit,
Father, come give me your hand,
for I feel that I am losing my dad.
Tell me what to do.
Let me help,
to make things right for you.
Tell me your thoughts.
I do not like to see you sad.
It's breaking my heart.
Let's take a walk.
It seem to lift your spirit,
Father, come give me your hand,
for I feel that I am losing my dad.
Faith
Come here child,
have a seat.
Take a load off your feet,
calm your worries.
Listen carefully to every word.
God loves you,
through all your flaws,
Even when you're in doubt.
Trust in him even more.
For his love is the key to Heavens door.
have a seat.
Take a load off your feet,
calm your worries.
Listen carefully to every word.
God loves you,
through all your flaws,
Even when you're in doubt.
Trust in him even more.
For his love is the key to Heavens door.
Yearning
As I enter the kitchen and stare
at the shelves that are bare.
I imagine plenty of rations
that could relieve my famine.
If only I could nibble an apple,
or eat more than a bean a day.
It seems to be a simple wish,
to have a steady meal on my plate.
at the shelves that are bare.
I imagine plenty of rations
that could relieve my famine.
If only I could nibble an apple,
or eat more than a bean a day.
It seems to be a simple wish,
to have a steady meal on my plate.
Corner
Today I had a visitor.
That no one else could see
He was in my room and throughout my surgery.
Many thought I’d been abandoned.
For my corner chair was bare.
No one to comfort me,
but I knew he was there.
His spirit lies within me.
Something others cannot see.
For God is always near,
if only you believe.
That no one else could see
He was in my room and throughout my surgery.
Many thought I’d been abandoned.
For my corner chair was bare.
No one to comfort me,
but I knew he was there.
His spirit lies within me.
Something others cannot see.
For God is always near,
if only you believe.
Melancholy
As I celebrate the holidays,
I've never felt so alone.
Amidst the company of love ones,
yet my thoughts are far-away.
In another place and time.
Where I search for,
A joyful face or two.
And to share the will of cheer,
for family and friends this year
I've never felt so alone.
Amidst the company of love ones,
yet my thoughts are far-away.
In another place and time.
Where I search for,
A joyful face or two.
And to share the will of cheer,
for family and friends this year
Good Day
Blue sky today.
No clouds in my soul.
I am not restless.
I feel in control.
Where has the pain gone
that tugs at my heart?
I don't know.
I don't care.
I'm sure it will be back.
For today,
I have blue sky
No clouds in my soul.
I am not restless.
I feel in control.
Where has the pain gone
that tugs at my heart?
I don't know.
I don't care.
I'm sure it will be back.
For today,
I have blue sky
Polite
What say you today?
Any words to spew my way?
If you can’t say something kind.
You best be on your way.
Any words to spew my way?
If you can’t say something kind.
You best be on your way.
To Mother
Today you crossed my mind,
as tears stream down my face.
I thought of all the memories,
The elegance you gave us, your beauty and grace.
as tears stream down my face.
I thought of all the memories,
The elegance you gave us, your beauty and grace.
"Opposites Attract"
You complete me.
How do I know?
You are the Yin to my Yang,
we are in perfect harmony.
How do I know?
You are the Yin to my Yang,
we are in perfect harmony.
Angel of Death
I see light
I see angels
I see spirits all around
I am not afraid
I am waiting
When will it end for me
I'm not afraid
I wait my turn
Wondering when
How will you come for me
Who will you send
No I am not afraid
I welcome you until the end
I see angels
I see spirits all around
I am not afraid
I am waiting
When will it end for me
I'm not afraid
I wait my turn
Wondering when
How will you come for me
Who will you send
No I am not afraid
I welcome you until the end
An Ideal Country
In my dream, I lived in a country where there was no poverty and that every child had an equal opportunity for a good education. Where mothers and fathers forsake their needs and provided food, shelter, clothing and a stable home for their children. I lived in a country where there was equal employment and equal pay for every citizen. Free health care was provided for all legal citizens. A place where a person was not a cast away because of his or her status or place of dwelling.
