Last Post

This will be my last posting on this blog, until further notice.

I want to focus more of my efforts on setting up the Hudson Education Center (HEC).

The vision for HEC is to:

* Provide free tutoring and classroom instruction to children
* Empower parents as full education partners
* Have an arts focus
* Recruit the best teachers anywhere, and pay them like true professionals
* Use free market instruments to raise our funds
* Protect the intellectual integrity of all of our stakeholders
* Teach children how to think, not what to think
* Build our communities
* Attain K-8 accreditation

I will continue to blog on the Ning site that is under development, dedicated to HEC.

Thanks for reading, thinking, and commenting . . .

Free Thought - Free Schools - Free Markets

Subject Concordance - A Help for Truth Seekers, by George J. French

This pamphlet, from Advent Christian Publications, is a handy guide that addresses only the distinctive doctrines held by all Advent Christians. It deals with man's nature, the definitions of death, soul, heaven, immortality, resurrection, eternal punishment, and the big one: docrtines of the return of Christ at the end of the age.

The Advent Christian Church was the first to join the National Association of Evangelicals when it was formed some fifty or so years ago. Today it enjoys fellowship with most mainstream evangelical denominations.

There are no narratives in this booklet. It is only 18 pages long and is a quick read.

But, you would not want to read this through, as a novel. You would use it for personal Bible study, or as a resource for lesson or sermon planning.

For my friends that are not Advent Christians, it would be an interesting thing to study.

The problem with those that disagree with our AC conclusions, is that they could not come up with a similar booklet, with anywhere near the volume of Scriptural references in this pamphlet, to support their view. The orthodox views of immortality soulism, heaven and hell, and judgment tend to lean on a certain quality of text, one or two here and there, that bolster their views. But if the Bible student wishes to have a lengthy list of Scriptures to support this or that doctrine, it would be hard to top this collection.

I recommend this book to all Christians, and even to non-Christians that might be surprised to find that there are some among us, with such odd beliefs as these! And such a discovery may even, God willing, lead a person to Christ!

Teaching Problems and the Problems of Teaching

This book, by Magdalene Lampert, is one of my textbooks from my teaching certification program at the University of Michigan (MA, Educational Studies, 2006).

I had always wanted to go back and re-read it, more carefully, not subject to the pressures of a course syllabus. The book is primarily a set of reflections on teaching math to a classroom of 5th graders. It covers the year, from September to June.

Lampert uses transcripts of actual recordings made while she taught, to drive the content of the book. She covers such things as how to establish a classroom culture, preparing for lessons, working with students independently, leading whole-class discussions, teaching to cover the curriculum, etc.

There is simply no way to read a book like this casually. There is too much in it, that needs to be filed away for easy retrieval. The best use of this type of teaching instructional book is to refer to it constantly in your own group of upper-elementary kids.

This type of teaching resource, however, is not my favorite. The format, where the teachers narrates his or her own moves and behaviors in a live classroom, always struck me as rather self-absorbed. Ms. Lampert is indeed an excellent teacher, that can share much to new teachers. But the "I, me, mine" emphasis throughout becomes a distraction rather than a help.

But she will focus on one specific problem, and address her handling of it, in several chapters, covering various teaching situations and concepts.

She builds her approach on a triangular model, where the teacher, the students, and the content are at the end-points, and the area in the center is the teacher's "practice", that area where the teacher must manage infinite different scenarios of personality, curriculum, social situations, learning needs, etc.

As I read through the book, I found myself formulating my own model, a four-square grid like Covey's Priority quadrants - where the quadrants are based on: Student can/can't do the work; and student does/doesn't "get it". Your goal will be to move the kids up to the quadrant where they both can do the work, and "get it." (I was a math student that could do the work, but never got it until I was an undergrad in calculus).

I felt that Lampert quite overdoes the interactions with a student named "Saundra", where she makes a sort-of project out of not letting the class leave for recess until Saundra sees where she made a mistake in a fractions word problem, and will admit it publicly while saving face. There are a lot of layers of concern here, for the teacher, and Lampert handles it well. But I found myself thinking "Let the kids go to recess - Saundra will get it eventually - let it go!"

In the modern push for educational reform, we have ample research-based models to guide the teacher. We know more about human behavior and development than ever before. But somewhere lost in the mix is the idea of just letting kids be kids, letting them relax and find their own pace for learning.

I will refer back to this book again and again, throughout my teacher career. But I will keep in mind that there are no super-human teachers, and that even exceptional teachers like Magdalene Lampert have much to learn.

Amazing Discoveries within The Book of Books

This book, by Ralph Woodrow, has been in the Huron Valley Fellowship Library for some twenty years or more. I was the one that first ordered it. I had read some really good stuff by Mr. Woodrow, and was excited about adding this book to the collection, and getting around to reading it someday.

My Dad read it shortly after we ordered it. And at the time he said that it was "okay - not that great."

So here, finally, years later, I was able to read through this rather short (143 pages) and quite readable volume.

Dad was right. There are two big problems with this book:

1) There are few actual "discoveries" from the Bible ("The Prayer of Jabez," for instance - now that was a discovery!)

2) What few unique items there are in this book, are really not that amazing.

So I am going to suggest that the casual reader, or Bible student, not read this book. There is not much there. And it is too full of goofy little jokes, peppered throughout, that are neither biblical nor amazing, and is escapes me why Brother Woodrow felt he had to include this stuff. Example:

"It wasn't the apple on the tree that caused trouble; it was the pair (pear) on the ground." Little tidbits like this are scattered throughout, and they are a distraction.

However, I must say that there are some high points - which are momentous enough to merit discussion. The section on Jonah, pages 37 thru 40, is outstanding, and I daresay Woodrow's insights here are not likely to be found anywhere else. And yes, his explanation as to why Jonah was sent to Ninevah does border on the amazing.

And there is at least one half-way decent joke; one you are not likely to have read dozens of times already on one of those replaceable letter signs in front of churches. Take this one, on page 104: "How many wives does the Bible allow for each man? Answer: Sixteen (four better, four worse, four richer, four poorer)".

And Woodrow makes the valid observation, on page 106, that the expression "immortal soul" appears only once in the Bible and is applied to God. And he notes that the title "reverend" is applied never to a preacher, but to God himself.

He points out many other popular phrases or concepts that never appear in Scripture, like on pages 109 and 100, where he mentions the words "Trinity," "God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost," and "rapture."

These points, at least, may lead to some vigorous and loving debate among people that love the Lord, and His Word.

The book picks up some steam, and ends on a strong note. The final section, devoted to all the uses of the word "River" in the Bible (there is a River in the Garden, and a River in the New Jerusalem - and rivers figure prominently throughout Scripture) is perhaps the best of the entire book.

If all of this has your attention, then maybe you will want to reference the better sections in my comments - without having to read the entire book. If so, call me, and let's talk!

The American Presidency in Political Cartoons, 1776-1976

This book, by Thomas C. Blaisdell, Jr., and Peter Selz, was fascinating to me, when I first came across it at the Little Professor bookstore in Maple Village Plaza in 1976. It was just one of dozens, or hundreds of books coming out that year, having a connection to the American Bicentennial.

I was a sixteen years old browsing books, took one look at it, and bought it.

This book, however, is a drudgery to read. It is thirty-two years later, and I finally read through the entire thing for the first time. The problem is that, until about 1940, most of the "cartoons" (a mis-used word. A "Cartoon" is the name for the first moving pictures of animated characters. "Carte", or "story", or "drawing", plus "toon", or "tune": a story set to music. Drawings that actually move, a la the earliest Disney cartoons that had no dialogue, just music in the background), are extremely difficult to follow. One single drawing might have dozens of lines of dialogue, written very small.

And next, the book is written more as a college textbook, and as such is a dry read. The text accompanying the drawings has more to do with style of the illustrations, than on discussing the history addressed in the drawings.

But by the Twentieth Century, the drawings take on more of an artistic tone. More of the message is contained in the artwork itself, than in the dialogue.

The book is of interest only to people that want to become political editorialists, or on the most serious Presidential history nut. I would not recommend it to anybody else to read.

And, the liberal bent of the authors is so pronounced, as to distract from enjoying the book on its own merits.

Woodrow Wilson and the Progressive Era

I enjoyed reading this excellent work by Arthur S. Link. It covers the Progressive Movement in America, starting with Theodore Roosevelt's second term, all the way through the very beginning of Woodrow Wilson's second. But most of the book deals with President Wilson's first term, where there was a flourishing of the Progressive agenda: Income Tax, Labor reform, anti-trust legislation, direct election of Senators, and the establishment of a foreign policy based on morality and human rights.

Link does not go overboard in hero worship of Wilson, which I'll admit is something that I had readied myself for. He addresses Wilson's imperfections, his ego and self-righteousness. The same qualities that enabled him to steer one of the most ambitious reform administrations in U.S. history, also contributed to his eventual fall from grace and effectiveness in his second term.

The "6th year" jinx plagued every American President in the 20th Century. Truman had his troubles in Korea and labor problems. Eisenhower lost Congress in the midst of Soviet expansion. LBJ had the escalating war in Vietnam and unrest in the streets. Nixon had Watergate. For Reagan, it was Contragate; Clinton, Monica Lewinsky; and Bush II, the Iraq pre-surge stalemate and economic woes.

Even FDR had his troubles, which, while he was able to win re-election not once, but three times, still his popularity and effectiveness waned throughout his administration. Had there not been the rise of the Nazi menace in Europe, he may very well have been forced into retirement in 1940.

