Deb Adler's Blog

"Food Corps" teaches children healthy eating

2011-11-24T23:55:00.000-05:00

The Early Show - Troops celebrate Thanksgiving as drawdown nears

2011-11-24T15:39:00.000-05:00

Harrys Law - It Gets Better - Video - http://www.nbc.com

2011-10-21T13:44:00.000-04:00

Harrys Law - It Gets Better - Video - http://www.nbc.com

Plastic found at the ends of the earth | Surfrider Foundation

2011-09-27T13:11:00.000-04:00

Plastic found at the ends of the earth | Surfrider Foundation

Get off your knees

2011-09-22T16:59:00.000-04:00

Get off your knees

Alaska Judge Strikes Down State Tax Law That Discriminates Against Gay Couples

2011-09-20T19:10:00.000-04:00

Alaska Judge Strikes Down State Tax Law That Discriminates Against Gay Couples: pAlaska law permits older married couples to take a property tax deduction that is as much as twice as generous to married couples as it is to unmarried couples who own their home together. Because gay couples are unable to marry in Alaska, this means that people in committed gay relationships are excluded from the [...]/p

Bolivia Set to Pass Historic 'Law of Mother Earth' Which Will Grant Nature Equal Rights to Humans

2011-09-13T09:24:00.000-04:00

Bolivia Set to Pass Historic 'Law of Mother Earth' Which Will Grant Nature Equal Rights to Humans

Wild Horse Brave Heart Breaks His Neck in BLM Round-Up

2011-08-31T00:32:00.000-04:00

http://thepersianhorse.wordpress.com/2010/10/12/wild-horse-braveheart-breaks-neck-defending-his-family-from-b-l-m/

15 Extraordinary Social Media Campaigns - Sumac

2011-08-16T10:13:00.000-04:00

15 Extraordinary Social Media Campaigns - Sumac

I AM...

2011-08-15T21:11:00.000-04:00

I am...

A powerful poem shared by Wipe Out Homophobia on FaceBook

I am…

Saluting a gay rights pioneer

2011-08-15T20:55:00.000-04:00

Saluting a gay rights pioneer

Remember Me? Holocaust Children Talk of Survival

2011-08-08T09:26:00.000-04:00

Girl's death inspires thousands to donate

2011-08-01T13:16:00.000-04:00

Musical tonic for hospital dementia patients | Manchester Evening News - menmedia.co.uk

2011-07-10T22:44:00.000-04:00

Musical tonic for hospital dementia patients | Manchester Evening News - menmedia.co.uk

White House changes condolence letter policy

2011-07-05T21:20:00.000-04:00

Independence Day on the Net - Welcome to a celebration of the 4th of July, July 4th, US Independence Day, traditons, history, recipes, crafts

2011-07-04T14:26:00.000-04:00

Independence Day on the Net - Welcome to a celebration of the 4th of July, July 4th, US Independence Day, traditons, history, recipes, crafts

The lasting lessons of independence

2011-07-04T14:14:00.000-04:00

The lasting lessons of independence

Hold your horses: fracking in NYS is still under review | Kate Sinding's Blog | Switchboard, from NRDC

2011-07-02T00:56:00.000-04:00

Hold your horses: fracking in NYS is still under review | Kate Sinding's Blog | Switchboard, from NRDC

MidOcean Partners Completes Acquisition of Pre-Paid Legal Services, Inc. - KATV Channel 7 - The Spirit of Arkansas:

2011-06-30T21:58:00.000-04:00

MidOcean Partners Completes Acquisition of Pre-Paid Legal Services, Inc. - KATV Channel 7 - The Spirit of Arkansas:

USA’s ‘Covert Affairs' Partners with the American Association of People with Disabilities to Honor the 20th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act - American Association of People with Disabilities

2011-06-30T18:07:00.000-04:00

USA’s ‘Covert Affairs' Partners with the American Association of People with Disabilities to Honor the 20th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act - American Association of People with Disabilities

Simple Truths - Good To The Core

2011-06-27T14:25:00.000-04:00

Simple Truths - We Hope You Enjoyed the movie!

Stark rally protests fracking - News - Ohio

2011-06-27T09:16:00.002-04:00

Stark rally protests fracking - News - Ohio

The passage of drilling in the Ohio's State Parks through the already proven hazardous to your health process of "fracking" is an affront to the current and all future generations of Ohioans and people in the Midwest in general. THIS MUST BE STOPPED! Ohio RISE UP and stop the insanity. these money-hungry politicians would rather sell our children's future than find safe solutions to the budget problems they've created.

Safe drinking water is NOT a commodity on a gambling table. Safe drinking water is a necessity. STOP THIS NOW!

Over 50 — not over the hill | The Columbian

2011-06-21T22:47:00.000-04:00

Over 50 — not over the hill | The Columbian

GLOBAL POLITICAL AWAKENING: What Will Fracking Do to Your Food Supply?

2011-06-17T23:19:00.000-04:00

GLOBAL POLITICAL AWAKENING: What Will Fracking Do to Your Food Supply?: "The controversial gas-drilling practice is tainting water. Your food might be next. Barry Estabrook Fracking Pollution GiltTaste ..."

http://jonathanturley.org/2011/04/10/fracking-usa-a-post-about-the-pennsylvania-department-of-community-and-economic-development-governor-tom-corbett-c-alan-walker-the-marcellus-shale-polluted-drinking-water-and-the-movie-gasland/

2011-06-17T23:11:00.000-04:00

http://jonathanturley.org/2011/04/10/fracking-usa-a-post-about-the-pennsylvania-department-of-community-and-economic-development-governor-tom-corbett-c-alan-walker-the-marcellus-shale-polluted-drinking-water-and-the-movie-gasland/

Ohio Senate Approves Drilling In State Parks

2011-06-17T23:05:00.000-04:00

Ohio Senate Approves Drilling In State Parks: "State parks and other lands in Ohio would be opened to oil and gas drilling under a bill that passed the state Senate on Wednesday, despite environmental concerns raised by Democrats."

DESPITE CONFIRMED REPORTS OF CONTAMINATED WATER SUPPLIES AND EARTHQUAKES in Arkansas rsulting from "Fracking" there, Ohio Governor Kasich is determined to rape the state's natural resources in order to fill the state coffers.

Actor Gary Sinise to begin military charity foundation

2011-06-17T22:21:00.000-04:00

Actor Gary Sinise to begin military charity foundation

To a Child, Love Is Spelled T-I-M-E Movie

2011-06-17T22:17:00.000-04:00

To a Child, Love Is Spelled T-I-M-E Movie: "I'm hopeful that this movie will make you stop and think a bit today about what is TRULY important. It is a remindeder of how crucial it is to "be there" for the important people in your life, and if you're a parent...you know there's really no one more important than your children."

The U.N. Declares Internet Access a Human Right - Technology - The Atlantic Wire

2011-06-15T18:53:00.000-04:00

The U.N. Declares Internet Access a Human Right - Technology - The Atlantic Wire

Simple Truths About Life - A Short Movie

2011-06-12T22:43:00.000-04:00

Simple Truths - We Hope You Enjoyed the movie!

