Melva Gifford

I have a democrat friend who was excited about an article where President Obama said he was proud that he had no scandals during his administration. I sent a list of scandals that my friend may want to consider. And in all fairness, I also sent a list of Bush scandals. List provided by: http://www.dailywire.com/news/10982/obama-says-hes-had-scandal-free-administration-aaron-bandler. Supporting links I looked up myself.

1. “Operation Fast and Furious involved the Obama administration arming drug cartels and thugs south of the border as a means to undermine the Second Amendment It has also been revealed that Joaquin Guzman, better known as the drug lord “El Chapo,” acquired a .50 caliber rifle as a result of Fast and Furious.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ATF_gunwalking_scandal
http://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona/2015/10/01/guilty-verdict-border-patrol-agent-brian-terry-killing-trial/73144850/
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/two-found-guilty-in-border-agent-killing-tied-to-fast-and-furious/
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/biggest-controversies-eric-holders-term-attorney-general/story?id=25758871
2. Benghazi. The terror attacks in Benghazi, Libya resulted in four brave Americans dying despite the fact that help could have been sent, but wasn’t. Requests for security prior to the attack were repeatedly denied, and after the attack, Obama and Hillary Clinton falsely blamed it on a video considered offensive to Muslims. During the election, Benghazi became associated with Clinton—and rightly so—but it is also Obama’s scandal as well. It is still not known what Obama was doing that night.

The Benghazi Timeline, Clinton Edition

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/libya/10218288/CIA-running-arms-smuggling-team-in-Benghazi-when-consulate-was-attacked.html
http://www.committeeforamericansovereignty.com/benghazi_cover_up
http://www.aim.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/AIM-Citizens-Commission-on-Benghazi-FINAL-REPORT-June-2016.pdf
http://www.washingtonsblog.com/2014/04/real-benghazi-story.html

3. The IRS targeted conservative organizations. In 2013, Lois Lerner, who directed the Internal Revenue Service’s Exempt Organizations Unit, admitted that Tea Party organizations were targeted under the agency, but blamed it on lower-level employees. Such organizations were heavily scrutinized with invasive questions. Since then, Lerner and IRS commissioner John Koskinen have denied any wrongdoing and have stonewalled congressional efforts to investigate the matter, citing computer crashes for being unable to turn over related emails.
http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/court-finds-irs-may-still-be-targeting-conservatives/article/2598741
https://www.treasury.gov/tigta/auditreports/2013reports/201310053fr.pdf
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/nov/16/irs-aware-of-tea-party-targeting-as-early-as-2011-/
http://thehill.com/policy/finance/282307-irs-targeted-426-groups-report

4. The DOJ seized Associated Press phone records as well as phone and email records from Fox News reporter James Rosen
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/14/us/phone-records-of-journalists-of-the-associated-press-seized-by-us.html
http://www.npr.org/2013/05/14/183810320/justice-department-secretly-obtains-ap-phone-records
https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/justice-departments-scrutiny-of-fox-news-reporter-james-rosen-in-leak-case-draws-fire/2013/05/20/c6289eba-c162-11e2-8bd8-2788030e6b44_story.html?utm_term=.a41fe71c7564
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/13/ap-phone-records-doj-leaks_n_3268932.html

5. The NSA conducted mass surveillance against American citizens without a warrant. Thanks to leaking from former government contractor Edward Snowden, it was revealed that the National Security Agency had been conducting mass surveillance against American citizens—a clear violation of the Fourth Amendment. In 2015, the NSA eventually ended their bulk data collection of phone records.
NSA conducted mass surveillance against American citizens https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/under-sweeping-subpoenas-justice-department-obtained-ap-phone-records-in-leak-investigation/2013/05/13/11d1bb82-bc11-11e2-89c9-3be8095fe767_story.html?utm_term=.57ee1f96be3a

