The Last Presidential Campaign is Always the Worst

I read this very interesting article on the Internet and want to share it with you.  This includes a couple of sentences that expose the author’s political leanings.  I do not want to start a political debate here.  Please do NOT post any comments as to whom you support in the upcoming election.  I am not even saying whether I agree or disagree with the author.  Removing the sentence, however, would take away from the article.

You can read the article in its entirety here:  http://www.usnews.com/debate-club/has-the-dishonesty-in-the-2012-campaign-reached-unprecedented-lows/the-last-presidential-campaign-is-always-the-worst

By BRAD BANNON

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As the natives of a relatively young nation, Americans don't have an especially strong sense of history. Recently I saw a list of players that baseball fans considered the best of all time. Hank Aaron, Willie Mays, Cal Ripken, Mickey Mantle, Sandy Koufax, and Bob Gibson deservedly made the list. The recent steroid all stars were also well represented. Conspicuous by their absence were stars like Walter "Big Train" Johnson, Hank Greenberg, Satchel Page, Josh Gibson, and other luminaries from the golden age of baseball. They are gone and forgotten by current fans.

The same lack of historical perspective extends to politics. The last presidential campaign is always the worst presidential campaign. The President Obama's and Mitt Romney's campaigns and their surrogates have given Americans many good reasons to be unhappy about the tone of the 2012 campaign. But is the 2012 presidential campaign any worse than the mud fest in 1800 between John Adams and Thomas Jefferson? Probably not.

Jefferson's allies suggested that Adams, who was the political leader of our War of Independence, was a "monarchist," which was a fighting word in those days. Adams was arrogant and pretentious, but he certainly wasn't a "royalist." Describing Adams as a "monarchist" was as stupid as calling Barack Obama a socialist. A friend of mind once said to me, "I am a socialist, and believe me, Barack Obama is no socialist."

The allies of Adams weren't much better. They apparently missed the many references to God in the Declaration of Independence and branded Jefferson an atheist, which he clearly wasn't. Jefferson believed in God, he just didn't believe in churches. Adams's supporters went even further than that to say that Jefferson would close churches and burn Bibles if he became president. Well Jefferson served as president for eight years and there is no record of Jefferson or any member of his administration shutting down a place of worship or burning any book, much less the Bible.

Get a grip. The 2012 contest for the White House is a nasty and negative campaign. But it certainly isn't the worst. But you can bet, people will say that the 2016 race is.

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To learn more about Julie Klein and Xpress Healthcare, visit http://joinxpresshealthcare 

Don’t Judge a Book by its Cover

“The English idiom ‘don't judge a book by its cover’ is a metaphorical phrase which means "you shouldn't prejudge the worth or value of something, by its outward appearance alone’.”  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don't_judge_a_book_by_its_cover#Origin

My niece, Jenn, joined the Goth subculture as a teenager.  She began dying her hair black, wearing very dramatic makeup, wearing black nail polish and all black clothing.  To fully understand, here is the explanation from Wikipedia:  

“The Goth subculture is a contemporary subculture found in many countries. It began in England during the early 1980s in the Gothic rock scene, an offshoot of the post-punk genre. The Goth subculture has survived much longer than others of the same era, and has continued to diversify. Its imagery and cultural proclivities indicate influences from the 19th century Gothic literature…

"The Goth subculture has associated tastes in music, aesthetics, and fashion. The music of the Goth subculture encompasses a number of different styles including Gothic rock, deathrock, post-punk, darkwave, Ethereal, and neoclassical. Styles of dress within the subculture range from deathrock, punk and Victorian style attire, or combinations of the above, most often with dark attire, makeup and hair.”  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goth_subculture

My mother was very close with Jenn, and she found it disturbing at first to see her dressed the way she did.  She always said, “She’ll grow out of it.”

Jenn is now 40 years old, and still a Goth.  In fact, she is well known throughout the world among other Goths.  She goes to a Goth “gathering” in Germany every year.

She has been with Dave for 17 years, a terrific guy, also a Goth, who holds a good job making decent money.  Jenn is an assistant manager at a retail clothing store.  She takes a bus to work, because she never learned or wanted to drive.

Jenn is absolutely beautiful!  Truly, even with the “interesting” makeup and hair, she is gorgeous.  On top of her physical beauty, however, she is a lovely, kind and warm woman.  Jenn is very family-oriented.  When my mother was near death, Jenn went to her house and climbed fully clothed (including her black boots) into bed with her.  They held one another for about 30 minutes, both crying softly.  They didn’t speak (my mother could not at that point), and yet they said so much to one another.  (As I write this part, I too am crying.)

