I will be doing some restructuring soon and get back on the horse and this time, this time, all will be well with the universe!

I have this thing about words and their meanings, but mostly about their origins. Specifically, because so much of what we say, the words we speak, impacts the quality of our lives.

Think about this: The word “holidays” descended from the term “Holy Days”. All of the various symbols associated with every religion, including Santa, have all changed their original meanings over time as well.

We went from human beings spending a quiet, meditative, sacrificial period of gratitude and prayer, to utter madness. From HOLY to HOLLY. The difference is equivalent to comparing a Monastery — to Hollywood.

Most of us are diplomatic about our words…meaning we don’t always say what we mean, but what we think others want to hear. Sometimes, when we say what we mean, that is, when we are attempting to be “honest”, we believe we are giving “constructive” criticism in order to help someone we truly care about. We believe it’s in their “best interest”. And sometimes, it is. And sometimes, it’s not.

It’s a two-edged sword. Because most of the time, we don’t really see ourselves the way others are “perceiving” us. We may think we are behaving one way, but we are actually “coming across” another way. It’s difficult to really see ourselves. Or hear ourselves.

So, sometimes, when someone who is truly acting in our best interests, and points out things about our behavior that is causing us repetitive problems, it may be worth our while to pay attention, to take heed, and make adjustments, in order to live a more peaceful and productive existence in the world.

Other times, it really is just a matter of that person’s own experience and whether or not they truly know us and understand us. Maybe their advice, solicited or not, is not in our best interest. It’s just their opinion, based on their experience. And their advice may end up being detrimental to our own well being.

And still other times, people don’t always have one another’s best interest at heart at all. They may be coming from a selfish or competitive (envious) point of view, have hidden agenda’s, or ulterior motives, for whatever reasons.

The point is, that we, as individuals, need to get to know ourselves, what matters to us personally, what our purpose on this planet is, and how we can benefit others with that purpose.

Once we discover who we truly are, we can then discern information as it comes to us. Whether or not we can utilize it, or trust our own guts. The idea is that human beings are meant to always move forward, evolve upward. Anything that holds us back from being positive, productive, and compassionate is not moving forward.

The “Holidays” — Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hannakuh, Ramadan, Kwanzaa — are “perceived” as a period of “giving” — a set period of time when we behave as our best selves towards one another. It’s supposed to be a time of focusing on our chosen religions and their various meanings, and how to translate those meanings into our everyday life all the time.

The fact that the “holidays” has transcended into a commercial rat race, vacations, materialism, i.e. “what will I get, what will I give”…is ironic.

The “holidays” has evolved into anguish for many. It is a time of loneliness for some, a time of desperation for others, a time of overwhelming chores, like shopping and cooking and baking and cleaning and preparing our homes for visitors and family members. We become rattled. And then it’s over. And we go back to being our “regular” selves. Until next year. No reflection, no evolving.

And although many of us will incorporate church ceremonies and pagentries with this season, we will still largely be involved with HOLIDAY. A “new word ” that has nothing to do with sacrifice, or gratitude, or peace, or LOVE.

Maybe we should all change the name of our particular religions’ holiday name to what they were originally, HOLY DAYS. And make it a sacred season. What?

A season that is all about LOVE? And nothing else? What a concept, huh? Just a thought.

Stay safe and well. So that we can see you on the other side of the “holidays”. But enjoy, or rather stay IN JOY throughout the season.

See what I mean about words?

These days, celebrities speak up, speak out, stand up, march, and express their opinions loudly and proudly. As they should. The people who criticize celebrities for speaking up about politics are missing the point.

First, they are citizens of this nation, too. They have the same rights as the rest of Americans. And second, they care what happens to our country. They don’t have to, but they do.

They could sit back, with their fame and large fortunes, and say, “Let them (us) eat cake.”

We tend to think, or rather assume that the celebs who speak out were once starving artists, and they remember where they came from. Not necessarily so.

Many of the celebrities who make a point of standing up for political issues, did not come from poor backgrounds. Some are Ivy League educated, with professional parents who provided them with comfortable childhoods. And still, they care about this nation and the people without a voice.

The bottom line here, is that the celebrities who speak out for fairness, justice, and equality for all Americans are good citizens. They are compassionate humanitarians, who do not mind risking their reputations and careers, and yes, bank accounts, to help ensure that our nation thrives and survives.