When Jane & Johnny Come Marching Homeless

2011-06-11T17:29:00.000-04:00

When Jane & Johnny Come Marching Homeless

Student graduates after near-fatal concussion recovery

2011-06-11T17:01:00.000-04:00

Six-month old rescue puppy survives tornado

2011-06-06T14:40:00.000-04:00

Fed court case offers challenge to BLM's claim that wild horses aren't native to US :: The Republic

2011-06-05T22:18:00.000-04:00

Fed court case offers challenge to BLM's claim that wild horses aren't native to US :: The Republic

Actor Sinise donates school supplies for Haiti - Miami-Dade - MiamiHerald.com

2011-06-01T15:10:00.000-04:00

Actor Sinise donates school supplies for Haiti - Miami-Dade - MiamiHerald.com

"National Memorial Day Concert," With Gary Sinise, Joe Mantegna, Dianne Wiest, Kris Allen, Airs May 29 - Playbill.com

2011-05-29T14:51:00.000-04:00

"National Memorial Day Concert," With Gary Sinise, Joe Mantegna, Dianne Wiest, Kris Allen, Airs May 29 - Playbill.com

TheStar Dog crawls home on broken legs 3 weeks after tornado

2011-05-27T02:11:00.000-04:00

TheStar Dog crawls home on broken legs 3 weeks after tornado

Borowitz Report - God: ‘I’ll End the World When I’m Good and Ready, Me Damn It’

2011-05-21T20:09:00.000-04:00

Borowitz Report - God: ‘I’ll End the World When I’m Good and Ready, Me Damn It’

Simple Truths - LAUGHTER IS THE BEST MEDICINE

2011-05-16T10:16:00.000-04:00

Simple Truths - We Hope You Enjoyed the movie!

Pam's House Blend:: More barriers broken: CNN anchor Don Lemon kicks open the closet door

2011-05-16T00:20:00.000-04:00

Pam's House Blend:: More barriers broken: CNN anchor Don Lemon kicks open the closet door

The Kids Are Listening

2011-05-08T22:04:00.000-04:00

The Kids Are Listening

Is the New Madrid Fault Earthquake Zone Coming To Life?

2011-05-06T01:53:00.000-04:00

Is the New Madrid Fault Earthquake Zone Coming To Life?

God loves gays just as we are

2011-05-02T20:50:00.000-04:00

Simple Truths - Even Eagles Need A Push!

2011-05-02T20:44:00.000-04:00

Simple Truths - We Hope You Enjoyed the movie!

Panel says burros, horses unlawfully using state's water - News - ReviewJournal.com

2011-04-27T20:07:00.000-04:00

Panel says burros, horses unlawfully using state's water - News - ReviewJournal.com

Detroit 187 star talks about the show's future.

2011-04-18T15:43:00.000-04:00

Detroit 187 star talks about the show's future.

A.J. Cook and Paget Brewster Invited Back to 'Criminal Minds'

2011-04-15T16:21:00.000-04:00

A.J. Cook and Paget Brewster Invited Back to 'Criminal Minds'

Animal Legal Defense Fund : ALDF Files Suit to Free Tony the Truck Stop Tiger

2011-04-12T22:01:00.000-04:00

Animal Legal Defense Fund : ALDF Files Suit to Free Tony the Truck Stop Tiger

CBS News Flashback: First satellite news video

2011-04-11T21:40:00.000-04:00

Simple Truths - The Road To Happiness

2011-04-04T16:32:00.001-04:00

Simple Truths - The Road to Happiness. Hope you Enjoy!

Recycling a bottle, flashmob style! [HQ]

2011-04-04T07:08:00.000-04:00

2011-04-01T01:14:00.001-04:00

Follow me on Blastoff! http://ping.fm/7ndS8 http://ping.fm/UAPkt

Follow me on Blastoff! http://ppl.blastoffnetwork.com/djadler

2011-04-01T00:34:00.000-04:00

Blastoff takes Social Shopping to the next level! Follow me on Blastoff to check out the great deals I'm finding. Make donations to the charity of your choice when you shop at your favorite stores! Get cash back and great deals. Join now and shop for your cause! http://ppl.blastoffnetwork.com/djadler

Follow me on Blastoff! http://ppl.blastoffnetwork.com/djadler

Follow me on Blastoff! http://ppl.blastoffnetwork.com/djadler

2011-04-01T00:20:00.001-04:00

Over one million women attempt to sue Walmart

2011-03-29T13:39:00.000-04:00

Life is like Coffee Movie

2011-03-28T20:26:00.000-04:00

Life is like Coffee Movie: "Do you know people that just seem to be happier in general? Do you say to yourself, "I want to be more like them"? Often, the happiest people in the world don’t have the best of everything...they just make the best of everything!"

Childhood Cancer- Alex's Lemonade Stand

2011-03-28T14:50:00.000-04:00

100th Anniversary of Deadly NYC Factory Fire

2011-03-25T20:33:00.000-04:00

Practice drills saved lives in Japan

2011-03-25T20:30:00.000-04:00

Crow and Kitten are Friends

2011-03-23T17:37:00.000-04:00

Simple Truths - We Hope You Enjoyed the movie!

2011-03-21T15:36:00.000-04:00

Simple Truths - We Hope You Enjoyed the movie!

Reliving History: 'Young Wives With Brains'

2011-03-08T09:45:00.000-05:00

Reliving History: 'Young Wives With Brains'

Simple Truths - We Hope You Enjoyed the movie!

2011-03-08T09:01:00.000-05:00

Simple Truths - International Women's Day

To all my Sisters known and unknown - EVERYWHERE. We celebrate ourselves and each other on this International Women's Day and EVERY day! Enjoy the vid.

Paget Brewster Tests Sitcom Waters As Fate Of Some 'Criminal Minds' Actors Is Uncertain

2011-02-11T15:27:00.000-05:00

Paget Brewster Tests Sitcom Waters As Fate Of Some 'Criminal Minds' Actors Is Uncertain

Anti-Bullying Flashmob January 2011

2011-02-09T20:30:00.000-05:00

Not Just Birds and Fish but People Dropping Like Flies

2011-01-08T20:24:00.000-05:00

Not Just Birds and Fish but People Dropping Like Flies

GLOBAL PRAYER AND MEDITATION FOR PEACE AND PROSPERITY

2010-12-11T23:39:00.003-05:00

December 21, 6:00 A.M. Cairo, Egypt

There are people of all Faiths and all Religions coming together to pray, and to focus/mediate on celebrating global peace and prosperity at this time. Join us in your places of worship and praising of all good things.

Note that this falls on different days in other countries and time zones, so check yours and how it aligns with Cairo, Egypt time.

There are focused points (Meaning religious orders and groups and organizations) all over the world who have validated their participation, so we are already millions strong, so if you cannot get with organized efforts other place, do your own, gather with family, neighbors, work, and in public places with those who are willing to take a moment and know You are, because God Is.

Serve the World with intent on peace and prosperity this season….Pray and Meditate with us!!!

It is time that intelligence rises to the call, and the Peoples of this world stand in the light of truth…truth is God by its many sacred names….

Historically we are living it again. There are the few that always controlled our health, wealth and happiness, by sending forth propaganda as statistics and reports from some dark usually unable to really name source, and it is so clever in placing fear of scarcity into our minds and then as always they leave it up to F.E.A.R. (False Evidence Appearing Real) to do the rest, and so it all begins and the population follows and believes it!! This has been happening for eons. When is it enough?

It’s all a Mind Game. And its suppressive power playing their game and we are the pawns.

There is more than enough wealth for all and there is no need for scarcity. Organization is realization!!! People stand and govern yourselves, in your family, in your churches, your towns and Cities, your states and countries. Let us all be of One mind, let that be health, wealth and happiness for all Peoples. And if you can at least agree that prayer and meditation can help, join our global time to focus on praising Source in its many sacred names and celebrate the gifts of faith and love all have that has a heartbeat and is breathing. We are the difference and there is always a choice, God gave it as free will and no man can deny its reality….

PLEASE PASS THIS ON! Thanks you! -Deb Adler

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Every Day is an Adventure

2010-11-29T23:28:00.005-05:00

It’s 10:44 PM and I’m looking back over a day that has been full of activity and productivity: prospecting for clients and business partners over the phone; a business luncheon turned into training; a late afternoon appointment to write a product application; connecting with a person I’m working with in recovery; attending a recovery discussion group together; coffee with my new gal afterwards; a team training call related to my network marketing business, and a phone call to one of my team mentors to top it off.