This is my niece Jenn.  I love her not in spite of her appearance, but because of it.  She is who she is, and will not change to please others.  The outside is what others see, and I am sure some think poorly of her because of her style. 

The next time you see someone dressing differently than most, wearing unique makeup, perhaps even someone living on the street, please remember Jenn.  What you see doesn’t tell the whole story.  Like Jenn, there is likely great beauty inside.  

To learn more about Julie Klein and Xpress Healthcare, please visit http://ibourl.netJoinXpressHealthcare

Genetic Mutations

We hear it all the time.  We should all have our teeth cleaned and examined a couple times a year.  Colonoscopies are recommended to catch any cancers early.  Women should get regular mammograms after the age of 40. 

I try to follow the suggested medical guidelines, which led me to my annual mammogram last year.  When my doctor discovered a “spot” that did not appear on earlier mammograms, he ordered a biopsy.  The test was benign, and I was relieved.  My grandmother and an aunt died of breast cancer, so I have reason to adhere to the regular checkups. 

I saw my doctor again this week and received a good report on my latest mammogram.  He pointed out that I have two more “spots” that he will be watching, but for now, no biopsy is necessary.  He then proceeded to ask me about my ancestry.  When I responded that I am of Eastern European descent, he asked whether the family was of Ashkenazi Jewish descent, to which I responded “yes.”

He went on to explain that those of Ashkenazi Jewish descent had a higher incidence of breast and ovarian cancer than the general population.  He suggested that I have BracAnalysis Testing for the mutated gene that is sometimes inherited by those in this group, both women and men.

Those who test positive for the mutated gene have an 88% chance of getting breast and/or ovarian cancer at some time in their lives.  So knowing whether I carry that gene will determine my current and future treatment.  For instance, he said if I test positive, he would perform a biopsy on those two suspicious abnormalities that appeared on my most recent mammogram.

I had never heard of this type of testing, nor did I realize that Ashkenazi Jews had a greater risk of breast and ovarian cancer.  This made me wonder what other diseases or disorders were common in certain ethnic or racial groups.

A brief Internet search informed me that Tay-Sachs disease is also more likely to occur among people of Ashkenazi (eastern and central European) Jewish descent and those of French Canadian ancestry. 

Sickle cell anemia is another genetic condition that is more common in particular groups, people of African, African-American or Mediterranean heritage.  I knew more African-Americans had sickle cell anemia, but I did not know that people of Mediterranean heritage also are more likely to develop the condition.

About one in 2500 Europeans develop cystic fibrosis, but only in one in 90,000 Asians do. I had no idea that disease was more common in a certain group than others.

Common diseases and conditions not connected to gene mutation also vary in frequency among certain populations.  Although millions suffer from hypertension, it occurs more frequently in African-Americans than European-Americans; and type 2 diabetes is especially common in Hispanic and Native-American populations.

I imagine further research would reveal far more medical conditions affecting one group more than others.  My lack of time to perform the research outweighs my curiosity to know about them.  I did, however, find it interesting to learn about the BracAnalysis Testing and about how various groups are more prone to specific health issues than others.

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To learn more about Julie Klein and Xpress Healthcare, visit http://joinxpresshealthcare.com.

I Want it, and I Want it Now!

If you join a network marketing company with a product and comp plan you love, the potential to earn that oft-cited six-figure income is yours for the taking.  However, I will be so bold as to say that the vast majority of these people will not do so.

I am approaching the two-year mark working my business.  I have made observations along the way of some things that, unfortunately, a large percentage of Affiliates with my company – and reps with most network marketing companies – have in common.

They want to earn a lot of money to improve their life – NOW, not in months or years.  And, they do not want to actually work, but expect the money to fall in their lap.

Those in network marketing who expect to earn money without putting in the effort might just as well buy a lottery ticket.  Sorry folks, but no one is going to hand you a pile of money.  From the time we were children, we have been told that if we want something, we must earn it. 

My company, Xpress Healthcare, sells discount savings plans.  Our plans offer discounts on health and dental care, pet care, legal services, prescriptions, roadside assistance and much more.  You noticed I said we “sell” these plans.  We do not give them away, and people do not come looking for us to beg us to allow them to purchase the plans.  There are many ways of selling them, but it does all come down to sales.

The best way for Xpress Healthcare affiliates to earn a great deal of money is by 1) growing a large team; and 2) selling our plans to large groups and businesses.  I have had too many team members to count say they are joining to sell to businesses – Business to Business, B to B. 

Our founders built our company to sell our memberships in mass quantities.  They have provided us with myriad tools and resources to enable us to do so.  However, no matter how many tools and resources are available, no one can sell to large organizations or companies without dedicating lots of time, building relationships, talking to people about what we have to offer them, and just plain hard work - lots of it.

