dormamcgruder.com

As seconds run their natural progression and develop into decades it is important that we make it our business to finish what we start.  So often in my personal experience I have found that I would be much further ahead if I had just completed that project, saw that plan through to the end, gave my best to this task.  Even when it was difficult mentally or emotionally, things would have been better had I saw things through to the end, given it my very best, I have the ability to finish what I start.  Each of us has the ability to finish what we start.  Whether it is losing weight, elevating and growing a business, learning a new computer program, finishing a college degree, cleaning the old paper and junk out of the house, we must finish. 

I am not complaining, but I gained so much more time, self-confidence, peace of mind, and truly helped others when I stopped running and 1 task at a time, FINISHED!!!!  The feeling was beyond words.  Doing the small things felt so good, I tackled the big things and now I am finishing even better things – for me.  It is a much better feeling to stop making excuses and watch other people pursue, catch and live their dreams, and watch me pursue and finish my dreams and live them. 

No, I have not done the HUGE things I want to do yet, but I am taking steps and getting closer and closer everyday.

Even a baby step forward, is still a step forward.  Even though it is the end of June, start now, right now, and finish 1 thing you have put down.  Tomorrow do 2.  The next day do 1 or 2 more.  When you push yourself to do what you already know that you can do, you will be astonished to discover that the things you thought you could not do become possible and even easy.

Saturday, March 20, at 3:20 am, my father died.  He had emphysema, COPD, pneumonia, glaucoma. . .he suffered.  Daddy was an Honorably Discharged United States Marine Sergeant.  He broke barriers and despite the overwhelming racial problems (The Marines were the last branch of service to integrate and allow soldiers of color into the service) in two years he made Sergeant and served active duty in Korea. 

He smoked believing he would get cancer and die.  Instead he contracted emphysema and lived.  I am grieving and having more difficulty than I let anyone know about.  I am not angry that he died, but disappointed that such a brilliant man, did not quit smoking and missed out on 30 years of healthy living.  I think about his genius mind, good heart, strong spirit and million dollar smile, that all slowly ebbed away.

I am not asking for anything for me.  But the purpose for this post is to implore all of you to take care of yourselves.  I am not a doctor and can’t tell you what to do, but do the best that you can.  Even 1 step in the right direction every day, is 1 step ahead of where you were yesterday.  You don’t have to join a health club, go for a walk.  You don’t have to walk 10 miles, walk around the block, or to the end of the driveway.  You don’t have to eat wheatgrass and celery.  Cut back on salt, gravy, butter, eating late.  I know smoking is very hard to quit, but you can do it.  You don’t have to do it all at once.  Do it one cigarette at a time.  But for those of us who know and love you, be healthy.

Do You Use Credit/Debit Cards?

Read this note very carefully. I did not know about the Clear button, but I will be pushing the Clear button before I swipe my gas or debit card. And after just to be safe.

People are getting really desperate due to the constantly rising gas prices.

A friend just told me about something that happened to one of his coworkers. She used her credit/debit card to purchase gas at the pump (like most of us do). She received her receipt like
normal. However, when she checked her statement, there were two $50 charges added in addition to her purchase. Upon investigation, She found out that because she did not press the ‘Clear’ button on the pump, the employee inside the store was able to use her card to purchase His/her own gas!.

To keep this from happening, after you get your receipt, you must press the ‘CLEAR’ button or your information will be stored until the next customer inserts their card.. Be sure to tell all
your friends/family so that this doesn’t happen to them!

I had never noticed the clear button but I got gas the other day and sure enough it is there.

I will be using it from now on.

SUMMER HELP WANTED

TEMPORARY WORKERS FOR GULF COAST OIL SPILL NEEDED IMMEDIATELY

 Shamrock Environmental Corporation (Shamrock) has been contracted to provide support personnel to assist with the oil spill clean-up throughout the Gulf Coast.  Areas where work may be performed are Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida.  All workers will require OSHA 40 hour Hazardous Waste Operator Training (WE WILL PROVIDE).  Successful completion of a physical and drug screen also required.  Each applicant must be 18 years of age or older.  The hours will vary but expect LOTS of overtime.

 RATE OF PAY:                     $13.00/hour straight time

                                                $19.50/hour overtime (after 40 hours/week)

 PER DIEM:                           $26.00/day for meals

 LODGING:                           Provided

 Work may include, but is not limited to, manual labor associated with removing crude oil from impacted beaches, rocks, boom, or any other items that have come in contact with the oil.  Technicians may be required to operate pressure washers, mops, rakes, shovels or a variety of other hand tools or small pieces of equipment while wearing proper protective gear.  Work Environment may include working on or near water, in marshland, beach and estuary locations in hot and humid conditions day or night.