In a sense, they are the true guardians of Democracy and Freedom. There are people in this nation who would probably never bother voting, or never realize they have options, until someone they recognize and relate to informs them of those options.

It is not a celebrity’s “duty” to care and make a difference. And, they’re actions are not coming from a selfish agenda, i.e. if we, their fans, are crushed economically, spiritually, etc., then how can we support their art: go see their movies, buy their records…

No. The objective is coming from a pure place: What is right and what is wrong. Fair elections. Unbiased legislation. Keeping political corruption at bay. Protecting our freedoms and constitutional rights. Saving our country and the citizens of this country and the rest of the world.

They have a Voice, because they have recognizable faces and names. And they use them for good.

So Thank YOU, Leo and George, Brad and Don, Scarlett and Tina, Diddy, Barbra, Spielberg, J.T., Cameron, Angelina, Jen A., Ellen, Madonna, The View!, and all the other famous faces and names that cared about us, The United States, and our world at large.

You didn’t have to. But you did. Let’s hope you continue to do so, because the world needs you.

The Good Cops are back in the driver’s seat. Let’s hope they can take us back to Normal City, because we’ve been too long on Mars, or Crazytown. The Bad Cops did a number on the world and it’s gonna take everything we’ve got to pull ourselves out of this nightmare.

It’s still scary stuff…you know, like when they stole every single diamond out of South Africa, and then gave it back to the Native South Africans? You can’t help but wonder if stealing billions and trillions and then saying, okay, now you Black people can be in charge — but there’s nothing left..so good luck.

It doesn’t matter. If they took it all, it doesn’t matter. We, the people, will rise to the occasion and we will make things better than ever. We’ll find a way. We overcame Slavery. We survived the Great Depression and two World Wars, and Viet Nam. So…

Congratulations President Elect Obama! Our prayers go out to you and your family. And here’s one now:

Heavenly Creator…Bless our new leader, his health, his mind, his will and his spirit. Let him know your purpose and plan and follow the way of righteousness. Bless his choices for a Cabinet, that they will be wise and compassionate, fearless and brave. Bless Congress to fulfill their promises to this nation to the best of their abilities. Ease our fears and the damage done in the past eight years. Let us forget the past and press on towards the race before us. Help all United States citizens evolve into patient, unjudging people, and be ready to stand up and do the things we need to do to help our leaders make good choices.

Heal our nation, Bless our world, and guide us to a bright and better future. Keep us all safe….Thank you in advance…Amen.

We are afraid — of change — of losing it all — at times, it looks as though our nation has overcome the deeply embedded programming of a nation once supported by slavery of human beings — and that Racial Division may become a thing of the past…and then, if you look around, you see White faces filled with fear…wondering what will happen if, if, if … will it remove their power, will it make things equal, will that equality change the status quo, which has been a security blanket for falsehoods that has brainwashed and tormented human beings in this nation for well over 500 years…what will happen?

And yet, those faces are filled with fear if they keep the same ideology in place that has nearly bankrupt our nation, which may result in an economic crisis, the like of something we have never seen in our history. Something close to a Third World existence seems eerily close to our reality.

African American faces are filled with fear and hope and well, fear…what if “he” makes it and things don’t change for the better…will that be our only chance of proving we are deserving of sharing the decision making and responsibility of this nation’s future? We work, we pay taxes, we cry, we bleed, we care — those faces say… we don’t want revenge, we just want to matter, we don’t want the color of our skin to hinder us any more.

Just remember, only a few presidents in the history of this nation have ever made great strides of positive change for all Americans: Lincoln, FDR, JFK, LBJ, and Bill. Carter tried.

What can one man do that will be so extraordinary as to change the world from top to bottom, bottom to top? The answer: It probably cannot be done, not in four years or eight years. But hopefully, he will try to heal our nation, ease our fears, console the world — by his efforts, and we will see those efforts and appreciate them and work with him. We will not be quick to condemn or judge or give up on him. We will not expect too much too fast. We will exercise patience, and faith, and we will work with him.

And if the game goes on as it has been, and the same ideology continues to rule, well, we know we came close to real change, real hope — for all humanity. Once upon a time, in America, we almost made things fair. And maybe, just maybe, that same ideology, if it wins this election, will take a turn for the better and include the poor, the middle class, the elderly, and make an effort to heal our wounds, our 500 years of conditioning, ease our fears, stop the killing of our young men and women in our military, bring them home safely, protect our borders, and yes, create a surplus.