There were no Conservatives, Elitist, Liberals, Libertarians, or any other political label. We shared a common ground in what direction our country should go. Our nation was strong against our allies. We kept our nose out of other countries business. We weren't a bank of lenders and borrowers to other countries for we were a wealthy nation of supply and demand. Fuel and energy sufficiency. We took care of our own. A nation to envy.
We supported our soldiers in unity. Our men and women of the armed forces received the best training, healthcare, and employment security before and after discharged for their commitment to protect and serve this great country.
In my dream, I dreamt that our police department hired honorable and ethical men and women to serve and protect our cities, and communities. They were officer friendly to all citizens and our responsibility was to protect them as they risk their lives to remove evil from our homes and neighborhoods. We believed in innocent until proven guilty and equal justice for all.
Our Pledge of Allegiance had meaning. We were one nation under God, indivisible with equal justice for all. We were proud to see our flag fly proudly over the land of the free and the home of the brave.
In my dream we were a proud and strong nation. We were the new America.
There were no Conservatives, Elitist, Liberals, Libertarians, or any other political label. We shared a common ground in what direction our country should go. Our nation was strong against our allies. We kept our nose out of other countries business. We weren't a bank of lenders and borrowers to other countries for we were a wealthy nation of supply and demand. Fuel and energy sufficiency. We took care of our own. A nation to envy.
We supported our soldiers in unity. Our men and women of the armed forces received the best training, healthcare, and employment security before and after discharged for their commitment to protect and serve this great country.
In my dream, I dreamt that our police department hired honorable and ethical men and women to serve and protect our cities, and communities. They were officer friendly to all citizens and our responsibility was to protect them as they risk their lives to remove evil from our homes and neighborhoods. We believed in innocent until proven guilty and equal justice for all.
Our Pledge of Allegiance had meaning. We were one nation under God, indivisible with equal justice for all. We were proud to see our flag fly proudly over the land of the free and the home of the brave.
In my dream we were a proud and strong nation. We were the new America.
Wishful Thinking
Sometimes I sit at my desk
and think of a wonderful wish.
That I'd see him walk thru that door
and I would not have to dream no more
of a handsome prince he'd be.
Who would rescue a girl like me.
In his arms I’d feel warm and safe,
as I am whisked to our special place.
It is there I'd lie upon his chest
and close my eyes for a rest.
Knowing that my prince is with me
and forever there we will be.
and think of a wonderful wish.
That I'd see him walk thru that door
and I would not have to dream no more
of a handsome prince he'd be.
Who would rescue a girl like me.
In his arms I’d feel warm and safe,
as I am whisked to our special place.
It is there I'd lie upon his chest
and close my eyes for a rest.
Knowing that my prince is with me
and forever there we will be.
Deliver from Bondage
Hear me Lord,
Release my brothers and sisters from man chain.
Free their suffering, give them freedom.
Guide them, O' God bless their souls.
Chisel away man made mold.
Hear my plea.
As I pray with them on bended knee.
I cry their tears and feel their pain.
I await the day, for the power they will gain.
Amen.
Release my brothers and sisters from man chain.
Free their suffering, give them freedom.
Guide them, O' God bless their souls.
Chisel away man made mold.
Hear my plea.
As I pray with them on bended knee.
I cry their tears and feel their pain.
I await the day, for the power they will gain.
Amen.
Gift of Life
Standing on top of the hill.
Feeling the warm breeze caress my face.
I look across the field, enjoying the view
Listening to the still.
I sit to take in all the beauty of the moment.
It was my piece of heaven.
In my heaven an Angel appeared before me with open arms and a smile.
Bringing warmth to my heart as I smile back.
She had someone with her.
She was smiling as well.
The angel touched her shoulder as she knelled with open arms toward me.
I smiled as I stood to walk to her.
Her embrace was warm as she whispered to me
I am sorry, please forgive me.
With a smile and a kiss I whispered
Mother, you were forgiven the day,
You gave birth to me.
