I’ve added a new post to my new blog here: http://www.writewhereyouareblog.com/?p=2497 on internet marketing or affiliate marketing.  I have moved my blog site to http://www.writewhereyouareblog.com .

Today I did an interview with Louise Sattler who is the creative owner/operator of  http://www.signingfamilies.com.   Louise is an expert trainer at workshops and classes that teach American Sign Language to help people communicate with one another.  She is also a certified school psychologist who has an awareness of the importance of the need for families and community leaders to learn sign language.   Sign Language opens doors and bridges gaps for people who are hearing impaired, or who may have developmental delays or special needs.  Communication is something that many people take for granted.

         Put yourself in the position of a person who is hearing impaired, or a person who lives with special needs; and, consider some environments they they may experience differently than you; such as a trip to the hospital or emergency room.  How different would the experience be for you if you were the one who had difficulty making your needs known to the health care professionals.  Or say you are an elderly person who is experiencing hearing loss…how are you going to communicate with other residents or say the staff?   How about shopping or getting educational services at college or in elementary school?   How about ordering a meal in a restaurant?   Do you see how the quality of life can be improved for people impacted in this way?   Can you see how sign language could open doors for people if others in the community took the opportunity to learn it from someone like Louise or through her DVD’s?

Click on Image to listen to Interview 

        If you are interested in learning more about Louise and her educational services please listen to the interview here:  http://www.rapidcashmarketing.com/lorrainesinterview/signingfamilies.htm

       You may have noticed that I haven’t posted here in a few days…I have moved; that is my big news.   I sure would love it if you would come and see me at my new environment.  It will look familiar to you, it will still feel comfortable and yet, because change is change…it will be a little bit different.  I will still write about all that is going on in the world, my observations and opinions.  I had to move and expand my wings.    Come and see me anyway; relationships are no fun when it is only one -sided…if i write…who will read?  http://www.writewhereyouareblog.com  I miss your company and your comments on my blog!!!

      When are people going to wake up to the fact that we need to stop allowing instances of evil and violence to be glorified on television, movies, books and in our music?  Isn’t it obvious that the world has been turning this garbage into “entertainment” and that it is having a terrible influence on our society?  Today there was two distinctive situations that destroyed lives that is shockingly cruel in the fact that the victims of violence were totally innocent.

      A nursing home in Carthage, North Carolina has 8 dead people , 7 residents and a nurse, because a young man came into the nursing home and started shooting at people.  The reason is unclear at this point.  It is alleged that his estranged wife works at this nursing home although that is not confirmed.   An unprovoked attack on innocent people that would have been much worse had it not been for the heroic actions of a 25 year old police officer who was able to stop the shooter.   While the news media covers these terrible bursts of violence…we must learn to carefully balance how these things are addressed in the media; so that they do not become gloried examples for those with similar thoughts.   

        Another equally upsetting situation; an ex-con attacks his sisters and kills two of them…one a five year old child on her birthday.  He kills his 17 year old sister by brutally stabbing her…then, he goes after the five year old and decapitates her as the police come in.  She is found near her birthday cake.     The nine year old sister had called the officers…some how she was stabbed as well; she is in the hospital with injuries.  Not only has she been injured, she lost members of her family and she has to live with the images of death and violence.  This brother was clearly a person out of control; it was alleged that he had some kind of a run-in with a neighbor the evening before as well.

        We have people who dont know how to resolve their personal problems…committing violence and killing innocent people.  We have loners, and mentally ill people who do not get treatment.   Our economy is so tight that those who desperately need mental health treatment do not get it because of cost.  We need to seriously consider spending more money for preventative well-care programs for people at risk for such behaviors.

      I would really like to see people stop supporting slasher/shoot them up shows and movies with their dollars.  These type of entertainments only serve to encourage those who are bent on venting their anger and revenge or for those who are mentally unstable on taking out their rage on innocent people.  How do you protect yourself and your loved ones from random violence?  It is impossible.   Is anyone else sick and tired of these things  happening in schools, shopping malls, nursing homes and colleges, etc?

     I know people who are struggling, people who have cut back in every conceivable way to save money just to stay afloat.  I also know people who are living very comfortably in nice homes, with fancy vehicles, going out to eat regularily and have no worries when it comes to bills or their health.  The world definately has classes of people who are in the haves and the have nots.  There is also a large population of people who are somewhere in the middle.  The thing is…we all have things that we could share.  Blessings come in many packages.

       Everyone of us has gifts, talents, finances, possessions, strengths, knowledge or time that we could share with others.  What I love to celebrate and learn about are those who share those blessings with others without thought or expectation of getting something back from that experience of sharing.

        Our society is going through some amazingly challenging times…people are struggling.  We need to be aware of others around us who are in need…those who could use a little pick me up.  It could be a kind word, a nice deed, financial gift, or it could be a sharing of knowledge that could bring a positive change to another.   There is a spiritual attitude that I love, it says this: “Those to whom much is given, much is expected in return”.  I call that an attitude of grattitude; being thankful for all that you have been blessed with and a willingness to share it with others!   I challenge you to find some way to bless others in your daily life.   Consider this a compassionate call to action…what can you give to others with no strings attached?

