Last day of work

Today was my last day of work. it was sort of wierd because I feel uncomfortable with goodbyes. Not always, but in this case, I worked in a really small store for the past 8 month, So I see the same people pretty regularly, both customers, and my coworkers. I wasn't really expecting to feel so sad about it, until it actually was the last day. It was more the people then the acutual job duties that I will miss. I work with some wonderful people and I feel I've been treated very well there and have learned a lot from the depth of character I have encountered at the job.
We have about 5 days before we leave for the Italy/Greece trip. We have quite a bit to do before we leave. But I'm excited, I have not taken a "vacation" in 5 years, longer then a week, so I'm ready. I'm sure Brian is ready too, he has worked really hard the last 5 years. Greece/Italy here we come!!

This article ( written by Doreen Hannes) reminds us to wake up!

MOST PEOPLE DON'T WANT TO HEAR THE TRUTH

By Doreen Hannes
February 13, 2008
NewsWithViews.com

Now, more than in the past 100 years or so of our nation's history, we have a great number of people who sense that something 'just ain't right'. So what is one to do? First of all, you begin a quest for the truth about any particular topic. Pick one. Currently, you can choose from the NAU, Real ID, NAIS, the "Weapons of Mass Destruction" that aren't in Iraq, the Law of the Sea Treaty, the water boarding issue in Gitmo, the legality of the "income tax," the effects of the 'free trade' agreements on our nation, the "Clean Water Restoration Act," the "Military Commissions Act", Agenda 21, the "CFR" or heck, for some real light study, how about the institution of central banking and fractional reserve banking systems? There are a lot more, but this should at least give the idea that we have a problem. A very, very, big problem. It's like that infamous elephant in the living room that no one wants to talk about and most don't want to see.

Yet those giant piles of elephant excrement keep getting on everyone's shoes, so many have no choice but to begin to contemplate that where there is crap, there is a crapper. And before one can get the elephant out of the room, you have to admit that there is one. Some people will sit with brown stuff running down their faces and look at you with a blank stare saying, "What elephant?" They don't even notice the manure. Those folks are the furniture….You can't help them, so don't waste your time trying. Some people will marvel at the manure that keeps spontaneously generating out of thin air and blame it on the opposing political party; you may or may not be able to help these people. They are certainly worth a try. What you really want is the person that is wondering what kind of beast keeps splattering them and why isn't anyone on NBC-BS talking about it? These are people that are ready for some truth. Now you've got something to work with.

When you find someone who wants to know what the heck is going on, you just received a parallel promotion. Now you have the duty of teaching this person what you know, but don't look for a paycheck, this job has more eternal rewards. Since not many of us were raised up in households that knew the effects of birth certificates, Social Security numbers, and positive versus non-positive law (if lots of us were raised with that knowledge we wouldn't be in the mess we're in) we all had to start learning at some point. So you have to find out what the capacity for understanding of this person is. Even though it's way too late to be polite, you have to keep some empathy about you or you'll just scare the person into hopelessness, paranoia, or worse yet, apathy, and that isn't helpful to you, them or our nation.

If someone asks you "How can Congress pass a law that violates the Constitution?," don't hit them with a dissertation on the power structure of the NWO complete with breakdowns of the effects of our membership in the UN, the truth about the "Civil War," the history of the Federal Reserve and the Shadow government all at once. Just answer their question and it will lead to another question. Think of it like food. They need to eat little bites at a time. They may be hungry for the whole meal because they are one of the rare people who truly want the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, but they still need to chew only what they can swallow. It is an elephant after all.

Then there are those folks who notice the elephant feces, and ask about it, and when you begin to show them the elephant, they disdainfully say, "How preposterous! That cannot possibly be!! I know that is indeed elephant manure, but still….I'll acknowledge the tail and leave the rest to my imagination, thank you. Dismissed." These people are even more disappointing than the last type. They see some of it, but want to keep their hands over their eyes and admit into existence the little bit of what they can see through their fingers. If they keep being forced to admit that the tail is connected to a rump, and the rump is connected to rear legs, and the legs -well you get the picture, and they may, but it requires a lot of patience.

