BRING BACK THE DREAM ACT.............PRONTO !!

PERSONAL:

I awoke this morning at 7am today after 9+hrs of sleep to a 3, and had a runny nose (cold maybe?) I took my pills, it was at freezing on the south deck and damp but no snow. The lawn guys showed up about 7:45 and then I put out my flag. I did go out and feed the birds on the west deck but it was to early for even them, but they and the geese finally arrived after 8am.

I did get the right email address for Glen Shuck yesterday, so I corrected it for his worthwhile cause and listed it in the Yellow Ribbon Section. We did get our Christmas lights up and thanks brother Mike. Hopefully I can get together again with nephew Michael Ross, at least once before he heads back south. I went to lunch with brother Mike in Sherwood and that was nice; even though he only had a bowl of soup; it still counts, so I only owe him 2 now. I did see Pat Worley at the Hall and he had just picked up my voice mail message from yesterday and I told him I was not going to make the trip to Bandon. And I also will keep the report on the news I have heard about one of my 2 favorite Oregon Senators who is also having health issues, Senator Ron Wyden; so I will ask all to include him in our prayers; I'll take this time again to tell all of you (especially those over 50 yrs old) to be sure and get in and have your colon check ups.

This may be a short blog but I am going to report on my Union meeting last Friday night but I must say; it was a real joy, for me anyway, almost 250 members and I did update everyone on my Kaiser travails, which I spoke to Lou about today, and I will be looking for some volunteer's for some picket help; as I guess that will be the only way to get Kaiser's attention as NOTHING else seems to. They did announce that nominations for our 2011 International Convention will be next month, I think. I will definitely try to get to go; I have been fortunate to attend every International Convention I have been eligible for and I would like to keep that streak alive.

We have also received many Christmas cards, and I still hope we can get ours in the mail before Saint Patty's Day anyway. The email poem from good friend Craig Schommer that I sent around will be a good read at Christmas, if I can figure out how to download it from U-tube.

Judi did decide what she wanted for her Birthday, a day trip to Spirit Mountain, with Mike and Mary Botkin, lets all hope for good weather from Christmas to New Years. My progress with the Ampya is going well, so far and I and many others noticed at the Union meeting Friday night. I still hope the Ampyra helps enough to make my road trip this summer. I did get the address for Brother Shiprack and hopefully Senator Wyden and I will put them in my “OTHER STUFF” section.

Don't forget to say THANK YOU, to all those servicemen and women who have served or are serving. Christopher is back in Afghanistan and I had a nice “text” conversation with him this morning before I left. I understand he will be stateside earlier than I thought; he is looking forward to taking down his yellow ribbon next summer; but I understand nephew Rhyon is heading back there but we should see him first, so a prayer a day for them from all my readers would sure make me feel better until then.

I will put the prayer to St. Jude in here again for Andrew McVey's Mother and because I didn't make it to brother Dick Coyle's funeral. I did get a real nice card from Dick's wife for the funeral spread we sent, so please add them to your prayers also.

** For Brother's Andrew's, Bill's and Dick's families **

Prayer to St. Jude for Eternal Life
You are my solace, St. Jude, in the face of loss and sorrow. I pray that you will guide my heart away from the darkness of fear and into the light of Christ. May the hope that St. Jude keeps alive in my heart be a source of comfort to all those who grieve. For in that hope, we know God's mercy, and we trust God's promise of eternal life. My soul longs for the fullness of life, which is only to be revealed when I meet my Maker in heaven. Stay by my side, St. Jude, so that my soul will always know the power of your healing love. Amen.

God grant that I may live to fish until my dying day, And when it comes to my last cast, I then must humbly pray. When in the Lord's safe landing net I'm peacefully asleep, that in His mercy, I be judged............Good enough to keep.

**** My daily prayer, is to Mary Mother of God…..”O Most Blessed Mother, heart of love, heart of mercy, ever listening, caring, consoling, hear our prayer. As your children we implore your intercession with Jesus your Son. Receive with understanding and compassion the petitions we place before you today, the welcoming of Uncle Sandy, Frances's aunt, good friends Bob Spicher, Jim Fox, brother Dick Coyle, Andrew's Mother and good friend Bill Gallager's father into the house of the Lord; cousin Mick, brother Shiprack, nephew Arron, Kelli's Mom, good friend Ron Wyden, good family friend Pat Percin, and those who are having health issues; protecting Christopher and Rhyon and all in need. We are comforted in knowing your heart is ever open to those who ask for your prayer. We trust to your care and intercession, those whom we love and who are sick or lonely or hurting. Help ALL of us, to bear our burdens in this life until we may share eternal life and peace with God forever, Amen.”
Thank You, Mother Mary, for your help and assistance, especially for BRINGING DANIEL HOME SAFELY,; for the safe delivery of Brandee's new baby girl, Larry's big win, Mick and Gloria; and those, NOW covered with Health Care.