 Work is available IMMEDIATELY for safety conscious workers.  Transportation to the Gulf Coast will be provided.  The HR Group has been contracted to conduct this recruitment.  Applications MUST be completed at http://shamrockenviro.iapplicants.com. NO PHONE CALLS.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Obama’s 100 Days: Behind-the-Scenes Photos – Photo Essays – TIME*

A NEEDLE CAN SAVE THE LIFE OF A STROKE PATIENT

‘My father was paralyzed and later died from the result of a stroke. I wish I knew about this first aid before. When stroke strikes, the capillaries in the brain will gradually burst.’(Irene Liu)

When a stroke occurs, stay calm. No matter where the victim is, do not move him/her. Because, if moved, the capillaries will burst. Help the victim to sit up where he is to prevent him from falling over again, and then the bloodletting can begin. If you have in your home an injection syringe that would be the best, otherwise, a sewing needle or a straight pin will do.

1. Place the needle/pin over fire to sterilize it, and then use it to prick the tip of all 10 fingers.

2. There are no specific acupuncture points, just prick about a mm from the fingernail.

3. Prick till blood comes out.

4. If blood does not start to drip, then squeeze with your fingers.

5. When all 10 digits is bleeding, wait a few minutes then the victim will regain consciousness.

6. If the victim’s mouth is crooked, then pull on his ears until they are red.

7. Then prick each ear lobe twice until two drops of blood comes from each ear lobe. After a few minutes the victim should regain consciousness.

Wait till the victim regain his normal state without any abnormal symptoms then take him to the hospital, otherwise, if he was taken in the ambulance in a hurry to the hospital, the bumpy trip will cause all the capillaries in his brain to burst. If he could save his life, barely managing to walk, then it is by the grace of his ancestors.

‘ I learned about letting blood to save life from a Chinese traditional doctor, Ha Bu-Ting, who lives in Sun-Juke. Furthermore, I had practical experience with it. Therefore I can say this method is 100% effective. In 1979, I was teaching in Fung-Gaap College in Tai-Chung. One afternoon I was teaching class when another teacher came running to my class room and said in panting, ‘Ms. Liu, come quick, our supervisor has had a stroke!’

I immediately went to the 3rd floor. When I saw our supervisor, Mr.Chen Fu-Tien, his color was off, his speech was slurred, his mouth was crooked – all the symptoms of a stroke. I immediately asked one of the practicum students to go to the pharmacy outside the school to buy a syringe, which I used to prick Mr. Chen’s 10 fingers tips. When all 10 fingers were bleeding (each with a pea-sized drop of blood), after a few minutes, Mr. Chen’s face regained its color and his eyes’ spirit returned, too. But his mouth was still crooked. So I pulled on his ears to fill them with blood. When his ears became red, I pricked his right earlobe twice to let out 2 drops of blood. When both earlobes had two drops of blood each, a miracle happened. Within 3-5 minutes the shape of his mouth returned to normal and his speech became clear. We let him rest for a while and have a cup of hot tea, then we helped him go down the stairs, drove him to Wei-Wah Hospital. He rested one night and was released the next day to return to school to teach.

Everything worked normally. There were no ill after-effects. On the other hand, the usual stroke victim usually suffers irreparable bursting of the brain capillaries on the way to the hospital. As a result, these victims never recover.

(Irene Liu)

Therefore stroke is the second cause of death. The lucky ones will stay alive but can remain paralyzed for life. It is such a horrible thing to happen in one’s life. If we can all remember this bloodletting method and start the life-saving process immediately, in a short time, the victim will be revived and regain 100% normality.

If possible, Please forward this after reading. You never know. IT MAY HELP SAVE A LIFE.

 

(From Chinese professor)

Securities and Exchange Commission: To apply for temporary employment with the SEC, students must be at least 16 years old, be enrolled in an accredited high school, technical, vocational or college/university and have a GPA of 2.5 or more. For more information visit: http://www.sec.gov/jobs/jobsstudents.shtml.

 

Syracuse University: Syracuse University has 10 full ride scholarships available for African-American men and women who are interested in studying architecture. For more information contact: Mark Robbins, Dean, School of Architecture at (315) 443-2256.

