(Save it, Baby! Count me in!)

So, it goes like this . . .

Well, I just don’t know how this happened…

I don’t know what I was thinking really…

It seems tonight that I have about 80 people coming over for a parent meeting for my son’s wrestling team.

AND, I have my Annual Holiday Ornament Party Saturday as well… but which I do not know how many people are coming… quite a few.

How could I have possibly booked two large events at my home in the same week?

Am I a glutton for punishment?

Do I like stress and tranquilizers?

How many times do I really want artichoke dip?

These are the questions that I ask myself.

Well, as always, when the coach was looking for somebody to step up to the plate to offer their home for a parent meeting… nobody raised their hands.

So, it’s sort of like I was standing still and the team stepped backwards.

I get to do this by default.

Although, I have to admit that the house looks stunning in preparation for the annual ornament party.

How I can call my annual ornament party and “annual party” is beyond me, since last year I didn’t even put up one single tree… and as I go through the house, I count a mere 18 (not a typo) decorated trees in our home from 10-feet tall on down.

Not to mention all of the doo-dah on the banister and the along stairwell…

or the decorations in the den…

or the decorations in each bathroom…

or… or… or…

That’s a lot of tinsel, baby…

Well, I don’t know what I was thinking but now my brownies are burning and I have to get back to them.

Holy crap… I’ve got a lot of partying to do!

I’ll check in with you after tonight’s devastation… I mean meeting. 

xoxo

Be well,

Belle

  A 78th Annual Writer’s Digest Award Winner

S. Belle Karper, Author, Speaker www.BelleKarper.com
THE WIDOW WEARS BLACK - An Edgy Memoir from an Outspoken Survivor
Check out S. Belle Karper’s – Beauties and Beasts – Blog! Baby! Blog!
and Belle Karper Face Book & the popular Twitter-Belle - all on Website
Save it, Baby! Count me in!

Has your kitchen recovered from the Thanksgiving festivities?

I had a wonderful season of thanks and am challenging everyone I know to keep the spirit going all year-long.  I was honored to speak on the topic of gratitude during a community service on Thanksgiving Eve.  I was humbled with the opportunity and the setting.  I have always considered it an awesome job to share a vision with others.  When you are in a place of influence it is an awesome responsibility.  It reminds me of parenting.  There is no greater influence – than the parent – child influence.  This holds true even in religion and the relationship between God and Jesus.  Isn’t this the cornerstone of the bible?

When we think about gratitude and the impact available to us, gratitude can be the most powerful tool in your leadership toolbox.  Gratitude can turn around the most dire of situations and attitudes.  It can take doubt and turn it in to optimism, it can take a downtrodden heart and reveal sunlight and hope.  

Gratitude is more than an annual ritual performed before diving into the Thanksgiving meal. It’s more than a holiday decorations, more than a clever saying that rhymes with “attitude.” Of all the human emotions, gratitude is the most powerful. So powerful is gratitude, it can obliterate fear, hopelessness and doubt. Gratitude can heal a broken heart, slow the aging process and restore broken relationships. Gratitude creates hope and hope brings joy. It is in joy, not fear, that we find strength.

If I could bottle this and put it on a shelf, can you imagine the elixir I would create?  It would make a fortune.

I am grateful for the time, energy and ability to share my passion for gratitude. 

Lastly, I am grateful for my family.  My parents came to my home for turkey and it was so much fun to have them in the house.  They were a huge help and I realized just how very much I have missed them.  I felt a great circle of love between my parents, my husband and children.  I can’t leave out my puppy too.  I am hopeful that we will all march in to each day and be a blessing to everyone we meet.

Go in Gratitude!

It’s a hard thing to admit when you’re wrong. Whether it’s in an argument or approach, at work or at play, it can be incredibly challenging to suck it up and admit that it’s not someone or something else’s fault, but your own. You know the people who have a thousand reasons for why they’re not getting somewhere, and the reasons always have to do with all these other people and all these other things, but let’s be honest: the world at large is seldom solely to blame.