That’s my dream.

Don’t forget to browse our Affiliate Sites. They have remarkable Fall items you should not miss. And our products are there for the asking.

P.S. For those of us who questioned the Bail Out Rescue “Scheme”, well, we lost this round. It’s unfortunate that We, the people did not get a say. Now remains the future and what it will hold for our nation and our world. Let’s hope it was a positive, intelligent choice that will bring forth prosperity, honesty, and good will for everyone.

On to the Election!

There’s so much information and so many opinions and articles, it’s mind boggling. But exciting.

As a result, we’re recruiting new writers, bloggers and commentators for OH My Blog.

Here’s your chance to express your thoughts and ideas in another forum. Everyone these days have their own blogs, and they are RSS feeding everyone else. But it’s not the same. It’s more interesting when you can have your material spread out in different venues, to attract new audiences.

Not Just About Politics
This is not a disclaimer, but a clarification. This past week, our postings have focused on the top story of the nation, the bail out economic plan and political discourse.

It is important to clarify that OH My Blog is a smorgasbord of ideas, focusing on current issues about our lives today. Our emphasis is on “contemporary issues meet controversy” and we invite controversial comments and opinions.

While this blog is associated with All About Us, Greeting Cards for the 21st Century, and provide advertisements for our store products, as well as our wonderful affiliates, which include Armani Exchange Canada, Barnes and Noble, Amazon.com and more, it is primarily a platform for sharing information about Hot Topics and personal issues, i.e. addictions, consumer debt, weight loss, etc. — which is the concept behind our products.

Please contact the administrator if you would like to be considered as a contributing writer on our site.

Just email omb@allaboutus-greetingcards.com

Except…that is what the initiative is all about, to spark the economy so that spending will continue. Except … if U.S. citizens are burdened with new debt, by bailing out rich people, they will not be in a position to spend. And why is it so important for US citizens to worry about not being able to ge tloans? Isn’t that just more indebtedness? Mmmmm.

Debt is an ugly, ugly, ugly cycle. Ain’t nuttin’ nice ’bout it. It is the manifestation of negative energy, aka evil, which is the definition of “causing or threatening distress or harm; a source of sorrow; calamity”.

Debt is a cosmic black hole created to maintain control of and eventually, swallow up it’s victims, in this case, the masses. Because once you’re in the “credit” hole, it was conceived that you will always be in the “credit” hole, good or bad. No matter how much money you have, you will always be seduced to need more — and that will invite credit.

And someone(s) established this euchred system as the foundation for our economic survival. It’s sort of like a curse, you know, “A Pox upon your house!”, or a plague, a serpent, a spider web, an addiction. Was there no other way?

Read next article

There was a small applause, but mostly shock. We, the people, are not accustomed to concepts that would actually level the playing field. The idea made too much sense, something else we are not accustomed to.

First, it would allow Americans to be in a position to invest as a whole, remove large sums of personal debt, and an opportunity to start over. Really start over. For all economic levels. There would be no more poverty. At least for a while in this country. But think of the possibilities worldwide. We really are do-gooders.

Second, since it is possible that the money for the bail out will come from taxpayers in the long term, and taxpayers are already struggling, there is no guarantee that the debt will be repaid. Unless We, the people, are forced to pay more and more taxes, oppressed under more debt and rising costs and inflation. Recession and a Depression is inevitable this route. Especially if they are just “printing up new money”.

Third, the majority of Americans are responsible for the money being available in the first place, and not just the rich. It’s the rich (or rather a good number of them) who have misused, mismanaged, greedied it away, living large and in charge. Now, it’s our turn, the 99 percent, to stop giving and start receiving and living large. The rich will
always be rich.

There’s a responsible way to allot these monies to avert waste. Damage control.

We wouldn’t receive the money all at once. Think about it. Junkies would OD on a massive scale. And large numbers of people would spend it so fast, it would truly be a waste.

Of course, there are minds more advanced and capable to construct a better plan, but here’s a plausible start:

Every person would have to invest $100 grand towards Wall St. investments. Let’s add that up. 300 million people investing $100 grand. Uh, duh, let’s see…that would be…uh…you have calculators. Anyway, they wouldn’t see that money because it would go straight to the source, like taxes.

After that, each allotment would be a certain amount annually per person, like the lottery. Probably starting around $25,000 per person. The rest would be placed in
various government bonds, trusts, estates, bank accounts, etc., which no one could actually touch. It would earn interest, while banks use it to do what they usually do,
invest it, loan it, whatever.