There is a lot of money to be made for someone interested in selling memberships to groups, but
no matter what, it is based on hard work.  There is nothing stopping anyone from becoming an affiliate with us and earning six figures a year by selling to groups.  It comes down to how much time someone is willing to put in – and for how long they are willing to work for it. 

Even those who start earning money quickly often give up, because their income is not growing as fast as they think it should.  I believe that two to five years is not a long time to work a business with the potential to earn enough money to retire.

I am using Xpress Healthcare only as an example.  Nearly every company has a product or service they are selling, and every single one of them requires long-term effort.  All businesses in network marketing have the same challenge when it comes to finding good quality team members. 

To earn a six-figure income, all anyone needs to do is work hard and stick with it for as long as it takes.  I’ll repeat that last part – for as long as it takes!  I am willing.  Are you?

To learn more about Julie Klein and Xpress Healthcare, visit our website.

More Than Just Stay at Home Moms

I have several articles recently about the increased number of people who are working from home.  I found it interesting to note that the number of home businesses AND the number of telecommuting jobs has increased a great deal over the past decade or so.  About four million more people telecommute to work from home today compared to 1999. 

At one time, working at home was the realm of stay-at-home moms, with companies such as Avon, Mary Kay and Tupperware well represented.  Start-up companies then arrived on the scene, bringing more people home to work. Since the turn of the 21^st century, however, the number of individuals working at home has increased by tens of millions. 

Many people who once had small store-front businesses have moved those businesses to their homes, and their clients come to them there.  Their clientele may be smaller, but their overhead is as well.

Many larger companies and even major corporations now allow more of their full-time employees to work remotely.  This flexibility on the part of employers makes for happier employees.  They save on gas and commuting expenses, and many companies have even seen an increase in productivity for their remote workers.

The increase in work from home employees has grown particularly high in the computer, science and engineering industries.  Jobs performed in front of a computer can readily be moved to employee’s homes.  With high-speed Internet and services like Skype, companies can even hold virtual meetings.  Due to the challenging economy, employers have also been cutting back on costs, and letting people work remotely can reduce their expenses. They require less office space, and their utility bills are cut, for example.

Self-employed individuals and small business owners make up a large percentage of home workers.  During the past several years, along with the increase in unemployment, the work-at-home trend as grown. 

With the huge advances in communications and technology, millions are choosing to start and work their own home businesses.  This has subsequently led to the creation of thousands more business opportunities in a relatively brief period of time.

We have also seen a dramatic rise in those who work full or part-time jobs away from home while they are working a home business.  For most, their goal is to grow their home business enough to enable them to work at home full time at some point in the future.

My own story is similar to many others.  I began working my first home business, a typing service, about 15 years ago.  Both my husband and I worked jobs, and my business supplemented our income.  I was subsequently laid off my job with the County, and started a new job with the DEA.  A couple years later, I was laid off that job as well. 

Since my husband was still working full time, I started my search for a better-paying home business.  I found one (a party-plan company) that I worked for a year, with no success whatsoever.  I then started with another company where I operated my business for six years, earning a supplemental income.  While nearing the end of those six years, my husband’s employer went out of business.  Being at retirement age, he qualified for Social Security, so he decided not to search for another job when most companies were cutting their staff, not hiring.

Shortly thereafter, I found a business opportunity with a competing company.  I am now approaching my second year with Xpress Healthcare, and for the first time since working at home, I am earning a living.

There is no reason to believe that the huge growth in telecommuting jobs and home business opportunities will not continue at a rapid pace.  Even as the economy is improving, albeit slowly, I anticipate that millions more will be seeking business opportunities as opposed to a job.          

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 To learn more about Julie Klein and Xpress Healthcare, visit http://joinxpresshealthcare.com

Ah, Sweet Chocolate

I am most definitely a “chocaholic.”  I love chocolate, preferably dark chocolate.  Fortunately, if I abide by the “Everything in moderation” tactic, I can enjoy chocolate, because it has antioxidants, which protect the body from the effects of free radicals.  Free radicals can contribute to heart disease.  It makes sense, because chocolate comes from a plant, and many dark colored fruits and vegetables contain antioxidants.

Studies have proven that only dark chocolate provides health benefits.  Milk and white chocolate do not qualify.  Dark chocolate contains eight times as many antioxidants as strawberries!  It is good for your heart and can help keep your cardiovascular system running well.  Studies have shown that eating a small piece of chocolate daily may even lower blood pressure.  It can also reduce LDL cholesterol (the bad kind) by as much as 10%.  Some studies suggest chocolate may reduce the risk of stroke as well.

Dark chocolate stimulates the production of endorphins, providing a feeling of pleasure.  It contains serotonin as well, which can act as an anti-depressant, and theobromine and caffeine, both of which are stimulants, giving us a “pick-me-up.”