Fortunately, the sentiment can have a motivational flip side: whatever the situation, it’s clear that the approach or the execution is not working for you and not making things happen the way you want, and you’re ready to change it. You’re ready to examine what you can do to effect the desired outcome. This is a great place to get to, but it’s important to figure out exactly what you need to make it right, so you’re not just putting a Band-Aid on the crack in the boat.

Realization Translating into Action

So you realize that something or some things are not working. It’s time to identify and analyze what has happened and what hasn’t. You haven’t been getting all that many shows. The places you play are not drawing. Maybe your sales are on the decline or you’ve never really sold that many downloads or CDs at all. You took an approach and it’s clearly not working. So you blame the venue, the economy, the people who “just don’t realize how incredible the songs are and are fools for not buying.” No bullshit, got that in an email from an artist. This guy was insulting the entire music buying population because his music was “astonishing” and “industry changing.” For me, it sounded like a mix of Motley Crue and INXS. Not bad, though very poorly recorded, but the point is that this guy took no consideration of how he was distributing, how he was marketing, promoting or pushing his product. It’s about figuring out what was being done and how it isn’t working so you can begin to identify the problem as well as have a basic understanding of what it’s going to take to fix it.

What do you have to toss and what can you keep?

To start with, take stock of what you can use and what you have to toss in the methods and plans you have used thus far. This might mean a new logo or changing promotional items. It might mean a new attack plan when it comes to internet marketing or soliciting for gigs. You have to be honest with yourself in this phase. While it’s good to look at things that have been effective, don’t sugar coat it. Twenty great reviews from MySpace but no sales means something is not working. Knocking the socks off an audience for a night but not being invited back to play or not being offered another booking could be your fault and not theirs. Maybe you are playing too often in an area. That may need to be fixed. Maybe you’re getting great bookings but not selling anything at shows. Then the booking method is working and the things that need to be fixed relate to the sales at shows. Maybe you’re not working well with the venue or doing things wrong that you might not be aware of. These may need to be fixed as well.

Now, this is not to say that everything is your fault. Some things that you’re doing might be successful. If so, make sure to look at how and why they’re working and keep them on track while you concentrate on the parts that aren’t. It boils down to this: if you take the view of “it may be you and not them” instead of the usual “its not me, its never me,” you might find out some important information that will allow you to make things better for your shows, your sales and your overall career and profits.

Fix it Right the First Time

Take this seriously. For the things that aren’t working, it’s about an overhaul to make them right. Don’t use those small or rare successes as an excuse to short cut or only partially repair. In some ways, it’s like a tire with a hole in it: putting air in it constantly is going to be taxing and won’t actually take care of the problem. It may fix it for a moment, but the problem will only reappear later.

The most effective approach is to identify the problem and solve it for right now, next week, next month and next year. It might take some time, some investment, some changes, but the work and the effort will be worth it. When things are more fluid and consistent, it allows you to spend time on your creativity, your music and the things you enjoy most. A little more work to make it right in the now will save you the time later.

What path to choose and what person to listen to

Figure out who can help you or what method might best suit you. When people have issues, they go to lawyers for advice and guidance. If it’s something that has to go to court, they might hire that lawyer for a longer period of time. When people have car troubles, they go to a mechanic. When people are sick, they see a doctor. The same goes for musicians: maybe you need that lawyer, that mechanic or that doctor to help you out in the form of a music producer, a music business consultant or an entertainment lawyer.

Find the right pro who can help you get on the track you want to be on. Make sure it’s someone who knows what they’re talking about and has a track record, especially a track record with the issues that concern you.

Conclusion

In a lot of ways, solving problems can be seen as a learning experience, whether the issue is in the recording, the marketing, the sales, the shows, the bookings or anything else. If you can truly gain expertise from a situation, then the experience–no matter how good or bad–is not all in vain.

Don’t half ass, don’t cut corners. More than likely, that’s why it went wrong the first time. Avoid the easy fix; those often are the ones that cause the most problems down the road. Take the time, have the patience and put the work into doing it right this time.