Would that cause millions of people to walk off of their jobs? Or millions more to simply live off the allotment, tax free? (It’s the Australian way.) And, it’s probably more than a lot of current salaries.

Or, would it ignite more spending? More qualifications for loans, small businesses, college educations, purchase homes and afford them, pursue dreams, shopping? If spending is what they want consumers to do, then this would allow
spending as well as investing. For the first time in history, the 99 percent would not just be giving to the rich, excluded from the American Dream, but in charge of
their lives.

Too idealistic you say? It’s what is being done, has always been done, and will probably continue to be done for the truly wealthy among us. Make no mistake, we’ve been duped throughout history by the policies and procedures that maintain a permanent underclass, in order for the wealthy to remain so.

It’s a shocking and daring proposal. But so is giving $700 billion dollars without American citizens being able to vote on that plan.

Which comes to another proposal. Voters get to vote on most legislation. Why are they not getting a vote on the biggest economic proposition in history? A proposition that they will pay for.

Therefore, instead of putting a “rush” on this plan, like the Iraq War, let’s slow this thing down. Ask a few more questions instead of panicking and feeling helpless and hopeless.

For instance, how many of “us” have had an opportunity to go over this plan? Probably none. We’re just being “told” about it.

So, here’s the deal: No Deal until we say it’s a deal.

It’s easy. It’s honest. And it’s fair.

Present the plan to American citizens. Place the full material in the Sunday newspaper, make copies available online, at libraries, at post offices, etc. Give American’s a few days to read it, investigate it, talk it over. Then, hold a special televised program, like the debates, or presidential speeches, where Bush, McCain, Obama, the treasury guy, especially Pelosi, and some top financial expert — and have them explain everything, line by line to the American people.

Then, and only then, set a date for a special election where WE get to vote on this bail out. Yea or Nay. And the final results will speak for themselves, unless chads get stuck and ballots get lost, and we have to start recounts, etc. etc. etc.

What a concept, huh? It’s scary and most American’s will be hesitant because we are not use to taking responsibility for our own lives. We have been trained, programmed, and conditioned to look to our leaders to deceive us, lie to us, cheat us, and keep us in our place.

We look to them like they are our parents. We think of them as our “deadbeat” dads (and moms). We expect them to disappoint us, make us promises so that we can keep hope alive. We like living on a hope and a prayer. It’s what
we are accustomed to.

And then, let us down, so they we can complain and bicker amongst ourselves. Blame one another. That always works. That almighty divide. It works everytime, has worked for all time, and unless we change it, it will continue to work forever.

We have poverty because we accept poverty. The wealthy are rich, because they demand it. We like having idols, and people to look up to, and we need to have people to look down on, to look up to us. It’s ego. We like feeling special and better than others. And we like having something to aspire to.

With that said. The balls in your court.

They gave us a “whole week” to pay attention and say no way. But as usual, we chose panic instead of common sense.

This blog is not “out there” yet, in the thick of things, but Ariana Huffington, if you’re listening — pass this on…

In the past eight years, when has Mr. Bush asked for billions and trillions of dollars that found it’s way back to the people it belonged to? Except for the Elite One Percent, how many of us are better off now than we were before this administration?
“They” are not struggling financially, or losing homes, and their children are not being mangled and killed in a foreign country, fighting a war that most US Citizens are still not clear as to why we are there.

The truth? Nothing they have done has improved our lives. If Congress is in confusion about the legitimacy of this astronomical amount of bail out, why would we go ahead and okay this?

Mr. Bush has been telling us that the economy was just fine. All the while, incurring huge debt and deficts, borrowing like crazy from China.

So were the companies being invested in on Wall Street reporting false earnings all this time? Or, was there a sudden and shocking downturn this last quarter that sent everything topsy turvey?

Suggestion: Launch a longer investigation as to what happened, then get back to us with the facts, report it loudly and clearly, and let the people of this nation decide by a special election as to what should be done. $700 Billion is a lot of money for taxpayers to just give away in a rush of panic. It’s reminiscent of how Mr. Bush just ignored everyone and just bullied his way into a war.

Remember, we allowed it because we were told there was clear evidence of “weapons of mass destruction”…and then there were no such evidence. We were supposed to be going after Bin Laden for attacking our country. And then we were suddenly going after Iraq for those illusive weapons. And now, we’re shelving out unheard of money for corrupt Executives.