Finally there are people who don't want to look at the elephant even though it's standing on their foot. We all have plenty of these people in our lives. When told about something like the NAIS with all of its effects on choice for consumers, loss of rural jobs and businesses, privacy issues, consolidation of agriculture and effects on property rights, they say things like "I want to be sure my burger is free from terrorism." These people will trade your real liberty for their false sense of security in a heartbeat. They think they get the truth from the evening news, believe that you can't understand issues without a doctorate, and that the government gives us rights. They are absolutely sure there are no absolutes. They sit there obstinately no matter how persuasively you plead with them to move. They are the furniture. They stay where they have been put and will not be swayed.

Sometimes the furniture is part of your immediate family. You give them articles, places on the internet to visit, links to government documents on the topic, and endless reams of documentation and mainstream news articles, and they toss back a flippant accusation that "You're just a conspiracy theorist. None of this is that bad." Usually you'll ask, "Did you read what I gave you?," and they'll say something like "I scanned some of it, but didn't really have time to spend on it. My kid had a soccer game and then our favorite show was on, so we got pizza on the credit card and just enjoyed the entertainment." They just told you they don't know, don't care, and asked that you please stop confusing them with the facts…When you find that you are engaged in conversation with a coffee table, stop. Save your breath for those with questions. No impassioned plea ever moved a couch. Don't talk to the furniture.



© 2008 Doreen Hannes - All Rights Reserved

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Doreen Hannes is a homesteading mom, and a truly grass roots activist for small scale and traditional farming rights. She has thoroughly researched the origins and impacts of "Free Trade" agreements and National Animal Identification System in particular and has been a major force in the anti-NAIS movement both nationally and in Missouri for over a year.

Her mission is to expose the procedures and methods being employed to destroy the God given rights of this once great republic. Doreen is a frequent guest on talk radio programs and has written extensively on the NAIS.

E-Mail: animalwaitress@yahoo.com

How to donate to charity when you make an online purchase

Here are two websties I came across:
http://www.igive.com/
http://www.benevolink.com/

I think this is pretty neat. Check them out for yourself. If you are buying something from one of these stores anyway (there are over 680 listed), then buy it through this website and they donate a certain amount to charity. Looks like a good idea to me initially (although a lot of the stores are large corporate stores-and its always a good idea to buy from a small locally owned store first!) It's still worth looking at in my opinion because if there is something your looking to get and can't find and you are going to need to go through the internet anyway you might as well get them to donate to a good cause (and some of the causes are local causes in your home state-you just select your state off a list). Check it out. Next time you buy a book through Barnes and Nobles or need some obscure electronic devise from Best Buy (go through this site-and have these companies give some money back)


"Donate to Charity While You Shop: If you're going to be buying it anyway, you might as well use a service like igive.com or benevolink.com, free services that collect a fee from merchants for each of your purchases, then allows you to choose what good cause receives your funds>"

We are going to Crete!

We have decided to go to Crete first. When we get off the plane in Rome we are going to head right there on the train (and Ferry-it's an island). My boss loaned me several guide books (lonley planet) on Crete, (Turkey, India-we arn't going there on this trip but maybe another trip) and Greece. I have a towering stack of guidebooks now. My boss is so cool, when have I ever had a boss that would supply me with guidebooks for going around the world after I have given my notice at my job? NEVER. She is just a really open minded and giving person-I feel lucky to have worked for her and hope that she is able to travel again one day too (as she apparantly loves to travel).
Anyway, I've read the guide book on Crete and it looks pretty neat for this trip. Also it gets 300 days of sun a year-that wil be so uplifting after yet another Vermont winter.

"Crete is the biggest, arguably the most beautiful and certainly one of the most fascinating of all the Greek islands. Small wonder it accounts for a quarter of the entire tourist trade of Greece. It's the birthplace of European civilisation - an island practically sinking beneath the weight of its world-famous historic sites. Even if you're not the slightest bit interested in archaeology or history the ancient treasures of Crete are guaranteed to blow your mind. But if all you crave is a gorgeous sun-drenched beach, a cheap souvlaki dinner and an all-night disco.well, you'll still come away satisfied. It's the most southerly island in Greece, bordered by the Sea of Crete to the north and the Sea of Libya to the south"

We have ended up purchasing a Eurorail pass for Greece and Italy (a 10 day flexipass)
It ended up costing 834. for 2 second class passes. Expensive but necessary, we decided.