Organize and plan. You are not starting from scratch, but you have to scratch the previous start as well as the things you did or used that were wrong. Reset the plan to fix the problems completely and as best you can instead of just putting more air in a tire that already has a hole. Whether it’s a new tire or a professional patch, it’s about making the fixes and repairs to get you back on the right track toward the results you wanted in the first place.

© 2009 Loren Weisman

Watch out for Loren Weisman’s “Realistic Music Careers 101 Seminar” coming to a city near you and Loren’s book “The Artist’s Guide to Success in the Music Business” coming in 2010.

For more information on Loren, bookings or press inquiries, please contact his publicist and agent, Jenée Arthur at Rellihan Satterlee. Email: jenart@relsat.com Phone: 206-588-1998

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產品名稱:豬豬喇叭

產品編號:66

產品名稱:狗狗喇叭

產品編號:67

產品名稱:酷狗喇叭

Watch and listen to a group of about a dozen vintage Shelby Cobra. … Ford Shelby Cobra Automotive Auto Video cardatavideo media385 rbkfoss style americana

See Also : home DIY suvcar.wordpress.com rentalcarnetwork.wordpress.com

#opencoffee Brisbane (Facebook Page) Wow what a great meeting today, Tryone organised a great surprise guest – Phil Di Bella (dibellacoffee.com.au).  He is such a down to earth guy and was very open and easy to talk to.

the last OpenCoffee event for 2009 and this will also be the first event where we have a surprise guest. Our very first surprise guest turned $5000 into $30m plus, and growing…

Here are some of my scrappy notes that I scribbled down.

• understanding your market
• you learn nothing from people who choose your product
• if they say no -> then you can learn from them
• Don’t spend 80% chasing 20% of the market
• Don’t go after the dominate player in your market – identify who your weakest player in the market is
• Don’t mention other competitors when you talk – that is giving them free advertising
• The ability to inspire people

Di Bella Ethos

• The ultimate coffee experience
• coffee company of choice
• coffee worth coming back for

• Product, service, Price – Break it Down
• Have passion
• ask the question – is there a need for me?
• Go and work for a company that does everything wrong – then you can learn from their mistakes – there is your opportunity – ask what can be improved, what are they doing wrong, how can I do things better
• Everyone thinks they are better then everyone else
• you need to be realistic about your capabilities
• In business – Document as you go along – make it tangible
• His new book (written by someone else) is his best marketing tool
• Mentioned Richard Branson
• When reading – read with the thought of questioning - e.g. question what the author is saying
• Always explain why something is being done.
• How easy can you apply something that has been said.
• Do the following course AIM Fish ( bugger …sold out in Brisbane already  )
• Put everything in CONTEXT – it puts things into perspective
• Success = achieving the goals you set for yourself
• Form a Habit and do what others are not willing to do.
• Get comfortable with your worst case scenario
• What’s easier today will be harder tomorrow
• Nothing is a mistake the first time you do it wrong
• The customer is the most important part of the business, the people who touch the customer are the next more important
• In a start-up business, put as little pressure on yourself (as you will have enough pressure on you already)
• Its easier to get a horse to stop / slow down then it is to get it going.
• Have clear goals and strategies, surround yourself with the right people.
• Know what your Outcome is
• Attitude is the most important factor in people

This Blog post is also a good read about what else Phil discussed.

Also here is a you-tube clip from The Hive Brisbane meets Phillip Di Bella

(Save it, Baby! Count me in!)

So, it goes like this . . .

So people want to know what my pumpkin goo is…

Well…

Pumpkin Goo is my interpretation of pumpkin pie without the crust. I bake it for 5 hours until the moisture is almost completely gone, and then I force my family to eat it with Cool Whip and tell them it’s actually pumpkin pie.

I think they bought it…

Can you believe that I got compliments?

I am a horrible cook.

I really don’t even know why I try sometimes, but my husband… my husband is incredible!

Super yum.

I would love for him to cook every single day, not only for the fact that he is an excellent cook but also for the fact that then I wouldn’t have to be in the kitchen.