Our business luncheon took on a personalized “what daily activity do I need to do to reach my financial goals for the coming month” as our Regional Manager went around the table to grill each business partner. She worked out the numbers with each one of us– what is each sale worth (according to us respective positions), how many appointments do we need to get one sale – how many prospecting calls will it take to set one appointment? It was a “come to Jesus” meeting of sorts – but she could have just left because our guests failed to show, or worse yet if we hadn’t done the activity required to get someone there.

Coach Parisha Taylor has worked numbers with us on many occasions in a variety of business ventures. “Success is a numbers game” is a tried and true wisdom in any kind of sales. Persistency pays off. Quitting does not.

Coach Parisha Taylor has also shared the value of living each day as a complete “life” – including work, play, service to others, and communion with God.

This day has held many gifts. I’ve been able to reconnect with an old friend and help him with my business service, as well as support a local business person by meeting in his neighborhood café. Listening to another person in recovery – especially when they are new – is a gift I give to myself. I get to share the wisdoms of those who helped me along the way, and renew my appreciation for my own recovery. It’s an awesome win-win.

Looking back over my day, I’ve had a rich “life” this 24 hours. It’s been a good day and I am blessed.

I give appreciation to all who have added to my experience today, to all I have touched and have touched me. As always, I give great appreciation for the one known as Coach Parisha Taylor for being a part of my life today and every day!

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Business of the 21st Century

2010-11-28T19:49:00.004-05:00

In his recent book, The Business of the 21^st Century, Robert Kiyosaki writes, “I dedicate this book…to the millions of you who are a crossroads in life – who are affected by the current economic crisis and feeling helpless as to what you can do to secure your financial future. I want you to know that there are, despite what they may seem, the best times to take control of your future.”

Kiyosaki, author of NY Times Best Selling Book Rich Dad Poor Dad goes on to extol the virtues and advantages of network marketing as “The Business of the 21^st Century.”

Coach Parisha Taylor worked with a number of us some years ago in a venture – a network marketing opportunity – to help us learn about working with systems, team building and the financial advantages of leveraging our time as well as the merits of creating residual income.

Some people like to scoff at those who think outside the box and “reach for the brass ring” – or in this case, the gold ring. Those people seem to take great satisfaction when we might not succeed at a given venture. They are firmly embedded in the exchanging time for money model that has kept people enslaved for the majority of their lives down through the ages. They are the “Dream Stealers.”

Still others enjoy pointing out the appearance of repetitive failure to those of us who have been involved in a number of opportunities over the years. What I’ve finally come to appreciate is that while some of us grasp the concept – we then have to find our “passion.”

The fact is network marketing is a proven business model based upon following a system. If you’re teachable and are willing to follow instructions, you can succeed. When I hear someone say, “Oh, that didn’t work for me” I know what they’re really saying is that they didn’t work at it.

Like anything, there are those who have abused the compensation structure in the past. But there are reputable companies that have not only survived but thrived over the years and given honest, hardworking everyday people the chance to achieve “extraordinary” lives, while giving others much wanted monetary cushions over and above their job income.

In The Business of the 21^st Century, Kiyosaki explains Eight Wealth Building Assets which can be realized through the network marketing business model:

Asset #1. A Real-World Business Education

Asset #2. A profitable Path of Personal Development

Asset#3. A Circle of Friends Who Share Your Dreams and Values

Asset#4. The Power of Your Own Network

Asset #5. A Duplicable, Fully Scalable Business

Asset #6. Incomparable Leadership Skills

Asset#7. A Mechanism for Genuine Wealth creation

Asset #8. Big Dreams and the Capacity to Live Them

Most of us never learned about entrepreneurialism in school. Coach Parisha Taylor has taught pre-schoolers about generating income for themselves and to help others through their own business ventures. The kids get it – a lot quicker than most adults, because they don’t have any fear of failure. Ever run a lemonade stand as a kid? Or wash cars in the neighborhood?

Taken one step further, I’ve seen Coach Parisha Taylor help kids to learn about “duplicating” their efforts – bringing others on board to increase production/services and help others learn about how to become self-supporting through personal enterprise. She teaches them about reproducible systems. This would correlate to Kiyosaki’s “B” Quadrant. (See Cashflow Quadrant: Rich Dad's Guide to Financial Freedom)

John Maxwell, in his book Failing Forward, stated that the average millionaire in America failed 19 times before he/she became successful. Coach Parisha Taylor teaches us that we have to daily be willing to “up our failure rate by 300%” if we expect to succeed.

Back to network marketing. It teaches about how not to personalize rejection. It teaches the value of working together with a T.E.A.M. – as in

Together

Everyone

Achieves

More.

Many national and international corporations have turned to network marketing to grow their sales force. One has only to find their passion and then follow the system to success.

A word of caution: If you don’t like people or you really don’t care about helping others, you probably won’t succee at network marketing. Because at the heart of network marketing is the old adage I’ve come to associate with a great teacher and salesman, Zig Ziglar: “You will always get what you want if you just help enough other people get what they want.”

This also brings me back to something Coach Parisha Taylor constantly instills in us: Our greatest work is Service to others. We must focus on the service. If we find a way to be of service, the money will follow.

After numerous “tries” down through the years, I have found my vehicle for helping others. I haven’t quit my “day job” yet – because I’m using that to take care of the basics while I build for my future with my network marketing business.

Some “experts” want us to believe that we live in a world of economic downturn. Fact is there is abundance all around us. The old job model where you work for one company for 40 years and they take care of you with a pension until you die is out the window. But there’s a tried and true proven model out there that offers time and money freedom “in the now.” It requires hard work and determination not to be discouraged. But the rewords have no ceiling.

One last thought: If I want tomorrow to be different from yesterday I have to something different today.

If I’m just barely making ends meet with my current job income, then chances are it’s not going to improve as expenses continue to escalate. Few of us have the financial wherewithal to begin a franchise business – which can cost anywhere from five thousand upwards to half a million dollars! That makes a network marketing opportunity a great option to explore. But don’t just dip your toe in to test the waters. I suggest doing your due diligence to find the right fit for you in terms of product or service. In other words, Find Your Passion – and the run with it!

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Homeless Man Finds $3,300 Cash, Returns It

2010-11-21T19:19:00.008-05:00

Dave Tally is a homeless recovering addict who has been thrust into national notoriety because he found a back pack that someone had left behind on a bench at an Arizona light rail station, which contained a laptop and over $3,000 cash in it.

Just imagine living in a shelter, having no job, having only a bike for transportation – which is in need of fixing – and all of a sudden $3,000 falls into your lap. What would YOU do?

Incredibly enough, Tally brought the bag to a shelter employee – even though he admittedly wrestled with his conscience for a bit to determine what was really the right thing to do. The shelter employee found a flash drive with the laptop which had a resume on it revealing the name and address of the back pack’s owner.

The 21-year old student, Bryan Belanger, had lost his car in an accident and had withdrawn the money to buy another one. He was humbled by Tally’s decision.

He reportedly shared, “It's a lesson in keeping your faith in people. You can have character, regardless of your circumstances.”

In the end, Mr. Tally was reported to have just been glad he could do the right thing.

As an addendum to that story, money began coming in to Tally following national news coverage. He’s been able to fix his bike so he can go on job interviews.

In an article entitled "OF WHAT AUTHORITY DO WE JUDGE ANOTHER" on her website, Grandmother Parisha wrote, “There is only love. Man is basically good.”

In an age where we are inundated with daily reports of violence and heinous crimes committed against innocent people, here is an example of one person who knew in his heart that the only course of action for him to take when all was said and done was “the right thing.” Tally shared that he knew he had to give the money back because it wasn’t his.

How often to we find ourselves in similar circumstances, with far less at stake – or so we think? What is the “price” of integrity? What self-deceptions might we use to justify when we take credit for a colleague’s idea or project; when we find something that we know doesn’t belong to us but we don’t make the effort to locate the true owner?

