Volunteering is the ultimate exercise in democracy. ~ Anonymous
In 1962, rhythm & blues group The Orlons produced what would become a Top 40 hit and gold record called Don’t Hang Up. That song flits through my head whenever I make calls during election season as a campaign volunteer and someone hangs up on me. It always amazes me how people can hang up on volunteers who are merely fulfilling their civic duty to help move the democratic process along.
I consider it a good rule for letter-writing to leave unmentioned
what the recipient already knows,and instead tell him something new.
~Sigmund Freud
Guest Post by Lyn Nelson
Now that we've addressed your most important job search tool in Five Steps to a Modern, Effective Resume and Putting Together Your Resume, this post is about your resume's right hand man - the cover letter.
“We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.”
~ attributed to Winston Churchill
The establishment last year of “Giving Tuesday” is the grassroots brainchild of the renowned 92nd Street Y in New York City. The premise of the day is that people give their time, service and money to help organizations that help others and is based on the concept of tikkun olam, a Hebrew expression which in English means, “repairing the world.”
"If you get up early to go Christmas shopping today,
you can save a ton of money.
Of course, if you roll over and say, 'Screw shopping this year,'
you can save even more.”
~ Maxine
Maxine may be on to something. Black Friday is a day that has become infamous in the annals of consumer shopping, so maybe it's better if everyone just turned off their alarm clocks, went back to sleep and skipped the madness.
"As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest
appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them."
~ John Fitzgerald Kennedy
To Americans, Thanksgiving means hearth and home, a gathering of family and friends and good and plentiful food and drink. To the pilgrims who celebrated what we have come to recognize as the First Thanksgiving nearly 400 years ago, it was an occasion of thankfulness and gratitude by those who had survived the voyage to these shores as well as the first harsh winter in their new land.
“No good deed goes unpunished.” ~ Clare Booth Luce
The scene is last Tuesday, November 5th, which was Election Day in the U.S. The location is a local campaign office of a candidate for public office. The time is mid-Afternoon. A volunteer is placing “Get Out The Vote!” calls to local residents who are members of her political party and who are likely to vote for her candidate. She is upbeat and motivated, and there is warmth and a smile in her voice.
How Far Have Women Really Progressed?
We’re taking a detour from my dining etiquette series to dedicate the next three entries to the observance of Women’s History Month.
As a group, women are increasingly in the news. The female vote in the U.S. has been a key factor in determining the outcome of recent elections, there are new books out to help and encourage women on how to achieve career success and U.S. companies are beginning to develop serious programs to promote women. But, how far have U.S. women really progressed since 1776? Women of a certain age can look back to the beginnings of the modern Women’s Movement in the 1960s with a certain amount of dismay that women have not achieved more.
It’s more than a privilege,
It’s a responsibility.
Americans do not have a Constitutional right to vote. However, we do have an implied right to vote as stated in the 15th, 19th and 26th Amendments that prohibit restrictions on voting based on race, gender and age.
But, there is something equally important to consider when it comes to voting, and self-governance, and that is the ethics involved with one’s privilege to have a voice in how his or her country is run.