Boooo-ring.

I can’t help it that I am not a Martha Stewart kind of girl.

Have you ever seen one of Martha Stewart’s television shows?

Like I would want to party with her.

It would be much like sleeping, but only awake… and on a bountiful table of sun-toasted greens and mixed hay on a a bed of sea salted crusties.

Snooze-ville.

So, yeah… my family is used to my own interpretations of many holidays.

I am not bound by tradition.

I draw outside the lines, baby.

Always have, always will.

It is not a mistake that my family loves my Pumpkin Goo since they have been raised on cripy black hot dogs, blue-box mac-and-cheese, and Albertson’s Monday Chicken Meal deals from the market.

Frankly, they crave my Pumpkin Goo since it is the closest thing to home-made food… once a year…   

… that is not burnt.

I’m a really great person for love, though.

Got tons of love.

Never out of love.

I am the Queen of Love.

But… cooking… how you say… not so much.

I do believe that Thanksgiving is about Food AND Love.

So… One out of two isn’t bad. A 50% success rate is not too shabby on a day that has some serious cooking in it, right?

That is the essence of Thanksgiving to me… my Pumpkin Goo, and someone else making all the rest of the great food, and lots of love.

Yeah, like ample amounts of love.

Like my mom crying when she says how much she loves us…

And, then at that vulnerable moment I throw some more Pumpkin Goo on her plate…

Just kidding.

I also sneak on some more Cool Whip.

It’s all good… including the Pumpkin Goo.

And, the love.

And, the yelling that the rolls are getting burned.

Yelling is a big part of Thanksgiving.

Loud love.

Lots of loud love.

Lots of love…

Hope your day was over flowing!

xoxo

Be well,

Belle

  A 78th Annual Writer’s Digest Award Winner

S. Belle Karper, Author, Speaker www.BelleKarper.com
THE WIDOW WEARS BLACK - An Edgy Memoir from an Outspoken Survivor
Check out S. Belle Karper’s – Beauties and Beasts – Blog! Baby! Blog!
and Belle Karper Face Book & the popular Twitter-Belle - all on Website
Save it, Baby! Count me in!

A friend of mine bought his girlfriend a birthday present over two months ago. The present was to be a completed paint by numbers picture. Unfortunately, she has yet to receive the completed painting. Last I checked, the painting was about 25% done and the man swears his girlfriend will get the completed gift by Christmas. We’ll three months late is better than never. In all seriousness, aren’t there times in our lives when even the most straight forward projects get placed by the wayside in favor of the day-to-day tasks vying for our attention?

Along the lines of waiting for “things” – I myself have recently experienced a few delayed starts. For example, I recently bought a new computer bag which had to be immediately returned due to a malfunctioning handle. Cutting to the end of the story, I ended up saving an addition sum of money on an already discounted bag because the bag was reduced an additional 10% between the first and second purchase dates. Similarly, I finally decided to buy an external hard drive to back-up computer files, etc. but when a friend braved the “black Friday” crowds to purchase one for me, he was told they were out. Upon his return home (around 5:30am black Friday) he went on line and found one for less money and with a better warranty.

As we near the end of 2009 it’s true, some of us have not obtained all that we would have liked this year. For some (like my friend’s girlfriend) it’s a gift. For others it’s a need such as a new job to replace the one lost due to the economic downturn. Yet for others, it’s something in between a gift and a need; such as a new computer bag. So what’s to be made of all this? What can we deduce when we did all we could to paint inside the lines but despite our efforts, did not get the result we wanted? Conversely, what if we took a chance to paint outside the lines, taking a risk and trying something new, but still failed to obtain the goal?

Well, as best as I can see, good things do truly come to those that wait. Economies have life cycles to them, change has its seasons, and the race is not always won by the swift. So what’s this mean for us all? I’m going to go out on a limb and say that our good things are coming, we’ll pay less for them, and they will be what we should have when we should have them. To that end, I’m happy to announce that I’m going to extend my discounted life coaching offer through the end of 2009. While I can not predict when the economy will be in full swing again or when your new computer bag will arrive, I can safely say that by taking the time now to ensure you maximize your skills and talents, you’ll be well positioned to fill it with life’s blessings.