6. The Obama administration paid ransom to Iran for hostages and lied to the American people about it. The Obama administration claimed that they were giving a total of $1.7 billion to Iran to settle a failed arms deal with the previous Iranian regime, and it just happened to coincide with the release of four American hostages.
http://nypost.com/2016/08/03/us-sent-400m-to-iran-as-us-detainees-were-freed-report/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4CdBAKfyR7M
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/19/world/middleeast/iran-us-cash-payment-prisoners.html
http://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2016/08/obamas-ransom-payment.php

7. Hillary’s email scandal. Clinton’s use of a private email server that was unapproved and unsecured has been written about extensively, but it is also Obama’s scandal as well since it has been revealed that not only did Obama know about her private email server, he also communicated with her under the use of a pseudonym. If their email exchanges involved classified information, then Obama also would have violated the Espionage Act.
http://www.politico.com/story/2016/09/hillary-clinton-emails-fbi-228607
http://nypost.com/2016/09/24/obama-used-pseudonym-to-talk-with-hillary-on-private-server/
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2013/05/13/justice-department-associated-press-telephone-records/2156521/
https://vault.fbi.gov/hillary-r.-clinton/hillary-r.-clinton-part-03-of-04/view

8. The Environmental Protection Agency poisoned a Colorado river. The EPA breached the Gold King mine in the state and “mistakenly dug at the bottom” as well as didn’t test for pressure, leading to “three million gallons of toxic mine waste” being dumped into a river

Gold King one year later: Colorado’s mustard-yellow disaster spurs plans for leaking mine

http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/epa-owns-toxic-sludge-leak-tainting-colorado-river
http://www.businessinsider.com/epa-caused-colorado-river-disaster-2015-8
http://www.mtv.com/news/2236654/epa-toxic-waste-turned-colorado-river-orange/

9. The EPA also broke federal law in promoting a regulation. In 2015 that the nonpartisan Government Accountability Office concluded that the EPA broke the law in using Thunderclap to tout their “Waters of the United States” regulation as well as their use of “hyperlinks to the [Natural Resources Defense Council] and Surfrider Foundation web pages provided in the EPA blog post.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/15/us/politics/epa-broke-the-law-by-using-social-media-to-push-water-rule-auditor-finds.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barack_Obama_on_mass_surveillance

NSA Surveillance

http://time.com/3909293/edward-snowden-obama-nsa-spying/

10. The GSA scandal. The General Services Administration was busted in 2012 for spending $823,000 on an extravagantly decadent conference in Las Vegas, and it became a shining example of government waste. Several people in the agency were fired, with one facing an indictment. Despite the scandal, lavish spending still occurred within federal agencies under the Obama administration.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/gsa-chief-resigns-amid-reports-of-excessive-spending/2012/04/02/gIQABLNNrS_story.html?tid=a_inl&utm_term=.0e734a9aeecd
http://www.govexec.com/management/2015/01/where-are-they-now-where-players-gsa-scandal-have-landed/103743/
http://fusion.net/story/245349/government-agency-breaks-law-using-social-media/
http://www.usnews.com/news/politics/articles/2015-12-14/auditors-epa-broke-law-in-social-media-blitz-on-water-rule

11. The Secret Service scandal. The Secret Service was caught in 2012 engaging with prostitutes during a trip to Cartegena, Columbia, with one Secret Service agent emailing another: “Swagg cologne-check/Pimp gear-check/ Swagg sunglasses-check/Cash fo dem hoes-check.” They “also left sensitive government documents unprotected in their Cartagena rooms

Secret Service Prostitution Scandal: One Year Later

http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/04/17/11251326-nbc-prostitutes-50-fee-for-two-agents-triggered-secret-service-scandal
http://www.businessinsider.com/obama-secret-service-agents-suspended-military-involved-colombia-prostitute-scandal-2012-4
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/report-secret-service-agents-partied-with-strippers-ahead-of-obama-el-salvador-visit/

Bush scandals http://www.texasmonthly.com/articles/badges-of-dishonor/
https://www.nytimes.com/…/investigation-into-missing…

http://www.nytimes.com/…/bush-lets-us-spy-on-callers…
http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/…/2005-01-06-williams…
http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/…/2004-05-16-yee-cover_x…
http://www.washingtonpost.com/…/01/26/AR2007012601717.html
https://www.aclu.org/other/nsa-spying-americans-illegal

Good: Facilitate

Bad:    Faciliate

I need to remember the T. when you organizing things or faciliTate you talk with others thus remember the T.