President Wilson had his obsessive push for ratification of the League of Nations Charter. He pinned his legacy on it, and it ruined him. This book deals with the good times of his administration.

But ninety-two years hence, President Wilson's legacy is secure. He ranks up there with the "Near Great" to "Great Presidents," due to his skillful marshaling of the Progressive agenda, and effective management of our victorious war effort. Indeed, he has always been one of my favorite Presidents.

My primary "take-away" from this book, is a clearer understanding of the immense significance of Wilson's term. Prior to 1912, the Progressive (liberal) movement could have gone either way. It was up to Theodore Roosevelt, or Wilson, to carry the banner of Progressivism into the White House. Roosevelt, by failing to win the Republican nomination, bolted the party and ensured both his and incumbent President Taft's election by running under the standard of the newly-formed Progressive Party.

Had Roosevelt been elected in 1912, or even in 1916 or 1920, his Progressive Party may have eclipsed the Republican Party, leaving the conservative element to settle in the Democratic Party under the leadership of its Southern wing. The Progressive movement would have been permanently married to the strong, militaristic, and even imperialistic vision of Roosevelt. His social morality and early advocacy of equal rights for minorities would have found a home in his brand of progressivism. And the modern environmentalist movement would likewise have been elevated to a major tenet for the Progressives.

But Wilson carried the day, and secured for the Progressives, a home in the Democratic Party. Thus began the Democrats' historic and permanent linkage as the party of economic equality and electoral reform. Civil Rights and the Environment would wait until another day. The hawkish tendencies, and linkage to the rights of business, of the Republicans, were also cemented during the Wilson years.

The Democratic Party that followed: that of FDR, of Truman and JFK, of LBJ and Jimmy Carter; indeed, of Bill Clinton and Barack Obama - would not have been, had Woodrow Wilson not been so successful in laying the foundation a little less than one hundred years ago.

I hope that President Obama studies the lessons of Woodrow Wilson well. Make the most of the first term. Get your agenda through. Steer a middle course (as Wilson did) so that the most important elements of your program may become law. But beware of the pitfalls of the second term!

This book is a must-read for all students of American history.

Faust . . . Whew!

I had always wanted to read von Goethe's classic Faust. It gets referenced alot in historical and biographical works. It seems to be a foundational work in Western thought. I knew that it had some kind of allegorical connection to the Book of Job. And I knew that, one day, I would read it.

So, about a year ago, I picked it up, and began to read. It took me about a year to get through it. It was easy to put down and forget about for periods of time. I was cognizant of reading entire passages, and groups of pages, without really getting what was going on.

I was surprised to find that it is written as a play, and also in a poetic form. There is a rhyme in every single line. I marveled at the translator, who, by recreating it in English from the original German, did so while setting forth the rhymes as in German. This struck me as perhaps more brilliant than von Goethe's putting it to paper in the first place!

The work was begun circa 1810, in Germany, and completed in 1832. This is a period of time in German history, when my forbears, the Gottlied Durr family, were contemplating a move to the United States. I did wonder about this factor as I read. What was it in German life, that brought about such a great piece of literature, at the same time that many Germans were leaving their homeland for a better life across the Atlantic?

The piece does seem to be infused with a lot of cynicism. The primary theme has to do with the relationship of Mephistopheles (Satan) and the protagonist, Faust. Faust is like so many of us - wanting more out of this life: love, wealth, fame, power. He promises his allegiance to Satan, if he could produce a romantic liaison with the object of Faust's affections, the virtuous Gretchen. The meeting comes about, ultimately resulting in the deflowering of Gretchen. From there Faust's life begins to degrade morally, in parallel with his stunning ascension to power and wealth.

But even here, I am not sure if I am getting all of this right! The middle part of the book detours into all these dialogues between mythological characters, peppered with biblical and historical references. There is a storyline developing in the Heavenly places, that parallels Faust's own life. A classic "good versus evil" theme permeates, but there is ample gray area here. The life promoted by Mephistopheles is none other than a conventional ladder of success most coveted in modern Western culture. Work hard, meet the right people, hang out with the best looking women and most powerful men, worry not about moral ambiguity; go for the gusto and live the good life.

Mephistopheles makes a strong, convincing case for living this life, while portraying the virtuous life as boring, vain, of no point. Indeed, the most interesting and engaging character in Faust is the Devil himself! And as such, the story prefigures the modern era's Western collapse, resulting from a decaying moral code.

But . . . I may be totally wrong here. I did manage to jot down some very powerful points made. Here is a sample of some of my favorites:

It's true, at last we all depend
On creatures we ourselves created.

And, this from one of the "Four Grey Women", the one named "Worry":

Whom I once possess will ever
Find the world not worth endeavor;
Endless gloom around him being,
Rise nor set of sun he's seeing.
Be each outer sense excelling,
Still is darkness in him dwelling;
He cannot through any measures
Make him lord of any treasures.
All luck turns into caprices;
Him midst plenty hunger seizes.
Be it joy or be it sorrow,
He postpones it till the morrow,
Waiting for the future ever
And therefore achieving never.

It is full of excellent prose and wisdom like this, but you have to be very diligent to catch it when your eyes pass over it.

I had thought the book a tragedy, and this is how I expected it to end. Yet, we find the "immortal part" of Faust being taken up to Heaven, while his mortal part is being dealt with by the demons in the underworld. This of course does not square with orthodoxy. His soul, too, is unconscious upon leaving his body. As it is being heralded upward, it does not awake. In many ways it seems a highly impersonal entity. It is just some living part that is aware of nothing. We have the sense that, once dead, Faust is indeed, gone. He is dead, and thus is no more. His immortal part is with us, yet inanimate. And is this not what our senses tell us anyway?

So, I'm not sure what the whole point was. The man spent his life in league with the devil, and ends up "saved" anyway.

It sounds like another reading is in order, and participation in a Faust disussion group! But if you want to fill your repertoire with the greatest works in history, definitely read Faust!

A Tale of Two Democrats

An interesting sight has developed in the Western Washtenaw County area. You can see the yards of prominent democrats, displaying the expected Obama, Schauer and Byrnes signs. But with them, you almost always can spot a sign for Mark Ouimet, Republican candidate for County Commissioner.

Now - my friend Mark Ouimet has done an outstanding job representing the entire distict. He is proud to represent everybody, Democrats as well as Republicans. And he does it well. He reaches across the aisle. He believes in the core Republican tenets, yet manages to address the basic concerns of Democrats and Independents.

I daresay, however, that a hidden, unwritten code of Republican behavior, is that we do value bipartisanship as a matter of principle. The word "republican," itself, means to be a spokesperson for your constituents, to effectively address the concerns of a district, state, or nation, as a whole, without regard to party.

"Democrat" on the other hand, is a word founded upon the principle of majority rule. If you are not in the majority, you may be out of luck!

My experiences, and observations, tell me that I am not out of line.

My local Democratic friends are wise to support our friend Mark Ouimet. He is progressive enough for them, and they know he is truly effective. Occasionally a local candidate will come along, that allows the more thoughtful Democrats to scratch their bi-partisan itch. This is Mark Ouimet; a very good choice for all the voters in our district.

But within the heart and soul of each of these Democratic voters, is a bitter partisan that, in the end, will always put party first, ahead of principle or what is best for their neighbors. Each Democrat, is really two Democrats.

Mark Ouimet reminds me of another Republican with a striking record of reaching across the aisle. That's right, Mark is like John McCain. And if he goes far enough (and he has the potential to do just that), his local Democratic friends, one day, will turn on him and treat him as they have the conscientious, country-first patriot, John McCain.

It is easy for Democrats to support a Republican, at the local level. But few of them will stand up to the party bosses and special interest groups, if someone like Mark, or John McCain, ever aspires to a high enough of a position. Party will trump principle at that point. And some good friends and neighbors of ours, will not be courageous enough, at that point, to do right.

I have voted for Democrats in the past: Max Cleland, Zell Miller, John Hansen.

I am glad that my Democratic friends are supporting my friend, Mark Ouimet.

I wonder if the support of our Democratic friends, is deep and pure enough, to extend to State, or Federal office, for Mark? I have my doubts.

Making the Rounds: Class of 1978

One of the highlights of the year for me, will certainly be my high school class's 30th reunion, which took place last weekend, in Dexter.

I only spent half of my public school years in Dexter. We moved here during the summer between 5th and 6th grade. I had spent kindergarten thru 5th grade, at Autumn Lane Elementary School, in Greece, New York (a suburb of Rochester). The family had moved to Rochester when I was about three years old. I loved, and still love, Rochester. It was "The Wonder Years" for me. Truly formative, magical, and highly influential to my early development, Rochester and Autumn Lane will always be, in many ways, my Home Town.

But the equally critical years, from 6th grade through high school graduation, took place in Dexter Community Schools, in Dexter, Michigan. At the time, it was still primarily a farming community. But here was where I became a full-fledged band student and devotee, thanks to Gerald Woolfolk, our band director and still one of the most important influences in my life.

Here, I lettered in Cross Country and track, learned to drive, went to dances and proms, made the typical teenage mistakes but experienced the inevitable soaring highs that happen in the teen years.

I cannot describe the feeling of connectedness I felt, when reuniting with my high school classmates. Over 100 members of our 160-plus graduating class showed up. Everybody looked like themselves, but older. We laughed as though we were still teenagers, recalled our crazy antics and discussed our careers and families.