To learn more about this topic contact Dr Marilyn at www.DrMarilyn-EAW.com

產品編號: 270

產品名稱: 迷你喇叭（加讀卡器)

詳細資料: 附有迷你喇叭、讀卡器功

Having an iPod around is great, especially when you’re doing various activities.  However, there are some that you almost don’t want to use it, purely because you’re afraid of damaging your iPod.  Bicycling is one of those things for some people.  You never know when you’re going to get caught in a downpour or just happen to accidentally spill your bottle of water.  With this Bicycle iPod Speaker it’d keep your iPod safe and you’d get to listen to your music while you’re on your bike.

The speaker case actually clamps to the frame on your bike and then a remote control gets attached to the handlebars.  The speaker won’t be in your way then and you won’t have to struggle to flip between songs and adjust the volume.  Of course the speaker holds your iPod within and makes the speaker and your iPod water resistant.  You can pick up the black iPod speaker for $50.

found @ www.coolest-gadgets.com

The phone in my office rang. It was Frank Clegg, President of Microsoft Canada. Frank had just heard that my brother was very ill, and he wanted me to know that my place was to be with my family. His message was clear: go home. Microsoft will survive. My obligations would all be covered. In bold words, he told me that Microsoft cared. I was on a flight to see my brother that night. He passed away that same week. Now it’s ten years later and I still remember Frank’s voice — and I know he meant every word. The company cared.
 
Each year, we set aside a day — Valentine’s Day — to say we care. It’s kind of funny isn’t it?  Is a “caring” day really necessary, and is it effective? Do you feel more “cared” for when you receive a dozen roses at three times the price?  Do you feel any more appreciated waiting in line at your favourite restaurant all because other people are out caring too?  Stop the insanity! You can’t schedule caring, it just won’t work. You either care, or you don’t.
 
Now I realize I run the risk of being considered flaky when I bring up the notion of being a caring organization. After all, business is all about the profit and loss, right? It’s about creating shareholder value. Well, I don’t have to tell you that it’s the employees who are our real corporate value. I’ve read it, you’ve read it, and we all know it. So why is it that the number one reason employees leave is because they think we’ve stopped caring? They think they’re no longer valued or that their contributions are just not appreciated. Why is it you think you cared but your employees didn’t get it? What can you do about it? And do you even bother? This is the essence of my message this month.
I will be honest: caring is painful. It means making sacrifices, committing time you don’t have and putting the needs of your employees well in front of your own. Why are some companies so bent on caring? I think there are two main reasons. First, the law of reciprocity teaches us that people give back in kind what is given to them. You go the extra mile and they will be there for you. I may be an optimist, but I believe it’s true that employees want to be cared for and that they’ll give it back to you in spades. They will give many hours to your company, and they’ll go beyond their employee commitment if you go beyond yours. Caring organizations create employees who want to raise the bar.
 
I should warn you, though, that you can’t force reciprocity. It has to be natural, it has to be intentional, and it has to come from the heart. If people feel your caring is focused on personal gain, it won’t work. Sales professionals are notorious for calling up and inviting managers for lunch when there is a new sales opportunity on the rise. They don’t show up at any other time, but when there is an opportunity to be had, they’re right there. The best time to buy someone lunch is when they least expect it. That’s when you really show you care. Many managers are just as guilty; they give employees lots of attention when they think the employee is a flight risk or they need the employee to take on more responsibility. That’s not reciprocity, that’s manipulation and you will get caught. Caring organizations do thoughtful things without condition. They do things because it’s the right thing to do.
 
The second reason organizations choose to become caring organizations is because it is extremely expensive to replace great talent. The Workforce Consulting Group states that the cost of replacing an employee ranges from 42 percent to 244 percent of base salary, and this does not include the lost intellect that just left your building. 
 