Thank you for the gift of life
With a smile my Mother went home to be with the lord .
Feeling the warm breeze caress my face.
I look across the field, enjoying the view
Listening to the still.
I sit to take in all the beauty of the moment.
It was my piece of heaven.
In my heaven an Angel appeared before me with open arms and a smile.
Bringing warmth to my heart as I smile back.
She had someone with her.
She was smiling as well.
The angel touched her shoulder as she knelled with open arms toward me.
I smiled as I stood to walk to her.
Her embrace was warm as she whispered to me
I am sorry, please forgive me.
With a smile and a kiss I whispered
Mother, you were forgiven the day,
You gave birth to me.
Thank you for the gift of life
With a smile my Mother went home to be with the lord .
An Oath
To thine own self be true
Speak your mind.
Love thy neighbor as God loves you.
Keep the faith of a true believer.
Never give up your right to vote.
Never take your freedom for granted.
Never ever allow someone else decide for you.
America the beautiful grants you the right to choose or loose.
Stand proud.
Be bold and let your voice be heard.
God Bless America .
Speak your mind.
Love thy neighbor as God loves you.
Keep the faith of a true believer.
Never give up your right to vote.
Never take your freedom for granted.
Never ever allow someone else decide for you.
America the beautiful grants you the right to choose or loose.
Stand proud.
Be bold and let your voice be heard.
God Bless America .
Seduction and Politics
He speaks to people
As he touch their hand,
waiting with anticipation for my turn.
Will it be as I imagined?,
Will his touch be worth the wait?
His voice so deep.
I can't escape,
his charm, his power, his touch.
Something from him I enjoy very much.
Thinking back to the first meet
His arms embracing me, So much warmth.
Three weeks later invited to dinner.
The conversation is deep.
It is there that I find he is taken.
He is honest. He is sincere.
What must I do? forsaken all and challenge my fear.
He sees in my eyes, that I want him.
I know that he wants me too.
If not, why am I here?
I will do what's right .
Enjoy the evening.
The warm embrace before I go on my way .
As he touch their hand,
waiting with anticipation for my turn.
Will it be as I imagined?,
Will his touch be worth the wait?
His voice so deep.
I can't escape,
his charm, his power, his touch.
Something from him I enjoy very much.
Thinking back to the first meet
His arms embracing me, So much warmth.
Three weeks later invited to dinner.
The conversation is deep.
It is there that I find he is taken.
He is honest. He is sincere.
What must I do? forsaken all and challenge my fear.
He sees in my eyes, that I want him.
I know that he wants me too.
If not, why am I here?
I will do what's right .
Enjoy the evening.
The warm embrace before I go on my way .
Fear
Here he comes,
The man with the shoes.
He wears blue pants, a blue shirt,
And a belt that he uses.
I can't see his face.
I hide under the table.
He frightens me.
His shoes are big,
His voice is deep.
Please help me,
I can't sleep.
The man with the shoes.
He wears blue pants, a blue shirt,
And a belt that he uses.
I can't see his face.
I hide under the table.
He frightens me.
His shoes are big,
His voice is deep.
Please help me,
I can't sleep.
A Mother's Loss
A poem for my sister Patricia
I sit alone.
Wondering what went wrong.
Last night we sat holding hands
talking about his plans.
Today I can not understand.
So cold are his face and hands.
I ask my God why?
Silence is his reply.
Another loss, I have gained.
I hold my chest to stop the pain.
My God, my Father.
My child, my son,
So innocent and young.
I hold his picture close to my heart,
this Is how my morning starts.
I love you son, you're in good hands.
No more harm or pain from man.
I sit alone.
Wondering what went wrong.
Last night we sat holding hands
talking about his plans.
Today I can not understand.
So cold are his face and hands.
I ask my God why?
Silence is his reply.
Another loss, I have gained.
I hold my chest to stop the pain.
My God, my Father.
My child, my son,
So innocent and young.
I hold his picture close to my heart,
this Is how my morning starts.
I love you son, you're in good hands.
No more harm or pain from man.
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