Some have already had serious health scares like heart attacks and bouts with cancer. Our parents are aging and increasingly in need of care. Our children are in college. Some of us are grandparents. Six of our classmates have already left this world.

High School reunions are special events, where the old cliques are gone, and everybody is thrilled to see everybody. Our classmates have a unique bond - they have gone through, with us, what nobody else ever will. My high school classmates know me in some ways, better than anybody else ever will or could.

The summer before we entered high school, President Nixon resigned. But also that summer, Dexter celebrated its Sesquicentennial (150 years), and we all participated to some degree, in it. During our freshman year, Saigon fell. In our sophomore year, Jimmy Carter came from out of nowehere to win the Democratic nomination for the Presidency. The summer between our sophomore and junior years, the US celebrated its 200th anniversary. Bruce Jenner was a hero at the Summer Olympics.

During our junior year, we all became drivers. Jimmy Carter became President. We lost some friends from the Class of 1977: one to cancer, one to a tragic automobile accident. I and about six of my classmates attended Wolverine Boys State in the month following our Junior Year. Gerald Woolfolk took over the band program, and at our final band camp, in July of 1977, the legend that is now "The Pride of Dexter" began.

As Seniors, the world rejoiced at the Camp David Accords. We made our college applications and made plans to go to college, enter the military, or go to work. Our senior year was the best year in high school (for me, anyway). We parted in June of 1978, assuring each other that we would stay in touch.

For most of my classmates, the next time I would see any of them, was last weekend.

The DHS Class of 1978 has not had a good record when it comes to reunions. We only had a 10th, and then a 15th. I only made the 10th. But we made up for it, by holding our reunion during Homecoming weekend in Dexter, and by having such an outstanding turnout.

I never realized how much I love my Dexter classmates, until now. I am connected to them as I am to no one else.

To anyone reading this - if you have misgivings about attending a high school reunion, let me assure you that those feelings are natural. But please do not put off seeing your high school friends. You may be surprised at how happy you are to see them!

Three Scenarios, if Obama Wins

I will admit it. I have some serious thoughts of dread, in the event Senator Barack Obama becomes President of the United States. We simply do not know much about this guy. He is a great orator. He is youthful. He is attractive. And since JFK, our country cannot get enough of people like that. It's as though youth and charisma will always trump factors like experience and maturity. Presidents like Bill Clinton, and candidates like Barack Obama, let us scratch our Camelot itch. "Oh Johnny, we hardly knew ye!" Our great national tragedy is never far from our hearts. Let us elect another like him!

The problem is, Barack Obama is no John F. Kennedy. JFK had been tested, on PT 109. He had served both in the US House, and had been re-elected to the Senate. And get this, he was a conservative Democrat, the champion of tax cuts and a strong defense. He was a valiant and effective Cold Warrior.

Barack - we hardly know ye!

Barack Obama has never really earned much money, on his own. He lived in a house in Chicago, that he could not afford. He traveled the world for several years, using funds he did not have. He had wealthy sponsors along the way, from dubious backgrounds. He built coalitions of shadowy characters. He developed a political base in the most corrupt of political cultures: the Chicago democratic machine.

He has not put forward any ideas of his own. He rarely takes a stand in legislative battles. He has no record to examine. He stands on the shoulders of others that came before him. The few votes he has ever cast, as a legislator, show him to be the most extreme candidate, ever making it this close to the White House.

He has many friends and wealthy backers, with a loathing for many of our most cherished institutions, and he owes them much.

So I offer three scenarios that could happen under a President Obama. I am not saying they will happen; just that they are more likely to happen under President Obama, than under President McCain. But they are likely enough, that one should think seriously before pulling the lever for Obama-Biden:

1) Bush-Cheney, and others in their administration, tried for war crimes. This is not as crazy as it sounds. The congressional democrats hate, even loathe, George W. Bush. They do not share his passion to fight terrorism by creating free democracies in the Middle East and throughout the world. And they are still reeling from the Clinton impeachment. You might even see the terrible spectable of a former US President handed over to the World Court.

Now, I do not believe Barack Obama plans to do this. But I think his backers would love to see it, and I am not confident that he can stand up to them.

2) The fall of Lebanon. Lebanon, a beautiful Middle Eastern country which is nearly 50% Christian, would become a sitting duck during an Obama Presidency. Syria would have nothing to fear, and would certainly contemplate the re-deployment of its military to finally crush this critical buffer between Israel and its neighbors to the north. I do not believe President Obama would do anything to stop it. Hezbollah could cleanse Lebanon of its moderate Muslim and Christian elements, another domino would fall, and Israel would be completely surrounded and isolated, with not even the U.S. to count on.

And of course, Israel will not stand by while all this is going on . . .

3) Hoover's mistake, repeated. The Great Depression was lengthened through the tax-and-spend policies of Hoover-Roosevelt. Both presidents had a hand in making the Depression worse. High taxes, which took more money out of the pockets of Americans, combined with federal deficit spending, created a federal bureacracy doing an inefficient job of running the national economy. Of course, FDR knew how to smile, and sounded good on the radio. Senator Obama is, at least, good at smiling and talking. But we also know, with great certainty, that he will raise taxes as high as he can, and nationalize as much private industry, as he can get away with. And Pelosi-Reid will let him get away with plenty.

How I would love to address a historic wrong, by elevating a woman or minority to the Presidency.

But not this man; not Barack Obama. The risks of civil unrest in the US (through anti-Bush purges), cataclysmic war in the Middle East (while President Obama talks), and the advent of a 21st Century Great Depression (a repeat of failed Hoover-Roosevelt policies), even more severe than our parents' and grandparents' Depression; are too great.

I reiterate, that Senator Obama is a good man. Any that aspires to the Presidency, is to be respected and highly regarded. But I do not like his friends and advisors. I don't like the source of his wealth. And I do not think he is up to the challenges of our generation. We need more than platitudes.

How to Make John McCain and Sarah Palin Erratic

For two weeks leading up to the Vice Presidential debate, John McCain and Sarah Palin became increasingly on the defensive. Their democratic opponents had them on their knees, ready for a knockout punch.

Governor Palin's performance in the debate bought them some extra time.

But I wonder - how did this man, who had always been democrats' favorite Republican; and this woman, with an 80% approval rating in Alaska, become suddenly so ineffectual?

I believe the answer lies in the fact that they are exactly what they claim to be: mavericks that put country first.

Think about it. You are doing exactly the right thing, which is to eschew partisanship for the good of the whole. The Apostle Paul wrote about the evil of denominationalism. George Washington urged the country not to develop a party system. Modern organizational behavior experts (many of whom happen to be confirmed liberal democrats) understand that partisanship is no way to attain creativity and high-performance teamwork.

You have to put others first, to be a non-partisan. You have to treat others with dignity and respect.

And this is what John McCain has been doing for over twenty years in Washington: putting the people ahead of party. Sarah Palin has done the same in her short tenure in Juneau: she goes for what is right, even if it hurts other Republicans.

At this point, I hope the reader drops his or her ridiculous obsession with such labels as "conservative," "liberal," "pro-choice," "evangelical," etc.

You know in your heart, that partisanship is wrong. You have felt this way ever since you were a kid, and occasionally found yourself on the outside of some "cool" clique. You know that it is always better to treat others as equals. You also know how difficult it is to do that.

The McCain-Palin ticket has put a stake in the ground, with a passion for reaching across the aisle, in order to arrive at consensus (better) solutions to our problems. And they have proven that it is not hype, based on their past records.

But the political insiders, those with a stake in keeping partisanship alive, are fighting for dear life, to keep John McCain out of the White House. I believe that Bill and Hillary Clinton understand all this, which is why they have been lukewarm toward the Obama candidacy. And I believe it speaks volumes of the true nature of their character (that they are sincere non-partisans at heart), for them to absent themselves from this campaign.

If John McCain seems erratic, it is because he truly does place the process, and the people, ahead of narrow party ambitions. In the past, he could count on some Democrats to work with him, on any piece of legislation. With the exception of Senator Liebermann and a few high-profile Clinton supporters, they have let him down now.

We keep looking for him to put on a partisan cap (both sides do) when he has none. He is like the guy riding along a battle line, carrying a two-sided flag with the standards of each side visible to them. But then a change of the wind flips the flag, making the opposite side's standard visible, and they both begin firing on him.

How we love our parties. How we love to hate people in the other party. How hating makes us feel good.

We need to look at McCain-Palin with a clear vision and focus, dropping the partisan labels. We need smart collaboration in Washington, mutual respect for the other side, and an eagerness to understand the differences of others.

And with that understanding, decide whether or not it would be right to place someone in the White House, with decades of experience collaborating across party lines.

Or should we choose a virtual unknown, with no record of collaborating with Republicans, but plenty of connections to dubious anti-US activists?

Balancing the Books: Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee

I have known about Dee Brown's classic history of the Western Indian Wars, for some thirty-five years. I can remember it being discussed, when I was in Middle School, between the years 1971 and 1974. Adults would mention it. You heard them talk about it on the radio, and on TV. This was about the time that Marlon Brando refused his Oscar for The Godfather, in protest of the treatment of Native Americans by the government.

It was very much talked about at the time.