Let’s face it, even with all these health benefits, chocolate is high in calories.  Remember I mentioned “moderation?”  If you maintain self-control, you will enjoy the benefits of oleic acid, the same fat contained in olive oil.  But there again, even “good fat” contains high calories.  Saturated fat, the unhealthiest, is also in chocolate, which can increase the risk of heart disease and raise cholesterol.

Most studies that have been done on chocolate are based on about 3½ ounces of dark chocolate daily.  A dark chocolate bar has about 400 calories. If you eat ½ a bar every day, you’re consuming 200 calories that should be replacing 200 calories from the remainder of your daily consumption.  If you add those 200 calories to your diet without cutting anywhere else, no matter how many health benefits there are, you will still gain weight.

When selecting your dark chocolate, look for pure chocolate.  If your chocolate has nuts, nougat, caramel or other fillings, both calories and fat are added, erasing many of the benefits chocolate can provide.  Some research has also shown that drinking a glass of milk with your chocolate may even prevent the antioxidants from being absorbed or used by your body, again negating the benefits.

For quite some time, before learning about the benefits of chocolate, I have been eating one or two bite-size dark chocolates nearly every day.  I get my chocolate “fix” and the health benefits, and I don’t gain weight.  Ah, sweet chocolate.

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Julie Klein, Chocaholic and
Leader of Xpress Healthcare's Winner's Circle Team

http://joinxpresshealthcare.com

WWII Snippets

My father was a great story teller. He didn’t begin telling stories about his war experiences until later in his life. Some of his stories really stuck in my memory. I believe he “embellished” some to make them more interesting or entertaining to his “audience.” So as I relate these stories, please excuse me if they don’t seem entirely accurate. 

While still stationed in the States at Ford Ord, my newly-married parents tried to see one another as often as possible. My dad even went AWOL to see my mother, never getting caught. One time, my mother visited him at the Fort. They sneaked into the boiler room where they made love. Although my mother verified this particular story, it is difficult to picture her, a rather conservative woman, taking such a chance. However, I am not at all surprised that my dad would have done this. They were fortunate not to have been caught.

My dad served in the 30th Infantry Division, 3rd Division, H Company. His company was under General Patton. He served in Sicily (Messina) and North Africa in Tunisia, Casablanca, and Algiers as a company runner, assistant to the captain.

At one time, the troops completely ran out of ammunition. My dad went with the captain to see General Patton to request more ammunition. In typical Patton style, he responded by saying, "The sons of bitches have bayonets, don't they?"

Once, after a long battle, the troops went to a rest area. When an air raid sounded, everyone jumped into nearby fox holes. Immediately after landing in a fox hole, another soldier jumped over my dad, losing his helmet as he jumped. The helmet hit my dad, and for a moment, he thought he'd been shot.

I wrote this down word for word when my dad told it to me… "We used our helmets for everything - to eat out of, to shave, and as a toilet." Lovely thought. The soldiers used sanitary napkins as padding to ease the burden of carrying heavy rifles.

While serving in North Africa, my father discovered a nearby Jewish community. Being Jewish himself, during “down time,” he visited the community and met people who invited him to visit their homes and celebrate holidays. The people he befriended there remained lifelong friends, exchanging letters, birthday cards, etc. throughout their lives.

While my dad was walking a donkey in Morocco, the donkey stepped on a hidden land mine, which exploded, throwing my father through the air. He sustained some permanent injuries from the incident.

In April 1943, in French Morocco, on Hill 609, the Allied Forces were pinned down battling the Germans, fighting for weeks. My dad was in a fox hole when a shell landed and exploded next to his head. He was in and out of consciousness for days and temporarily deaf in one ear. He was transferred to a hospital in Rabat, North Africa, and then to a hospital in the States where he remained for months, being treated for battle fatigue (today commonly called Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome) and amnesia. 

He was honorably discharged a short time later, returning to live in Hollywood, California. His condition lasted for months, and he was occasionally found wandering down Hollywood Boulevard, unable to find his way home.

I learned from the National Personnel Records that most of my dad’s army records were burned in a fire in the early 1970’s. Wondering why, after two serious injuries, he was never awarded the Purple Heart, I ask a friend, a retired Army Major. He told me that during WWII, superior officers were often either incompetent & lazy or simply didn't have the time to complete the required paperwork. If we had proof of the injuries, we could apply for them now, but of course, I have no way to prove the stories told to me. 

Reading history books about WWII makes it seem like ancient history. Hearing the stories from someone who lived it brings them to life.

To learn more about Julie Klein and Xpress Healthcare, visit hhttp://julie.joinxpress.com