That back pack didn’t have any obvious identification in it. Many would have then said, “Oh well, finder’s keepers.” But Tally went the extra distance to find out who it belonged to. Oh sure, he’s received some “rewards" from the resulting notoriety gained by his actions, but his real reward happened when he faced his demons and said, No. I’m not going to give in to greed or selfishness. I’m going to give it back.

A powerful example from a man with “nothing.” Actually, when you have your integrity intact, noting else really matters.

for more information go to: http://www.rte.ie/news/2010/1119/california_laptop.html

"It Gets Better" (Broadway sings for the Trevor Project)

2010-10-19T23:33:00.002-04:00

AWESOME Video put together for The Trevor Project and the It Gets Better Project. Thanks to all who made this video possible – you are amazing. Nuff said!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NeKI8biAglU

Please help share this video with as many people as you can! Help get this beautiful and powerful message out to our LGBTQ Youth! -Deb Adler

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Wear Purple on October 20 for Spirit Day

2010-10-19T23:24:00.002-04:00

GLAAD (Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation) has launched a “Wear Purple on October 20 for Spirit Day” Campaign on Facebook, Twitter and through its website:

http://www.glaad.org/spiritday

to ask people to honor the recent LGBTQ teens who committed suicide and to End Anti-Gay Bullying.

Here are some of the suggested additional activities:

“ On Wednesday, post this tweet: I'm wearing purple to end anti-LGBT bullying - make your profile pic purple today #SpiritDay http://glaad.org/spiritday”

“On Wednesday, post this Facebook status: I'm wearing purple today to support LGBT youth - make your profile pic purple today for Spirit Day at http://glaad.org/spiritday”

Please visit http://www.glaad.org/spiritday and support providing safe schools free from bullying for LGBTQ and all Youth!

Thanks!

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Supreme Court Weighs In on Protests at Soldier's Funeral

2010-10-07T22:08:00.002-04:00

It Gets Better Project - Deb Adler .wmv

2010-09-27T23:44:00.001-04:00

Capsules Arrive to Rescue Chilean Miners

2010-09-27T11:06:00.001-04:00

Elmo Reacts to Katy Perry Controversy

2010-09-27T10:26:00.002-04:00

Pilot Hailed Hero in Emergency Landing

2010-09-27T10:21:00.001-04:00

Sesame Street: A YouTube Interview with Elmo

2010-09-24T18:19:00.001-04:00

Parisha Taylor on Spending Time

2010-09-21T00:34:00.005-04:00

More and more I am aware that when I choose to go to bed, I am closing another chapter on the book of my life. To bring closure to a day and end it, it is gone forever.

Grandmother Parisha always reminds us that “Time is the only thing we spend that we can never get back. What are you doing with yours?”

Each day is precious and I must seek to live it to its fullest. How have I added value to myself today? Whom have I served? Positive answers to these questions will help give greater meaning to my time here, and greater peace when it is my time to move on. -Deborah Adler

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Keith Olbermann Special Comment: There Is No 'Ground Zero Mosque' - 08/1...

2010-08-26T17:24:00.001-04:00

Media Pushes BRAIN Eating Vaccine... Nano Tech Injection Lobotomy.mp4

2010-08-07T23:08:00.001-04:00

When The Going Gets Tough, Do You Keep Going?

2010-08-01T02:41:00.004-04:00

“You have nothing to lose if you fail, but everything to gain by trying again.

“When you journal daily make a point to highlight what you have learned and what has changed in you. It is always what is inside that determines what we experience in each situation. We are human and this is the way we evolve and mature.

“We exchange time for experience…That is life.

“Take charge of yours…make goals and keep them.

“Make goals that involve stretching, but allow them to be within your means.

Daily accomplishments strengthen us.

Make some goals accomplishable on your way to major leaps!”*

These words are from my long time business coach and mentor Parisha Taylor. She is constantly reminding those of us she works with of the value of “failing forward.” In her words, when we experience a “mis-take” we can easily do a “re-take” thus turning the learning experience from our “failure” into the building blocks of the next success. It’s that simple.

Grandmother Parisha was raised in a culture that provided a nourishing environment for learning through mis-takes and re-takes. So it’s natural for her to live and teach from this simple truth. For those of us who grew up with parents, teachers or other authority figures who might have admonished, criticized or demeaned us for our mistakes, we have to overcome old feelings of embarrassment or being “wrong” which we learned to equate with being “bad.”

Our upbringings are what they were. We can’t change the people from our past. But we CAN change the lessons we bring forward from the past.

Long after those “authority figures” are out of our lives, we allow their voices to occupy space in our heads. We bring forward those feelings of shame, hurt, or anger that block us from the freedom to make mistakes. We live in a culture that confuses “ignorance” for “stupidity,’ and condemns anything less than perfection, which in itself is self-defeating. Self admonishment is not an effective teacher. I know.

Life is a perpetual learning lab. It’s up to us to decide to be the perpetual student. By freeing ourselves from the old stigmas of making mistakes, we create an environment for ourselves that inspires success through persistence. Far too many people quit when they are closer than they realize to their goal.

By journaling our day at night-time before going to bed, as Coach Parisha Taylor advises, we can stake stock of the day’s successes and failures. We take note of what worked and what we could have done better or differently. These are the lessons we bring forth from our day – be it business, relationships, whatever.

Our experiences change us, if we chose to learn from them. Journaling can assist to gain a perspective on that as well. “It is always what is inside that determines what we experience in each situation.”

Coach Parish once shared these words with us from another great motivator, Brian Tracy: “RESOLVE in advance that you will never give up…RESOLVE to persist until you succeed.” She reminds us that by refusing to stop, we become unstoppable!

She’s also taught that time is the most precious commodity we have. It is the only thing that we spend that we can never get back once we have. We can always get more money, more things…but time, once it’s gone, it’s gone. So exchanging out time for experience is a great way to make sure we get the most out of it every day. Miss no opportunity to learn from an interaction, a situation, however seemingly small or insignificant. For those moments will become the building blocks that we can utilize to take on the mountains we dare to dream about!

By treating life as an opportunity instead of a “sentence” – by realizing that every day is a gift, an adventure – by nurturing and loving ourselves – we can take on the most horrendous of circumstances and triumph – One victory at a time! – Deb Adler

Just Another Glimpse by Running Wolf

2010-07-22T22:36:00.000-04:00

Running Wolf on Freedom

2010-07-22T22:32:00.000-04:00

Parisha Taylor

2010-07-13T18:41:00.004-04:00

I am standing in the midst of a quandary. There have been UNSUBSTANTIATED accusations, blatant lies and attacks against some people I consider my extended family, people I have been affiliated with for over 25 years in a non-profit humanitarian organization that has always been dedicated to helping people empower themselves through continuing education, personal and professional development and spiritual growth. The primary offensive has been led by reporter Michael Sangiacomo of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. His primary target has been Parisha Taylor. It appears he temporarily gained an audience at the Kingman Daily Miner. All I can say is, Whatever happened to investigative reporting?...that would be as opposed to just taking up someone's rumors. Think its truth because it's "In The News?" Unfortunately not. The vast majority believe this is true. But another reporter?

I have worked with Parisha Taylor since 1986 when I went to the Center for Human Development to book a concert and a music workshop. I began to attend the Spiritual Development class conducted by Parisha and some of her associates on Monday nights. These evenings included prayer and meditation times for world peace, learning how to live healthier through better nutrition and natural foods, holistic modalities for maintaining optimal health in addition to singing and exercises to help the mind-body connection. From there I began to spend some weekends and attend events at farmlands in Summerfield, for which the Center For Human Development had become stewards.

In time I traveled to many wonderful locations in the U.S. and Canada where I attended trainings conducted by Parisha. By way of example, she taught the rest of us how to value ourselves. We stayed in the best hotels and ate well. We laughed, played, and learned about ourselves, ancient cultures and the traditional ways of Parisha’s people.

