Vote for the Issues or the Party?

When selecting a candidate to vote for in a particular election, what is more important: political party or issues?

Several candidates around the country have placed TV commercials that do not mention any party. They focus on the issues that they see as important to their voters.

Here are a few candidates doing it:

• Joe Donnelly running in Indiana for Congress
• Stephanie Herseth running in South Dakota for Congress
• Blanche Lincoln running in Arkansas for Senator
• Alex Sink running in Florida for Governor

I have seen commercials for each of these candidates. It seems to be appreciated by the audience. It was not even noticeable that no political party was mentioned in the ad, except they were introduced as following the trend.

If the issues are more important than the party, I would like to see all political ads in any election campaign following this commercial format. This gives the candidate time to talk about his or her stand on the issues, and it gives the voters a chance to get to know a little about the candidate, almost personally.

Maybe this is taking the politics out of political elections, but I don't think that's so bad right now.

What Is Your Greatest Asset?

I read this opening paragraph in an article by Greg Mallory and present it to all managers and supervisors.

Dirk Hughes, Luminant Academy director, likes to tell a story about a Luminant employee who came to him one day and said she’d like to be a supervisor. He told her there were only two questions she needed to answer. “What is the company’s most important asset?” “People,” she said. “Right answer,” he responded. “Now for the second question: Do you really believe it?”

Gettysburg Address

In Memory - Memorial Day
On June 1, 1865, Senator Charles Sumnar commented on what is now considered the most famous speech by Abraham Lincoln. In his eulogy on the slain president, he called it a "monument act." He said Lincoln was mistaken that "the world will little note, nor long remember what we say here." Rather, the Bostonian remarked, "The world noted at once what he said, and will never cease to remember it. The battle itself was less important than the speech."

Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the the proposition that all men are created equal.

Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle-field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, for those who have gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.

But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate — we can not consecrate — we can not hallow — this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but they can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us — that from these honored dead one take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion — that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain — that this nation, under God,shall have a new birth of freedom — and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.

 

For the Christmas Tree, Garry used IFL Labs software for the fractal and Jasc animation software for the animation.

Research Studies

Want to volunteer for a medical research study?

UT Soutwestern sent a press release about ResearchMatch where volunteers can be matched — online — to a scientific research project, or clinical trial, for which they might qualify. The National Institute of Health gave UT Southwestern a grant to help quickly move laboratory discoveries into actual therapies.

This new allows the medical community "to cast a wider net into a deeper pool of potential subjects.” Both healthy people and those with illnesses and conditions can take advantage of this opportunity!

Flag Day

Flag Day at our house.



While thinking about the view of my house, I also have to think about how much I enjoy the view from my window.

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Finally! Let's Look at Autism

It has been over a month(!!) since I posted! Wow. Well I couldn't let April pass without doing my part to to talk about autism. Autism touches the lives of so many people. That includes some people close to me, and one of those people is me.

April is National Autism Awareness Month. There are more than half a million children with some form of autism in this country alone. Autism is the second leading childhood development disorders, but most people do not even know what autism is. With so many autistic children in America, it would be a good idea to try Understanding Autism. For valuable information, check the National Autism Association.

Autism does not affect children exclusively. There is more than one kind of this dreaded disorder:

• Classic Autism
• Asperger's Syndrome
• Childhood Disintegrative Disorder
• Rett Syndrome
• Pervasive Developmental Disorder, not otherwise specified

Visit this site to learn more about these different types.

Pay special attention to Asperger's Syndrome. Although people who have Asperger's may have awkward social skills, they are often extremely intelligent and successful. Remember Mozart, Einstein, and Madame Curie had Asperger's. Let's look further at the author of our Declaration of Independence and our third president Thomas Jefferson -- yes, he had Asperger's, too.

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Butterflies

Today is Learn about Butterflies Day.*

One way to attract butterflies is to grow flowers in your yard. Garry took these pictures in our backyard. The light yellow one is a tiger swallowtail. The top right is a gorgone checkerspot, and the left is a checkerspot.

To learn more, see Learn about Butterflies and Moths.

Enjoy the day.

* I do not know the origin, but if someone can tell me, I will be glad to thank you for creating such a fun day and I will give you credit.

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