     Tonight was a lesson in making someone feel loved and cherished.  A young lady who has been missing from our community for personal reasons returned for a brief reunion with the people who truly care about her; I think it surprised her.  It was emotional; she was embraced and verbally told that she was loved; that she was missed, and that everyone hoped to see her again soon.  This is a young woman who needs to understand how much she is loved…because she struggles with that.   She has been in pain and because of that…she has put herself through more than she needed to in her journey to adulthood. 

        Some people struggle with understanding love and accepting love in their life.  Whether they don’t feel worthy of being loved or they just dont feel love for themselves in the first place; it is a difficult position to be in.  Everyone needs love in their lives.  They need to give it and they need to receive it.  It needs to be unconditional…without strings attached. 

           It was a moving moment to see this young female teen enter into a room full of people and be moved to tears by the response of those people.  I actually felt as though she was a sponge and was able to the first time in her life realize how much others care for her and accept it!  If only everyone who is sad, lonely, angry, or hurt could feel the same kind of reassurance in their life that they are deserving of love.  Do you know someone who needs a compassionate hug or a reassuring word?

       Alpha Inventions is like a string of pearls; it is a site that is set up to showcase websites and blogs in real time.  The string of pearls are the blogs and websites that rotate on a continual basis.  If you take the time to visit some of those sites, you will find all kinds of information, products, services and entertainment; not to mention, everytime that you visit one of those sites and leave a comment, you have an opportunity to create a relationship of communication with the creator of those sites.  It can also lead to more traffic for your blog or website.  It is a win-win situation for all involved; sort of like having your own PR, or micro-media center to shout out publicity about your writing.  Go check them out: http://alphainventions.com

     This weekend was certainly an eye-opener for me regarding teen activities when parents aren’t around.  I work with youth all of the time, I am the parent of 6 children-three of which are adults and three are under the age of 18.  I took my younger three children, plus 3 ten year old girls to the movies with my husband to celebrate the 10th birthday of my youngest child.  I took them to a family movie-a PG movie.  It should have been safe right?  Wrong! 

      The movie was fine…don’t get me wrong here…the problem was a couple of audience members.  We were seated in the back of the small theater because of the size of our group…there were 8 of us.  We were spread out because the teens didnt want to sit with mom and dad (of course) and the girls didn’t want to sit with the teen boys (of course) and so we took up the end seats of three rows.  A group of three teens approached my  teen boys, who happened to be in the last row in the back, and asked them if they would mind moving down to the end the line.   They did move with no fuss.  There were two girls and a boy; no parental guidance, I might add. 

        As the movie began, so did the engines of one of those girls and the boy.   Right from the get go, it was obvious why they wanted my sons to move farther down the line and to the inside wall of the theater.  They were not interested in the movie shall we say.  They were there for one reason only…even though they had a chaperone…a female of about the same age.  What age is that, you may ask?  Well, they appeared to be all of about 12 or 13…at the most 14 years of age.   Understand what I am saying here…they were approximately two to four years older than the birthday girl and her friends.

       I could see them out of the corner of my eye.  They were building up steam and their “friend” or sister was doing her best to ignore them.  I shot them a couple of annoyed looks…which got the attention of their friend…she nudged the other girl who was deeply involved in her make out session.  It stopped for all of about three minutes.  I got up and left the theater with the intention of notifying the staff of what was going on.  I reconsidered and thought that maybe by leaving the movie theater abruptly, maybe, it possibly had the impact of a glass of cold water thrown on them.  Alas, it did not. 

        When I returned…my husband looked at me oddly, he knew I was annoyed; but, didn’t understand why…he couldn’t see what was going on directly behind him.  This continued for another 10 minutes or so….which was sending my blood pressure up.  Did the ushers come in and break it up?  No, they never walked through the studio once.   Let that be a lesson to you parents…you can’t count on other people to do your job for you!   The movie was exciting; and, the birthday girl and her friends kept turning around to look at me and smile or make eye contact with me during the movie.  I was getting worried that they would see more action behind me, than on the movie screen.

       Yes, I admit the mama in me came out and I could not sit there and let things progress when i looked back and saw the young lady lay her upper portion over the arm rest of the seat and place it upon the young man who was laying down in his seat…which is the position that they both had assumed from the time they came in to the movie.  Hands were flying everywhere and it was getting obvious that they were not caring that they had an audience. 

         I figured…if they want an audience….they were going to get an audience.     I got up out of my end seat, stepped behind it and, squatted down in between them.   I used my very annoyed mother’s voice, the one of authority and said to them…”You need to knock it off.  Now sit up and be appropriate”!  Don’t ya know that is exactly what they did?  My heart rate was zipping right along.  Probably so was theirs, but for a different reason.

         My question is…what part of PG don’t parents understand?  The movie was rated PG but, why allow such young teenagers to go to a movie unchaperoned?   It was clear to me and anyone else who saw this “couple” in action, that this clearly was not the first time that they were so “familiar” with one another…there was no shyness, no anxiety…no hesitency with one another. 