Finally, years later, I picked up the book and began reading it. Not only was it in my list of books on American History that I want to read, but recently, it fits into my passion for understanding the history of my own family. My great-great grandmother, Mattie Clemons, was a Creek or Choctaw Indian from Alabama. She was very likely the illegitimate child of a white man named Clemons and an unidentified Native American woman. As a very young girl, perhaps three or for years old, I believe that she was forced west in the Trail of Tears. She spent her life hiding her Indian identity, seeking to blend in with the whites. This rejection of her Creek/Choctaw heritage was passed on to the next one or two generations, and only recently have we begun searching for answers.

For people like me, books like Bury My Heart provide some answers. Our ancestors, that lived only 150 years ago, have vanished into historical thin air. Records are few. Their names are not known. But thankfully, Dee Brown gives us more than perhaps we realize at first glance. I may not know the names, or the places, of my Native American ancestors. But I know more about their lifesyle, and what happened to them, than I do of even my Polish great-grandparents on the other side!

The book is shocking, saddening, sickening, enlightening, and riveting. It is peppered with occasional comic moments, mostly at the expense of the white idiots that dominated the formulation of Indian policy. Our heroes on one side of the American History tome: Jackson, Grant, Sheridan, Sherman, and Schurz, are transformed into near Nazi-like villains on the other.

This mixed bag of human nobility and shame makes the story of Wounded Knee authentically American.

I will never forget some of the book's moments: Of a visit to Chicago by one chief, who noted that the whites tended to go back and forth, hurriedly, like ants, with no particular purpose except to keep on the move; of Chief Joseph's comments about schools and church (see my prior post); of one chief handing to an Indian Bureau agent a handful of dirt, saying "Here, take this - it is all that's left of our land"; of the Indian Messiah that ushered in the Ghost Dance movement, and generated hope that the Indians would make a comeback; of the final massacre at Wounded Knee, where women and children were slaughtered along with the adult males.

The Indian Wars were a shameful chapter in American History. I would argue, with my grandfather E.A.Turnbow, that our horrible treatment of the Indians surpassed even that of the African American slaves. Most likely both are on a par.

American policy was to make the Indians into white people. But those that did, by converting to Christianity and building houses and farms, still were forced onto reservations.

I would recommend this troubling book to any that have not yet read it. We still can, and should, learn much from our Native American brothers and sisters. And if we can have a hand in reviving all that was noble and decent in their culture, it would be a good thing.

Chief Joseph Got it Right

Dee Brown's timeless classic, Bury my Heart at Wounded Knee, (1970, Henry Holt and Company), retells this exchange between Chief Joseph of the Northwestern U.S. Nez Perce tribe and an Indian Agency Commissioner:

In a short time a group of commissioners arrived to begin organization of a new Indian agency in the valley. One of them mentioned the advantages of schools for Joseph's people. Joseph replied that the Nez Perces did not want the white man's schools.

"Why do you not want schools?" the commissioner asked.
"They will teach us to have churches," Joseph answered.
"Do you not want churches?"
"No, we do not want churches."
"Why do you not want churches?"
"They will teach us to quarrel about God," Joseph said. "We do not want to learn that. We may quarrel with men sometimes about things on this earth, but we never quarrel about God. We do not want to learn that." (p. 318)

Something precious was lost, when we wiped out what was most noble within the hearts of our native peoples. The opportunity to successfully blend two wonderful cultures took a fatal beating.

This philosophy, of refusing to argue over things not of this world, is the opposite of the very worst of Western Culture.

This did not come from Christianity. Jesus is the embodiment of refusing to get hooked into mindless debates. He did not deal in vain arguments on finer theological points. The Native Americans had much in common, in this area.

No - the passion to argue and divide, comes from Western European culture. It arose from the close proximity of different cultures and languages, living a few miles from one another, seeking some type of ordered co-existence. Their walled cities and castle fortresses created more than just physical boundaries between people.

The "survival of the fittest" mentality was in practice long before Darwin (a Westerner) articulated it! The good impulse to promote personal responsibility, often decayed into an "eat or be eaten" economic model.

And we see it today, in our politics! My party, right or wrong, has replaced My country, right or wrong! We see it in the hypocrisy of Democrats, who for decades pronounced the virtues of John McCain as a man above party and politics, as a Republican they could actually support, of someone ready to lead the country.

Chief Joseph is talking about getting over this silly partisanship, putting forth a leader, and getting on with it. Granted, in their system there would be no doubt that John McCain, the elder, would automatically be elevated above Barack Obama, the upstart.

Debates, partisanship, arguments, divisions, pointless diversions from the important thngs in life.

Chief Joseph spoke wise words that should be remembered, and followed, with the most profound statements of our great leaders in history.

Did Governor Palin Speak in Tongues?

The answer is, so what? Or even better, who cares?

Millions, and millions, of Christians, speak in tongues in their churches. If you think this is funny, or silly, or scary, so be it. The same people are out there serving in their communities, building Habitat for Humanity houses, providing for their families, learning to become unselfish, learning to love, constantly improving their walk with Christ.

Oops! Did I say "Christ"?

Does Sarah Palin believe that Jesus is coming back? Does she believe in the Rapture?

So what if she does? Have you read the Nicene Creed lately, or Apostles Creed, which are recited week after week, by millions, and millions, and millions of Catholics, Protestants, and everyone in between, right here in the United States?

The belief that Jesus is coming back soon, is shared by all Christians, and is a major tenet of the faith. The belief that people speak in tongues is also right out of the Book of Acts. Maybe they are not running for President, but there are dozens of neighbors within a hundred years of most people, many of whom are your friends, that believe this, albeit they do not talk about it much.

How do I know they believe this? Because they are Christians.

And as such, they are followers of . . . Jesus Christ.

Did I say that again?

While people are out there making fun of Sarah Palin and her religion, let's list briefly some of the core values of Christ-followers:

* Feed the hungry
* Clothe the naked
* Heal the sick
* Serve the poor
* Be honest
* Be faithful
* Practice sexual purity
* Do all things in moderation
* Put your friends, and enemies, ahead of yourself
* Be responsible stewards of the environment
* Be merciful to those that are hurting and in sorrow
* Take care of widows and orphans
* Be kind to people from other countries
* Treat all others equally - be no respecter of persons!

Shall I continue?

Yes, I know that very few Christians have ever gotten the entire list right. That is because we are, in this life, still just a bunch of sorry humans. But we follow a Man that did get it right. We follow Him because only He solved the problem of death, once and for all, by stepping out of the grave.

And, our leader, Jesus, built His Church upon his own sacrifice. Our Master and Lord began a movement by giving up his life, where other religions were formed by taking the lives of others.

This is who we serve. These are our values.

Sarah Palin is not a political hack. She is one of us. A small-town person making it big. Isn't this what we want? Our neighbor down the street has a chance to get that close to the White House, for a change.

And if she happens to be an evangelical Christian (like millions of Americans) then so be it.

This happens to be a good thing. So get over it.

So Many Conference Calls and Webinars

Network Marketing could become more mainstream, if it started paying attention to the best practices of successful organizations.

For example, take the prevalence of "Conference Calls" and "Webinars". These impersonal methods of communications, with a dehumanizing feel to them, are virtual requirements in many Network Marketing programs. You are supposed to dial in once a week, and hear some upline guy go on-and-on about timing, urgency, life dreams, etc. There is no agenda, no training objectives, no action plans, no follow-up. I find myself thinking that the point is for the guy at the top to know that thousands of people are hanging on his every word.

It is pretty much the same with "webinars." If you want the upline to help you, then you must "plug in" to these virtual meetings.

But "conference call" is a misnomer. A conference is an event where two or more people confer, discuss, brainstorm, negotiate, and come to agreement. At conferences, problems are solved, knowledge is gained, relationships are strenghened.

Delegation is the way to go, and with it, the fostering of effective one-on-one working relationships.

According to Temple University professor Ned Kock, quoted in the February, 2002 issue of Smart Business Magazine, "Our biological communication apparatus has been optimized for face-to-face interaction," (Reply to All, p. 34).

Let's trade in the conference calls for true face-to-face communications, the webinars for objective and customer-driven live workshops. Let's bring our people together, learn from one another, solve problems, and build our businesses!

A Terrible Prospect

In this Presidential election season, there is a lot of talk about what Washington should be doing for us. We need a predictable income, health care, education, a safety-net. And we want someone to take care of it for us.

Our generation is spoiled. It has gotten used to getting something for nothing. But we are no longer farmers, growing and crafting our own provisions. The economy has changed, and for the most part we can no longer get by, without some government intervention. You can't function without a social security number, credit cards, an automobile, insurance. Even the public education system has become so expensive for parents, that we have to dig up money so that our kids can participate in extracurricular activities!

The government has created a monster that not even it can pay for!

Even if the big-government liberals passed all the legislation they wanted, they could not pay for it. Or if they did, it would not be much! An economy that took care of everything for everybody, would have everybody living at the poverty level!

Certain elements of the pre-New Deal era were superior to today's bureaucratic morass. In those days, if someone had an extreme health or financial need, the community itself would pull together. People took care of their own. And in most cases it worked very well.

We need a hybrid of the old cooperatives, and of the ability of the New Economy to connect more people together to bring about enormous economies of scale.

It is a terrible thing, indeed, to find yourself on the downside of the modern economy. Divorce, health and education expenses, and incidentals like the occasional auto repair work, can keep people permanently in catch-up mode.

We don't need more government programs. Indeed, these are what got us in the mess, in the first place. We need cooperation, collaboration, and connection.

