tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50069718237332002492024-03-13T03:23:22.081-07:00A Karmatastic LifeThe Karmatastic Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09631208398313558726noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5006971823733200249.post-75507249863828019682011-12-20T05:14:00.000-08:002011-12-20T05:14:26.200-08:00The Heroes Among Us<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Share your stories and thoughts and comment on those posted here.</span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Reading the stories of the CNN heroes, I could not help but think of the heroes who walk among us. Ordinary people doing extraordinary, selfless things.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">The pilots who are flying shelter dogs to their new families</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">K, whose sister gave the gift of life to her father</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">J, who works to ensure the disabled have access to higher education and therefore brighter futures</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">T, who feeds the hungry and helps the unemployed write their first resumes</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">The firefighter who went back for his colleague and now fights for his own life</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">All the people who look day and night for missing children</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">The servicemen- and -women who are returning from Iraq and posts worldwide</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">The volunteers at Noah’s Ark and shelters everywhere</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">My list could go on forever. Make your list today and give thanks for unknown blessings already on their way.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoBodyText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><em>A karmatastic life is a way of thinking, doing, being. Collective good deeds have the power to clarify the present, shape the future, and heal the past.</em></span></div><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 8.5pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">© 2011 Karmatastic. All rights reserved. </span>The Karmatastic Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09631208398313558726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5006971823733200249.post-58439897513119160702011-11-18T05:28:00.001-08:002011-11-18T05:28:49.397-08:00Reach Inside Yourself<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Share your stories and thoughts and comment on those posted here.</span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">The economy reeks. Good people continue to lose their jobs. The holidays loom—and for some that means painful memories, regrets, and difficult encounters with family members.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">This perfect storm makes it all the more important to reach inside yourself and let kindness and the benefit of the doubt inform your attitude and actions.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">A karmatastic life is a way of thinking, doing, being. Collective good deeds have the power to clarify the present, shape the future, and heal the past.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 8.5pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">© 2011 Karmatastic. All rights reserved. </span></span>The Karmatastic Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09631208398313558726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5006971823733200249.post-42334838263446218742011-09-20T17:16:00.000-07:002011-09-20T17:16:35.305-07:00Give a Little Bit<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Share your stories and thoughts and comment on those posted here.</span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">We <em>all</em> have something we can spare, or we can share. The following is a short list of ideas to pare your closets and home and make a real difference in the lives of others. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Clothes, shoes, and handbags:</span></b><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> <b>Women in Distress</b> and <b>CareerCloset.org</b> help women find their way back to safety, self-respect, dignity, and lives worth living (and giving).</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Furniture, household items, and gently used toys: Faith Farms Ministries</span></b><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> and <b>TheGivingEffect.com</b> can take nearly anything and put it to good use.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Books:</span></b><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> Consider a run to your local hospital or retirement home; your fave books and writers might find new fans.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">New and gently used home repair/remodeling supplies:</span></b><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> <b>Habitat Restore</b> will resell; shop there as well! </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">That old clunker:</span></b><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> your local high school auto technician training program can use old cars to train tomorrow’s workers.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">The change jar:</span></b><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> Even a $10 donation will make a difference to animals awaiting their forever homes—food, toys, bedding, and cleaning supplies are required to keep the animals engaged and the shelters afloat.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoBodyText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><em>A karmatastic life is a way of thinking, doing, being. Collective good deeds have the power to clarify the present, shape the future, and heal the past.</em></span></div><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 8.5pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">© 2011 Karmatastic. All rights reserved. </span></span>The Karmatastic Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09631208398313558726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5006971823733200249.post-68468605903410712842011-09-14T04:59:00.000-07:002011-09-14T04:59:00.868-07:00Fund Food for Animals: Click to Make a Diff<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Share your stories and comment on those posted here.</span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Support </span><a href="http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com/clickToGive/home.faces?siteId=3"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Fund Food for Animals</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> every day to feed and care for the millions of pets waiting for their forever homes. It’s free, and your clicks count for something important. Check out their cool merchandise, too.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Don’t buy--adopt</b>. I know personally the joy of opening my door to a pet in need. </span><a href="http://www.animalshelter.org/"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Click here</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> for a list of shelters throughout the US. Open your heart and you will not regret it.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bTHTDkrIuvo/TnCWDTkFbqI/AAAAAAAAAAQ/bGFjaXs_sMM/s1600/005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240px" rba="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bTHTDkrIuvo/TnCWDTkFbqI/AAAAAAAAAAQ/bGFjaXs_sMM/s320/005.JPG" width="320px" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The karmatastic life is a way of thinking, doing, being. Collective good deeds have the power to clarify the present, shape the future, and heal the past.</span></i></div>The Karmatastic Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09631208398313558726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5006971823733200249.post-28429707555012637842011-09-11T07:53:00.000-07:002011-09-11T07:53:46.954-07:00September 11: The Comics Pages Remember<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><i>Share your stories and comment on those posted here.</i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thank you, writers of all of the comics who paid tribute to 9/11, in no particular order: Zits, Doonesbury, The Wizard of Id, Hagar the Horrible, Dennis the Menace, Blondie, Beetle Bailey, Barney & Clyde, Family Circle, Baby Blues, Curtis, Mutts, Mother Goose & Grimm, and Red and Rover. There are probably others, as well. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You bring joy every day to those who read you. Today, your <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>mission is far more important: you honor the lives lost and heroes made on that tragic day. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Everyone should pick up the Sunday paper to read these tributes.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em>A karmatastic life is a way of thinking, doing, being. Collective good deeds have the power to clarify the present, shape the future, and heal the past.</em></span></span>The Karmatastic Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09631208398313558726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5006971823733200249.post-26599256024500337402011-09-10T13:06:00.000-07:002011-09-10T13:06:54.574-07:00Embrace the Present<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Share your stories and comment on those posted here.</span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is mystery. Today is a gift—<i>Eleanor Roosevelt</i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That’s why they call it the present, you know.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Embrace today, with all its guts and glory. Live it <strong>boldly</strong> and <strong>fully</strong>, banking all the good deeds you can. Look tolerantly upon the nimrods—they have not yet evolved while you have risen so, so far above.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Wf-5sYVjpFo/TmvC4mjkcaI/AAAAAAAAAAM/WcFBVdlX2SY/s1600/050.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240px" nba="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Wf-5sYVjpFo/TmvC4mjkcaI/AAAAAAAAAAM/WcFBVdlX2SY/s320/050.JPG" width="320px" /></a></div><i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A karmatastic life is a way of thinking, doing, being. Collective good deeds have the power to clarify the present, shape the future, and heal the past.</span></span></i>The Karmatastic Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09631208398313558726noreply@blogger.com0