 

Bezos Scholars Program: Students selected for this program will receive seven-day, all-expense- paid scholarship to attend the Aspen Ideas Festival, July 5-11, 2010 High school juniors who attend a public school where at least 25 percent of students are eligible for the free/reduced lunch, have a GPA of 3.5 or better, are U.S. citizens or permanent residents and are taking Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate classes are eligible. For more information visit: http://www.bezosfamilyfoundation.org/scholars/.

 

Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes: The Barron Prize honors young people between the ages of 8 and 18 who have made a significant positive difference to people and our planet. Nominations are due by April 30, 2010. For more information visit: http://www.barronpr ize.org.

 

FAMU Scholarship: African-American female students who plan to enroll in the Computer and Information Sciences department at Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University are eligible. Applications are due by August 1, 2010.

For more information visit: http://www.cis.famu.edu/aawcs/.

An excerpt on Alexandre Dumas, author of the epic novels The Three Musketeers and The Count of Monte Cristo: Despite Alexandre Dumas’ success and aristocratic connections, his being of mixed race would affect him all his life. In 1843 he wrote a short novel, Georges, that addressed some of the issues of race and the effects of colonialism. He once remarked to a man who insulted him about his mixed-race background: “My father was a mulatto, my grandfather was a Negro, and my great-grandfather a monkey. You see, Sir, my family starts where yours ends.”[4][5]

• Born: 24 July 1802
• Birthplace: Villers-Cotterets, France
• Died: 5 December 1870 (natural causes)
• Best Known As: The author of The Three Musketeers

Alexandre Dumas wrote the classic adventure novel The Three Musketeers and some of the most famous and popular stories in French literature. Beginning in 1844 he had a string of brilliantly successful books, publishing The Three Musketeers (1844, first printed in serial form) and following it with The Count of Monte Cristo (1845), Twenty Years After (1845) and The Black Tulip (1850), among many others. A great celebrity writer of the day, he was almost as famous for his reckless spending and lavish lifestyle, and he was frequently in debt. In his last days he was supported by his illegitimate son, the author Alexandre Dumas the Younger.

Dumas and his son are often referred to as Dumas peré (father) and Dumas fils (son)… Alexandre Dumas was one-quarter black; his grandfather had married a slave while serving as a government official in what is now Haiti.

 

COLIN POWELL’S NARRATION – A MUST READ

Bridging the Gap – General Colin Luther Powell:
American Statesman and Four Star General in the United States Army
Former Secretary of State to President George W. Bush

Read and share with your positive friends…

The less you associate with some people, the more your life will improve. Any time you tolerate mediocrity in others, it increases your mediocrity. An important attribute in successful people is their impatience with negative thinking and negative acting people.

As you grow, your associates will change. Some of your friends will not want you to go on. They will want you to stay where they are… Friends that don’t help you climb will want you to crawl. Your friends will stretch your vision or choke your dream. Those that don’t increase you will eventually decrease you.

Consider this:

Never receive counsel from unproductive people. Never discuss your problems with someone incapable of contributing to the solution, because those who never succeed themselves are always first to tell you how. Not everyone has a right to speak into your life. You are certain to get the worst of the bargain when you exchange ideas with the wrong person. Don’t follow anyone who’s not going anywhere… With some people you spend an evening: with others you invest it. Be careful where you stop to inquire for directions along the road of life. Wise is the person who fortifies his life with the right friendships. If you run with wolves, you will learn how to howl. But, if you associate with eagles, you will learn how to soar to great heights.

“A mirror reflects a man’s face, but what he is really like is shown by the kind of friends he chooses.”

The simple but true fact of life is that you become like those with whom you closely associate – for the good and the bad.

Note: Be not mistaken. This is applicable to family as well as friends. Yes…do love, appreciate and be thankful for your family, for they will always be your family no matter what. Just know that they are human first and though they are family to you, they may be a friend to someone else and will fit somewhere in the criteria above.

“In Prosperity Our Friends Know Us. In Adversity We Know Our friends.”

“Never make someone a priority when you are only an option for them.”

“If you are going to achieve excellence in big things, you develop the habit in little matters. Excellence is not an exception, it is a prevailing attitude..”..