Do you have a better idea? If so please feel free to give that suggestion in the comment section of this blog.

These notes come from the Toastmasters leadership training but many the concepts can be used in other organizations.

• Club members and officers are the salesman of the club.
• The quality of your product is in your setting. Start the meeting and end the meeting on time have it well-organized. At the conclusion of each meeting seek out feedback of the new visitors to see where you succeed or need to improve
• Should arrive early and be prepared.
• Club officers fulfill responsibilities of your assignments. Your dedication will help the club succeed
• The meeting should proceed at a good pace
• Each project in the manual is geared to help members succeed. You can share how the manuals help new people succeed in the own goals.
• In the closing the sale of introducing the club to new people share with them how the use of their time in the club can help them succeed. One example is that the club is an opportunity to practice their communication skills in a short of time rather than investing in tuition for speech class.
• Ask the new visitors their thoughts of the meeting.
• Share your expectations of members. The more enthusiastic you are the easier new people will want to join

Do you have something to add? Please do so in the comment section of this blog.

Here are my notes for this week’s addiction class. The topic is on Seeking Forgiveness. Any inaccuracies in my notes are the fault of the note taker.

• There are those who have addiction feel isolated.
• It’s around the step 8th to 12th that addicts begin to feel not so isolated.
• When we consider compiling a list of who we have hurt the holy spirit can help us can look outside ourselves.
• Sometimes offenses can be created by sins of omission as well as sins of commission.
• Reverse the conditions of who offended you to see how you have offended others.
• Ask yourself is there anyone you feel embarrassed around or ashamed around, as those may be the ones you may have offended.
• Look for things you have neglected or of things undone.
• One can gain the perception of seen through someone else’s eyes and better understand them.
• Sometimes your offenses includes extended family members of the partner or kids that you have person offended. Maybe brothers and sisters of your spouse or nephews and nieces of extended family. When you ask for their forgiveness they can learn from the experience in a good way.
• The act of seeking forgiveness can make a positive influence on extended family. They can learn by your example of restitution and seeking forgiveness.
• God is our ultimate spotter. He can give us extra weight but he will not give us too much weight to crush us.
• Involve God to help you create the list of those you offended.

Do you have something to add to the topic? Please feel free to do so in the comment section of this blog.  Thanks.

One of my favorite documentaries.

Not left not right = Americans.

I just watched the movie Sully and was inspired by examples of courage and compassion and remembered this documentary.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDOrzF7B2Kg

Good: pigeons

Bad:   pigons

I’m not feeling very imaginative today. But park pigEons are willing to Eat out of your hand for free food, thus pigEons.

Do you have a better idea? If so please feel free to give that suggestion in the comment section of this blog.

I listened to a series of lectures hosted by Mother Earth news and this is on the topic of seven ways to get paid from a garden. I did not type up all the notes as I thought some of it might be specific to the business and didn’t want to hinder potential sales.

Garden income can pay bills or to finance some fun or quick path to retirement.

Review all 7 steps and see which one would be the first to apply to you.