So what can you do? First, put yourself in your employee’s shoes. If you were in their position, what might you want? A few years ago I was president of a struggling business. While cash flow was an immense struggle, we needed the undying commitment of our employees to survive. Here are some of the things we did:

• We created a relationship with a local counsellor for any employee who needed help. 
• We provided babysitting assistance for the spouse of any employee who was required to be out of town more than a week. 
• When needed, we reimbursed expenses immediately to ensure that no employee was ever inconvenienced.

Being a caring organization doesn’t mean you forget about the bottom line, it just means you think about the impact your actions will have on others. Since I was president, it was my role to make tough decisions about layoffs. I made those decisions, but I did it with dignity. We extended benefits, we provided career counselling and we looked closely at each person’s situation to ensure we always did the right thing.
 
When Valentines comes around, I will no doubt have flowers and chocolates for my wife because I really do care, but it’s when I show up that one day in June and I hand her a single rose then she (and I) will know how much I really do care. Now, what are you going to do?

I remember standing on stage, speaking to 300 people on how difficult it is to demonstrate our hidden value.  My point was most people don’t trust what they can’t see and for us to prove our worth we have to make it visible.  I really thought I had this group convinced when one person stood up and said, “Curt, if people don’t trust what they can’t see, why does three quarters of the world believe in God?” Well, I will tell you I had a divine intervention; I looked back and said, “I think God has a better sales team!”

Think about it. There are two times in your life you adopt religion: first, you are cultured through those you trust, or second, you come to a point in your life (i.e. crisis) where you see how life would be different with God in it.  It’s now five years later and I still believe that this is one of the most powerful lessons I’ve learned, and I believe this simple lesson is the foundation on which powerful employee relationships are built. Employees need to see how their life will be different with you, the employer, in it and they have to see how the company’s life is different with them in it.  Employees want to appreciate what they do, and they absolutely need to know that what they do is appreciated.  So how can you make their contribution visible?  I say take the time to show them the numbers.  Let them see, first hand, how they make a difference.

When I was President of ExecuTrain Canada, I made a decision that every employee should be invited to review our corporate financial statements and learn the basics of how their involvement impacted our performance.  What happened was that we started to see employees take ownership for managing their business and making great decisions.  Even though our business was struggling, they could see how their commitment and efforts were moving us in the right direction.  For example, when the employees saw the huge amount of money we had tied up in accounts receivable, everyone made a commitment to collect the money that was rightfully ours.  Every week we reviewed the numbers, we strategized new ideas, and the employees got further excited about the difference their contribution was making.

Our business was in very bad shape. We were trying to fend off bankruptcy. But because the employees could see how their work was making a difference, we were able to keep them focused and motivated on the task at hand —  surviving.  By letting your employees see under the hood and truly understand the challenges and opportunities of the business, you can also improve morale.  When employees are not given access to information they tend to fill in the blanks on their own.  Their thinking can often be very different from reality.  This can result in employees distrusting senior management and, more importantly, distrusting what is being communicated to them.  In fact, according to a study by Discovery Surveys, just 53 percent of employees believe the information they receive from senior management.

So let me ask you, are your employees invited to participate in a financial review?  Do they understand where and how their contribution impacts the business?  Are they empowered to suggest ideas that could help to reshape the business?  I am always surprised by how many businesses keep financial performance a secret.

Stephen Semple, president of Thinc Strategies, a Toronto based management consulting firm says that employees today want to be tied to clear actionable results.  He also says employers need to minimize performance review surprises by communicating clear expectations throughout the year.  He says that surprising employees during their performance review is a great way to lose trust and deflate morale.  He wholeheartedly believes tying performance back to financial or objective business indicators is the best way to open communication.
At ExecuTrain I created a very simple one-page report that allowed our management team to see the basic business indicators all in one view.  The report contained more than just numbers. It looked at financial performance, customer metrics, employee satisfaction, business process and investments in R&D.  It contained all of the indicators against which our business performance was measured.