I know I have been repeating things, apparently too much, on my blog; but some of this stuff I need to be reminded of and some of this stuff others need to be reminded of.

KAISER AND M.S. REPORT:

This is my attempt to keep track of my experiences with Kaiser Permanente and my LDN treatment for my Neurologist and his RN. So far with the 4.5mg, I think I'm noticeably better, I have changed the LDN to coincide with my noon regimen and I am experiencing better days now that I'm doing the L.D.N., at noon. I have started that brand new FDA approved pill, Ampyra and unless they screw it up it is only supposed to be a $20 copay. My BP is 130/73/62 at 4:05pm. I did get a questionnaire on my satisfaction from my last visit with my neurologist but the space for my personal statement was to small and I had to add my own little letter and I did get it in the mail. After my visit to “membership services” at Kaiser Sunnyside, in their New office, with a New “service person” I am even more concerned, because she could not find my previous “compound” receipts in the computer system. She did give me a copy of the “Non Plan” form for my LDN refill and my receipt and I did speak with trustee Lou Christian today and asked if he heard from the Kaiser rep since I turned in my last receipt for the LDN and based on my most recent prescription denial, hopefully they won't lose that one. And I did get a “comparison” between Kaiser and the self funded plan and even after Judi and I reviewed it we decided a change was not timely. I did tell Lou that I WILL be creating my own picket sign, and he will be so convenient for my picketing at Kaiser Sunnyside, Mt. Scott and their whole complex.

POLITICAL:

THE PRESIDENT DID SIGN THE DADT BILL; and this country takes another step away from discrimination, and it was the Republican's who killed the DREAM act.

I know it is a long time still until the 2012 elections, and I'm probably not the first, but I will say right here that; President Obama deserves and has earned his second term.

SENATOR RON WYDEN, HERO AND FRIEND, NEEDS OUR PRAYERS ALSO, so please add him to your prayers also.

CHECK OUT PAST BLOGS FOR THE Top 5 Social Security Myths. I am only going to list the first one from now on, as it is the biggest, as far as I'm concerned and I will save the space.

Myth #1: Social Security is going broke.
Reality: There is no Social Security crisis. By 2023, Social Security will have a $4.6 trillion surplus (yes, trillion with a 'T'). It can pay out all scheduled benefits for the next quarter-century with no changes whatsoever. After 2037, it'll still be able to pay out 75% of scheduled benefits—and again, that's without any changes. The program started preparing for the Baby Boomers' retirement decades ago. Anyone who insists Social Security is broke probably wants to break it themselves.

The nation's retirement deficit; the gap between your current pension/retirement savings and what you should have for retirement--is a staggering $6.6 trillion. Yet there are calls to cut Social Security, fewer people have pensions and 401(k)s have been decimated. It's time to wake up Washington and tell lawmakers to keep their hands off of Social Security and FIX our patchwork private retirement system.
Well, here we go......(John Bohener as Speaker of the house), BACK to the BUSH years? (that is in this new Contract on America) Do you suppose he is one of the protégées of Delay, even though he is soooo emotional? After 2 years with him as speaker starting in January, it should insure a Democratic Landslide in 2012 !

MY MOST IMPORTANT SECTION!!

YELLOW RIBBON SECTION:

Glenn Shucks email address is ggschuck36@aol.com and he is looking for some help to establish a new 501C3 Vets program.

Organizational Summary and History

This Business Plan is for the Oregon Military Support Network (OMSN) which operates as a not-for-profit organization throughout the northwestern United States and is located in Milwaukie, Oregon.

The idea for OMSN began in 2007 as an outgrowth of the Military Resource Meetings that were part of the Oregon reintegration strategy for service men and women who were returning from deployment in Iraq and Afghanistan. The effort was lead by a young Oregon woman, Michelle Davidson, who had served her country for seven years as both an active duty member of the U.S. Army and then as a member of the Oregon National Guard. Michelle worked as a paid intern for National Guard Reintegration Team one and a half years and State Senator Martha Schrader for six months and directed the majority of her earnings to cover the costs of traveling throughout Oregon to conduct the Military Resource Meetings, providing materials and refreshments for meetings, and physically taking veterans and their families to service provider agencies if they lacked transportation. Since the beginning these outreach efforts were underwritten through Michelle’s generosity and her unwavering support of the need to connect veterans and their families with much needed services.