We are moving to the Networked Economy, or what I like to call the "Star Trek" economy. Have you noticed that, in the Science Fiction world, people do not use cash? I think that this is deliberate, not an oversight in the minds of Sci-Fi writers.

In the future, we will learn how to mutually support one another, so that the talents and passions of all may be realized in this life.

Money is not a big deal. There is plenty of it. We have just not figured out how to spread it around in a free economy. But the Internet, and the Network model, is a step in the right direction.

Some companies, that practice the "Network Marketing" concept, have started us down that path. It will be a way out for many of us. Like domestic drilling will eliminate our dependance on foreign oil, so will the Network Model mitigate the problem of manufacturing and customer support jobs going overseas permanently.

Getting stuck in the New Economy is a terrible thing. It can happen to anybody, at any time. The way out, is to start the long and difficult trek in New Economy solutions. The economy is becoming a network. Become a part of the network, the only true safety net in today's world.

Sarah Palin and Carolyn Kilpatrick

I dabbled a little with the Democratic Party this summer. As many know, I was a Democratic candidate for Scio Township Treasurer.

I really think of myself as a "Democratic-Republican," which is the label that all the history books use for classic Jeffersonians. Would that we had such a party today! There would be frugality in government: only as big as it needs to be, to take care of the needs of the people that only government can address. It would champion the cause of the average, lower to middle class American (and not special interests). And, there would also be a high standard of moral excellence for our communities.

Both major parties today have a little of this on their edges, but neither has all of it.

But every now and then, we get a candidate that comes close to it. Occasionally you see a regular American make it big. A person like Harry Truman, or Abraham Lincoln, gets thrust on the national stage, and proves that regular folks like you and me run circles around the Ted Kennedys and Dick Cheneys of the world, those that act like they were born to be in center stage of American government.

So it is with Alaska Governor Sarah Palin. Already she is being underestimated. But when you underestimate her, you are underestimating your own neighbor, and people in your own family. History has proven over and over again, that the real heroes in America, are real people doing heroic things. When I saw Governor Palin being introduced by Senator McCain last Friday, I felt like I would if he were introducing my friends Brian Koval, John Agno, Mary Pierce, or Leigh Hook to the American people.

And this has nothing to do with pro-life, NRA, or any of that peripheral stuff. Sarah Palin is the real deal, and people know that. In the end, we want real people governing us, not these career politicians from both parties that are only out for themselves.

And we all know that this is what John McCain has been about, his entire professional life. He has taken on people in his own party. He does not play games. And regardless of how much you agree with him on individual issues, isn't this what people keep wishing for in our government? Shouldn't the character of the man, or woman, trump their views on silly little side issues that will never get resolved in our time?

And now the McCain-Palin ticket has changed priorities to put the people of New Orleans ahead of themselves. Michael Moore may have been more correct than he thought, in his foolish quip that there "must be a God in Heaven," to bring a disastrous hurricane down in the middle of the Republican convention! Yes, Mr. Moore, this disaster will provide an opportunity for McCain-Palin to show what they're all about, in the worst of times. Shame on you for your foolish humor.

And shame on Congresswoman Carolyn Kilpatrick, who just this past week, has provided an example of the partisan nonsense that has got to stop. She, more than anyone, is the contrast, of the political partisan versus the people-first ethics of McCain-Palin.

In a church memorial last week, for Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones, who died tragically and suddenly a few weeks ago, Congresswoman Kilpatrick used the event (attended by Republicans as well as Democrats) as a campaign stump for the Obama campaign. She said that, if you want to honor "my sister," then you must work even harder to put Senator Obama in the White House.

Your "sister" is dead, Congresswoman! Even in death, can you find nothing more important than advancing your own career and those of your partisan friends? Shame on you! Death, and disasters, and hurricanes, are times for us to come together, drop the labels, work on common goals, and make progress.

Compare that to the non-partisan response of McCain-Palin, to Hurricane Gustav.

Meanwhile, the Congresswoman might clean up the mess in her own house, and family, before pontificating about building the "Kingdom of God" by electing democrats. I'm pretty sure that the Kingdom of God does not have leaders lying, cheating on spouses, and misusing public resources for selfish ends. Shame on you, Congresswoman! Shame!

The two major parties in the US are actually not the Republicans and the Democrats. They are actually the Politicians and the Non-Politicians. Congresswoman Kilpatrick is from the "Politician Class," that really does not want the rules changed. She knows that, the more Democrats there are in power, the more power (and money, and prestige) she will have. And the Republicans are mostly the same.

But this time we have the good fortune of being able to vote for the McCain-Palin ticket. Real people, like you and me, that are not consumed with some Clintonian life-goal of becoming President.

Making the Rounds: Carol Jones and Busch's

I want to take some time today, to recognize a highly valuable citizen, and business in Dexter, Michigan

Today marks Carol Jones' final day working at National City Bank in Dexter. She is retiring.

Also, today, I received word that Busch's markets are restoring the 5% Scrips fundraising program for the Dexter 8th Grade trip to Washington, DC.

It was my privilege to work with Carol for one year, at the Dexter Area Chamber of Commerce. She is an entire beehive of activity, in one person. Carol can be seen working ceaselessly at community events. She was instrumental in creating the back-office operation of the Chamber of Commerce. She has toiled for years, mostly without credit, and certainly without being paid much - for the thing she loves most of all, our community of Dexter, Michigan. Such things as the Victorian Christmas and holiday lighting, annual Chamber Golf Outing, Apple Daze and Ice Cream Social, have been kept afloat during hard times, through the nearly single-handed devotion of Carol.

Carol is a Dexter native, coming from the prominent farming family: the Masts. She is an alumna of Dexter High School. She taught home economics at Dexter High School for several years, before embarking on a career as a restaurateur. Dexter's first "real" restaurant, the Captain's Table, was opened and operated by Carol, thus bringing more families downtown and starting a long and positive trend for our quality of life, that continues to this day.

And there is not enough space to list all of her achievements and activities on behalf of Dexter. Thank you, Carol, and best of luck for continued success.

Next, I want to thank Busch's Markets, for restoring the 5% Scrips fundraiser. This program enables people to code their child's name to a gift card, so that any time the card is used, 5% of the purchases goes into an account to pay for their school event. In my case, I am building up funds for my daughter's 8th grade DC trip in April of 09.

Times are tough, and Busch's made the difficult decision of cuting the 5% benefit, to 1%. 1% is not worth using Busch's instead of a lower-priced competitor. People shop at Busch's because of the nice, clean atmosphere and friendly staff. They also appreciate Busch's support for the community, to the tune of over $100,000 a year in Dexter alone.

But for many families, the drop to 1% was very hurtful. Times are tough for us, too, and we appreciated Busch's stepping in to help with this excellent program that allows us to raise funds doing what we are already doing: buying groceries!

I spoke to a lot of parents that were upset by this move, over the summer. People sent letters to Busch's corporate office, completed surveys, complained to managers.

And finally, Busch's proved that they really do listen to their customers!

Busch's and Carol Jones. These are two local citizens that make Dexter a better place.

Be sure to say thank you to Carol when you see her in town. And also, say a nice word to Dennis Blanchard at Busch's, and be sure to continue to spend your money there!

Some Things The Voters Will NOT Get

Now that I am permanently through with politics, I thought it good to summarize some of the reforms that have been the cornerstones of my campaigns these past ten years. These ideas are not really mine - they are the result of countless conversations and lots of reading. But I have come across very few, if any, other local and state politicians that cared to champion these ideas. Had I been elected Treasurer of Scio Township in '08, or Clerk in '04; and were I the State Senator elected in '02, I would have championed these reforms. As it is, Scio Township and the State of Michigan will not realize any of them, any time soon. It will be up to someone else to propose the following:

* Instant Runoff Voting. Nobody wins anything without a majority.
* Non-partisan township elections, statewide
* Every precinct represented at Township Board and on appointed commissions
* Special Zoning districts that parallel the school district boundaries
* A "Re-Villaging Act," that would enable places like Delhi, Old Scio Village, Hudson Mills, etc., to become villages once again; including ease of opening local charter schools and adding Zip Codes.
* Absent the previous point, a special planning zone within Scio Township, governing Delhi, and the Old Scio Village, run respectively, by residents of the same.
* A reform of term limits laws, and extension of the same to county and local offices: for legislative offices, a limit of three consecutive terms. After taking one election cycle off, they may try again and serve another two consecutive terms. For officer positions, the limit is two terms.
* Limits on how many years a person may work as an employee of any level of government. No more than ten years in any single unit of government, and twenty years in government, total. They may take five years in the private or non-profit sector, before returning to government. Government employees must be residents of the communities they are serving.
* Statewide legislation, opening membership in teachers local unions, to certified substitute teachers satisfying certain criteria. Enable substitutes in good standing to be treated as internal employees of local school districts.
* Creation of a new type of municipality in Michigan, the "Town." Towns are the formalization of natural communities that have formed around school districts. Would enable the redrawing of county boundaries.

These are the major points I would have pushed, had I been entrusted by the voters to pursue them. These are reforms that would empower voters, promote bi-partisanship and consensus, and build natural communities. They would have set up Scio Township, and the State of Michigan, as leaders in the modern political reform movement. It will be up to someone else to make it happen, and, as usual, Michigan will be a follower on the national stage.