This month, take the time to educate your team on the numbers.  Show them clearly how they can make a difference in the business.  Create a one page scorecard that shows them these numbers.  In the end there are no surprises, and you may just be pleasantly surprised to find your employees showing more ownership and taking more responsibility.

Relax… it’s just an expression! I wouldn’t really do it to my baby!!

You got to admit that calling your baby ugly would be a pretty darn tough thing to do. After all this would be the epitome of personal slander, wouldn’t it? I say this because sometimes the best thing you can do is take a good long hard look at yourself and call your own bluff.

I do a ton of executive coaching (business and career) and my favourite question is.. now that you know what you know would you hire you? You may be surprised how many people say no. If you are one of them it’s time to call that baby ugly and rapidly change.

Many things inspired this blog (including my own self reflection) but today was the last straw. I met an executive who has struggled for over 10 years and they can’t understand why. To me, as an outsider, the answer was pretty obvious – they needed to step back, swallow their pride and re-launch. While I hate suggesting this to a once successful executive I have to ask which is worse.. calling the baby ugly or letting the person drown? I bet if you think about it you can come up with many examples where companies (or people) held onto a failing proposition for too long and the results were devastating. We all have personal attachment to what is ours but lets not let that blind our judgement.

So, is it time to call your baby ugly? Is your business struggling because of your leadership? Is your career search stalled because of your lack of effort? Are your skills/product obsolete for today’s active market? These are tough questions to swallow but they could be real life savers for you! A favourite book when I was growing up was “That was then.. this is now.” It was about the pain of admitting things had changed and making the tough decisions to right it all. Remember: what was king yesterday might not cut it tomorrow. Companies fail because they don’t get it, just make sure that you don’t too.

This month, have the guts to sit down and ask the question that none of us want to hear… Is my baby ugly? I guarantee whether you like the answer or not it will put you on the path to a brighter future. You can blame me if you wish but I bet some day you just might be writing to say a big thanks!

So, my school requires 10th grade honors English students to write a speech for the American Legion Oratorical Contest .

My speech:

Heart disease. Diabetes. Cancer. All possibly fatal diseases. All expensive diseases. All painful and frightening diseases. So is it really necessary to bankrupt people diagnosed with these diseases? Is it really a fair system when only the elderly and the poor are provided with health insurance by the government? Is it a fair system when some people cannot get health insurance because they are a bad investment, not a life, to an insurance company? No, it is an incredibly unfair system that treats well-being as a privilege and not a right. American citizens have the right to health insurance, be it government provided, like a public option, or be it private insurance. The fact that health insurance is a right is a reason all by itself that we should have some sort of government provided health insurance. But there are more reasons; for example, the fact that the unemployment rate would go down while small business owner’s could grow their businesses. If everyone had health care, the country would be healthier, and many deaths would be prevented.

In the Declaration of Independence we are given the right to life. Doesn’t healthcare qualify as a part of that? Life is a right, not a privilege; so why did a Harvard study show that out of the people that die in America a year, 40% died due to lack of health insurance? It is the government’s responsibility to protect us, which is why we have a military, why we put regulations on the free market; so why does the government only protect the health of those that are 65 and older, or certain low-income   families?  Healthcare should be a right to everyone in America, not just those that are 65 or older, those that have a very low income, or those that work for a large company that is required to give their employees health insurance. In a capitalist nation, one that has many people that start their own business, which is the engine that drives job growth, why haven’t we implemented a policy that covers those who start their own businesses? Granted, many private business owners can afford health insurance from a private insurer, but should someone who helps are country have to pay $6,103 a year? Or, take Hank Green, the creator of an environmental website, ecogeek.org, who has created a successful business for himself, but cannot get health insurance due to a pre-existing condition, called ulcerative colitis. For Hank, he has to take medication that’s $20 a day, everyday, and he also is at higher risk for getting colon cancer, which is an incredibly expensive disease. So the reason Hank could not get health insurance for a very long time was because private insurers did not view him as a good investment, or if a private insurer would insure Hank, they would cover everything but the ulcerative colitis. Hank now has health insurance because the state of Montana, where he resides, partnered with a private insurer so anyone in Montana that really needs health insurance can get health insurance, but the health insurance doesn’t cover prescription drug costs, so Hank has to spend $20 a day still on medication. Hank Green is similar to many other Americans, in the respect that they cannot get health insurance due to the fact they have a pre-existing condition. Which brings us to the question: is health insurance a privilege or a right? Should those that are 65 and older, those that have low income or those that work for a large company be the ones privileged enough to have healthcare? Or should everyone have the right to healthcare no matter what?