These trips cost money – to travel there, for the accommodations, to eat, for transportation. And yes, at the end of the trainings¸ I voluntarily gave a monetary “love offering” to measure to the value of what I had gained in knowledge and personal perspective. As a recovered alcoholic I knew a lot of my life has been an ongoing story of taking from others. It has been liberating for me emotionally and financially to practice measuring the worth of something I have received and delivering my “gratitude” in the form of money.

By her own words, Parisha is of mixed heritage – one side of her family is Native and one side of her family is Caucasian. There are “natives” – themselves half-breeds – whom I have witnessed, try to dispute her heritage. Ultimately they run out of gas. Their prejudice and ignorance can’t stand up to the truth. I have been in Cherokee, North Carolina with Parisha to re-visit her homelands where she was raised by her purebred Cherokee Grandmother. I was privileged to witness the respect with which Elders and local native people approached her. If there was any question about her authenticity it would surely have surfaced in the manner in which these people related to her – in the heart of the Cherokee homelands.

Parisha Taylor is a capable personal coach and like a great coach¸ knows how to pull the best from the people who have asked for her help to become their ultimate success. Not everyone who asks to be successful has the inner fortitude or heart to make it happen. To those people, Coach Parisha Taylor may look imposing. But to those of us who have striven to excellence in our lives, she has been a magnificent reflection of our own capability, and relentless support in helping us to reach our goals.

The great teachers and coaches in life have their share of whiners who complain that too much was demanded of them or that person was crazy or demented. The problem is they quit on themselves and can’t face that fact so they look for someone outside themselves to blame. These are the “sources” Michael Sangiacomo sought out to quote in an effort to discredit Parisha Taylor, along with “real natives” (who themselves are mixed breeds because there are very few pure-bred traditionalists left in the nation today).

One of our beloved members died taking part in an exercise on the beaches of Topsail that she and many of the rest of us had participated in several times over the years. But the papers, led Michael Sangiacomo, started a vicious prolonged campaign to try to discredit Parisha and actually implicate her in the death. None of the allegations were ever proven, none of the newspapers running these stories – including the Associated Press wire service - subsequently bothered to substantiate their facts¸ they just ran the stories. Why? Because sensationalism sells.

That was over 20 years ago. The Cleveland Plain Dealer, through reporter Michael Sangiacomo, has resurfaced in a malicious attack once again, apparently because of the good works Parisha Taylor is currently accomplishing along with members of The Learning Center for Human Development in Kingman AZ.

I am dumbfounded. Other than the fact that the printed newspaper is fading fast from the American scene, and maybe Sangiacomo is trying to help save his paper from extinction (like the comic book heroes he writes about), none of this makes sense. I have known Parisha Taylor for over 25 years. I am a better person for what I have learned from her in classes, trainings, and walking along side her. I am a more effective businesswoman and community member for my association with this generous and dedicated woman.

I’m also pretty disgusted. People’s lives can be destroyed by an arbitrary decision to make them newsworthy, or try to sensationalize an event. I would ask everyone reading this, and certainly everyone who knows me to consider that I choose my friends and associates with great care. I believe in Respect for All. Those who try to make their gain at the expense of others give me a lot of opportunity to practice compassion. But then that’s what I’ve also learned from Parisha Taylor. Compassion and Love for my fellow Humans.

Undoubtedly, Sangiacomo will eventually exhaust himself once again. What will be left is a woman who stands in Truth: Parisha Taylor.

Cradling Life: Rescue Mission to Save Turtle Eggs

2010-07-01T23:06:00.000-04:00

Mystery Super Skimmer Arrives in Gulf

2010-07-01T23:02:00.000-04:00

Martin Luther King Jr. Remembered 2010

2010-01-18T00:43:00.004-05:00

I found an interesting commentary about the Dr. Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. today while reading the book, Evolve Your Brain, by Dr. Joe Dispenza.

Dispenza, a Doctor of Chiropractic Medicine, reveals how we can change our past - personal, family, and even our genetics through understanding the chemistry of the brain. He provides scientific information as to how our thoughts create chemical reactions that hold us to addictive patterns and feelings and how to reprogram our brains to break free of those cycles. He also demonstrates, as in the example of Dr. King, how holding to a vision can create a new future.

"For example, the Civil Rights movement would not have had its far-reaching effects if a true individual like Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., had not, despite all the evidence around him (Jim Crow laws, separate but equal acomodations, snarkling attack dogs, and powerful fire hoses), believed in the possibility of another reality.

"Although Dr. King phrased it in his famous speech as a "dream," what he was really promising (and living) was a better world where everyone was equal. How was he able to do that? He decided to place a new idea in his mind about freedom for himself and a nation, and that idea was more important to him than the conditions in his external world.

"He was uncompromising in holding fast to that vision. Dr. King was unwillling to alter his thoughts, his actions, his behavior, his speech, and his message in response to anything outside of him.

"He never changed his internal picture of a new environment in spite of his external environment, even if it meant insult to his body. It was the power of his vision that convinced millions of the justness of his cause.

"The world has changed because of him."

Taken from p. 14, Evolve Your Brain
copyright 2007 Joe Dispenza, D.C.
published by Health Communications, Inc.

Amen. -Deb Adler

(Other posts by Deb Adler honoring Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.:
http://debadlersblog.blogspot.com/2009/01/remembering-rev-dr-martin-luther-king.html)

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Michael Jackson Rare Home Movie

2009-11-13T16:09:00.001-05:00

PURCHASE THIS RARE VIDEO NOW AND HELP TO SAVE 230 ACRES OF LAND AT THE BASE OF THE WEST RIM OF THE GRAND CANYON FROM BEING TAKEN OVER BY STRIP MINING! This is a no-brainer! You get a great video you can treasure AND help to keep a piece of one of our natural wonders here at home out of the hands of those who will destroy it forever. PLEASE...DO THIS NOW AND PASS THIS ALONG TO YOUR CONTACTS! MANY THANKS!!!!

Earth Changes 2012 Update

2009-10-01T20:43:00.003-04:00

Grandmother Parisha will be on conference call this evening at 9 pm EST to discuss recent developments regarding the earth changes prophesied for this time with particular attention to 2012.

Listen in at

646-519-5860, pin no. 2930

Please mute your phone once you are "in" out of courtesy for all the participants.

More information:

www.parishaonline.com

Student Voice of Mental Health Award

2009-01-20T21:12:00.006-05:00

Recently, in response to one of my posts at www.msqueer.com about teen suicide and lgbtq teen suicides in this country and resources to help, I received a comment from someone who asked me to publicize a video competition that is coming to a conclusion soon, as well as the organization sponsoring it, The Jed Foundation.

Here are excerpts from the poster's comments: "I’m writing from The Jed Foundation....We are presenting The Jerry Greenspan Student Voice of Mental Health Award for college students who have had mental health issues like the one’s you write about on your site and wanted for you to help spread the word.

"The award is for a video on their experiences with mental health issues and how they are working to raise awareness and encourage their peers on the issue. The award includes a $2,000 scholarship, a trip to NYC to our annual gala in June 2009, recognition through our site and events and possibly appearing on MTVU. The info is on our site (link below).

We are interested... in having folks write about the importance of doing work like this and show casing, if you will, this award we are presenting.

More information at http://jedfoundation.org/programs/student-voice-of-mental-health-award

NOTE: The Deadline for submitting a video to this project is FEBRUARY 13th! You can download an application from their site address shown here. Questions can be directed to studentaward@jedfoundation.org.

From their website, I share with you their Mission, as it appears on their About Us page:

Mission
The Jed Foundation works nationally to reduce the rate of suicide and the prevalence of emotional distress among college and university students. To achieve this end, the organization collaborates with the public and leaders in higher education, mental health, and research to produce and advance initiatives that:

Decrease the stigma surrounding emotional disorders and increase help-seeking in the college student population
Increase understanding of the warning signs of suicide and the symptoms of emotional disorders among college students
Build awareness of the prevalence of suicide and emotional disorders among college students
Strengthen campus mental health services, policies, and programs

You can also find the Jed Foundation, among other places on the net at http://www.youtube.com/thejedfoundation

There, you will find a number of videos on "You Are Not Alone - Fight the Stigma" which feature student sharings as well as educational information from professionals dealing with the issues of student mental health.