1: Agriscaping:

• This is a time where 51% of people live in cities and 49% live close to farms.
• We are trending more urban and live closer to our neighbors.
• Food coming from an average of 1500 miles away could such easy access to food could be disrupted.
• Food grown 400 miles away is considered local food.
• 48 million people are trying to grow their food from home.
• Each food packet of seeds says it needs full sun. We may not have access to full sun where we live.
• There is dwindling professional support. Professions are retiring and they may not know how to grow food in urban areas.
• Cities may not like the appearance of gardens in yards and may fine the growers.
• Agriscaping: is where people plot out a plot of land of what plan/vegetable will grow well where. Custom fit to your yard.
• If people lose their jobs their yards that are under Agriscaping usually improve.
• If some does regular farming or landscaping and lose their job the management of their yard is degraded.
• If want to grow vegetables and have someone sell it, check out web site utopianharvest.com.
• A farmer makes 17% off the harvest of retail sales. An agriscape grower earns 25% of retail sale to sale excess harvest.
• Growing microgreens indoors and can get 6 to 100 times more nutrients by eating sprouts and microgreens more than the mature fruit.
• You integrate growing starts right into your landscape.
• You can grow Fruits, vegetables, sprouts (indoors) eggs, chickens, fish, plant starts and rooted cuttings.
• If you decided to grow a plant of goji berry plant (also known as Wolfberry. It sells for $24 a lb. You can then cut off starts and plant starts in other areas of the soil and grow the plants. A small start can cost $1. Five weeks later cost $5. Two months later cost can be $15 dollars.
• You can grow product pets, chickens (Gini pigs create great manure) rabbits etc.

2: Tours:

• Give tours of your house. Do multiple sessions for the different time of yr. as the yard is constantly changes. Charge $10.00
• Schools find out and you sell tours and can earn several thousand a yr.

3: educating others:

• Schools want to hire experts to share their knowledge.
• Individuals want to learn how to grow food in their climate.
• This company will educate, certify and support them to teach the system to other areas of the country.
• (Melva’s idea, sell classes online or newsletters.

4: design it:

• Design sustainable landscape and evaluate what grows where efficiently
• At this company, they are taught
• Rainwater harvesting capacities
• Grey-water recycling potentials
• Productivity potentials
• Correctly identify and map microclimates
• Identify where favored edibles grow best.
• Explain the full Agriscaping Process
• Sell a full Design Package or phase
• Align projects with the utopian Harvest network for client productivity
• Design Agriscaping Watering systems.
• May charge a 1-acre property may cost $3500 for this kind of session.
• Select locally productive plants for at least 5 traditional landscaping styles.
• Different modes of landscape: French or French country; Hedges: Centerpieces; Fans; English cottage; southwest Garden elements;
• Need to grow native edible plants

5: Do the work

• You can do the work to setup these designed landscapes.

6: become a personal gardener.

• Become a professional at production to manage someone else’ gardener.
• Beginners may charge $10 an hour. Other may charge $35 to $90 an hour.

7: Be a Culinary Connector.

• Cook the harvest to wonderful meals.
• Can gather harvest from var8ous growers and take them to market or restaurants.

Here is their website: http://agriscaping.com/

Do you have something to add? Please do so in the comment section of this blog.

Here are my notes for this week’s addiction class. The topic is on humility. Any inaccuracies in my notes are the fault of the note taker.

• A religion that does not require the sacrifice of all things never has the power sufficient to produce the faith necessary unto life and salvation” Joseph Smith, lectures of faith 1985, 69
• Humility requires study and understanding
• Ask heavenly father to remove your addiction.
• During Old Testament times their sacrifice of the beast today is sacrifice of a broken heart and contrite spirit.
• Brigham Young made reference to challenges be little darlings. The represent our sins that we cling to.
• Go on our knees and ask God to remove our addiction.
• The Lord re-creates those who ask for his help.
• Some come to a new understanding of who they are.
• As we review the steps and you read to them pay attention to the words and then see what the Holy Spirit reveals to you personally as you review the steps. Those thoughts are private messages to you.
• But When people share their feelings on the various rules they will often reference Christ or maybe something that this Holy Spirit prompted them during reading of the rules and the prompting of the Holy Spirit about what they must do to address their individual addiction

Do you have something to add to the topic? Please feel free to do so in the comment section of this blog.  Thanks.