Civil Rights: Righting a Wrong

In the United States, the office of President is packed with symbolism and meaning. For instance, we cannot escape the increasingly troubling reality that the President has always been a white male. But lest we blind ourselves to the easy scapegoating of white males, let's recall briefly many of the important barriers that have been broken through the office of the Presidency (every one of these "glass ceilings" were not without controversy and even violence, as one by one they were shattered):

* First frontier President: Andrew Jackson
* First President not a British descendant: Martin Van Buren
* First bachelor President: James Buchanan
* First anti-slavery President: Abraham Lincoln
* First catholic President: John Kennedy
* First divorced President: Ronald Reagan

And so it goes. Change does happen in the U.S. And often it comes at too slow a pace. But it does happen, and more successfully and with surprisingly less violence than in the rest of the world.

We can break another barrier in history in November. It may be our only chance to right a wrong, and finally honor a group of Americans that has been mistreated for too long. We will bring healing to our land, by elevating this person to the most powerful office on earth.

I am talking about the Vietnam Veteran, who has suffered too much for over 40 years. Today they are aging into a valued elder generation of great Americans. The Greatest Generation of the 30s and 40s is giving way to the 60s generation of Vietnam Vets, Civil Rights and peace activists. It was truly a great generation which has not been completely represented yet in the White House.

True, we have had two Baby-Boomer Presidents, Clinton and G.W. Bush. But, as typical Baby-Boomers they were both rather self-absorbed and narrowly-focused. Both managed basically to skip the Sixties. With a Rhodes Scholarship on the one hand, and a National Guard tour on the other, they were able to keep a safe distance from the pivotal events of their generation.

But now we have a chance, perhaps our only chance, finally to heal the divisions of the Sixties by putting into office an honorable man, a bold maverick that charts his own course, and whose life mission has been to represent real people in Washington, and not just one political party. Fortune has smiled upon us and allowed this man to make it through a partisan primary process, to a point where he can be elevated to the Presidency.

Only once in two or three generations, do we have a chance to elect such transcendant leaders as this: rarely do we get our Teddy Roosevelt, our Dwight Eisenhower, giants of history that tower above the political parties.

I am talking about Senator John McCain, of course.

Look for one compelling reason to support him, and it is this above all others: It is time we honored our Vietnam Vets by electing one of their own to the Presidency. We have had our Baby Boomers. Now let's have a mature, seasoned leader. Let's have an adult for a change. Let's honor the generation that paid its dues to be Americans, with its own blood, and in return was treated shamefully.

It may be our only chance to so honor our Vietnam Vets. I want a Vietnam Vet in the White House! It is time.

Using Email Effectively

Some stats:

* I have some 25 partners in my business.

* We serve over 90 customers.

* Our monthly growth rate is over 10% in total revenues and new business partners.

* A new business partner joins our team every 8 days, (this rate continually decreases).

* Two of our members have permanently qualified for large bonuses, and six are close.

* We project that our team will double again before the end of the year (revenues and total number of business partners).

* People in our team are not required to make any changes to their lifestyle or buying habits. They simply continue doing what they always have. When we need their unique talents or skills, we will ask them.

Things are going well. We take our lumps, learn from them, and then improve. We listen to our customers, prospects, and business partners. The newer you are to our team, the more highly we value you. We place our people, our friends and family, and their life goals and dreams, ahead of any other consideration. People come first, and they know better what they want out of life, and how to get it, than we do.

We are teachable and coachable, and we listen to what our market, and newer reps are telling us (those with the best perspective on what is going on in the real world).

In short, we've got a good thing going.

So, why are we afraid to use the Internet to proclaim our good thing? Our veteran reps, those who have been in longer than us, and that have made more money than we, tell us to leave the Internet alone. Do not conduct email campaigns. They don't work and can backfire.

Agreed. Every professional marketer knows this.

But the problem is not inherently in the email. It is the methods used, the purposes, the means, and the expected outcomes.

Bonny L. Georgia, in the April, 2002 issue of Smart Business magazine (Look Big, Even When You're Not, pp. 64-70), argues that you have to use the Web, because your competitors are.

I know that our brand of home-based business thrives on word-of-mouth. The compensation plan has been built specifically around building relationships.

But in the world today, more and more relationships all the time are enhanced through the many tools found on the Web. Social networks are thriving. It is an easy, real-time way to share information and stay connected.

The improper use of email can kill your business. But the smart use of it, can give you greater success and effectiveness, many times over.

So how do we know if we are using the Web smartly, or "dumbly"? The answer is simple: Ask your customers. And ask your prospects, and any disinterested third party. Try different things out. But never, ever let a mistake or failure discourage you!

I sent out a mass email, days after starting up my present home-based business. It had mixed results. I sent it out to over 200 people. Six responded. Three responses were "thanks, not interested." Two were "sounds interesting, tell me more." And one was decidedly, hatefully, discouraging.

But I learned a lot from that one activity. Not that I would never do it again, but that I would do it differently, or on a different scale.

We are on to something excellent here. We are growing rapidly, and have a right to inform our friends and family about it, and to seek their advice and support (if not their membership).

Georgia lists five ways to make a marketing email campaign "click" (p. 65):

1) Time it right. Once a week, between 9am and 12noon is best. Make sure you have permission from the recipients first.

2) Keep it simple. Two paragraphs, tops. It should take up no more than one screen of text.

3) Provide easy access. Include a prominent link. Use the email to drive traffic to your site. Make purchases easy, one or two clicks to where they can order.

4) Don't be tricky. Avoid tricks like putting "re:" in the subject line. People are savvy and know when they are being duped. Be sincere and authentic.

5) Give them a way out. Give them the chance to unsubscribe.

This sounds good to me, and in the next week or two, we will begin trying some different things out, in terms of running effective email campaigns.

Here's to your success!

Paradox: We Don't Need More Reps, Just Smarter Ones

In our Network Marketing, what if we took the emphasis away from "show the plan, show the plan, show the plan," and instead invested our money and time into the reps that we have right now?

What if we focused on developing the skills and talents of our existing members? What if our meetings were designed around their needs? What if we mobilized our efforts around ensuring that each business partner traverse the promotional path, one step at a time? We would make sure they understood the products and compensation plan, got the points they needed at just the right time, received professional and personal development advice from true subject matter experts.

What if we operated with an accurate understanding of the pulse of our entire team? Are the leaders truly respected? Are we putting our best presenters on the platform? Are the meetings designed so that Joe Average would want to be there, even on a bad day?

What is our value proposition? Do our business partners feel valued and respected?

There is a gigantic income side to the Network Marketing business. But there is also a huge cost side, that rarely gets addressed. One of the major costs in this business, is that of what we call training. The average people in Network Marketing do not have enough money, yet, to take all the "training" that is offered to the reps. And there are many built-in costs that we do not even think about.

In Smart Business magazine, May 2002, pp 64 - 70, Eamon Hickey shares some information about the smart use of the Internet in employee training (New Tricks).

Looking at the costs of training 500 employees at a two-day off-site workshop, versus using the Web smartly to achieve the same results, Hickey estimates a $4 million savings when using the Web. Thats right, four million dollars. (Email me if you would like to see the itemized breakdown).

His figures include $500 for the design and development of the course content. I can assure you that I have never, in thirty years of experience with MLMs, ever, received training that was worth $500.

Hickey lists five reasons to use "E-learning":

1) Slash costs mostly on travel and lost productivity.
2) Shorten the learning process, with travel and scheduling conflicts removed from the equation.
3) Extend your reach. You can make sure that more people receive the training (especially those that cannot afford to travel), and they all get the same training.
4) Train more, more often. We can develop training on any topic, and deliver it real-time, when the reps need it. (How about a curriculum that includes separate modules on prospecting, effective teamwork, leadership development, how to close, presentation skills, time management, competitive selling, continuous improvement, product knowledge, understanding the compensation plan, etc., etc.?)
5) Make money. Of course, a good program, developed expertly and with identifiable business-oriented outcomes, will be of great value to others.

Now, notice that we will not charge our own team for this training. We will use revenues from selling the program to other teams, to continue building our team.

The paradox is, that a team of people that are receiving continuous investment in time and dollars, to develop their skills in a wide array of areas, will be more loyal to their team. Their enthusiasm would be genuine, not forced or phony. They would have something to show for their membership in our MLM, before they make one cent in it.

The long run benefits are incalculable. We are building a world-class organization, that others will want to be a part of.

The Smart Decision

It took me six months to decide to get in my present Network Marketing program, from the time that I first saw the presentation. The critical factor in my decision was not the compensation plan. It was not the upline. It was not the products. It was that I would be working with my brother on building the business. This is what motivated me the most, and what continues to be my biggest motivator.

A little patience, and focus, and in a few years we will have financial independence for both my brothers, my sister, and many, many friends and family. You can count on it. The key is for me, and others not to quit. That's all. And we will not quit.

But in reality, my decision to do Network Marketing festered for over fifteen years. I have always known it to be a smart thing to do. I know that it works. I know that I would be good working with a large group of people. The question has always been more "when would I be ready" than anything else.

We are building a team of people that are making a smart decision. They do not decide on the spot to join our team. We are careful about who we invite, and the approach we take. We listen to our "downline". In fact, the most important people to me are those on the furthest ends of each of my legs, not the upline people already raking in the big money.

I am teachable and coachable. I listen to my business partners in my downline. I put their needs first. I believe they will not quit, because I value them first, as human beings with value. They do not increase their value to me, by showing up at meetings and on conference calls. They have a right to want to run their business differently than I. They will do what works for them, what challenges and rewards them.