I have contacted the Jed Foundation and suggested they network with The Trevor Project, since I did not see any specific references to the LGBTQ population. I hope they follow suit. (Update: I received word back from their Project Coordinator that they were indeed hoping to work together with the Trevor Foundation and appreciated the suggestion.)

Here's one of their videos:

[NOTE: ALL RIGHTS TO THIS VIDEO BELONG TO THE JED FOUNDATION.]

The Jed Foundation also has a "Half Of Us" Campaign underway that asks students, "How Are You A Friend?" More information about this can be found at http://jedfoundation.org/about/jed-news/how-are-you-a-friend. -Deborah Adler.

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Remembering Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King and "Loving Your Enemies"

2009-01-19T19:46:00.009-05:00

On this day, January 19, 2009, as we mark "Martin Luther King Day" around the nation while looking forward with great anticipation to the Inauguration of President-elect Barrack Obama as the 44th President tomorrow, January 20th, I wish to "re-publish" my articles in tribute to a man who, as one newscaster reminded us today, would be 80 years old if still living and able to witness the historic swearing in of the first Afro-American President of the United States. Dr. King was a personal hero to me. To this day his approach to winning freedom for an oppressed people and forging coalitions - rainbow bridges - continues to inspire me.

We are here to heal separation as the Human Family. The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. knew that. He also understood the ways of the Peaceful Warrior. How I wish I could be able to see him standing there tomorrow in witness of this coming historic occassion, but then I know he will be there!

In appreciation and respect,Deborah Adler.

Archives reference: http://debadlersblog.blogspot.com/2008_01_01_archive.html

Yes, Monday was the day that Congress selected to celebrate Martin Luther King Jr.’s Birthday. I remarked somewhere during the day to a friend of mine that I always used to take part in a memorial march on this day. It was almost a throw-away comment, because we were in the middle of preparing for the gifting of donated library materials to go to various centers in the community. My comment, if heard, I don’t really think was noted.

Perhaps we’ve grown past the day of marches…maybe they are part of the history to which the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. now belongs…a history that I am also a part of for having been there and participated…

My “wonder years,” as they have been described by a popular bread commercial of the 60’s and 70’s, included the assassinations of a U.S. President, a Spiritual and Civil Rights Leader, and a former U.S. Attorney General and Presidential Candidate; the birth of the Civil Rights Movement and the Vietnam War conflict that ripped our nation apart, as if it needed any further help in that department. Marches and Sit-ins were the modus operandi of the day for standing up and speaking out and demonstrating solidarity. Today we have blogs and YouTube and other forms of electronic audio-visual communications to reach the global audience with our causes and concerns. Back then, we had megaphones, and placards painted with our messages of defiance and hope. We sang songs and chanted slogans in unison. Yes, when Ms. Rosa Parks refused to move to the back of the bus, it ushered in a whole new era – for all of us.

I was in junior high school when John Kennedy, our nation’s President, was shot. I remember being dismissed from school early after listening intently to the radio broadcast over the school’s public-address system from my math class room. When I got out to where our parents’ cars were already waiting, I remember getting in and the ominous ride home with my mother. I remember the fear I felt inside that we were without a leader and how vulnerable that might make us as a country. I asked her if the Communists were going to take over the country. “I don’t know,” she answered very quietly. “We have to get home.”

John Kennedy’s assassination stopped the world for 4 days, at least in the Detroit suburb of Oak Park, where I lived. The nation stayed glued to the TV, hanging on every update that Walter Cronkite, Chet Huntley and David Brinkley could bring of the initially sketchy details through the capture and then assassination of suspect Lee Harvey Oswald by Jack Ruby, the President’s body lying in state in the Capital, and the seemingly endless funeral procession through the streets of Washington D.C. to the burial site at Arlington National Cemetery, where a little boy, John-John, said goodbye to his Father with a military salute that captured the hearts of people around the world in the now immortalized front page photograph.

It seems when Dr. Martin Luther King was assassinated, not all of the country stopped in quite the same way. Not everyone was touched in the same way, I suppose, because there were those who celebrated his death. People fed by the ignorance of hatred and bigotry claimed victory. The rest of us held our breath for the future of humanity, wondering would there ever be a time when there was true equality and peace.

These were heady questions for a young high school girl in the mid-1960’s. But they were what occupied my mind in the days following the assassination of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King.

Dr. King had become a hero to me. Even though I was not an Afro-American, I felt a personal identity with his vision. I was captivated by his eloquence, his passion, his courage, his leadership…his determination to win equality for all people through non-violent peaceful means.

Dr. King captured the heart of this idealistic young high school girl who personalized the racial strife in her country and hungered for a way to make a difference and be heard so that Afro-American people could know that not all White Americans hated those different from themselves. He provided a sure and steady power of example in those turbulent times. And Hope. He was a messenger for Faith and Hope.

So I found myself profoundly affected by the loss of this great leader, Dr. Martin Luther King. It was a loss I had to carry deeper inside myself than that of President Kennedy, because I did not find that it was shared by all of my friends – certainly not at the depth at which I felt it.

My respect and love for this man has grown through the years. I continue to be inspired by his vision and his powerful manner of delivery. May we dedicate our lives to unity and respect for all Beings, that all Humankind – black, white, red, yellow, straight, gay, young, old -- and all life on this planet, may know health, wealth and happiness and flourish. Above all, may we all know Dignity and Respect.

"Loving Your Enemies" from Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

I wanted to share some excerpts from one of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King’s speeches, which can be found in their entirety on the internet at http://www.mlkonline.net/speeches.htmlk, among other places.

There’s another reason why you should love your enemies, and that is because hate distorts the personality of the hater. We usually think of what hate does for the individual hated or the individuals hated or the groups hated. But it is even more tragic, it is even more ruinous and injurious to the individual who hates. You just begin hating somebody, and you will begin to do irrational things. You can’t see straight when you hate. You can’t walk straight when you hate. You can’t stand upright. Your vision is distorted. There is nothing more tragic than to see an individual whose heart is filled with hate. He comes to the point that he becomes a pathological case. For the person who hates, you can stand up and see a person and that person can be beautiful, and you will call them ugly. For the person who hates, the beautiful becomes ugly and the ugly becomes beautiful. For the person who hates, the good becomes bad and the bad becomes good. For the person who hates, the true becomes false and the false becomes true. That’s what hate does. You can’t see right. The symbol of objectivity is lost. Hate destroys the very structure of the personality of the hater.

...long before modern psychology came into being, the world’s greatest psychologist who walked around the hills of Galilee told us to love. He looked at men and said: "Love your enemies; don’t hate anybody." It’s not enough for us to hate your friends because—to to love your friends—because when you start hating anybody, it destroys the very center of your creative response to life and the universe; so love everybody. Hate at any point is a cancer that gnaws away at the very vital center of your life and your existence. It is like eroding acid that eats away the best and the objective center of your life. So Jesus says love, because hate destroys the hater as well as the hated.

Now there is a final reason I think that Jesus says, "Love your enemies." It is this: that love has within it a redemptive power. And there is a power there that eventually transforms individuals. That’s why Jesus says, "Love your enemies." Because if you hate your enemies, you have no way to redeem and to transform your enemies. But if you love your enemies, you will discover that at the very root of love is the power of redemption. You just keep loving people and keep loving them, even though they’re mistreating you. Here’s the person who is a neighbor, and this person is doing something wrong to you and all of that. Just keep being friendly to that person. Keep loving them. Don’t do anything to embarrass them. Just keep loving them, and they can’t stand it too long. Oh, they react in many ways in the beginning. They react with bitterness because they’re mad because you love them like that. They react with guilt feelings, and sometimes they’ll hate you a little more at that transition period, but just keep loving them. And by the power of your love they will break down under the load. That’s love, you see. It is redemptive, and this is why Jesus says love. There’s something about love that builds up and is creative. There is something about hate that tears down and is destructive. So love your enemies.