Colin Powell

SCHOLARSHIP UPDATE 2010 

AFRICAN AMERICAN AND LATINO STUDENTS

ARE NOT APPLYING FOR SCHOLARSHIPS:

 Even if you do not have a college-aged child at home, please share this with someone who does, and to anyone and everyone that comes to mind. Though there are a number of companies and organizations that have donated money for scholarships to African Americans and Latino Students, a great deal of the money is being returned because of a lack of interest or awareness. No one is going to knock on our doors and ask if we can use a scholarship. Take the initiative to get your children involved. Money shouldn’t be returned to donating companies because we fail to apply for it. Please pass this information on to family members, nieces, nephews, friends with children etc. We must get the word out that money is available. If you are a college student or getting ready to become one, you probably already know how useful additional money can be. (If clicking on the link doesn’t work, then type in the Web site address manually.)

1) BELL LABS FELLOWSHIPS FOR UNDER REPRESENTED MINORITIES

http://www.bell-labs.com/fellowships/CRFP/info.html 

 

2) Student Inventors Scholarships

http://www.invent.org/collegiate/

 

 

3) Student Video Scholarships

http://www.christophers.org/vidcon2k.html

 

 

4) Coca-Cola Two Year College Scholarships

http://www.coca-colascholars.org/programs.html

 

 

5) Ayn Rand Essay Scholarships

http://www.aynrand.org/contests/

 

 

6) Brand Essay Competition

http://www.instituteforbrandleadership.org/IBLEssayContest-2002Rules.htm

 

 

7) Gates Millennium Scholarships (major)

http://www.gmsp.org/nominationmaterials/read.dbm?ID=12

 

 

Sports Scholarships and Internships

http://www.ncaa.org/about/scholarships.html

 

 

9) National Assoc. Of Black Journalists Scholarships

http://www.nabj.org/html/studentsvcs.html

 

 

10) Saul T. Wilson Scholarships (Veterinary)

http://www.aphis.usda.gov/mb/mrphr%20/jobs/stw.HTML

11) Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund

http://www.thurgoodmarshallfund.org/sk_v6.cfm

 

 

12) FinAid: The Smart Students Guide to Financial Aid scholarships)

http://www.finaid.org/

 

 

13) Presidential Freedom Scholarships

http://www.nationalservice.org/scholarships

 

 

14) Microsoft Scholarship Program

http://www.microsoft.com/college/scholarships/minority.asp

 

 

15) Hope Scholarships &Lifetime Credits

http://www.ed.gov/inits/hope

 

16) William Randolph Hearst Endowed Scholarship for Minority Students

http://www.apsanet.org/PS/grants/aspen3.cfm

 

 

17) Guaranteed Scholarships

http://www.guaranteed-scholarships.com/

 

 

18) Maryland Artists Scholarships

http://www.maef.org/

 

 

19) Jacki Tuckfield Memorial Graduate Business Scholarship

 http://www.jackituckfield.org/

 

 

20) Historically Black College & University Scholarships

http://www.iesabroad.org/info/hbcu.htm

 

 

21) Actuarial Scholarships for Minority Students

http://www.beanactuary.org/minority/scholarships.htm

 

 

22) International Students Scholarships &Aid Help

http://www.iefa.org/

 

 

23) Siemens Westinghouse Competition

http://www.siemens-foundation.org/

 

 

24) GE and LuLac Scholarship Funds

http://www.lulac.org/Programs/Scholar.html

 

 

25) CollegeNets Scholarship Database

http://mach25.collegenet.com/cgi-bin/M25/index

 

26) Union Sponsored Scholarships and Aid

http://www.aflcio.org/scholarships/scholar.htm

 

 

27) Federal Scholarships &Aid Gateways 25 Scholarship Gateways from Black Excel

http://www.blackexcel.org/25scholarships.htm

 

 

28) Scholarship &Financial Aid Help

http://www.blackexcel.org/fin-sch.htm

 

 

29) FAFSA On The Web (Your Key Aid Form &Info)

http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/

 

30) Aid &Resources For Re-Entry Students

http://www.back2college.com/

 

 

31) HBCU Packard Sit Abroad Scholarships (for study around the world)

http://www.sit.edu/studyabroad/packard_nomination.html

 

 

32) Scholarship and Fellowship Opportunities

http://ccmi.uchicago.edu/schl1.html

 

 

33) INROADS internships

http://www.inroads.org/

 

 

34) Black Alliance for Educational Options Scholarships

http://www.baeo.org/

 

 

35) ScienceNet Scholarship Listing

http://www.sciencenet.emory.edu/undergrad/scholarships.html

 

 

 

 

 

(for AA students in South Florida)