The decision to do Network Marketing is equivalent to buying an appliance, or a week or two of groceries. Smart people will always shop around. They will look at the offerings from every angle. They will consider all aspects, not just the money part. In fact, I would bet that, while most people will get into Network Marketing because they believe they can make some money doing it; they drop out for other reasons, that may include the following:

* Their ideas are not valued
* They are pressured to go to meetings and listen to conference calls
* People seem to be more interested in making money off them, than in building a relationship with them.

Our team is dedicated to high retention, by addressing the three points above.

Our goal is to ensure that everybody joins upon careful reflection, and that they stay in, because they realize that, money or not, it was the smart thing to do.

Quitting is Failure

Nobody likes to quit. We certainly do not like to admit to failure.

And there is nothing like winning, or success, or achieving some great objective.

If there were only some way to make quitting, and failure, sound and feel like success, it might make a lot of people more comfortable with their decisions in life. And in our time, we have found a way to do that. We have made a virtue out of quitting.

I don't love you anymore, and I want to get on with my life.

This is a good one. The multitudes of divorced people that come in and out of our lives feel a deep, searing sense of shame deep down. They have let down their children, their parents, their friends, their spouses, themselves. And the pain is so great, that we have gone from seeing divorce as the terrible, costly mistake that it is, to a smart and gutsy move that people can actually feel good about. "You go girl! You deserve some happiness, and your children will thank you for this later!"

I am resigning from the XYZ Company.

A businessman made such an announcement to his professional associates. He had done nothing for three months. Returned no phone calls or emails. Responded to none of his friends' requests (pleas) to help him. Took advantage of none of the resources of the company. Rather than finding ways to make it work for him, or coming up with creative solutions; rather than realizing how many people he could help by setting a positive example; rather than doing anything constructive; he simply said that he didn't have time and could not afford to be in it any longer, so was resigning.

Or put more accurately, he was quitting. The man hopped from job to job, always spinning each new job as a "can't miss," but never admitting to failure. He cannot bring himself to take that one step, a little risk here and there, that could make his family independent forever. Afraid to put himself on the line, he goes just up to it and then retreats. Every time.

But he has no problem going around quite publicly, every half year, with a new business card and new email address. He would rather fail, but spin it as forward movment, than stay with one thing, requiring some focus and commitment.

My daughter returned to soccer just this week, after taking a year off. Her coach is going to be a tough disciplinarian. For this group of ten-year old girls, it will be their first experience with such drive and focus. If they can make it through all the conditioning and endless drills, he will teach them how to win. As a parent, my greatest fear is that my daughter could end up disillusioned and wanting to quit.

Quitting. It really is a terrible word, and we have hurt ourselves by renaming it such things as "resign" and "move on."

Rather than quitting, we have got to find ways to help people hang in there.

A friend of mine is having severe problems in his marriage. He and his wife are in their 40s (imagine that!). He fears that his ex has become unhappy enough, to file for divorce. I told him that this is all predictable. That they just need to get through a year or two, without ever visiting an attorney! If they can do that, I believe they will make it.

The job-hopper needs some friends to stay in the pocket with him. He needs someone to believe in him, and to encourage him to stay the course, in something.

These people do not need condemnation. But the concept of quitting does.

Quitting is failure. And failure is not a good thing. It is only good if we learn from it, and not make the same mistake twice. Quitting, due to the actions of others, may be unavoidable, and the mature person does indeed move on.

But when the decision to quit is your own, and it is possible for you to turn things around without quitting, you must not quit.

Why Your Sister Failed

This is a classic. I have had someone tell me more than once, that they do not go for these "money-making schemes" because some friend or relative tried it once and got taken to the cleaners. Interestingly, it seems like it is always a male, and the person getting scammed was always the guy's sister.

One of my best friends has given me this retort. And I presently have a very talented member of the team, whose two brothers are giving her some real grief about allowing herself to "get scammed."

Your sexist impulses notwithstanding, let me give it to you straight, brothers. Your sisters' failures (past or prospective) have more to do with you than herself. Your sister is a smart person, willing to take risks, like the Apostle Paul eager to "believe all things," open to new ideas, able to go outside the box, with enough self-esteem to work hard for something that will most likely benefit you and others in the end.

If your sister fails, it is not because her partner company (ies) has sold her a bill of goods. Chances are she has researched it well, found the company to be reputable, the program legal, the compensation plan reliable and generous, and she has surrounded herself with people that have something you do not have: the ability actually to help her succeed.

If your sister fails, I want you to pat yourself on the back, for you more than anybody is the cause of her failure. It is hard enough to go against the grain in life. Anybody with lofty goals will always find people nearby that are ready to take them down a few notches. It is particularly hurtful when those doom-and-gloom prophets are family, or worst yet, siblings that we have always trusted.

You will prove yourself right. You will pursue her relentlessly, mock her, belittle her, tell her she has been brainwashed, until she finally gives up. You have given her enough trouble just managing your reactions to her courageous decision, that, yes, of course, she will fail - and you will have the satisfaction of making a sound prediction.

And everything will go back to the status quo ante, with one exception: she will be less likely to take a similar chance in the future. She will settle into the 40-40-40 plan that you have accepted for yourself (work 40 hours a week, for 40 years, to make 40% of what you couldn't live on in the first place). She will never take a chance like this again, which raises the question: who brainwashed whom? But, you are back in control, so who cares?

Your sister failed, or will fail, thanks to you, brother.

Or how about this . . .

Try helping her, encouraging her, working with her, giving her ideas, helping her improve her skills, buying her product, partnering in her business, praying for her, supporting her.

I have brothers, and am a brother. I am a father. Let it never be said of me, that my sister or brother, or kids, failed in anything, because I failed to encourage them!

What's The Deal with Family?

I can count about 60 adult relatives on one side, 40 on the other, that, were they all to get together, and coordinate their efforts, in one single good Network Marketing program, could guarantee the following:

* Two of them would earn at least $800 a month in residual income, from now on.
* Four would earn at least $400 a month in residual income, from now on.
* Twelve of them would earn at least $2,000 in bonuses, in the first month alone.
* Over half would pay off their initial investment in the first month alone.
* With few exceptions, all would be powering the system, by continuing to purchase products and services that they already are using.
* Two would qualify for bonuses that are nearly double all of the above, within two months.
* All of the above are baseline figures. These are minimums that would only grow over time.
* With coordination, and good timing, maybe five to ten would also qualify for other bonuses randing from $500 to $6,000, within the first quarter.

I am talking about using products that you are already using. All we would be doing is joining together in a common venture, coordinating our efforts,in a legal, exciting, growing business.

But this group of family would be only the hub of a network many, many times larger.

I propose that we do, indeed, coordinate our efforts. Let's start something, using our talents and skills, to take care of family and friends first. Let's manage it smartly, so that our attrition rate is low and our member satisfaction is high.

Let's run it like we would an investment club. Do only what brings in the most money for the most family members.

In the New Economy, residual income is the name of the game. Manufacturing and customer service jobs are never coming back. Real Estate may never be what it once was.

It is the age of pursuing your talents and life dreams. And the way to pay for it, is residual income. You are worth far more than you have ever been paid. This is the way to get what you are worth.

And, the natural place to begin . . . is family.

Election Reflection

I took a whalloping this week, in the primary election for Treasurer of Scio Township. My friend Donna Palmer, the incumbent, beat me handily, almost two-to-one. The Dexter precincts, the people that know me most, delivered the largest margins to Donna.

I did not particularly want to win this race. I have other irons in the fire. I long to move either to Shamrock, Texas, or Rochester, New York, within the next year or two. I would have had to resign from the position before my term was up, anyway.

I have tired of partisan politics. I hate the games, the positioning, the personal attacks, the spin. I have served on high-performance teams in the business world, that run circles around politicians when it comes to solving problems.

I was changed by my recent experience at Camp Refuge in Oklahoma. I came away wanting to serve God in music, keeping myself open to a teaching position, working with children. I could not see myself holding down an elected position, full-time hours at part time pay, for four years. I cannot afford it. And I did not campaign for it.

I basically prayed that I would not win.

But I do want to release some pressure I have felt, to address the biggest issue of all in this election. I avoided discussing it, out of respect for my friend Donna. But I do wish to introduce it now, as the issue in the 2012 Scio race, or any race with which I am involved, from now on. And it is this . . .

Mrs. Palmer said, in an interview that I participated in with her, that "I enjoy my job," in reference to her position as Treasurer. I wanted to jump on that statement, but was too timid to do so.

No politician should ever refer to their elected position as "my job". It is not a job to be claimed by anyone. It is no one's by right. There are thousands of people in Scio Township, and any one of them can serve as Treasurer, or Supervisor, Clerk, or Trustee. The jobs themselves, belong to the people. And if anything, we would be better off if more average people served in these positions, than the self-appointed politicians we are stuck with now.

An elected office is a mission, a charge, a calling. But it is not a "job". You are there to serve the people, not to do a good job. It is more important that the elected official give their time to their constituents, and not their hours to their work. It is important that the day-to-day tasks of elected officials never devolve down into "busy work". The calling is way more lofty than that!

A good rule of thumb is: two terms and out. Those seeking elected office should run the first time, with specific goals. They may take one term to learn the ropes. If they have served honorably for one term, they will have earned the right to a second term. But that is enough. Our society is blessed with multitudes of talented people that can do the job. We do not need these elected officials for life. It is an insult to the smart people in our communities, to suggest that only one of them can represent the total for more than two terms.