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URGENT CALL TO ACTION

2008-12-23T17:36:00.007-05:00

Please read about the impending appointment of Tom Vilsack to the Secretary of Agriculture position by President-elect Barrack Obama. Stop this now! Read the details at:

http://debadler.wordpress.com/2008/12/24/urgent-call-to-action-to-stop-vilsack-appointment/

Thank you. Deborah Adler

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MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD! WRITE-IN HILLARY CLINTON NOV. 4TH

2008-10-28T01:50:00.006-04:00

Well, we’re in the final stretch of the 2008 Presidential Elections. Yipee!

I saw a teaser on the front page of USA Today the other day echoing the sentiments of many Americans that ”this election needs to be over.”

Alas, the winner will be announced in just 7 days - or maybe 8, or maybe…if we have some kind of snafu like the past two presidential elections, we may have to wait for a convoluted congressional or judicial process to determine who is really going to take the helm of the United States for the next 4 - or 8? - years.

However it shakes out on the 4th of November, one thing is for certain: this election is a unique opportunity for voters to express their disgust with the political process. I am referring to the option of voting not for the Democratic or Republican candidiate, nor for any of the other independent candidates on the ballot, but for the rightful Democratic presidential candidate: Hillary Clinton.

Anyone planning to write-in Hillary Clinton for President must also write-in a Vice-Presidential candidate in order for the ballot to be valid.

My choice is former Secretary of State Collin Powell. Yes, I know he is a “Johnny-come-lately” to the Democratic Party but I prefer him to Obama in the VP seat with Hillary at the helm. I believe they would work very well together.

So that’s my vote, as it will appear on my absentee ballot, which hopefully will be counted. Watch for the returns from Ohio, specifically Noble County. If no report of my write-in is included with the official tallies, it got buried.

Stay tuned…

-Deborah Adler

©2008 Deborah Adler. All rights reserved.

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EARLY VOTING BRINGS U.S. OUT OF DARK AGES

2008-10-28T01:41:00.005-04:00

For years I have been advocating a revision of our country’s election process that would include a greater opportunity for people to cast their votes in presidential elections.

How absurd is it that we have allowed only one day - during the traditional “work week” - when too many employees cannot get the day off and may not be able to complete the voting process during an allotted lunch hour or break time?

Third word nations have held elections that span several days, including weekends, so as to allow for as many possible of the eligible citizenry to be able to cast their vote in elections. So if countries emulating the “demoncratic process” can show that sort of thoroughness in creating the greatest possible opportunity for all of the people to be able to make their voice heard - why not the country that is supposed to be the prototype for Democracy?

So I have been extremely pleased to see the following stattistics as reported by USA Today recently:

In person:
• 34 states allow people to vote in person before Election Day. 31 don’t require an excuse; 3 states and the District of Columbia do.
• 16 states do not allow early or in-person absentee voting.
By mail:
• 28 states allow no-excuse absentee voting by mail.
• 22 states and the District of Columbia require an excuse to vote absentee by mail.

Source: Early Voting Information Center at Reed College

So we still have a ways to go, but we have come a long way to resolving the inequalities in our democratic process. Now, make sure that you take advantage of what is being offered. Get to the polls. Can’t get off work? Go this Saturday. Go online to find out where you can vote in your county during the “early voting” period. (September 30th through November 3rd).

GET OUT AND VOTE!

-Deborah Adler

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THE TRUTH ABOUT THE FEDERAL RESERVE

2008-09-29T12:09:00.007-04:00

We, as citizens of the United States, have been subjected to an extreme amount of drama this week courtesy of Wall Street, the Federal Reserve and our dear lame duck President.

The following videos come from a movie called Zeitgeist. It exposes the myth of the Federal Reserve as a U.S. govenment agency. It also reveals who is really behind the financial solvency of not only our country, but the world at large. You will likely be surprised to find out that who you thought was in charge of our country’s money are merely pawns in a much larger playing field.

The drama of this past week has been craftily designed to create fear and panic and keep people under control by way of convincing us all of the scarcity of resource. Don’t buy into it. Do your research. It’s imperative as we head into the final weeks of the 2008 Election that Americans wake up and get the real picture.

To view a powerful video about the Federal Reserve go to:
http://debadler.wordpress.com/2008/09/20/the-truth-about-the-federal-reserve/

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A Message for All Women - Why Women Should Vote

2008-09-29T11:53:00.004-04:00

I received this as an email from a friend. It is powerful and has made the rounds of quite a few of my email "circles." To read the text without the photos loses alot of its impact, so you can view both at Deb Adler's Weblog

Here's the exact post:
http://debadler.wordpress.com/2008/09/09/a-message-for-all-women-why-women-should-vote/

For more "herstory" about these heroic women, "This is the story of our Grandmothers and Great-grandmothers; they lived only 90 years ago..."
See http://womenshistory.about.com/od/suffrage1900/a/suffrage_brutal.htm

To all those who have gone before me, facing danger and death so that I might walk into a voting booth and have my vote count. You have my deepest respect and appreciation!

Deb Adler

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Commentary on the 2008 Presidential Election

2008-09-29T11:34:00.012-04:00

Despite my original intentions, I have been fairly vocal about this year's Presidential election in one of my other blogs. Rather than reproduce those entries here, I'm going to provide the links to those posts and you can visit them as you like:

WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?
(Following the official confirmation of the Obama-Biden ticket at the DNC).
http://debadler.wordpress.com/2008/09/01/where-do-we-go-from-here/

2008 ELECTION: WHAT'S REALLY AT STAKE HERE?
(written as a response to a comment posted to "Where Do We Go From Here?")
http://debadler.wordpress.com/2008/09/03/2008-election-whats-really-at-stake-here/

GET YOUR "COMMUNITY ORGANIZER" BUTTON
(you gotta go there for the visual!)
http://debadler.wordpress.com/2008/09/09/get-your-community-organizer-button/

JOHN McCAIN AND THE LGBT COMMUNITY
http://msqueer.wordpress.com/2008/09/08/john-mccain-and-the-lgbt-community/

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Billie Jean King is a Personal Hero of Mine...

2008-09-29T11:15:00.006-04:00

Billie Jean Won for All Women
By Larry Schwartz
Special to ESPN.com

see: http://espn.go.com/sportscentury/features/00016060.html

(article follows:)

Billie Jean King won six Wimbledon singles championships and four U.S. Open titles. She was ranked No. 1 in the world five years. She defeated such magnificent players as Martina Navratilova, Chris Evert and Margaret Court.

It isn't a reach to say that Billie Jean King has done the most for women in their fight for equality in sports.

Yet of all her matches, the one that is remembered most is her victory against a 55-year-old man.

History has recorded all King accomplished in furthering the cause of women's struggle for equality in the 1970s. She was instrumental in making it acceptable for American women to exert themselves in pursuits other than childbirth. She was the lightning rod in starting a professional women's tour. She started a women's sports magazine and a women's sports foundation.

But what is remembered most about her is that she humbled Bobby Riggs.

Let's get that match out of the way. Riggs, a 1939 Wimbledon champion turned hustler, had already massacred Court on Mother's Day 1973. So King, who previously had rejected Riggs' advances for a match, accepted his latest challenge.

"I thought it would set us back 50 years if I didn't win that match," she said. "It would ruin the women's tour and affect all women's self esteem."

The "Battle of the Sexes" captured the imagination of the country, not just tennis enthusiasts. On Sept. 20, 1973 in Houston, she was carried out on the Astrodome court like Cleopatra, in a gold litter held aloft by four muscular men dressed as ancient slaves. Riggs was wheeled in on a rickshaw pulled by sexy models in tight outfits, "Bobby's Bosom Buddies."