         I think that our American society sends young people the wrong message…everywhere they look, movies, television, magazines…they are bombared with sexual/sensual messages and obviously, teens of this age should not be sexual with one another.   Physically their bodies are going through the hormonal changes and awareness of the opposite sex; but, emotionally and responsibility-wise they are not ready for an intimate relationship of this nature, nor are they prepared for the consequences of such actions.

          If the parents of those teens sent the other female, of the same age, to chaperone…they were unwise.  If they thought their kids were somewhere other than the movie theater…they may want to do some follow up in the future.  I suspect that these are not the only teens who think they know what they are doing.  I say, enough of the “cool parent syndrome” stop letting your teens and pre-teens have so much freedoms.  Go and do things together as a family.  Take your job seriously, or that PG movie you allowed them to attend without your parental guidance could turn into another kind of PG…one called pregnancy.   What boundaries do you have in place for your teens to “date”?

      You know that Bernie Madoff has plead his guilt to the court in the securities fraud case against him, as well as  perjury; however, the investigators who are delving into this long -term Ponzi scam are allegedly, having to investigate his business associates, some of his family members, and his tax accountant too.  There is so much missing money…that many observers automatically assume that the money has been hidden among those that he has personal relationships with; whether that is true or not, remains to be seen. 

          It leaves the impression of guilt by association, though this is unfortunate, because many of them may not have had any idea about the fraud that was taking place.   I personally doubt whether he advertised the fact of what he was doing, to his friends and family; it isn’t something most people would be proud of.    I am thinking about his wife in particular; did she know where the money in their lives came from?  She is also allegedly, being investigated; and, unless she had direct involvement in the day-to-day business operations…how would she know what he did while he was at work? 

         Still, if the money in their accounts is  found to be accumulated from the fraud; the government could confiscate it couldn’t they?  His own family members could end up being “victims” of his actions, just as well as, those who lost so much financially!  Bernie will be sentenced for his crimes in June.   What the additional investigation finds, will also determine what happens to the others that are being investigated by their association with Bernie Madoff.  Bernie may have plead guilty, but, if this investigation negatively impacts his friends and family…you have to wonder if he will actually feel any guilt!

         In this kind of a case, the cloud of suspicion could literally destroy many more lives than those that have already been destroyed.  If Bernie Madoff could admit his guilt in court…why can’t he just be honest and tell the investigators where the money is?   Maybe if some of the money could be found…maybe some of the people who were ripped off could get some of their money back.  If he is keeping that missing money information to himself…it could destroy those that he supposedly cares about, such as his wife, children, business associates and such.  Let the guilty be found out…and the innocent be proven so; still, what if the money is found  in their accounts without their having knowledge of the scam? 

           So many lives have been destroyed by this security fraud…this Ponzi scam this abuse of trust, it is sickening.  People have lost so much of their money that they counted on to survive.  It makes a person intensely frustrated and angry that Mr. Madoff will be sitting in a prison cell…getting three meals a day and all of his basic needs will be met; while his “victims” future is still up in the air.  The levels of trust and responsibility that we put in our leaders is immense and needs honored by meeting those levels of trust and responbility and exceeding it!  This damages everyone’s ability to trust those in authority, who’s decisions affect our lives…has it affected how you trust people?

      Breaking news today at the hearing for Bernie Madoff, financial investor; Bernie has plead guilty to all of the charges against him in one of the largest investigations ever into a Ponzi scheme which ripped off both celebrities and everyday people alike.  Madoff has admitted that he knowingly took money and mis-handled it and lied about it under oath; while actively hiding his activities.

       Bernie Madoff made statements to the court that he is sorry, ashamed and acknowledges that he has hurt many people; he admitted his guilt.  Those statements are some of the biggest understatements ever made.  There are those who have lost their life savings, some who have allegedly committed suicide over their financial situations, others who have need of medical interventions that could save their lives…but now, cannot afford to have done, people who can’t afford to pay their rent/mortgages because of the deliberate actions of Mr. Madoff. 

       The investigations into the financial mess that Madoff has created for his investors will be ongoing.  He will be sentenced on June 16th for his admitted crimes.  His “victims” suffering will be an ongoing journey…some for life.  The family of Bernie Madoff will be investigated as well…all finances associated with Bernie Madoff will have investigators going through them looking with a magnifying glass to see if he has hidden assets with-in any of his relationships. 

         Will any of the victims see restitution of their finances?  How can someone use and abuse friends, family, clients and the general public and still manage to hold their head up…knowing the devastation that they have caused?  There are so many un-answered questions. 

          If Bernie Madoff is truly ashamed and sorry…you would think that he would cooperate with the investigators to locate the missing funds and help to restore some of that money to those that he took advantage of.  Bernie is supposedly 70 years old…he could have a whole lot of time in prison to think on the misery that he has visited upon himself, his friends, his family and the general population by doing what he did. 

         It is sad to say; but when you cause the kind of desperation, that he has caused in the lives of so many people, he is going to way better off behind bars than he would be walking in the streets, facing the people that he took advantage of.  At this moment in time, he is one of the least liked persons in the United States.  Do you know anyone who was affected by Bernie Madoff’’s actions?