If everyone had health insurance the unemployment rate would go down. As previously mentioned, those starting their own business stimulate job growth. If small business owners didn’t have to pay $6,103 a year, or go bankrupt paying for medical expenses, they would be able to invest more in their business. This would help companies expand and therefore, have the need and the ability to hire more workers, so the unemployment rate would decrease. Because of the lowered unemployment rates, the government provided unemployment pay would decrease, therefore making it easier to pay for government provided healthcare. Another good thing about small business owners being provided with healthcare and putting forth money into their business, the economy would get much better. Business owners would need to pay taxes, and would be able to afford taxes, therefore helping states and the country out because businesses can be taxed for multiple different things. Also, small businesses spend a lot of money on many different goods, services and utilities that have been suffering lately because of the recession. My uncle owns his own business, Syman Arts, making canvas stretchers for artists. He makes a very good deal of money and has made a very well-known name for himself among artists. My uncle needs to get his hip replaced but cannot afford it, and because of the pain he’s in, occasionally he cannot work. This is something that does not help his business. Despite the fact that my uncle can afford health insurance, he does not have not have health insurance because he refuses to spend the ridiculous amount of money on healthcare costs. If my uncle had had health insurance many years ago, he would not have been able to start his business and therefore would not have been such an influence on many great artists. My uncle is similar to many small business owners and Americans in general; a lot of people that can afford health insurance refuse to pay a ridiculous amount of money for it. This is another reason the public option would be a good idea because many more people would be able to get the care that they need or could need without spending astronomical amounts of money on it.

If the government took the responsibility of healthcare, our country would be healthier. Currently, 80% of Americans are obese, which contributes to heart disease, the nation’s leading cause of death, and diabetes, another cause of death in the United States. If everyone in the country could go to a doctor and get evaluated, many people could be diagnosed with diabetes or be deemed a risk for heart disease, therefore helping people get healthier. If an obese person is diagnosed diabetic or is diagnosed with heart disease, this person could then get the help they need to, and then become healthier, therefore making the nation healthier.  This past summer, my father had two heart attacks and was diagnosed with diabetes, severe carpal tunnel syndrome and he also has a torn rotator cuff, his heart is not also getting better and is soon getting a pacemaker.  If we did not have government provided health insurance, we would have gone bankrupt from the cost of the hospital bills, not to mention the amount of pain my father is in and the amount of strain and worry this has caused my mother and me. But, because my dad can go to see a doctor, he will be healthy, so shouldn’t everyone have the ability to do the same? This is another reason the government should provide insurance; so people do not go bankrupt because they are in pain or are unhealthy. And does it sound good for a nation to provide certain people health insurance while others that are suffering just as much, go bankrupt on top of that? Not really. Cancer is also another disease that could possibly kill less if there was a public option. Like those at risk for heart disease or diabetes, people who are at risk for hereditary cancers, or those that find a lump of some sort, are able to get checked out so they can find out what to do next. Most people that die a year, die from something that started out small that manifested. These deaths could have been prevented if more people were able to go to the doctor and receive testing. Saving lives is an incredibly good  reason to have some sort of healthcare for everyone in the country, right?

There should obviously be a public option. For one thing, is because it is a right to all American citizens no matter what. Also, because the unemployment rate would go down and small business owners would be able to help their businesses, thus helping the economy. Lastly, if everyone was able to afford and receive healthcare, our country would be healthier and thousands of lives would be saved. Everyone deserves health care, because it is a right and not a privilege.

My grade: 92

semi-finals: non- applicable