King, then 29, ran the con man ragged, winning 6-4, 6-3, 6-3 in a match the London Sunday Times called "the drop shot and volley heard around the world."

"Most important perhaps for women everywhere, she convinced skeptics that a female athlete can survive pressure-filled situations and that men are as susceptible to nerves as women," Neil Amdur wrote in The New York Times.

But King was much more than the woman who undressed the self-proclaimed "male chauvinist pig" before a worldwide television audience estimated at almost 50 million. Above all, even more significant than her winning 39 Grand Slam singles, doubles and mixed-doubles titles, she was a pioneer.

"She has prominently affected the way 50 percent of society thinks and feels about itself in the vast area of physical exercise," Frank Deford wrote in Sports Illustrated. "Moreover, like (Arnold) Palmer, she has made a whole sports boom because of the singular force of her presence."

Navratilova said, "She was a crusader fighting a battle for all of us. She was carrying the flag; it was all right to be a jock."

It was for King's crusading that Life magazine in 1990 named her one of the "100 Most Important Americans of the 20th Century." Not sports figures, but Americans. She was the only female athlete on the list, and one of only four athletes (Babe Ruth, Jackie Robinson and Muhammad Ali were the others).

She was born Billie Jean Moffitt on Nov. 22, 1943 in Long Beach, Calif., the daughter of a firefighter father and homemaker mother. Her younger brother Randy would become a major-league pitcher.

She developed into a star softball shortstop before her parents decided that she should pursue a more "ladylike" sport and give up playing baseball and football. Her father suggested tennis, because it involved running and hitting a ball.

"I knew after my first lesson what I wanted to do with my life," she said.

Developing her game on the Long Beach public courts, the pudgy adolescent first gained international recognition as a 17-year-old in 1961 by winning with Karen Hantze the doubles championship at Wimbledon. It was the first of her 20 titles (10 doubles and four mixed to go with the six singles) on the hallowed English grass.

In 1966, King (by now she had married law-student Larry King) won her first singles Wimbledon title and was ranked No. 1, the first of three straight years at the top. The next year, the myopic pepper pot repeated at Wimbledon and won her first U.S. championship.

After having to get by on $100 a week as a playground instructor and student at Los Angeles State College while at the same time shining at Wimbledon, King became a significant force in opening tennis to professionalism. She carried a deep sense of injustice from her amateur days.

With the birth of the "Open" era in 1968, King turned pro. This time she received more than a trophy for winning Wimbledon. She was on her way to earning $1,966,487 in career prize money.

In those days, women players received much less money than men earned. King's voice was heard loudest in the quest for equality. When a new women's tour was started, with Philip Morris sponsoring a new brand of cigarette, King was perceived as a "radical" heading a breakaway group. The Virginia Slims Tour was marketed with the slogan "You've Come a Long Way, Baby."

Things improved financially. King became the first woman athlete to earn $100,000 in prize money in a year (1971), and President Richard Nixon called to congratulate her.

She convinced her colleagues to form a players' union, and the Women's Tennis Association was born. King was its first president in 1973. King, who received $15,000 less than Ilie Nastase did for winning the U.S. Open in 1972, said if the prize money wasn't equal by the next year, she wouldn't play, and she didn't think the other women would either. In 1973, the U.S. Open became the first major tournament to offer equal prize money for men and women.

The next year, King founded WomenSports magazine, started the Women's Sports Foundation, an organization dedicated to promoting and enhancing athletic opportunities for females, and with her husband, formed World Team Tennis.

In 1975, Seventeen magazine polled its readers and found that King was the most admired woman in the world. Golda Meir, who had been Israel's prime minister until the previous year, finished second.

Despite her promotions and activities away from the court, the 5-foot-4 King still played outstanding tennis. The same aggressive, hard-hitting net rusher she had been, she hated to lose. "Victory is fleeting," she said. "Losing is forever."

When she hit the perfect shot, she would become ecstatic. "My heart pounds, my eyes get damp, and my ears feel like they're wiggling, but it's also just totally peaceful," King said. "It's almost like having an orgasm -- it's exactly like that."

Unlike most athletes, King's sexual preference became a matter of public record. Two decades ago, having a lover of the same sex was viewed quite unkindly, and was sensational news. In 1981, King admitted her bisexuality amid a palimony suit brought by a former woman lover.

While King's former personal assistant lost the suit, King estimated the episode cost her and her husband millions in endorsements. Eventually, King and her husband were divorced.

After retiring from competitive tennis, she remained in the game -- as an announcer, coach and author. She gave clinics, became director of World Team Tennis, and played on a Legends tour. Her legs might have given out, but not her passion for the game.

King believes that she was born with a destiny to work for gender equity in sports and to continue until it's achieved.

"In the '70s we had to make it acceptable for people to accept girls and women as athletes," she said. "We had to make it OK for them to be active. Those were much scarier times for females in sports."

NPR MONDAY AUGUST 25 INTERVIEW with Billie Jean King
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=93937984

"Morning Edition, August 25, 2008. As the 35th anniversary of Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs "Battle of the Sexes" match approaches, co-host Renee Montagne talks to tennis legend Billie Jean King about that famous match. King highlights the lessons that helped her win that match in a new book, Pressure is a Privilege - Lessons I've Learned from Life and the Battle of the Sexes."

Billy Jean King was interviewed by NPR Morning Edition's Renee Montagne this morning regarding the "Battle of the Sexes" match between Billie and Bobby Riggs, approaching its 35th anniversary.

When asked if she thought her victory over Riggs had an immediate impact on women's tennis, Billie Jean King replied, "It actually had an impact on tennis."

King cited the largest attendance ever for both the men's and women's professional tours in 1974, the year following her match with Riggs, and which has been attributed directly to it. In addition, the first network contracts for both men's and women's tennis were another direct result of the now historic event.

"It's funny how when a woman does something they always think we only affect half of the population," said King, commenting further on the "women's tennis" slant on Montagne's question. "I think people perceive women that way all the time and that's not good...If you effect one human being, I think its a domino effect. It changes the puzzle, the framing - everything."

I remember that wild and crazy tennis match. Never having watched a tennis match before in my life, I sat glued to the set with millions of others. We feminists had a personal stake in this match. "Male chauvinist pigs" stood on the brink of being silenced.

The principle of Equality, for which many of us were marching in the streets, was on the line.

Billie Jean King became a major hero to the feminist movement with her victory. The match was a media spectacle, admittedly, but the social, cultural and political impact of her victory is still being felt today.

"Also what came from this match is the first generation of men of the women's movement. Because I have men coming up to me today," King shared in the inteview, "that have daughters and they have tears in their eyes. And they tell me how that match.....they were ten years old, 12 years old 17 years old, and how that match changed their life and how they raised their daughters. They're the first generation of men that truly believe that their daughters and sons should have equal opportunity."

Actually, my Dad was totally a chauvinist, EXCEPT that he raised me to believe that I could be anything I wanted. Neither he nor my mother set limitations on my aspirations, which was cool, BUT not typical.

The struggle for equal treatment continues today. An article from the AFL-CIO states:

"Equal pay has been the law since 1963. But today, nearly 45 years later, women are still paid less than men-even with similar education, skills and experience."

"In 2007, women were paid only 77 cents for every dollar a man is paid, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Economist Evelyn Murphy, president and founder of The WAGE Project, estimates the wage gap costs the average full-time U.S. woman worker between $700,000 and $2 million over the course of her work life." See: http://www.aflcio.org/issues/jobseconomy/women/equalpay/

So, as the song says, "the beat goes on..." But not without a leader who is still an inspiration to multiple generations today. Billie Jean King's victory over Bobby Riggs helped to change some attitudes that needed updating. She wasn't the entire women's liberation movement, but she definitely gave it a huge boost that day.

Here's to you Billie Jean King. Rock on! -Deb Adler

Note: Cited sources and reprinted stories are copyrighted. All rights revert to the original publishers.

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