A NEW PROGRAM THAT IS ALSO LOOKING FOR HELP: LETS BRING EM HOME
http://www.lbeh.org/

NEPHEW CHRISTOPHER IS STILL IN AFGHANISTAN, DAMN AND IT APPEARS THAT NEPHEW RHYON WILL BE HEADED BACK. I HAVE PUT THE SOLDIERS POEM, U-TUBE LINK I received FROM GOOD FRIEND CRAIG SCHOEMMER ON HERE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_P6yU_ymFM&feature=share
ONE RIBBON STILL UP, FOR CHRISTOPHER, AND WHEN I SEE RHYON TOMORROW; AND FIND OUT WHEN AND WHERE HIS NEXT DEPLOYMENT IS, HIS RIBBON WILL GO BACK UP.

DON'T FORGET, THE SOFT LANDING BILL, and thank you SENATOR PATTY MURRAY and CONGRESSMAN KURT SCHRADER for helping with it.

If you are flying the American Flag, please keep flying it until ALL our Troops return home.

At the 11th Hour, on the 11th Day, of the 11th Month a cease fire was signed to end the war to end all wars in 1918. How's that worked out so far?

SPORTS:

The Trailblazers pulled off an OUTSTANDING WIN yesterday; they had to reach all the way down to the D-league and still won with a short bench; BUT THEY ARE DEFINITELY MEN !!

I did get this off to Giz and he said he would pass it along:
Mr. Angelos, sir, I hope you have had your people keep an eye on that Mehrens kid, that played fall ball for the S. Cal Rangers, I have been trying to follow his progress on line and he definitely has the right stuff; based on what I've read he will be making a wonderful closer. I spoke with him and he is moving up from A ball to AA and he told me he has developed a GREAT knuckleball, clocked at 79mph, and after the World Series results Texas could sure have used him. I am still looking for the website that would have his team and stats. I forwarded the email to Giz and showed his response to Michael Ross when he came over.

COMMUNITY ORGANIZERS & CHARITIES:

I did get the 2010 BULL SESSION program and results in the mail Saturday and it sure was well done, Thanks Tim. And I think I misspoke before, because after rechecking our total for 20 years it was actually $4 million. I did talk to Jim Moss and he will try to get their website to accept partial payments; I will try to check later today, and he did say that the individual entry would be the same rate as last year for the Unions and members. THANK YOU JIM ! AND THANK YOU ALSO TO THE MEMBERS OF LOCAL 290 FOR YOUR VERY GENEROUS DONATION. (I sure hope Jim found his Moms Christmas decorations)

I did get an update from Molly Smithson on her “playing for others” program and it is still ongoing also.

The planning for the 2011 Hood to Coast in August has started already and Judi has signed up for the walk part, and we are recruiting for the 2011 M.S. Walk which is in April. ALL HELP APPRECIATED.

HERE IS THE LINK FOR MY CHOICE FOR THE AOH CHARITY; and it does appear it is garnering more support:

http://www.marthamaryministries.org/


HELP THE KOMEN RUN/WALK – www.5.komen.org/findarace.aspx
The American Rights at Work still needs help. We must not take our eye off that MAIN issue, our two Senators haven't; E.F.C.A. Hopefully this will be a lame duck accomplishment, especially in light of that mine disaster in West Virginia and those Rig explosions in the Gulf. I watched the commission on the B.P. Disaster and, from here, it looks like the beginning of a cover up.

The U.A. Local 290 “Don Salee” Member Assistance Program.

OTHER STUFF AND COMMUNICATIONS:

MICK, BOB , RON and CHRISTOPHER, stay positive and we will meet on the golf course (but I'm not sure if Ron even Plays) and I will take it easy on all of you. I also talked to good friend Scott Gardner and he want's to get together for some golf. BOB'S ADDRESS IS 4406 SE 76TH PORTLAND, OREGON 97206; for those thinking of sending a card.

May love and laughter light your days
And warm your heart and homes
May good and faithful friends be yours wherever you may roam
May peace and plenty bless your world with joy that long endures
May all life's passing seasons bring the best to you and yours

Whether you attend a church service, a Mosque, GLBT gathering, or Synagogue service, please say a prayer that God; yours, mine or ours; keeps our service men and women in the Palm of their hand.

Mike; My blog, is 5 pages, and over 2,700 words today, I think.