I wish the new Board of Scio great success in the next four years. Of the seven board members, one will be serving at least a second consecutive term, and should step down at the conclusion of this term. Let's keep new ideas flowing in, let others have a chance to serve, and please, Mrs. Palmer, no later than the year 2012, leave as you have served, with honor and respect for the people of our Scio community.

Thank you for your dedication and hard work. It is past time for change.

Money

On the Huron Valley Fellowship blog today, I wrote about Jesus' instructions about money, in Matthew Chapter 25.

Basically, our Lord teaches us that we must go out and expand the money, and other resources, that He has given us. So the question is, does membership in a Multi-Level Marketing program count as good stewardship of our God-given financial means?

Is the Kingdom of God multi-level?

Jesus did start out with a core group of 12 followers. And among those twelve, there was an inner circle of three (Peter, John, James). The Twelve were directed to go out and build the kingdom. Jesus gave them a model of working with people one at a time, serving them, looking for needs to fill. He healed others. He gave those needing some attention, all of His.

I am struck, that the MLM that I am in now, does in fact use a 3-12 model. That is, you first build an inner core of 3 people, and then expand to 12. The program encourages the duplication of the 3-12 system, which kicks in the bonuses, which get greater, the larger your overall team is.

If you build an MLM, not worrying about such things as "it will topple of its own weight some day," but just move it forward, doing 3 and then 12, over and over again, then it should just continue to grow. It says in the Old Testament, I believe in Ezekiel, that there are multitudes in the world, that cannot make decisions. A multitude is a group that grows faster than we can keep up with it. The pool of people that cannot decide, will always be great enough for us to get our 3 and 12.

But interestingly, my present program also uses a ten-point system, in terms of how much product to buy to qualify for bonuses. There are Ten Commandments in the Bible.

So I find some interesting parallels between my present system, and how Christ is building His Kingdom. The 3 and 12 is a good way to build a team of people. And in another post, perhaps I will find some additional applications of the concept.

MLMs do not guarantee income. But no business or investment program ever does. A good MLM will show you the steps to take, to make your money grow. Businesses and investments do not do that. There is more risk in conventional business, than there is in an MLM. I know that if I do X, Y, and Z, in a good MLM, that I will make money, and I know how much money I will make. This may be true in other jobs, but in those cases I am subject to being laid off if I do not perform to my manager's expectations. I am still working for someone else. The MLM affords me the opportunity to do all the work, totally for God.

So, I find that an MLM is a smart thing to mix into all of our money-management decisions.

But the 3 and 12 intrigues me. I will need to cogitate on that some more!

My Beam: Divorce

Last night, I listened to a training conference call for one of my businesses, in which the speaker urged us to get around successful people if we want to be successful. If you want to be rich, don't hang around broke people.

The speaker made the statement: "If you want good marriage advice, don't go to a divorced person."

Ouch.

Not only was the comment hurtful to me, I also happen to disagree with it most fervently. A divorced person is the best person to go to for advice! Happily married people cannot relate to people with severe marital problems! Alcoholics Anonymous is successful precisely because it involves alcoholics meeting with and sharing with other alcoholics!

And from the pure business perspective, I happen to think there is excellent knowledge to be gained from talking to people that have not chosen your product or service! This is Marketing! The customer comes first! (But that's another topic).

My divorce crushed me for a time. For 32 years I had held myself up as a success, for not entering into an unwise marriage. I thought that this had prepared me to be successful in marriage. I appreciated it more, once I was in it. I had a life goal of being successful in marriage. I could make even a bad marriage successful.

Yes, I was full of pride. And that pride would be my undoing.

I am divorced. Divorce is a very public kind of failure. Our generation makes excuses ("We were married. Nothing is wrong. We just grew further apart, so the marriage ended, like all relationships do eventually. But we're still friends.")

But divorce is failure. Let's not sugar-coat it. The divorced person has failed his kids, his parents, his siblings, his ex-spouse, himself, and his God.

Failure.

So now today, people around me can always say "Who are you to give advice? You're divorced." Yes, I know they don't actually say that. But they are thinking it. I know they are thinking it, because I think thoughts like that about others. I have heard conversations in which people make judgmental comments like that about those that are not present.

So, it will always be a limitation on my effectiveness. But I also know that God can make the weak strong. He can turn defeat into victory.

Let me say one last thing about this idea about gossip and judgmentalism: when you really think about it, most gossip is correct. Those things that people say about you, where you respond "I don't care what people think," well, most often those other people are right.

If people treat me with less respect because I am divorced, they are right to do so. I know that some people do not want their kids around me, or in my home, for that reason. And they are right to do so. I don't blame them.

And the same goes for every one of us, for you, when people comment on decisions you have made. What people are saying about you, and me, is probably correct. We probably should listen to them.

So we have a couple of problems: one, that we don't listen to the good advice from others; and two, that those others haven't fixed themselves before handing out advice.

Next - Another one of my beams.

The Beam in My Eye, Part One

Recently, God has clarified a question that I have had for some time.

I have been told that I was "leader" material since my earliest elementary school memories. Yet, in my whole life I have tended to wind up the butt of people's frustrations. When they want to express their ugliest side, they do so to me. I can share specific examples, but I would want to protect the anonymity and privacy of others involved.

In the past few months, I have had a very dear relative yell at me to "shut up", quite inappropriately, in front of family. I am sure that I will remember that incident forever, and it will always hurt.

Other family members have put me down in front of my kids. And others yet have no problem exposing their worst feelings to me. People seem to feel quite comfortable hurling invectives at me, when they would never dream of doing so to others in the family.

Am I a doormat? Am I dumb, rude, unkind, ugly, arrogant, impatient? What is it? I seem to be a magnet for extreme emotional outbursts of people that I believe love me. If my impression is correct, what is God showing me? Why me, and what does it mean?

I believe that people are extremely disappointed in me. I am the leader that won't lead. The most-likely-to-succeed that has mostly failed. The problem solver that won't step up to the plate. There is a sense of frustration that I will not get out there into the arena, where everybody thought I belonged years ago.

In a Christian setting, I recently became the subject of some rather malicious gossip and backbiting. It hurt me and made me want to leave this group of Christian brothers and sisters. There is just too much petty behavior, and not enough holding others accountable in the Church. There are too many divorces, too much teen-aged sexuality, too much treading lightly around people with short fuses.

This all is typical for the world, but we are the Body of Christ! We are to attain to a higher level of excellence! Our marriages should be model! Our humility genuine! Our self-awareness proactive and transformational! Our service should be meek and cheerful!

We pussy-foot around people that can say whatever they want, do whatever they want, act however they want, even if it hurts others - rather than rock the boat. We excuse hateful behaviors because we are "under grace," overworked ("if I don't do this thankless job, no one else will"), or "Oh that's just Uncle Bill and he'll never change, heh heh!"

I answer to no one but God.

I enjoy fellowship with a few very excellent ministries. I am part of expanding God's Kingdom, and am thrilled that God has placed me in partnership with talented people that are on fire for the Lord.

But, our achilles heel is that we still put up with childish behaviors from adults. We excuse words and actions that hurt others, because we do not have the backbone to defend those that were hurt.

I know what it feels like now. I know why I have been such an easy target all these years. I believe God is asking me to call out behaviors in the Church, that hurt our witness and make a mockery of His holiness.

We are the Body of Christ. We must act like it.

But before I proceed, let the reader know that I have a huge beam in my own eye. I may spend a few posts talking about it (actually, there are several). And I have some stumbling blocks, or thorns in the flesh, too, if you will. I need to take care of my own beam and thorns, before I go off and start calling out those that are tripping up the forward movement of God's kingdom.

Pray for God's wisdom, as we move forward.

A Discussion with a Sales Expert

I met with a good friend of mine yesterday, who is a very successful and prominent sales trainer in the Ann Arbor area. On some future date, I would like to share more information with you, about this person - but for now let me keep his identity hidden, and only provide a summary of his advice to me:

* Most professional sales people are not different than the average person in our MLM. That is, they would be no more effective at MLM than the average person doing it the conventional way. This is because of an important factor in the field of adult education: most people do not change as a result of training. It is probably close to the 80-20 concept. Only 20 percent of people in a training program will actually "get it." And of those 20 percent, only 20% will actually change as a result of the training. The good news is that, if we can get good, world class training to ten of our people, one of them will become a star, benefitting everybody.

* Especially with Multi-Level Marketing, use something called the "Reverse Negative" approach. That is, assume that everyone we approach is not going to be interested. Tell them up front, that we do not want to sell them anything, or recruit them into anything we simply want some advice. When people tell us "I hope you do well, but I'm not interested" take them at their word. Now let's give them a chance to follow-through on their statement that they hope we succeed. Ask them for some help. People love giving advice!

My dad made an interesting observation last weekend. He said that most of our friends and family actually hope we fail. They do not want us making a dime in our venture! Now, if we say this we must add that this does not make them bad people, per se. It is just human nature. They do not like us approaching them with our "plan," and if we fail then they will not have to deal with us, and experience tells them that most people fail!

So put it out of your mind that you have much at stake in getting friends and family in. Your growth will come from people you do not even know.

* "Feel it, say it". Don't beat around the bush. Be up front with people and don't play games. Go ahead and say "I want you on my team," especially if that person has some special skill or talent that will benefit your team!

There is such a thing as good selling skills. We do not necessarily get it from our "in-house" training. Let's network to real pros that can help us, and go about building a team of people with skills that will benefit all of us!