Are we all sedated? Nancy Reagan said it best: JUST SAY NO!

PLEASE READ THIS: AND GET INVOLVED!!!!!
Business News

Senate leader: Significant progress on bailout
By CHARLES BABINGTON (Associated Press Writer)
From Associated Press
September 27, 2008 1:05 PM EDT
WASHINGTON – Congressional leaders said Saturday they hoped to reach an agreement on a multibillion-dollar bailout plan for the financial sector before the markets open Monday, even if House and Senate votes would come later.

“The goal is to come up with a final agreement by tomorrow,” Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said during an unusual weekend session of Congress. “We may not be able to do that, but we’re trying very hard.”

He said he hoped for an announcement by 6 p.m. EDT (2200 GMT) Sunday, just hours before the Asian markets open again. “Everybody is waiting for this thing to tip a little bit too far,” he said, so “we may not have another day.”

President George W. Bush expressed confidence that lawmakers soon would approve a rescue plan. He acknowledged that many Americans are frustrated and angry that up to $700 billion in tax dollars may be needed to cover Wall Street firms’ mistakes.

The bailout is intended to rescue bankers from bad loans that threaten to derail the economy and plunge the country into a long depression. Lawmakers likened the situation to a major car wreck that has backed up traffic – credit, in this case – for miles (kilometers). The rescue is meant to remove the wreckage so credit can start moving to borrowers again.

The main sticking point is with conservative Republican lawmakers in the House of Representatives. They object to several parts of the Bush administration’s approach, developed largely by Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson.

Negotiators on Saturday sought to accommodate enough of their demands to entice a reasonable number of House Republicans to back the eventual plan, which is nearly certain to be unpopular with many voters.

Democrats and administration officials said they were willing to include the House Republicans’ idea of having the government insure distressed mortgage-backed securities – but only as an option, not a replacement for the broader idea of buying outright those toxic securities.

“There may be a way in which that could be accommodated as part of the toolbox” available to the Treasury Department, South Dakota Sen. John Thune said after Republican senators were briefed on the negotiations. “As a practical matter, that can’t be the engine that drives this bill.”

Negotiators also discussed phasing in the program’s costs. For example, after the first $350 billion is made available, Congress could try to block later amounts, which could total an additional $350 billion, if it believed the program was not working. The president presumably could veto such a move, however, requiring extra large margins in the House and Senate to override.

Some Democrats still want a provision allowing bankruptcy judges to rewrite mortgages to help homeowners avoid foreclosure. Thune said that would be “a deal-breaker” for Republicans.

The compromise legislation that seemed to be emerging Saturday “is not the proposal that we got from Secretary Paulson,” Reid said. But lawmakers said it would be much closer to Paulson’s original plan than to the alternative offered by House Republicans several days ago.

Some House Republicans continued to resist a plan that might move quickly once drafted and might include only modest portions of their alternative.

“There must be no rush to misjudgment regarding this critical threat to America’s economic future for generations to come,” said Rep. Thaddeus McCotter, a Michigan Republican. “All Americans want responsible progress toward a positive, pro-taxpayer solution.”

The debate has divided Republicans more so than Democrats, with Bush struggling to salvage the main elements of his plan from attacks by members of his own party.

Some Republicans have taunted Democrats, saying Democrats could pass the bill without Republican help because they control both the House and Senate. With the Nov. 4 election only weeks away, Democrats have refused to push anything that appears to be a sharply partisan plan, which Republicans could then use against them. Even some Republicans have defended them.

“You can’t have a deal” on an issue this large when “a large part of the body” refuses to go along, Sen. Lindsey Graham. a South Carolina Republican, said in an interview.

New details emerged over the weekend of a remarkably tumultuous White House meeting on the bailout Thursday. With the session breaking up in disarray, according to two participants, Bush issued an appeal, saying, “Can’t we just all go out and say things are OK?”

The group around the table, which included congressional leaders and the presidential nominees-Republican John McCain and Democrat Barack Obama -spurned the request. The participants spoke on condition of anonymity because the meeting was private.

In an Associated Press-Knowledge Networks poll, only 30 percent of those surveyed expressed support for Bush’s package. Forty-five percent were opposed, with 25 percent undecided. The survey was conducted Thursday and had a margin of error or plus or minus 3.8 percentage points.